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smu ato question

by: jhg

Hi, I have a family member who was an ATO. What happened to the chapter (shut down in the 90s?) and what was its reputation? Top tier? Upper middle tier? Will ATO ever return?

Posted By: jhg
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#1  by: Past IFC Member   
#1    

ATO was shut down in 1983. Due to severe Pledge Hazing. One of the worst cases of Fraternity hazing in the history of the Greek system. Over half of each pledge class during this early 80's dropped or flunked out. The entire 1983 pledge class voluntarily walked-out and pledged other fraternities. The actives during this time were truly thugs. Many past pledges sued the fraternity.

By: Past IFC Member
by: Phi AlphaJul 1, 2013 10:23:56 AM

Above post is BS, I was an SAE in the early 90's, had roomates who were ATO's and they were in the top tier along with Phi Delt and SAE, no particular order. The Service House now was their house. Suspended in the mid '80's for two years, shut down in '95 for repeated alcohol and hazing violations. Hazing was bad, but it was for all back then. At least they didn't have to wear suits and carry bricks and brooms to class like we did. Nobody walked out and pledged other frats and nobody sued. Alums don't want a return, want to remember it for what it was and not be forced to take guys who now pledge Sig Ep.

By: Phi Alpha
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by: Oh ReallyJul 1, 2013 10:47:07 PM

As an IFC Council Member in 1983-84, we had about half of the ATO pledge class complain their pledge ship each week required 3-4 days of hardship, i.e. demeaning labor, sleep deprivation, abandonment in the countryside and other severe hazing. One of the worst cases of Fraternity hazing in the history of the Greek system.

Their failing semester grades during pledge ship required academic suspension. They petitioned the university for a waiver due to their hazing. Most were denied and their parents sued the Chapter. Most ATO's blamed the Chicago 9, a group of actives from Chicago who destroyed the fraternity with their evil abusive influence over the fraternity's activities.

ATO tried again in the late 80's early 90's but they recruited the same monstrous stereotypes and were expelled from SMU. Put a stake in it and keep it buried...

By: Oh Really
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by: ChipNov 26, 2017 9:57:45 PM

I was a member in that house that year and I can tell you it’s all BS. And also I know the bitter ATO that was instrumental in the pulling of the charter and he was a OSU ato not from SMU!

By: Chip
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#2  by: Really?   
#2    

Is there really someone on this site who graduated in the 90's

By: Really?
by: hahahaJul 8, 2013 12:40:13 PM

hahaha I though the same thing

carefully that could be you in 15 years...hopefully NOT

By: hahaha
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by: CarefulJul 8, 2013 10:45:40 PM

The 30-40s year old alumni are the most generous fraternal contributors than any other generational group. We do not want to piss them off. Let them vent and we should learn from them. They are us in 15 years....

The 1980's SMU ATO's were suspended then expelled a decade later. Documented alcohol abuse/poising, sleep deprivation each weekend and up to a full week during initiation, individual pledge countryside abandonment and off-campus demeaning labor for fraternity profit. All are felonies these days in Texas. Learn from the past or we are doomed to repeat it....

By: Careful
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by: HaSep 28, 2015 7:41:52 PM

Hilariois

By: Ha
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#3  by: lol   
#3    

I think all of the people responding are bs'ing

By: lol
#4  by: Wow   
#4    

So let me get this straight, someone from the 90s comes on here to post that, and then someone from the 80s comes on FOUR MINUTES LATER to counter it??

Troll alert!

By: Wow
by: TrollJul 7, 2013 11:19:20 PM

The SMU ATO Fraternity remains a sore spot for those affected. We want the truth to be revealed. We have Google alerts for any post on this subject. Lets not cover-up this abusive time so it will never be repeated or glorified in anyway. Many, many (1980's ATO pledges) remain bitter over their treatment by these ATO thugs...

By: Troll
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#5  by: -.-   
#5    

This is a really weak troll

By: -.-
#6  by: All 2 One One 2 All   
#6    

ATO can stay buried. (The above is literally what ATO means, its not Greek).

By: All 2 One One 2 All
#7  by: SMU 2017   
#7    

Someone told me ATO was kicked off in the 90's for rolling a pledge in a mattress and throwing him of the roof. He died. That's what all of us freshman this year believe. What really happened?

By: SMU 2017
by: GoneSep 17, 2013 12:30:29 AM

Read the posts above. They are true. ATO was controlled by a monstrous group from Chicago in the early mid 80's. They turned a Texas "good ole boy fraternity" into a den of thugs. Severe hazing was their favorite past-time. They were caught and expelled.

Started again in the late 80's early 90's but they recruited the same monstrous stereotypes and were expelled from SMU. Put a stake in it and keep it buried...

By: Gone
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#8  by: BZPike95   
#8    

I don't know what happened in the early 80s as that was before my time, but there is a lot of BS being thrown around here about what happened to get them ultimately kicked off and the house turned into a service house. I was a Pike, pledged in '95, graduated in '98, lived in the Pike house right next door to the ATO house during the 95-96 school year. In fact, I was on the first floor and my room looked out onto their house. No, nobody died. They had already been on probation when they were finally kicked off. The straw that broke the camel's back, as I remember, was one drunken rowdy night involving a lot of damage, including two ATOs getting drunk and wrestling on the hood of the house mother's car, totally messing it up. She got understandably furious and fed up dealing with their crap, and quit, and that just opened a huge can of worms. I can't remember, but I think ATO nationals may have pulled their charter, not SMU.

By: BZPike95
#9  by: BZPike95   
#9    

Between middle and bottom tiers:
Kappa Sig - kind of average guys who didn't garner a lot of attention either way

Bottom tier:
Sig Ep - guys of all stripes who didn't get into other houses. Pretty motley
Phi Psi - the nerdy fraternity

By: BZPike95
#10  by: BZPike95   
#10    

Also, I remember the saying of the other houses about ATOs: "high school zero, ATO hero."

By: BZPike95

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