"Highest in Brotherhood, Greatest Ever Known"
Phi Kappa National Fraternity
The Diamond Anniversary
After two World Wars and 75 years, Phi Kappa stood tall and saluted herself at its 75th meeting of the General Assembly. Conclave in Hattiesburg, MS, chartered Delta Triton and began the Community Service award. The Ramada Inn in Mobile, AL, played host to the Anniversary Celebration as Exalted Grand Master Mike Newfield welcomed the 200 Brothers as well as four Past National Presidents and Winston F. Groom, Exalted Scribe 1929. The sixth new alumni chapter, Alpha Gamma Triton, and a new active chapter, Delta Omega, were chartered. While alumni and actives played golf at a local country club, the Executive Council was reading the presentation of the Phi Kappa Hall of Fame.
A beautiful 6 feet by 4 feet plaque with a four foot solid bronze Phi Kappa Coat of Arms heralded the eleven names of the Charter inductees: Jacob Broughton Nelson, Jack Oscar Hain, Jr., Clarence Heath Cowart, William F. Palmer, Charles Richard Calhoun, Guy D. Campbell, William Crawford, Frank Liddell, Jerome V. Reel, Robert L. Pugh and Merrill P. McDougall. This plaque is proudly displayed, along with many other old Phi Kappa trophies at National Trustee Emile T. Petro Jr.'s office in Gulfport, MS.
Phi Kappa was celebrating again in 1976. America's Bicentennial year was at hand and Phi Kappas traveled to Meridian, MS, waving U.S. flags and sporting red, white and blue banners. As 244 brothers worked, a record 93 honorees were entertained. Beta Gamma was chartered with help from Theta Gamma and Delta Chi Alpha Triton renewed the old college alumni chapter tradition at Louisiana State University.
Convention
1976 returned to Gulfport, MS, as Albert S. Cain III (left) was inducted to
the Hall
of Fame and alumni support was noted by giving alumni
chapters the right to vote in National
Officer elections. Theta Gamma
won the Efficiency award for the fourth time in five
years.
After a successful social event, Conclave 1977, Convention landed at the mouth of the Mississippi, New Orleans, LA. After the brothers had visited Bourbon Street, they headed for the Convention Banquet where a "great historical presentation" was on hand. C. Greg Carney, with much help from Dan Northrop Jr., unveiled the first known picture of our founder, Jacob Broughton Nelson. This discovery was just the beginning as Brother Carney is still diligently searching for the missing links to our founder or his final resting place.
After setting up the National Budget Committee at Grand Masters Retreat in 1978, Conclave entered Meridian, MS, once again. Balfour Jewelers became the official jeweler of the fraternity and the Alumni Attendance Award was begun.
Convention was held again on the Coast in Biloxi. After a day on the beach, the General Assembly chartered another alumni chapter, Alpha Gamma Delta Triton and an active chapter, Alpha Chi. A trust fund was set aside for the purpose of reprinting The Nelson Dream and more alumni awards were established.
The 79th General Assembly met once again in Biloxi and increased the National Scholarship Award to $300 and Sigma Gamma was chartered in Bay St. Louis after Theta Gamma initiate Robby Boyd's family moved there.
At Convention 1979 Mr. James Swackhammer, former supplier of Phi Kappa sportswear and long-time supporter of Phi Kappa, was posthumously elected Phi Kappa's first honorary member in two decades.
The Founding
(1900-1916)
The Early Years
(1916-1922)
Vital Expansion
(1922-1941)
The War Years
(1942-1946)
More Battles
(1947-1957)
The Golden Era
(1957-1960)
The Sixties
(1961-1969)
The Prosperous
Years
(1970-1974)
The Diamond
Anniversary
(1975-1979)
The Decade of
Determination
(1980-1989)
The Nineties
(1990-1997)
Covington and After
(1998-2002)
A New Attitude
(2003-the future)
The History
of Phi Kappa National Fraternity
By: Robert L. Pugh &
Frank Liddell (1900-1970)
Patrick D. Thrash (1970-1985)
William Kyle Ingle (1985-1993)
Gerald Everett and Brent McCarty (1993-2004)