History of Alpha Omicron
In 1923, a group of men decided to found the Alpha Omicron Chapter of PKP at Iowa State University, bonding together to face a frightening scarlet fever epidemic. From the beginning, AO focused on brotherhood. On May 25, 1929, the official charter was ratified with thirty-nine members.
In 1987, a fundraising campaign began to build a new house for AO, beginning with Homecoming's theme, "Let your pride show. Invest in AO." By January 1989, the chapter had a new house with room for seventy-two young men. Over three hundred people showed up during VEISHEA that year to watch AO cut the ribbon. Since then, the chapter has grown in membership, helping students become the men they want to be.
Awards and Honors
Pi Kapps consistently earn a higher average GPA than many fraternities on campus, and considerably higher than the average for all men on campus. In fact, we have been rated in the top six for fraternities every semester for the last two years; just this last semester, we had the highest GPA for a wet house on campus! Every semester, Pi Kappa Phi sees a number of members achieve placement on the ISU Dean's List; 26 total this last semester! In addition, Pi Kapps have been inducted into a number of honoraries, including:
- Cardinal Key (for outstanding student leaders)
- Alpha Zeta Honorary Agricultural Fraternity
- Phi Beta Kappa Honorary Liberal Arts Fraternity
- Order of Omega (top fraternity member on campus)
- Phi Eta Sigma (freshman honorary society)
- Pi Tau Sigma Honorary Mechanical Engineering Fraternity
- Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Academic Fraternity
- Golden Key International Academic Honor Society
- National Society of Collegiate Scholars