The Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house was built in 1929 on a hill overlooking University Terrace in Reno's West University neighborhood, where a number of other fraternities and sororities are located. It was the first fraternity-built house at the University of Nevada. The large red-brick, Colonial Revival house was designed by the Reno architect Lehman "Monk" Ferris, himself a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.
The ATO fraternity was founded in 1865 at the Virginia Military Institute, and by the late nineteenth century it had expanded nationally. ATO's predecessor organization at the University of Nevada was Phi Delta Tau, founded in 1912. The new fraternity occupied a house at the corner of Ninth and Sierra streets.
Over the course of its first few years, Phi Delta Tau established itself as a full-fledged local fraternal organization, and set its sights on a national charter from Alpha Tau Omega. The petition for charter was accepted in 1921 and Phi Delta Tau became the Delta Iota Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega. That same year, the fraternity established the Delta Iota Building Association and purchased a two-story house on University Avenue. By 1928, ATO had grown to 150 members, far exceeding the capacity of the house. The organization decided to build a house with all of the amenities and space required to serve the active membership and to be a source of pride for the alumni members. The ATOs had an advantage in planning their new house. They had a track record of sound and determined financial management and a local architect as an alumni member. By the fall of 1929, the new fraternity house had been completed at the cost of $32,000, including furnishings.
The ATO fraternity house has served the organization and the University for nearly 75 years. Many of Nevada's prominent men in politics and business have been ATO alumni, including state Senator William Raggio, former Nevada Governor Grant Sawyer, former Nevada Governor and U.S. Senator Richard Bryan, former Nevada Gaming Commission chairman Paul Bible, former U.S. Representative Jim Santini, and numerous attorneys, doctors, educators, and businessmen. The ATO House, located at 205 University Terrace, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
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