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| Omicron Delta Epsilon | |
|---|---|
| ΟΔΕ | |
 | |
| Founded | 1963; 62 years ago (1963) |
| Type | Honor |
| Affiliation | |
| Status | Active |
| Emphasis | Economics |
| Scope | International |
| Member badge |  |
| Colors | Royal blue and Gold |
| Publication | The American Economist |
| Chapters | 450 active |
| Members | 4,000 active 100,000 lifetime |
| Headquarters | 19 South Summit Street, no. 9 Fairhope,Alabama 36533 United States |
| Website | www |
Omicron Delta Epsilon (ΟΔΕ orODE) is an internationalhonor society in the field ofeconomics, formed from the merger of Omicron Delta Gamma and Omicron Chi Epsilon, in 1963. ODE is a member of theAssociation of College Honor Societies.
ODE inducts approximately 4,000 collegiate members each year and has more than 100,000 living lifetime members. It has chartered more than 700 chapters worldwide. It publishes an academic journalThe American Economist twice each year.
The first national honor society in economics,Omicron Delta Gamma, was formed on May 7, 1915, by the merger ofHarvard University's Undergraduate Society of Economics with theUniversity of Wisconsin's Order of Artus, an economics student society modeled on King Arthur'sKnights of the Roundtable. Wisconsin's group was founded by ProfessorJohn R. Commons.[1]Frank W. Taussig, president of theAmerican Economic Association in 1904–1905, founded the chapter at Harvard.[1]
Alan A. Brown was the founder and first president ofOmicron Chi Epsilon in 1955, while a student atCity College of New York.[1] Brown conceived the creation and development of an international honor society in economics. Friends and colleagues report that they were amazed watching this polite and deferring young person "pestering"Nobel Prize winners and other giants of the economics profession to endorse, become involved in, and support this initiative. The first annual meeting of Omicron Chi Epsilon was held atFordham University in New York City in the spring of 1958. Brown subsequently learned of the existence of Omicron Delta Gamma, which, while older and formally larger with more campus chapters, was less active than the younger Omicron Chi Epsilon.
Alan A. Brown was the prime mover to facilitate a merger in 1963 between Omicron Delta Gamma and Omicron Chi Epsilon, renamed Omicron Delta Epsilon – The National Honor Society in Economics.[2] Omicron Delta Epsilon's purpose is to recognize academic achievement in economics and to increase connections between students and faculty of economics within and amongst colleges and university.[2]
Later, Brown replaced “National” with "International" in its non-Greek title and expanded the organization globally. The society's first president was Robert E. Hill of Kent State University.[3] Omicron Delta Epsilon joined theAssociation of College Honor Societies in 1965 and was readmitted in 1981.[2] By 2012, the society had 672 active chapters, 4,440 active members, and 89,500 initiates.[2]
Omicron Delta Epsilon inducts approximately 4,000 collegiate members each year and has more than 100,000 living lifetime members. It has approximately 700 active chapters worldwide. A detailed history of ODE, written by long-serving executive secretary-treasurer of the organization William D. Gunther, was published in 2013 byThe American Economist in recognition of its fiftieth birthday.[4] Its national headquarters is located in Fairhope, Alabama.[5] It is a member of theAllied Social Science Associations.
Members of Omicron Delta Epsilon may wear royal blue and gold honor cords at graduation.[6]
New members consist ofundergraduate andgraduate students, as well as college and universityfaculty.[7] Undergraduate members must have completed at least twelve hours of economics, with a B average in economics and overall, and rank in the upper third of their class.[2]
Omicron Delta Epsilon publishes an academicjournalThe American Economist twice each year.[8] It sponsor panels and professional meetings.[2] It also sponsors the Frank W. Taussig Undergraduate Article Award and the Irving Fisher Graduate Monograph Award.[2]
It presents theJohn R. Commons Award biennially to an outstanding economist in recognition of academic achievements and for service both to the economics profession and to Omicron Delta Epsilon.[9][10] The award is given at American Economic Association conference where the honoree presents a "Commons Lecture" which is later published inThe American Economist.
As of 2024, Omicron Delta Epsilon Society has chartered 717 chapters in Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Kazakhstan, Mexico, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.[11]
Following are some of the notable members of Omicron Delta Epsilon.
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
