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72 acquired the first house owned by ΑΤΩ and the first house owned by any fraternity at a Southern College.

Strictly speaking there are no alumni chapters but numerous associations of alumni are chartered by the fraternity and have a voice in its government. There are State associations in California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, South Carolina, Texas and Washington; Regional associations in Western Carolina and Western New York; City associations in Allentown, Pa., Alliance, Ohio, Atlanta, Ga., Birmingham, Ala., Burlington, Vt., Charlotte, N. C., Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dallas, Dayton, O., Des Moines, Detroit, Franklin, Tenn., Jacksonville, Fla., Kansas City, Knoxville, Los Angeles, Louisville, Manila, Milwaukee, Montgomery, Ala., Nashville, New York, Omaha, Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., Reading, Pa., San Antonio, Tex., Savannah, Spokane, Springfield, O., St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Youngstown, O., and a Collegiate association at Harvard.

The Alpha chapter or "Mother Society" ruled the fraternity for the first five years. The constitution, adopted in 186s, provided for the calling of a "Congress" in 1870, which convened in that year and to which was then transferred the reins of government. This was among the first attempts on the part of any fraternity to supersede the "presiding chapter" form of government. The central government was not immediately successful and for several years the fraternity’s life depended largely upon the vitality of individual chapters. The Congress of 1876 elected, in his absence, Joseph Reid Anderson, an alumnus