Omicron Alpha Tau

Omicron Alpha Tau () was an historically Jewish fraternity founded in 1912. It merged with Tau Delta Phi in 1934.

History

Omicron Alpha Tau was founded at Cornell University in the Spring of 1912. Its founders were Benjamin Brickman, James Castelle, Jack Grossman, Abraham Haibloom, Jules Jokel, Joseph Seidlin, and Nat Shiren. At the time, the founders had no intention of forming a national Greek letter fraternity. Omicron Alpha Tau remained a local fraternity until 1915 when David Browman founded a second chapter at the Columbia University College of Dental and Oral Surgery in New York City.

Growth continued throughout New York, extending to eastern and southern schools. Its first Midwest chapter was established in 1924 at Valparaiso University. The fraternity became an international organization in 1927 with the formation of the ''Rho chapter'' at McGill University in Montreal. Additional Midwestern chapters were also established at the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago, also in 1927. ''Upsilon chapter'' was formed in 1928 at Marquette University; this may have been the last chapter formed; ''Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities'' notes "at least eighteen chapters were installed", ending its list with ''Upsilon.'' However, the 1930 edition of ''The Illio'' yearbook notes there were 21 chapters .

The fraternity held its ninth convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 28, 1935, with the Marquette chapter as host.

''Baird's Manual'' notes that several chapters died during the Great Depression, predicating national dissolution. In 1934, Tau Delta Phi absorbed the chapters at Rutgers University, New York University, Marquette, and Cornell. The chapter at Syracuse University was absorbed by Phi Epsilon Pi. The main archive URL i
The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage
The chapter at the University of Pennsylvania merged into Phi Beta Delta.

Symbols and traditions

The fraternity's colors were orange and blue.As noted i
''The Record'' yearbook for Valparaiso University, 1930
accessed 2 Apr 2021. Its flower was the goldenrod.

Omicron Alpha Tau was particularly known for their houses having adherence to traditional Jewish dietary laws. Several chapters maintained kosher kitchens. At Cornell, it was known as "the most Jewish of fraternities."

One of the songs of the fraternity was "Onward Our O.A.T.":
The fraternity's magazine, as of 1923, was called the ''OAT Digest'' and was distributed monthly. Later, the magazine's name was changed to ''The Oath'' and was issued three times a year.

Chapters

The chapters of Omicron Alpha Tau include:

Notable members

*David Sarnoff (Honorary), businessmanRadio Personalities 1935 - p142
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See also

* List of Jewish fraternities and sororities

References

{{North American Interfraternity Conference

Defunct former members of the North American Interfraternity Conference
Student organizations established in 1912
Historically Jewish fraternities in the United States
1912 establishments in New York (state)
Jewish organizations established in 1912
Merged fraternities and sororities