Our History
The Oregon Alpha Chapter of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity was founded in 1923 by a dedicated group of students who started a social club and become a fraternity chapter. The underlying character of that group of young men has carried through generations of brothers for more than 100 years.
On January 5, 1919, a group of men from Friendly Hall dorm formed the Owl Club and began applying to several national fraternities for acceptance. Their petition was finally accepted by Phi Kappa Psi in 1922 and 54 members were initiated in February 1923. The chapter had already purchased and remodeled the property at 729 E. 11th known as the Chambers House.
The chapter grew steadily in the 1930s led by brothers who attained national prominence in the fraternity. The success of the chapter led to the replacement of the old house with a new facility inspired by the Governor’s mansion in Williamsburg, Virginia. The chapter moved into our new home in the Spring of 1941, just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Many things have changed over the decades since then, but the underlying values and experiences of Phi Kappa Psi remain the same. Our chapter has always found success in the classroom, leadership, and athletics. You will consistently find us in the top 3 academically, our members in student government positions, and our teams battling for the championship in every sport — from football to bowling.
We expect our young chapter to return to that prominence as it grows. There have been periods where important historical events have interrupted the existence of many fraternities, but ours has always come back with the same basic principles that bind us. It’s in our fraternal DNA.
