HISTORY
Fraternity History
Beta Upsilon Chi was formed at The University of Texas at Austin in the spring of 1985 by a handful of Christian men who desired an alternative to the present fraternal lifestyle. A group of Christian men met and planned the “BYX Island Party” to formally announce the fraternity’s founding. It was the vision of the founding fathers to have a fraternity of committed Christian men, based on the unique brotherhood that a Christian atmosphere affords, for the purpose of fellowship and glorification of Jesus Christ. Through such events as parties, service projects, and evangelical outreaches, the charter members of Beta Upsilon Chi chose to unite in fellowship and glorify Jesus Christ on the University of Texas campus.
Chapter History
Though the vision for a Christian fraternity at Vanderbilt University came from one man, it was a group of men who sought God’s will for their lives, their campus, and the Fraternity, and who brought Nu Chapter to life.
D.E. Barker of Tennessee, Class of ’05, called an Organizational Meeting for a Christian fraternity on February 12, 2003. The meeting, held in the Sarratt Student Center’s Cinema, was well attended, and the men who would become the potential chapter elected their first officers: Barker as president; Wesley Whitaker of Texas, Class of ’05, as vice-president; Dustin Whittier of Georgia, Class of ’04, as treasurer; Nathan Hayes of Florida, Class of ’05, as secretary; Tyler Fiveash of Tennessee, Class of ’05, as pledge captain, and Robert Matz of Georgia, Class of ’05, as chaplain.
The men of the would-be chapter, at the advice of the national director of the Fraternity, began meeting together weekly in order to see that their goal-the establishment of a Beta Upsilon Chi chapter at Vanderbilt-would be accomplished by the Fall of 2003.
Faithful to His will, God granted the men activation on May 7, 2003. As the thirteenth chapter of the Beta Upsilon Chi, Nu became the first chapter of the Fraternity east of the Mississippi River and only the second outside of the state of Texas.
Today, Nu continues to strive to achieve the purpose of BYX-and to become the fraternity of choice for men of Faith at Vanderbilt.
Founding Fathers
Mark Halling, Nathan Hayes, D.E. Barker, Matt Parker, Michael Staff, Tyler Fiveash, John Paul Penrod, David Ratliff, Robert Matz, Todd Dahmann, Jacob Johnson, Eric Alexander, Dustin Whittier, Chris Townsend, David Bachman, Frank Merendino, Jesse Chandler, Clark Dumas, Andrew Stephens, Brad Boldizar, Sean Cofoid, Scott Williams, Matt Malony, Zach Mosayebi, Stan Sonu, Philip Storey, Ben Schellack, Bennett Walton, Wes Whitaker, Chris Song