House Web Page: http://tepcornell.com
National Web Page:
http://www.tau-epsilon-phi.com
E-mail: smw255@cornell.edu
Chapter Name: Delta Chapter
National Founding/Date: Columbia University - October 10, 1910
Cornell Founding: 11/12/1913
Flower:
Colors: Lavender and White
Philanthropy: AIDS Resource Foundation
Delta Chapter of Tau Epsilon Phi
Cornell University
306 Highland Rd.
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-2273
The Delta Chapter of Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity was installed at Cornell on November 12, 1913. Ben Pologe, second National President, had pledged at the Alpha Chapter at Columbia, and set off for Ithaca. Together with Robert Menaker, Henry Klauber, Charles Roth, Julius Samkoff and Louis Swerdlove, the first TEP chapter outside of New York City was founded, and it became one of the most vocal members on the Executive committee. The clause in the National Constitution ratified in 1916 which stated that "no chapter was to be formed at a strictly professional school" was a victory for Delta over professionalism and for TEP. In 1917, the first crisis struck, and 18 of the 21 brothers expected to return to the house on Buffalo Street entered the military. The chapter moved to Cascadilla Park to begin a slow but steady return to eminence, leasing a larger house at 528 Stewart Ave in 1922. In 1926, a larger chapter found "the ideal TEP house...situated in the fraternity section of Cayuga Heights and overlooking the Cayuga Lake Valley and the surrounding countryside" at 425 Wyckoff Ave. There they remained until 1932 when the chapter was disbanded due to the Great Depression. During the fall of 1938, Robert Robbins of Tau Alpha entered the Cornell Graduate Engineering School took over the small group organized by Max Breitenbach, younger brother of one of the ten TEP founders, leasing a home at 710 Stewart Ave. "Bulg[ing] at the seams", in 1949, in the boom after W.W.II, the Delta brothers took over the Kappa Delta Rho house at 306 Highland Road, where it has remained ever since. During the 1950s, Delta initiated many non-Jewish brothers, true to its founding of membership based on "character and personality, regardless of race, color, religion or creed." In the summer of 1961 a new wing on the house was built, but unfortunately a fire of unknown origin burnt down the original house, allowing for only 20 brothers to live in the new wing. It was greatly feared that the chapter would fold, but its basic core was strong and it survived. Rebuilt on the old spot, the new house was attached to the wing, and in 1966 Delta was one of TEP's largest and best chapters. With the coming of the Vietnam War, Delta suffered great losses, but was one of the few fraternities to survive while the others were forced to shut their doors, thanks to the subsidies from the National Fraternity. In 1977, with a viable membership, the house was renovated, and the chapter has been on the rise ever since and is a credit to Tau Epsilon Phi, a house devoted to the TEP motto of friendship, chivalry, and service. Delta Chapter of Tau Epsilon Phi is the oldest current TEP chapter in continuous existence, and has continued to remain the "jewel" of the organization.
