Omicron_Alpha_Tau

Omicron Alpha Tau

Defunct North American collegiate Jewish fraternity

Omicron Alpha Tau (ΟΑΤ) was an historically Jewish fraternity founded in 1912. It merged with Tau Delta Phi in 1934.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Quick Facts Founded, Type ...

Omicron Alpha Tau
ΟΑΤ

Founded	Spring, 1912 Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Type	social fraternity
Affiliation	NIC (former)
Emphasis	Jewish
Scope	national
Colors	Orange and Blue
Flower	Goldenrod
Publication	OAT Digest Later, The Oath
Chapters	21 ?
Merged into	Tau Delta Phi (1934)

History

Omicron Alpha Tau was founded at Cornell University in the Spring of 1912. No intention at this time was made to forming a Greek Letter Fraternity which would develop into a national. Founders were Joseph Seidlin, James Castelle, Jack Grossman, Benjamin Brickman, Nat Shiren, Jules Jokel, Abraham Haibloom.

The fraternity remained a local fraternity until 1915 when David Browman founded a second chapter at the College of Dental and Oral Surgery of New York.^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Growth continued through New York, extending to eastern and southern schools. Its first Midwest chapter was established in 1924 at Valparaiso. An international branch at McGill in Montreal was established in 1927 as Rho chapter, with additional Midwestern chapters established at Illinois and Chicago, also in 1927. The Marquette chapter was formed in 1928 as the Fraternity's Upsilon chapter. This Marquette unit may have been the last chapter formed; Baird's notes "at least 18 chapters were installed", ending its list with Upsilon, but the 1930 edition of The Illio notes there were 21 chapters as of its publication.^[4]

Baird's notes that several chapters died in the early Depression, predicating national dissolution. In 1934, Tau Delta Phi absorbed the chapters at Rutgers, NYU, Marquette and Cornell. The chapter at Syracuse was absorbed by Phi Epsilon Pi and the chapter at the University of Pennsylvania by Phi Beta Delta.^[5]

Symbolism and traditions

The colors of the Fraternity were orange and blue.^[6]

The Fraternity's flower was the Goldenrod.^[6]

Omicron Alpha Tau was particularly known for their houses having adherence to traditional Jewish dietary laws. Several chapters maintained kosher kitchens. It was known at Cornell as "the most Jewish of fraternities."^[3]^: 79

One of the songs of the Fraternity was "Onward Our O.A.T.":^[6]

Onward our O.A.T.
Forever onward greater to be,
For with the Orange and Blue
Leading sons ever true
We fear no adversity.
Lead us, Oh, Orange and Blue
Oh lead us on to honor you,
For where'er your sons may be,
We shall always fight for thee,
Oh, Onward Our O.A.T.

Magazine

The Fraternity's magazine, as of 1923, was called the OAT Digest and was distributed monthly. Later, the magazine's name was changed to The Oath issued three times a year.

Conventions

9th - Milwaukee, Wisconsin - April 28, 1935^[7]^[8]

Honorary members

David Sarnoff^[9]

Chapters

The Chapters of Omicron Alpha Tau include:^[1]^[2]^[5]

More information Name, Chartered ...

Name	Chartered	Institution	Location	Status	Notes	Reference
Alpha	Spring, 1912–1934	Cornell University	Ithaca, New York	Merged (ΤΔΦ)	^{[lower-alpha 2]}	^[5]
Beta	1915–1925^{[lower-alpha 3]}	College of Dental and Oral Surgery	New York, New York	Consolidated	^{[lower-alpha 4]}	^[5]
Gamma	1916–1927^{[lower-alpha 5]}	Columbia University	New York, New York	Dormant		^[5]
Delta	1916–1918^{[lower-alpha 6]}	University of Kentucky	Lexington, Kentucky	Dormant		^[5]
Epsilon	1919–1934	New York University	New York, New York	Merged (ΤΔΦ)	^{[lower-alpha 7]}	^[5]
Zeta	1920–1930	Syracuse University	Syracuse, New York	Merged (ΦΕΠ) ?	^{[lower-alpha 8]}	^[5]
Iota	1921–19xx	Harvard University	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Dormant		^[5]
Theta	1922–19xx	Lafayette College	Easton, Pennsylvania	Dormant		^[5]
Kappa	1922–19xx	University of Connecticut	Storrs, Connecticut	Dormant		^[5]
Lambda	1922–1934	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Merged (ΦΒΔ)	^{[lower-alpha 9]}	^[5]
Mu	1922–19xx	Fordham University	New York, New York	Dormant		^[5]
Nu	1924–1930	Valparaiso University	Valparaiso, Indiana	Dormant		^[5]
Xi	1925–19xx	University of Buffalo	Buffalo, New York	Dormant		^[5]
Omicron	1927–19xx	University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Dormant		^[5]
Pi	1927–1932	University of Illinois	Urbana, Illinois	Dormant		^[5]
Rho	1927–1934^{[lower-alpha 10]}	McGill University	Montreal, Quebec	Dormant		^[5]
Sigma	1927–19xx	University of Chicago	Chicago, Illinois	Dormant		^[5]
Eta	1927–1934	Rutgers University	New Brunswick, New Jersey	Merged (ΤΔΦ)	^{[lower-alpha 11]}	^[5]^{[lower-alpha 12]}
Tau	1928–1932	George Washington University	Washington, D.C.	Dormant		^[5]
Upsilon	1928–1934^{[lower-alpha 13]}	Marquette University	Marquette, Wisconsin	Dormant		^[5]^{[lower-alpha 14]}

Notes

In 1925 this Beta chapter would merge into the Fraternity's Gamma chapter, which had formed the following year, also at Columbia.
Became the Tau Beta chapter of Tau Delta Phi.
Baird's indicates an earlier start to this chapter, in 1913.
The fraternity's Beta chapter consolidated with its Gamma chapter in 1925.
Gamma chapter was dormant by 1927 or earlier.
Delta chapter was dormant by 1918 or earlier.
Absorbed by the Gamma chapter of Tau Delta Phi.
May have been absorbed in 1930 by the slightly older Chi chapter of Phi Epsilon Pi. Baird's records are unclear.
Joined the Eta chapter of Phi Beta Delta, which later merged with Pi Lambda Phi.
The Baird's Manual Online Archive notes formation of this chapter in 1917, but listed in order as if it was created in 1927. This appears to be a typo in Baird's; needs confirmation, perhaps with a check of the yearbooks.
Became the Tau Gamma chapter of Tau Delta Phi.
Originally formed in 1925 as the Evergreen Club (local).
One reference noted Upsilon chapter became a Tau Delta Phi chapter, but this is not supported by Baird's. This appears to have been an error; the Marquette chapter met its demise in the same year as other chapters merged and the national ceased operations.
Originally formed in 1927 as Sigma Beta Tau (local). Name similarity with the non-sectarian national of that same name appears to have been coincidental.

References

[1]
William Raimond Baird (1991). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. Baird's Manual Foundation, Incorporated. p. VIII-8.
[2]
Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. G. Banta Company. 1923. p. 216.
[3]
Sanua, Marianne Rachel (2003). Going Greek: Jewish College Fraternities in the US, 1895- 1945. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-2857-6. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
[4]
See The Illio, p.484, accessed 2 Apr 2021.
[5]
William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive)". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
[6]
As noted in The Record yearbook for Valparaiso University, 1930, accessed 2 Apr 2021.
[7]
"Milwaukee is Site of 9th Fraternity Parley". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1935-04-21. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
[8]
"News Brief". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 1934-04-25. Retrieved 2020-09-25.
[9]
Radio Personalities 1935 - p142

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