The Campaign for Beta-Gamma
IT ALL STARTED HERE:
THE STORY OF BETA-GAMMA
A
s you drive into Charleston and head toward the Eastern Illinois University
campus, the first thing you see are the main gates of the university and then
medieval and towering Old Main, our school's original building complete with its
iconic turrets. Then head north on Sixth Street for a short way and what appears on
the left—Sigma Pi.
Located at 956 Sixth Street is the historic Chapter House for the Beta-Gamma
Chapter of the Sigma Pi Fraternity. And next to it, on the corner, is our second
property, the Alumni House whose primary use is to house seniors and to host
alumni activities. From our founding in 1949, Sigma Pi has led the way at Eastern.
Through high academic achievement, intramural excellence, and unequaled
campus leadership, Sigma Pi has been consistently recognized as the top fraternity
in the EIU Greek community.
Through Sigma Pi we learned the importance of friendship and service, but we also
acquired skills in leadership, organization and teamwork, as well as social skills
and chivalrous and gentlemanly conduct. Our Chapter House is where much of our
Beta-Gamma experience took place for our 2,200 initiates, and it is essential that
through renovation we restore its original look, feel, and grand stature.
The State of Illinois has instituted mandatory code upgrades for fire safety and
prevention. Based on our goal of recruiting the very best and brightest students
Eastern Illinois has to offer, we need to make available a Chapter House that meets
and ideally exceeds the requirements of tomorrow's college student. It is our
desire to create a fraternity house experience much like Beta-Gamma alumni have
enjoyed for 70 years; it is time to restore 956 Sixth Street.
"I believe it is important that
we have an up-to-date, modern
fraternity house that aids in
continuing our long history and
tradition of developing young
men and leaders."
– Marty Morgan '82, President,
Central Illinois Alumni
Association
