Chapter History
The start of ATO at WPI can largely be traced to Roger French in the year 1903. He came up with the notion of the Arm & Hammer Club. This was the gamma gamma chapter at Rose Polytechnic Institute.
The Arm & Hammer Club first met on October 12, 1904 and began functioning in many ways as a fraternity. In 1906, the club acquired the house where Olin hall stands today. Subsequently the house applied and was accepted in the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. The club at WPI was chartered as the gamma sigma chapter of ATO, the 91st chapter, on November 27, 1906. The sponsors for the charter were Frank Wren and George Maguire.
In the spring of 1907, with the first graduating class from the WPI chapter, the Gamma Sigma Alumni Association was formed, thus beginning the foundation for much of the financial affairs of the ATO fraternity.
In 1910 the chapter moved to the house that formerly occupied 24 Institute Road. ATO occupied this house for 50 years until it moved to 10 Regent Street. The former house still exists in part at Regent Street. The decorative stained glass that adorned the house at Institute Road was retained and now enhances our chapter room. However, the new ATO house at 10 Regent Street is not without its historic significance. The house, now well over 100 years old, was owned by a ship's captain. That is why the names of the rooms in the main house are named after parts of a ship such as Main brace, Afterdeck, Explorer's (E-Club) Club, Crow's Nest, and so on.
In the mid 60's one of our most important figures became involved with the Gamma Sigma chapter of ATO. Harry C. Thompson became the house advisor of ATO. Harry was also quite a figure on campus. Harry was the bookstore manager, he ran the food service, he was head of the Boynton printing service, and a member of the Skull. Harry also served in the army over in India. Harry Thompson was not only the house advisor but he also pledged and was initiated as a member of ATO. Harry is remembered for drinking his Glenlivet and signing each bottle when he was done. But more importantly, Harry is a hero to the house. On countless occasions he literally saved the house from being thrown off campus. He was also a true friend to every brother in the house and he cared for each and every person. It was truly a sad day when he passed away six years ago on November 20th. ATO lost not only an advisor, but a brother, and a true friend. He lives on in our memories.
In the late sixties another important figure joined the Gamma Sigma chapter of ATO. Mary A. Fell began cooking for the brothers of ATO in 1969, even though her mother offered her one hundred dollars a month not to. Like Harry, Ma is well known on campus as she was also a member of Skull. She is also known for some of her driving mishaps, such as her casual drive through Freeman Plaza. Ma was also elected Homecoming Queen in 1984, and at the age of 65 she was the oldest such in the United States. Ma has been a beloved fixture of the house for the past 28 years, and no matter how much she wanted to retire she finds it hard to let ATO go. And we like it that way, she has been as important to the house as anyone else could have been. She is a notorious cribbage and pitch player and a lover of Heineken and even though she has retired, (1997) she continues to come up to the house to play cards and is still a vital part of our experiences here at ATO.
In the fall of 1997, a new chapter was opened in ATO history here at WPI. Our new cook Tony Toscano, started and has become an extremely important figure in our house. Currently, his three years of service has been invaluable to our fraternity.