National Alpha Epsilon Omega History

Alpha Epsilon Omega was established on December 20, 2000 by Hakop Sinoryan, Misak Zetilyan, and Antranik Satamian at California State University, Northridge. During a High School Exchange trip to Armenia in the spring of 1999, these men saw an impoverished nation with wide spread corruption and injustice. Upon returning to the United States, their experiences in Armenia and a passion for their Armenian heritage inspired them to establish an after-school program for the Armenian youth in their hometown of Pasadena, California. As freshmen in college, their studies and work created time constraints forcing the triumvirate to abandon the after-school program in the fall of 1999, still in the planning stages. The notion of "unity for the advancement of the Armenian nation" was still living in the minds of the Triumvirate. At the completion of the spring 2000 semester the Triumvirate convened to reignite the mission of creating a social, cultural, and philanthropic organization for the advancement of the Armenian nation. They agreed on the establishment of a lifelong fraternal society which would serve as a catalyst in executing the principles set forth by the Triumvirate.

Throughout the following six months the Triumvirate would set the foundation of Alpha Epsilon Omega, and recruit gentlemen to establish the fraternity at California State University, Northridge. The fraternity chartered its first chapter, Alpha Chapter, at California State University Northridge in the spring of 2001. Two months after chartering the Alpha Chapter, the organization was successful in chartering the Beta Chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles. For one year the fraternity grew in numbers and became active in their respective universities. In the summer of 2002 the Gamma Chapter was chartered at the University of California, Irvine. Fall 2003 saw the inclusion of yet another chapter in Alpha Epsilon Omega; the Delta Chapter was chartered at California State University, Los Angeles. During the next two years Alpha Epsilon Omega would grow exponentially in numbers, exceeding one hundred brothers. Qualitative growth contributed to the development of Alpha Epsilon Omega. By recruiting members based on the notion "quality over quantity", the fraternity became successful in the undertaking of various cultural and philanthropic endeavors. A number of which continue to this day. In the fall of 2004, group of gentlemen at the University of Southern California, and California State University, Pomona approached the fraternity with the intention of establishing a chapter at their respective universities. Their goal was realized when the fraternity chartered the Epsilon Chapter at the University of Southern California in the summer of 2005. In the fall of 2006, Alpha Epsilon Omega expanded its reach south of Orange County and into San Diego. The fraternity chartered its seventh chapter, the Eta Chapter, at the University of California, San Diego. Brotherhood is a key element in Alpha Epsilon Omega. It is the backbone of the organization, binding every member together.