Historic Eras of the Alpha Psi Chapter

 Initiated OX Alpha Psi Brothers… by the Numbers

Since our founding in 1929 at the University of Maryland, we have initiated 1,974 OX Alpha Psi brothers.  Below are the numbers of initiates for each of the decades of our existence at UMD:

• 1929- 85 Brothers
• 1930s- 139
• 1940s- 209
• 1950s- 195
• 1960s- 135
• 1970s- 184
• 1980s- 358
• 1990s- 293
• 2000s- 151
• 2010s- 225
• 2020s- 20 (through F22)

United States Historic Eras

We have created new OX pledge classes at Maryland since 1929….even during significant times in United States history, to include:  

• Great Depression (August 1929-March 1933)… 147 brothers were initiated
• WWII Era (1941-1945)…91 brothers were initiated.
• Vietnam Draft (1964-1973) there were 141 brothers initiated.

History at University of Maryland

OX was alive and well at all the significant times of the history at the University of Maryland since 1929, to include:

• 1933:  Members of the UMD Class of 1933 donated the money for Testudo, the original campus statue of the diamondback terrapin that became the university’s mascot.  The 20 OX brothers initiated in 1933 probably were one of the first people to rub his nose for good luck.  I think that may be Slo in the picture rubbing Testudo’s nose in 1933.
• 1950:  Byrd Stadium (now Maryland Stadium) opened on Sept. 30, 1950, when Maryland’s football team defeated Navy 35-21 in the dedication game.  Some of the 20 brothers initiated in 1950 were probably at that game..
• 1953:  Maryland Football won the National Championship and the 28 OX brothers initiated that year probably ran nude around the Graham Cracker celebrating the big win.
• 1955:  Cole Field House was dedicated at a cost of $3.3 million. Maryland defeats Virginia, 67-55, on Dec. 2 in the first game in the new facility.  We had 20 brothers initiated in 1955 and some of those guys were sitting in the student section for that first game.
• 1957:  UMD President Wilson H. Elkins created one of the first Academic Probation Plans at a college campus. The first year the plan went into effect, 1,550 students at UMD (18% of the total student body) faced expulsion.  It just so happens that in 1957 we had one OX Alpha Psi brother expelled from the fraternity.
• 1972:  Hornbake Library opens as the Undergraduate Library.  The 17 brothers initiated that year probably did not know that the library existed.
• 2002:  Maryland Basketball won the National Championship and the first official men's game at Comcast Center (now Xfinity Center) was a 64-49 victory over Miami University (Ohio) on November 24, 2002. …17 brothers were initiated that year and some of them probably saw the Terps bball team in their new home.