Gamma Delta Psi, a High School Fraternity founded at Hill House High School in New Haven, Connecticut. It was formed on April 13, 1879, by founders Walter Rawling Dann, Arthur Henry Jackson, Wylie Brantly Jones, and Alexander Jay Wurts.
The fraternity maintained chapters
all over the East Coast and Midwest.
This Fraternity was governed by a National President, National Secretary,
a Board of five apponted District Deputies and a National Board consisting
of one delegate from each chapter.
Bro. Wurts, the originator of the
fraternity was born, the fourth of five sons, in a little mining town of Carbondale,
Penna. in 1862. Shortly after his birth he was obliged to move to Europe with
his family and live in Nice, France during which time he became quite proficient
in French. On arriving back in the United States several years later, he was
educated at Yale University and Stephens Institute from which he was awarded
his Ph.D. and M.E. degrees respectively. He studied electrical engineering
in Berlin, Germany and obtained a position with the electrical research laboratories
of the Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Company in 1887. He worked
with George Westinghouse on the development of the Nernst Lamp. For this notable
achievement, Bro. "Wurts was awarded the John Scott Medal and also for
his inventions in lightning arrestors and non-arcing metals. Through his association
with Mr. Westinghouse, he became acquainted with Andrew Carnegie and was appointed
the first faculty member at the Carnegie Institute of Technology as head of
the Electrical Engineering Department. That same year he was awarded the Gold
Medal from St. Louis' World Fair for his scientific development of the Nernst
Lamp. He became head of the Student Welfare Committee at "Tech"
and established a bursary fund also. In January, 1932 after two weeks illness
due to typhoid fever he died at his home in Pittsburgh, Penna.
Bro. Dann #1c was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1861. He graduated from
Hill House High School and entered Yale University later. Presently he went
to New York City where he was employed by the Compagnue Haitienne, a large
dye and chemical concern. He managed the firm's logwood plantation at Port
De Paix, Haiti until his death in 1910. To all who knew him he was a man of
sterling uprightness, simple in tastes, but high in ideals. He was ever a
good fellow and with his death, Gamma Delta Psi suffered a great loss.
Number 2c was Arthur H. Jackson, born in 1863 at New Haven, Connecticut. He
entered Yale University but left shortly afterward in 1881 to take a position
with O. B. North and Company in New Haven, a saddlery and carriage hardware
firm. Five years later he joined the staff of F S. Bradley and Company and
was soon a member of the newly organized Buckingham, Clark and Jackson Company.
He left them and travelled with Decature and Hopkins Symphony Orchestra in
which Bro. Wurts and himself played a coronet and was conductor of New Haven
Orchestral Club for twelve years. Bro. Jackson was also quite active in the
choir of St. Paul's Church in New Haven and was fifty-year member of the Masons.
Last, but not least, Bro. Jones #3c was born in 1862 at Hartford, Connecticut. Some years later his family moved to New Haven where Bro. Jones received his education. Graduating from Hill House High School in 1881 and Yale in 1883. He obtained a position as stenographer with the Wells-Richardson Company, a large drug manufacturing concern. He resigned in 1900 and went to work for Wyckoff, Seaman and Benedict, distributors of the Remington Typewriter. He was with them for a few years and then designed to organize his own business under the name of Wylie B, Jones Advertising Agency. He later had branches in London, Paris and Sydney, Australia. He died at his home in February, 1919, after a short illness. Bro. Jones was well known in the advertising world and was considered one of the foremost advertising authorities. He was active in the launching of several World War I campaigns and his generosity to public charities was recognized by all.
According to our records Omega Eta Tau Fraternity is the oldest high school fraternity in the country having been organized in 1859. Alpha Zeta was founded in 1869, the same by Sigma Psi and Pi Phi. In 1879, Gamma Delta Psi was founded; therefore standing eight in the list of the oldest high school fraternities in the country to-day. By this time I am sure that I have destroyed all illusions that Gamma Delta Psi was the first high school fraternity to be founded in New England and can be classed among the "Fathers" of Secondary School Fraternities.
The growth of Gamma Delta Psi
throughout the eastern New England States was slow but sure. Presently the
idea of fraternity spread and many more Chapters were added to the Roll; but
into every life a little rain must fall and such was the case in the life
our now rapidly growing fraternity. Thirty-nine chapters had been chartered
from 1879 to 1925, almost one a year, but due to the anti-fraternity legislation
laws and the Great World War, Gamma Delta Psi was forced to stop her expansion
program and one by one the present Chapters slipped into obscurity, These
early years were the test and proof of our Fraternity; for they showed that
the principles on which the Fraternity was founded were fundamentally sound
and good. In 1950 there was a revival of the ambitious aim to make Gamma Delta
Psi a Grand National Fraternity. The total membership is well over 40,000
with over 80 chartered Chapters.
General information
• Gamma Delta Psi Colors: Garnet and Silver
• Flower: Red Carnation
• Yearbook: The Garnet and Silver
• Newspaper: The Grip
• Songs of Gamma Delta Psi - 1906
Prominent members
• Theodore Roosevelt
• Howard Taft
• General Douglas MacArthur
• Bernard Stroh
• Charles Seymour, past president of Yale University
• Judge John Gilson, State Controller of Civilian Defense for the State
of Connecticut and *Professor Wurts, a world renowned scientist - first Professor
at Carnegie Tech. and associate of George Westinghouse and Andrew Carnegie.
Most of the information found here comes from Wikipedia.
And lastly, my name is Bob Miller. I joined Gamma Delta Psi, Alpha Omega Chapter, October 29, 1967 in a cermony held at the Old Fort Inn, Youngstown, NY. Here lies my welcome to the faternity letter. Drop me an e-mail if you like at: bmiller_19@yahoo.com.