Omicron Alpha Tau
{{Short description|Defunct North American collegiate Jewish fraternity}}
{{Infobox fraternity
| name = Omicron Alpha Tau
| letters = {{lang|grc|ΟΑΤ}}
| coat of arms = Omicron_Alpha_Tau_fraternity_crest.png
| image_size = 180px
| alt =
| caption =
| founded = {{start date and years ago|1912}}
| birthplace = Cornell University
| former_affiliation = NIC
| status = Merged
| merge_date = 1934
| successor = Tau Delta Phi
| type = Social fraternity
| emphasis = Jewish
| scope = National
| mission =
| vision =
| object =
| motto =
| virtues =
| pillars =
| slogan =
| maxim =
| member badge = 90px
| colors = {{color box|#FF7F00}} Orange and {{color box|#0000FF}} Blue
| symbol =
| flag =
| flower = Goldenrod
| jewel =
| publication = OAT Digest
The Oath
| chapters = 21 ?
| members =
| lifetime =
| country = United States
}}
Omicron Alpha Tau ({{lang|grc|ΟΑΤ}}) was an historically Jewish fraternity founded in 1912. It merged with Tau Delta Phi in 1934.{{cite book|author=William Raimond Baird|title=Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oT8nPwAACAAJ|page=VIII-8|year=1991|publisher=Baird's Manual Foundation, Incorporated}}{{cite book|title=Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j1rOAAAAMAAJ|year=1923|publisher=G. Banta Company|page=216}}{{cite book|title=Going Greek: Jewish College Fraternities in the US, 1895- 1945|publisher=Wayne State University Press|year=2003|author=Sanua, Marianne Rachel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1u0sPzMEwOUC|access-date=2008-11-14 | isbn=978-0-8143-2857-6}}
History
Omicron Alpha Tau was founded at Cornell University in the Spring of 1912. Its founders were Benjamin Brickman, James Castelle, Jack Grossman, Abraham Haibloom, Jules Jokel, Joseph Seidlin, and Nat Shiren. At the time, the founders had no intention of forming a national Greek letter fraternity. Omicron Alpha Tau remained a local fraternity until 1915 when David Browman founded a second chapter at the Columbia University College of Dental and Oral Surgery in New York City.
Growth continued throughout New York, extending to eastern and southern schools. Its first Midwest chapter was established in 1924 at Valparaiso University. The fraternity became an international organization in 1927 with the formation of the Rho chapter at McGill University in Montreal. Additional Midwestern chapters were also established at the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago, also in 1927. Upsilon chapter was formed in 1928 at Marquette University; this may have been the last chapter formed; Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities notes "at least eighteen chapters were installed", ending its list with Upsilon. However, the 1930 edition of The Illio yearbook notes there were 21 chapters .See [https://libsysdigi.library.illinois.edu/OCA/Books2012-12/illio/illio193036univ/illio193036univ.pdf The Illio, p.484], accessed 2 Apr 2021.
The fraternity held its ninth convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 28, 1935, with the Marquette chapter as host.{{Cite web |date=1935-04-21 |title=Milwaukee is Site of 9th Fraternity Parley |url=https://www.jta.org/1935/04/21/archive/milwaukee-is-site-of-9th-fraternity-parley |access-date=2020-09-25 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=1934-04-25 |title=News Brief |url=https://www.jta.org/1934/04/25/archive/hitlerism-was-assailed-by-three-speakers-before-milwaukee |access-date=2020-09-25 |website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |language=en-US}}
Baird's Manual notes that several chapters died during the Great Depression, predicating national dissolution. In 1934, Tau Delta Phi absorbed the chapters at Rutgers University, New York University, Marquette, and Cornell. The chapter at Syracuse University was absorbed by Phi Epsilon Pi.{{cite web |editor2=Carroll Lurding |title=Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive) |url=https://uofi.app.box.com/v/inactive-glos-mens |access-date= |website=Student Life and Culture Archives |publisher=University of Illinois Archives |language=English |editor1=William Raimond Baird |location=University of Illinois}} The main archive URL is [https://www.library.illinois.edu/slc/welcome/fraternity-sorority-almanac/ The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage]. The chapter at the University of Pennsylvania merged into Phi Beta Delta.
Symbols and traditions
The fraternity's colors were orange and blue.As noted in [https://collections.valpo.edu/digital/collection/yearbooks/id/24582 The Record yearbook for Valparaiso University, 1930], accessed 2 Apr 2021. Its flower was the goldenrod.
Omicron Alpha Tau was particularly known for their houses having adherence to traditional Jewish dietary laws. Several chapters maintained kosher kitchens. At Cornell, it was known as "the most Jewish of fraternities."{{rp|79}}
One of the songs of the fraternity was "Onward Our O.A.T.":
{{poemquote|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.}}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 and was issued three times a year.
Chapters
The chapters of Omicron Alpha Tau include:
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Chapter !Charter date and range !Institution !Location !Status !References |
| Alpha
|1912–1934 |Merged ({{Lang|grc|ΤΔΦ}}) |{{Efn|Became the Tau Beta chapter of Tau Delta Phi.}} |
| Beta
|1915–1925 |Columbia University College of Dental and Oral Surgery |Consolidated |{{Efn|Baird's Manual says this chapter started in 1913.}}{{Efn|In 1925, Beta chapter consolidated with Gamma chapter, which was formed the following year, also at Columbia.}} |
| Gamma
|1916–1927 |Inactive |{{Efn|Gamma chapter was dormant by 1927 or earlier.}} |
| Delta
|1916–1918 |Inactive |{{Efn|Delta chapter was dormant by 1918 or earlier.}} |
| Epsilon
|1919–1934 |Merged ({{Lang|grc|ΤΔΦ}}) |{{Efn|Absorbed by the Gamma chapter of Tau Delta Phi.}} |
| Zeta
|1920–1930 |Merged ({{Lang|grc|ΦΕΠ}}) |{{Efn|May have been absorbed in 1930 by the Chi chapter of Phi Epsilon Pi. Baird's records are unclear.}} |
| Iota
|1921–19xx ? |Inactive | |
| Theta
|1922–19xx ? |Inactive | |
| Kappa
|1922–19xx ? |Inactive | |
| Lambda
|1922–1934 |Merged ({{Lang|grc|ΦΒΔ}}) |{{Efn|Joined the Eta chapter of Phi Beta Delta, which later merged with Pi Lambda Phi.}} |
| Mu
|1922–19xx ? |Inactive | |
| Nu
|1924–1930 |Inactive | |
| Xi
|1925–19xx ? |Inactive | |
| Omicron
|1927–19xx ? |Inactive | |
| Pi
|1927–1932 |Inactive | |
| Rho
|1927–1934 |Inactive |{{Efn|The Almanac notes the formation of this chapter in 1917, but listed in order as if it was created in 1927. This appears to be a typo; needs confirmation, perhaps with a check of the yearbooks.}} |
| Sigma
|1927–19xx |Inactive | |
| Eta
|1927–1934 |Merged ({{Lang|grc|ΤΔΦ}}) |{{Efn|Originally formed in 1925 as the Evergreen Club (local). It became the Tau Gamma chapter of Tau Delta Phi.}} |
| Tau
|1928–1932 |Inactive | |
| Upsilon
|1928–1934 |Inactive |{{Efn|Originally formed in 1927 as Sigma Beta Tau (local). The name similarity with the non-sectarian national of that same name appears to have been coincidental.}}{{Efn|One reference noted that Upsilon chapter became a Tau Delta Phi chapter but this is not supported by the Baird's Manual. 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.}} |
{{notelist}}
Notable members
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{North American Interfraternity Conference}}
Category:Defunct former members of the North American Interfraternity Conference
Category:Student organizations established in 1912
Category:Historically Jewish fraternities in the United States
Category:1912 establishments in New York (state)