Our founder, Frank Reed Horton, first had a dream of how he could make the world a better place. After serving in WWI, he and 14 other young men of varying backgrounds came together to set the foundation of Alpha Phi Omega. Their purpose was to assemble college students into a national service fraternity which followed principles derived from the Scout Oath and Law of the Boy Scouts, creating high standards for the organization. On December 16, 1925 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, Alpha Phi Omega was born. This national service fraternity would change the lives of youth throughout the world, becoming the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with more than 470,000 students on 375 college campuses worldwide.

Alpha Phi Omega was first chartered at the University of Arizona in 1949, however, it wasn't until 1976 that women were first accepted into the fraternity. B. Hesselmyer was the first female member to ever initiate into Alpha Phi Omega, and the fraternity has been co-ed ever since. In 1949, APO was re-chartered at the U of A, where our Theta Iota chapter was created. The Theta Iota chapter has hundreds of active, associate, and alumni members that continue to take pride in their involvement with Alpha Phi Omega. Every fall and spring semester, we initiate a new pledge class to become active APO members. We are honored to be in Region B, under region chair Susan Taylor, and Section B2, under section chair Jerry Chung.

Throughout the years, Alpha Phi Omega has adopted several symbols to represent the fraternity and all that it stands for. To begin, the ideals of APO are embodied in our coat of arms, which is explained in great detail to everyone who passes through ritual. The service pin, worn by thousands of active brothers is the "Emblem of Campus Service", recognizing and respecting the activity of service. Our torch logo represents higher education, with three flames representing the three cardinal principles of Alpha Phi Omega: friendship, leadership, and service. Our fraternity flower, the forget-me-not represents something everlasting, always remembered. Our jewel is the diamond, the most precious of all gemstones always increasing in value and representing brilliance. Our fraternity symbol, the Golden Eagle, was declared at the 1976 National Convention, symbolizing strength, gracefulness, keenness of vision, and endurance. And last, our fraternity tree, the sturdy oak. The oak is stately, and sheltering. Our fraternity colors are royal blue and old glory gold, representing pure thought and high respect.