Announcements
Iowa Xi Celebrates 100 Years
In 2024 Iowa Xi will celebrate it’s centennial year. Co-Chairs for the event are Manni Balignasay ’01 and Rick Ball ’86, with honorary co-chairs Mike Maloney’75 and Bill Fleischacker ’76.
Watch this space for more information as it becomes available.
RAGBRAI in Ames
On July 25th RAGBRAI will stop in Ames. Let us know if you are going to ride in the race and if you would be interested in spending the night at the house.
Newest Alumni
Congratulations to the 3 seniors graduating fall of 2022. In the Bonds,
- Ryan Hyland
- Mitchell Burghardt
- Ben Hourigan
Holiday Greetings from Iowa Xi
Iowa Xi Foundation
There are a number of ways to donate. Click the Donate link in the menu to learn about each fund.
- Alumni Chapter
- 2110 Club
- Greg Stein Endowment Fund
- Jim Victor Endowment Fund
- Richard Concannon Scholarship Fund
- Michael “Dayton” Fahning Scholarship Fund
- Stand in the Gap
- Phi Kappa Theta National Foundation
Congratulations to the 3 seniors graduating fall of 2022. In the Bonds,
- Ryan Hyland
- Mitchell Burghardt
- Ben Hourigan
Congratulations to the 3 seniors graduating fall of 2022. In the Bonds,
- Ryan Hyland
- Mitchell Burghardt
- Ben Hourigan
Greg Stein Tribute
Update from the Building Corporation
History of Phi Kappa Theta at Iowa State University
Iowa Xi Chapter History
In 1920, a group of Catholics denied membership to traditional fraternities formed a social group called the Amician fraternity. Amician is Latin for friend, and seemed to set a tone of trust and brotherhood for the new group. The club gained strength, membership, and financial standing, which culminated in a charter with Phi Kappa, a national Catholic fraternity. The Amician fraternity became the Xi chapter of Phi Kappa on February 15, 1924. The fraternity continued to grow and in 1934 the property at 2110 Lincoln Way was secured to house the brothers.
In 1959, two Catholic fraternities, Phi Kappa and Theta Kappa Phi merged to form Phi Kappa Theta. This merging of two national fraternities, which today stands alone asthe only long term successful merger of Greek organizations, is a testament to the bonds and fellowship that come with being a member of Phi Kappa Theta. Iowa State’s Phi Kappa chapter became the Iowa Xi chapter of Phi Kappa Theta.
In 1968 the national fraternity dropped a clause for membership that prevented non-Catholics from becoming members of the fraternity. Since then Phi Kappa Theta has been open to anyone regardless of faith tradition.
In 1971, the chapter’s property board secured the property to the south of the chapter house. Construction began in the summer of 1972 , and the Annex at 117 Beach was completed later that year to house brothers.
Phi Kappa Theta is located on the corner of Beach Ave. and historic Lincoln Way, which was the first transcontinental road across the country. Like Lincoln Way, Phi Kappa Theta has seen a lot of students come and go at Iowa State. Yet whenever they return our chapter house and our message of brotherhood stands as a gateway to Iowa State University.
National Fraternity
PHI KAPPA – 1889
In the late 1880’s, a group of catholic students at Brown University in Rhode island organized themselves as a social fraternity, based on the fellowship of faith.Their first name was Phi Kappa Sigma, taking the Greek equivalent of the initials of “Fraternity of Catholic Students”. (The Sigma was subsequently dropped) With the help of local alumni, businessmen and a receptive college administration, the group thrived. It decided to become a national fraternity and admitted the Loyola Club of the U. of Illinois as the Beta chapter. Their first convention was in 1914. The first magazine, the Yippa-Yappa of Phi Kappa, was published in 1916. By 1930 they had 24 chapters linked under their motto, “Loyalty to God and College”. After several revisions, their coat of arms and initiation ceremony were standardized by then. Both a real estate holding company and an educational foundation were established in 1954.
THETA KAPPA PHI – 1919
In the 1910’s, Newman Club students at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania wanted a stronger, more permanent bond than the club afforded. Originally named the “X club”, the name was changed to Theta Kappa Phi, for “The Catholic Fraternity”. It formed a national fraternity by admitting Kappa Theta at Penn State in 1922. They too, held conventions and published the “Sun” to all its members. Because of the depression and then World War II, they established their 24th chapter in 1957. The fraternity’s ritual gave TKP an esoteric name, which served as their motto.