Talk:Theta Chi Delta

relettering...

RublambAt *some* point Theta Chi Delta relettered their chapters. While the 1930s Bairds had everything as two letter chapter names, there do appear to have been single letters for the chapters at some point. Not sure of all of the pieces there.Naraht (talk) 15:31, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Additionally, the 1927 has the two letter, but Beta Alpha for Carthage and Alpha Eta for CoW&M.Naraht (talk) 15:43, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

The 1949 edtion of Baird's (copying from the 1940 edition), makes a big deal about the first national convention in April 1925, noting that this is when it became a national fraternity and mentions the names of the delegates. (Newspapers at the time just report it as a regular national convention) This is clearly incorrect with regards to when it became a national fraternity, but is probably the reorganizational meeting where the chapter names were reordered. My supporting evidence:

• the Carroll chapter was inactive by 1925, as the April 1925 Banta's Exchange lists the revisionist history of Lombard being the founding chapter
• Lombard's original name "Beta" get reassigned to another chapter on January 12, 1925, suggesting that Lombard was already using Alpha Alpha at that point.
• The last chapter to recieve a single-letter name was chartered in March 1925. Chapters formed after the April 1925 meeting all have a two-letter name.

I have no idea why Carroll was written out the fraternity's history. However, in a stroke of Karma, Lombard is not included in the 1940/1949 Baird's chapter list. Rublamb (talk) 01:05, 20 January 2026 (UTC)

Carroll

Ends up it actually formed at Carroll College in October 1920. This was the original Alpha chapter. Rublamb (talk) 15:42, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Huh???Naraht (talk) 15:44, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Rublamb Confirmation for Carroll is at https://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks/Wittenberg_University_Witt_Yearbook/1935/Page_100.html . With OCR issues, the text is "THE WITTENBERGER 1935 Theta Chi Delta Alpha Iota Chapter Alpha Iota chapter of Theta Chi Delta, national honorary chemistry frater- nity. was established on Wittenberg’s campus April 9. 1927. The purpose of the fraternity is to build character, encourage high scholarship, and further in- terest in science, especially chemistry. Wittenberg’s chapter is one of the 14 active chapters in Theta Chi Delta, founded in 1921 at Carroll College. Waukesha. is. Its publication The C ru- cible.” is issued quarterly and reports the progress of the chapters as well as articles of scientific interest."

The 1933 Wittenberger says more or less the same thing. https://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks/Wittenberg_University_Witt_Yearbook/1933/Page_139.html .Naraht (talk) 15:54, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Rublamb we end up with two chapter lists, one before the two letter renamings, one after?Naraht (talk) 16:08, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

With other groups with two naming sysems, we have just added a second column for the original name in the chapter table. I will do that once I have figured out the orginal list. Since Beta was reused and I am already to the point where the original name matches the second part of the new name, it may be easy to figure out. Rublamb (talk) 16:59, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Actually sort of three, see above with the 1927 Bairds and a chapter designation starting with Beta.Naraht (talk) 17:25, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Fraternity or society

Both Baird's and Lungstrom call Theta Chi Delta a "fraternity", thus making it what would have been called an honor fraternity. Rublamb (talk) 15:35, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Name and actual type differ, I guess. The 1927 Bairds goes

Theta Chi Delta, Chemical fraternity, was founded February 2, 1921 under three professors and twelve students at Lombard College, under the leadership of Professor H. A. Geauque, head of the department of Chemistry. It is an honor society which offers members as a regard for high scholarship in the department of Chemistry and attainment in this science". (It is also in the honor society section).Naraht (talk) 15:41, 19 January 2026 (UTC)

Yes, a group that should be classed as an "honor society" that called itself an "honor fraternity. Rublamb (talk) 00:46, 20 January 2026 (UTC)