Tau Epsilon Phi
Tau Epsilon Phi (), commonly known as TEP or Tep, is an American fraternity with 13 active chapters, 6 active colonies, and 10 official alumni associations chiefly located at universities and colleges on the East Coast. The national headquarters is located in Troy, New York, and the official colors of the organization are lavender and white (although most chapters use purple instead of lavender). Ideals. The organization's creed asserts its governing ideals as "friendship, chivalry, service." TEP attracts and accepts brothers of all religions and ethnicities who agree to be bound by these ideals. Chapters uphold these  ideals through participation in various social, academic, athletic and charity events. History. The organization was founded on October 10, 1910 by ten Jewish men at Columbia University, as a response to the existence of similar organizations which would not admit Jewish members. The first pledge, Maximillian Nemser, was initiated in 1911 and, in 1912, the first new chapter was founded at New York University. Continued expansion led to the adoption of a national constitution in 1916. In 1920, the opening of a chapter at McGill University in Canada's then-largest city, Montreal, made ΤΕΦ an international fraternity. The McGill  chapter has since been disbanded. The oldest remaining chapter, as of 2015, is the "Nu chapter" at University of Georgia. Beginning in 1923, the organization has published a nationally distributed magazine, "The Plume". ΤΕΦ began as exclusively Jewish, but began admitting non-Jewish members (predominantly Catholics) in the 1950s. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was inducted as an honorary member during his administration. Washington, D.C. mayor Vincent C. Gray was the first black member of Tau Epsilon Phi and was elected president of his local chapter for two consecutive terms. In 1986, Sidney Suntag, who served as Executive Secretary from 1946  to 1979, published the book "The History of Tau Epsilon Phi: 75 Years of Friendship 1910–1985", recounting the national history of the fraternity. In September 2010, a group of fraternity members called “TEPs for Justice” filed a civil lawsuit against the national Tau Epsilon Phi organization. The plaintiffs alleged that the national executive director and board of directors had been operating the fraternity for personal financial gain and that they drove chapters away by making unreasonable financial demands on them (the fraternity had shrunk from 42 active chapters in 1999 to just 13 in 2010). They further argued that the  executive director failed to hold elections for the position for over 10 years, even though the fraternity's constitution required it biennially. The executive director stated that elections could not take place because none of the chapters were in good standing due to failure to pay dues, and thus there was no one who could legitimately vote. While the judge in the case ordered a new election overseen by an independent party, that order was automatically stayed after the national organization filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in January 2011. In May 2011, all allegations were rescinded, the parties settled all  outstanding cases and the fraternity agreed to hold new national elections. After the new national elections, Tau Epsilon Phi went on to continue its operations from a new beginning. The fraternity was now back in the control of the brotherhood of Tau Epsilon Phi and progress was made in its expansions efforts. In 2013 the fraternity established the "Alpha Tau" colony at Rowan University that became its first chapter since 1996. Following the success of the group the national organization re-established groups at University of Maryland, Rutgers University-New Brunswick and the University of Buffalo. Tau Epsilon Phi has  since reorganized its leadership structure and began the process of hiring staff after the 2016 Grand Council term. In 2018 Tau Epsilon Phi hired a new Executive Director and re-established its staff to its chapters and colonies. Since then, the fraternity has continued to hold its biennial elections and hired a Chapter Services Consultant and Expansion Consultant. Tau Epsilon Phi is currently focused on expansion efforts to re-establish its presence at its previous campuses where it has had previous history as well as exploring new campus opportunities. Organization. Grand Chapter. As of October 25, 1997, the Constitution of  Tau Epsilon Phi required that a Grand Chapter meeting be held every two years. The Grand Chapter consists of delegates from each local undergraduate and alumni chapter. The Grand Chapter serves as the supreme legislature with sole responsibility for electing the Grand Council. The Grand Chapter, while in session, also serves as TEP’s Board of Directors, authorizing or approving all fraternity business, including any modifications to the Constitution and Statutory Code. Notable alumni. Some notable alumni: Arts and entertainment: Sports and athletics: Politics and government: Business, science, and engineering: Other: