Alpha Zeta (professional)

Alpha Zeta (ΑΖ) is an honorary professional fraternity for students and industry professionals in agricultural and natural resources fields.[1][2] It was founded in 1897 at Ohio State University and was the first collegiate society for agriculture.[1]

This article is about agricultre honor fraternity. For the Latin American emphasis fraternity, see Alpha Zeta (Latin American).
Alpha Zeta
ΑΖ
FoundedNovember 4, 1897 (1897-11-04)
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
TypeProfessional and Honorary
EmphasisAgriculture, natural resources
ScopeNational
Colors  Mode (Old gold) and   Sky Blue
FlowerPink Carnation
PublicationAlpha Zeta News
Chapters31 active; 74 total
Members1,000 collegiate
125,000 lifetime
HeadquartersPaducah, Kentucky 42002
United States
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Charles W. Burkett and John F. Cunningham, roommates and students at the College of Agriculture at Ohio State University, founded the Alpha Zeta fraternity on November 4, 1897.[2] Three years prior, Burkett and Cunnigham had the idea of forming an organization to support agricultural students, create fellowship, and promote agriculture.[3] They recruited ten other agriculture students who became the fraternity's charter members, including [3]

  • Arthur G. Abbott
  • Charles Burkett
  • Clarence Clawson
  • John Cunningham
  • Vernon H. Davis
  • Donnelley H. Duncan
  • Oscar Erf
  • Marion Imes.
  • Arthur G. McCall
  • Carl J. Miller
  • Charles B. Stewart
  • Leonard C. Warden

Alpha Zeta formed as a professional fraternity but became an honorary fraternity in 1936.[4] Its chapters were limited to land-grant institutions until 1951.[5]

At the fraternity's 1940 Conclave, a proposal was presented to open membership to non-white males.[3] This was presented at each Conclave for twelve years, finally passing in 1952.[6] Also in 1952, a proposal to admit women was defeated with a tied vote.[3] The fraternity's constitution was amended in 1972, allowing its chapters to initiate women.[3]

The fraternity was headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the 1960s.[6] It was located in Lafayette, Indiana from 1974 to 1994, when it moved to St. Louis, Missouri.[7] Its headquarters is currently located in Paducah, Kentucky. As of 2023, Alpha Zeta has chartered 74 chapters.[1]

Its print publication was the Quarterly of Alpha Zeta, first published in the early 20th century.[8][9][6] AZ News is now its primary publication.[2]

Badge of Alpha Zeta

Symbols

The fraternity's badge is a monogram of the letter Α on top of the letter Ζ, with a small star at the center of the Α.[6][2] Its key is the shape of two overlapping circles in gold and black.[6][2] Its colors are old gold (mode) and sky blue.[6][2] Its flower is the pink carnation.[10]

Charitable activities

In 1942, Alpha Zeta began issuing scholarships to a select number of members for graduate studies.[6] The Washington, D.C. Alumni Association helped form the National Alpha Zeta Foundation of America, Inc. in 1960, allowing the expansion of the scholarship program.[11][6] The foundation accepts and manages donations for "scientific, educational and charitable purposes which best advance agriculture for the public good."[11]

The Alpha Zeta Foundation, Inc. was formed in Indiana on April 4, 1984, to oversee the fraternity's national scholarship program and to support its leadership development program.[11]

Governance

The fraternity is overseen by a seven-member High Council that is elected by student representatives of each chapter at Biennial Conclaves held on odd calendar years.[2] The council includes the High Chancellor, High Censor, High Scribe, High Treasurer, High Chronicler, Alumni Representative, and student representative.[2] Alpha Zeta also has staff who oversee the fraternity's operations and communications.[2]

Membership

To be eligible for membership in Alpha Zeta, students must be majoring in agriculture or a related field, must have completed one year of study, and must be in the upper two-fifths of their class.[2] Prospective members are also evaluated for character and leadership.[2]

As of 2023, Alpha Zeta has initiated 125,000 members and has 1,000 active members.[1] Its membership types are student, alumni, associate, and honorary.[6] Honorary members can be nominated by chapters every ten years after their Charter date.[12]

Membership was limited to white males for the fraternity's first 55 years but became open to any male in 1952.[3] Membership was made open to women starting in 1972.[3]

Chapters

Following is a list of Alpha Zeta chapters.[13][5][14][6] Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are in italics. Chapters are named in some way concerning agriculture or after the locality of the chapter.

Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Region Status References
Townshend November 4, 1897 Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio Northeast Active [lower-alpha 1]
Morrill 1898 Pennsylvania State University University Park, Pennsylvania Northeast Active
Morrow June 1, 1900 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Urbana, Illinois North Central Active [7][lower-alpha 2]
Cornell June 11, 1901 Cornell University Ithaca, New York Northeast Active
Kedzie 1902 Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan North Central Inactive
Granite 1903 University of New Hampshire Durham, New Hampshire Northeast Inactive
Nebraska 1904 University of Nebraska–Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska North Central Active
North Carolina 1904 North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina Southeast Active
La Grange 1905 University of Minnesota Saint Paul, Minnesota North Central Inactive [4][lower-alpha 3]
Green Mountain 1905 University of Vermont Burlington, Vermont Northeast Inactive
Wilson November 27, 1905 Iowa State University Ames, Iowa North Central Active [15][lower-alpha 4]
Babcock 1906 University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, Wisconsin North Central Inactive [lower-alpha 5]
Centennial 1906 Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Western Inactive
Maine 1906 University of Maine Orono, Maine Northeast Inactive
Missouri 1907 University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri North Central Inactive
Elliott 1907 Washington State University Pullman, Washington Western Inactive
California 1908–1957 University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, California Wsetern Inactive [lower-alpha 6]
Purdue 1908 Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana North Central Active
Kansas 1909 Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas North Central Active
Dacotah 1909 North Dakota State University Fargo, North Dakota North Central Inactive
Scovell 1912 University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Southeast Inactive
Morgan 1912 University of Tennessee Knoxville, Tennessee Southeast Inactive
Georgia 1914 University of Georgia Athens, Georgia Southeast Inactive
Louisiana 1916 Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana Southeast Inactive
Oklahoma 1916 Oklahoma State University–Stillwater Stillwater, Oklahoma Southwest Active
Arkansas 1917 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas South Central Inactive
Oregon 1918 Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon Western Inactive
Maryland 1920 University of Maryland College Park, Maryland Northeast Inactive
Idaho 1920 University of Idaho Moscow, Idaho Western Inactive
Montana 1922 Montana State University Bozeman, Montana Western Active
Florida 1922 University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Southeast Active
Cook 1922 Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey Northeast Active [lower-alpha 7]
West Virginia 1922 West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia Northeast Inactive
South Dakota 1924 South Dakota State University Brookings, South Dakota North Central Active
New Mexico 1927 New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico South Central Inactive
Arizona 1927 University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona Western Inactive
Mississippi 1928 Mississippi State University Starkville, Mississippi Southeast Inactive
South Carolina 1930 Clemson University Clemson, South Carolina Southeast Inactive
Virginia 1932 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Virginia Southeast Active
Wyoming 1933 University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming Western Inactive
Rhode Island 1936 University of Rhode Island Kingston, Rhode Island Northeast Inactive
California Beta 1937–1961 University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Western Inactive [lower-alpha 6]
Utah 1939 Utah State University Logan, Utah Western Inactive
California Gamma 1940 University of California, Davis Davis, California Western Inactive
Alabama 1941 Auburn University Auburn, Alabama Southeast Inactive
Delaware 1949 University of Delaware Newark, Delaware Northeast Active
Texas Alpha 1951 Texas A&M University College Station, Texas Southwest Active [16]
Texas Beta 1951 Texas Tech University Lubbock, Texas Southwest Active
Connecticut 1952 University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut Northeast Active
Massachusetts 1956 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, Massachusetts Northeast Inactive
California Delta 1959 California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California Western Inactive
Puerto Rico 1959 University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Southeast Active
Illinois Beta 1960 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, Illinois North Central Active
California Epsilon 1962–xxxx?; 2005 California State University, Fresno Fresno, California Western Active [17]
Nevada 1963 University of Nevada, Reno Reno, Nevada Western Inactive
Arizona Beta 1964 Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona Western Inactive
Louisiana Beta 1964 Southwestern Louisiana University Lafayette, Louisiana South Central Inactive
California Zeta 1966 California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, California Western Inactive
Illinois Gamma January 29, 1966 Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois North Central Active [18]
Utah Beta 1970 Brigham Young University Provo, Utah Western Inactive
Wisconsin Beta 1971 University of Wisconsin–Platteville Platteville, Wisconsin North Central Active
Texas Gamma 1972 Tarleton State University Stephenville, Texas Southwest Active
Wisconsin Gamma 1972 University of Wisconsin–River Falls River Falls, Wisconsin North Central Active
Illinois Delta 1974 Illinois State University Normal, Illinois North Central Active
Louisiana Gamma 1974 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, Louisiana Southwest Active
Tennessee Beta 1976 University of Tennessee at Martin Martin, Tennessee Southeast Inactive
Texas Delta March 26, 1977 West Texas A&M University Canyon, Texas South Central Inactive [19][lower-alpha 8]
Alabama Carver 1979 Alabama A&M University Huntsville, AL Southeast Inactive
Murray 1981 Murray State University Murray, KY Southeast Inactive
Mount Berry 1987 Berry College Mount Berry, Georgia Southeast Active
Oklahoma Beta 1989 Oklahoma Panhandle State University Goodwell, Oklahoma Southwest Active
Western Kentucky 1991 Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY South Central Inactive
California Eta 2004 California State University, Chico Chico, California Western Active
Louisiana Delta 2023 (Colony) Southern University Baton Rouge, LA Southeast Active
  1. Chapter was named for Norton Townshend, professor, and trustee of Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Ohio State).
  2. Chapter was named after George E. Morrow, the first dean of the University of Illinois College of Agriculture.
  3. Chapter formed from the Berkshire Club (local). It joined Alpha Zeta with the assistance of Dr. C. P. Bull. The chapter was named to recognize Bull's leadership in The Grange, a progressive farm organization.
  4. Chapter was named in honor of James Wilson, the first professor of agriculture and the first director of the Agricultural Experiment Station at the Iowa Agricultural College. He was also a U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
  5. Chapter named for Dr. Steven Babcock who developed a ground-breaking butterfat test while teaching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  6. This chapter went defunct when the agriculture program was moved to another branch of the University of California system.
  7. Chapter named for Cook College, a division of Rutgers.
  8. Chapter formed from the Alpha Zeta Club (local), established in 1968.

Notable members
Named Chapter and year Notability References
George Aiken Green Mountain 1956 (Honorary) horticulturist, Governor of Vermont, U.S. Senate [12]
Alfred Atkinson agronomist, President of Montana State University, and president of University of Arizona [20]
Robert C. Baker Cornell 1943 Inventor of the chicken nugget and professor emeritus of Food Science at Cornell University [21]
Leon Dexter Batchelor horticulture professor and director of the University of California Citrus Experiment Station [22]
Ezra Taft Benson 1953 (Honorary) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture [23]
John Rusling Block U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Norman Borlaug Nobel laureate [24]
Edgar B. Brossard college professor; economist; and chair of the U.S. Tariff Commission [23][25][26]
Lester R. Brown Cook founder of the Earth Policy Institute
Earl Butz Purdue 1931 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture [23]
Herman Cain former chairman and CEO of Godfather's Pizza
Elbert N. Carvel Lieutenant Governor of Delaware and fertilizer manufacture [23]
Arthur B. Chapman (Honorary) Animal genetic researcher
Walter Clore (Honorary) Father of the Washington wine industry
John Eliot Coit North Carolina horticulture professor specializing in avocado, citrus and carob [27]
Dwight D. Eisenhower Morrill (Honorary) President of the United States [28]
Arthur Rose Eldred Cornell 1916 Agriculturalist, first Eagle Scout recognized by the Boy Scouts of America
Orville Freeman 1962 (Honorary) Governor of Minnesota, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Dan Glickman U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; president of the Motion Picture Association of America
John A. Hannah president of Michigan State College [23]
Clifford M. Hardin Purdue 1953 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture [29]
Otto Frederick Hunziker Purdue pioneer in the dairy industry, educator, and technical innovator [30]
William Marion Jardine Kansas 1911 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, agronomist and president of Kansas State Agricultural College [23]
W. Pat Jennings Virginia 1941 United States House of Representatives [23]
Edwin Jackson Kyle Cornell 1902 U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala and namesake of Texas A&M's Kyle Field
Jerry Litton United States House of Representatives [23]
Richard Lugar (Honorary) United States Senator [31]
Richard Lyng Wilson 1974 (Honorary) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture [32]
Al Maeder La Grange Professional football player [33]
Ron Micheli Wyoming director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and Wyoming House of Representatives [34]
Gerald A. Miller Virginia agronomist, professor, and associate dean emeritus at Iowa State University [35]
Robert B. Patterson Mississippi football player, planter, and founder of the first Citizens' Councils [10]
Stanley M. Powell farmer and Michigan House of Representatives [23]
Roland Renne Cook economist and president of Montana State College - Bozeman [23]
Scott Rivkees Cook Surgeon General of Florida
Richard Rominger California Davis Deputy Secretary of Agriculture (1993-2001) [36]
Albert Schatz Cook microbiologist and co-discoverer of streptomycin [37]
Robert W Scott Governor of North Carolina [23]
Bob Sikes United States House of Representatives [23]
Mark G. Thornburg Secretary of Agriculture of Iowa [23]
Victor A. Tiedjens Babcock horticulturist, agronomist, biochemist, and soil chemist [38]
Selman Waksman California Alpha Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, microbiologist, and co-discoverer of streptomycin [39]
Henry A. Wallace Wilson 1908 Vice President of the United States, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Secretary of Commerce [40]
Henry Cantwell Wallace 1922 (Honorary) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Herbert John Webber Nebraska plant physiologist, professor, and first director of the University of California Citrus Experiment Station
James Wilson Wilson (Honorary) U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, academic [15]
M. L. Wilson Wilson 1907 Agronomist, professor, and Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture [41]
Kenneth E. Wing Cornell 1958 President of State University of New York at Cobleskill
Dale E. Wolf Nebraska Lieutenant Governor of Delaware and temporary Governor of Delaware [23]
Clayton Yeutter Nebraska 1950 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture [42][43]

See also

References
  1. "Alpha Zeta". Louisiana Tech University. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  2. https://alphazeta.org/About-AZ/High-Council
  3. "AZ History". Alpha Zeta. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  4. "Collection: Alpha Zeta Fraternity, LaGrange Chapter records | University of Minnesota Archival Collections Guides". Library of University of Minnesota. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  5. Anson, Jack and Marchesani Jr., Robert F. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, vol. 20. Indianapolis: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc., .p V72.
  6. Robson, John, ed. (1963). Baird's Manuel of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 645-656
  7. "History". Alpha Zeta Morrow Chapter. 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  8. Zeta, Alpha (June 1916). The Quarterly of Alpha Zeta – via Google Books.
  9. Quarterly of Alpha Zeta. 1959 – via Google Books.
  10. Reveille. Mississippi State University Libraries. Mississippi State University. 1943. p. 224 – via Internet Archive.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. "The Founding of the Alpha Zeta Fraternity". Student Organization Database | Iowa State University. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  12. "Alpha Zeta Picks Wallace". The Burlington Free Press. Burlington, Vermont. 1966-03-14. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-07-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. "Alpha Zeta Chapters". Alpha Zeta. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  14. Shepardshon, Francis W., ed. (1927). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (11th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: George Banta Publishing Company. p. 318 – via Google Books.
  15. "The Wilson Chapter". Student Organization Database | Iowa State University. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  16. "Texas A&M Alpha Zeta". Texas A&M Alpha Zeta. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  17. "Cal Epsilon Chapter at CSU-Fresno | Alumni News". Alpha Zeta. November 29, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  18. 1967 Sequel Yearbook, page 184
  19. "Alpha Zeta Has Initiation Rites". The Canyon News. Canyon, Texas. 1977-03-31. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-07-11 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. Who's Who in American Education. Hattiesburg, Miss.: Who's Who in American Education, 1936. p. 24.
  21. "Robert Baker Obituary (2006) - Ithaca, NY - Ithaca Journal". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  22. "Leon Dexter Batchelor, Horticulture: Riverside | University of California: In Memoriam". University of California, Davis Library. 1959. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  23. "Alpha Zeta Politicians". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  24. "DR. NORMAN E. BORLAUG'S CURRICULUM VITAE". www.agbioworld.org. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  25. "Edgar Bernard Brossard papers". Archives West. Orbis Cascade Alliance. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  26. "Edgar Bernard Brossard". Church History Biographical Database. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  27. "John Eliot COit" (PDF). California Avocado Society Yearbook. 48: 19–20. 1964.
  28. "President Dwight D. Eisenhower- an Honorary Morrill Chapter Member?". Morrill Chapter of Alpha Zeta at Penn State. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  29. "Clifford M. Hardin, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Papers". Archives & Special Collections |University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  30. Bailey, L. H., ed. (September 1920). RUS: A Register of the Rural Leadership in the United States and Canada (2nd ed.). Ithaca, New York: L. H. Bailey. pp. 234–235 – via Google Books.
  31. Senator Richard G. Lugar (1932-2019)
  32. Selected Speeches and News Releases By United States. Department of Agriculture. Office of Public Affairs (1989- )
  33. "Marriage of Laughlin / Maeder". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1928-05-06. p. 42. Retrieved 2023-07-12 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. "Agriculture Fraternity Holds Honors Banquet",Casper Star Tribune 1970, May 9
  35. "Gerald Miller: Serviceman, Scholar, Hokie | VT Stories". Virginia Tech. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  36. Richard and Evelyne Rominger Receive UC Davis Medal
  37. "National Agricultural College Establishes Research Laboratory". Albert Schatz PhD. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  38. Tegtmeyer, Gamber F., ed. (1924). The Badger. Junior Class of the University of Wisconsin. p. 410 – via Google Books.
  39. "Selman A. Waksman" (PDF). Karger Publishers. p. 131. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  40. Culver, John C.; Hyde, John (2000). American dreamer : the life and times of Henry A. Wallace. Internet Archive. New York : Norton. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-393-04645-8 – via Internet Archive.
  41. "Wilson, M. L. (Milburn Lincoln), 1885-1969". Social Networks and Archival Context. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  42. "Clayton K. Yeutter, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Papers". Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. Retrieved 2023-07-11.
  43. Tribute to Dr. Clayton Yeutter
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