![]() In 1916 Curtis Bingham Rollins sold land to the Phi Psi’s for the third house. The second house was located at 511 Rollins (approximately where the current Pi Beta Phi house and the Phi Kappa Theta parking lot is). They rented the first official chapter house at 809 College Avenue. Missouri Alpha’s first chapter meetings, before the chapter folded, were held in the Academic Hall (Where the columns stand on Francis Quadrangle). The first man initiated after the chapter re-opened was J.C. ![]() Finally, on Novem(Thanksgiving Day), the Missouri Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi was re-chartered. The Zeta Chi’s petitioned several national fraternities and chose Phi Kappa Psi. In 1907 a local fraternity, Zeta Chi, expressed interest in becoming part of a national fraternity. Several of the old members met in Columbia for that purpose, but events indicated that the time and the conditions were not favorable to the desire, and the attempt was abandoned. Not until 1908 does Phi Kappa Psi again plant her banner on the campus at the University of Missouri. In 1891 there was an effort made to revive the chapter. The Zeta Phi and the Phi Delta Theta fraternities also disbanded, and of the first fraternities to spring from the fresh soil of the Missouri University in ’69 and ’70, there is scarcely left a memory on its campus. Its charter was resigned or taken from it. ![]() It is said that Missouri Alpha became frivolous, and that the spirit of pleasure corrupted it. There was a period in which Greek letter fraternities were under the ban of the university, and had grown in contempt. It is now a difficult matter to discover and state the causes of the decadence and final disruption of the chapter. While its life was dominated and in touch with its charter members, and those who were initiated under their influence, it was one of the greatest honors of a university career to be called to its circle. It had a well-appointed and furnished hall of its own, and a fellowship en rapport with the principles and motive of Phi Psi. The Zeta Phi, which had its origin in the university, and Phi Delta Theta, established under the chaperonage of Eugene Field….(Field’s contemporaries were James Whitcomb Riley and Edgar Allen Poe)īut Phi Psi led all others in its strength and populartiy. In the latter part of the year 1870, two other fraternities of the Greek letter order were introduced. The necessity for rival fraternities was felt, and that necessity was soon met. There were many able men attending the university, whose membership would reflect honor and credit on any fraternity, who were barred from the chapter on account of their number. Missouri Alpha was, both by necessity and by choice, limited in the number of its members. Frank Seebree #72, was the last man to be initiated before the chapter folded.” After Runyan’s death, the lack of leadership and an anti-greek college administration contributed to Missouri Alpha’s demise in 1876. Runyan had been Brother Ayer’s “right-hand man” in founding the chapter. This was the first great stroke of affliction that was laid upon the chapter. ![]() “Brother Runyan, an instrumental leader in the chapter, died of lung disease on December 28, 1872. Years after, one of the charter members, the Honorable James Cooney, a member of Congress, wrote an account of the chapter. These men are now referred to as the founding fathers of the Missouri Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi. ![]() The five charter members included: James Cooney, Eli Penter, John Prather, Prosser K. The five men were initiated in a brief ceremony at the original administration building (Where the famous and historic columns are located at the University of Missouri). Missouri Alpha is not only the first Fraternity founded at the University of Missouri, but at any land grant institution and public university west of the Mississippi River. Thus, only 30 years after the University was open to the public, the Missouri Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi was founded on June 12, 1869. After receiving the list, Ayers wrote to one of the men on the list and asked him to select four other outstanding men on campus. He wrote the Dean and asked for a list of the five most outstanding men at the University. Samual Day Ayers from DePauw University at Greencastle, Indiana (Indiana Alpha) wanted to start a chapter of Phi Kappa Psi at the University of Missouri. This tradition is no better expressed than in the founding of our local chapter. The proud and long-standing tradition of Phi Kappa Psi is not in the number of men that have passed through our doors, but in the excellence and quality of our individual members. ![]()
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