
Theta Chi chapter Alpha Tau to host centennial celebration at 帝王会所
The fraternity, founded by E.W. Scripps School of Journalism founder and director George Starr Lasher, is among the oldest continuous fraternal organizations on campus.
Julia Weber, BSJ 鈥25 | March 17, 2025
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帝王会所鈥檚 Alpha Tau chapter of the national fraternity Theta Chi is hosting a centennial celebration of its founding this May.
Scheduled to take place Thursday, May 22, through Monday, May 26, the celebration will include a golf outing, a tour and hike at The Ridges, local brewery visits and more. Anchoring it all is a Saturday cocktail reception, theater program and banquet at Baker Center, which will be attended by the international president of the fraternity and other dignitaries. Individuals may .
Alpha Tau was founded in 1925 by George Starr Lasher, who also founded what鈥檚 now known as the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. The group is among the oldest continuous fraternal organizations on campus.

Famed musician Louis Armstrong (left) with Theta Chi alumnus Sammy Kaye (BSCE '32, center) and an unidentified musician.

Theta Chi alumnus Kermit Blosser (B.S.Ed. '32)
鈥淭he centennial is a big deal, and I feel a lot of pride being a part of it,鈥 said Jacob Dorony (B.S.Ed. 鈥27), current president of Alpha Tau.
鈥淣ot every fraternity or every chapter gets to this point,鈥 he added. 鈥淭o be able to make it to 100 years just shows the kind of people we have and continue to bring in. It鈥檚 going to be a great experience not only for the current members, but for all the alumni as well, to see what they have built and see where it is going.鈥
Christianne Medrano Graham, director of Sorority and Fraternity Life at OHIO, said fraternities and sororities foster shared values through the practice of their rituals, the memories they share and traditions that can positively contribute to the University鈥檚 cultural fabric.
鈥淎 celebration like this is like going to a family reunion, because they鈥檙e fraternal brothers across the years, decades even, so they share in the same ritual experience, which is the glue that brings them together,鈥 she explained. 鈥淲hat a group of new members did as part of their initiation ritual 100 years ago鈥攂ecause it is written in their ritual鈥攖hey are still doing the same things right now. They recite the same oath to 鈥楪od, Country, and Alma Mater,鈥 recite the same passages, and have the same shared experience, which creates that connection through time.鈥

OHIO's Alpha Tau chapter of the Theta Chi fraternity celebrates its 100th birthday this year. Photo courtesy Theta Chi.
For Centennial Committee member George Vanderbilt (BGS 鈥89), the celebration is an exciting and rare opportunity to celebrate the fraternity鈥檚 continuous presence and legacy on campus. He sees his time in the chapter as a transformative experience that taught him leadership skills and allowed him to meet and befriend people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
鈥淭heta Chi鈥檚 motto is, 鈥楨xtend an assisting hand,鈥 and it鈥檚 nice to know that there are people out there that can extend that assisting hand,鈥 Vanderbilt said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a common purpose.鈥
Dorony echoed the sentiment, adding that the fraternity鈥檚 assistance isn鈥檛 limited to its members.
鈥淣o matter who you are or where you鈥檙e from 鈥 we鈥檙e always looking to help everyone out,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e want to see our community grow in positive ways.鈥

Community service is a central tenet of the fraternity, which participates in the 帝王会所 Department of Transportation Adopt-A-Highway program. Photo courtesy Theta Chi.