Delta Chi Fraternity, founded at Cornell University in 1890, has a complex history regarding its recognized founders. The official list includes eleven men: Albert Sullard Barnes, Myron McKee Crandall, John Milton Gorham, Peter Schermerhorn Johnson, Edward Richard O’Malley, Owen Lincoln Potter, Alphonse Derwin Stillman, Thomas A. J. Sullivan, Monroe Marsh Sweetland, Thomas David Watkins, and Frederick Moore Whitney. This list, however, has been disputed, and even those on it had differing opinions about who deserved recognition.

     The fraternity's beginnings trace back to the 1889-90 school year when discussions about forming a new law fraternity began. However, it took some time to gain momentum. Two incidents provided the impetus: a Phi Delta Phi member's election as Law School Editor of the Cornell Daily Sun and the election of a Phi Delta Phi member as junior class president. Alphonse Derwin Stillman began investigating, revealing that Phi Delta Phi dominated the law school.

     The exact origin of the fraternity remains unclear. Some claim two or three groups were working on the idea that spring. Monroe Marsh Sweetland believed the idea was his alone, while Myron McKee Crandall claimed it started in his and Frank Edward Thomas' apartment.

     Meetings took place in Crandall's apartment and Sweetland's law office, but how these groups merged is uncertain. Over the summer, details were ironed out by Crandall, Sweetland, John Milton Gorham, and Stillman. On October 13, 1890, six students adopted the constitution and by-laws, marking the birth of Delta Chi with the intent to create a national fraternity.

     The fall of 1890 saw additional names like Fred Kingsbury Stephens, Martin Joseph Flannery, and Frank Edward Thomas added. Flannery and Stephens dropped out and were not considered founders, but Thomas' inclusion sparked debate. Some founders opposed it due to his failure to return in the fall of 1890, but others argued he played a significant role in the fraternity's inception. This debate persisted until the 1929 Directory.

     Peter Schermerhorn Johnson, initiated in late 1890 or early 1891, was initially not recognized as a founder but contributed significantly to the fraternity's secrets and symbolism.

     Delta Chi's history is marked by debates and revisions regarding its founders' list, reflecting the complexities and uncertainties of its early days at Cornell University.