ALPHA ZETA
University of California, Los Angeles

FOUNDED ON
6.26.1926

LOCATION
Los Angeles, CA

HISTORY
In 1919, the University of California took over the former Los Angeles Normal School on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles to operate as the University of California Southern Branch and provide lower division course work of University quality in Southern California. Interest and support quickly grew and upper division work was added. The institution became the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and awarded its first Bachelors Degrees in 1923. UCLA moved to its current Westwood Campus in 1929.

Tau Nu Lambda was organized in 1923 and recognized by the IFC on March 24, 1924. The name of the local group was based on the chapter designations of alumni of the Tau Chapter at Stanford, Nu Chapter at the University of California, Berkeley, and Lambda Chapter at Columbia University, who fostered and guided the colony. From its inception, Tau Nu Lambda had the objective of obtaining a charter in Alpha Sigma Phi.

On June 26, 1926, the group was installed by Grand Junior President Benjamin Clarke, Michigan ‘1910, as Alpha Zeta of Alpha Sigma Phi. One hundred and thirty six Alpha Sig’s attended the installation banquet at the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel. 

The Chapter’s original house was on New Hampshire Street, near the Vermont Avenue Campus of UCLA. A lot at 626 Landfair Avenue, Westwood, was obtained and in 1930, Alpha Sigma Phi became the first fraternity with a chapter house completed at the new UCLA Campus. Alpha Zeta’s annual Beachcomber Party was the oldest annual fraternity party at UCLA. In the early 1950’s, a swimming pool was installed at the 626 Landfair Avenue house.

The chapter newsletter was “The Oak.” The Chapter hosted the 1932 and 1968 National Conventions. Due to low membership and the anti-establishment sentiments of the Vietnam War era, the Chapter closed in 1973.

In April 1983, Brian King, Washington ‘79, assisted local alumni and Fraternity Staff in recruiting a new colony. The Chapter was re-chartered in October 1984, with Donald Morgan, Purdue ‘57, Edmund Hamburger, NY Polytechnic ‘45, and Robert Sheehan, Westminster ‘76, representing the Fraternity Staff. In 1985, the Chapter obtained rental housing at 525 Landfair Avenue. The Chapter also operated an annex immediately south of their chapter house for a short time in the early 1990’s.

The Chapter won the Alpha Gamma Upsilon Award in 1990. John R. Hoyt, UCLA ‘29, is a “Third Founder” of Alpha Sigma Phi, the first single alumnus to pledge over $100,000 to the Alpha Sigma Phi Foundation, was a Frank F. Hargear key winner, and was the Grand Chapter Advisor of the Alpha Zeta Chapter. Donald Durward, UCLA ‘61, Jim Cordi, UCLA ‘63, and Lloyd Campbell, UCLA ‘56, were long time leaders of the Alpha Zeta Alumni Corporation. Todd Harris, UCLA ‘87, and David Gatzke, UCLA ‘89, served on the Fraternity Staff and Gatzke also served on the staff of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) and as one of the first members of the national board for CLVEN, LLC. Twenty-two alumni of the chapter have received the Delta Beta Xi Award. The Chapter initiated 625 men through April 1993.

CHAPTER AWARDS
Records show award name and year(s) received.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Records show brother's name, initiation year, and award received.