History of Beta Eta Chapter

  • The Beta Eta Chapter is the 55th chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha international fraternity and was founded on March 24, 1917.


    Guy B. Reno was the first President of the Beta Eta chapter.

     

    The original chapter house was located at 305 E John St. (southeast corner of 3rd and John) as of March 15, 1918.  We had completely paid this house off, but we sold it to help fund the building of our chapter house on Armory St.  The house is now an apartment building called the Four Columns.

     

    In 1928 we moved into a house on Armory that was later occupied by Sigma Alpha Mu.  We lost this house to the bank after World War II and were left owning nothing other than 4 dining room tables (which we still currently have in the house).

     

    The Beta Eta chapter moved into 102 E. Chalmers (built and formerly occupied by the TKEs) in 1948.  Our mortgage on the house at 102 E. Chalmers was taken out in two mortgages, one for $45,000 and one for $20,000.  Jack Bowsher was the treasurer at the time.


    The Pike Mansion at 102 East Chalmers (1923-2009) stood for 86 years.  

     

    In the fall of 2009, the chapter house temporarily moved to the former Delta Phi fraternity house at 1008 S. Fourth St due to the demolition and reconstruction of our chapter house at 102 E. Chalmers.

     

    Our Pike Presents philanthropy was created by Adam Keldermans (an '03.5 initiate) in 2004.


    In 2009, Beta Eta won its fifth consecutive Robert Adger Smythe Award, moving it to the Dynasty level (the highest possible level).

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    *Since the links below that were connected to the original issue of the Beta Eta News are now dead, follow the link below to open a Word version of the newsletter.  For those of you interested in seeing an original copy, look at it in a photo album by clicking here.

     

    Beta Eta News 1918

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    Note: It is only through the dedicated efforts of Brother Richard Western that we proudly present this extensive history of the Beta Eta Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha at the University of Illinois.

     


    It was 85 years ago that the first edition of the Beta Eta News appeared on the University of Illinois scene. It was a great honor for this editor to personally know K.D. Pulcipher, its founder and first editor. Along the way, he entrusted me with an original copy of the first Beta Eta News. His only stipulation: "Don't let it be destroyed." Now that we have this timeless medium called the Internet, it seemed to me an ideal place to publish the contents of that original volume. In this unique way, it can never be destroyed.

    None of the colloquialisms or daily usage of terms has been changed. As a point of interest, two names mentioned in the newsletter have current application. R. H. Winkelmann's son, Wendell, is currently an attorney in Urbana, IL. Guy B. Reno was the first S.M.C. of the chapter.

    Should anyone out there know further bits of information that might prove of value, please let us know. We hope you enjoy this peek inside the lives of our brothers nearly a century ago.

     

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