Editing Beta Theta Pi (section)

=== Men of Principle initiative ===
In August 1996, [[St. Lawrence University]] Chairman and Beta Theta Pi alumnus E.B. Wilson wrote a letter to the editor of ''The Beta Theta Pi'' magazine challenging the general fraternity to undertake a project to reverse the emerging Greek and Beta culture, which he felt was not in line with their core values.<ref name=10years/>

In response to Wilson and several institutional difficulties, the Men of Principle initiative was started during the 1998–99 academic year. Three chapters, Nebraska, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, were used as pilot chapters for the new program.<ref>{{cite news|last=Daves|first=Vanessa|title=Beta Theta Pi fraternity practices 'men of principle' philosophy|url=http://www.dailynebraskan.com/arts_and_entertainment/beta-theta-pi-fraternity-practices-men-of-principle-philosophy/article_8487c520-824c-11e3-b4b7-0019bb30f31a.html|access-date=March 14, 2014|newspaper=The Daily Nebraskan|date=January 2, 2014}}</ref> After this first year of piloting, the Men of Principle initiative was officially introduced at the 160th General Convention in Oxford, in 1999.<ref name="Romano">{{cite news|last=Romano|first=Sabrina|title=After suspension at CMU, 'Men of Principle' found Pitt chapter|url=http://www.pittnews.com/news/article_ff1a6366-5e0b-11e3-8ebc-001a4bcf6878.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140314194915/http://www.pittnews.com/news/article_ff1a6366-5e0b-11e3-8ebc-001a4bcf6878.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 14, 2014|access-date=March 14, 2014|newspaper=The Pitt News|date=December 5, 2013}}</ref><ref name="10years">{{cite journal|year=2020|title=The State of the Fraternity|url=https://issuu.com/betathetapiao/docs/beta_magazine_-_fall_2020_final/36|journal=The Beta Theta Pi Magazine}}</ref>

Since the beginning of the initiative in 1998, its international headquarters closed 64 chapters by 2008 and 85 chapters by 2013 for hazing or failing to comply with standards set by the Men of Principle initiative.<ref name="Romano"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-12-20 |title=The Beta Theta Pi Magazine (Fall 2008) by Beta Theta Pi - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/betathetapiao/docs/fall_2008_the_beta_theta_pi_magazine/24 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref> {{As of|2019}}, approximately 25,000 members graduated from one of the fraternity's leadership programs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/betathetapiao/docs/beta_theta_pi_magazine_-_summer_201/37|title=The Beta Theta Pi – Summer 2019|website=Issuu |date=June 13, 2019 |language=en|access-date=August 7, 2019}}</ref>

The program was later renamed the "John and Nellie Wooden Institute for Men of Principle", named for member and basketball coach [[John Wooden]], in Oxford, Ohio.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2024-07-09 |title=The Beta Theta Pi - Spring 2024 by Beta Theta Pi - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/betathetapiao/docs/btp-2024-spring/28 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref>