Theta Chi History
A brief history of Theta Chi Fraternity
Theta
Chi Society, as it was then known, was founded at Norwich University,
Norwich, Vermont, at nine o'clock on Thursday evening, April 10, 1856.
At
that time Frederick Norton Freeman '57, and Arthur Chase '56, met in
Freeman's room in the Old South Barracks of the University and, to
quote from the minutes of the first meeting, "being called to order by
Mr. Chase, Messrs. Chase and Freeman mutually took the oaths prescribed
and declared each other true and accepted members of the Theta Chi
Society." From this humble beginning Theta Chi Fraternity has grown to
its present status.
To quote again from the minutes of the
first meeting we learn that, "The Theta Chi Society was the idea and
plan of Frederick Norton Freeman, and with the assistance of Arthur
Chase, his plans were perfected and the society was organized." Chase
was elected president and Freeman was elected secretary. The next
evening, April 11, the first initiation was conducted. One of the
initiates was Edward Bancroft Williston of San Diego, California, and
the other was Lorenzo Potter of Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
Theta Chi
was the first Greek Letter society to make its appearance at Norwich.
It was preceded in 1853 by a secret society known as the "Regulators."
Whether there was any connection between the Regulators and Theta Chi
is open to conjecture. It is known that Freeman was a Regulator and
that when the Regulators passed out of existence in 1856 practically
all of the paraphernalia of this organization passed into the
possession of Theta Chi Society. The fundamentals of the organization,
as expressed in the original constitution, to this day remain
unchanged. Our present ritual includes the original ritual used in
1856. The oaths taken by Freeman and Chase on that April evening long
ago have since been shared by every man initiated into Theta Chi.
At
the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Convention held at Northfield, Vermont,
in 1931, the Fraternity placed suitably marked granite memorials at the
grave of Freeman near Plainfield, New Hampshire, and the grave of Chase
in Claremont, New Hampshire.
The early history of Theta Chi
Fraternity is closely connected with the history of Norwich University.
The University was founded at Norwich, Vermont, in 1819 being then
known as The American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy. It
was a pioneer engineering college of the country and has always
maintained its military training and traditions. In 1834 the name was
changed to Norwich University. In the Spring of 1866 the Norwich
University buildings burned. Old South Barracks, where Theta Chi was
founded, was completely destroyed. It is reasonable to believe that
some of the early records and relics of the Fraternity were lost at
this time. The University moved after the fire to Northfield, Vermont,
its present location. At the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Convention the
Fraternity erected a granite monument with a bronze plaque at Norwich,
Vermont, to commemorate the founding of the Fraternity.
In
the first decade of the Fraternity's existence a number of serious
handicaps were experienced. The Civil War greatly depleted the student
body of the University, for Norwich was a military school. After the
fire in 1866 there was doubt for a while as to whether or not the
University would continue. The war, the fire, and the uncertainty
regarding the continuation of the University seriously lowered the
attendance, and the school opened in the Fall of 1866 with only
nineteen students. (to be continued)