Tau Beta Pi

The Engineering Honor Society

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Tau Beta Pi Information Book

Note: This document is also available for viewing or downloading in PDF form.

In addition to this information book, a history of the origin and early years of the Tau Beta Pi Association was written by E.S. Stackhouse and is available online.

General Facts

Founded
  • June 15, 1885
  • At Lehigh University
  • By Edward H. Williams, Jr.
Number of Collegiate Chapters:
  • Active: 257
  • Inactive: 6
  • TOTAL: 263
Number of Alumni Chapters:
  • Active: 52
  • Inactive: 30
  • TOTAL: 82
Number of Initiated Members:
  • Number of initiated members: 640,383

Association History

The Tau Beta Pi Association, engineering honor society, was founded at Lehigh University in 1885 by Dr. Edward Higginson Williams Jr., "to mark in a fitting manner those who have conferred honor upon their Alma Mater by distinguished scholarship and exemplary character as undergraduates in engineering, or by their attainments as alumni in the field of engineering, and to foster a spirit of liberal culture in engineering colleges." Preamble to the Constitution.

An honor society is an association of primarily collegiate members and chapters whose purposes are to encourage and recognize superior scholarship and/or leadership achievement either in broad fields of education or in departmental fields at either undergraduate or graduate levels. The honor society has followed the expansion and specialization of higher education in America. When Phi Beta Kappa was organized in 1776, no thought was given to its proper "field," since all colleges then in existence were for the training of men for "the service of the church and the state." With the expansion of education into new fields, a choice had to be made, and the society elected to operate in the field of the liberal arts and sciences. Although this was not finally voted until 1898, the trend was evident years earlier, and 1885 saw the establishment of Tau Beta Pi.

Founder Edward H. Williams, Jr., was born at Proctorsville, Vermont, on September 30, 1849; he died at Woodstock, Vermont, on November 2, 1933. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, he was head of the mining department of Lehigh University when he determined to offer technical men as good a chance of recognition for superior scholarship in their field as that afforded by the other society in the liberal arts and sciences.

Working alone he conceived an organization, gave it a name, designed its governmental structure, drew up its constitution, prepared its badge and certificate, established its membership requirements, and planned all the necessary details for its operation including the granting of chapters and the holding of conventions.

Thus, with only a paper organization, he offered membership to qualified graduates of Lehigh and received their acceptances and enthusiastic endorsement. Late in the spring of 1885 he invited the valedictorian of the senior class, Irving Andrew Heikes, to membership and he accepted, becoming the first student member of Tau Beta Pi; but there was no time to initiate the rest of the eligible men from the class of 1885.

Mr. Heikes returned for graduate work, however, and in the fall of 1885, he, Dr. Williams, and two alumni who had earlier accepted membership, initiated the eligible men from the class of 1886 and organized the chapter.

Edward H. Williams

Edward H. Williams, Jr., A.B., A.C., E.M., Sc.D., LL.D. 

(1849-1933)

Founder of The Tau Beta Pi Association

The parent chapter, Alpha of Pennsylvania, existed alone until 1892 when Alpha of Michigan was founded at Michigan State University.

A detailed account of the founding and early history of Tau Beta Pi was written by Edwin S. Stackhouse, Pennsylvania Alpha '86, after years of painstaking research work (THE BENT, April 1941). Records of essential dates were lost, but Mr. Stackhouse deduced that June 15, 1885, was the day on which the first undergraduate student was initiated. Subsequent evidence, in the form of Mr. Heikes' original invitation to membership, discovered in 1943, confirmed this date. Since the founding of the Michigan Alpha chapter, Tau Beta Pi has grown steadily; there are now collegiate chapters at 234 institutions, chartered alumnus chapters in 59 cities, and a total initiated membership of 500,876.

The Association was incorporated under the laws of Tennessee on December 1, 1947. The official name of the society is The Tau Beta Pi Association, Incorporated. It is a not-for-profit, educational organization with no stock-issuing power. Its assets are held in its corporate name or in trust. The Association is classified under Section 501(c)(3) (not private) of the United States Internal Revenue Code, and gifts and bequests to it are tax deductible.

Tau Beta Pi is a founding member of the Association of College Honor Societies, an association member of the American Society for Engineering Education, an associate member of the American Association of Engineering Societies, and an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The official badge of the Association is a watch key in the form of the bent of a trestle, engraved on the reverse side with the member's name, chapter, and class. The colors of the Association are seal brown and white. The official quarterly magazine is THE BENT of Tau Beta Pi. The name of the Association, its badge, and the title of its magazine are registered in the United States Patent Office. The creed of Tau Beta Pi, adopted in 1991, is Integrity and Excellence in Engineering.

The word key describes the insignia of many organizations. It comes from the fact that it was first designed, in the late eighteenth century, to include a pocket watch winding feature, hence key. The bottom stem, added to the basic insignia, had a tapered square hole fitting the common sizes of watch-winding shafts. The top stem and ring were added so that the key could be worn as a pendant from a chain, rather than as a pin or badge, thus easily used to wind watches. When the "stem-winder" watch was introduced in the late nineteenth century, it replaced the key-winder. But the insignia key remained, although with a vestigial hole now round for manufacturing ease and economy.

The Headquarters of Tau Beta Pi are located on the campus of The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, and have been there since R. C. Matthews went to the University as a young instructor in 1907. R. C. Matthews served as Tau Beta Pi's Secretary from 1905 to 1912 and as Secretary-Treasurer from 1912 until his retirement in 1947. Before he assumed office in 1905 the headquarters offices had been moved to wherever the offices of the Secretary were located. Professor Matthews' long service to Tau Beta Pi and the University of Tennessee has made the university the permanent headquarters of the Association. In 1963, the headquarters staff moved into a suite of offices designed specifically for Tau Beta Pi in the then-new Nathan W. Dougherty Engineering Building.

Merger with Sigma Tau

On January 1, 1974, the Sigma Tau Fraternity merged into The Tau Beta Pi Association. The action was taken by the collegiate chapters of the two organizations following lengthy study and recommendation by their Councils. Sigma Tau was founded in 1904 at the University of Nebraska as an engineering honor society. At the time of merger, it had 34 collegiate chapters and a total initiated membership of 45,000. The basis of merger was the conviction that a single, strong honor society would better serve the engineering profession.

The resulting organization is Tau Beta Pi, unchanged in name, purpose, governance, operating procedures, and membership requirements (except for the automatic Tau Beta Pi membership eligibility of all Sigma Tau members).

The 22 Sigma Tau chapters at institutions formerly without Tau Beta Pi chapters began functioning under Tau Beta Pi rules on January 1, 1974, and were converted to chapters of the Association in formal ceremonies on the dates shown in the roster of chartered collegiate chapters following. The 12 Sigma Tau chapters co-existing on campuses with Tau Beta Pi were merged into the Association, by initiation of their active members in early 1974. The Headquarters office of Sigma Tau in Lincoln, Nebraska, was closed on June 30, 1974, and its records were transferred to the Headquarters of Tau Beta Pi in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Under terms of the merger plan, the financial assets of the Sigma Tau fraternity were used in meeting the costs of converting and merging its chapters, of giving its initiated active members all the insignia and materials regularly going to new members of Tau Beta Pi, and of extending all paid Sigma Tau magazine (The Pyramid) subscriptions to subscriptions to Tau Beta Pi's magazine (THE BENT). The Sigma Tau Foundation, Inc., was dissolved and its assets were transferred directly to Tau Beta Pi's Fellowship Fund. There, the invested sum will earn a return to assist in providing an annual Tau Beta Pi-Sigma Tau fellowship under the Association's regular graduate-study award program.

Under terms of the merger plan, all Sigma Tau alumni have been offered membership in Tau Beta Pi at the current national initiation-fee charge. Those who choose not to join the Association will have all Sigma Tau membership services (except for The Pyramid, which has been discontinued) available to them through the Tau Beta Pi Headquarters.

The last national officers of the Sigma Tau Fraternity were: President G. W. Forman, Vice President H. H. Bartel, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer J. P. Colbert, and Councillors C. W. Leihy, R. P. Moser, R. E. Peterson, and J. W. Straight.

Tau Beta Pi Chapters & Districts

Chartered Collegiate Chapters: (List of chapters by state with links to chapter homepage.)

No. Chapter Establishment Date Institution City Members
  1 Pennsylvania Alpha June 15, 1885 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA 5,439
  2 Michigan Alpha November 5, 1892 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 4,918
  3 Indiana Alpha April 10, 1893 Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 12,410
  4 New Jersey Alpha March 27, 1896 Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ 3,560
  5 Illinois Alpha June 2, 1897 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL 10,840
  6 Wisconsin Alpha May 5, 1899 The University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 6,126
  7 Ohio Alpha May 19, 1900 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH 4,311
  8 Kentucky Alpha April 5, 1902 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 4,226
  9 New York Alpha April 11, 1902 Columbia University New York, NY 4,384
 10 Missouri Alpha November 15, 1902 The University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO 4,691
 11 Michigan Beta August 6, 1904 Michigan Technological Univ. Houghton, MI 4,639
 12 Colorado Alpha May 5, 1905 Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO 4,616
 13 Colorado Beta * (Iota) June 8, 1905 University of Colorado at Boulder Boulder, CO 5,170
 14 Illinois Beta April 6, 1906 Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL 4,279
 15 New York Beta May 16, 1906 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY 3,084
 16 Michigan Gamma June 14, 1906 The University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 10,981
 17 Missouri Beta December 21, 1906 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO 7,693
 18 California Alpha April 10, 1907 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA 8,531
 19 Iowa Alpha December 20, 1907 Iowa State University Ames, IA 8,703
 20 New York Gamma June 12, 1908 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY 7,745
 21 Iowa Beta March 30, 1909 The University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 2,523
 22 Minnesota Alpha June 9, 1909 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN 5,825
 23 New York Delta January 17, 1910 Cornell University Ithaca, NY 7,015
 24 Massachusetts Alpha May 14, 1910 Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA 5,491
 25 Maine Alpha March 11, 1911 University of Maine Orono, ME 3,038
 26 Pennsylvania Beta * (Kappa) May 4, 1912 Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 8,827
 27 Washington Alpha June 4, 1912 University of Washington Seattle, WA 5,496
 28 Arkansas Alpha December 14, 1914 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR 3,315
 29 Kansas Alpha December 17, 1914 The University of Kansas Lawrence, KS 4,471
 30 Ohio Beta November 26, 1915 University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH 4,034
 31 Pennsylvania Gamma February 19, 1916 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 3,583
 32 Texas Alpha June 10, 1916 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 8,699
 33 Ohio Gamma February 12, 1921 The Ohio State University Columbus, OH 6,930
 34 Maryland Alpha April 9, 1921 The Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD 3,065
 35 Pennsylvania Delta * (Gamma) April 11, 1921 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 3,011
 36 Pennsylvania Epsilon May 7, 1921 Lafayette College Easton, PA 2,163
 37 Virginia Alpha May 28, 1921 University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA 3,766
 38 Alabama Alpha May 30, 1921 Auburn University Auburn, AL 6,879
 39 California Beta June 11, 1921 California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA 2,600
 40 West Virginia Alpha June 3, 1922 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV 3,713
 41 Missouri Gamma June 5, 1922 Washington University St. Louis, MO 3,084
 42 Massachusetts Beta June 5, 1922 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 8,497
 43 Washington Beta * (Eta) March 17, 1923 Washington State University Pullman, WA 3,699
 44 Massachusetts Gamma June 6, 1923 Harvard University Cambridge, MA 151
 45 Connecticut Alpha December 15, 1923 Yale University New Haven, CT 2,192
 46 Oregon Alpha * (Zeta) March 29, 1924 Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 3,418
 47 Georgia Alpha February 6, 1925 Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA 9,029
 48 North Carolina Alpha October 10, 1925 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 6,432
 49 Oklahoma Alpha * (Mu) April 3, 1926 University of Oklahoma Norman, OK 4,575
 50 Montana Alpha April 15, 1926 Montana State University Bozeman, MT 2,841
 51 Alabama Beta November 20, 1926 University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL 3,884
 52 Arizona Alpha November 24, 1926 The University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 3,883
 53 Massachusetts Delta December 16, 1927 Tufts University Medford, MA 3,031
 54 South Carolina Alpha November 23, 1928 Clemson University Clemson, SC 4,748
 55 North Carolina Beta November 24, 1928 The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC 110
 56 Indiana Beta December 8, 1928 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Terre Haute, IN 2,315
 57 Mississippi Alpha December 15, 1928 Mississippi State University State College, MS 4,361
 58 Tennessee Alpha November 15, 1929 The University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN 5,757
 59 Maryland Beta November 21, 1929 The University of Maryland College Park, MD 4,484
 60 Pennsylvania Zeta November 24, 1930 Drexel University Philadelphia, PA 3,762
 61 New York Epsilon December 4, 1931 New York University Bronx, NY 1,851
 62 New York Zeta December 5, 1931 Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn Brooklyn, NY 1,579
 63 Wisconsin Beta December 3, 1932 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI 3,267
 64 Virginia Beta November 24, 1933 Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Blacksburg, VA 5,753
 65 Delaware Alpha November 25, 1933 University of Delaware Newark, DE 2,807
 66 Utah Alpha December 8, 1933 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT 3,049
 67 New Jersey Beta December 14, 1934 Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ 4,645
 68 California Gamma January 26, 1935 Stanford University Stanford, CA 4,731
 69 Louisiana Alpha November 30, 1936 Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 3,994
 70 Louisiana Beta December 1, 1936 Tulane University New Orleans, LA 1,781
 71 Texas Beta December 11, 1937 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX 4,505
 72 New York Eta November 30, 1940 City College of CUNY New York, NY 3,818
 73 Texas Gamma * (Alpha Zeta) December 18, 1940 Rice University Houston, TX 2,047
 74 Michigan Delta January 20, 1941 University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI 1,885
 75 New Jersey Gamma November 29, 1941 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ 4,711
 76 New York Theta December 4, 1941 Clarkson University Potsdam, NY 3,833
 77 Illinois Gamma December 6, 1941 Northwestern University Evanston, IL 3,557
 78 Massachusetts Epsilon December 13, 1941 Northeastern University Boston, MA 5,007
 79 Tennessee Beta December 7, 1946 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 2,985
 80 California Delta January 10, 1947 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA 3,588
 81 New York Iota January 11, 1947 The Cooper Union School of Eng'g. New York, NY 1,967
 82 Pennsylvania Eta December 11, 1947 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA 1,846
 83 New York Kappa December 13, 1947 The University of Rochester Rochester, NY 1,841
 84 North Carolina Gamma January 10, 1948 Duke University Durham, NC 2,718
 85 Texas Delta October 11, 1948 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 8,782
 86 Connecticut Beta January 8, 1949 The University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 2,842
 87 North Dakota Alpha January 14, 1950 North Dakota State University Fargo, ND 2,638
 88 New Hampshire Alpha December 9, 1950 University of New Hampshire Durham, NH 2,071
 89 Louisiana Gamma February 17, 1951 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA 2,431
 90 Michigan Epsilon March 10, 1951 Wayne State University Detroit, MI 2,458
 91 California Epsilon March 29, 1952 University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 4,468
 92 New York Lambda April 19, 1952 Pratt Institute Brooklyn, NY 1,161
 93 Ohio Delta February 21, 1953 Ohio University Athens, OH 2,059
 94 Ohio Epsilon February 22, 1953 Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH 2,101
 95 Colorado Gamma January 29, 1954 University of Denver Denver, CO 397
 96 Rhode Island Alpha February 12, 1954 Brown University Providence, RI 1,403
 97 Rhode Island Beta February 13, 1954 University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI 2,484
 98 Ohio Zeta February 20, 1954 University of Toledo Toledo, OH 2,237
 99 Massachusetts Zeta January 7, 1956 University of Massachusetts at Amherst Amherst, MA 2,946
100 District of Columbia Alpha March 10, 1956 Howard University Washington, DC 1,603
101 California Zeta April 21, 1956 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA 1,688
102 South Carolina Beta January 11, 1958 University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 2,472
103 Vermont Alpha December 20, 1958 University of Vermont Burlington, VT 1,682
104 Ohio Eta February 21, 1959 Air Force Institute of Technology Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 2,498
105 Louisiana Delta March 5, 1960 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA 1,565
106 Indiana Gamma December 10, 1960 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN 3,147
107 Florida Alpha * (Upsilon) January 14, 1961 University of Florida Gainesville, FL 5,825
108 Pennsylvania Theta February 11, 1961 Villanova University Villanova, PA 2,446
109 Ohio Theta March 11, 1961 University of Dayton Dayton, OH 1,901
110 Texas Epsilon February 10, 1962 University of Houston Houston, TX 2,922
111 District of Columbia Beta March 31, 1962 The Catholic University of America Washington, DC 1,187
112 District of Columbia Gamma * (Xi) February 16, 1963 The George Washington University Washington, DC 1,241
113 Arizona Beta March 9, 1963 Arizona State University Tempe, AZ 3,410
114 Indiana Delta March 23, 1963 Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN 1,140
115 Illinois Delta * (Alpha Iota) January 18, 1964 Bradley University Peoria, IL 1,357
116 Florida Beta January 25, 1964 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL 2,214
117 California Eta March 14, 1964 San Jose State University San Jose, CA 2,828
118 Utah Beta April 4, 1964 Brigham Young University Provo, UT 2,981
119 New York Mu April 11, 1964 Union College Schenectady, NY 1,143
120 California Theta January 30, 1965 California State University, Long Beach Long Beach, CA 3,028
121 Vermont Beta March 13, 1965 Norwich University Northfield, VT 636
122 Kansas Beta March 21, 1965 Wichita State University Wichita, KS 1,349
123 Washington Gamma February 12, 1966 Seattle University Seattle, WA 823
124 California Iota February 18, 1967 California State University, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 1,920
125 New York Nu March 11, 1967 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY 3,823
126 New York Xi March 18, 1967 Manhattan University Bronx, NY 2,622
127 Tennessee Gamma February 3, 1968 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN 2,668
128 California Kappa February 17, 1968 Calif. State University, Northridge Northridge, CA 1,495
129 Texas Zeta March 16, 1968 Lamar University Beaumont, TX 1,421
130 Pennsylvania Iota March 30, 1968 Widener University Chester, PA 823
131 Puerto Rico Alpha March 8, 1969 University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, PR 4,020
132 Mississippi Beta March 15, 1969 The University of Mississippi University, MS 1,398
133 Texas Eta March 22, 1969 The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX 3,397
134 Texas Theta March 29, 1969 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX 1,688
135 California Lambda May 3, 1969 University of California, Davis Davis, CA 3,460
136 New York Omicron April 26, 1970 SUNY at Stony Brook Stony Brook, NY 1,668
137 New York Pi January 23, 1971 Rochester Institute of Tech. Rochester, NY 1,661
138 Oklahoma Beta February 13, 1971 The University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK 1,439
139 Michigan Zeta May 8, 1971 Kettering University Flint, MI 3,529
140 West Virginia Beta January 29, 1972 West Virginia University Institute of Technology Beckley, WV 1,162
141 California Mu February 13, 1972 Cal Poly St. Univ., San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA 2,701
142 California Nu February 13, 1972 Calif. State Poly. Univ., Pomona Pomona, CA 3,614
143 New Jersey Delta April 23, 1972 Princeton University Princeton, NJ 2,336
144 California Xi March 4, 1973 San Diego State University San Diego, CA 2,353
145 Wisconsin Gamma March 17, 1973 The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI 1,401
146 Ohio Iota March 31, 1973 Ohio Northern University Ada, OH 1,026
147 Nebraska Alpha ** (Alpha) January 26, 1974 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE 2,396
148 Kansas Gamma ** (Epsilon) January 27, 1974 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 3,058
149 Florida Gamma February 16, 1974 University of South Florida Tampa, FL 2,973
150 California Omicron March 9, 1974 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA 804
151 California Pi March 10, 1974 Northrop University Inglewood, CA 285
152 Pennsylvania Kappa ** (Nu) March 20, 1974 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA 343
153 Pennsylvania Lambda ** (Psi) March 21, 1974 University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA 2,313
154 Kentucky Beta ** (Omicron) March 24, 1974 University of Louisville Louisville, KY 1,921
155 Tennessee Delta ** (Alpha Mu) March 30, 1974 Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN 702
156 Texas Iota ** (Alpha Beta) April 2, 1974 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX 1,023
157 Texas Kappa ** (Alpha Lambda) April 3, 1974 Prairie View A&M University Prairie View, TX 1,211
158 Texas Lambda ** (Alpha Eta) April 4, 1974 Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, TX 1,238
159 New Mexico Alpha ** (Alpha Gamma) April 5, 1974 New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM 1,859
160 New Mexico Beta ** (Chi) April 6, 1974 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 1,796
161 Oklahoma Gamma ** (Sigma) April 7, 1974 Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OK 2,488
162 Wyoming Alpha ** (Omega) April 19, 1974 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 2,725
163 Colorado Delta ** (Alpha Alpha) April 20, 1974 Colorado State University Ft. Collins, CO 1,857
164 South Dakota Alpha ** (Tau) April 22, 1974 South Dakota Sch of Mines & Tech Rapid City, SD 2,473
165 South Dakota Beta ** (Delta) April 23, 1974 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD 1,269
166 North Dakota Beta ** (Pi) April 24, 1974 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND 1,285
167 Idaho Alpha ** (Rho) May 2, 1974 University of Idaho Moscow, ID 1,436
168 California Rho ** (Alpha Kappa) May 9, 1974 California State University, Fresno Fresno, CA 1,492
169 Nevada Alpha ** (Alpha Epsilon) May 10, 1974 University of Nevada, Reno Reno, NV 1,282
170 Utah Gamma ** (Alpha Delta) May 11, 1974 Utah State University Logan, UT 1,350
171 Ohio Kappa ** (Phi) May 21, 1974 University of Akron Akron, OH 2,023
172 Ohio Lambda ** (Alpha Theta) May 22, 1974 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH 1,294
173 New York Rho May 26, 1974 New York University Tandon School of Engg Brooklyn, NY 1,767
174 Indiana Epsilon February 22, 1975 Trine University Angola, IN 1,012
175 Alaska Alpha April 5, 1975 University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK 666
176 Massachusetts Eta April 19, 1975 Boston University Boston, MA 2,028
177 Illinois Epsilon April 3, 1976 Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Carbondale, IL 1,318
178 Alabama Gamma March 27, 1977 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL 1,346
179 Tennessee Epsilon April 2, 1977 The University of Memphis Memphis, TN 1,128
180 Florida Delta December 3, 1977 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL 2,363
181 Michigan Eta February 11, 1978 Lawrence Technological University Southfield, MI 1,913
182 Michigan Theta February 17, 1979 Oakland University Rochester, MI 1,169
183 Virginia Gamma March 17, 1979 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 1,193
184 North Carolina Delta March 23, 1979 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC 1,422
185 Alabama Delta January 26, 1980 University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL 1,931
186 California Sigma January 24, 1981 University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 1,631
187 Arizona Gamma March 7, 1981 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 771
188 South Carolina Gamma March 28, 1981 The Citadel Charleston, SC 1,306
189 Michigan Iota January 16, 1982 University of Michigan-Dearborn Dearborn, MI 974
190 California Tau April 3, 1982 University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA 1,838
191 Maryland Gamma January 13, 1984 The United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD 2,042
192 Illinois Zeta January 28, 1984 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL 2,002
193 California Upsilon February 18, 1984 California State University, Sacramento Sacramento, CA 2,976
194 Montana Beta March 24, 1984 Montana Tech of The Univ of Montana Butte, MT 1,140
195 Florida Epsilon February 9, 1985 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL 1,461
196 New Mexico Gamma March 2, 1985 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology Socorro, NM 939
197 Massachusetts Theta March 9, 1985 University of Massachusetts Lowell Lowell, MA 1,698
198 Colorado Epsilon November 23, 1985 University of Colorado at Denver Denver, CO 844
199 North Carolina Epsilon February 18, 1986 North Carolina A&T State University Greensboro, NC 1,019
200 Florida Zeta March 1, 1986 Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL 1,296
201 California Phi March 5, 1988 University of the Pacific Stockton, CA 621
202 Michigan Kappa March 18, 1989 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI 1,330
203 Tennessee Zeta January 6, 1990 The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN 798
204 Alabama Epsilon February 3, 1990 University of South Alabama Mobile, AL 1,295
205 Wisconsin Delta March 10, 1990 Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WI 991
206 Ohio Mu May 5, 1990 Wright State University Dayton, OH 1,193
207 New York Sigma February 2, 1991 Alfred University Alfred, NY 587
208 Virginia Delta February 9, 1991 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA 812
209 Connecticut Gamma March 9, 1991 University of Hartford West Hartford, CT 464
210 New York Tau March 16, 1991 Binghamton University Binghamton, NY 1,184
211 Wisconsin Epsilon February 1, 1992 University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, WI 917
212 Florida Eta February 29, 1992 FL A&M Univ.-FL State Univ. Tallahassee, FL 1,235
213 Massachusetts Iota March 21, 1992 Western New England University Springfield, MA 555
214 California Chi March 28, 1992 California State University, Fullerton Fullerton, CA 593
215 Oregon Beta February 13, 1993 Portland State University Portland, OR 527
216 Louisiana Epsilon March 13, 1993 University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA 588
217 Maryland Delta December 11, 1993 University of Maryland Baltimore County Baltimore, MD 816
218 California Psi February 5, 1994 University of California, San Diego San Diego, CA 1,931
219 Florida Theta March 12, 1994 Florida International University Miami, FL 1,507
220 Nevada Beta February 4, 1995 University of Nevada, Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV 995
221 Georgia Beta February 11, 1995 Mercer University Macon, GA 517
222 Washington Delta February 25, 1995 Gonzaga University Spokane, WA 628
223 Minnesota Beta February 3, 1996 University of Minnesota, Duluth Duluth, MN 749
224 California Omega February 10, 1996 Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA 428
225 California Alpha Alpha March 2, 1996 California State University, Chico Chico, CA 892
226 Colorado Zeta March 8, 1997 United States Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, CO 1,410
227 Maryland Epsilon March 7, 1998 Morgan State University Baltimore, MD 464
228 Ohio Nu March 3, 2001 Cedarville University Cedarville, OH 358
229 Missouri Delta January 26, 2002 The University of Missouri-Kansas City Kansas City, MO 333
230 Oregon Gamma February 9, 2002 University of Portland Portland, OR 440
231 New Hampshire Beta February 23, 2002 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH 535
232 Texas Mu March 3, 2002 University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX 469
233 Virginia Epsilon March 1, 2003 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 514
234 Idaho Beta January 17, 2004 Idaho State University Pocatello, ID 187
235 Michigan Lambda March 27, 2004 Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids, MI 295
236 California Alpha Beta February 12, 2005 University of California, Riverside Riverside, CA 530
237 New Jersey Epsilon January 28, 2006 Rowan University Glassboro, NJ 575
238 New York Upsilon February 10, 2007 United States Military Academy West Point, NY 513
239 California Alpha Gamma March 10, 2007 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA 454
240 California Alpha Delta February 9, 2008 University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA 391
241 Ohio Xi February 23, 2008 Miami University Oxford, OH 397
242 Kentucky Gamma February 27, 2009 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY 240
243 Idaho Gamma March 13, 2010 Boise State University Boise, ID 340
244 Florida Iota March 12, 2011 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ Daytona Beach, FL 409
245 California Alpha Epsilon February 25, 2012 University of San Diego San Diego, CA 249
246 Pennsylvania Mu January 26, 2013 Penn State Erie, The Behrend College Erie, PA 224
247 New Jersey Zeta March 2, 2013 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ 307
248 Missouri Epsilon March 23, 2013 Saint Louis University St Louis, MO 304
249 Texas Nu March 22, 2014 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX 317
250 Indiana Zeta March 28, 2015 Indiana University-Purdue University Ind Indianapolis, IN 203
251 Arizona Delta April 11, 2015 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott, AZ 305
252 North Carolina Zeta March 19, 2016 East Carolina University Greenville, NC 204
253 Idaho Delta March 4, 2017 Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID 303
254 Oregon Delta April 14, 2018 Oregon Institute of Technology Klamath Falls, OR 193
255 Texas Xi February 15, 2020 University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX 202
256 Arkansas Beta March 7, 2020 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR 47
257 Georgia Gamma October 9, 2021 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA 59
258 Georgia Delta February 25, 2023 University of Georgia Athens, GA 164
259 Tennessee Eta March 4, 2023 Lipscomb University Nashville, TN 40
260 North Carolina Eta March 18, 2023 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC 29
261 Massachusetts Kappa March 25, 2023 Merrimack College North Andover, MA 54
262 United Arab Emirates Alpha March 3, 2024 American University of Sharjah Sharjah, 65
263 Qatar Alpha March 5, 2024 Texas A&M University at Qatar Doha, Qatar 21

*Indicates chapter is inactive.
*Name of the Sigma Tau chapter merged with the Tau Beta Pi chapter in 1974.
**Name of the Sigma Tau chapter converted to the TBP chapter on the establishment date shown.
New York Gamma became inactive in 1916 when a changed institute policy refused access to students' grades and thus made identification of the high-standing juniors and seniors impossible. Another change in policy permitted reinstatement of the chapter in 1936.
Massachusetts Gamma Chapter charter was withdrawn in 1938 when undergraduate engineering instruction at Harvard University was no longer offered.
North Carolina Beta's charter was withdrawn in 1938 when all undergraduate engineering curricula were transferred from the University of North Carolina to North Carolina State University where a chapter was already in existence.
New York Epsilon and New York Zeta Chapters were merged into the New York Rho Chapter on May 26, 1974, after their original harboring institutions, the School of Engineering and Science of New York University and the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, were merged into the Polytechnic Institute of New York.
Colorado Gamma Chapter surrendered its charter on May 30, 1975, when the University of Denver ceased offering engineering education.
California Pi Chapter returned its charter on December 31, 1991, when Northrop University closed its doors.
New York Lambda's charter was withdrawn in 1993 when Pratt Institute ceased offering engineering education.

Collegiate Chapter Organization

Collegiate chapters are administered by a corps of officers including a president, vice president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, treasurer, and cataloger, all of whom must be active members of the chapter, although not necessarily undergraduates. An Advisory Board consisting of thepresident, vice president, and corresponding secretary of the chapter and four alumni members of the Association (usually faculty) selected by the student members acts in ajudiciary capacity at the local level. The president is usually a chapter's delegate to the Convention, the Association's governing body which meets annually. Collegiate chapters draw up their bylaws which set out, in further detail than is covered by the Association's Constitution and Bylaws, operating procedures followed by the local group.

Requirements for New Collegiate Chapters

Charters for new collegiate chapters are granted only by a three-fourths favorable vote of the Convention. Recommended minimum qualifications of petitioning groups and their institutions, as set forth in Tau Beta Pi's Bylaws, are as follows:

  • That the institution grant 40 or more engineering bachelor's degrees a year.
  • That three engineering curricula be accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, unless the institution offers a "unified" curriculum or unless all curricula are accredited.
  • That the petitioning group have been organized and operating as a local society along Tau Beta Pi lines for two years.
  • That at least three members of the faculty be members of Tau Beta Pi.
  • That a majority of the engineering faculty be members of their respective national technical societies.

Chartered Alumni Chapters – List here

Alumni Chapter Organization & Establishment

Alumni chapters are composed of alumni members who join together to advance the causes of the engineering profession, to be of service to local members of the Association and to the membership of neighboring collegiate chapters, and to advance the principles and ideals of Tau Beta Pi. The chapters are self-governing as far as does not conflict with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association. They are known by the name of the city or area in which they are located. Each alumni chapter is entitled to be represented by one or more delegates at the annual Convention, and, if represented, is entitled to one vote in the Convention.

New alumni chapters may be chartered by the Executive Council when written application is made by at least ten alumni members of the Association.

Districts

Schemes for organizing Tau Beta Pi's chapters by districts had been suggested for many years before a specific plan was presented to the 1975 Convention. The plan was approved for a three-year trial and, following its success on an experimental basis, was formally adopted by the 1978 Convention. The need for districting was evident as the number of chapters increased and it became impossible for a few Association Officials to pay regular chapter visits. District Directors, located close to their relatively small number of chapters, now supply thefrequent personal relationship that is a necessary ingredient for the health of the chapters.

Under the plan the Executive Council created 15 geographical districts and assigned each collegiate and alumni chapter to the appropriate one. District 16 was established in 1999. Activities under the leadership of the District Directors have included visits to chapters, District conferences for chapter representatives, publication of District newsletters, and meetings of District delegates at the annual Convention. The focus of District programming is to strengthen the collegiate chapters and to enlist the interest and aid of alumni members in their work.Training student officers in chapter management and overcoming the effects of discontinuity in chapter membership arising from rapid student turnover are examples of specific programming.

With adoption of the District Program, the former offices of Director of Alumni Affairs and Director of Chapter Development were eliminated, and their duties were transferred to the District Directors or the Headquarters staff. District Map (clickable version)

District Map

Membership

There is now only one "class" of members in Tau Beta Pi, the former classifications of Member with Distinction, Honorary Member, and Associate Member having been discontinued. Election to membership in the Association is accomplished only by vote of a collegiate chapter, and members' chapter designations are always those of the chapters which elected them. Members' class numerals are those of the years in which they received the engineering degrees on which their eligibility was based, although members with no engineering degree are designated by the year in which they were initiated. Candidates eligible for consideration for election to membership by a collegiate chapter fall into five general categories:

  • Undergraduate students.
  • Graduate students.
  • Alumni of the chapter's institution who were eligible as students.
  • Alumni of other institutions who were eligible as students.
  • Engineers of high attainment in the profession, regardless of college attended, scholastic record, or educational background.

Undergraduate Eligibility Requirements

Undergraduate students whose scholarship places them in the top eighth of their engineering class in their next-to-last year or in the top fifth of their engineering class in their last college year are eligible for membership consideration. These scholastically eligible students are further considered on the basis of personal integrity, breadth of interest both inside and outside engineering, adaptability, and unselfish activity.

Prior to the fall of 1941, Tau Beta Pi's scholastic requirements were that eligible candidates stand in the top eighth of the junior class, but in the top quarter of the senior class. The classes graduating in 1942 were thus the first to be considered under the higher requirements.

Some chapters set a scholastic-grade deadline below which candidates are not considered, such deadline being higher than that required as a minimum by the Constitution.

Elections and initiations are normally held twice a year, in the fall and winter or spring terms of the chapter's institution.

Student electees who are financially unable to meet the initiation-fee obligation may make delayed payment arrangements with their chapters, may borrow from the Association's loan fund, or may accept election but postpone initiation for up to five years.

Until 1969 membership in Tau Beta Pi was limited to men, although qualified women were offered an award called the Women's Badge. From its authorization in 1936 until its elimination by the admission of women to membership, 619 Women's Badges were awarded by 98 chapters. Those women have now been offered membership by their chapters.

Graduate Eligibility Requirements

Engineering graduate students whose scholarship places them in the top fifth of their graduate class or whose high-quality work is attested to by a faculty member may be elected to membership.

Engineering alumni of a chapter's institution or of another recognized institution whose scholastic record placed them in the top fifth of their class may be elected to membership. Such candidates are usually recommended to the chapter by a member who knows them.

In all cases the requisite scholastic attainment makes candidates eligible for membership consideration. They are further considered on the basis of the Association's exemplary character requirement.

Eminent Engineer Eligibility Requirements

Persons who have achieved eminence in engineering may be elected to membership without regard to collegiate records. If they graduated from a recognized engineering college, they must have been engaged in engineering for at least 10 years; if not, they must have practiced engineering for at least 15 years. Such candidates are usually recommended by members who know them. The required degree of eminent achievement is left to the chapters' discretion; and candidates are further considered on the basis of exemplary character.

Membership Data

Tau Beta Pi membership catalogs were published in 1898, 1911, 1916, 1926, 1932, and 1939. The 1946 Convention authorized discontinuance of publication of them because of the excessive cost in future years and limited use to which they would probably be put. In their place the Secretary stands ready to furnish membership information for authorized use. A file of members arranged chronologically by chapters is kept and is made up of the original catalog cards of all initiates. Electronic data processing is used for the storage and retrieval of membership data.

Government

The general government of The Tau Beta Pi Association Inc., is vested in the Convention and the Executive Council in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws. The Convention and the Executive Council have control of all matters and affairs pertaining to the Association as a whole, but may not interfere with the internal affairs of any chapter, except in matters of discipline.

The Convention

The Convention of Tau Beta Pi, normally meeting annually, is the legislative body of the Association and the final court of appeals in all matters of interpretation of the Constitution and Bylaws and of discipline. It is made up of one voting delegate from each of the collegiate and alumni chapters, the members of the Executive Council, the Executive Director, Directors of Alumni Affairs, Rituals, Fellowships, and Engineering Futures, and 16 District Directors.

The Convention elects the Executive Council and grants new chapters. It may enact the general Bylaws of the Association and may amend the Constitution, subject to ratification by the collegiate chapters. The Convention is primarily financed by a portion of the fees paid by the new initiates of each chapter in the previous year. A Convention Fund, established in 1978 and invested by our trustee, earns an annual return which aids in meeting the costs of attendance by the collegiate chapter delegates. The Convention sites and dates are listed here.

Executive Council & Headquarters Staff

The Executive Council is a group of alumni members elected by the Convention to lead the Association, under the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws and the Acts of the Convention. It guides the programs of Tau Beta Pi through a full-time Executive Director, whose offices at the University of Tennessee are the Headquarters of the Association, and other Association Officials whom it appoints. All actions taken by the Council or the Association Officials are reported back to the Convention.

The first Council was elected by the first Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 28, 1895, at which Pennsylvania Alpha, Michigan Alpha, and Indiana Alpha were represented. Through 1923, Councils were elected annually from the alumnus membership.

In 1923, the Convention adopted the plan of having the members of the Council elected from the same locality to serve for three years. The first "package" Council was located at the University of Michigan and served the 1924-27 and 1927-30 terms. The amendments adopted by the 1923 Convention also stipulated that the no longer was to be a member of the Executive Council but that the Council was to appoint an alumnus member to fill the office. R.C. Matthews, Secretary of the Council from 1905 to 1912 and during 1924, was appointed and continued in the position until his retirement in 1947.

World War II prevented the holding of Conventions in 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1945, and the Washington, D.C., Council continued in office until 1947. Incorporation of the Association in 1947 required enlargement of the Council to five members. The 1949 Convention increased the Council's term to four years. The 1997 Convention eliminated the "package" plan and allowed members of a Council to reside anywhere.

The 2015 and 2016 Conventions eliminated election of members as a slate, shortened the term to three years, enlarged the Council to nine members, and set elections to occur annually.

By action of the 1946 Convention, R.C. Matthews was retired as Emeritus and given a lifetime pension. He died in 1978 at the age of 99. Robert H. Nagel became and Editor in August 1947 and served to October 1982 when he was named Emeritus; he died in 1997 at the age of 79. James D. Froula became and Editor in October 1982 and was named Executive Director in 1999 and served to October 2011 when he was named Emeritus. Curtis D. Gomulinski was installed as , Editor, and Executive Director in October 2011. The title of was retired by the 2015 Convention.

The full-time position of Assistant was created by the Executive Council in 1963. Its first occupant was F.F. Lyle Jr. who served to 1969. R.E. Warmack served from 1970-72, J.P. Kesselring from 1972-74, D.J. Soukup from 1976-84, and K.L. Martin from 1984-86. R.E. Hawks was appointed to the post in May 1986 and served until 2016 when the position was retired by the Executive Council.

R.C. Matthews R.C. MATTHEWS
Illinois Alpha 1902
Secretary of the Association 1905-12
Secretary-Treasurer 1912-47
Emeritus 1947-78
R.H. Nagel R. H. NAGEL
New York Delta '39
Editor of The Bent 1942-82
Secretary-Treasurer 1947-82
Emeritus 1982-97
R.H. Nagel J. D. FROULA
Tennessee Alpha '67
Editor of The Bent 1982-2011
Secretary-Treasurer 1982-11
Executive Director 1999-2011
Emeritus 2011-
R.H. Nagel C. D. Gomulinski
Michigan Epsilon '01
Editor of The Bent 2011-
Secretary-Treasurer 2011-16
Executive Director 2011-

Recent Executive Council Members by Term of Office

Term Council Members
2024 President – R.M. Hickling
Vice Pres. – M.A. Peterson
Secretary – H.H. Houh
Treasurer – M.J. Hand
Councillor – R.K. Alexander
Councillor – C. Hill-Stramsak
Councillor – M.D. Lin
Councillor – T.A. Pinkham
Councillor – J.M. Sciacca
2023 President – R.K. Alexander
Vice Pres. – R.M. Hickling
Secretary – M.L. Peterson
Treasurer – M.J. Hand
Councillor – M.D. Lin
Councillor – M.A. Peterson
Councillor – J.M. Sciacca
Councillor – G. Youssef
Councillor – M.M. Youssef
2022 President – M.M. Youssef
Vice Pres. – R.K. Alexander
Secretary – M.L. Peterson
Treasurer – R.W. Pierce
Councillor – R.M. Hickling
Councillor – M.D. Lin
Councillor – G.J. Morales
Councillor – J.M. Sciacca
Councillor – G. Youssef

View a list of previous Executive Council members.

Other Association Officials

In addition to the Executive Council members, the Executive Director, and the publication boards of The Bent and The Bulletin, the following positions have been created by the Convention and the officials have been appointed by the Executive Council.

Director of Alumni Affairs

The office of Alumni Representative was created by the 1925 Convention. The position's title was changed by the 1972 Convention to Director of Alumni Affairs, but the office was eliminated in 1978 with adoption of the District Program. The 2012 Convention reinstated the position. The duties of the Director are to stimulate and maintain alumni interest and support for Tau Beta Pi, to encourage the formation of alumni chapters, and to represent the alumni at the Convention and before the Executive Council. Directors of Alumni Affairs have been:

Term Director
1925-26 E.T. Mehren 
1926-27 J.F. Fairman 
1927-30 F. Burton
1931-32 A.D. Moore 
1932-36 C.H. Spencer 
1936-41 W.E. Jessup 
1942-48 J.E. Jagger
1948-55 R.B. Allen
1956-63 M.V. Burggraaf
1963-66 R.W. Gunther
1966-71 J.M. Kane
1971-73 D.J. Jay
1974-78 J.W. Jimenez
2013- T.E. Gomulinski

Director of Rituals

The position of Master of Rituals was created by the 1927 Convention, after a one-year trial; the title was changed by the 1972 Convention to Director of Rituals. Duties include keeping watch over the form, phraseology, and physical make-up of the rituals, receiving and analyzing suggestions for changes, and handling all matters in connection with the rituals and related ceremonies. Directors of Rituals have been:

Term Director
1926-49 W.N. Espy 
1948-57 L.T. Monson 
1957-79 H.F. McGaffey
1979-81 L.D. Wechsler
1981-83 D.A. Snyder
1983-91 R.L. Turner
1991-93 D.A. Snyder
1993-2003 A.R. Hirsch
2003- E.J. D'Avignon

Fellowship Fund Trustee

The office of Fellowship Fund Trustee was created by the 1930 Convention and was replaced with a corporate trustee under the direction of a three-member Trust Advisory Committee by the 1964 Convention. The duties of the office included holding, investing, conserving, increasing, and expending the monies of both Tau Beta Pi's Fellowship and The Bent Life Subscription Funds as the Constitution and Bylaws required and as the Convention and the Executive Council ordered. Fellowship Fund Trustees were:

Term Director
1930-63 M. De Groote
1963-65 E.E. Tuttle

Trust Advisory Committee

The Trust Advisory Committee, created by the 1964 Convention, is charged with issuing instructions to Tau Beta Pi's corporate trustee for the purchase and sale of assets held by the trustee in The Bent Life Subscription, Fellowship, Greater Interest in Government, Convention, Engineering Futures, Scholarship, and Program Development Funds. The trustee has the responsibility of making periodic recommendations to the Committee for investing and reinvesting assets to meet the objectives of the funds as stated in the Constitution and Bylaws. Members of the Trust Advisory Committee have been:

Term Director
1965-72 E.E. Tuttle (chair), H. Hoover Jr. , T.G. Myers, C.R. Dodson (1969-72)
1972-74 C.R. Dodson (chair), T.G. Myers, L.T. Monson
1975-83 C.R. Dodson (chair), G.P. Palo, H.F. Pierce
1983-85 C.R. Dodson (chair), H.F. Pierce, R.F. Smith
1985-86 R.F. Smith (chair), F.P. Linaweaver, H.F. Pierce
1986-89 R.F. Smith (chair), F.P. Linaweaver, G.H. Schlimm
1990-95 R.F. Smith (chair), R.C. Clark, G.H. Schlimm
1995-2000 R.F. Smith (chair), R.C. Clark, J.W. Johnson Jr.
2001-03 R.F. Smith (chair), J.W. Johnson Jr., J.A. Runde
2004-06 R.F. Smith (chair), J.W. Johnson Jr., M.A. Di Flora
2007-2019 R.F. Smith (chair), J.W. Johnson Jr., H.W. Lange
2020- J.W. Johnson Jr., H.W. Lange

Director of Fellowships

The position of Director of Fellowships was established by the 1932 Convention, the Alumni Representative having fulfilled the duties of the office in 1929-32. The Director is charged with the administration of Tau Beta Pi's Fellowship Program. Directors of Fellowships have been:

Term Director
1933-46 A.D. Moore 
1946-47 P.A. Singleton 
1947-79 P.H. Robbins
1979-92 L.J. Hollander
1992-94 D.R. Reyes-Guerra
1994-2015 D.S. Pierre Jr.
2016- S.J. Steadman

Fellowship Board

The Fellowship Board was created by the 1932 Convention to aid the Director of Fellowships, especially in the selection of fellowship awardees. The Alumni Representative and the Executive Councillors served as the Fellowship Board in 1929-32. Since 1932, the board has consisted of the Director of Fellowships and the following alumnus members:

Term Director
1933-37 A.H. Aldinger, F. Burton, C.F. Hirshfeld
1938 F. Burton, C.F. Hirshfeld
1939 F. Burton, J.W. Parker
1940-41 F. Burton, P.W. Ott, W.B. Stout
1947 R.A. Kampmeier, J.C. Wagner, W.C. White
1948-52 C.G. Fink, R.S. Healy, J.C. Wagner
1953-69 R.S. Healy, E.A. Salma, J.C. Wagner
1969-70 D.C. Fullarton, E.A. Salma, J.C. Wagner
1970-77 D.C. Fullarton, E.A. Salma, K.H. Strauss
1978-79 L.J. Hollander, E.A. Salma, K.H. Strauss
1979-83 W.E. Moore Il, E.A. Salma, K.H. Strauss
1983-87 W.E. Moore II, E.A. Salma, D.R. Reyes-Guerra
1987-89 V.A. Marsocci, E.A. Salma, D.R. Reyes-Guerra
1989-92 J.W. Hollenberg, V.A. Marsocci, D.R. Reyes-Guerra
1992-96 L.J. Hollander, J.W. Hollenberg, V.A. Marsocci
1996-2003 H.J. Chaya, S.L.R. Holl, V.A. Marsocci
2003-08 S.L.R. Holl, L.J. Hollander, V.A. Marsocci
2008-09 S.L.R. Holl, L.J. Hollander, J.L. Jamieson
2009-10 D.W. Donahue, S.L.R. Holl, J.L. Jamieson
2010-12 D.W. Donahue, S.L.R. Holl, J.L. Jamieson
2012-13 C.W. Caldwell, D.W. Donahue, S.L.R. Holl, J.L. Jamieson
2013-14 C.W. Caldwell, D.W. Donahue, R.E. Efimba, S.L.R. Holl
2014-19 C.W. Caldwell, M.M. Darrow, S.C. Dao, R.E. Efimba
2020- R.E. Efimba, L.W. Faidley, S.D. Fantozzi, A.M. Richards

Director of the District Program & District Directors

The position of Director of District Programs was established by the 1978 Convention after the District Program had been in experimental use for three years, during which time J. T. Pedersen served as Director. The office was eliminated in 1991 when the Executive Council assumed oversight responsibility. The position was re-established as the Director of the District Program for a three-year trial period in 2016. As part of the program, 16 geographical Districts have been established, with each of the collegiate and alumni chapters assigned to a District, each headed by one or more District Directors. The Directors of District Programs were:

Term Director
1978-82 T.R. Howard
1982-83 R.L. Werneth
1983-87 J.R. Luchini
1987-91 J.W. Johnson Jr.
2016-2018 K.J. Hammar
2019 J.P. Blackford
2020- S.L. Forkner

Director of Engineering Futures & Facilitators

The position of Director of Engineering Futures was established by the 1993 Convention after the Engineering Futures Program had been in experimental use for four years, during which time M. S. Polston served as Director. As part of the Futures Program, approximately 40 trained teaching Facilitators have been appointed throughout the 16 Tau Beta Pi Districts. The Directors of Engineering Futures have been:

Term Director
1994-95 A.C. Hwang 
1995-99 R.M. Hickling
1999-2002 R.W. Pierce
2002-08 A.M. Brenner
2009-15 R.W. Pierce
2015- K.L. Colbry

Director of Chapter Development

The position of Chapter Coordinator was established by the 1947 Convention after having been in unofficial and experimental existence for ten years. The position title was changed by the 1972 Convention to Director of Chapter Development. The office was eliminated in 1976 with adoption of the District Program. The duties of the position were to encourage proper chapter operations under the Constitution and Bylaws, to provide for the exchange of information on projects and activities through publications and Convention programs, and to conduct an annual chapter survey. Directors of Chapter Development were:

Term Director
1937-46 P.A. Singleton 
1946-59 M.E. Van Valkenburg
1959-71 J.R. Young
1971-76 G.R. Ames 

Finances

Because the operation of collegiate chapters of Tau Beta Pi is entirely under the control of the local groups (except in regards to minimal qualifications for membership and the broad limitations imposed by Convention acts), no central records of chapter finances are kept. The chapters are required to pay the Association $55 for each new member. Beyond that, chapters are financially independent and are permitted to charge total initiation fees as they choose. Initiation fees average $89 and are set by the chapters to cover a variety of local costs.

The 1947 Convention increased the national initiation fee from $14 to $16 per person to offset higher costs of Headquarters operations (the previous change had been in 1934 when it was reduced from $15); since then it has been raised periodically to $21 in 1972, $23 in 1990, $27 in 1994, $32 in 2004, $45 in 2014, and $55 in 2016. The Association provides each new initiate with an engraved key, embossed membership certificate, informational literature, and a four-year subscription to The Bent for which $12 is allocated. The remaining $43 is used to support Convention expenses and pay a small portion of Headquarters personnel, service, and supply expenses.

In addition to the initiation fees, Association income is derived from annual and life subscriptions to The Bent, interest on investments, gifts and bequests, and a few other sources. The annual Alumni Giving Program is the major source of revenue.

The Association's fiscal year runs from August 1 to July 31, and a balance sheet and a receipts-expenditures statement are published in The Bent each year, taken from an audit report by a certified public accounting firm.

The Fellowship, Life Subscription, Convention, Engineering Futures, Greater Interest in Government, Program Development, Scholarship, MindSET, and various donor-named funds are invested and are held for the Association by a corporate trustee under the direction of the Trust Advisory Committee. The Fellowship Fund receives transfers from surplus, donations, and bequests that are made from time to time by the Council and transfers from the Life Subscription Fund on the death of life subscribers. The Life Subscription Fund consists of payments by life subscribers to The Bent. Other assets are managed by the Executive Director.

The Student Loan Fund, to which is added one-half of all interest collected on student loan notes and contributions, is a "book-value" fund whose assets are held by the Executive Director as loan notes.

Alumni Giving Program

The annual Alumni Giving Program began in modest fashion in 1963 and is managed by the Executive Director. The assistance of a professional vendor has been used since 1974-75.

Code of Ethics of Engineers

The Fundamental Principles

Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor, and dignity of the engineering profession by:

Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare; being honest and impartial, and serving with fidelity the public, their employers and clients; striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession; and supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines.

The Fundamental Canons

  1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public in the performance of their professional duties.
  2. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.
  3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
  4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.
  5. Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others.
  6. Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of the profession.
  7. Engineers shall continue their professional development through- out their careers and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those engineers under their supervision.

The Tau Beta Pi Yell (traditional) The Tau Beta Pi Yell (modern)
Ammeter, Indicator, Wye Level Wye.
Slide Rule, Dynamo, Tau Beta Pi!

Adopted in 1908
Written by R.C. Matthews, IL A 1902
Calculate, Innovate, Try, Try, Try.
Integrity, Honesty, Tau Beta Pi!

Adopted in 1978
Written by H.F. Klos Jr., PA Z '78
TBP SealThe Seal of Tau Beta Pi

Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS)

The Association of College Honor Societies was organized October 2, 1925, by a group of college and university teachers, administrators, and representatives of a few well-established honor societies. Its object was then and is now to consider problems of mutual interest such as those arising from the confusion prevailing on college campuses concerning the character, function, standards ofmembership, multiplicity, and undesirable duplication of honor societies; to recommend action leading to appropriate classification, higher standards, reasonable cost of membership, consolidation or elimination; and to promote the highest interest of honor societies.

There were six initial honor societies in the A.C.H.S.: Phi Beta Kappa, in liberal arts; Sigma Xi, in scientific research; Tau Beta Pi, in engineering; Phi Kappa Phi, in all academic fields of university scope; Alpha Omega Alpha, in medicine; and Order of the Coif, in law. Provision was made for responsibility to be lodged in a Council which consists of an official representative of each member society. Provision was made also for meetings, admission of other societies found to have proper qualifications, for admission fees and annual dues, and for needed studies, reports, and recommendations.

Former Tau Beta Pi President A. D. Moore was a leader in the formation of the A.C.H.S. in 1925. He served as our representative from 1925-32 and was president of the A.C.H.S. in 1933-37. President P. W. Ott was our representative from 1932-47, serving as vice president of the A.C.H.S. in 1939. Former Secretary R. H. Nagel was representative from 1947-82, secretary-treasurer from 1949-57, and president from 1957-59. Secretary J. D. Froula became Tau Beta Pi's representative in 1982 and served on the executive committee in 1987-89, as vice president in 1989-91, and as president in 1991-93.

Sixty-seven honor societies are now members of the A.C.H.S., although several of the founding societies have withdrawn. Tau Beta Pi is classed as a general honor society of the scholarship variety, as distinguished from the leadership kind. A third classification by the A.C.H.S. is that of specialized honor societies, and a fourth is freshman scholarship societies. Definitions, standards, requirements for membership, and a statement on the functions of honor societies were adopted by the A.C.H.S. in 1944. These were incorporated with appropriate modifications in the Constitution and Bylaws of the A.C.H.S. in 1951.