Gamma Phi - Petition To Join Beta Theta Pi

Petition To Join Beta Theta Pi

It was in the spring of 1904 that the men petitioned Beta Theta Pi to join their ranks. Fearful that the fraternity men of the east would see them as "Wild and Wooly" Oklahomans, who were Indians and Cowboys, the men decided to have their pictures taken in dress suits. Of course, none of the young men owned a dress suit, nor had they ever. Further, it was discovered that there were no stores where they could purchase a suit in all of Norman. Fortunately for the small band, they were able to obtain suits from Dean Buchanan and one of his associates in which they could take the pictures, switching in and out of the two suits. It was in this same year that another group of men on campus petitioned the Kappa Alpha Order to join, and were successful, becoming the first national fraternity on the campus.

The original 1904 petition was a "very crude three or four page type-written affair." While the petition gave some insight to the University and the State of Oklahoma, it paled in comparison to the petitions that Beta Theta Pi had been receiving. The first petition came back and the men were turned down. Professors of other fraternities redoubled their efforts to sway the men to join their fraternities, but the Gamma Phis were insistent upon joining Beta Theta Pi.

For the next few years, the men would continue to petition Beta Theta Pi for a charter unsuccessfully. In the summer of 1906, Dean Buchanan and Ray Kingkade were sent to the Beta Theta Pi General Convention in Estes Park, Colorado to bring the petition. Even with the support of some of the Kansas Betas and their in-person presentation, the Gamma Phis were—yet again—turned down.

In the coming spring, the Gamma Phis paid for a Texas Beta by the name of Dick Wall, and a Kansas Beta to come down and look the chapter over. While the Texas Beta dismissed the chapter with an adverse report, the Kansas chapter gave the Gamma Phis their endorsement. The Gamma Phis, at that time, were living in a two story frame house sitting on the corner of Apache and Webster streets in Norman. The house was owned and maintained by a Mrs. Worthington, and it was suspected that the less than impressive structure of the house contributed to the Texas report.