History of Pi Kappa Phi
Pi Kappa Phi was founded by three College of Charleston students, Andrew Alexander Kroeg Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and James Fogarty. They created our beloved brotherhood on December 10, 1904 at Fogarty’s home, located at 90 Broad Street, Charleston, South Carolina.
The College of Charleston was the pride of the city, and much of South Carolina. It is the eleventh oldest college in the nation, and the very first in America supported solely by city funds. The athletic program was added to the all-male College in 1897. By 1904 the basketball, football and baseball programs were a source of great pride. That same year Andrew Alexander Kroeg Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and James Fogarty were thriving young men at the college.
Also thriving was a campus literary society, the Chrestomathics. This society was similar in function to modern day student government groups. By participating in the activities of the society, students could take their academic pursuits beyond the classroom, debating the ideas and issues of the times. Because of its prominence and power on campus, the society was important to the students. In the fall of 1904, the literary society held elections. The three chapters of national fraternities that existed on campus developed a “slate” of officer candidates from within their ranks that were sure to win.
The three men desired the chance to influence the campus with their own ideas. In the course of several meetings at Fogarty’s home at 90 Broad St. in Charleston, SC, the three men led a small campus movement to form a group called Nu Phi, which stood for “non-fraternity.” This organization of 15 men formed its own opposing slate and began campaigning.
The elections were intense. As the group worked together, and as election day approached, they realized that they possessed the skills, desire and friendship needed to build something of lasting value. In spite of their efforts, however, the Nu Phi ticket did not do well in the final count. Kroeg, in his determination to see his friends given the opportunity to influence the campus like the fraternity men, decided that the only recourse was to start a new, full-fledged fraternity. It was later at the first official meeting of the new fraternity that the designation “Pi Kappa Phi” was adopted.
Pi Kappa Phi at UMass Amherst
Pi Kappa Phi at the University of Massachusetts Amherst began on October 8th, 2005. It’s a date we will never forget. We began with 22 men, some friends and some strangers; but all of men tied together in a common loyalty. Our first President, Matthew Pearlson, took on the challenge of building an organization grounded in brotherhood from the ground up. We began as an ambitious group reaching for heights unseen by the UMass Greek community. Immediately after our installation, we established our high standards for academics and civic engagement. The equation for a successful fraternity was about to be tested. With the help of our advisor, then-Dean of Students Paul Vasconcellos, combined with the support of then-Vice Chancellor Michael Gargano, Pi Kappa Phi began to prove that fraternity was more than the stigma.
Becoming a founding father of a fraternity is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We set the rules! We make the traditions! We leave a legacy! Never in our lives have we had the opportunity to change an institution. We have learned it takes a man full of ambition and passion to take the idea of something revolutionizing and make it a reality. The men at UMass Amherst have already to stepped up to the challenge and if Pi Kappa Phi were to end tomorrow, we would leave an unprecedented legacy.
Volunteering at on-campus events and serving the Amherst & Pioneer Valley communities have made the name Pi Kappa Phi synonymous with success and dedication. In the fall of 2006, four gentlemen attended our first Give-A-Push Weekend which was held in Wexford, PA. During the long road-trip, they put the ideals of service into action. This experience catalyzed their resolve to bring awareness for Push America to our local community. Our desire for change led us to host a 5k road race for charity to raise awareness for persons with disabilities. Planning began to incorporate AccessABILITY, an empathy dinner, and a 5k into a week-long campaign. During the week of April 22- 29, 2006 all three objective were completed with incredible success. It resounds to this day when our brothers remark about seeing a race-day t-shirt spotted on campus from one of the 100+ runners in attendance at one of our annual races.
The challenge of chartering had been put into perspective. The UMass Associate Chapter stood proudly with 28 men beginning the following fall semester. About twenty more Founding Fathers were needed. Recruitment would need to be our emphasis. Thanks to the recruitment programs implemented in the past, Pi Kappa Phi was becoming known as THE fraternity to join at UMass. The goal of nearly doubling our size in one month seemed unreachable at first. However, with the committment and leadership from former Chapter President Philip Benevides and former Chapter Vice President Chair Nicholas Druar, 20 new men were recruited without sacrificing the quality of man we desired. With the implementation of recruitment teams, and an amazing recruitment retreat implemented from training at “Recruitment Bootcamp,” the chapter knew exactly what they had to do in order to obtain our charter.
We have experienced hardships, and loss of pre-initiated members, as well as accomplishments, ultimate highs, and reaching successes unlike any other organization. However the most rewarding experience occurs when, during our Chapter Meetings, men, both in the organization and potential new members, tell what a privilege it is to be a part of this movement and how honored they are to have the opportunity to join.