The history of this chapter, Beta Tau, is rich and full of pride for its initiates.  Listen to what The ATΩ Story: The First Fifty Years has to say about Tennessee Beta Tau at Union University. . . "How the Murfreesboro chapter, Tennessee Iota, should be classified presents an interesting question.  With two classmates, Thomas T. Eaton, destined for highest honors in the Baptist Church, (former President of the Southern Baptist Convention) and the Fraternity, launched the chapter on November 15, 1867. Eaton was a professor at Union University there, founded by his father, and from the beginning the chapter met in the University's administration building, initiating students and townsmen.  In the fall of 1868, and thereafter it confined membership to students and so continued until the University was closed in 1873. Later the University was merged with the Southwestern Baptist University at Jackson, TN, where in 1894, the Fraternity established Tennessee Beta Tau.  This should have been called Tennessee Iota and deemed revival of the original Murfreesboro chapter, especially since in 1909 the institution again became Union University." 1 "In November, 1890, undergraduate William C. Keith, Cumberland, secured a charter for Beta Tau at the Southwestern Baptist University, now Union University, situated in his hometown, Jackson, TN. After he graduated, an opportunity to practice law in Seattle was offered to him and he departed for the West before organizing the chapter.  Charles P. Lowe, Cumberland, practicing law in Jackson, took the unfinished task, and established the chapter, February 28, 1894, assisted by his charter-mates, Herbert H. Raines and David C. McCandlass, a future Justice of the Kentucky Court of Appeals. The installation was duly reported in the April, 1894, Palm, but curiously enough, the 1894 Congress decreed withdrawal of the charter, notwithstanding that Beta Tau had nine active members on its rolls.  (The writer, a former Palm Editor, can testify that the peal of the Fraternity's official organ sometimes fell upon deaf ears.) The charter remained in force and the chapter has been a progressive and dependable member of the Alpha Tau Omega family."2 Edward James Shives, Worthy Grand Chief 1886 - 1894 1 Claude T. Reno, The ATΩ Story: The First Fifty Years. (1962: Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, Champaign, Illinois), p. 47 2 Ibid., p. 135 As you can see, Tennessee Beta Tau is old, stable, and filled with history.  Perhaps one of the most impressive facts about this chapter is that it has such a strong Alumni Association. One alumnus in particular donated $25,000 to the chapter for the building of the present lodge which bears his name;  The E.T. "Rocky" Palmer Lodge.  Another alumnus, Bobby Jelks, donated $5,000 to the same project. The startling fact is that both men donated their sums the same night at a Founder's Day banquet and that their enthusiasm spurred several more thousand dollars of contributions!  This chapter, as a direct result of this action, was able to build and pay for completely its present lodge in only five years! The lodge was completed in March of 1983, and totally paid off by Founder's Day of 1988. Did you realize that the same E.T. "Rocky" Palmer donated one million dollars for the construction of the Student Activities Center at Union University? Eaton, Jelks, and Wingo dorms are also named after our alumni.