Tau
Sigma Delta was organized in 1913 at the University of Michigan
at the suggestion and guidance of the faculty in Architecture
and Landscape Design who selected the first group of senior
honor students to be the founding members. After three years
of trial, the system of elections was extended to other universities.
With
gradual growth, it became necessary for the best interests
of the schools at which chapters became located, to extend
elections to honor students who were majoring in a degree
in departments allied with Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
Also, for the continuity of the workings of the chapter from
term to term, it became proper to elect from the junior groups
who were about to become seniors. Thus Tau Sigma Delta developed
from a senior honor society in Architecture and Landscape
Architecture to become inclusive of both juniors and seniors
in Architecture, Architectural Engineering, Architectural
Design, Landscape Architecture, Painting, Sculpturing, Planning,
Decorative Design, Interior Decoration, and all the arts allied
with Architecture. With that development, it became necessary
to establish the rule that each chapter shall have its origin
in a School of Architecture and be administered by that school.
Tau
Sigma Delta proved its worth steadily. It overcame the obstacles
precipitated by World War I, the subsequent inflationary period,
and the resultant era of world economic "recession and
adjustment," and the later effects of World War II. To
be sure, progress was delayed by these crucial tests of the
times, and four of its chapters became inactive; however,
the Society emerged strengthened by those tests.
Another
test for the society came during the Vietnam Conflict. Membership
in the society declined with several chapters becoming inactive.
This has reversed itself in the past few years with the number
of new chapters reaching an all time high.
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