At the convention of 1879, Walter E. Dennison of Theta chapter took up the cause of pink and blue national colors, and through his efforts the colors of Theta chapter were adopted for the entire fraternity. Here is a description of that occasion excerpted from a letter written by Brother Dennison himself:
When I was initiated in Theta chapter there was, and had been for some years, in existence the very pretty custom of wearing small bows of pink and blue in very delicate shades. These bows were made up for the members by Beta girls and when any girl was eligible to be called a “Beta girl” by reason of attentions from the brothers, it was one of her privileges as well as a loving compliment to the fraternity to wear the pink and blue bow, if not the badge of the member. The distinction between the bow and the badge was considerable. A girl could wear the bow without particularly committing herself except in a complimentary way, but when she wore the badge it was an announcement of special preference for the owner of the badge. Who started the custom I cannot say, as it antedated my connection with the fraternity. Perhaps some of the older men could tell you.
We discovered our colors were used by only one other chapter of the fraternity, namely Delta chapter at DePauw University, then known as Indian Asbury. That was a mere coincidence of our respective chapters having the same colors. It had occurred to me to get that convention to adopt our colors for the General Fraternity. I had Wilcox’s hearty support and succeeded in getting the matter before the convention. Major Willys Ransome, one of the Silver Greys, strongly opposed our suggestion and endeavored to convince the members that royal purple or something of that sort would be much more suitable. He suggested he considered our choices a mark of effeminacy. When he hinted that opinion of our selection, it fired me up to the defense of the “Beta girls” and the lovely traditions that surrounded our Theta chapter colors. In the final speech during the discussion, I succeeded in imparting this enthusiasm to the convention and the colors were adopted with an Hurrah!
From the convention report in the Beta Theta Pi of 1879, come the following sentences:
Report of the committee on fraternity colors favored the adoption of delicate shades of pink and blue. After some warm discussion, convention concurred in report.
In another place in the same number:
How about that speech of Walter E. Dennison on the subject of fraternity colors. There are those who think it was about the neatest, and sweetest speech of the convention. It carried the point at any rate.
Brother Dennison went to Cincinnati “loaded” to secure the adoption of these colors, for as the motion to adopt these colors was being made, small bows of pink and blue were passed out to the delegates. The young lady who had made the colors into bows, through which much support was gained, later became Mrs. Walter E. Dennison.
And so it was that pink and blue came to be the colors of our great fraternity.
Editor’s Note: This article was the result of a suggestion of Brother Paul Nobis ’55 to Brother Ben Graham ’52 while at the chapter house at the March 1999 Fraternal Fifties ceremonies. The article was researched and abridged by Ben Graham ’52, from “The History of Theta Chapter of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity,” by Samuel Raymond Thornburg ’15. Part I of this story was published in the August 1999 issue of The Theta Data.
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