Founding and National History
Phi Sigma Pi Professional Honorary Fraternity was founded on February 14, 1916 by three faculty members of the Missouri State Teachers College at Warrensburg, which later became Central Missouri State University. For many years before the founding, students tried to create lasting fraternal organizations at the State Normal School in Warrensburg but were largely unsuccessful. Following these failures, the three founders, College President Eldo L. Hendricks, Dean Claude A. Phillips and Professor C. H. McClure sought to help a group of students with high academic standards create a national fraternal organization. Phi Sigma Pi was created to combine and fill the gaps between high academic leadership and social organizations.
Phi Sigma Pi became a national fraternity on May 2, 1921 when the Gamma Chapter at Bradley Polytechnic Institute was founded. Strong leadership from early National Officers like Rolla Wood and Walter P. Percival enabled the fraternity to grow east across the nation and add another 13 chapters despite the effects of WWI. In 1942, WWII caused the 15 active Phi Sigma Pi chapters to shut down until 1946, when all but one were reactivated. But between 1950 and 1955 Phi Sigma Pi struggled due to a loss of national leadership and financial resources.
New hope and success began in 1955 as two new great leaders emerged. Dr. Richard C. Todd and Joseph Torchia led Phi Sigma Pi through the challenging 1960s and 1970s. On October 1, 1966 the fraternity name was changed to Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity and a new outlook for growth and revitalization was realized. The social climate of the late 1960s and early 1970s was extremely difficult for all fraternities but Phi Sigma Pi managed to survive despite the Vietnam War and nationwide student unrest. In 1977, Phi Sigma Pi became co-educational with the honorary induction of Claudia Pennock Todd, wife of Dr. Richard C. Todd. The decision to admit women into the fraternity has made immeasurable positive impacts and still does so today.
Since 1986, Phi Sigma Pi has thrived under strong leaders such as Steven A. DiGuiseppe and Jeffrey L. Johnson. Because of its unique structure, as neither a simple honor society, service organization or social fraternity, Phi Sigma Pi had become an asset to 26 universities nationwide by 1991. In 1988 the fraternity employed an office assistant and in 1991 employed a full-time Executive Director. Between 1988 and the present, Phi Sigma Pi has expanded and improved phenomenally. On February 12, 1996 an 80 year high was reached with the reinstallation of Beta Chapter, which had been inactive for 60 years.
History of Alpha Rho Chapter
Phi Sigma Pi came to the Virginia Tech campus with nearly two hundred founding members on November 3, 1991, a date that the Chapters still celebrates annually. The Alpha Rho Chapter thrived and gained strength in just over four years. The members of the Alpha Rho Chapter of Phi Sigma Pi have continually played active roles in events on and around the Virginia Tech campus. For instance, the fraternity has sponsored seven Homecoming candidates: Brian Keel in 1992, Bill Patterson in 1993, David Sadlier in 1994, Josh Marder in 1996, Mark Rice in 1999, Heather Grice in 2000, Randy Cross in 2001, and Drew Smith in 2003. In addition, Alpha Rho also has taken part in many other campus and Greek activities, such as Mock Rock, Relay for Life, and The Big Event. In 1993, the Alpha Rho Chapter won the Phi Sigma Pi Steven A. DiGuiseppe Outstanding Administrative Award. In consecutive years from 1996-2003, and again in 2005 and 2008, the Alpha Rho Chapter received the honor of being rated a Top Ten Outstanding-Chapter (now known as Best in Region). In addition, Virginia Tech recognized the Chapter as the Student Organization of the Year in 1998. Another high honor that the Chapter received was the Chapter Most Able to Overcome Adversity Award following the events of 4/16. The Chapter also has been recognized multiple times for its service and its fellowship.
The Chapter has become very strong internally and is now turning its focus outward, with a focus toward improving and enjoying Phi Sigma Pi nationally as well as reaching out to the Virginia Tech campus and local community. In addition, the Alpha Rho Chapter enjoys and upholds strong bonds with its alumni, with an annual banquet in the honor of alumni. Because of these relationships, Alpha Rho won the Charles W. Chance Alumni Award in 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2003.
The official colors of Alpha Rho Chapter are red and black; the chapter mascot is the platypus. The chapter also has one specialized ritual and a chant. Presidents since 1991 have included Christine Abom, Laura Zatkin, Brian Keel, Bill Patterson, Kristi Perri, Josh Marder, Jeff Sugar, Brandon Rash, Jeff Owen, Sarah Hagadorn, Katie Rossini, David Johnson, Meghan Riley, Afton Dawson, Rich Harris, Rachel Mitnick, Lisa Gryncewicz, Bill Hamilton, Zachary Schwind, and Kathleen Kane. The Chapter has awarded service keys to Paige Bayliss, Loren P. Johnson, Josh Marder, Justin Nemmers, Herb Higginbotham, Britt Marder, and Andrius Benokraitis. The Chapter's faculty advisor is Megan Riley Jones, an Alpha Rho alumna.