In 1997, Phi Delta Theta made a decision that would forever shape its future: the move to alcohol-free housing. At the time, it was groundbreaking territory that no other fraternal organization of our size had forged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some, it was controversial. For us, it was defining. Twenty-five years later, the students of today have never known Phi Delta Theta any other way. To reflect on this transformative moment, we sat down with members across generations\u2014undergraduates, chapter leaders, alumni volunteers, and staff\u2014each offering a unique perspective on what this change meant for them and for the Fraternity as a whole. Together, their stories capture how the entire organization played a role in shaping the organization we know today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe saw that 75 percent of our undergraduates were underage. And what we were doing as a fraternity and as a Greek system, we were providing places for them to break the law. And we decided that that wasn\u2019t something we wanted to do. Fraternities and sororities are the only organizations on a college campus that have a pledge or take an oath to be better than the average student. And so we felt that there was something better out there. We wanted to provide a better opportunity, a better chance for learning what the Fraternity is all about, rather than having alcohol be the important factor.\u201d
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\u2014Bob Deloian, General Council President, 1996\u201398<\/p>\n\n\n\n