ZBT National
Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity was inspired by Richard J. H. Gottheil, a professor of languages at Columbia University and a leader in the early American Zionist movement. On December 29, 1898, Professor Gottheil gathered together a group of Jewish students from several New York City universities to form a Zionist youth society. The society was called Z.B.T.During this brief period, the society came to serve as a kind of fraternal body for college students who, as Jews, were excluded from joining existing fraternities because of the sectarian practices which prevailed at the end of the nineteenth century in the United States. The continuing need for a Greek-letter fraternity open to Jewish students prompted Z.B.T. to change its raison d'etre, structure and emphasis and to become Zeta Beta Tau in 1903.
Zeta Beta Tau expanded rapidly. By 1909, it had established 13 Chapters throughout the Northeast and a 14th at Tulane University at New Orleans, thereby taking on a truly national dimension. In 1913, it established its first Canadian Chapter at McGill University in Montreal. Five years later, it founded its first West Coast Chapter at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. At the 1954 National Convention, the delegates amended Zeta Beta Tau's Constitution, ritual and internal procedures both in theory and in practice to eliminate sectarianism as a qualification for membership.
Spearheaded by the growth of state and municipal university systems, hundreds of new institutions were opened in the quarter-century following World War II. By the 1960's virtually every American had an opportunity to attend college. From 1945 to 1969, the number of ZBT chapters increased from 30 to 80 units.
The history of mergers in the Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood followed a pattern of linking common traditions. In 1959, Phi Alpha merged into Phi Sigma Delta, and in 1961 Kappa Nu merged into Phi Epsilon Pi. In 1969-70, Phi Sigma Delta and Phi Epsilon Pi merged into Zeta Beta Tau.
Traumatic experiences were generated by the polarization over the Vietnam conflict. The American fraternity system - including Zeta Beta Tau, was subsequently affected by the great wave of anti-establishment feeling that was pervasive throughout the country. Many of the Chapters which survived this period of turmoil did so in a weakened condition. During the late 1970's and the early 1980's, there was a renewed interest in fraternity life, resulting in increased initiation statistics, revival of many dormant Chapters and expansion to new campuses.
During the 1980's, every Greek-letter group continued their efforts to stop hazing. Despite ZBT's best efforts, hazing continued and increased in frequency and severity. ZBT concluded that all efforts to reform the institution of pledging had failed; pledging was the problem. This was because pledges were considered second-class citizens, with no rights and no chance to refuse even the most outrageous demands of a Brother, unless he quit the Fraternity. In 1989, in a last-ditch effort to eliminate hazing, ZBT eliminated pledging and all second-class status from the Fraternity. In its place, ZBT established a Brotherhood Program, with minimum standards (Brotherhood Quality Standards), as well as programs of education, bonding, and earning one's Brotherhood status that applied to all Brothers of ZBT.
Today, the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is some 110,000 Brothers strong, and ZBT Chapters and Colonies are established at over 80 campus locations. Through good times and bad, ZBT has been in the forefront in pioneering new concepts - as evidenced by its very founding, its elimination of sectarian membership practices, its acceptance of mergers, its elimination of pledging, and its ability to solve enormous problems when others abandoned the effort.
ZBT continues to maintain a tradition of leadership and respect in the interfraternity world
Psi Chapter
Every chapter of Zeta Beta Tau has at one time been known as the "baby chapter" of the Fraternity. Psi's infancy was preceded by a period of eight to ten months during which the idea of procuring a charter from Zeta Beta Tau was developing in the fertile minds of some few students at the University of Alabama. The influences brought to bear upon these men during the developmental stage were like the reeds among which the cattle of Jacob conceived - straight and upright - and the child of their brains has ever since followed in the footsteps of the older men of Zeta Beta Tau in the straight and narrow path that leads to Truth and Justice.
On the evening of March 11, 1916, under the able guidance of Herbert E. Steiner (Theta), the men went through a physical and spiritual training to fit them for the ranks they were entering. The ceremony took place at the Phoenix Club in Birmingham and afterwards the initiates danced across the spacious ball room floor with the charming ladies of the South while a colored band played the "blues" and a full Southern moon shone in all its splendor.
The fortunate men who founded Psi chapter were Arthur Greene, Fred A. Lewis, Charles J. Weil, Lawrence Saks, Solomon Gardon, Lehman H. Mayer, Walter Mitchell, Siegfried L. Stern, Moritz E. Frolich, and Sidney Patterson.
The new chapter was the first Jewish fraternity at the University of Alabama. At that University, prejudice has never acquired the keenness present in the Eastern colleges and the chapter was at once received cordially by the older fraternities at the "Capstone". It was received at once into the Panhellenic Council. Later in the year Dr. Morris Newfield was elected an honorary member.
In the Fall of 1917, the chapter was fortunate in procuring a house on University Avenue. The Freshmen worked hard in leveling off the grounds and growing a lawn and even experimenting in gardening.
The spirit among the men was the ideal fraternal spirit. The interest taken by the men in University activities was most marked. Honors were taken in every field and the chapter won the Interfraternity Scholarship cup.
When college opened the next year, many of the older men had been graduated and many had left to join the army and navy. With a small roll and only young men, the chapter was unable to keep up the house and toward the middle of the year it was given up. It was a gloomy day when the fraternity seal was taken down and hung up in our new rooms in the village.
In the Fall of 1918, the S.A.T.C. was established and fraternity activities were at low ebb. Brothers Weil and Hohenberg - the older men in the chapter - served as cadet majors for a brief period, during which time they led the fraternity and succeeded in initiating five new men. Their stay was brief, and shortly after they had left for camp, fraternity activities were entirely abandoned.
With the beginning of the Spring session of 1919, the old men returned to college and activities were resumed. The new men had to be instructed in the traditions of the fraternity and much energy was expended in building up the chapter morale. Then toward the end of the session came news that we had for the fourth time won the Interfraternity Scholastic cup.
Under the leadership of Brothers Mortimer Cohen and Sidney Mohr, the chapter thrived for the succeeding years and has now obtained a temporary home on Fraternity Row. The Psionian was first published in 1919.
Psi has always stood high on the campus of the University of Alabama. Eighty percent of her graduates have made Phi Beta Kappa and five men have held fellowships in the University faculty. The men have won successes in every field, the chapter has always participated in interfraternity activities, both athletic and social and has won the local Interfraternity Scholastic up five times.
By Dr. Clarence K. Weil, Psi '20, Supreme Historian
From The First Twenty-Five Years, an early history of ZBT
ZBT House is the far left one, pre 1970's
