Theta Alpha Phi Explained

Theta Alpha Phi
Letters:	Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΘΑΦ
Coat Of Arms:	File:The_Crest_of_Theta_Alpha_Phi.jpeg
Birthplace:	Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
Affiliation:	Independent
Status:	Active
Type:	Honor
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
Nickname:	Thetas, Thetans, TAPs, and Taffies
Lifetime:	22,800+
Address:	500 E. Beechwold Blvd
City:	Columbus
State:	Ohio
Zip Code:	43214
Country:	United States

Theta Alpha Phi National Theatre Honors Fraternity (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: 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.

History

The first chapter, referred to as Oklahoma Alpha, was formed on at Oklahoma A&M College, now Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Since the dissolution of the National Collegiate Players/Pi Epsilon Delta (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: 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 (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΑΨΩ) and Delta Psi Omega (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΔΨΩ), the latter designated for two-year schools.^[1]

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.

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.

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.

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. 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 Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Θ, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Α and Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Φ on the left eye, nose and right eye, respectively.

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

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.^[2]

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.

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	–	Oklahoma State University	Stillwater	Oklahoma	Inactive
Ohio Alpha		Ohio Wesleyan University	Delaware	Ohio	Active
Louisiana Alpha		Louisiana State University	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Louisiana	Active
Wisconsin Alpha		Ripon College	Ripon, Wisconsin	Wisconsin	Inactive
Florida Alpha		Stetson University	Deland	Florida	Active
Pennsylvania Alpha		Bucknell University	Lewisburg	Pennsylvania	Inactive
California Alpha		University of Redlands	Redlands	California	Active(?)
Connecticut ?		University of Connecticut	Storrs	Connecticut	Active(?)
Missouri ?	–	University of Missouri	Columbia	Missouri	Inactive
Arizona Alpha	–	University of Arizona	Tucson	Arizona	Inactive	^[3]
Colorado ?		Colorado College	Colorado Springs	Colorado	Active
Oklahoma Beta		University of Tulsa	Tulsa	Oklahoma
South Dakota Alpha		Huron College	Huron	South Dakota
California Beta		Occidental College	Los Angeles	California
Iowa Alpha		Parsons College	Fairfield	Iowa
Ohio Beta		Baldwin-Wallace University	Berea	Ohio
Oregon Alpha		Willamette University	Salem	Oregon
Utah Alpha		University of Utah	Salt Lake City	Utah
South Dakota Beta		Dakota Wesleyan University	Mitchell, South Dakota	South Dakota
Tennessee Alpha		University of Tennessee		Tennessee
Pennsylvania Beta
Montana Alpha		University of Montana		Montana
Wyoming Alpha		University of Wyoming		Wyoming
Michigan Zeta	–, After	Adrian College	Adrian	Michigan	Active
Michigan ?		Kalamazoo College	Kalamazoo	Michigan
Hawaii Alpha		University of Hawaii	Manoa	Hawaii
Alabama Alpha			Auburn University	Auburn, Alabama	Alabama		^[4]
South Dakota Gamma		University of South Dakota	Vermillion	South Dakota
Indiana Alpha	1922		Bloomington	Indiana
Michigan ?		Hillsdale College	Hillsdale	Michigan
California Gamma		University of the Pacific	Stockton	California	Active
Oklahoma Gamma		Oklahoma Baptist University	Shawnee	Oklahoma
Michigan Alpha		Knox College	Galesburg	Illinois
Indiana Beta		Franklin College	Franklin	Indiana	Active
Missouri Gamma	–, After	Culver–Stockton College	Canton	Missouri	Active
Ohio Epsilon		Ohio Northern University	Ada	Ohio	Active
Utah Beta	Summer 1924	Brigham Young University	Provo, Utah	Utah	Inactive	^[5]
Missouri Delta		University of Central Missouri	Warrensburg	Missouri	Active
Ohio Zeta		Otterbein College	Westerville	Ohio		^[6]
Michigan Epsilon		Albion College	Albion	Michigan	Active
Indiana Delta		Indiana State University	Terre Haute	Indiana	Active
Florida Gamma		Rollins College	Winter Park	Florida	Active
Ohio Iota		Bowling Green State University	Bowling Green	Ohio	Active
New Jersey Alpha		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
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		^[7] ^[8]
Arkansas Alpha		Henderson State University	Arkadelphia	Arkansas
California Delta		University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara	California
Illinois Beta		Illinois Wesleyan University	Bloomington	Illinois
Illinois Gamma		Bradley University	Peoria	Illinois
Illinois Delta		Illinois State University	Normal	Illinois
Illinois Epsilon		Eastern Illinois University	Charleston	Illinois
Illinois Zeta		Chicago City College	Chicago	Illinois
Indiana Gamma		Purdue University	West Lafayette	Indiana
Indiana Epsilon		Hanover College	Hanover	Indiana
Iowa Beta		University of Northern Iowa	Cedar Falls, Iowa	Iowa
Iowa Gamma		Drake University	Des Moines	Iowa
Kansas Alpha		Pittsburg State University	Pittsburg	Kansas
Michigan Delta		Michigan State University	East Lansing	Michigan
Missouri Beta		Park College	Parkville	Missouri
Missouri Gamma		Culver–Stockton College	Canton	Missouri
Nebraska Alpha		Nebraska Wesleyan University	Lincoln, Nebraska	Nebraska
Nebraska Beta		Hastings College	Hastings, Nebraska	Nebraska
Ohio Beta		Baldwin-Wallace University	Berea	Ohio
Ohio Delta		Wittenberg College	Springfield	Ohio
Ohio Epsilon		Ohio Northern University	Ada	Ohio
Ohio Eta		Hiram College	Hiram	Ohio
Pennsylvania Gamma		Pennsylvania State University	University Park, Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Epsilon		Grove City College	Grove City, Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania
Tennessee Delta		Maryville College	Maryville	Tennessee
Tennessee Epsilon		Tennessee State University	Nashville	Tennessee
Utah Gamma		Utah State University	Logan	Utah
Virginia Alpha		College of William and Mary	Williamsburg	Virginia
Washington Gamma		Western Washington University	Bellingham	Washington
Wisconsin Delta		University of Wisconsin, Whitewater	Whitewater	Wisconsin
Wyoming Alpha		University of Wyoming	Laramie	Wyoming

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]

External links

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Home . 2024-09-01 . Theta Alpha Phi . en.
2. Book: Jack L. . Anson . Robert F. . Marchenasi . Baird's Manual of American Fraternities . 20th . 1991 . 1879 . Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. . Indianapolis, IN . 978-0963715906 . VII-57.
3. https://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks/University_Arizona_Desert_Yearbook/1985/Page_1.html University of Arizona - Desert Yearbook (Tucson, AZ) - Class of 1985
4. Book: Masters, Robert W. . The Cue He Knew . 1933 . en . Google Books.
5. News: The Y News. 1924-10-01. 3. Theta Alpha Phi begins activities.
6. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=osu1486631390090945&disposition=attachment History of Speech and Theatre at Otterbein College - 1847-1950 Charles Ward Dodrill
7. Book: Larabee, Lottie B. . A Parent's Guide to Colleges & Universities . 1963 . Education Press . en . Google Books.
8. https://books.google.com/books?id=TDZaAAAAMAA The Cue Volume 33
9. https://www.natcom.org/sites/default/files/pages/Womens_Leadership_Project_Babcock.pdf Maud May Babcock, President of the National Communication Association, 1932
10. Book: Binheim. Max. Elvin. Charles A. Women of the West; a series of biographical sketches of living eminent women in the eleven western states of the United States of America. 1928. 171–172. 8 August 2017.
11. News: 'U' Dramatists Wait Honors . The Salt Lake Telegram . June 3, 1943 . 15 . Newspapers.com . August 21, 2018.
12. News: Chekhov Stage Group Holds Utah Actress. The Salt Lake Tribune. August 11, 1940. Utah, Salt Lake City. 59. Newspapers.com. April 23, 2016.
13. Book: The Eleusis of Chi Omega. 47. 1. 1945. 108.
14. Bee Gee News May 30, 1945 . BG News (Student Newspaper) . 24 July 2020 . 30 May 1945.