In the early 1960's, the Delta Pi Alpha fraternity was formed by its first president Mr. Russell Gross. It was a "local" fraternity with it's sole chapter at Georgia Southern College. The goal of the founding brothers was to combine three types of fraternities into one. The three types were a Service Fraternity, Academic Fraternity, and Social Fraternity.
     The brothers of Delta Pi Alpha were campus leaders, almost all of them were involved in Student Government, Varsity Sports, Cheerleading, Politics, Pi Beta Kappa, Honor Rolls, Clubs and other campus organizations.

     During this time, the college would not allow any national fraternities to organize chapters on their campus. This resulted in several local fraternities being formed, with their sole chapter here at Georgia Southern. The original brothers founded Delta Pi Alpha and wrote the DPA Ritual & Initiation ceremony themselves. Since they were the first brothers, there was nobody available to initiate them. Their solution was to initiate the first pledge class; then, ask their new brothers to initiate the founding brothers.

     The school finally gave in and allowed national fraternities on campus.  The first interest groups to contact any national fraternities were obviously the several already established local fraternities who wanted the support and stability that a national fraternity could offer. DPA had invitations to join several fraternities including KA and ATO. ATO and DPA had principles and beliefs that were remarkably similar. Just as DPA was founded by campus leaders as a merger of Service, Academic/Honorary, and Social Fraternities, ATO is also more than just a Social Fraternity. As stated in Article 1, Section I of the National By Laws of Alpha Tau Omega