Phi Alpha Pi (ΦΑΠ) is a local fraternity at the University of Olivet in Olivet, Michigan. It was established as a literary society in 1847 and became a traditional social fraternity in 1861. It is the oldest social and literary fraternity at Olivet College.[1]
History
The fraternity originated as Olivet Lyceum literary society at Olivet College (now the University of Olivet) in 1847.[2] Its name changed to Philalethian in 1850.[2] The group was reorganized and became Phi Alpha Pi Society on March 20, 1861.[3][2] Its founders were E. E. Benedict, G. W. Barney, S. F. Drury, George W. Keyes, N. J. Morrison, J. J. Scovel, S. F. White.[3] Morrison served as its first president.[4] Other original officers included Barney as vice president, Scovel as treasurer, Keyes as recording secretary, Drury as corresponding secretary, White as critic, and Benedict as librarian.[4] Meetings were held in the Chapel Recitation room on campus.[4]
The society hosted weekly literary sessions that were open to the public.[5] It held an annual exercise on December 3, 1873, that featured music, oratory, readings, and debate.[6] Phi Alpha Pi's members participated in Inter-Collegiate Society Oratorial Association's competitions in 1875.[7] It won Michigan's first inter-fraternity oratoritorical contest in 1877.[5] The society also competed with the Aldephic and the Soronian Societies from Olivet College.[8]
In 1887, the literary society changed its constitution to become a "secret fraternity".[5] However, it continued to host weekly literary sessions that were open to the public.[5] In September 1892, it changed its name from Phi Alpha Pi Society to Phi Alpha Pi Fraternity.[9] By May 1896, the Phi Alpha Pi annual reception was one of the top of the Olivet College social life.[10]
The motto of Phi Alpha Pi is "Progress, Truth, Friendship."[3][1] This is the English translation of Φιλία, Αλήθεια, Πρόοδος (originally arranged as "Friendship, Truth, Progress") giving the Greek letter name of ΦΑΠ to the fraternity.[12]
The fraternity's colors are royal blue and white.[3] Its nicknames are Phi Alphs, Naples, and The Gentlemen.[3]
Chapter house
Phi Alpha Pi chapter house
When Parson's Hall was constructed, the fraternity leased rooms on the building's fourth floor.[4] The group spent $2,000 upfitting their rooms with butternut and black walnut wood.[13]
The group laid the cornerstone of a chapter house on June 15, 1890, during the college's commencement week.[14] It was dedicated during commencement week on June 17, 1892.[15][16] The chapter house is constructed of Lake Superior sandstone in Greek-Swiss or colonial style.[13][15][16][2] It features a portico with eight red granite columns and a roof of red Spanish tiles.[13][16][2] Its first floor includes an auditorium, cloakroom, committee room, library, reception hall, and parlor.[13][15][2] The auditorium seats several hundred people.[2] Its second floor includes committee rooms, a dining hall, dressing rooms, a janitor's apartment, a kitchen, a pantry, and apartments for twenty members.[13][15][2] The chapter house cost around $24,000 to build ($839,911 in today's money).[13] I. C. Seely of Minneapolis was the major donor to the project; a tablet with his name and class year was placed at the house's entrance.[15]
The chapter house was listed on the Michigan Register of Historic Places.[17][18] On November 2, 1978, the house was destroyed by a fire; forty firefighters fought the blaze for seven hours.[17][18] The fire was cause by faulty wiring.[19] The only part of the historic structure that was undamaged was the portico and columns, stone walls, and chimney.[17][18][1] WIthin two weeks of the fire, the fraternity announced that it planned to restore the damaged chapter house.[20] However, the insurance company only paid $200,000 of the $500,000 needed to restore the structure.[21][1] Part of the house was occupied in 1981.[22] By November 1985, the exterior restoration was completed, along with most of the interior.[1]
The house was damaged by arson on April 9, 1989.[22] The fire destroyed the third floor and roof; the second and first floors had water damage.[23]
The house is located on 504 S. Main Street on the Olivet campus.[22]
Philanthropy
The fraternity hosts an annual Christmas party for underprivileged children.[24][25]
Scandals and controversies
In 1973, the college announced plans to build a new conservatory after receiving a one million dollar gift; the chosen site included the property of the fraternity and its chapter house.[26] The fraternity started a campaign and petitions to save their house.[26] However, the college's board of trustees voted to relocate the conservatory and save the fraternity's house from demolition.[27]
In April 1989, an arsonist set fire to the Phi Alpha Pi chapter house hours after placing four phone calls, saying "The house will burn".[22][28] Four students and a firefighter were injured and there was $200,000 in damages ($507,329 in today's money) to the house that had just been restored from an electrical fire.[22] Three Olivet students admitted to making three prank calls did not make the fourth call that included the threat of fire.[29]
In 1992, eight or nine members of Phi Alpha Pi were involved in a campus brawl between white and black students.[30] The incident started when a white female student called the fraternity house, asking for help because she was being threatened by several black male students who were outside of her room.[31][32] Around seventy students were involved in the fight.[31][32]
In February 2003, police uncovered a hazing incident at the Phi Alpha Pi house; the fraternity was already on probation with the college for prior incidents.[33]
^ abcdBlake, C. S. "History" in Manual of the Phi Alpha Pi fraternity of Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan. Olivet, Michigan: Phi Alpha Pi. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-02-17 – via Hathi Trust.
^ abcdefBlake, C. S. "History" in Manual of the Phi Alpha Pi fraternity of Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan. Olivet, Michigan: Phi Alpha Pi. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-02-17 – via Hathi Trust.
^"Olivet College". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, Michigan. 1873-12-06. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-02-17 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ab"Big Literary Event of the Year". Lansing State Journal. Lansing, Michigan. 1912-12-07. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-02-17 – via Newspapers.com.
^Blake, C. S. "History" in Manual of the Phi Alpha Pi fraternity of Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan. Olivet, Michigan: Phi Alpha Pi. p. .6 Retrieved 2024-02-17 – via Hathi Trust.
^ abcdefBlake, C.S. "History" in Manual of the Phi Alpha Pi fraternity of Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan. Olivet, Michigan: Phi Alpha Pi. p. 3-4. Retrieved 2024-02-17 – via Hathi Trust.
^"State Items". Detroit Free Press. 1890-05-28. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-02-17 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abcde"Commencement at Olivet". The Times Herald. Port Huron, Michigan. 1891-06-17. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-02-17 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abc"Out of Our Past". Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Michigan. 2003-11-03. p. 17. Retrieved 2024-02-17 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abcLynch, Lorrie; Kaufman, Stan (1978-11-03). "Olivet Landmark Burns". Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Michigan. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-02-18 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Wiring Blamed for Fire". Lansing State Journal. Lansing, Michigan. 1978-11-07. p. 11. Retrieved 2024-02-18 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Olivet Landmark to be Restored". Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Michigan. 1978-11-16. p. 24. Retrieved 2024-02-18 – via Newspapers.com.
^Gave, Keith (1981-10-26). "House Embodies Brotherhood". Lansing State Journal. Lansing, Michigan. p. 13. Retrieved 2024-02-18 – via Newspapers.com.
^ abcdeChristenson, Trace (1989-04-10). "5 Hurt in Fraternity-House Blaze". Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Michigan. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-02-18 – via Newspapers.com.
