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Zeta Beta Tau

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Zeta Beta Tau
ZBT
File:Zbt crest.jpg
FoundedDecember 29, 1898
City College of New York, New York, NY
TypeSocial
ScopeInternational
Motto"A Powerhouse of Excellence"
ColorsMedium blue and white with gold trim
FlowerGold Carnation (adopted 2004)
Chapters80
Fraternity Song"My Brother, Here's My Hand"
Headquarters3905 Vincennes Rd. Suite 300
Indianapolis, Indiana
USA
WebsiteZBT Website

Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT, brothers of which are nicknamed Zebes) is a historically Jewish, presently nonsectarian international fraternity. Today the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood numbers over 130,000 initiated Brothers, and over 80 student chapter locations. The first verse of the fraternity song is "Here's to our fraternity..."

History

Founding

The Zeta Beta Tau fraternity was inspired by Dr. Richard J. H. Gottheil, a professor of languages at Columbia University and a Zionist. On December 29, 1898, he formed a Zionist youth society with a group of Jewish students from several New York City universities.

The society was called Z.B.T., the meaning of which is revealed in the fraternity's ritual. In 1998, the meaning of Z.B.T. was announced to the world. The society Z.B.T., referred to the first letters in the Hebrew phrase "Zion Bemishpat Tipadeh", which translated means "Zion shall be redeemed with justice". This is taken from Isaiah 1:27 - "Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness." ZBT has interpreted Isaiah's prophecy to mean in its ritual that "All Men Are Brothers". At the time Jews were not allowed to join other fraternities due to anti-semitism, thus there was a need for an exclusively Jewish Greek letter fraternity. In 1903 Z.B.T. formally became Zeta Beta Tau and its purpose shifted away from that of a Zionist youth organization as other Zionist organizations grew in prominence. The original Hebrew meaning of Z.B.T. is not esoteric. It was publicly revealed in the official written history of Zeta Beta Tau, Here's to Our Fraternity: One Hundred Years of Zeta Beta Tau, 1898-1998, by Marianne Rachel Sanua.[1] The word "judgment" is sometimes translated as "justice". [2]

Zeta Beta Tau expanded rapidly. By 1909, it had established 13 Chapters throughout the Northeast and a 14th at Tulane University at New Orleans, thereby taking on a truly national dimension. In 1913, it established its first Canadian Chapter at McGill University in Montreal. Five years later, it founded its first West Coast Chapter at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. At the 1954 National Convention, the delegates amended Zeta Beta Tau's Constitution, ritual and internal procedures both in theory and in practice to eliminate sectarianism as a qualification for membership.[3]

Today, the merged Zeta Beta Tau Brotherhood is some 130,000 Brothers strong, and ZBT Chapters and Colonies are established at over 80 campus locations. Through good times and bad, ZBT has been in the forefront in pioneering new concepts - as evidenced by its very founding, its elimination of sectarian membership practices, its acceptance of mergers, its elimination of pledging, and its ability to solve enormous problems when others abandoned the effort.

Merging with other fraternities

The Zeta Beta Tau of today is the result of a merger with four other national fraternities, more than any other North-American Interfraternity Conference fraternity. In 1959, Phi Alpha merged into Phi Sigma Delta. In 1961 Kappa Nu merged into Phi Epsilon Pi. In 1969-70, Phi Sigma Delta and Phi Epsilon Pi merged into Zeta Beta Tau.

Pledging abolished

Zeta Beta Tau was also one of the first National fraternities to abolish the institution of pledging in 1989 as a way to combat and eliminate hazing.[4] This change was not new to the world of fraternities, as in 1971 Lambda Chi Alpha became the first North-American Interfraternity Conference (NAIC) fraternity to eliminate pledging, by replacing the process with an "Associated Membership" process. Lambda Chi Alpha paved the way for Zeta Beta Tau in taking the first steps to offer a completely equal brotherhood experience. Zeta Beta Tau's decision to get rid of pledging did not involve an associate membership process however. Once a brother joins the fraternity he will receive all rights and responsibilities as the rest of the chapter, and shall be eligible for any position within the chapter regardless of how long he has been a brother. Sigma Phi Epsilon would soon follow with a somewhat similar plan in 1991.

Semi-Annual Brotherhood Review Vote

In conjunction with the 1989 abolishment of pledging, ZBT National instituted a very progressive concept in fraternities then and now, the S.B.R.V. (Semi-Annual Brotherhood Review Vote). ZBT National mandates that all Chapters, twice a year (once a semester) have a vote to see who, if anyone, should be removed from membership within a Chapter. All brothers participate in, and are subject to, the anonymous vote, which are tallied by the Brotherhood Development Director. [5] If a brother does not receive a simple majority of supportive votes, he is kicked out of the fraternity. What makes this policy so different from all other NAIC fraternities is that ZBT does not consider you to be a brother for life once initiated, as any brother has the possibility of being voted out during his college career. Also unique to Zeta Beta Tau is the fact that a former ZBT brother who has been voted out by the Semi-Annual Brotherhood Review Vote may request an unconditional release from ZBT National, and if granted, may join another NAIC fraternity.

Notable Alumni

Academia

Business/Philanthropy

Civil service

Arts/Entertainment

Media/Literature

Sports

Crime

Chapters

Main article: List of Zeta Beta Tau chapters and colonies

Zeta Beta Tau currently recognizes 80 chapters and colonies across the United States. The state with the most chapters is New York.

The following is a list of campuses with chapters and colonies currently recognized by the Zeta Beta Tau national fraternity.

References

  1. ^ "ZBT Centennial History Book". Retrieved March 4. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Bible Isaiah 1:27". Retrieved March 4. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "ZBT Bax Chapter". Retrieved November 19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ "ZBT History". Retrieved August 11. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "Chapter Officers Responsibilities". Retrieved March 4. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Stanley Marcus. Minding the Store: A Memoir (1974), p. 24

University of Cincinnati


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