Beta Facts
Discover the remarkable history, achievements, and leadership of Beta Theta Pi across nearly two centuries of excellence in higher education.
Our Foundation
The founding principles and key facts about Beta Theta Pi's establishment
Founded
August 8, 1839 at Miami University in Ohio
Beta Delta Founded
Our Cornell chapter established in 1879
Symbol
The dragon represents our fraternity
Flower
The rose is our official fraternity flower
Colors
Delicate shades of pink and blue signifying sunrise and sunset
Chapters
Active chapters and colonies in the US and Canada
Membership Excellence
Beta Theta Pi's impressive membership statistics and achievements
Total Initiated Members
Living Betas
Current Undergraduates
Annual Scholarships Awarded
Leadership Excellence
Beta Theta Pi leads all men's fraternities in producing leaders across all sectors
Rhodes Scholars
Most of any men's fraternity
Congressmen
Most of any men's fraternity
Supreme Court Justices
Most of any men's fraternity
State Governors
Betas elected as Governor
Medal of Honor
Recipients for military valor
Olympic Medals
Beta athletes in Olympic competition
Business Leadership
Beta Theta Pi produces more Fortune 500 CEOs than any other fraternity
Best Fraternities For Future CEOs
According to Forbes.com
| Fraternity | Forbes 500 CEOs |
|---|---|
| Beta Theta Pi | 11 |
| Sigma Alpha Epsilon | 9 |
| Sigma Chi | 9 |
| Lambda Chi Alpha | 8 |
| Alpha Tau Omega | 7 |
"[Beta Theta Pi gave me] the opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and places, and the connections have continued beyond my university years to my business life."
Beta Firsts
Pioneering innovations that shaped the modern fraternal movement
First Fraternity West of Alleghenies
First college fraternity founded west of the Allegheny Mountains
First West of Mississippi
First college fraternity with a chapter west of the Mississippi River
First in Multiple States
First fraternity in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky
First Published Magazine
First published college fraternity magazine
First Open Constitution
First college fraternity to publish an open constitution for public distribution
First General Convention
First fraternity to have a General Convention
First GPA Requirement
First fraternity to adopt a 2.5 minimum GPA for each member
Largest Capital Campaign
$20 million campaign - largest ever undertaken by a men's college fraternity
Famous Cornell Betas
Distinguished alumni from our Beta Delta chapter who have made their mark on the world
Dave Duffield
Founder of PeopleSoft and namesake of Duffield Hall
Revolutionary in enterprise software and major Cornell benefactor
Carl A. Kroch
Founder of Kroch's & Brentano's bookstores and namesake of Kroch Library
Pioneer in literary retail and Cornell library benefactor
John Lindseth
Designer of Thermoscan and namesake of Lindseth Climbing Wall
Inventor and Cornell recreation facility benefactor
Deane W. Malott
Kansas 1921, Sixth President of Cornell University
University leader and educational visionary
Famous International Betas
Notable Beta Theta Pi alumni who have achieved prominence across various fields
William "Bill" Bowerman
Oregon 1933
Founder of Nike
Sam Walton
Missouri 1940
Founder of Wal-Mart
Harold W. Sweatt
Minnesota 1913
Founder of Honeywell
Blake W. Nordstrom
Washington 1982
CEO of Nordstrom
Chris DeWolfe
Washington 1988
Co-founder and CEO of MySpace
Ken Kesey
Oregon 1957
Author, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
...and many more!
Join a Legacy of Excellence
Become part of the most accomplished fraternity in American higher education. Join the ranks of leaders, innovators, and changemakers.