Our History
1858
In 1858 at Bethany College, West Virginia, the Neotrophian Literary Society voted to give a prize, but the members of another organization held control over the society and fixed the vote.
Eight men were not content to be idle and responded by forming a secret society. Its initial goal was to wrestle control from the Neotrophian Society away from a group of unjust students and return it to the control of the student population.
These men came to be known only by the Greek letters Delta Tau Delta. They founded an organization based on the principles of truth, courage, faith and power that have guided the Fraternity ever since.
1941
The Delta Pi Chapter was founded on February 14th, 1941 by several members of the Crescent Club, a local fraternity, and of Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity, who did not feel that they had found what they were looking for in any of USC's other fraternities.
Via a member's relative who was himself a Delt alumnus from another school, the group applied to Delta Tau Delta nationals and received its charter.
1947-1992
Originally residing at 700 W 28th Street on the current Greek Row, the Delts moved into a large house several blocks away at 919 W Adams Boulevard in the fall of 1947, where they lived until 1965.
A new chapter house was completed on the grounds of the original at 909 W Adams in 1966, where the Delts lived until 1992, enjoying the largest chapter house of all USC fraternities. A full length basketball court, sand volleyball court, sauna, and pitch-and-putt golf course rounded out the premises.
Over the coming decades, the Delts would establish themselves as one of the University's largest and most renowned fraternities, with numerous campus leaders and athletes holding membership.
Due to their secluded location off the row, the Delts were able to flourish outside of almost any University supervision, while maintaining very strong recruitment numbers. Throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the Delts were known throughout campus for their high membership of Football stars, Tennis players, Swimmers & Water Polo Players, members of Service organizations, and Student Government leaders, as well as for an infectious devil-may-care attitude.
The Delts also boasted two pet ducks, Herman & Henrietta, as house mascots until their passings in 1960, upon which they were succeeded by two peacocks, followed then by Carolee the goat, USC Greek Row’s sweetheart
The Trojan Delts became famous through their hilarious campus antics and a densely packed social calendar, including a traditional Winter Formal, the Delt "Round-Up" for friends & families of active members, and their famous annual Mardi Gras Party, which earned its own full-color spread in LIFE Magazine in 1951.
1951
1956
In 1956, a reunion of players and coaches at the funeral of Delt and former football star Jay Perrin (320 lb tackle and draft pick for the Los Angeles Rams) sparked the creation of the Trojan Football Alumni Society, which remains a powerful force at USC today.
1966
After the old house was lost to fire, a new house was constructed on the same plot of land, complete with an increase in total rooms and social space to accommodate the growing chapter. The building underwent several renovations but still stands today as the ONE National Archives.
In the 70s, after the success of The Graduate, the Delts played host to the producers of Animal House, who originally planned to shoot on USC's campus but at the last minute moved shooting to the University of Oregon.
1970s
The next few tumultuous decades saw the Delts lose their place on campus in 1980, and then again in 1992, though all along the Delts managed to preserve their identity and traditions.
In the Fall of 2015, 12 years after officially rechartering, the Delts made their move into the Row's iconic Tudor-style mansion at 833 W 28th St (formerly a Chinese consulate) as the chapter continued to grow and strengthen.
2015
After a decade-long hiatus from the row, the Delta Pi chapter recolonized in 2001 and rechartered in 2003. The newly recharted Delts moved into a house at 801 W 28th Street, on the corner of University Boulevard, and began to re-establish themselves on the row.
