In the fall of 2011, Delta Pi Alumni President Craig Simpson and Indiana State freshman Clark Dalton met to discuss the prospect of reviving the inactive Delta Pi Chapter. Dalton, the grandson of former Delta Kappa/Ball State Alumni President Charles Ray, was offered the opportunity to be the founding member of a new Delta Pi Interest Group. Dalton accepted the position and began recruiting members.
Soon after, International Headquarters staff members JD Ford and Jason Handberg were sent to the campus and extended bids. The men that accepted these original bids included Clark Dalton, Andy Stidham, Joshua Jacquez, Collin Majszak, Levi Cooper, Sean Moore and Michael Willis. Shortly after, the first meeting was held and Clark Dalton was elected President.
By mid-semester the interest group had grown to 30 men. Leadership and Education Consultant, Eddie Higginbotham IV was dispatched to the university to help better organize the group and create a mission for the future. Higginbotham also helped to establish membership requirements that would reflect the traditions and ideals of the fraternity. After his visit, 10 members remained.
By the spring of 2012 when Leadership and Education Consultant Chris Ludwig paid a visit, the interest group had begun attending Tri-Council meetings, joined the IFC and had been participating in campus activities. The group had also recruited enough men to submit their petition for colonization. On September 15, 2012, these members were formally colonized as the Delta Pi Colony.
In the months that followed, the colony continued to be involved on campus and continued to grow its membership. On Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013, all of their hard work paid off as Delta Pi Colony was reinstalled as Delta Pi Chapter. 31 members were initiated during the reinstallation ceremony that was held on campus at the Hulman Memorial Student Union, named for Delta Pi alumnus initiate, Anton Hulman (right), who had previously owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and owned and managed Clabber Girl. Associate Executive Director (and Delta Pi/Indiana State alumnus) Jim Powell presided. Past National Chaplain Father Phil Bowers, Alpha Delta/Purdue 1976, served as the Installing Chaplain. Father Bowers explained that he was honored to do so, even if he had been “typecast”.
Joining Jim Powell was a large delegation from the International Headquarters staff including Associate Executive Director Ben Hill, Senior Director of Recruitment and Expansion JD Ford, Sr. Director for Collegiate Services Ray Vanlanot, Sr. Director for Event and Member Services Joel Wendland, Director of Volunteer Development Bill Russo and Assistant Director of Recruitment and Expansion Joe Macko. Former staff members Dr. Andy Robison, Delta Pi/Indiana State 1990, and Jeffrey Sexton, Delta Pi/Indiana State 1991, were also in attendance.
Delta Pi Alumni President Craig Simpson served as the Vice President during the ceremony. Brother Simpson is the son of Delta Pi charter member Clifford R. Simpson, Delta Pi/Indiana State 1954. The legacy connection continued through two of the undergraduate members. Charles Ray, Delta Kappa/Ball State 1955, was in attendance and pinned the Badge on his grandson, Clark Dalton, who was installed as Delta Pi’s Vice President. John Schoenle, Epsilon Upsilon/Central Michigan 1985, pinned his son John Schoenle.
An amazing story was shared when Delta Pi alumnus Ralph Hansen (1970) came to view the chapter’s original charter. Delta Pi’s Chapter House had caught fire in January 7,1970 while he was Chapter President. Brother Hansen ran into the burning house to save the original charter. He then ran back into the house to wake the house mother and carried her out.
Over 30 Delta Pi Alumni were on hand to assist with the Reinstallation Ceremony. Alumni were on hand from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Delta Pi also acquired a new alumnus brother: Jacob Isaacs, a graduate student and member of the Colony Advisory Board, was initiated into Theta Chi as an alumnus.
Nine additional Theta Chi chapters were represented at the ceremony, including: Alpha Delta/Purdue, Alpha Iota/Indiana, Beta Lambda/Akron , Delta Kappa/Ball State, Epsilon Xi/Clarion, Epsilon Upsilon/Central Michigan, Zeta Beta/Adrian, Zeta Tau/Michigan-Flint and Eta Kappa/James Madison. Each of the men attending from another chapter became an Honorary Member of Delta Pi Chapter and will receive a certificate.
A reception followed the ceremony at the Clabber Girl Bakeshop and Museum in Historic downtown Terre Haute. Clabber Girl Baking Powder, one of the oldest brands in America, is still manufactured in Terre Haute. Clark Dalton served as the Master of Ceremonies and led the brothers in The Creed and provided a welcome and introductions.
Remarks were then made by Joshua Jacquez, Delta Pi’s newly installed Chapter President and Dr. Bo Mantooth, Indiana State University Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Delta Pi Alumni President Craig Simpson spoke in place of Chapter Advisory Board Member Marshall Despain (who was unable to attend) and presented red ties to the alumni and wives he believed assisted most heavily with banquet preparations and in Delta Pi’s reinstallation.
Sr. Director for Collegiate Services Ray Vanlanot challenged the newly initiated brothers to continue working their hardest to become the best chapter at Indiana State University and Associate Executive Director Jim Powell provided additional remarks.
After the remarks concluded, several awards were presented:
In recognition of all of his efforts and dedication, the Grand Chapter awarded Craig Simpson, Delta Pi/Indiana State1981, the George T. Kilavos Alumni Award.
Delta Pi alumni Marshall Despain, (2007), Rick Ward, (2004) and Rob Hasbrouck (1971) were awarded the David E. DeVol Award for their service on the Colony Advisory Board.
The Chapter recognized their newly initiated chapter adviser, Jacob Isaacs, with a Citation of Honor.
The Delta Pi Alumni Corporation then announced the creation of the Bill Metcalfe Recruitment Scholarship. This new $500 scholarship will be awarded each semester to the Delta Pi brother who recruits the most men who are initiated into the chapter.
Next, the Delta Pi Alumni Corporation awarded Collin Majszak the Ralph Hansen Scholarship with the accompanying $250 reward. The Ralph Hansen Scholarship is presented to the brother who demonstrates the most academic achievement and chapter and university involvement in a given semester.
The banquet concluded with the singing of the Fraternity Anthem.
Congratulations to the undergraduates and alumni of our newly reinstalled Delta Pi Chapter!
Theta Chi at Indiana State University originally began with the founding of the Trojan Society in 1914. In 1925, the Trojans moved into their first house on campus where they adopted the colors brown and white as the official Trojan colors, and the forget-me-not as the official flower. Five years later the society changed its name to Alpha Sigma Tau and the official colors became rose and gray.
In 1948, Alpha Sigma Tau moved into the Eugene Debs home on campus, and four years later decided to merge with a national fraternity – they chose Theta Chi. On April 30, 1952, Delta Pi Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity was officially installed at Indiana State Teachers College.
The chapter remained at the Eugene Debs house until 1961 when it relocated to 1305 S. 6th St. on fraternity row. The brothers resided there until the house burned in January 1970.
Businessman Tony Hulman and his family resided a house a two doors down from the house that burned on 6th Street. Upon watching the house burn to the ground, Hulman began formulating solutions on how to help the young college students. Hulman arranged for the homeless members to move into his hotel, the Terre Haute House, in downtown Terre Haute. For more than three months Delta Pi conducted their regular business and affairs at the hotel and ate all their meals - and Tony Hulman paid for it all. When the alumni were rejected for a loan for a new house, Hulman directed them to another bank where he was an officer, and "surprisingly" Theta Chi was approved for a loan at his bank. In recognition of his support, the Delta Pi Chapter initiated Anton Hulman into Theta Chi on April 21, 1970. Upon seeing their new home devoid of any furniture, The Hulmans also provided desks and beds for the members. Two years later, the chapter had grown to more than 110 active members.
Though the chapter faced new opportunities, challenges and struggles over the next several decades, the alumni held steadfast and remained together, even after the chapter became inactive in 2005. The men of Delta Pi truly exemplify “Theta Chi For Life”.
Indiana State University was established Dec. 20, 1865, as the Indiana State Normal School in Terre Haute, Ind., and opened its doors to 23 students in January 1870 with the core mission to educate elementary and high school teachers. The schools was renamed Indiana State Teachers College in 1929, and in 1961 renamed Indiana State College due to an expanding mission. The college was renamed Indiana State University in 1965 in recognition of continued growth.
The Indiana State University main campus is located on the north side of Terre Haute’s business district and covers more than 200 acres. The university has a student population of more than 11,500 students, and is home to 25 sorority and fraternity chapters. For the last seven years, the Princeton Review has named Indiana State University as one of the “Best in the Midwest.”