For 107 years, the Gamma Phi Chapter of Beta Theta Pi has occupied
a central role on the campus of the University of Oklahoma. Since our
founding in 1907—the same year that President Theodore Roosevelt signed
the proclamation admitting Oklahoma as the 46th state in the union—our
storied history has paralleled our state and been filled with men of academic
achievement and leadership on the Oklahoma campus. While many of our
brothers have gone on to successful and distinguished careers in business,
medicine, law, academia and countless other endeavors, the common bond of
our brotherhood remains, along with our shared principles and values. Most of
us trace the roots of our success to one place: Beta Theta Pi at 800 Chautauqua
in Norman, Oklahoma. Much of our personal successes result from guidance
in leadership, organization and social skills, peer encouragement, teamwork
and character received during our Beta years at the University of Oklahoma.
Since 1929, our chapter house at 800 Chautauqua Avenue has been a home
away from home for more than 2,000 young men. It is not only a living
quarters for today's active members, but it is also a meeting place for
alumni when they visit the Norman campus. On any football game day, you
can find many Beta alumni and members with their families utilizing our
historic house.
To continue our record of accomplishment, now is the time for the living
members of the Gamma Phi Chapter to rise and meet a number of challenges
facing our chapter house. With our past and present secure, we must now look
to our future.
"Being a member of Beta was a life-changing experience.
It is far more than banquets and a good time! It is where I made
lifelong friends who I am proud to say are my brothers. It was
a great place to learn with and from my peers. Beta is a place
where I learned to balance hard work and playing hard. It is also
the place were upperclassmen helped guide me into leadership
positions, which taught me valuable organizational skills."
– Robert Beall '80
o u r h i s t o r y o f E x c e l l e n c e
