Fall 2017
Candlelight
Beta Phi Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha • Purdue University
Published by the Beta Phi Foundation
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Recovered Charter and Smythe Award
Make 2017 a Standout Year
B
rothers, it is indeed a great time to be a Beta
Phi Pike! The Smythe Award capped off a long
and hard climb to the highest level. It was unveiled
at Homecoming, along with our recovered charter.
For those who don't know, our original charter
had been lost for about 40 years. We had believed
it was lost forever. In late fall 2016, shortly
after Homecoming, the Chapter president, Andrew
McGowan '17, received a package in the mail
simply addressed to the president. It had no return
address on it or anything identifying who sent it.
The postmark was from somewhere near Columbus,
Ohio. Inside Andrew found our original charter—
printed on lambskin and extremely well maintained.
Bob Nice '82, Rex Martin '72, and I began a
project to restore some of our Chapter history. Last
spring we asked in the Candlelight for donations to
help pay for the project. We received gifts from Jim
Thompson '57, Jeff Langston '92 and his brother,
Jim Langston '92. That put the wheels in motion.
Through a great deal of research, Rex was able to
put together our petition for charter and a photo
history of all the houses we've lived in at Purdue.
So now our petition for charter, original charter
and brief history are in their own case, along with
our brand new Smythe Award in the Alumni Room
of the Chapter House. Please make sure you stop
in and enjoy the display. One note of mystery
however: see if you can figure out which name from
the petition has been removed from the charter.
Sincerely in ffka,
Joe Conti '85
President, Beta Phi Foundation
(812) 629-3356
joscon_61@yahoo.com
