Theta Alpha Phi

Theta Alpha Phi National Theatre Honors Fraternity (ΘΑΦ) is an American honor society that accepts members who achieve excellence in the art of theatre. Membership is available to undergraduates and graduate students at member institutions.

Theta Alpha Phi
ΘΑΦ
Founded	December 22, 1919; 104 years ago (1919-12-22) Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
Type	Honor
Affiliation	Independent
Status	Active
Emphasis	Theatre
Scope	National
Motto	"The purpose of playing is...to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature"
Colors	Purple and   White
Symbol	Comedy and Tragedy masks
Jewel	Ruby
Publication	The Cue
Chapters	30
Members	22,800+ lifetime
Nickname	Thetas, Thetans, TAPs, and Taffies
Headquarters	500 E. Beechwold Blvd Columbus, Ohio 43214 United States
Website	www.thetaalphaphi.com

History

The first chapter, referred to as Oklahoma Alpha, was formed on December 22, 1919 at Oklahoma A&M College, now Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Since the dissolution of the National Collegiate Players/Pi Epsilon Delta (ΠΕΔ) National Theatre Honor Society, Theta Alpha Phi is the oldest honor society for theatre in the United States. Other theater honor societies include Alpha Psi Omega (ΑΨΩ) and Delta Psi Omega (ΔΨΩ), the latter designated for two-year schools.^[1][2]

Theta Alpha Phi National Theatre Honors Fraternity is an honors society rather than a recognition association or activity club. It confers nationally recognized honors on graduate and undergraduate students who earn a specified high level of quality in theatre study and production at over 30 selected, accredited colleges and universities.

Theta Alpha Phi is restricted to four-year or graduate colleges and universities on a highly selective basis. It has no junior college branches or subsidiaries, and admits to membership only students of sophomore standing or above. Students become eligible after having successfully met a prescribed minimum of experience in directing, writing, acting in, or managing plays.^[1]

Theta Alpha Phi is the only independent theatre honors organization with standards and functions established solely by its own constitution without regard to requirements of other organizations. It is not a member of any association whose member societies are concerned with areas other than theatre, but which nevertheless control the standards and hence the functions of members.

Theta Alpha Phi is the only national organization which honors graduate and undergraduate students for quality as well as quantity of work and study in theatre arts alone. Unlike some organizations which demand that students achieve a certain level in all studies, most of which are unrelated to theatre, Theta Alpha Phi demands excellence only in theatre. Hence, Theta Alpha Phi believes a student can be outstanding in theatre and deserving of honor in theatre without comparable achievement in all areas of study.^[2]

Theta Alpha Phi is democratic in organization. There is no secrecy, no "blackball," and no chapter or member discrimination on the basis of race, color or creed. The constitution, initiation ceremony, financial statements, and other records are available for inspection to any responsible person or organization. Throughout its history, Theta Alpha Phi has retained a consistent and dynamic "fraternalist" policy of mutual aid among members and member schools.^[2]

Symbols

The fraternity explains that pronunciation of its name can be either "Thay-ta Al-fa Fye" or "Thay-ta Al-fa Fee". The latter is closer to the original Greek pronunciation.^[2] The motto of Theta Alpha Phi is "The purpose of playing is [...] to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature" (a reference to the "advice to the players" speech in Hamlet).

The gold badge of the fraternity displays prominently a form of the comedy and tragedy masks, long associated with the theatrical arts. It is crowned with four rubies and bears the black enameled letters Θ, Α and Φ on the left eye, nose and right eye, respectively.^[1]

Its colors are purple and white.^[2] Its members are referred to as Thetas, Thetans, TAPs, and Taffies.^[2]

Theta Alpha Phi presents a national award called the Medallion of Honor, which it purports is the highest national tribute made in educational theatre. Theta Alpha Phi's magazine, The Cue, was established in 1922 and is oriented distinctly and solely to students of theatre in higher education.^[1]

Chapters

Chapter information from the national website, Baird's Manual (20th, reprinted from the 19th ed.) or the Theta Alpha Phi magazine, the Cue. Active chapters noted in bold, inactive chapters noted in italics.^[1][2]

Approximately 50 dormant chapters are not listed, which may be re-activated with faculty sponsorship.

Chapter	Charter date and range	Institution	City	State	Status	Reference
Oklahoma Alpha	December 22, 1919 – 1934	Oklahoma State University	Stillwater	Oklahoma	Inactive	[lower-alpha 1]
Ohio Alpha	1919	Ohio Wesleyan University	Delaware	Ohio	Active	[3]
Louisiana Alpha	1919	Louisiana State University	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Louisiana	Active	[3]
Wisconsin Alpha	1919	Ripon College	Ripon, Wisconsin	Wisconsin	Inactive
Florida Alpha	1919	Stetson University	Deland	Florida	Active
Pennsylvania Alpha	1919	Bucknell University	Lewisburg	Pennsylvania	Inactive	[3]
California Alpha	1920	University of Redlands	Redlands	California	Active(?)	[3]
Connecticut ?	1920	University of Connecticut	Storrs	Connecticut	Active(?)
Missouri ?	1920–1934	University of Missouri	Columbia	Missouri	Inactive
Arizona Alpha	1920–1934	University of Arizona	Tucson	Arizona	Inactive	[4]
Colorado ?	1920	Colorado College	Colorado Springs	Colorado	Active
Oklahoma Beta	1920	University of Tulsa	Tulsa	Oklahoma		[3]
South Dakota Alpha	1920	Huron College	Huron	South Dakota		[5]
California Beta	1920	Occidental College	Los Angeles	California
Iowa Alpha	1920	Parsons College	Fairfield	Iowa
Ohio Beta	1920	Baldwin-Wallace University	Berea	Ohio		[3]
Oregon Alpha	1920	Willamette University	Salem	Oregon		[3]
Utah Alpha	1920	University of Utah	Salt Lake City	Utah		[3]
South Dakota Beta	1920	Dakota Wesleyan University	Mitchell, South Dakota	South Dakota		[3]
Tennessee Alpha	1920	University of Tennessee		Tennessee
Pennsylvania Beta
Montana Alpha	1921	University of Montana		Montana
Wyoming Alpha	1921	University of Wyoming		Wyoming
Michigan Zeta	1921–1934, After 1960	Adrian College	Adrian	Michigan	Active
Michigan ?	1921	Kalamazoo College	Kalamazoo	Michigan
Hawaii Alpha	1921	University of Hawaii	Manoa	Hawaii
Alabama Alpha	1921	Auburn University	Auburn, Alabama	Alabama		[5]
South Dakota Gamma	1921	University of South Dakota	Vermillion	South Dakota
Indiana Alpha	1922		Bloomington	Indiana
Michigan ?	1922	Hillsdale College	Hillsdale	Michigan
California Gamma	1922	University of the Pacific	Stockton	California	Active	[3]
Oklahoma Gamma	1922	Oklahoma Baptist University	Shawnee	Oklahoma		[3]
Michigan Alpha	1922	Knox College	Galesburg	Illinois
Indiana Beta	1923	Franklin College	Franklin	Indiana	Active	[3]
Missouri Gamma	1923–1940, After 1960	Culver–Stockton College	Canton	Missouri	Active
Ohio Epsilon	1924	Ohio Northern University	Ada	Ohio	Active	[3]
Utah Beta	Summer 1924	Brigham Young University	Provo, Utah	Utah	Inactive	[3][6]
Missouri Delta	1926	University of Central Missouri	Warrensburg	Missouri	Active	[3]
Ohio Zeta	May 31, 1927	Otterbein College	Westerville	Ohio		[3][7]
Michigan Epsilon	1929	Albion College	Albion	Michigan	Active	[3]
Indiana Delta	1936	Indiana State University	Terre Haute	Indiana	Active	[3]
Florida Gamma	1938	Rollins College	Winter Park	Florida	Active
Ohio Iota	1945	Bowling Green State University	Bowling Green	Ohio	Active	[3]
New Jersey Alpha	1960	Stevens Institute of Technology	Hoboken	New Jersey	Active
Arkansas Beta		Ouachita Baptist University	Arkadelphia	Arkansas	Active
Illinois Iota		Elmhurst University	Elmhurst	Illinois	Active
Kentucky Alpha		Morehead State University	Morehead	Kentucky	Active
Louisiana Gamma		Grambling State University	Grambling	Louisiana	Active
New Jersey Gamma		Montclair State University	Montclair	New Jersey	Active
New York Beta		Ithaca College	Ithaca	New York	Inactive	[3]
Ohio Eta		Ohio State University at Mansfield	Mansfield	Ohio	Active
Ohio Kappa		Denison University	Granville	Ohio	Active
Wisconsin Delta		University of Wisconsin–Whitewater	Whitewater	Wisconsin	Active
Alabama Beta		Howard College	Birmingham	Alabama		[8][3]
Arkansas Alpha		Henderson State University	Arkadelphia	Arkansas		[8]
California Delta		University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara	California		[3]
Illinois Beta		Illinois Wesleyan University	Bloomington	Illinois		[3]
Illinois Gamma		Bradley University	Peoria	Illinois		[3]
Illinois Delta		Illinois State University	Normal	Illinois		[3]
Illinois Epsilon		Eastern Illinois University	Charleston	Illinois		[3]
Illinois Zeta		Chicago City College	Chicago	Illinois		[3]
Indiana Gamma		Purdue University	West Lafayette	Indiana		[3]
Indiana Epsilon		Hanover College	Hanover	Indiana		[3]
Iowa Beta		University of Northern Iowa	Cedar Falls, Iowa	Iowa		[3]
Iowa Gamma		Drake University	Des Moines	Iowa		[3]
Kansas Alpha		Pittsburg State University	Pittsburg	Kansas		[3]
Michigan Delta		Michigan State University	East Lansing	Michigan		[3]
Missouri Beta		Park College	Parkville	Missouri		[3]
Missouri Gamma		Culver–Stockton College	Canton	Missouri		[3]
Nebraska Alpha		Nebraska Wesleyan University	Lincoln, Nebraska	Nebraska		[3]
Nebraska Beta		Hastings College	Hastings, Nebraska	Nebraska		[5]
Ohio Beta		Baldwin-Wallace University	Berea	Ohio		[3]
Ohio Delta		Wittenberg College	Springfield	Ohio		[3]
Ohio Epsilon		Ohio Northern University	Ada	Ohio		[3]
Ohio Eta		Hiram College	Hiram	Ohio		[3]
Pennsylvania Gamma		Pennsylvania State University	University Park, Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania		[3]
Pennsylvania Epsilon		Grove City College	Grove City, Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania		[3]
Tennessee Delta		Maryville College	Maryville	Tennessee		[3]
Tennessee Epsilon		Tennessee State University	Nashville	Tennessee		[3]
Utah Gamma		Utah State University	Logan	Utah		[3]
Virginia Alpha		College of William and Mary	Williamsburg	Virginia		[3]
Washington Gamma		Western Washington University	Bellingham	Washington		[3]
Wisconsin Delta		University of Wisconsin, Whitewater	Whitewater	Wisconsin		[3]
Wyoming Alpha		University of Wyoming	Laramie	Wyoming		[3]

1. This was the first chapter of Theta Alpha Phi.

Notable members

• Maud Babcock, faculty member at University of Utah^[9]
• Ruth Moench Bell, teacher at Utah Agricultural College^[10]
• Keene Curtis, actor^[11]
• Margaret Draper, actress^[12]
• Florence Kirk, opera singer^[13]
• Conrad Prebys, developer and philanthropist
• Eva Marie Saint, actress^[14]

References

1. Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VII-57. ISBN 978-0963715906.
2. "Home". Theta Alpha Phi. Retrieved 2024-09-01.
3. The Cue Volume 33
4. University of Arizona - Desert Yearbook (Tucson, AZ) - Class of 1985
5. Masters, Robert W. (1933). The Cue He Knew – via Google Books.
6. "Theta Alpha Phi begins activities". The Y News. 1924-10-01. p. 3.
7. History of Speech and Theatre at Otterbein College - 1847-1950 Charles Ward Dodrill
8. Larabee, Lottie B. (1963). A Parent's Guide to Colleges & Universities. Education Press – via Google Books.
9. Maud May Babcock, President of the National Communication Association, 1932
10. Binheim, Max; Elvin, Charles A (1928). Women of the West; a series of biographical sketches of living eminent women in the eleven western states of the United States of America. pp. 171–172. Retrieved 8 August 2017. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
11. "'U' Dramatists Wait Honors". The Salt Lake Telegram. June 3, 1943. p. 15. Retrieved August 21, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Chekhov Stage Group Holds Utah Actress". Utah, Salt Lake City. The Salt Lake Tribune. August 11, 1940. p. 59. Retrieved April 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
13. The Eleusis of Chi Omega. Vol. 47. 1945. p. 108.
14. "Bee Gee News May 30, 1945". BG News (Student Newspaper). 30 May 1945. Retrieved 24 July 2020.

External links

• Theta Alpha Phi National Website
• Archival materials related to Theta Alpha Phi, in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University