A Guide to the Alpha Phi Omega, Tau Chapter Records
Finding aid prepared by Dept. Staff
University of Florida Smathers Libraries - Special and Area Studies Collections
March 2005
Descriptive Summary |
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| Creator: | Alpha Phi Omega. Tau Chapter (University of Florida) | |
| Title: | Alpha Phi Omega, Tau Chapter Records | |
| Dates: | 1931-1939 | |
| Abstract: | The collection includes APO publications, information on the origins of the fraternity, and correspondence. | |
| Extent: | 0.4 Linear feet. 1 Box. | |
| Identification: | Ms Coll. 52 | |
| Language(s): | English | |
Biographical/Historical Note
The Tau Chapter at the University of Florida is a chapter within a national college fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, that treasures its close association with the Boy Scouts of America. Organized in April of 1931 as the "Tau" chapter of a brotherhood extending from California to the East Coast, APO at UF began with just thirteen men, including cofounders Andrew R. Janson (installing officer) and W. G. Perry (first Grand Master), and in only five years expanded to a membership of forty-nine. The fraternity's early local success can be attributed to the spirit and energy of its brethren, all of whom were devoted to the "development of leadership and self-reliance" and the promotion of "the highest ideals of citizenship in the state and nation," to its emphasis on recruitment, at first restricted to Eagle Scouts then later targeted at scouts from lower ranks, and to the popularity the BSA enjoyed during the Depression Era (1930s) as a community service organization.
Scope and Content
This collection contains the records of the Alpha Phi Omega - Tau Chapter at the University of Florida. Individual file folders concern such topics as chapter beginnings, membership drives, finances and scholarships, the BSA, and APO biennial national conventions. The collection also includes the letters of President Henry Howison, Secretary Robert S. Cody, and letters to and from the fraternity's national headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.
Access or Use Restrictions
Access
The collection is open for research.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Alpha Phi Omega, Tau Chapter Records, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
For further information, please contact: Special Collections Access Services.
