Q.T.V.

{{short description|Defunct US national fraternity}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox fraternity

| name = Q.T.V.

| letters =

| coat of arms = The_Crest_of_Q.T.V._Fraternity.png

| image_size = 180px

| founded = {{Start date and age|1869|05|12}}

| birthplace = Massachusetts Agricultural College

| affiliation = Independent

| type = Social fraternity

| status = Defunct

| defunct_date = 1976

| scope = Regional (New England)

| member badge = 90px

| colors = {{color box|#FFFFFF}} White and {{color box|#88540B}} Brown

| symbol =

| flag =

| flower = White carnation

| publication = QTV Alumni Bulletin

| philanthropy =

| chapters = 6

| lifetime =

| country = United States

}}

Q.T.V. is a dormant national fraternity that was founded in {{dts|1869}} at Massachusetts Agricultural College, incorporating in {{dts|1890}}. Its last chapter ceased activity in {{dts|1976}}.{{cite book|title=Index|year=1910|publisher=Massachusetts Agricultural College|location=Amherst, Massachusetts|url=https://archive.org/stream/index1910univ#page/n75/mode/2up}} The Fraternity was noted for many years in the school yearbook.

History

Q.T.V. was the pioneer fraternity on the campus of Massachusetts Agricultural College, now the University of Massachusetts Amherst, founded on {{dts|1869|05|12}}. It is one of very few Latin-named fraternities, and the only one to flirt with national aims. References indicate that fraternal inquiries from emerging groups at "state schools" were met with skepticism by the established national fraternities, even those close by. This may have been the impetus for formation of the new organization, it coming just two years after the foundation of the school. Soon after, several other Latin named fraternities, all short lived, would emerge, both on the UMass campus (D.G.K., also in {{dts|1869}} and C.S.C. in {{dts|1879}}{{efn|The C.S.C. was the Campus Shakespeare Club, which would eventually become a chapter of Alpha Sigma Phi.}}) and at the University of Maine (the E.C. Society in {{dts|1875}}, followed by K.K.F. in {{dts|1884}} and S.I.U. in {{dts|1889}}). The "Latin moment" fizzled; most of these soon would opt to become chapters of other Greek-named national fraternities before launching themselves beyond local status.

Q.T.V. was able to expand nationally over the next two decades, but lost chapters seeking firmer footing as "Greek Named" organizations.

Q.T.V. eventually disbanded as a national fraternity in the 20th century, with its four of its six chapters becoming associated with other Greek life organizations. After {{dts|1901}}, only the mother chapter remained, operating as a local fraternity at UMass until {{dts|1976}}, surpassing the century mark in age. Its last mention in the Index yearbook were in senior bios in the late {{dts|1960}}s.

Symbols

The colors of the fraternity were White and Brown. Its flower was the white carnation. The surviving UMass chapter published The QTV Alumni Bulletin for many years.Noted in the [https://archive.org/details/index1923univ/page/130/mode/2up 1923 UMass Index yearbook], p. 130, and the [https://archive.org/details/index1946univ/page/118/mode/2up 1946 UMass Index yearbook], p. 118, accessed August 8, 2021.

Chapters

These were the chapters of Q.T.V.{{cite web|editor1=William Raimond Baird |editor2=Carroll Lurding |title=Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive), page showing Q.T.V. |url=https://uofi.app.box.com/v/inactive-glos-mens |website=Student Life and Culture Archives |publisher=University of Illinois Archives |access-date=August 8, 2021 |location=University of Illinois |language=English}} The main archive URL is [https://www.library.illinois.edu/slc/welcome/fraternity-sorority-almanac/ The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage].

class="sortable wikitable"
Chapter

! Informal
name

! Charter date
and range

! Institution

! Location

! Status

! Reference

Alpha

| Amherst

| {{dts|1869|05|12}} – {{dts|1976}}

| Massachusetts Agricultural College

| Amherst, Massachusetts

| Inactive

|

Beta

| Orono

| {{dts|1874|02|28}} – {{dts|1899|10|24}}

| University of Maine

| Orono, Maine

| Withdrew ({{lang|grc|ΦΓΔ}})

| {{Cite web |title=Welcome to Fraternity and Sorority Life - Center for Student Involvement |url=https://umaine.edu/studentinvolvement/greek-life/ |access-date=2025-05-29 |website=University Maine |language=en-US}}{{cite web |title=Our History |url=http://www.omegamu.org/our-history.html |access-date=21 August 2022 |website=Omega Mu Chapter Phi Gamma Delta}}{{efn|The Orono chapter appears to have formed as a colony. Upon withdrawal from Q.T.V. it became the Omega Mu chapter of Phi Gamma Delta.}}

Gamma

| Granite

| {{dts|1881}}–{{dts|1901}}

| University of New Hampshire

| Durham, New Hampshire

| Withdrew ({{lang|grc|ΚΣ}})

| Mentioned as the campus pioneer chapter [https://www.unh.edu/offcampus/fraternity-sorority-life/chapter-scorecards at New Hampshire, on the introductory page to the Greek System], accessed December 1, 2020.{{efn|The Granite chapter appears to have formed as a colony. Upon withdrawal from Q.T.V. it became the Beta-Kappa chapter of Kappa Sigma.}}

Delta

| Keystone

| {{dts|1885}}–{{dts|1890}}

| Pennsylvania State University

| University Park, Pennsylvania

| Withdrew ({{lang|grc|ΦΚΣ}})

| Noted in {{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qqoAAAAAYAAJ&dq=qtv+fraternity&pg=PA409 |title = Residence Directory of the Sigma Chi Fraternity: The Chapter Rolls, Alphabetical and Residence Indices, Together with a Historical Sketch of the Fraternity Since 1890|year = 1902}}{{efn|An errant reference notes this chapter went to {{lang|grc|ΚΣ}}, but Baird's Archive clarifies it went to {{lang|grc|ΦΚΣ}}. The latter seems correct because the {{dts|1890}} date matches what would have been a switch of loyalties after debate, with uninterrupted operation; Penn State's {{lang|grc|ΚΣ}} chapter came about two years later, what would have been a long stretch of dormancy, where no noted predecessor is listed in Baird's.}}{{efn|The Keystone chapter appears to have formed as a colony. Upon withdrawal from Q.T.V. it became the Psi chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma.}}

Epsilon

| Cornell

| {{dts|1888|11|01}} – {{dts|1890}}

| Cornell University

| Ithaca, New York

| Inactive

| Noted in the [http://cdsun.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/cornell?a=d&d=CDS18881102.2.6# Cornell Sun], November 2, 1888, accessed December 1, 2020.

Zeta

| Worcester

| {{dts|1886}}-{{dts|1891}}

| Worcester Polytechnic Institute

| Worcester, Massachusetts

| Withdrew ({{lang|grc|ΦΓΔ}})

| Dates from [https://web.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-042614-161632/unrestricted/Conlin_MQP.pdf Conlin MQPR], April 26, 2014, accessed December 1, 2020.{{Cite web |title=Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 157 |url=https://web.wpi.edu/academics/library/history/seventyyears/page157.html |access-date=2022-03-05 |website=web.wpi.edu}}{{efn|The Worcester chapter appears to have formed as a colony. Upon withdrawal from Q.T.V. it became the Pi Iota chapter of Phi Gamma Delta.}}

Notes

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References

{{Reflist}}