ALPHA PI
Purdue University

FOUNDED ON
10.21.1939

LOCATION
West Lafayette, IN

HISTORY
Purdue University was founded in 1869 and its first class graduated in 1874. The Euphemian Club, initially known as Phi Beta Epsilon, was organized by five students at Purdue University in the fall of 1926, and recognized by the University on October 27, 1927. It changed its objective from being an honorary association to a social fraternity in January 1928. Louis Neubacher was an early leader of the organization. The Euphemian Club was chartered as Phi Chapter of Phi Pi Phi on May 17, 1930. On October 21, 1939, Phi Chapter of Phi Pi Phi became Alpha Pi of Alpha Sigma Phi with 45 charter initiates.

The first club house was on Vine Street. The chapter house from 1929 until 1966 was located at 218 Waldron Street. Von Roy Daugherty, Purdue ‘39, was President of the Purdue Alumni Corporation and kept Alpha Pi alive through World War II. The Chapter headed the drive for a uniform national new member manual in 1948 and William Holmes, Purdue ‘44, led the committee that drafted the manual. In October 1950, the mortgage on the Waldron Street house was satisfied and burned. In the late 1950’s, a need for larger quarters was apparent and the housing corporation bought an adjoining lot to the 218 Waldron house at 220 Waldron Street.

In 1963, Alpha Sigma Phi was one of 12 “Greek Letter” groups allocated a lot on a new Fraternity row on campus. The Chapter launched a building program and broke ground on a new chapter house on October 8, 1965. Alpha Pi Chapter moved into its present house at 951 David Ross Road, Lafayette, Indiana, on September 4, 1966.

Alpha Pi won the National Province Leadership Award for 1966-1967. The newsletter, “The Grapevine,” won chapter newsletter awards in 1981, 1972 and 1973. In 1976-78, the Chapter won the Service Award. Alpha Pi won the Tomahawk Award in 1990.

After years of declining membership, risk management concerns and poor academic performance, Alpha Pi alumni contacted Fraternity Headquarters about a re-start. With approval from the alumni and University, Fraternity Staff member Seth Melchor, Bowling Green ‘10, led a re-organization effort during the fall semester of 2014. On November 9, 2014, Alpha Pi initiated 49 men into the Mystic Circle and has once again re-joined the ranks of an active chapter in good standing of Alpha Sigma Phi.

CHAPTER AWARDS
Records show award name and year(s) received.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Records show brother's name, initiation year, and award received.