The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society and the second oldest collegiate honor society in the United States. The association was founded to "mark in a fitting matter those who have conferred honor upon their Alma Mater by distinguished scholarship and exemplary character as students in engineering, or by their attainments as alumni in the field of engineering, and to foster a spirit of liberal culture in engineering colleges."

Tau Beta Pi was founded in 1885 and is the oldest and largest engineering society. There are 254 collegiate chapters and 44 alumni chapters. Several famous Tau Bates include Buzz Aldrin (2nd man on the moon), Jeff Bezos (Founder, Blue Origin and Amazon), Rosalyn Yaslow (Inventor of radioimmunoassay), and Judith Resnik (Astronaut on Challenger).