Welcome

Phi Delta Theta is a men’s college fraternity founded in 1848 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  The Fraternity has 193 chapters and emerging chapters in the United States and Canada. The Fraternity operates from the General Headquarters building on South Campus Avenue, across from Miami University.  Since 1848, more than 278,000 men have been initiated into Phi Delta Theta and the Fraternity has more than 178,000 living alumni.  

The New York Zeta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta (the chapter) was founded in 1918 at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY.  The organization was originally created as the Owl Club in 1907 and later became the Sigma Alpha fraternity before receiving its Phi Delta Theta Charter.  To date, the New York Zeta Chapter has initiated more than 2,000 members.  The chapter is recognized as a campus organization by Colgate University and offers its members opportunities for leadership development, community service, social networking and group housing. The chapter’s affiliation with the Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity provides officer training opportunities, risk management support, and a full-time general headquarters staff that is dedicated to promoting chapter excellence. Phi Delta Theta members are an active part of the Colgate community, participating in a wide range of roles in student government, varsity and club sports, Outdoor Education, LINK staff, DEI organizations and many other campus activites. More than half of the chapter’s active members reside in a chapter house that is owned by Colgate University and is located at 114 Broad Street in Hamilton, New York.  

Upon graduation from Colgate University, chapter members automatically become members of the New York Zeta of Phi Delta Theta Corporation (the alumni corporation).  The alumni corporation publishes a bi-annual newsletter, The Zeta Record, and organizes occasional social events.  There are over 1,100 active members of the alumni corporation.  Members of the alumni corporation have the opportunity to serve as mentors to the chapter, to join the Chapter Advisory Board, and to participate in career networking activities with other members.  The alumni corporation also operates a dining program at the chapter house for the chapter’s members.  The alumni corporation is governed by a board of seven directors, including six members of the alumni corporation and the chapter president.  

The New York Zeta Fund of the Phi Delta Theta Foundation is the fundraising and development arm of New York Zeta.  This is a donor-advised fund within a public foundation that allocates a portion of its annual income for educational and charitable purposes such as scholarships, academic awards, and funding for educational programs.  Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible and can be directed to the New York Zeta Fund.  The New York Zeta Fund is overseen by a board of seven directors who are members of the alumni corporation.  The chapter president and a representative of the Phi Delta Theta Foundation in Oxford, Ohio serve as non-voting ex-officio directors.

We hope you enjoy your visit to the the New York Zeta of Phi Delta Theta website and look forward to receiving your comments!