Beta Theta Pi was founded on August 8, 1839, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Beta was the sixth modern fraternity to be founded and the first to be founded west of the Allegheny Mountains. The early years of the fraternity were marked by loose expansion and growing opposition to fraternities on the part of faculties. The first major victory in the "anti-fraternity war" was won by the Lambda Chapter of Beta Theta Pi by securing official recognition in 1850 at the University of Michigan. Beta Theta Pi weathered the great crisis of the Civil War. The enlistment of large numbers of our members in both the Union and Confederate armies divided our fraternity into two armed camps. In spite of the emotional pressure of the war, Beta is very proud to say that we lost no chapters as a result of the Civil War. Strong fraternity bonds helped to aid reconstruction in the South following the war and by 1872 Beta Theta Pi was expanding again.

Today Beta Theta Pi maintains 140 chapters on college campuses in the United States and Canada. Membership places us as one of the four largest fraternities nationwide. Notable Betas include astronaut Joseph P. Allen IV, DePauw '59, the former Prime Minister of Canada John N. W. Turner, British Columbia '49, the Chairman and founder of Wal-Mart Samuel M. Walton, Missouri '40, Hall of Fame third baseman Michael J. Schmidt, Ohio '71, and actor George W. Peppard, Purdue '52.

Cornell's association with Beta Theta Pi began in 1879. Alpha Sigma Chi fraternity merged with Beta Theta Pi in January of 1879, adding chapters at Rutgers, Stevens, St. Lawerence, Maine, and Cornell to the ranks of Beta Theta Pi. The Cornell Chapter became the Beta Delta of Beta Theta Pi. With this merger the fraternity which had originated in the West and invaded the South had captured the East also. Beta Theta Pi has maintained an uninterrupted presence at Cornell University ever since 1879. The Beta Delta chapter has produced many notable graduates including Adolph Coors Jr '09, Carl A. Kroch '35, Jon Lindseth '56, and Gustavo Vollmer '42. Currently the "Castle on the Rock" is concluding a renovation project which collected over one half million dollars in donations, giving the Beta Delta chapter amenities which no other fraternity on campus can match. Our philanthropy includes bringing the Children's Burn Awareness program to Ithaca elementary schools. Every aspect of the Beta Delta chapter's existence represents the essence of the principles of Beta Theta Pi, and not a day passes by when we all don't sit back and say, "Thank God I'm a Beta."