What is Beta?

Beta Theta Pi, often referred to simply as "Beta," is a men's college fraternity dedicated to building men of principle for a principled life. The Fraternity has more than 120,000 living members including some 6,000 collegians on 121 campuses in the United States and Canada.

Though Beta has always been considered a pioneering fraternity, in the last 10 years, it has made tremendous strides in its effort to realign itself with the original mission of the founders of 1839. Because of its commitment to academic excellence, leadership development, and a zero tolerance policy for hazing, Beta Theta Pi’s reputation for high standards and accountability is second to none. Beta is also known as “The Leadership Fraternity”, as more than 1,600 Betas participated in a Leadership Development Opportunity of some type in 2008. Most of these were on sponsorships through generous giving of Beta alumni.

Our Chapter at Penn State:

The Alpha Upsilon Chapter of Beta Theta Pi has been a shining star in the Fraternity since 1888, but recent struggles caused the alumni to close the doors during the 2009-2010 academic year. Out of this challenge, though, comes a tremendous opportunity for the best and brightest student leaders, community servants, athletes, and gentlemen to reestablish this great chapter. The chapter will be recruiting freshman through juniors during the 2009-2010 academic year to reestablish the chapter in the Fall of 2010. With a newly renovated house at 220 North Burrowes and recommitment to building Men of Principle for a principled life, this will be the premier fraternity experience at Penn State.

We are looking for gentlemen, leaders, and scholars that have not found what they are looking for within the Penn State Greek Community. We offer them a unique opportunity to shape a truly different fraternity experience at PSU that will challenge the “Frat” stereotype and provide lifelong friendships and alumni networking opportunities for our members.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact our Reestablishment Director, Bill Stansfield, billstansfield50@gmail.com, 404-245-2292. He is happy to explain more about becoming a part of our proud Beta tradition and show you around the gorgeous house.

Why Beta?

Beta’s Men of Principle initiative is not a localized idea; rather it is a message that transcends cultures and can resonate on every campus. The message is simple: times change, principles do not. Entrepreneurial in spirit and ambitious at heart, we are recruiting men who believe in the mission of the organization. It is our goal to align our fraternity with the founding ideals set forth by our eight brothers in 1839. Beta’s recent success, coupled with 170 years of tradition, leadership, and commitment to excellence, has proven to be what college men today are looking for in a fraternity:

• Leadership Development
• Not only are there leadership positions to hold in each chapter, but Beta is also committed to developing its members into the leaders of tomorrow. In 2008, over 1,600 Beta undergraduates attended one of our award-winning leadership development programs (programs include: the Beta Wilderness Challenge, the Wooden Institute for Men of Principle, Leadership College, and many more)…
Beta has received 11 international awards since 1999 for outstanding leadership development programming
• Academics
• Highest chapter minimum grade expectation in the fraternal community (2.7 GPA)
• One of eleven inter/national fraternities with above a 3.0 GPA (3.03)
• Roll of Honor
• The rolls of Beta Theta Pi include more than 80 Rhodes Scholars, 200 members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, 23 State Governors, six Congressional Medal of Honor winners and 11 current CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies.
• Brotherhood and Education
• By participating in symbolic ceremonies, learning and singing many of the Beta songs, and understanding the context of Beta Lore, Betas learn what it means to be a Beta and experience deep bonds of friendship through a 100% positive education process.
• Risk Management
• Clear guidelines and expectations regarding responsible personal conduct, alcohol and drug abuse, and hazing and sexual assault.
• Our members enjoy one of the lowest liability insurance premiums of any fraternity at $120 per year per member.
• Beta Theta Pi Foundation
• Recently completed a $20.1 campaign (upon launching in 2003, the largest in fraternal world history)
• More than $400,000 was awarded in scholarships and sponsorships to undergraduate Betas in 2008
• $83,000 awarded in tuition scholarships annually

Beta’s pioneering spirit:

First college fraternity founded west of the Allegheny Mountains (August 8, 1839)
Oldest continuously published college fraternity magazine (1872)
First college fraternity to publish an open constitution for public distribution (1879)
First fraternity to be founded in 15 states – more than any other fraternity
First fraternity established on more than 35 campuses – more than any other fraternity
First fraternity to establish a chapter west of the Mississippi River (1866)
First fraternity to have general officers (1872)
First fraternity to create alumni chapters (1867)
First fraternity to have a General Convention (1842)
First to host an interfraternity event and meeting (1848)
First fraternity to adopt a 2.5 minimum GPA for a chapter (1984)
First fraternity to adopt a 2.5 minimum GPA for each member (1997)
First fraternity to adopt a 2.7 minimum GPA for a chapter (2006)

Events Beta Cup Summer Golf Outing Date: June 21, 2013 to June 22, 2013 Come join alums and actives for a weekend full of golf and fun this June 21-22 (Fri & Sat) at Toftrees. Click the headline for more event details. AY's 125th Celebration Date: October 4, 2013 to October 6, 2013 UPDATED 3/27:  Plans for the 125th Alpha Upsilon Anniversary Gala include a full weekend of activities, so mark your calendar for October 4-6, 2013. Click on the headline to find out what's planned so far...with more to come! All Events    News Alumni Board Meeting Notes During the board meeting held over Blue/White Weekend, alumni, active brothers and advisors came together  to speak about important issues for Beta Theta Pi. Major points of discussion included the treasurer's report, the chapter president's report, an alcohol/hazing update, continued planning for the upcoming 125th anniversary event, and new business regarding ways to get local alumni more involved through events with actives. Click the headline to read the minutes from this April's Alumni Board Meeting. Blue/White Weekend Recap Blue/White Weekend was a great success this year for both Penn State and Beta Theta Pi brothers! Not only did Penn State win at the Blue/White game, but the Clambake was a hit back at the house filled with great food, alumni, and active brothers. Additionally, Karl K. Schier '56 was able to visit Penn State to present the awards at the NCAA National Gymnastics Championships and catch up with fellow alums. Karl is a distinguished alumnus for his many accolades in the Gymnastic world, and as a veteran that has received both the Bronze Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service. In all the excitement of Blue/White weekend, Karl didn't forget to visit the chapter house while in town. His experience, and that of the undergraduate brothers as well, was one that neither parties will soon forget. Click the headline to read more about Karl's visit, and for a full profile of Karl K. Schier '56. In Memoriam We regret to inform you of the recent deaths of Brothers Steve Weeks ’74 and Jack Ainsworth Brown ‘52. Both Steve and Jack will be missed dearly by the brotherhood. Our condolences go out to all friends and family for both brothers. Click on the headline to read more about Jack, and for details regarding a life celebration event for Steve on May 18th. Undergraduate Chapter Welcomes 5 New Members, Congratulates 27 Graduating Seniors A few weeks ago, the Alpha Upsilon chapter added 5 new members to the Brotherhood. Jeff Stillwell ’16, Jared Hagerman ’16, Alex Gornick ’15, and Kyle Mannion ’16, all were initiated April 25, along with dedicated Chapter advisor, Dr. James Strauss. We are all very proud of their initiation into Beta Theta Pi and we look forward to their commitment and excellence within the fraternity and throughout Penn State. A whopping 27 brothers will graduate this May, ready to take the values learned as brothers into the start of their careers and adult life. Congratulations to all of the seniors who are graduating this semester and who have made significant impacts on the current brotherhood as well as Penn State. We want to wish them the best of luck in their future successes, whether that be out in the workforce, graduate school, and any other endeavor. Click the headline for a full list of the graduating seniors' names. Rebuilding the Bridge at Alpha Upsilon Alumni Board President Terry Shine reports on the status of three ongoing goals and the collective effort to repair the "Bridge" at Alpha Upsilon. This letter is featured in the recent print edition of Wooglines. In case you missed it, read on: Dear Brother Beta, When we began the effort to reconstruct the “Bridge” at Alpha Upsilon, we set three strategic goals for the efforts of our Brotherhood. I’d like to use this opportunity to remind you of those goals and provide a status report. As you will see, while we have made tremendous progress, the reconstruction project is incomplete. GOAL ONE: Re-establishment of the active chapter / bringing our charter back to Alpha Upsilon. Status: Complete. Through the work of many alumni and... Click the title to read more. From the Archives: Animal House at Beta Theta Pi (Literally) Check out this article we found in Penn State's online archive of its yearbook, La Vie. It talks about Beta Theta Pi's many pets back in 1998---including a pet boa constrictor, Victoria, many dogs, and a cat!  Click on the headline to read the full story. A Primer on AY BTP Finances Alumni contributions to the chapter are critical for our financial survival. We thought it might be helpful to remind everyone that there are three ways to support AY, financially: -The Howard Walton Mitchell Fund -The Abbey Leadership Foundation (ALF) -The Alpha Upsilon Scholarship Funds through Penn State University Click to find out more information about these giving opportunities, and how to get involved. Beta Named THON Overall Chair Ryan Patrick, a current senior at Penn State and an AY brother, has just been named the Penn State 2014 IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon Overall Chair. In terms of competition, this position is one of the most difficult to be elected to as an undergraduate at University Park. Out of the seven applications, only four were granted interviews and after hours of debate between the current Overall Committee, Ryan was official elected as the Overall.  Ryan’s dream and passion has become a reality and we all know that he will do his best and be the best in his position to “inspire tomorrow’s miracles” for the kids. Congratulations once again on this wonderful achievement! Click here to read more from Onward State. "An Incredible Group of Actives" Thank you to Dan Wilhelm '79 for sending us the following... '"I got a chance to return to the House after a two-year absence in January. What an incredible group of actives. I stopped by on a night they had a coat and tie dinner social with the Thetas. To the man, they greeted me warmly and engaged in thoughtful conversation. Still have a ways to go with the alumni but we're getting there." AY Beta is Candidate for PSU BOT Just a heads up for your consideration: We have a 1987 Alpha Upsilon making a run for the  PSU Board of Trustees. Brother Fred Riefkohl is on the ballot as candidate #20. Click here to view his Facebook page, and please consider his candidacy if you plan to vote. Help us Find the Lost! We are working hard to find all of our lost alumni. We have approximately 600 lost brothers and that is a significant amount of our membership so we really need everyone’s help to find them. CLICK HERE to see who we need e-mail addresses for. CLICK HERE to see who we need U.S. Postal mailing addresses for. We appreciate your help in finding these lost alumni in this important milestone year! All News