Jump to content

Pi Alpha Phi

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 72.5.142.135 (talk) at 23:14, 11 April 2007 (→‎Noted Alumni). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Pi Alpha Phi National Fraternity
ΠΑΦ
Pi Alpha Phi crest
Founded1926
UC Berkeley
TypeAsian-American Interest Fraternity
ScopeNational
Motto"A Tradition of Excellence Since 1926"
ColorsBerkeley Blue and California Gold
SymbolBrotherhood Links
Chapters11 Chapters, 2 Associate
Headquarters2534 Warring Street
Berkeley, California
USA
WebsitePi Alpha Phi National Website


Pi Alpha Phi (ΠΑΦ) (PAPhi's or Pineapples) is an American university-level fraternity. It was founded in 1926 at the University of California, Berkeley. Pi Alpha Phi bills itself as the first Asian American Interest Fraternity . Since its founding in the early 20th century, the fraternity has expanded with active chapters at campuses throughout the United States.


History

Pi Alpha Phi was established in 1926 at the University of California, Berkeley by six founding fathers: D. Wing Tom, Wing Chan, Elmer Leong, Chack Chan, Tim Jang, and George Lee. Pi Alpha Phi's six founders formed their own Asian-American fraternity in part because the other fraternities legally discriminated against them. During the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Fraternity served as an organizational haven to the sons of Chinese-American immigrants. Though not the first nationally recognized, Pi Alpha Phi's standards and traditions paved the template for other Asian-American fraternities half a century later.

After forming the fraternity, Wing Chan was elected as its first president. D. Wing Tom served as the Vice President and Elmer Leong as the Secretary. They wanted to establish an organization that would be based on the bonds of friendship, mutual experience, academic excellence and brotherhood. The name Pi Alpha Phi was derived from the initials of the Greek phrase meaning "To advance through brotherly ties; the thirst for learning."

Founders

The Founding Fathers of Pi Alpha Phi hailed primarily from the state of California. Elmer Leong, George Lee, and D. Wing Tom were from the SF Bay Area. Tim Jang, Wing Chan, and his younger brother Chack Chan came from the Central Valley Region of California. All were born in America with the exception of Wing Chan, who came from China at an early age.

The men studied science and engineering, which was considered a better path to employment after graduation since discrimination prevented most Asians from entering into law, medicine or other graduate disciplines.

Their challenges grew as they found out that student lodging was often not rented to those of Asian heritage. It was especially difficult for Tim, Wing and Chack from the Central Valley for whom commuting was not an option. The problem was solved by the goodwill of a sympathetic German woman known as Mother Tusch, who also had been a victim of racism. The seeds of brotherhood were planted in the cabin she rented to Wing, Elmer and D. Wing Tom behind her house near Sather Gate.

The six men proceeded with their college careers, engaging in academic and social events, as well as athletics. Elmer Leong even joined the university track team. They found great comfort and camaraderie in their small group but felt compelled to turn their group into more than a circle of friends, more than a club, more than a social gathering. They decided to form a formal fraternity of brothers that would bind them forever; a fraternity that would break the status quo and seek recognition by the university system.

Following graduation in the early 1930's, the Founding Fathers found life difficult. The country was in the midst of the Great Depression and discrimination against those of Asian heritage for jobs was even more prevalent. Four of the six - Wing Chan, Chack Chan, D. Wing Tom and George Lee - went to southern China to find employment and new lives. Tim and Elmer decided to stay in America to continue their education and start a career despite the difficult circumstances. The four in China prospered, with Wing teaching chemistry at a university in Canton, Chack Chan working in the local aircraft industry, George Lee pursuing a medical degree; and all four found their wives and started their families.

In 1937, with the advent of war in China, all returned home to America with the exception of Wing, who returned after World War II. During wartime, each of the founding fathers made contributions to their country. For example, Tim enlisted in the U.S. Navy Seabees. He served as a construction corpsman for the 132nd Naval Construction Battalion in the Pacific. Chack put his engineering skills to use as a draftsman at the famed Henry J. Kaiser naval shipyard in Richmond, California, where many of the country's great war ships were built.

All six men educated themselves, started families and followed their careers in support of a full and meaningful life. On the way, they created a brotherhood. Sadly, all have passed on and are survived by their families. Tim Jang, the last surviving founder, recently passed away in March 2007.

Mission Statement

Pi Alpha Phi focuses itself on several core values, which are written into its mission statement. These include:

  • Brotherhood - The Fraternity encourages mutual trust and loyalty among its members. The Fraternity creates an extended family that nurtures life-long "friendships" through the shared bonds of tradition, and common experience.
  • Academic Excellence - The Fraternity creates a studious environment and encourages each of its members to achieve his greatest academic potential. The Fraternity supports all educational endeavors and recognizes exceptional academic achievement.
  • Philanthropy - The Fraternity is committed to its responsibility to serve others and encourages participation in activities for the betterment of not only the Asian-American community, but the community as a whole. One of its national events is the Jade Ribbon Campaign.
  • Leadership - The Fraternity provides opportunities to fulfill important duties within the organization and helps members develop leadership skills in preparation for their future careers and endeavors.
  • Asian American Awareness - The Fraternity believes in learning Asian American culture, heritage and history. The Fraternity encourages its members to pass on this knowledge to others.

Asian American Awareness

When Pi Alpha Phi was founded in the 1920s, traditional Greek fraternities along with the rest of the nation, legally discriminated against men of color. Since they were banned from joining a traditional Greek fraternity, Pi Alpha Phi's Founding Fathers wanted to ensure that Asian American Awareness would forever be an important part of the Fraternity.

Today, the basic premise of the fraternity remains largely unchanged. Although the fraternity is open to people of all ethnic backgrounds it still retains its Asian-American character. With emphasis on brotherhood, the fraternity works to create lifelong bonds that extend far beyond the university setting. The basic goals of brotherhood attained through shared experience, friendship and academics remain unaltered. Although the organization has evolved from generation to generation, the vision of Pi Alpha Phi and its members is the same today as it was for six Berkeley men in 1926.

Chapters

Associate Chapters

Noted Alumni

External links

Websites

News Articles

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pi_Alpha_Phi&oldid=122079484"