UMass Amherst - Origin & History

phi sigma delta history at umass

Based on the notes in our photo albums, our memory of events and info on the ZBT site, we find that the old 18 bed house on N. Pleasant Street was overflowing when the membership rose to 60 by 1969. We then moved across the street to the brick house with 48 beds and much more elbow room. Although the count rose to 87 the next year, this move pulled many brothers out of the dorms where recruiting is more successful. That change along with a general trend away from fraternities was the beginning of the drastic change in fraternity popularity on campus and across the country. 

To survive, we decided to go local in '71 and became Phi Sigma Delta. When that didn't work, a deal was struck with the QTV Alumni and we became QTV. QTV owned the house. It was the first fraternity at UMass and the only Roman lettered fraternity in the US.

As described in the ZBT text below, Phi Sigma Delta merged into ZBT in 1969. ZBT moved back on UMass campus in 1999. Stan K. contacted the new colony and established our new relationship with the active brotherhood. We are now an active Alumni under the Phi Sigma Delta UMASS heading.