Tau Alpha (1912 - 1915)
Colorado Agricultural College (C.A.C.)
Colors: Red & Black
Flower: American Beauty Rose
By 1911 the Tree Apes collectively desired to expand beyond that of a strictly social club, they voted to change their charter to adopt all the trappings and rituals of a Greek Letter society and reemerged as Tau Alpha, a local C.A.C. Greek Letter fraternity.
Their name Tau Alpha means “A life of Leadership”, it is a literal translation from their ancient Greek Symbols. The Greek tau symbol was derived from the Phoenician letter “taw” meaning life or resurrection. The Greek “alpha” symbol was derived from the Phoenician and Hebrew letter “aleph” meaning leader.
In 1912 the men finally abandoned their tables at the San Juan Club after they secured the chapter house at 428 S. College Avenue,that had just been vacated by the A. K. E. fraternity.
Alpha Tau membership grew over the years. it even appeared to had envisions growing into a new National Fraternity, based on the Alpha Chapter designation seen on their 1916 page in the Silver Spruce Yearbook.
In the spring of 1915 the College Board of Governors of Colorado Agricultural College finally voted to allow national fraternities to organize on campus. Tau Alpha must have abandoned their national plans when they petitioned Sigma Phi Epsilon National Fraternity Headquarters to become the third SigEp chapter in Colorado. Sigma Phi Epsilon already chapters at the University of Colorado (1904) and the University of Denver (1913).
Members of the Tau Alpha rejoiced when on Tuesday October 5, 1915 when they received news from the Sigma Phi Epsilon national convention being held in Richmond, Virginia, that favorable action taken upon their application for a charter at C.A.C..
In celebration the men of Tau Alpha held their last dance, before becoming a national organization, on Friday, November 26 in Colonial Hall. The affair was one of more than passing interest, the hall was decorated in palm, fern, cut flowers and perennials of various kinds. A three-piece orchestra furnished excellent music, punch was served and everyone danced through out the evening.
The Tau Alpha letters burned brightly in till the 15th dance when they were turned out and the SPE letters were turned on. Among the many guest were TA Chapter Advisor; Mr. Walter P. Hurley, CAC President; Dr. C. A. Lory and Sigma Phi Epsilon Grand President; Senator Knauss.
Note: The content deadline for the 1916 Silver Spruce Yearbook passed before Tau Alpha was re-chartered as the Colorado Gamma Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon in November, 1915.