Local History

The Delta Chi Chapter was awarded its charter on May 7, 1949, after a year as a Crescent Colony. The colony was founded by Donald Judson Holt, George Henry Blessing, and Hudson Dale Edmonson from the University of Oklahoma and Dr. John Howard Venable from Carnegie-Mellon University. These four men, already initiated Delts, were instrumental in the early days of the Chapter's success. Their signatures can be found on the Chapter's Charter.

Since it's founding the Delta Chi Shelter has been located at 1306 W. University, and has consistently grown in size. The original structure a Dutch Colonial single-family house with two stories, a basement and an attic. There were two annexes to the house. There was a duplex just west of the Shelter and a small "garage-like" building with a basketball court behind the house. All of the members and pledges living in the Shelter slept in a "dorm" in the attic on bunk beds. There was no heating so it got cold in the winter.

On the first floor was the house mother's apartment, a living room and a "rec room". On the second floor were study rooms with desks and closets and a community shower/bathroom. In the basement was the kitchen and the dining room. We had houseboys (Delts who needed the job) who served the formal meals and kept the kitchen clean and helped out the resident cook.

It was during the years 1961-62 that the first housing upgrade took place. The previous structure was torn down and a more modern fraternity house was constructed with heating and much roomier accommodations for the ever expanding membership base.

On April 25, 1981, the living room was added and kitchen extended. The most recent construction involved a complete renovation of the existing structure and the addition of a new wing, both of which were dedicated on October 10, 1987. The “new wing” made the delt house the first house on OSU’s campus to have 2 man room suites widely available to its membership. This also increased the capacity of the chapter house to 78 individuals.

There's much more history to come.
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