 Alpha Theta was founded as a local fraternity named Iota Sigma Upsilon on March 3 , 1920 , by a group of seven students . In 1921 the fraternity received a charter as the Alpha Theta chapter of Theta Chi . John Sloan Dickey , later president of the college , joined the fraternity in 1928 and was elected house president only two weeks later , while still a pledge . Nine brothers of Theta Chi died in a tragic accident on the morning of February 25 , 1934 , when the metal chimney of the building 's old coal furnace blew out in the night and the residence filled with poisonous carbon monoxide gas . Alpha Theta was one of the first collegiate fraternities in the United States to break from its national organization over civil rights issues . In 1951 , while Dickey served as president of the college , the student body passed a resolution calling on all fraternities to eliminate racial discrimination from their constitutions . The Theta Chi national organization 's constitution contained a clause limiting membership in fraternity to " Caucasians " only . On April 24 , 1952 , the members of the Dartmouth chapter voted unanimously to stop recognizing the racial clause in Theta Chi 's constitution . Upon learning that the Dartmouth delegation to Theta Chi 's national convention later that year planned to raise questions about the clause , the Alpha Theta chapter was derecognized by the national organization on July 25 , 1952 . The house reincorporated as a local fraternity and adopted the name Alpha Theta . Alpha Theta was also one of the first all @-@ male fraternities to admit female members . In 1972 , Dartmouth admitted the first class of female students and officially became a coeducational institution . Alpha Theta also voted to become coeducational . After a few years , most of the women in the fraternity had become inactive and the house voted to become single @-@ sex male @-@ only again on November 10 , 1976 . The house returned to a coeducational membership policy in 1980 . 
