# Alpha Omega (fraternity)

Alpha Omega (ΑΩ, sometimes AO), is a professional Jewish dental fraternity. It was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1907 by a group of dental students originally to fight discrimination in dental schools. The headquarters is currently located in Syosset, NY.

## Objectives

The objectives of the fraternity are to promote the profession of Dentistry; to establish, foster, and develop high standards of scholarship, leadership, and character; to inculcate a spirit of fellowship amongst all its members; to create and bind together a body of professional people, who, by scholarly attainments, faithful service and the maintenance of ethical ideals and principles, have achieved distinction; to honor achievement in others; to strive for breadth of vision, unity in action and accomplishment of ideals; to commend all worthy deeds, and if fraternal welfare demands, to call and counsel with its members; to accept, sponsor and develop the cultural and traditional achievements of our faith; to build within our fraternity a triangle, the base of which is Judaism, the supporting sides, professionalism, and fraternalism.

## Achievements

In 1953, the fraternity founded The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Dental Medicine in Jerusalem. The fraternity also founded The Tel Aviv University School of Dental Medicine, now called the Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, in Tel Aviv, Israel. It continues to raise funds through campaigns and grants from its various foundations to provide continual support for both schools.

## History

* 1907: At the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery in Philadelphia, a group of students joined to create an organization called Ramach, the predecessor to Alpha Omega
* 1907: A similar group with similar objectives known as Alpha Omega was organized in Baltimore. These two groups joined as the Alpha Omega Fraternity in 1907
* 1912: First Alpha Omega Fraternity Convention was held in New York with 40 men in attendance
* 1916: Constitution and bylaws were adopted
* 1916: First alumni chapter was established in Philadelphia - prior to that Alpha Omega was made up of student chapters
* 1917: First issue of the Alpha Omegan was published
* 1921: Pi Student Chapter was formed in Toronto thereby expanding Alpha Omega into an international scope
* 1924: First non-US alumni chapter was founded in Toronto
* 1932: (October 7), merger with Alpha Zeta Gamma completed with chartering of Alpha Kappa and Alpha Lambda.
* 1936: Alpha Omega establishes the Achievement Medal. Given to an individual outstanding in Dentistry or its allied sciences, in recognition of his or her professional contribution. Alpha Omega has honored many giants in the field of dentistry and medicine, including Albert Einstein, Jonas Salk, Charles Best, Harry Sicher, D. Walter Cohen, Ronald Goldstein, Gordon Christensen ,and most recently R. Bruce Donoff, Dean of Harvard School of Dental Medicine
* 1941: Alpha Omega donates a mobile dental ambulance to the Royal Canadian Dental Corps
* 1942: Three additional mobile dental ambulances were donated to the United States Army
* 1946: Alpha Omega's commitment in the creation of a dental school in Israel serves as the impetus for the formation of its first chapters outside of North America
* 1948: With the creation of the state of Israel Alpha Omega donated materials, including hospital and field equipment, as well as qualified teachers to help train Israeli personnel. The estimated value of the materials, services and equipment sent to Europe and Israel exceeded $500,000
* 1949: Alpha Omega Biological Laboratory at Brandeis University established - first corporate gift received by this newly established first Jewish-sponsored non-sectarian college
* 1950: Headquarters relocated to New York City from Philadelphia
* 1952: Founded the Hadassah, Hebrew University School of Dental Medicine (interim provisional school)
* 1952: Harry Jolly of Canada becomes the first non US president of Alpha Omega
* 1953: Hebrew University Hadassah School of Dental Medicine, founded by Alpha Omega was formally dedicated in Jerusalem - Alpha Omega's contributions to date of over $1.5 million
* 1954: Israeli chapters chartered in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa
* 1963: First European chapter established in Paris
* 1965: Pegasus Chapter Puerto Princessa City Palawan Philippines
* 1967: Bicol Camarines sur Philippines Chapter UNC
* 1969: The US Alpha Omega Foundation incorporated in the state of New York as a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization
* 2015: ΑΩ in partnership with Henry Schein launched the Alpha Omega Henry Schein Cares Holocaust Survivors Oral Health Program
* 2023: In response to the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel Alpha Omega members donated $110,000 for an ambulance for Magen David Adom and established two dental clinics for displaced residents in Israel.

### Alpha Zeta Gamma

Alpha Zeta Gamma was a Jewish Dental Fraternity that officially merged with Alpha Omega on September 17, 1932.$^{:37}$
Alpha Zeta Gamma was founded at the Chicago College of Dental Surgery in 1910 with their Alpha chapter there and chartered in the State of Illinois on April 21, 1914. Additional chapters were at Northwestern (Beta) in 1914(?), Illinois (Gamma), Western Reserve (Delta) in 1912, Maryland (Theta) in 1921, Harvard (Eta), Pittsburgh (Kappa) in 1922 and Tufts (Phi) in 1923. Alumni Clubs were the Illinois Alumni Club, Alpha Zeta Gamma Study Club of Chicago, The Boston Alumni Club, and the New York Alumni Association.
Chapters as of 1927 (listed in this order)
* Alpha - Chicago College of Dental Surgery
* Beta - Northwestern University
* Gamma - University of Illinois
* Delta - Cleveland Dental School
* Eta - Harvard School of Dental Medicine
* Theta - Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
* Phi - Tufts College of Dental Surgery
* Kappa - University of Pennsylvania Dental School
* Lambda - Western Reserve Dental School
* Mu - University of Pittsburgh Dental School
* Nu - University of Southern California Dental School
* Rho - University of Michigan School of Dentistry
* Sigma - University of Wisconsin (?)
* Psi - University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
* Xi - University of Texas (?)
* Epsilon Dalhousie University - Facility of Dentistry
A fire at the National Office in 1925 destroyed many early records. In November 1931, an invitation was extended to Alpha Omega to send representatives to meet with the Supreme Council of Alpha Zeta Gamma. With the merger viewed favorably, Alpha Omega invited representatives of Alpha Zeta Gamma to their 1931 convention in Buffalo, New York. Terms of the merger were approved at the convention by Alpha Omega and one week later by the Supreme Council of Alpha Zeta Gamma. At the January 18, 1932 meeting of the Chicago Dental Society, a joint banquet of Alpha Omega and Alpha Zeta Gamma showed positive sentiment on both sides. On September 17, 1932 the merger contract was signed and on October 7, 1932, the Alpha Zeta Gamma chapters at Chicago College of Dental Surgery (Loyola of Chicago) and Northwestern were chartered as chapters of Alpha Omega.

## Symbols

Alpha Zeta Gamma's badge is diamond-shaped with the Greek letters ΑΩ in gold on a black enamel background. There is a blue sapphire at the top of the diamond and a white sapphire at the bottom. The rest of the border is outlined in ten pearls. The fraternity also has a pledge pin that is a diamond with black enamel on the top half and gold enamel on the bottom half.
The fraternity's colors are black and gold. Its flower is the Blackeyed Susan.

## Chapters

This is a list of the chapters for Alpha Omega, in order of founding:
| Chapter | Installed Date and Range | Institution | Location | Country | Status | Reference |
| Ramach (see Theta-Ramach) | 1907–1916 | Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery (later Medico-Chirurgical College of Philadelphia) | Philadelphia, PA | USA | Merged | |
| Zeta (see Zeta-Mu) | 1908–1923 | University of Maryland | Baltimore, MD | USA | Merged | |
| Beta | October 9, 1910 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | USA | Active | |
| Gamma | 1911 | Tufts University | Boston, MA | USA | Active | |
| Iota | 1911 | NYU (Square) | New York, NY | USA | Active | |
| Delta | 1912–19xx | Harvard University | Boston, MA | USA | Inactive | |
| Eta Originally "Achim" | 1914 | Columbia University | New York, NY | USA | Active | |
| Theta (see Theta-Ramach) | 1914–1916 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | USA | Merged |
| Theta-Ramach | 1916 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | USA | Active | |
| Sigma | October 1916–1918 | Jersey City College of Dentistry | Jersey City, NJ | USA | Inactive | |
| Alpha | December 1916 | SUNY Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | USA | Active | |
| Epsilon | 1917 | Georgetown University | Washington, D.C. | USA | Active | |
| Kappa (see Kappa-Nu) | 1918–1929 | University of the Pacific (College of P&S) | San Francisco, CA | USA | Merged | |
| Lambda | 1919–19xx | Oregon Health & Science University School of Dentistry | Portland, OR | USA | Inactive | |
| Mu (see Zeta-Mu) | 1919–1923 | Baltimore College of Dental Surgery | Baltimore, MD | USA | Merged | |
| Nu (see Kappa-Nu) | 1920-1929 | University of California at San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | USA | Merged | |
| Xi | 1920–1926 | Colorado College of Dental Surgery | Denver, CO | USA | Inactive | |
| Omicron | 1920–1988 | University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | USA | Inactive | |
| Pi | 1921 | University of Toronto | Toronto, Ontario | Canada | Active | |
| Rho | 1922–1968+ | University of Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN | USA | Inactive | |
| Zeta-Mu | 1923 | University of Maryland, College Park | College Park, MD | USA | Active | |
| Tau | 1924 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | USA | Active | $^{:41}$ |
| Upsilon | 1924–1987 | Marquette University | Milwaukee, WI | USA | Inactive | $^{:41}$ |
| Phi | 1925–1987 | University of Louisville | Louisville, KY | USA | Inactive | |
| Chi | 1926 | University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | USA | Active | |
| Psi | May 15, 1927 | Ohio State University | Columbus, OH | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Alpha | 1928 | University of Illinois | Chicago, IL | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Beta | 1928 | Virginia Commonwealth | Richmond, VA | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Gamma | 1928 | Indiana Dental College | Indianapolis, IN | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Delta | 1928–1988 | Emory University | Atlanta, GA | USA | Inactive | |
| Alpha Epsilon | 1929–1991 | Washington University in St. Louis | St. Louis, MO | USA | Inactive | |
| Kappa-Nu | 1929 | University of the Pacific (College of P&S) and University of California at San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Eta | February 14, 1931 | University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Iota | April 22, 1931 | University of Missouri | Kansas City, MO | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Theta | 1932–1971 ? | Loyola University | New Orleans, LA | USA | Inactive | |
| Alpha Kappa | October 7, 1932 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Lambda | October 7, 1932 | Loyola University | Chicago, IL | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Mu | 1932–19xx | Dalhousie University | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Canada | Inactive | |
| Alpha Nu | 1933 | Detroit Medicine | Detroit, MI | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Zeta | 1935–1984 | University of Tennessee | Memphis, TN | USA | Active | |
| Omega | 1936 | Case Western University | Cleveland, OH | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Chi | 1945–19xx, 1988 | Texas A&M University College of Dentistry | Dallas, TX | USA | Active | |
| Alpha Pi | 1956 | McGill University | Montreal, Quebec | Canada | Active | |
| Alpha Sigma | 1958 | Hebrew University | Jerusalem | Israel | Active | |
| National Undergraduate Chapter | 1959–19xx | Howard University | Washington, D.C. | USA | Inactive | |
| Alpha Psi | 1959–19xx | Seton Hall University | South Orange, NJ | USA | Inactive | |
| Alpha Rho | 1959–19xx | University of Manitoba | Winnipeg, Manitoba | Canada | Inactive | |
| Alpha Upsilon | 1960–19xx | University of Alabama | Birmingham, AL | USA | Inactive | |
| Alpha Tau | 1970 | University of California Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | USA | Active | |
| Beta Alpha | 1971–19xx | Meharry Medical | Nashville, TN | USA | Inactive | |
| Beta Beta | 1974–19xx | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL | USA | Inactive | |
| Beta Chi | 1975-1988 | Harwood University | Washington, DC | USA | Inactive | |
| Beta Delta | 1976 | University of Western Ontario | London, ON | Canada | Active | |
| Beta Epsilon | 1977 | Boston University | Boston, MA | USA | Active | |
| Beta Eta | 1979-1988 | UT Houston (Texas Dentistry) | Houston, TX | USA | Inactive | |
| Beta Gamma | 1980-19xx | University of Texas, San Antonio | San Antonio, TX | USA | Inactive | |
| Beta Iota | 1980 | University of Colorado | Aurora, CO | USA | Active | |
| Beta Kappa | 1982-19xx | Tel Aviv University | Tel Aviv | Israel | Inactive | |
| Beta Lambda | 1984-19xx | University of Connecticut | Farmington, CT | USA | Inactive | |
| Sigma Beta | 1986-19xx | SUNY, Stony Brook | Stony Brook, NY | USA | Inactive | |
| Delta Rho | 1987-1990 | Fairleigh Dickinson University | Rutherford, NJ | USA | Inactive | |
| Beta Upsilon | 1990-19xx | University of Buenos Aires ? | Buenos Aires | Argentina | Inactive | |
| Sigma Alpha | 1990-19xx | University of the Witwatersrand | Johannesburg | South Africa | Inactive | |
| Tau Alpha Mu | 19xx ? | Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL | USA | Active | |
| Capítulo Lambda | 19xx ? | University of Monterrey | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Mexico | Active | |
| Gamma Beta | 19xx ? | Midwestern University | Downers Grove, IL | USA | Active | |
| Nu Gamma | 19xx ? | University of North Carolina | Chapel Hill, NC | USA | Active | |
| Nu Epsilon | 19xx ? | University of New England | Portland, ME | USA | Active | |