This semester, Mississippi State University has become the newest campus to host a chapter of Beta Theta Pi, one of the nation’s oldest fraternities. Founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, the organization’s expansion to MSU completes its presence across the Southeastern Conference
The chapter, the newest fraternity started on campus since 2012, joins more than 140 Beta Theta Pi chapters across North America. The fraternity emphasizes integrity, academic achievement and community service through its motto — Men of Principle.
Renfroe Riley, a sophomore landscape architecture major and founding member of the MSU chapter, said the group aims to reflect those values on campus.
“We at Beta pride ourselves in being Men of Principle, and we try to live every day with integrity and honor,” Riley said. “We strive to have excellent academic performance and always help the community when we can.”
Founded on ideals of mutual assistance and intellectual growth, Beta Theta Pi has historically included educators, lawmakers and university leaders among its members. The fraternity’s expansion to MSU began earlier this year through national recruitment efforts.
Nearly one-quarter of MSU students participate in fraternity and sorority life, according to university statistics. Riley said MSU’s close-knit atmosphere made it the perfect place for Beta’s newest chapter to begin.
“I think Mississippi State is a special place for a million reasons, but its Greek Life, the environment of it, the culture of it, is very special,” Riley said. “There is a lot that Beta can learn from it.”
Since launching, the group has focused on recruitment and establishing chapter operations, including philanthropy planning and community outreach. Fraternity “Founding Father” Jayden Twilley, an undeclared freshman, said the most rewarding part of starting the chapter has been watching the brotherhood form from the ground up.
“Seeing how much we’ve grown together as a chapter,” Twilley said. “Even though we started from the ground up, we’ve built something that actually means something to people, a brotherhood that’s based on genuine connection and accountability, not just a name or letters.”
Launching a new fraternity at a large university presents its own set of challenges. Sophomore aerospace engineering major Brett Poe, a founding member and the chapter’s understudy secretary, said that gaining recognition and interest has been one of the biggest obstacles.
“The main challenges, I would say, are getting our name and message out to everyone,” Poe said. “A majority of the fraternity never considered that Greek Life was for them. It’s very difficult to get the news about ourselves out to the campus.”
Despite those challenges, Beta’s early members have found ways to connect through service and shared values. The group has focused on outreach, encouraging students who might not see themselves in traditional Greek life to find a place within Beta’s principles of friendship, scholarship and moral integrity.
For the founding members, this is not just about starting a fraternity — it is about creating a culture that reflects both Beta’s national ideals and MSU’s family-centered spirit.
“Even though it’s hard work, it’s worth it,” Twilley said. “We’re creating something that will be here long after we’re gone.”
