Tau Beta Pi History

The national engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi, was founded at Lehigh University in 1885 by Dr. Edward Higginson Williams, Jr. "to mark in a fitting manner those who have conferred honor upon their Alma Mater by distinguished scholarship and exemplary character as undergraduates in engineering, or by their attainments as alumni in the field of engineering, and to foster a spirit of liberal culture in engineering colleges." --Preamble to the Constitution.

The honor society has followed the expansion and specialization of higher education in America. With the expansion of education into new fields, a choice had to be made, and the society elected to operate in the field of the liberal arts and sciences. Although this was not finally voted until 1898, the trend was evident years earlier, and 1885 saw the establishment of Tau Beta Pi.

Founder Edward H. Williams, Jr., was born at Proctorsville, Vermont, on September 30, 1849; he died at Woodstock, Vermont, on November 2, 1933. Working alone he conceived an organization, gave it a name, designed its governmental structure, drew up its constitution, prepared its badge and certificate, established its membership requirements, and planned all the necessary details for its operation including the granting of chapters and the holding of conventions.

Thus, with only a paper organization, he offered membership to qualified graduates of Lehigh and received their acceptances and enthusiastic endorsement. Late in the spring of 1885 he invited the valedictorian of the senior class, Irving Andrew Heikes, to membership and he accepted, becoming the first student member of Tau Beta Pi.

Tau Beta Pi has grown steadily; there are now collegiate chapters at 212 institutions, chartered alumnus chapters in 59 cities, and a total initiated membership of 388,408.

Nevada Beta History

In 1992 Dr. Wylie established Tau Beta Lambda at UNLV and named Brian Allen the first president. In May of 1993, Robert Thorston became the second president and in May 1994, Wendy Zahniser became the third Tau Beta Lambda president and first female president of the UNLV organization. In October of 1994 Zahniser and Dr. Robert Skaggs represented Tau Beta Lambda at the national convention where Nevada Beta was officially elected as a chapter of the national engineering society Tau Beta Pi.

Nevada Beta was officially chartered at UNLV on February 4, 1995. Fourty-five Tau Beta Lambda members were initiated as Tau Beta Pi members and Wendy Zahniser was elected the first Nevada Beta president. In December of 1995 the first graduate students were initiated in Nevada Beta.

Nevada Beta Presidential History

Feb 1995 Wendy Zahniser
May 1995 Joe A. Haun
May 1996 Andrea M. Pulgarin
May 1997 J. Andy Simon
May 1998 Clifton Morgan
Jan 1999 Kim Neyrinck
May 1999 Amy Fiene
May 2000 Jonathan Fiene
Jan 2001 Cameron Nelson
May 2001 Cameron Nelson & Dacia Jackovich
May 2002 Ajulena Tiffany Barnes
May 2003 Timothy Atobatele