Welcome Home, Dad.
By: Scott Thomas
On April 24, 2026, the Delta Kappa Commission met at Theta Chi Fraternity’s International Headquarters to initiate several men as alumnus initiates. Among them was Dan Thomas (Delta Kappa/Ball State 1974), who did not join a fraternity while attending Ball State University. More than 50 years after his time as a student, Brother Thomas became an initiated member of Theta Chi, joining his three sons in the brotherhood they have shared for decades.
His sons, Scott Thomas (Delta Kappa/Ball State 1997), Sean Thomas (Delta Kappa/Ball State 1999), and Steven Thomas (Delta Kappa/Ball State 2005), have each lived meaningful Theta Chi experiences. All three served on Theta Chi’s Field Staff and later as Regional Counselors or Counselors. Scott also served as Director of Leadership Development after completing his time on the road.
For Scott, fraternity has long represented a shared language with men who stood beside him through the moments that shaped his life: his wedding day, the birth of his first child, career changes, quiet struggles, and milestones worth marking. But before those brothers, there was his father.
“I've had some amazing moments in my lifetime of Theta Chi, but having the opportunity to initiate my father is at the top,” said Scott.
Dan was the man who taught him what it means to show up. He modeled steadiness, faith, and the quiet kind of love that does not need to announce itself. In many ways, Scott said, his father’s example helped make him the kind of man a fraternity would want to call a brother in the first place.
“I’m not sure I can put into words how grateful I am to the alumni members of Theta Chi Fraternity at Ball State University for allowing me to become an initiated brother,” Dan said. “I was initiated into this organization, allowing me to be not only a father to my three boys, but also their brother!”
For the Thomas family, Theta Chi now connects four brothers, one father, and one family woven even tighter through fraternity.
Welcome home, Dad. We’ve been saving you a seat.