Oxford, Ohio, February 13, 2009 — Beta Theta Pi Fraternity recently ended a three-week expansion project at Southern Methodist University, securing an astounding 59 new founding fathers to join Beta Theta Pi at the University.

Each year, Beta Theta Pi expands to some four to six campuses throughout North America. The selections are intentional and usually determined one to two years in advance. “It’s not like we’re throwing spaghetti against the wall and hoping something sticks,” stated Director of Expansion and Recruitment Phil Fernandez. “In our eyes, we want to be at the flagship public and premiere private universities, and are planning well in advance to make this happen.”

Beta Theta Pi focuses on recruiting quality men, a quality advisory team and cohesiveness in a group to live like men of principle when executing an expansion. “I was drawn to volunteer for Beta Theta Pi as Beta undergraduates are men who are truly dedicated to living principled lives,” advisor Jason Gomez commented.

The group of founding fathers consists of 24 freshmen, 15 sophomores, 15 juniors and five seniors. Stephen Beckert declared his reasons for joining the organization as an upper-classman, “As a junior, I hope to help re-establish a foundation of brotherhood, honesty and accountability that will inspire men to expect more of themselves." Successful expansions depend on junior and senior leadership to lead the young organization on campus in the right direction.

Beta Theta Pi is dedicated to building men of principle for a principled life. Our brotherhood aids the individual, builds the Fraternity and strengthens the host academic institution through lifelong devotion to intellectual excellence, high standards of moral conduct and responsible citizenship. The Fraternity, founded in 1839 at Miami University (Ohio), has more than 120,000 members including some 5,800 collegians on 122 campuses in the United States and Canada.

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For more information, please contact:
Phil Fernandez, Director of Expansion and Recruitment
Beta Theta Pi Foundation and Administrative Office
513-523-7591, ext. 249