{{Short description|American economics honor fraternity (1915–1963)}} {{Infobox fraternity | name = Omicron Delta Gamma | letters = {{lang|grc|ΟΔΓ}} | crest = | image_size = 160px | founded = {{start date and age|May 7, 1915}} | birthplace = University of Wisconsin | type = Honor society | affiliation = Independent | emphasis = Economics | scope = National | chapters = 36 | lifetime = 6,400 | nickname = Artus | country = United States | status = Merged | successor = Omicron Delta Epsilon | merge_date = January 1, 1963 }} '''Omicron Delta Gamma''' ('''{{Lang|grc|ΟΔΓ}}''') also known as '''The National Order of Artus''', was an American collegiate honor society for economics. It was established in 1915 by the merger of student economics organizations at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It expanded to include 36 chapters in the United States. In 1963, Omicron Delta Gamma merged with Omicron Chi Epsilon, a similar organization, to form Omicron Delta Epsilon.
== History == The '''Economics Society''' (aka The Order of Artus) was established by students at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin on June 6, 1913.<ref name="Bairds17" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":15">Gunther, William D. "[http://www.jstor.org/stable/43664745 The History of Omicron Delta Epsilon: The International Honor Society in Economics]." ''The American Economist,'' vol. 58, no. 2 (2013): 84-89. {{JSTOR|43664745}}</ref> It was sponsored by Thomas K. Urdahl, chairman of the department of economics.<ref name="Bairds17">{{Bairds17|pages=672-673}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Bairds12|url-page=636|section=Omicron Delta Gamma|page=604}}</ref><ref name=":15" /> At some point during its first two years, The Order of Artus began using the Greek letter name Omicron Delta Gamma.<ref name=":15" />
A similar organization, the '''Undergraduate Society of Economics''' formed at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in December 1913 and was sponsored by Professor F. W. Taussig.<ref name="Bairds17" /><ref name=":15" />
On May 7, 1915, the Economics Society and the Undergraduate Society of Economics merged to form The National Order of Artus (Omicron Delta Gamma), a men's honorary fraternity for economics.<ref name="Bairds17" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":15" /> Taussig and John R. Commons, a University of Wisconsin professor, oversaw the merger.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Omicron Delta Epsilon |url=https://www.brandeis.edu/economics/undergraduate/omicron.html |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=Brandeis University |language=en}}</ref> The purpose of Omicron Delta Gamma was "to encourage closer academic and social ties between honor students and faculty"<ref>{{Cite web |title=history of ODE |url=https://omicrondeltaepsilon.org/history-of-ode/ |access-date=2025-12-02 |website=Omicron Delta Epsilon}}</ref> and "the furtherance of the study of economics".<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=1917-03-28 |title=University Pick-Ups |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-university-pick/186095435/ |access-date=2025-12-02 |work=Iowa City Press-Citizen |pages=5 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
In 1916, chapters were organized at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Denver.<ref name="Bairds17" /> These were followed by a chapter at the University of Iowa in 1917.<ref name="Bairds17" /> Chapters were chartered at Vanderbilt University and the University of California in 1921.<ref name="Bairds17" /> The latter was organized by professors Ira B. Cross and Paul Schuster Taylor.<ref name="Bairds17" /> The fraternity held a national convention in Madison, Wisconsin, in May 1922.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1922-05-17 |title=Personals |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/iowa-city-press-citizen-personals/186095759/ |access-date=2025-12-02 |work=Iowa City Press-Citizen |pages=12 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
By 1930, Omicron Delta Gamma had established nine additional chapters.<ref name=":0" /> The organization's growth slowed during World War II, ultimately losing three chapters.<ref name="Bairds17" /> However, it added numerous chapters throughout the 1950s.<ref name="Bairds17" />
On January 1, 1963, Omicron Delta Gamma merged with Omicron Chi Epsilon, a similar organization established in 1955, to form Omicron Delta Epsilon.<ref name="Bairds17" /> At the time of the merger, the Omicron Delta Gamma honor fraternity had 28 active chapters, eight inactive chapters, and 6,400 initiates.<ref name="Bairds17" /><ref name=":15" />
== Symbols == The ritual of the Order of Artus borrowed from the legend of King Arthur (Artus).<ref name=":15" /> Three altars were used during the society's initiation ritual, including an altar of production, an altar of distribution, and an altar of valuation.<ref name=":15" /> After explaining the three alters, the master of the round table would tell the story of King Arthur.<ref name=":15" /> This included reading:<blockquote>Brothers, our fraternity is patterned after the Artus-hoffen of the medieval German cities. These societies were commercial city societies. The members were the rich merchants and public spirited men of the cities. The societies met frequently to deliberate on the economic and commercial welfare of the city. At the meeting, there was a small image of St. George slaying the dragon on the table. St. George was the patron saint of the society. This society was a branch of the Knights of the Round Table.<ref name=":15" /></blockquote>The badge of Omicron Delta Gamma was key that bore the Greek letters "{{Lang|grc|ΟΔΓ}}" on one side and, on the other side, the image of an arm rising from water with a sword under the word "Artus". This represented King Arthur's sword Excalibur, which was said to have been caught by an arm rising from the water when tossed into the sea.<ref name=":15" /> The side of the key with Greek letters allowed a blank space where the school and member's name could be engraved.<ref name=":0" />
In addition, the group held "round table" discussions.<ref name=":15" /> The officers of the Grand Chapter of Artus included the grand master of Artus, the grand master of the round table, a master of rolls, and a chancellor of the exchequer.<ref name=":15" /> The National Order of Artus also had a Grand Chapter of Artus. Its officers included the grand master of the round table, the grand master of the rolls, and the grand chancellor of the exchequer, collectively called the "Golden Triangle".<ref name=":15" /> The group's nickname was Artus.<ref name="Bairds17" />
== Membership == Membership in Omicron Delta Gamma was limited to juniors and seniors who were majoring in economics.<ref name=":0" /> In the 1930s, membership was further limited to those students who achieved a minimum academic standard in economics and their overall college work.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Order of Artus |url=https://www.stichtingargus.nl/vrijmetselarij/artus_en.html |access-date=2025-12-02 |website=www.stichtingargus.nl}}</ref> In 1958, this requirement was a 3.0 GPA after completing ten hours of advanced economics.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://digital.lib.miamioh.edu/digital/collection/p17240coll2/id/9058/ |title=Miami Recensio |publisher=Miami University |year=1958 |location=Oxford, Ohio |page=102 |via=Miami University Digital Collections}}</ref> Economics faculty members were also initiated into the society.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=1957-10-30 |title=Economics Unit in Organization |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/centre-daily-times-economics-unit-in-org/186095080/ |access-date=2025-12-02 |work=Centre Daily Times |location=State College, Pennsylvania |pages=10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
== Chapters == Following are the chapters of Omicron Delta Gamma.<ref name="Bairds17" /><ref name=":15" /> {{sticky-header}} {| class="wikitable sticky-header sortable" !Charter date and range !Institution !Location !Status !{{Refh}} |- |{{dts|May 7, 1915}} – January 1, 1963 |University of Wisconsin |Madison, Wisconsin |Merged |{{Efn|Chapter formed from the Economic Society (local), established in 1913.}}{{Efn|Became a chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, formed by the national merger of Omicron Delta Gamma and Omicron Chi Epsilon.|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |{{dts|May 7, 1915}} – c. 1930 |Harvard University |Cambridge, Massachusetts |Inactive |{{Efn|Chapter formed from the Undergraduate Society of Economics (local). It went inactive by 1930 due to "local conditions" which were against exclusive organizations.}} |- |1916 – January 1, 1963 |Washington University in St. Louis |St. Louis, Missouri |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1916 – before 1962 |University of Denver |Denver, Colorado |Inactive | |- |{{dts|March 1917}} – January 1, 1963 |University of Iowa |Iowa City, Iowa |Merged |<ref name=":3" />{{Efn|Chapter formed from the Economics Club (local).}}{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1921 – before 1962 |Vanderbilt University |Nashville, Tennessee |Inactive |{{Efn|Chapter was formed by the efforts of Professor M. G. Gordon.}} |- |1921 – before 1962 |University of California |Berkeley, California |Inactive |{{Efn|Chapter formed from the Economics Club (local) by professors Ira B. Cross and Paul Schuster Taylor.}} |- |1922 – before 1962 |Beloit College |Beloit, Wisconsin |Inactive | |- |{{dts|1927|6|7}} – before 1962 |DePauw University |Greencastle, Indiana |Inactive |<ref>[https://archive.org/details/mirage1929depa/page/n5/mode/2up Mirage Yearbook 1929 p271]</ref> |- |1937 – January 1, 1963 |George Washington University |Washington, D.C. |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1938 – before 1962 |University of California, Los Angeles |Los Angeles, California |Inactive | |- |1938 – January 1, 1963 |University of Pittsburgh |Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1939 – January 1, 1963 |University of Illinois |Urbana, Illinois |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1939 – January 1, 1963 |Creighton University |Omaha, Nebraska |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1941 – January 1, 1963 |University of Southern California |Los Angeles, California |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1948 – January 1, 1963 |Baylor University |Waco, Texas |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1952 – January 1, 1963 |Muskingum University |New Concord, Ohio |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1952 – January 1, 1963 |Miami University |Oxford, Ohio |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1952 – January 1, 1963 |New York University |New York City, New York |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1953 – January 1, 1963 |Macalester College |Saint Paul, Minnesota |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1953 – January 1, 1963 |University of Connecticut |Storrs, Connecticut |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1952 (1953 ?) – January 1, 1963 |Wichita State University |Wichita, Kansas |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1953 – January 1, 1963 |Pennsylvania State University |State College, Pennsylvania |Merged |<ref name=":4" />{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1954 – January 1, 1963 |Howard University |Washington, D.C. |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1958 – January 1, 1963 |Auburn University |Auburn, Alabama |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1958 – January 1, 1963 |Brigham Young University |Provo, Utah |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1958 – January 1, 1963 |University of Miami |Coral Gables, Florida |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1958 – January 1, 1963 |University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee |Milwaukee, Wisconsin |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1958 – January 1, 1963 |Kansas State University |Manhattan, Kansas |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1959 – January 1, 1963 |Fresno State College |Fresno, California |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1959 – January 1, 1963 |Southern Illinois University Carbondale |Carbondale, Illinois |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |{{dts|April 1961}} – January 1, 1963 |University of Southern Mississippi |Hattiesburg, Mississippi |Merged |<ref>{{Cite news |date=1961-04-28 |title=National Honorary Economics Society Installed at MSC |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/hattiesburg-american-national-honorary-e/186094746/ |access-date=2025-12-02 |work=Hattiesburg American |pages=20 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>{{Efn|Chapter was formed at Mississippi Southern College, which became the University of Southern Mississippi in 1962.}}{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1962 – January 1, 1963 |Kent State University |Kent, Ohio |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |- |1962 – January 1, 1963 |Northern Illinois University |DeKalb, Illinois |Merged |{{Efn|name=Omicron Delta Epsilon}} |} {{notelist}}
== Notable members ==
* Matthew Bucksbaum, cofounder of General Growth Properties * John R. Commons, institutional economist, Georgist, progressive and labor historian at the University of Wisconsin–Madison<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal |title=News and Notes |journal=The American Journal of Sociology |date=1927 |volume=32 |issue=5 |page=827 |doi=10.1086/214244 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=":15" /> * Ira B. Cross, institutional economist at the University of California, Berkeley<ref name="Bairds17" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ira B. Cross |url=https://www.hetwebsite.net/het/profiles/cross.htm |access-date=2025-12-02 |website=The History of Economic Thought (HET) Website}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Collier |first=Irwin |date=2015-12-04 |title=Berkeley. Ira B. Cross memoir, Portrait of an Economics Professor, 1967 |url=https://www.irwincollier.com/1797-2/ |access-date=2025-12-02 |website=Economics in the Rear-View Mirror |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cross, Ira B. (Ira Brown), 1880- |url=https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/who/Cross,%20Ira%20B.%20(Ira%20Brown),%201880- |access-date=2025-12-02 |website=The Online Books Page |publisher=The University of Pennsylvania |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":15" /> * Frank R. Strong, dean of the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 November 1952 |title=Strong Named Dean of College of Law |url=https://osupublicationarchives.osu.edu/?a=d&d=LTN19521118-01.2.2&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- |access-date=December 2, 2025 |work=The Lantern |page=1 |via=The Ohio State University Libraries}}</ref> * F. W. Taussig, economist and chair of economics at Harvard University<ref name="Bairds17" /><ref name=":15" /> * Paul Schuster Taylor, progressive agricultural economist and professor at the University of California, Berkeley<ref name="Bairds17" /> * Walter E. Williams, economist, radio commentator, and professor of economics at George Mason University<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 1947 |title=Dr. W. E. Williams Strike Arbitrator in North Carolina |url=https://digital.library.ncat.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1103&context=atregister |access-date=December 2, 2025 |work=The Register |publisher=North Carolina A&T State University |page=6 |via=Aggie Digital Collections and Scholarship}}</ref>
== See also ==
* Honor society * Professional fraternities and sororities
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:1915 establishments in Wisconsin Category:1963 disestablishments in the United States Category:Student organizations established in 1915 Category:Merged honor societies Category:Economics organizations Category:Fraternities and sororities in the United States Category:Student organizations disestablished in 1963