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Pi Kappa Alpha

 
Wikipedia: Pi Kappa Alpha
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Pi Kappa Alpha
(ΠΚΑ)
PiKA Crest.png
Founded March 1, 1868 (1868-03-01) (141 years ago)
University of Virginia
Type Social
Scope International
Vision Statement To set the standard of integrity, intellect, and achievement for our members, host institutions, and the communities in which we live.
Motto "Once a Pike, Always a Pike"

colors =      Garnet
     Old Gold
Symbol The Oak Tree, Shield
Flower Lily of the Valley
Jewel Diamond
Publication Shield and Diamond
Chapters 207
Members
240,000+ Alumni lifetime
Nicknames Pikes, Pikas, Pi K-As
Headquarters 8347 West Range Cove
Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Homepage http://www.pikes.org
Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity House at Ohio University.

Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity (ΠΚΑ) is an international secret social Greek-letter college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Virginia in the United States on Sunday evening, March 1, 1868. The national headquarters is located at 8347 West Range Cove Memphis, Tennessee 38125.

Contents

History[1]

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. Only Harvard, Yale, Cornell and Michigan were bigger. The University of Virginia is considered the first truly American state university because it was the first to be established totally free from religious control. It all started in Room 47 West Range when Frederick Southgate Taylor turned to Littleton Waller Tazewell Bradford, 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 Augustus Washington Knox. They started handing out bids in 1868 and it hasn't stopped since then.

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."

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 & 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 Founders.

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, Arbuckle and Smythe. The period of the Junior Founders had passed and Pi Kappa Alpha looked forward to a new generation of leaders.

Chapters

There are chapters in nearly every state and at many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada; information about currently active chapters can be found on the Pi Kappa Alpha website. The largest chapter with the largest fraternity house in the country is the Delta Lambda chapter at Florida State University.

Florida State Pike House

Pike Fire Truck of Old Dominion University


Founders

Volunteer structure

The Fraternity's governing board, the Supreme Council, has the authority to appoint a variety of volunteer committees to assist in implementing or monitoring programs. Examples include the International Education and Recruitment Advisors, the International Real Estate Advisors and the International Risk Awareness Advisors. Other appointments include International Historian and International Chaplain. All of the men who serve in these capacities are considered International Officers, along with former Presidents who hold the title for life by virtue of their election and service.

Prominent Pikes

Media

Business

Education

Government

  • John Nance Garner - Vice President of the United States
  • Pete Sessions - US Representative from 32nd Congressional District, Texas
  • Thad Cochran - U.S. Senator, State of Mississippi
  • Everett M. Dirksen - Former U.S. Senator, State of Illinois
  • David M. Burchfield - Champaign County Tresurer(Illinois)
  • Jon Kyl - U.S. Senator, State of Arizona
  • Charlie Crist - Governor (and former Attorney General) of Florida
  • Karl Rove - Former White House advisor to President George W. Bush and Former Deputy Chief of Staff
  • Samuel Skinner - Secretary of Transportation and White House Chief of Staff to George H. W. Bush
  • J. Strom Thurmond- Former U.S. Senator, State of South Carolina
  • Elbert P. Tuttle - Federal Judge and Civil Rights Pioneer
  • Nicholas Lampson - Former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 9th District (1997 - 2004) and 22nd District (2007 - 2009)
  • Edward A. Murrow - Former U.S. Representative, State of Indiana
  • General Richard J. Gere - General (Ret.) United States Army
  • Louis H. Wilson - General (Ret.), former commandant of USMC
  • Donald Regan - Former White House Chief of Staff to Reagan Administration
  • Pat Roberts - U.S. Senator, State of Kansas
  • John J. Sparkman - Former U.S. Senator, State of Alabama
  • Robert E. Cramer - U.S. House of Representatives, 5th District of Alabama
  • Richard Armey - Former U.S. House of Representatives, from Texas, former Republican Majority Leader
  • Tom Bevill- Former U.S. House of Representatives, 4th District of Alabama (which was numbered as the 7th from 1967 to 1973).
  • W. Robert Pearson- Former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and member of the National Security Council.
  • A.B. "Happy" Chandler- Former Two-Nonconsecutive Term Governor of Kentucky and Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
  • Ed Pease- Former U.S. Representative from Indiana
  • Jim Waring - Current Senator in the Arizona State Legislature.
  • Bobby Harrell - Current Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives
  • Stephen P. Webb - Former Mayor of Beverly Hills

Sports

External links

National Organization

References

  1. ^ http://www.pka.com/infoCenter/about/content.aspx?item=navigable/about/history.xml
  2. ^ http://usliberals.about.com/od/peopleinthenews/a/JonStewart.htm
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North-American Interfraternity Conference

Acacia • Alpha Gamma Rho • Alpha Gamma Sigma • Alpha Delta Gamma • Alpha Delta Phi • Alpha Epsilon Pi • Alpha Kappa Lambda • Alpha Sigma Phi • Alpha Tau Omega • Alpha Phi Alpha • Alpha Phi Delta • Alpha Chi Rho • Beta Sigma Psi • Beta Theta Pi • Beta Chi Theta • Delta Kappa Epsilon • Delta Sigma Phi • Delta Tau Delta • Delta Upsilon • Delta Phi • Delta Chi • Delta Psi • FarmHouse • Zeta Beta Tau • Zeta Psi • Theta Delta Chi • Theta Xi • Theta Chi • Iota Nu Delta • Iota Phi Theta • Kappa Alpha Order • Kappa Alpha Psi • Kappa Alpha Society • Kappa Delta Rho • Kappa Delta Phi • Lambda Theta Phi • Lambda Sigma Upsilon • Lambda Phi Epsilon • Lambda Chi Alpha • Pi Kappa Alpha • Pi Kappa Phi • Pi Lambda Phi • Sigma Alpha Epsilon • Sigma Alpha Mu • Sigma Lambda Beta • Sigma Nu • Sigma Pi • Sigma Tau Gamma • Sigma Phi Delta • Sigma Phi Epsilon • Sigma Phi Society • Sigma Chi • Tau Delta Phi • Tau Epsilon Phi • Tau Kappa Epsilon • Triangle • Phi Gamma Delta • Phi Iota Alpha • Phi Kappa Theta • Phi Kappa Sigma • Phi Kappa Tau • Phi Kappa Psi • Phi Lambda Chi • Phi Mu Delta • Phi Sigma Kappa • Phi Sigma Phi • Chi Phi • Chi Psi • Psi Upsilon • Omega Delta Phi

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

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