EPSILON DELTA
University of Maryland

FOUNDED ON
5.2.1998

LOCATION
College Park, MD

HISTORY
The University was founded as Maryland Agricultural College in 1856. By 1998, enrollment was 33,000 including 24,000 undergraduates and 9,000 graduate students.

During the fall of 1996, four freshmen and one sophomore led by Ethan Kraus, Maryland ‘98, sought to found a new fraternity on campus that bucked the local trends towards hazing and lack of consistent gentlemanly behavior. After interviewing eight national organizations, Alpha Sigma Phi was chosen by Kraus due to strong interest in expanding to the campus and an enthusiasm for organic development of the group. Despite initial resistance from the campus and InterFraternity Council (IFC) thinking there was no need for a new fraternity, within three months of recruiting the group grew to 30 and was recognized as an interest group of Alpha Sigma Phi under the two-term presidency of Ryan Spiegel, Maryland ‘98. 

During the 1997 calendar year, the group was colonized and was recognized by the IFC on campus. The group of 50 brothers successfully submitted a petition to charter and became the Epsilon Delta Chapter on May 2, 1998. The Theta (Michigan) and American (Beta Chi) Chapters sent brothers to initiate the chapter. Initiation was held at the New Leaf Church in College Park, Maryland. 

The Chapter first used a residence located at 7504 Dickinson Avenue. The Chapter has since moved into it’s current residence, 9 Fraternity Row, in 2000. The house on the row sleeps over 30 members and is built in the Georgian style architecture similar to the rest of campus. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the house was held during the 2000 Grand Chapter and was led by then Chapter President Michael Burger, Maryland ‘98. Epsilon Delta’s roster currently contains more than 60 undergraduate brothers and over 380 alumni. 

Epsilon Delta won the IFC Chapter of the year twice in 2000 and 2001. The Chapter participated in the colonization/initiation ceremonies for a number of other Alpha Sig groups including: Salisbury, Albright, Penn State-Altoona, West Virginia Wesleyan, CW Post (never chartered) and George Mason. 

Ethan Kraus, Maryland ‘98, served on the Fraternity Staff and was Grand Chapter Advisor for the CW Post and Adelphi University groups. Seth Rosenzweig, Maryland ‘98, served as IFC Vice President in 1999. Aaron Kraus, Maryland ‘01 was University of Maryland Student Government Association President in 2004-05. Kevin Oxendine, Maryland ‘99, Eric Cantor, Maryland ‘00 and Joel Willcher, Maryland ‘01, served as Maryland Board of Regents Undergraduate members. Eric Swalwell, Maryland ‘01, was elected to Congress from the CA-15 in 2012.

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

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