book of records - Kansas State University

Book of Records 7.03
THE HISTORY OF DELTA THETA
1. THE RED TIE CLUB (R. T. C.)
(1912-1917)
The organization which eventually evolved into the Kansas Delta Theta Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega was not
founded with the idea of a fraternity in mind. At its inception, it was not even organized as a club. During the school
year of 1911-12, eight very congenial men were rooming at the Y. M. C. A. building at the corner of Eleventh and
Fremont Streets. These men were:
Thomas G. Spring
Roy E. Gwin
Harry C. Bird
Elmer J. Bird
W. L. Van Dusen
Chester Van Dusen
Dee D. Bird
Paul B. Gwin
The first four mentioned were sophomores and the last four were freshmen. Another close friend of the group
was Cameron S. Goldsmith, also a sophomore, who did not room at the Y. M. C. A. These men were always
congregating in one or another of the rooms to discuss matters in general, and did many things together. Naturally, they
became a closely-knit group.
On the day of April 6, 1912, the five sophomores mentioned above had congregated in Room 6 at the AY@.
During the course of the conversation, it was suggested that the five of them secure some place for the next year where
they could room and study and socialize together. A committee consisting of Roy E. Gwin and Elmer J. Bird was
appointed to find a house suitable for the purpose. The house which they rented was at 1211 Moro Street and was at that
time owned by a Mrs. Robinson. They obtained five rooms in this house, and had also the privileges of the parlor. The
nine men mentioned above moved into this house at the beginning of the fall term of school in 1912. As they had room
for one more man, they invited Walter Kieth who was then a senior and who was a good friend of the men in the group
to join them. This filled the five rooms and constituted the Abunch@ for the ensuing year. The house at 1211 Moro was
occupied by the R. T. C. for four years. While the moving into the separate house marks the beginning of R. T. C. as a
distinct organization to the public, its real beginning was on that sixth day of April, 1912, when the five men decided
upon the renting of a house in which they might live together. This day marks the date of the real founding of R. T. C.,
and the ten men who moved into the house together are the founders of R. T. C.
During the fall of 1912, the bunch had no name and was not actually considered a club nor organized as such.
They had no ritual or constitution, but did have a few rules to govern themselves by. The fellows merely wanted to be
with and in a bunch that had the same ideas and ideals. They did not believe in fraternities, of which there were only
three or four then at Kansas State Agricultural College (later Kansas State University) and these were, in their estimation,
to quote Paul Gwin, Acomposed of the richer rough set and we thought a >Frat Man= was a >Bad Man=@. Some of the
rules which were adopted by the bunch were as follows:
No swearing allowed in the house
No use of tobacco in any form in the house
No card playing allowed in the house
Dancing not allowed in the house