HISTORY

ETA EPSILON

In the Fall of 1967 thirteen young bonded together to form a local fraternity called Phi Sigma. The local organization grew to a membership of 32 members in two years, at which time the fraternity split in half to 16 members each. Sixteen men became a colony of Pi Kappa Alpha on October 19th, 1969. The chapter grew to a membership of 40 in the fall semester of 1970. Then on February 19th, 1971, with four alumni members and 40 active members, the Eta Epsilon colony was initiated into Pi Kappa Alpha by chapters from Southwest Texas, the University of Texas, and Southwestern University.

For the ten years following this initiation, Eta Epsilon held it's own in size and campus activities. During this time period the Pikes brought Angelo State their mascot, Roscoe, who was introduced to the campus by Brother Wiley Burrus in 1972. Also during that year, the Pi Kappa Alpha firetruck was brought onto the scene and has been rebuilt a number of times since.

Pikefest was created in San Angelo in 1981, and on March 28th, 1981 the festival was born. Pikefest profits were dedicated toward future housing for the chapter, and is the basis for the current house.The original chapter house was located at 2112 W. Ave M, and was used for fourteen years before the chapter decided it was time for a move in 1988. It was at that time a new house was being built and in September of 1989 the new lodge was completed.

Thru the Fall of 1999 the chapter has initiated an average of 23 men per year into the Brotherhood. These men have formed many lasting friendships, and in the spring of each year they gather together at the annual Dream Girl formal to further strengthen these friendships.

During the summer of 1987 at the leadership conference, the Eta Epsilon chapter received its first Smythe Award, which is given for the commitment to excellence. Since then, the chapter has won several other awards for various things such as man-miles and scholarship. Pi Kappa Alpha is the largest fraternity on campus at Angelo State and by far the most active. Last fall, the chapter won the Homecoming Spirit stick for the fifth consecutive year, a week long competition full of events and ending with a parade. Just this spring at Angelo State the Pikes won the most outstanding and most improved chapter among the other fraternities here on campus.

Remember, the history of the next millenium rests with the ideas and ideals of the men who join Pi Kappa Alpha and the 199 chapters and 13 colonies thereof.


NATIONAL FRATERNITY

Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity is a Greek letter, secret, college, social fraternity. It is composed of men who share similar ideals of friendship, truth, honor, and loyalty. The Fraternity's ideals are expressed in the written words and symbols of a secret ritual. These ideals and members' ability to maintain the visions of the Fraternity's founders are the great moral legacy of Pi Kappa Alpha.

Pi Kappa Alpha was founded at the University of Virginia on March 1, 1868. At the time, the University of Virginia was the fifth largest school in the United States, and is considered the first truly American state university because it was the first to be established totally free from religous control.

It all started in Room 47 West Range when Frederick Southgate Taylor turned to Littleton Waller Tazewell, his cousin and roommate, for help in starting a new fraternity. Also present was James Benjamin Sclater, Jr., a schoolmate of Tazewell, and Sclater's roommate Robertson Howard. Those four men voted to add a fifth to their group and chose Julian Edward Wood. Although history is unclear, William Alexander, probably a friend of Sclater Jr., was proposed for membership and was admitted as a founder. The first initiate was Augusuts Washington Knox.

The essence of the Founders' vision for Pi Kappa Alpha can be found in its Preamble. A committee was first suggested by Brother William Alexander "to draw up a statement of the origin and the organization of the Fraternity." The committee was composed of brothers Robertson Howard and Littleton Waller Tazewell. The resulting statement is now referred to as the Preamble.

"For the establishment of friendship on a firmer and more lasting basis,
for the promotion of brotherly love and kind feeling;
for the mutual benefit and advancement of the interests of those
with whom we sympathize and deem worthy of our regard;
we have resolved to form a fraternity,
believing that thus we can most successfully accomplish our object."
Robertson Howard
Julian Edward Wood
James Benjamin Sclater, Jr.
Frederick Southgate Taylor
Littleton Waller Tazewell (Bradford)
William Alexander

The years after the Civil War found a proliferation of American college fraternities being organized, particularly in the South. Pi Kappa Alpha's founding in 1868 was soon followed by the founding of Kappa Sigma and Sigma Nu. These fraternities, along with Alpha Tau Omega, Kappa Alpha Order, and Sigma Phi Epsilon, are known as the "Virginia Circle."

Before the end of Spring 1868, the brothers had decided that they wanted more than a Virginia society. They wanted to become a national fraternity. The following 21 years would prove to be some of the most troublesome times, nearly shattering the dreams of these young men. With universities making it nearly impossible for fraternities to exist by placing bans on the presence of secret societies, the Fraternity was still able to expand. The second chapter, Beta (Davidson College), had even voted to disband saying in a letter to the president of the college, "we have disbanded our chapter and we do not intend to carry it on unless we can do it openly and above board, as we regard its ties too sacred for other procedure."

Nearly two years later, the third chapter, Gamma (William and Mary), was established. During the years that followed until 1889, there would be a total of ten charters granted; however, only five remained active. This was the year of a most important convention. The Hampden-Sydney Convention brought the likes of Theron Hall Rice, a transfer to Virginia from Southwestern, who represented Alpha; Howard Bell Arbuckle, a recent graduate and then a teaching fellow at Hampden-Sydney, who represented Iota; and John Shaw Foster, a delegate from Theta Chapter at Southwestern(now Rhodes College). Lambda at the Citadel was to have been represented by Robert Adger Smythe, but a telegram from Charleston explained, "no holiday given us. Impossible to come. Act for us in everything." This convention is of major importance, as it is considered the rebirth of the Fraternity. Together, Theron Rice, Howard Arbuckle, Robert Smythe, and John Foster came to be known as the Junior Founding Fathers.

Another pivotal event in the Fraternity's history is the 1933 Troutdale Convention. At this meeting, the national organization was restructured. Former national officer titles were replaced with simple ones, the number of national officers was increased, and the Fraternity established the executive secretary(later executive director, now executive vice president) as a paid professional administrator. The year marked the end of direct regular service by two junior founders, Arbucle and Smythe. The period of the Junior Founders had passed and Pi Kappa Alpha looked forward to a new generation of leaders.

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