Tau Delta Phi
Encyclopedia
Tau Delta Phi is a national social fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...

 founded on June 22, 1910 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. Its members are known as Tau Delts. Since its inception, dozens of chapters have been founded and thousands of men initiated into its membership. Today, Tau Delta Phi fraternity operates over ten active chapters and colonies located primarily in the northeastern United States.

Founding

Tau Delta Phi was founded on June 22, 1910. First known as a local fraternity, Phi Sigma Beta, they started at the Community Center of the Greenwich section of New York as a fraternity for Jewish men who were otherwise barred from fraternity life at that time. The Alpha class was initiated on July 16, 1914. Gus Schieb and Leo Epstein created the Beta class at the New York School of Dentistry. Maxime Klaye, Samuel Klaye, Ben Gray and Mac Goldman created Gamma at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

. (School of Commerce). Soon to follow were a string of chapters and pledges. The 1910s saw a steady increase in membership. The Pyramid grew and expansion took its course from a local to a national level.

Founders

  • Al Siegel
  • Milt Goodfriend
  • Maximilian Coyne
  • Gus Schieb
  • Leo Epstein
  • Maxime Klaye
  • Samuel Klaye
  • Benjamin Gray
  • Mac Goldman

Fraternity structure

The Grand Chapter of Tau Delta Phi Fraternity is the highest power. It convenes at every national convention
Convention
Convention may refer to:* Treaty, an agreement in international law* Convention , a large gathering of people who share a common interest** Political convention, a formal gathering of people for political purposes...

 and governs every aspect of the Fraternity. It is composed of the Executive Council members, two delegates from each chartered chapter, the past living Grand Consuls, and one delegate from every alumni association
Alumni association
An alumni association is an association of graduates or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools , fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni from the same organisation...

 in good standing.

The Executive Council is the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...

 of the Fraternity. In between conventions, the Executive Council governs the Fraternity. It is composed of all the Grand Officers, members of the board, and the undergraduate members of the board.

The Tau Delta Phi Management Company is a for-profit arm of the Fraternity. It manages the finances of and provides support services to each House Corporation and issues a service contract for those services.

The Chapter House Corporation Each chapter should have a house corporation. House Corporations evaluate the property needs of each chapter and to try to either rent, lease, or purchase a chapter house for each chapter. Each House Corporation has its own Board of Directors which are usually composed of fraters from their respective chapter.

The Tau Delta Phi Foundation is the nonprofit arm of the Fraternity which seeks to support the educational mission of Tau Delta Phi and offer scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...

s and grant
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...

s to fraters of the Fraternity.

The Executive Council

The Executive Council of Tau Delta Phi is the supreme legislative authority between conventions. The board is composed of all the Grand Officers, the Members of the Board, and the Undergraduate Members of the Board. The Executive Council runs the business side of the Fraternity while managing the chapters.

Notable alumni

  • Len Berman
    Len Berman
    Len Berman is the former weekday evening sports anchor on WNBC-TV. Berman was with WNBC/NBC from 1982-2009. He was previously with WCBS-TV from 1979–1982, and before that at WBZ-TV in Boston from 1973–1978.-Early life:...

    , sportscaster, NBC
    NBC
    The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...

  • Colonel Bernard Bernstein, World War II Medal of Honor Recipient
  • Gil Cates, producer/director
  • Sammy Davis Jr., entertainer
  • Kinky Friedman
    Kinky Friedman
    Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American Texas Country singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election...

    , musician, humorist, novelist, politician
  • Hubert Humphrey
    Hubert Humphrey
    Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...

    , former Vice President of the United States
    Vice President of the United States
    The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...

  • Marvin Lender, former Owner/President of Lender's Bagels
    Lender's Bagels
    Lender's Bagels is a brand and producer of bagels that pioneered the bagel industry in the United States. Established in 1927 in New Haven, Connecticut, it became a North American leader in the marketing, distribution and sales of bagels. Lender's introduced frozen bagels and sold the first...

  • Floyd Little
    Floyd Little
    Floyd Douglas Little is a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, and was a three-time American football All-American running back at Syracuse University. In 1967 he was the 6th selection of the first common AFL-NFL draft...

    , NFL Hall of Fame Inductee
  • Geraldo Rivera
    Geraldo Rivera
    Geraldo Rivera is an American attorney, journalist, author, reporter, and former talk show host...

    , broadcast journalist
  • David Sarnoff
    David Sarnoff
    David Sarnoff was an American businessman and pioneer of American commercial radio and television. He founded the National Broadcasting Company and throughout most of his career he led the Radio Corporation of America in various capacities from shortly after its founding in 1919 until his...

    , first General Manager of Radio Corporation of America, Founder of NBC
  • Jerry Stiller
    Jerry Stiller
    Gerald Isaac "Jerry" Stiller is an American comedian and actor.He spent many years in the comedy team Stiller and Meara with his wife Anne Meara...

    , actor/Comedian

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK