Collection inventory

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Alpha Tau Omega (Syracuse University Chapter) Collection

An inventory of its collection at the Syracuse University Archives

Finding aid created by: Maggie Teschler
Date: 2016

Revision history:

Historical Note

Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) installed its Epsilon Phi chapter at Syracuse University in 1950. Before becoming the 107th chapter of ATO, the fraternity was Sigma Beta, a local organization founded at Syracuse University in 1911.

Starting in 1922, when they were still Sigma Beta, the fraternity hosted a unique tradition at Syracuse University: the firing of the ATO cannon. The cannon was a gift from an alumnus and would be wheeled by four members of the fraternity to Archbold Stadium for home football games. For each touchdown, the cannon would be fired. Until its cease-fire in 1960, the ATO cannon was the oldest tradition at Syracuse not sponsored by the University.

In 1949 the fraternity moved into 748 Comstock and resided there until at least 1964. Between 1969 and 1974 the University experienced an extreme decline in Greek participation. During this time the Epsilon Phi chapter of Alpha Tau Omega folded.

In 1985 the ATO Epsilon Phi chapter became active once again. During this time the fraternity rented Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s old house on Marshall Street. In 1989 the Epsilon Phi chapter was awarded Alpha Tau Omega’s True Merit Chapter award and in 1990 the ATO house was the first of Syracuse’s fraternities to participate in the blue light safety house program.

In 2000 the chapter was suspended due to allegations of disorderly conduct off campus and was unrecognized as a fraternity by the University until 2005. The national organization of Alpha Tau Omega, however, continued to recognize the chapter's charter during this time. Due to this, the Epsilon Phi chapter became the first chapter to be independent of a University affiliation in the history of ATO. For the five year period the chapter continued to function as a normal fraternity off campus. In 2005 the chapter regained recognition from the University.

The Epsilon Phi chapter of ATO is currently located on 304 Walnut Place.

Scope and Content

The Alpha Tau Omega (Syracuse University Chapter) Collection contains materials from 1956 to 1993. It includes correspondence between fraternity brothers and letters of sympathy regarding the death of fraternity brother Vladimir Quinn.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from the Syracuse University Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

The Syracuse University Archives holds information about Alpha Tau Omega, its houses, and the ATO cannon in the Clipping Files and Photograph Collection and holds an ATO paddle in its Memorabilia Collection.

Selected Search Terms

Names

Alpha Tau Omega.
Syracuse University -- History.
Syracuse University.

Subjects

Fraternities.
Greek letter societies.
Higher education.

Types of Material

Correspondence.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Alpha Tau Omega (Syracuse University Chapter) Collection,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Alpha Tau Omega gifted some of the materials of the Alpha Tau Omega Collection to the Syracuse University Archives in 2016.

Processing Information

The materials were rehoused in acid-free folders.

Arrangement

Materials have been arranged chronologically.

Table of Contents

Collection

Inventory