OMEGA DELTA PHI NATIONAL HISTORY

Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc. was founded on November 25, 1987 on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The seven founders consisted of Joe Cereceres, Eugene Dominguez, Elliott Bazan, Christopher Dwight Forbes, Arturo Barraza, Juan Barraza, and Tommy Hurtado. As a fraternity, we recognize our first graduate Advisor, Hector Jerry Holguin and faculty advisors Herman Garcia, Frank Silvas, Camilo Martinez and Paula Parras. The fraternity was founded originally to be a service fraternity which primarily focused on the Hispanic community (since there was no organization focusing on assisting this particular group in Lubbock). The traditional vision of our Founders and the many Brothers in our Fraternity grew the mission to include attracting and accepting any willing, qualified, man to join our organization.

In the spring semester of 1988 the founders initiated its first pledge class of twelve men. The founders gave the distinction of charter members to this first class to commemorate its introduction asthe fraternity’s first active member class.

The founding fathers realized the need for a diverse fraternal organization to allow any man to experience a fraternal brotherhood while providing service to the community. This new concept was shared at other campuses which started the expansion process. The second chapter was founded in the spring of 1989 on the campus of University of Texas in El Paso. The fraternity held its first national conference in the fall of 1991 on the campus of Texas Tech University to bring together the first four chapters and colony (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon colony) to discuss the initial process of forming a national organization. Arturo Barraza was the original National Chairman; Fred Pecina and Jorge Rodriguez were the original National Charter Members representatives for Texas Tech. The other entities each also had two representatives which completed the first National Council. These semi annual meetings occurred at various campuses each semester until 1999. The Board of Directors was formed in 1996 with the emerging of alumni who were interested in organizing the next branch of structure for the fraternity.

Our fraternity has grown to represent all types of races; that is the evolutionary vision of our Founders. With this evolution, we welcome the growing opportunities to expand across the United States and beyond. Our Brotherhood has the strongest of desires to positively affect as many lives as possible. With this goal, we intend to both benefit our fraternal members and the many individuals we have crossed paths with though Service.