A Different Kind of Brotherhood
We're building a fraternity where becoming better men matters more than looking like a fraternity.
What Brotherhood Should Mean
We want to enjoy college. That means close friends, nights out, traditions, and memories we'll talk about for years. But if that's all a fraternity offers, we're missing the point.
We want brothers who take their academics seriously, help one another find internships and careers, get involved on campus, meet people outside their usual circles, and have the confidence to become leaders. Just as importantly, we want brothers who can count on someone when life gets difficult.
No one becomes the best version of himself alone. Our goal is to build the kind of community that believes in each other enough to push each other forward.
The Nu Standard
Our History at Ohio State
Nu Chapter is founded at The Ohio State University.
Nu grows into a nationally recognized chapter, earning major awards.
Chapters of Phi Sigma Delta and Phi Epsilon Pi merge into Nu Chapter.
The original chapter era concludes.
Nu returns to Ohio State, beginning a new era.
The chapter earns renewed national recognition.
The second chapter era ends.
Nu Chapter returns to campus with a new founding generation.
We carry forward the tradition while building a culture of our own.
From 1898 to Today: The Story of ZBT
Zeta Beta Tau began on December 29, 1898, when Columbia University professor Richard J. H. Gottheil brought together Jewish students from New York City universities. At a time when Jewish students were excluded from many existing fraternities, the organization offered a place to belong. The society evolved into a collegiate fraternity in the early 1900s and expanded across the country.
In 1954, ZBT formally removed religious affiliation as a qualification for membership, opening its brotherhood to men of good character from all backgrounds while maintaining pride in its Jewish roots.
In 1963, the fraternity adopted its Credo: Intellectual Awareness, Social Responsibility, Integrity, and Brotherly Love.
Mergers with Phi Sigma Delta and Phi Epsilon Pi in 1969–1970 brought additional histories and traditions into the ZBT brotherhood.
In 1989, ZBT took another defining step: it abolished pledging and the idea of second-class members. Instead of requiring men to earn basic respect through a pledge period, it committed to welcoming them as brothers and developing them through education and shared experiences.
That's the part of the national story that means the most to us at Ohio State. A fraternity should be a place where you belong from the beginning and where belonging inspires you to grow.
Help Us Build the Next Era
Nu has a long history. But tradition isn't just what we inherit, it's what we choose to build. We want this chapter to be remembered for the men who came out of it, and for what those men did for others.
Meet the Leadership