History of the Alpha

The next few paragraphs provide only a brief history of the earliest days of the Alpha, from the creation of the initial interest group through the Charter Initiation Banquet. 

The first two years

In the spring of 2002, Kishore Thota, `05, first contacted the Fraternity and stated that a group of undergraduates wanted to establish Chi Psi Fraternity on the campus.

In the summer of 2002, the Chi Psi Executive Council established the Omega Delta Colony at GMU.

In the summer of 2003, several Omega Delta colonists attended the 162^nd Annual Convention of Chi Psi to present their petition to become an Alpha of Chi Psi.  As is always the case, they spent more time waiting to speak to delegates and then waiting for the vote than they did actually making their presentation.  Some pickup games at the Iota Delta Lodge (host of the Convention) filled some time.

Following the Convention’s approval of the resolution to create Alpha Omega Delta, submitted by the Executive Council, the Colony’s pledges joined all delegates at the banquet

The Charter Initiation was held on November 14-15, 2003, at Alpha Omicron in Charlottesville, Virginia.  The 13 new Brothers of Alpha Omega Delta were joined at a formal banquet that evening where they received the Alpha’s Charter from Executive Council Chairman Michael C. Hurst, TD `87.  Among the presentations made to the Alpha were a Chi Psi banner.  Each founder also received a framed engraving of a Chi Psi emblem from the late 1800s or early 1900s.  The Charter Initiation took place in conjunction with a joint meeting of the Executive Council and The Chi Psi Educational Trust, so many Fraternity leaders were present for the celebratory banquet.

 Accomplishments for a young Alpha

Alpha Omega Delta was founded when its Charter Initiation occurred on November 14-15, 2003, following approval by the 162^nd Annual Convention of Chi Psi of the resolution to create the Alpha.   While facing the challenges of any new Alpha, Omega Delta has had three accomplishments of distinction during its young life. 

Travis Valentine,`05,  receives the Stanley J. Birge Award in 2005

The Stanley J. Birge Award was created by the Chi Psi Convention in 1971 to honor the one senior from among all the Alphas who is considered to be the most outstanding graduate in the Fraternity that year.   Through 2004, there had been over 30 recipients, but none was from an Alpha that was less than two years old.  That changed in 2005.

Travis C. Valentine, `05, was an early member of the interest group that became the Omega Delta Colony in 2002.  In November 2003, he was one of the 13 founders who joined our Bonds during the Charter Initiation.  While working his way to becoming a cum laude graduate of George Mason University in May 2005, Travis served as #2, Pledge Educator, Recruitment Chairman, Historian and Fundraising Chairman for the Alpha.  His commitment to his education and his Alpha were matched by his time and energy given to campus groups, tutoring and being a good counselor for friends both in the Alpha and elsewhere on campus.  Travis received the Birge Award at the Convention Banquet in August 2005, when nearly 20 Omega Delta actives and alumni board members drove to Chapel Hill, NC to congratulate him that evening.  

Dr. J. Thomas Hennessey, Jr., Chief of Staff for George Mason University, is the Alpha’s Faculty Advisor

An Alpha is fortunate when it has a faculty advisor who is genuinely interested in the betterment of the Alpha and its actives.  An Alpha is fortunate when its faculty advisor is committed to encouraging the Alpha to take an active role in the university community as student leaders.  To have a faculty advisor who is both interested in the Alpha’s betterment and committed to encouraging their university and community involvement is rare indeed.

Omega Delta is fortunate – honored, actually! – to have as its faculty advisor Dr. J. Thomas Hennessey, Jr., Chief of Staff for the University and a member of both the President’s Council and Executive Council.  Dr. Hennessey was contacted initially by Travis Valentine, `05, during the summer of 2005, less than two years after the Alpha was founded.  Following discussions with the #1, Asa Miller, `07, he signed up. 

Beginning with his first meeting with actives and continuing into this second year of his role for the Alpha, he has stressed leadership, academic success, and taking advantage of the truly valuable opportunities that exists within the George Mason community.

The honor of having a senior University administrator as the faculty advisor must be matched by the Alpha’s commitment to meet his expectations for what the Alpha as a whole can accomplish for the GMU community and what each individual active can accomplish for his own education.

Phil Russell, `07, creates the digital image of the Badge that becomes the “official” one

Images of the Chi Psi Badge have been used in innumerable ways for decades.  But in the digital age, the images available from years of photocopied drawings and other media were weak and did not provide a good representation of what Chi Psis hold dear. 

Phil Russell, `07, was already a computer science major when he was recruited as one of the members of the interest group that became the Omega Delta Colony in 2002.  He was also one of the 13 founding Brothers of Alpha Omega Delta at the Charter Initiation.

During the 2004-05 year, Phil devoted many hours to creating what has now been adopted by the Central Office as the official digital version of the Chi Psi Badge.   It is symmetrical and remains uniform when it is enlarged and reduced in size.  A note of recognition and thanks to Phil from #23 Sam Bessey, HD `97, now hangs in the Lodge.  Phil also received a resolution of appreciation from the 164^th Annual Convention.