Baylor Beta

FRom bulls to dragons: A Brief History of our chapter

The beginning: the Taurus society

On April 16, 1947, a group of seven military veterans attending Baylor University on the G.I. Bill following World War II formulated plans for an organization.  By the end of the Fall Quarter of the 1947-48 school year, 22 charter members had participated in this effort.  A temporary charter was granted on October 8, 1947.  Twenty of the charter members appeared in the organization's first yearbook photo, with two having graduated.  With the initiation of thirteen new members in the winter quarter, the Taurus Society was off and running.  At the time, the club was formed to satisfy the need for a men's social organization on campus that would promote wholesome fellowship. 

Shortly after the formation of Taurus, Tryon Coterie (later to affiliate with Phi Delta Theta) was formed.  These two organizations, along with the Chamber of Commerce and Esquire, made up the backbone of the men's organizations that existed on the Baylor campus for the next 25 or more years.  From its inception, the Taurus Society was active in all campus affairs and activities including the Homecoming Parades, May Day events, intramurals, and occasionally performed social services—the first of which raised financial aid for European students following World War II.  The fraternity's shield and all that it stands for was created by the 1948-49 school year. 

The 1950s

In the '50s, Taurus continued strong and as with the rest of America was influenced by the Korean conflict.  A number of the members ended up being a part of our nation's military, as was the fraternity's faculty sponsor from 1952-53.  The lore of the fraternity continued to develop with pledges wearing serapes embossed with the "Taurus" name and neckties bearing a Gothic "T".  By the 1953-54 school year, the fraternity's name had been translated to Greek as Tau Alpha Sigma.  By the mid-50s, "gentlemanly conduct" and "brotherhood" were added to the club's original charter for formation.  Formal teas were conducted in honor of the pledges of the women's social clubs and other men's clubs on campus.  By the late-50s "social training" was added to the club's original premise for the formation and the fraternity began holding a reunion event during the summer months. 

The 1960s

During the 1960s, the Taurus Society was the largest fraternity on campus.  Typically, the fraternity dominated intramurals and was a major participant in Baylor's All-University Sing and the float competition in the annual Homecoming Parade, the oldest and one of the largest in the nation. In 1965, the Taurus membership made the claim that it had won the All-Intramural Trophy every year since the trophy’s inception.  In 1966, Taurus boasted a record pledge class of 36 and the club's first participation in Baylor's Diadeloso. 

In the late 1960s, the Vietnam War began to affect Taurus as well as the rest of the country.  Departed brothers were noted in the Baylor yearbook.  The difficult Vietnam period was reflected in yearbook photos, which had always been formal individual coat and tie shots. 

The 1970s

No photo appeared in the 1970 Baylor Roundup for the first time in club history, and the 1971 club photo was a group shot with members wearing jerseys and noticeably longer hairstyles.  As in the late 60s, Taurus continued to win the "Class A" Homecoming Parade float competition almost every year with unique iron-welded float designs and continued to base its existence on the historic premises of the club. 

With the 1971-72 school year (the club's silver anniversary), Taurus began a new program of choosing 22 annual "Little Sisters," representing the number of Taurus charter members.  This was the first women's auxiliary to be part of any men's organization on the Baylor campus. 

The Move to Nationals: Beta theta pi

By the mid-70s, Baylor invited national fraternities to come in and affiliate with established local clubs present on the Baylor campus.  In 1977, after 30 years as a local Baylor fraternity, the Taurus Society affiliated with the Beta Theta Pi national fraternity and, coincidentally, the club's primary rival, Tryon Coterie, affiliated with Phi Delta Theta.  Both were part of the Miami Triad and Phi Delta Theta was a national rival of Beta Theta Pi, very much carrying on a Baylor tradition to a national level. 

In Spring 1977, 30 Taurus members and alumni were initiated into Beta Theta Pi through the Gamma Omega chapter at Southern Methodist University.  In Fall 1977, the first pledge class of Beta Theta Pi was received at Baylor.  However, since the membership of the existing fraternity had pledged and learned Taurus lore, very little Beta lore was taught to the first Beta pledge class at Baylor.  Efforts were strongly made to change this with the Spring 1978 pledge class.  This group would have to be considered the first pledge class to truly learn Beta lore. 

However, 30 years of Taurus tradition was hard to overcome and a conflict between the past and the future developed.  With designs on the future, members attended a Beta leadership conference in Atlanta and the general convention in Michigan.  Shades of the past showed the fraternity still dominating Baylor's homecoming float competition late in the '70's. 

The 1980s

At the 141st convention of Beta Theta Pi, in the summer of 1980—33 years into the history of the club—a national charter was granted to the Taurus Society of Baylor University as the Delta Psi Chapter of Beta Theta Pi.  This phase of the fraternity strived to succeed, being active in intramurals, campus activities, and various social service projects, as well as continuing to excel in Homecoming Parade float competitions.  In the Fall of 1984, Baylor Beta's homecoming float won honors in the Cotton Bowl Parade and made the front cover of the national fraternity's magazine. 

Despite what appeared to be efforts of the fraternity to be part of the Baylor community, by the mid-1980s, the active members were also getting involved with social behavior not acceptable to Baylor or the Beta Theta Pi national fraternity and for that matter not what most of the Taurus/Beta alumni would approve of.  The stage was set for disciplinary action to be taken against the fraternity. 

In 1987, Baylor along with the Beta Theta Pi national fraternity agreed to revoke the chapter's charter for a minimum of three years.  At the time of the revocation of the chapter's charter, it had the distinction of having been the oldest social fraternity in continuous existence on the Baylor campus.  Also at this time, Baylor suspended several other fraternities from campus, including Phi Delta Theta (Tryon Coterie). The alumni of the fraternity believed the brotherhood that had existed over the previous 40 years to have been the strongest that has ever existed and would ever exist in any Baylor fraternal organization. 

The 1990s

The Delta Psi Chapter was recolonized in the Fall of 1995 and was rechartered in August 1997.

Are you an alumni from the 1990s? We lack a comprehensive history over this decade. Please contact us!

The new millennium 

The turn of the century didn't stop the chapter. It continued to be involved in the Homecoming Parade and active on campus until a decline in membership in 2011. At that point, the General Fraternity decided to reboot the chapter. 

Are you an alumni from 2000-2011? We lack a comprehensive history over this decade. Please contact us!

2012 to 2019

In the Fall of 2012, for a second—and hopefully the last—time, the Delta Psi Chapter of Beta Theta Pi at Baylor University was recolonized with new founding fathers. Efforts to bring the organization back to its roots persisted as its newest members sought to rekindle the classic spirit of the organization. Over the following years, the chapter reinstated itself into campus culture by hosting philanthropy events, participating in All-University Sing, and continuing its long history with the Homecoming Parade float competition. Additionally, the chapter began to take pride in its academics, holding the top IFC GPA at Baylor for four years consecutively. At the 177th Beta Theta Pi General Convention, the chapter was once again rechartered, having proved for a second time that this chapter will stand the test of time and continue to recruit members that reflect its values.

2020 to Present

In the Spring of 2020, the world was hit by the COVID-19 virus. Baylor, along with the rest of the world, began to enforce quarantine restrictions in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus. Greek life organizations across campus were affected by the inability to host events. In the following year and a half, Beta’s growth on campus was stagnant. But in the Fall of 2021, Baylor began to lift its restrictions and the fraternity was eager to rise once again.

In the Fall of 2021, Beta made it its mission to build up and sustain its campus presence. With Homecoming Float, traditional Rush, and Tailgating being brought back, the brothers rose to the occasion and made these a priority. Beta Theta Pi paired with the sorority Alpha Delta Pi for their Homecoming float and decided on the theme “Bruiser's Beach Bus”. With the fraternity’s growing presence on campus and the restoration of the traditional Rush process, Beta was able to attract a large number of potential members. The brothers were able to secure 2 pledge classes of 10+ members back-to-back in the Spring 21’ and Spring 22’ semesters.

Beta also made it its mission to improve its alumni relations. The fraternity started the alumni newsletter– a semesterly installment that updated the alumni on the affairs of the chapter. Also, throughout the Baylor Fall Football season, members would host tailgates with alumni at home games, further bridging the gap between the chapter and its alumni.

In the Spring semester of 2022, the fraternity was still eager to expand and return to its pre-pandemic state. During COVID-19, the chapter was stripped of the ability to serve the community— one of the core values of Beta Theta Pi. As soon as the brothers were able to get back to their service roots, they took the opportunity. Beta Theta Pi frequently served with Shepherd’s Heart, a “Christian Food Pantry. Feeding Families. Changing Lives.” The fraterity also participated in Baylor’s Steppin Out. Beta and its members continue to look for new opportunities to serve the Waco community.

Want to be part of the future history of this great organization?

Image Credits: The Baylor University Round Up, various alumni