SAN ANTONIO, July 11, 2026 — Theta Chi Fraternity is pleased to announce the 2025/2026 recipients of the James M. Holland, Phil S. Randall, and Henry B. Hersey Awards. Each award recognizes the recruitment efforts of Theta Chi chapters and their dedication to maintaining and preserving Theta Chi Fraternity for generations of brothers to come.
Recipients represent the Fraternity’s top recruiting chapters from this past academic year, determined by the total number of newly initiated members according to International Headquarters files between May 15, 2025, and May 15, 2026. All active chapters are eligible for consideration for one or more of these honors.
2025/2026 James M. Holland Award
Presented to the chapter that initiates the highest total number of new members.
Winner: Alpha Iota/Indiana, 82 initiates
1st Runner-Up: Kappa Nu/Colorado, 64 initiates
2025/2026 Phil S. Randall Success in Recruitment Award
Presented to chapters that initiate 25 or more new members during the previous academic year. Forty-eight (48) chapters were recognized:
- Alpha Iota/Indiana, 82 initiates
- Kappa Nu/Colorado, 64 initiates
- Alpha Lambda/Ohio State, 62 initiates
- Alpha Phi/Alabama, 62 initiates
- Iota Phi/South Carolina, 62 initiates
- Iota Beta/Missouri State, 60 initiates
- Tau/Florida, 54 initiates
- Alpha Sigma/Oregon, 53 initiates
- Delta Upsilon/Arizona State, 52 initiates
- Eta Lambda/Virginia Tech, 51 initiates
- Chi/Auburn, 50 initiates
- Gamma Rho/Florida State, 50 initiates
- Alpha Rho/Washington, 48 initiates
- Beta Zeta/Michigan State, 48 initiates
- Iota/Colgate, 46 initiates
- Psi/Wisconsin, 46 initiates
- Delta Beta/Georgia, 43 initiates
- Iota Mu/Missouri, 43 initiates
- Alpha Mu/Iowa State, 41 initiates
- Beta Omicron/Cincinnati, 41 initiates
- Eta Alpha/Clemson, 41 initiates
- Epsilon/WPI, 40 initiates
- Zeta Phi/Cal Poly, 39 initiates
- Kappa Omicron/Tennessee, 39 initiates
- Zeta/New Hampshire, 38 initiates
- Eta/Rhode Island, 38 initiates
- Eta Kappa/James Madison, 38 initiates
- Iota Gamma/Grand Valley State, 38 initiates
- Delta Epsilon/Miami (FL), 37 initiates
- Epsilon Eta/(IUP), 37 initiates
- Zeta Epsilon/Long Beach State, 37 initiates
- Iota Theta/Central Florida, 37 initiates
- Gamma Xi/San Jose State, 36 initiates
- Zeta Rho/Kentucky, 36 initiates
- Phi/North Dakota State, 34 initiates
- Alpha Psi/Maryland, 34 initiates
- Beta Phi/Nevada, 34 initiates
- Theta/Massachusetts, 33 initiates
- Gamma Kappa/Miami (OH), 33 initiates
- Iota Xi/Georgia College, 33 initiates
- Alpha Chi/Syracuse, 32 initiates
- Delta Rho/NC State, 31 initiates
- Delta Psi/Kansas, 30 initiates
- Kappa Lambda/CSU-San Marcos, 30 initiates
- Beta Rho/Illinois Wesleyan, 28 initiates
- Alpha Delta/Purdue, 27 initiates
- Zeta Xi/UC-Davis, 27 initiates
- Kappa Xi/Albany, 27 initiates
- Epsilon Theta/Tufts, 26 initiates
2025/2026 Henry B. Hersey Significant Increase in Membership Award
Presented to the chapter with the highest membership percent increase from the previous year.
Winner: Kappa Xi/Albany — 26 members in May 2025 to 43 members in May 2026, a 65% increase in membership!
About the Holland, Randall, and Hersey Awards:
Theta Chi Fraternity’s recruitment awards are named in honor of the collegiate members who saved the Fraternity from extinction. In 1881, Theta Chi found itself with one collegiate member, James Michael Holland (Alpha/Norwich 1883). Holland did not quit but struggled to find a solution.
Fortunately for Theta Chi, one new cadet, Phil S. Randall (Alpha/Norwich 1886), felt strongly that Theta Chi was worth saving. Randall convinced his friend Henry B. Hersey (Alpha/Norwich 1885) to become a member of Theta Chi. Randall and Hersey approached Holland to join Theta Chi, and he agreed to initiate the two cadets, enlisting the help of local alumni.
Randall and Hersey were initiated on November 19, 1881, saving Theta Chi at Norwich University and securing the future of the entire Fraternity.