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The return of Wisconsin Alpha?
Just a note to advise that colonizing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison appears to be in Phi Psi's future, perhaps as early as this coming fall. It's the only Big Ten campus without a Phi Psi Chapter.
Wisconsin Alpha once was one of the Fraternity's premier chapters, but closed its doors in 1939 near the end of the Great Depression that sank many fraternity chapters. Several efforts have been made at reestablishing the Chapter in the years since, the most recent about 12 years ago.
Several undergraduates at Wisconsin Gamma expressed interest last spring in trying to reestablish Wisconsin Alpha, and met with our Director of Expansion Alec Traub at Woodrow Wilson Leadership School in Las Vegas.
Since that time, we've confirmed with the UW that they are receptive to our return, and they've tentatively booked us for 2010 at the latest. But we believe that, once an interest group has been formed, we can move much more quickly for recognition, as early as this fall.
Locally, we've identified an alumnus who is willing to serve as Colony Advisor and Wisconsin Gamma should be in position next fall to provide some undergraduate support.
When the last Colony existed at Madison, the relationship was so close with Wisconsin Gamma that Wisconsin Alpha became known as Wisconsin Gamma North and Wisconsin Gamma as Wisconsin Alpha South. Here's hoping that repeats itself whenever Alpha is back among us!
Alec Traub has just left staff, but his replacement, Ron Ransom, is very familiar not only with Wisconsin Gamma but interest in reviving Wisconsin Alpha. Ron, in fact, already has visited the Madison campus, as an ELC, to meet with UW officials as we tested the waters with the administration.
The University of Wisconsin remains one of America's most prestigious universtities, and Phi Kappa Psi will be stronger with a Chapter back here. As far as I can see, all we have to do now is assemble the interest group.
Fraternally,
Mike McCoy...
P.S. For those who know me and wonder why I haven't posted earlier, I only found this group today.
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