The History of the Pi Kappa House and Brotherhood

According to Montgomery County public record, the house was built in 1880 on the VPI campus as part of the original Faculty Row located near the present day Pamplin (Commerce) Hall. In 1929, the house was sold to Mr. Dan Frith and moved to the current location at 401 Progress Street to accommodate a feverish paced building expansion on the 3,000 acre campus which continues today. The basement was added for coal storage, furnace, and boiler rooms to facilitate the new duplex apartment and a new roof complete with dormers was constructed in these early years of the Great Depression.

Over the next three decades, the house transitioned into a student housing residence and in the latter 1950's became known as the Ac-Pro House where a brotherhood spirit was in its infancy. In reality this house was nurturing student leaders, athletes, and future business and government success stories. Jo Jo Holloway and Bob Trafton roomed together when their conversation turned to a more serious endeavor, the idea to organize and start-up a new social fraternity. After many months of researching the correct path and an agreeable name, Trafton and Holloway initiated action on a constitution, by-laws, fraternity logo, and the process of selecting the future brotherhood.

The Founders chose the Pi Kappa, Alpha Chapter name and formally organized in Spring 1961 and looked forward to 1961-1962 as a first full school year of fraternity life. The Corp/Civilian ratio was 1 to 1 with a total student population approaching 10,000. The Corp student life was eventually made optional in 1964 when joining an off-campus fraternity was beginning to meet approval with VPI administration officials. The Charter Brothers and the personally selected first pledge classes had excellent references as witnessed by significant participation from Brothers as past and current Presidents of the Cotillion Club, German Club, and the University Civilian Student Body.

The Charter Brothers and Officers were Bob Trafton, President; Bill Goodwin, Vice-President; Ken Love, Secretary; JoJo Hollaway, Treasurer; Clyde Hale, Wayne Powell, Rad Satterfield, Joe Stras, Bill Tunstall, Frank Widgins, and Doyle Van Meter. The first Sweetheart was Dianne Gooden from Averette College who later married Bob Trafton. The members of the first pledging class Fall 1961 were invited by referral only by the Charter Brothers, there was no advertising, no open rush, and the pledging process was similar to the Pi Kappa pledging regimen as we all know it. The first pledge class included Irv Cox, Don Poole, P.A. Miller, George Jones, Pete Costenbader, Buddy Blount, Smiley Morison, Bob Pugh, Harry Ellen, Kenny Fink, and Carr Harrell.

Getting started included a work filled Summer 1961 on various problems undertaking a new fraternity such as public relations with the Blacksburg city administrators, general house maintenance, restoration, and painting to make ready for the first exciting year as Pi Kappa. At this time there were only seven local fraternities but none recognized by the University. The Inter Fraternity Council had formed and Pi Kappa became the newest member to build a stronger coalition to front the ongoing University and City concerns.

In the first few years, the basement, “The Social Center of the House” was totally re-designed and constructed by removing the inner walls. Led by Holloway, the basement perimeter walls were wood paneled and the bar was built and decorated with a matching wood panel. A couple years later, Starbuck led the building of the basement stairs from the foyer as the previous access was from the kitchen. After which each pledge class had a house project to enhance the appeal. The Fraternity and House was now as we all remember when we enjoyed the Pi Kappa experience.

At the Fall 1961 Homecoming Dinner, the Brothers hosted approximately 80 people setting the stage for a very successful first year. Thanks to the vision and leadership of the founders and incoming Brothers coupled with the Brotherhood spirit, the Pi Kappa, Alpha Chapter was destined to not just exist but to thrive.

Ethel Dobbins, a former campus dining hall cook became the take charge chief cook at the house from the Ac-Pro Days to the early Sigma Nu Days, 1958 to 1975. Ethel was a remarkable woman who treated all the Brothers as her sons. Ethel and her husband Rice managed their local Church and educated their own four sons through Howard University. Who could ever forget Ethel's Friday Night Chicken? We were all blessed to have Ethel as an integral part of Pi Kappa History.

From its formation in 1961, Pi Kappa became a leading and highly regarded fraternity to whom membership was much sought after in the VPI student community. Pi Kappa thrived during its decade of existence, and little consideration for university recognition or for national affiliation took place during that time. As with the other unaffiliated fraternities who were loosely linked by the IFC, the general consensus was that the benefits of complete independence far outweighed the disadvantages of not being associated with or recognized by a national organization.

The Transition to Sigma Nu occurred in the fall of 1970, when the active brothers of Pi Kappa accepted an invitation from Sigma Nu National to establish a chapter at Virginia Tech. The move had been hastened when in the summer of 1970 the national fraternity Pi Kappa Alpha granted a charter to Cotillion Club. Soon after it was disclosed that Sigma Phi Epsilon, another large national fraternity, had also granted a charter. Suddenly the rush to affiliate was on as other national groups quickly followed suit with other fraternities of the IFC.

At Pi Kappa, national affiliation was widely debated; arguments for and against were lively and impassioned. There was concern that without prompt action, many of the uppermost national fraternities would grant their charters and Pi Kappa would be left with a national of lesser standing that would not be consistent with our status in the college community. There was also significant debate as to whether Pi Kappa even needed to move toward a national recognition, as membership continued to thrive. Brothers argued that the fraternity could manage as it had in the past as an independent entity, while others reasoned that as more nationals arrived with their extensive PR machines, Pi Kappa would ultimately lose its standing in the community.

Finally consensus was reached to move forward with petitioning for an invitation from a national organization. Richard Fletcher, executive secretary for Sigma Nu national, came from Lexington headquarters to the Progress Street house to meet with the brotherhood and introduce Sigma Nu. Mr. Fletcher’s presentation was informed and very convincing. With no further inquiries to other nationals, Pi Kappa Brotherhood voted to colonize under Sigma Nu.

Pi Kappa, Alpha Chapter, had built a strong foundation in these ten years from beginning to Spring 1971 bringing together Brothers from a variety of backgrounds, geography, ideals, and aspirations bonding together in a lifestyle which is afforded a small percentage of students in the university environment. Pi Kappa was almost ten years and 173 Brothers meeting, pledging, socializing, and working together on private and public projects within the fraternity and the community while building a lifetime of memories. Please visit pikappa.net to reconnect and enjoy old memories and relationships at your fingertips and see what propelled the half century of the Pi Kappa/Sigma Nu success story.