58-59

Chapter History Report

Filed by Carleton W. Carroll on May 25, 1959

Beta-Sigma Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, at Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, began the 1958-1959 academic year with a membership composed of thirty-seven active Brothers and six super-pledges. A highly successful rush week in September brought to the Chapter an impressive total of thirty pledges, the largest pledge class to come to the Chapter in many years. Of these thirty pledges, six depledged during the semester for various reasons. The remaining twenty-four completed pledge training, and twenty were initiated into the Fraternity on February 21, 1959, the remaining four assuming super-pledge status. At the same time were initiated three of the six super-pledges mentioned above, two others having been initiated in the fall and the one remaining having left school.

The rush week which netted our many pledges was the first of the Chapter's activities in a brand-new house. An extremely hectic and tiring week of work had been necessary to get the new house ready, but the Brotherhood did it, and the campus was impressed by our new home.

The leading officers of the Chapter during the fall semester were SMC Don Tellalian, IMCBob Harrington, ThC Fred Heider, and SCDave McMaster. During the fall the social season, under Social Chairman Don Beaman, was highlighted by the Chapter's traditional "theme" parties, the Bavarian beer party and the Mississippi River Boat gambling party. Such innovations as an Oriental party and a Russian Gypsy party, which was organized by the pledge class provided much enjoyment for the Chapter. Homecoming was of course a big event of the fall semester, and our display, on a theme of "Sleeping Beauty" nearly -- but not quite -- won us a trophy. Chi Omega Sorority helped the Chapter decorate for Christmas, and a big Christmas dinner party started off the big vacation in grand style.

The social calendar for the second semester featured the traditional spaghetti-and-wine Italian party, an eccentric-costume "Auntie Mame" party, a detective story "Peter Gunn" party, and a pledge-organized Cuban party, as well as the traditional last fling, the garden party, which is held indoors. Other social events centered around Greek Swing and the Military Ball, not to mention Spring Carnival, the biggest event of the spring semester. The Chapter competed in all of the various events, scoring its greatest triumph with a long-hoped-for first place in the sweepstakes competition. Our Carnival booth, fitting in with the over-all theme of great robberies, presented "The Great Panty Raid of 1958." We thought that we had a definite winner, but the judges didn't seem to agree. However we were successful in getting quite a bit of money from the patrons who played our ring-toss game.

Another important event of the spring social season was the Chapter's Dream Girl Formal, at which Bev Scott, the fiancée of second semester SMC Bob Harrington, was proclaimed our 1959 Dream Girl. Her court consisted of Mary Ellen Timmons, close companion of past SMC Don Tellalian; and Elaine Frank, the pin-mate of Brother Bill Ladd. The Formal was a beautiful event, very well planned by Brothers Jimmy Frazier and Jerry Regan, and one of the highlights of the social calendar for second semester.

The Chapter was guided through the second semester by Bob Harrington, SMC; Don Beaman, IMC; Ray Fessler, ThC; and Ken Daugherty, SC. A rather less intensive rush program brought the Chapter five pledges for the spring pledge training session. Two depledged during the semester, but the remaining three successfully completed pledging, and two of these will be initiated into the Brotherhood on Memorial Day. The remaining pledge will assume super-pledge status. In late April elections were held for the next term of office, and Chapter leadership was assumed by SMC Don Beaman, IMC Ray Fessler, ThC Dave Morris, and SC Joe Grable. At the end of the year all of the initiations and departures will leave the Chapter with fifty-eight active Brothers, some of whom will leave via graduation, and three super-pledges.

The year in sports for the Chapter was one of development. Teams were fielded in all of the major sports, and generally good records were made, in football, basketball, baseball, and plank-jousting. The only championship won was in horseshoe pitching, but many among the Brotherhood believe that considerable success in athletic competition will be achieved next year.

In scholarship the Chapter ranked third among the fraternities on campus for the first semester, with an average of 2.329 (on a four-point scale). The first semester pledge class had the highest pledge class factor on campus, 2.40. Several members were called to honorary societies during the year. Scimitars, the sophomore men's honorary, called Fred Gottemoeller, Joe Grable, and Jim Sharkey; Delta Skull, the junior men's honorary, called IMC Ray Fessler to membership; and Omicron Delta Kappa, the senior men's honorary, chose from our Brotherhood SMC Don Beaman.

Chapter members participated in many campus activities during the year -- it hardly seems likely that there were many activities and organizations in which members of our Brotherhood did not participate. The Carnegie Technical, our award-winning campus technical magazine, was edited and staffed primarily by Chapter members, and the campus Y. M. C. A. had four of our Brothers in official capacities. Many departmental honorary societies drew members and officers from our Brotherhood, among them Omicron Delta Kappa, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, the Society of the Sigma Xi, Pi Delta Epsilon, Pi Mu Epsilon, and Gamma Epsilon Tau. Several professional societies had our Brothers among their student membership, and many of the campus clubs and other student organizations were peopled by members of our Brotherhood.

The financial status of the Chapter during the year was generally good, although somewhat poorer than in years past. This was a result primarily of the unusual expenditures involved in furnishing the new Chapter house. The chief problem coming before the Chapter during the year, or at least one of the major problems, was in the area of finances, namely the delinquency in payment of housebills by a number of the Brothers. This rather regrettable situation, we trust, will be resolved in time.

And now the thirty-eighth year of Beta-Sigma Chapter draws to a close. The general consensus. among the Brotherhood would seem to be that this has been quite a successful year for the Chapter. With graduation in June we will lose many of our good men, but we gained many to replace them in the many pledges received into the Chapter. As always the Chapter looks forward to the next year with expectations that, with responsible and capable officers serving a zealous Brotherhood, the Chapter will experience great achievement, growth, and progress toward becoming a better chapter and living for the ideals of φφκα.

Respectfully submitted,

this 25th day of May, 1959,

Carleton W. Carroll, Historian

Beta-Sigma Chapter

Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity

A New Chapter House and a New Era