Piggybacking a bit on our spotlight of Pi Alpha Xi and the study of horticulture, Delta Tau Alpha goes in a bit of a different direction, recognizing students studying agriculture and the science of practicing farming.

Founded in 1960 at Southwest Missouri State College, Delta Tau Alpha “promotes and recognizes scholarship and leadership accomplishments of agricultural students while emphasizing character development, enhancing undergraduate preparation for professional positions, and joining with other agricultural student’s organizations in the promotion of agriculture.” 

DTA states its purpose as:

• To promote and recognize high standards of scholarship, leadership, and character among agriculture students.
• To encourage and foster high ethical standards of agriculture and professional positions held by agricultural students.
• To band together a group of outstanding students who by scholastic accomplishment, service, and upholding high character standards have been recognized for these traits and are capable of recognizing these traits in others.
• To promote the profession of agriculture.
• To render service and to cooperate with the student bodies and the agricultural divisions of the respective institutions.

In order to qualify for membership, students must complete a minimum of 45 credit hours overall and 9 credit hours in agricultural sciences while ranking in the top 35% of his/her class.

Delta Tau Alpha currently has 31 chapters and over 16,000 members. You’ll recognize them on graduation day by their copper/harvest gold and dark green honor cords.

Are you a member of Delta Tau Alpha? Let us know in the comments!