The Beta House
Rugby Road Saga The story of the Beta house at the University of Virginia Old Dominion. Mother of Presidents. The Commonwealth of Virginia. Whichever name you prefer, historic Virginia hosts one of the oldest universities and Beta chapters in North America.
In fact, it was the first-ever professor of architecture at the University of Virginia who designed the Virginia Beta house in 1926. The Omicron Chapter occupied that house for more than 40 years . . . until fire and scandal struck Rugby Road. Beta’s rivals and next-door neighbors Delta Upsilon lost their house to an unexplained fire over the summer of 1969. Contrary to UVA legend, “there were no flaming arrows,” according to one prominent Beta alum; DU simply purchased the property after Beta (unrelatedly) lost its charter in 1972. Beta Bridge, an integral and revered university feature on Rugby Road, was usurped. Luckily, nothing lasts forever . . .
180 Rugby Road today
In 2009, two years after recolonization efforts attracted 55 men to rebuild Beta at UVA, the house corporation led by Tim Akers ’82 and Garrett Smith ’84 negotiated a deal with the DU alumni to repurchase the original Beta house — and magically earn DU a brand new house, debt free.
180 Rugby Road dated 1927-1933 featuring “Beta,” the university’s first mascot. Welcomed at school dances and lectures alike, he was a treasured member of the student body. Beta attended a Plato course at Cabell Hall so frequently, his name was called in the roll and he would bark out his presence.
“My goodness. What’s next? Turning around the U.S. economy? Global warming? That’s a very impressive deal you’ve negotiated. Well done.” — Chris Bierly ’86
Akers, Smith and the house corporation faced a complex choice: to do a “band-aid type renovation,” or undertake a complete modernization. The team went all-in, stripping 180 Rugby “down to the timbers . . . rewiring, replumbing and in some aspects reconfiguring the building to accommodate the needs of a larger, 21st century fraternity.” Thanks to diligent work, Beta Theta Pi has positioned itself securely on a well-known university thoroughfare, and has regained the guardianship of her dear Beta Bridge. — Geoff Lewis, UCLA ’09, geoff.lewis@ betathetapi.org
Cornerstone | Housing Program www.betathetapi.org
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