Alpha Gamma Rho (; commonly known as AGR or The Rho) is an American social and professional agriculture-focused

fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...

. It was established at Ohio State University in 1904.

History

Alpha Gamma Rho considers the Morrill Act of 1862 to be the instrument of its inception. Having been signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, it provided land and other financial support to establish one institution of higher learning in the agricultural and mechanical sciences within each state. Alpha Gamma Rho, referred to as "AGR", was founded when two local fraternities from

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

(Alpha Gamma Rho, founded on October 10, 1904) and the University of Illinois (Delta Rho Sigma, founded in 1906) met at an International Livestock Competition in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. Sixteen men signed the fraternity's charter at the Claypool Hotel in

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

on April 4, 1908. Expansion increased dramatically over the next three decades to almost all land-grant universities in the country. The first chapter at a non-land-grant university was chartered in 1958 at

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

. The first non-state (private) associated chapter (''Beta Psi'') was at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

Symbols

The four pillars of Alpha Gamma Rho are recruitment, commitment, education, and recognition. Its colors are dark green and gold. Its symbols are the sickle and the sheaf. Its flower is the pink rose. The fraternity's motto is "To Make Better Men".

Chapters

As of 2024, the fraternity has 71 chapters.

Notable members

Local chapter or member misconduct

In 2018, the chapter at

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

was suspended after one of its members, Dylan Fulton, was found dead following a night of drinking. After an investigation, it was determined Fulton had died of alcohol poisoning.

References

External links

''History of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity'' (Book, 1925)
{{Fraternities and Sororities , collapsed Student organizations established in 1904 Student societies in the United States North American Interfraternity Conference Professional agricultural fraternities and sororities in the United States 1904 establishments in Ohio