About Our
HISTORY
FOUNDING STORY
Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity was inspired by Richard J. H. Gottheil, a professor at Columbia University and a leader in the early American Zionist movement.
On December 29, 1898, Professor Gottheil gathered a group of Jewish students from several New York City universities to form a Zionist youth society. The society was called Z.B.T.
The society came to serve as a kind of fraternal body for Jewish college students who were excluded from existing fraternities due to prevailing sectarian practices at the end of the nineteenth century. The continuing need for a Greek-letter fraternity open to Jewish students prompted Z.B.T. to change its purpose, structure, and emphasis—becoming Zeta Beta Tau in 1903.
CHAPTER HISTORY
Phi Alpha was founded at George Washington University on October 14, 1914 by David Davis, Maurice H. Herzmark, Edward Lewis, Reuben Schmidt, and Hyman Shapiro.
The first pledge ceremony was held in February 1915, which was followed by the establishment of a chapter house. In 1916, the Beta chapter was founded at UMD and the Gamma chapter was founded at Georgetown University.
In 1921, Phi Alpha became a member of the National Interfraternity Conference. In 1926, the fraternity was incorporated nationally.
In 1959, Phi Alpha merged with Phi Sigma Delta. At the time of the merger, there were 16 active chapters and 7,000 initiated members. In 1969, Phi Sigma Delta merged with Zeta Beta Tau.
CHAPTER AWARDS
1986 — Lee Dover Award (Outstanding General Chapter Programming)
2011 — Bijur Award (Outstanding GPA)
2011 — The Sobel Award (GPA Improvement)
2012 — Brummer Cup (Most Outstanding Chapter)
2013 — Best Brotherhood Event
2013 — Parent Relations Award
2016 — Most Outstanding Program
2023 — Best Community Service Project