Beta Theta Pi returns to Virginia Tech in a big way
BLACKSBURG, Va., Sept. 13, 2006—This semester marks the record-breaking return of a fraternity that had a long earlier association with Virginia Tech, but which has not had a chapter on the Blacksburg campus for some six years. But there's no question that Beta Theta Pi fraternity has come back strong in 2006. Not only has it been granted its new charter, but it has also already become one of the top chapters in the country.
The fraternity previously had chapters at Virginia Tech from 1877 to 1880, and more recently from 1971 to 2000. Dwindling numbers in 2000 forced the fraternity to disband. With alumni as the driving force, Beta Theta Pi’s administrative officers visited the Blacksburg campus in the fall of 2003 to form a "founding father" class to re-establish the chapter. The new Alpha Phi chapter was awarded its charter on June 30, 2006 and the group hasn’t slowed down since.
This chapter is Beta Theta Pi’s first ever “Triple Crown” winner. At the fraternity’s 167th General Convention in Toronto, Canada, the Alpha Phi chapter became the first Beta Theta Pi chapter in Virginia ever to win the Knox Award; it was awarded Virginia Tech's third Sisson Award; and it also became the first chapter in the national organization to earn a charter and win a Knox award in the same year.
The Knox Award recognizes the top chapters in the organization, and only 10 out of 125 chapters are awarded this distinction. The Sisson Award recognizes chapters that have upheld the fraternity’s standards and excelled in the chapter’s operational aspects.
“This is definitely only the beginning. It’s very satisfying to know that all of our hard work has paid off and that we can now take even more pride in our organization,” said David Campbell, president of the Alpha Phi chapter. Campbell, of Richmond, Va., is a senior majoring in political science in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
Aside from the “Triple Crown” honor, the Alpha Phi chapter also received three other awards at the convention—the Virginia Tech Award, the Charles Henry Hardin Award and the John Holt Duncan Award. The Virginia Tech Award recognizes the highest grades for the region. The group received the Charles Henry Hardin Award for sending the highest percentage of its members to leadership opportunities during the past year. The John Duncan Holt Award was presented to the chapter for the innovative pillow fight philanthropy, which raised more than $2,000 for hurricane relief efforts last year. This year’s pillow fight took place Sept. 10, and benefited the United Way of Montgomery County.
Since 1839, Beta Theta Pi has initiated more than 160,000 men at colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. For more information visit www.beta.org.vt.edu.
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