Beta Theta Pi, Delta Delta Chapter, Bowling Green State University records
Collection Overview
Abstract
The records of this fraternity consist of minutes, correspondence, invitations, publications, pamphlets, and a scrapbook.
Dates
- Creation: 1960-1993
Extent
0.82 Cubic Feet (2 letter size archive boxes and 1 oversize scrapbook)
1 Volumes (1 oversize scrapbook) ; 17.5 x 14.5 x 1 inches
Creator
Scope and Contents
The Delta Delta chapter records offer a fairly complete picture of the fraternity’s campus history from the time of its organization in 1962 until Spring 1990, although some minutes are missing (between fall 1970 and winter 1975) and others are illegible. A useful resource is a 74 page book titled Around the Union Oval: The BETA 500 at Bowling Green State University by Delta Delta alumnus Edward J. Janoch. Published in 1993, the book documents the detailed history of the annual Beta 500 held on campus from May 1964 through April 1993. The book provides information about races with dates, locations, times, weather conditions, participation, winners, second placers, crew, charities, facts and trivia, and program designs by year. Miscellaneous Delta Delta letters, formal invitations, pamphlets, newsletters, and coupons are also part of the collection as is Edward J. Janoch’s scrapbook with photographs and news clippings collected from 1979 to 1983.
Biographical / Historical
On November 2, 1962, the Delta Delta chapter of Beta Theta Pi fraternity was formally installed at Bowling Green State University. Delta Delta was formed from the Beta Gamma fraternity – a local fraternity established on campus in 1960. The national Beta Theta Pi (for “men of principle”) was established on August 8, 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. At BGSU, Delta Delta was primarily involved with Greek philanthropies, intramurals, campus fundraisers, and community service. The largest and most renowned original Greek tradition Delta Delta organized was the Beta 500 annual philanthropy, later known as the Falcon 500. The yearly cart race around the Union Oval raised substantial funds for numerous charities, including the Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Ohio, Children’s Resource Center, Wood County Senior Citizens Center, and Ohio Cancer Research Associates. Due to declining participation among other reasons, the national Beta Theta Pi closed the Delta Delta chapter in 2005.
Conditions Governing Access
No known access restrictions
Conditions Governing Use
Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.
Language of Materials
Materials in English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The records of the Delta Delta chapter were donated to the Center for Archival Collections in 1994 from Edward J. Janoch, a BGSU alumnus and Delta Delta member.
- Title
- Guide to the Beta Theta Pi, Delta Delta Chapter, Bowling Green State University records
- Author
- Cindy Radford
- Date
- June 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English