History

Epsilon Theta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau was approved in November 1979 at the Bicentennial Convention in Seattle, Washington and the first inductees were installed on May 16, 1980. However, an honor society had existed for students attending the University of Texas School of Nursing since 1963. Alpha Delta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau was chartered May 25, 1963 at the University of Texas School of Nursing in Galveston, Texas. At the time Alpha Delta Chapter was chartered, the School of Nursing had its clinical component at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. The nursing students took all their prerequisite courses at the University's Austin campus or at another college or university. For a time the Fundamentals of Nursing course was taken on the Austin campus before the students went to the Galveston campus to complete the baccalaureate program.

In 1967 a major reorganization of the administration of the School of Nursing occurred. The school became an independent entity with its own dean. Later the title was changed to president, and this administration was accountable to the Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs of The University of Texas System. Central administration of the nursing school was then moved to Austin, and upper division nursing courses were offered on both the Austin and Galveston campuses. The name of the school became the University of Texas Nursing School (System-Wide). In 1972, the name was again changed to the University of Texas System School of Nursing and additional campuses were added in San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth, and El Paso. Three campuses (Austin, El Paso, and Fort Worth) had four year programs on their campuses. The other three campuses (Houston, Galveston, and San Antonio) were part of health science centers and had only the upper decision nursing courses on their campuses.

As the number of geographically distant campuses increased, the need for honor society activities on each campus became apparent. In 1969 it was decided that since the University of Texas School of Nursing administration offices were in Austin, the President of Alpha Delta Chapter should be located there also. Consequently, in the spring of 1969 all Chapter records, the official plaque, and the charter were moved to Austin. This initiated the Sigma Theta Tau activities of the Austin campus.