History of Ο Δ Ε

Omicron Delta Epsilon, one of the worlds largest academic honor societies, was created in 1963 through the merger of two honor societies, Omicron Delta Gamma and Omicron Chi Epsilon. At the time of their merger both societies had 28 chapters. Omicron Delta Gamma's chapters were primarily in the Midwestern and Pacific states while the chapters of Omicron Chi Epsilon were concentrated at Colleges and Universities along the Eastern Seaboard and in Texas.

Omicron Delta Gamma (The Order of Artus) was founded in 1915 by John R. Commons, University of Wisconsin and Frank Taussig, Harvard University through the union of the economics societies of their Universities. The intent of the society was the encouragement of a closer academic and social relationship between honor students and faculty on an informal basis, facilitating the exchange of information and views.

Omicron Chi Epsilon was the younger of the two organizations but of equal chapter strength at the time of the merger, having been founded in 1955 by Alan A. Brown while he was a student at City College of New York. From its inception, the Society sought to provide means not only to confer suitable honors on the more promising students but also to encourage scholarship by organized meetings at conferences and through the publication of its official journal.