Announcing 2026's Award Winners

PHI KAPPA TAU AWARDS OF DISTINCTION 

(ANNOUNCED JULY 2026 FOR THE 2025 CALENDAR YEAR) 

CHAPTER  AWARDS 

Roland Maxwell Outstanding Chapter | Top Chapter 

Zeta Alpha, Belmont

Founders Four Chapters | Top Four Chapters 

Beta Gamma, University of Idaho

Zeta Alpha, Belmont

Kappa, University of Kentucky

Beta Beta, Louisville  

Harold E. Angelo Award | Most Improved Chapter 

Winner: Delta Omega, Truman State

Runner Ups: Alpha, Miami University & Epsilon, University of Mount Union

Jack Jareo Award | Outstanding Newsletter 

Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan 

Richard Massock Award | Best Chapter Alumni Event  

Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan 

Ross E. Roeder Award | Best BOG 

Winner: Beta Theta, University of Kansas

Runner Up: Gamma Psi, Texas State University at San Marcos

Academic Excellence | Chapter GPA above 3.0 or above AMA 

Alpha, Miami University
Gamma, The Ohio State University
Zeta, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Lambda, Purdue University
Omicron, Pennsylvania State University
Chi, North Carolina State University
Alpha Gamma, University of Delaware
Alpha Eta, University of Florida
Alpha Rho, Georgia Institute of Technology
Alpha Tau, Cornell University
Beta Gamma, University of Idaho
Beta Theta, University of Kansas
Beta Kappa, Oklahoma State University
Beta Mu, Kent State University
Beta Xi, University of Georgia
Beta Omicron, University of Maryland- College Park
Beta Omega, California State University- Chico
Gamma Alpha, Michigan Technological University
Gamma Mu, Bradley University
Delta Beta, University of Evansville
Delta Kappa, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Delta Lambda, Muskingum University
Epsilon Kappa, Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Epsilon Nu, Clemson University
Epsilon Sigma, Chapman University
Epsilon Chi, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
Zeta Xi, University of South Carolina

George V. Voinovich Excellence in Community Service Award | Most Community Service Hours  

Winner: Lambda, Purdue University

Runner Up: Beta Beta, University of Louisville

Community Service Scroll | Chapters that average 20 service hours per member 

Alpha, Miami University
Epsilon, University of Mount Union
Lambda, Purdue University
Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Phi, Bethany College
Chi, North Carolina State University
Alpha Gamma, University of Delaware
Alpha Chi, Mississippi State University
Alpha Omega, Baldwin Wallace University
Beta Beta, University of Louisville
Beta Gamma, University of Idaho
Beta Epsilon, University of Southern Mississippi
Gamma Beta, University of Cincinnati
Delta Lambda, Muskingum University
Delta Nu, Wright State University
Epsilon Epsilon, William Paterson University
Zeta Alpha, Belmont University
Zeta Mu, Appalachian State University

Monroe Moosnick Scholarship Trophy | Top Chapter GPA 

Winner: Alpha Tau, Cornell 

Runner Up: Epsilon Nu, Clemson University

Order of the Star | Borradaile Challenge Rating 

Alpha, Miami University
Lambda, Purdue University
Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Psi, University of Colorado Boulder
Beta Beta, University of Louisville
Beta Gamma, University of Idaho
Delta Nu, Wright State University
Zeta Alpha, Belmont University

Recruitment Pacesetter Award | Excellent Recruitment & Retention

Alpha, Miami University
Beta, Ohio University
Delta, Centre College
Theta, Transylvania University
Iota, Coe College
Kappa, University of Kentucky
Lambda, Purdue University
Omicron, Pennsylvania State University
Chi, North Carolina State University
Psi, University of Colorado Boulder
Alpha Gamma, University of Delaware
Alpha Eta, University of Florida
Alpha Kappa, Washington State University
Alpha Upsilon, Colgate University
Alpha Phi, University of Akron
Alpha Omega, Baldwin Wallace University
Beta Beta, University of Louisville
Beta Gamma, University of Idaho
Beta Phi, Westminster College
Beta Omega, California State University- Chico
Gamma Alpha, Michigan Technological University
Gamma Omicron, California State University- Fullerton
Delta Beta, University of Evansville
Delta Gamma, University of Mississippi
Delta Kappa, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Delta Lambda, Muskingum University
Delta Nu, Wright State University
Epsilon Nu, Clemson University
Epsilon Sigma, Chapman University
Zeta Xi, University of South Carolina
Zeta Omicron, Arizona State University
Zeta Sigma, Grand Valley State University

Paul Newman Award | Best Philanthropy Program

Winner: Beta Beta, Louisville  

Runner Up: Beta Gamma, University of Idaho

Norm W. Brown Philanthropy Scroll | Donated more than $2000 charity  

Alpha, Miami University
Gamma, The Ohio State University
Lambda, Purdue University
Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Alpha Kappa, Washington State University
Alpha Phi, University of Akron
Alpha Omega, Baldwin Wallace University
Beta Beta, University of Louisville
Beta Gamma, University of Idaho
Delta Beta, University of Evansville
Delta Tau, California State Polytechnic University- Pomona
Epsilon Epsilon, William Paterson University
Epsilon Sigma, Chapman University
Zeta Omicron, Arizona State University
Zeta Xi, University of South Carolina

Sonny Strange Recruitment Award | Top Recruitment/Retention Award 

Winner: Delta Kappa, Tennessee 

Runner Up: Delta Gamma, Ole Miss

Samaritan’s Light Award | Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award

Winner: Delta Omega, Truman State

Runner Up: Kappa, University of Kentucky

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS 

Taylor A. Borradaile Undergraduate Memorial Award | Top Undergraduate 

Winner: Matt Erven, Epsilon Kappa

Runner Up: Ashton Fusner, Beta Beta

William Henry Shideler Award | Outstanding Senior 

Winner: Michael Wheeler, Kappa

Runner Up: Michael Koutsokoumnis, Epsilon Kappa

Dwight I. Douglass President’s Award | Top Chapter President 

Winner: Tyler Godfrey, Beta Gamma

Runner Up: Tyler Herpolsheimer, Gamma Alpha

Jack Anson Award | Outstanding Interfraternal service

Ben Croat, Delta Omega

Clinton D. Boyd VPAR Award | Best VPAR 

Gunnar Jones, Upsilon

The History of Rho Chapter at RPI

Pictured: Founders of Rho Chapter at RPI

In 1919 there existed only 10 national fraternities on campus, with less than 10 percent of the freshmen becoming members. The Greek Council controlled almost all of the activities on campus and without the backing of a national organization, there was little chance for participating in athletics or intramural events.  As a solution, a student named J. Donald MacKnight envisioned his small group of friends as a foundation for forming a fraternity. In March of 1920, MacKnight's group became the Knights of the Sphinx and subsequently the Kappa Omicron Sigma Fraternity.

In 1922, Paul Opp, a member of Epsilon of Phi Kappa Tau, was eager to start a Phi Kappa Tau chapter on campus, knowing the outstanding reputation of RPI as the oldest and most distinguished engineering school in the United States. In November 1922, after a lengthy period of inspection and vetting, the Rho chapter was installed as the 17th chapter of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. The brothers pictured are those who were involved in the petition that the Knights of the Sphinx sent to Phi Kappa Tau in the summer of 1922. 

By the end of the 1950s, approximately one third of the male population at RPI was in the fraternity system. In the fall of 1958, after living in the chapter house at 207 Hoosick Street since 1933, the inadequate building size and distant location motivated the residents to petition the alumni executive committee for a new house, and offered assured financial assistance after graduation. The ensuing construction on a parcel located 200 yards from the Student Union was one of the most successful alumni-student ventures in Phi Kappa Tau's national history, and 19 Sherry Road was christened during Rensselaer's June 1963 reunion.

Pictured: Rho’s Chapter House at 19 Sherry Road in Troy, NY

Since 2018, the chapter house has been occupied by the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, which has allowed the alumni association to make sure the physical structure and systems are maintained to the required level while we reorganize the return of Rho. While the current condition of the residence is comparable to the top houses on campus, it is widely recognized by the Rho Alumni Association that the property should be upgraded to a standard that we all can be proud of. This provides an additional exciting opportunity for the "refounders" of Rho - they will be able to participate, at any level that suits them, in a well-funded revitalization of the physical property.

At its peak, Rho continually had over 45 residents and has won the Maxwell trophy as the Phi Kappa Tau's Most Outstanding chapter three times (1972, 1980 and 1986). 

Over the years, the chapter was extremely competitive in the race for the Barker trophy (the IFC's overall athletic award), was prominent on RPI's athletic teams and in student government, and retained one of the most active and interesting social programs on campus.

Rho has a legacy of distinguished brothers who passionately served the chapter and the Alumni Association's Board of Directors remains actively committed to continuing Rho's robust legacy of supporting the chapter and maintaining its unique heritage.

First and foremost, the creation of lifelong friendships and shared experiences resulting from the bond of brotherhood is a defining characteristic of Rho and Phi Kappa Tau. Even without an active chapter at RPI, brothers from the 1960s through the 2015 get together on a regular basis. Years from now there will be a new generation of Phi Taus from Rho that will get together and have it feel like they were never apart.

We’re looking for men like you to help restart the legacy of Rho at RPI. Looking to be a part of something bigger than yourself, while reviving a chapter with over 100 years of history? We’d love to chat with you. Click here to get the conversation started.

Pictured: Rho Chapter alumni at their Centennial Celebration

Leadership Transition at Phi Kappa Tau Executive Offices

Matt Arnold, Southern Illinois '24, stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Phi Kappa Tau, after more than three years of leadership, as he transitions to a new professional chapter. The National Council has appointed Allyn Shaw, Ph.D., Michigan State ‘85, as Interim CEO, and will begin a national search for a permanent CEO.

Under Brother Arnold's leadership, our Fraternity has accelerated recruitment and expansion, grown the Zenith Officers Institute to record attendance, and launched new programs like Phi Tau Thursdays. Brother Arnold played an important role in the development of our strategies, including new educational programming.

To ensure a smooth transition, Brother Arnold has agreed to stay engaged in an advisory capacity over the coming weeks. "Leading Phi Kappa Tau these past three years has been one of the great privileges of my career. I’m proud of what our team has built together, and I’m confident Brother Shaw and the Executive Offices staff are well-positioned to carry that work forward," he said.

National President Michael Lummus, Belmont '06, said: “Brother Arnold has been a strong advocate for Phi Kappa Tau during his time as our CEO. I’m grateful for his service and that he will work to ensure a smooth handoff over the coming weeks. On behalf of the National Council, I thank him for his important contributions to Phi Kappa Tau.”

Brother Shaw has been appointed Interim CEO,  and has committed to leading the Executive Offices through the transition. Brother Shaw has an accomplished resume in student affairs and has been a Phi Kappa Tau volunteer at the local, regional, and national level for over 30 years.

The Executive Offices staff will continue to provide all programs and services as usual. In-person programs, including Zenith Officers Institute and Convention 2027, are likewise unaffected by this transition.

The National Council is working with an established non-profit executive search firm to find a CEO to lead us into the next chapter of our rich history. The search will consider both members and non-members. Announcements will be posted at phikappatau.org.

Members with questions are encouraged to consult the Frequently Asked Questions below, which has more information on this transition. Additional questions can be directed to Allyn Shaw, ashaw@phikappatau.org.

National President Lummus continued: “We are fortunate to have Brother Allyn Shaw lead the Executive Offices during this transition. He has always answered the call of service to Phi Kappa Tau, and we will benefit from his decades of experience in student life at this important time.”

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Brother Matt Arnold stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of Phi Kappa Tau, after more than three years of leadership, as he transitions to a new professional chapter. The National Council thanks Brother Arnold for his contributions during his tenure. Brother Arnold has agreed to stay engaged in an advisory capacity as we move through transition.

  • The National Council has appointed Allyn Shaw, Ph.D., as Interim CEO. Brother Shaw is a longtime Phi Kappa Tau volunteer and a student life professional.

    Highlights of his career, include:

    • Allyn has worked in student life at Michigan State University for over 30 years, most recently as Assistant Vice President for Student Life & Engagement and Dean of Students

    • He holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Michigan State University

    • Allyn has volunteered at the local, regional, and national level for Phi Kappa Tau, from Board of Governors to Domain Director to National Councilor, National Education Advisor, and Foundation Trustee.

    He will lead the Executive Offices staff and work closely with the National Council throughout this transition.

  • ‍ ‍

    If you’ve been working with someone at the Executive Offices staff, you can continue to work with the same person.  A staff directory can be found at https://www.phikappatau.org/staff-directory and the phone number is (800) PKT-1906

    You can reach Allyn Shaw, the Interim CEO, at ashaw@phikappatau.org

    ‍ ‍

  • All our existing programming will continue as planned and on schedule. This also includes chapter services, education, recruitment support, billing, and expansion.  

    Brother Shaw, the National Council, and our next permanent CEO will lead us into another year of our growing Zenith Officers Institute in January and our next National Convention in Lexington, Kentucky, in July 2027.

  • The National Council is working with an established, national non-profit executive search firm. Our national CEO search will consider both members and non-members. We will post a job description at phikappatau.org and send an email announcement when we are able to accept referrals and applications.

    Members should sign up to receive email updates from the Executive Offices at https://www.phikappatau.org/update-info and monitor phikappatau.org for updates.

    ‍ ‍

  • The leadership transition at the Executive Offices should not affect how chapters operate this fall. For any questions, you should continue to work with your Chapter Consultants.

Phi Kappa Tau Mourns Loss of Brother Bill Cook

Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity mourns the loss of brother Bill Cook, a longtime member of our Alpha Rho chapter at Georgia Tech.

If you spent any time around Alpha Rho over the last fifty years, you probably knew Bill. He held nearly every role a chapter has to offer, Graduate Council president, Board of Governors member, chapter advisor, Homecoming organizer, but most of all, he was the brother on the front porch, the one who was already there.

Bill passed into Chapter Eternal on July 6, 2026, after a severe heart attack the week before.

Initiated into Alpha Rho in 1971, Bill earned his Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech in 1975 and spent more than four decades as a licensed Professional Engineer, helping design and construct power plants, cement plants, and industrial facilities around the world, including more than twenty years at Lockwood Greene, now part of CH2M Hill. Later in his career, he shifted to a job at The Home Depot and taught himself the science of sustainability and renewable energy. He retired for good in the fall of 2025.

But the stories most of us know best happened at the chapter house on 175 4th Street NW. A diehard Yellow Jacket, Bill had a habit of beating everyone to the front porch on game days, cold beer in hand and a spare one ready for whoever showed up next. For more than fifty years, he was also a fixture at Manuel's Tavern on Highland Avenue, holding down a table for brothers to join him after every home game.

Elected chapter president as an undergraduate, Bill's devotion to Alpha Rho never wavered. He gave decades to the Board of Governors, Graduate Council fundraising, and the quiet work of keeping Founders Day and Homecoming running, becoming a familiar and trusted name across Georgia Tech's administration and Phi Kappa Tau's National Headquarters.

Bill tended Alpha Rho for half a century, asking nothing in return but good company and fellowship. He was a brother, a friend, and a tireless advocate for Phi Kappa Tau at Georgia Tech.

Our thoughts are with Bill's family, friends, and brothers during this difficult time. We honor his memory by supporting one another and upholding the values of our brotherhood.

In Phi.

The 2026 Founder's Four are in!

Meet the 2026 Founders Four: Maxwell Trophy Finalists

Each year, Phi Kappa Tau recognizes its most outstanding chapter with the Roland Maxwell Trophy. It is our highest chapter honor, awarded to the chapter that best exemplifies excellence across every dimension of fraternity life: academics, leadership, philanthropy, membership, and brotherhood.

The road to the Maxwell Trophy begins with an application process that includes letters of recommendation from university administrators, faculty advisors, and fraternity leaders who know these chapters best. This year, four chapters rose to the top.

University of Louisville | Beta Beta

Beta Beta has long been one of the most recognized chapters in Phi Kappa Tau, and this year's performance gave every indication of why. Seven brothers carried a 4.0 GPA, 32 made the Dean's List, and the chapter raised nearly $25,000 for SeriousFun Children's Network. Their campus impact extended well beyond the chapter house, with brothers holding elected student government positions and founding entrepreneurial ventures that are gaining real traction.

University of Kentucky | Kappa

With more than 140 active members, Kappa has grown into one of the largest chapters in the fraternity without losing sight of what matters. They ranked fourth among 20 IFC chapters for fall semester GPA, earned IFC Executive Board representation for the second consecutive year, and continued their sustained commitment to SeriousFun volunteerism at Flying Horse Farm.

University of Idaho | Beta Gamma

Beta Gamma's path to this recognition required something different, a full cultural overhaul of the chapter. After a challenging period, the chapter recommitted to its values under strong leadership, avoided organizational misconduct, and came out the other side with its largest formal recruitment class in recent memory. All this while also raising more than $5,000 raised for SeriousFun Children's Network. Their outgoing chapter president was elected Executive Vice President of the IFC, a reflection of the respect the chapter has built across campus.

Belmont University | Zeta Alpha

For more than 20 years, Zeta Alpha has been the premier fraternity at Belmont University, and the only one to remain continuously active on campus throughout that time. The chapter maintains consistent academic excellence, holds national fraternity leadership among its membership, and has built a brotherhood that shows up when it matters most. Twenty years in, the standard has not slipped.

During the last week of July, we will be posting all of our award winners on social media starting on Monday, July 27th. Make sure you follow us on social and keep an eye on our channels to see live updates on our award winners. We will be announcing the winner of the Roland Maxwell Outstanding Chapter Award on Friday, July 31st!

Follow Phi Kappa Tau on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to find out which chapter takes home the honor.

Running for More Than a Finish Line

Liam O'Neill has wanted to run the New York City Marathon for as long as he can remember. This November, he will finally get his chance, and he is using it to give back to a cause that shaped who he is.

O'Neill, a member of the Epsilon Omega Chapter at Shepherd University and a 2017 graduate, will run the marathon this fall while raising funds for Camp Hole in the Wall Gang, the longtime philanthropic partner of Phi Kappa Tau. His goal is to raise $5,000 to help more children experience the camp's signature blend of joy, friendship and confidence.

Phi Kappa Tau is more than an organization in the O'Neill family. His father and grandfather were both members of the Alpha Gamma Chapter at the University of Delaware, giving Liam a connection to the Fraternity that began long before he ever arrived at Shepherd. Once there, he served as Chapter Chaplain and Fundraising Chairman, leading efforts in support of the camp during his undergraduate years.

Those experiences stayed with him.

"Camp Hole in the Wall was a major part of my Phi Tau experience," O'Neill said. "My fraternity brothers and I spent countless hours raising money for the camp, and seeing the impact it had on children and their families always hit home for me. Being able to support the same cause today feels incredibly meaningful."

The marathon, for O'Neill, is less a race than a reunion with the values he first practiced in college. What his chapter helped build through fundraisers and events years ago, he is now continuing on his own terms, 26.2 miles at a time through the streets of New York City.

Camp Hole in the Wall Gang serves children with serious illnesses and their families, providing transformative experiences at no cost. O'Neill's fundraising directly supports that mission and reflects the kind of ethical leadership and exemplary character that Phi Kappa Tau aims to develop in every member.

Interested in following his journey? Keep an eye on O’Neill’s fundraising progress here as the marathon approaches.

Want a Stronger Board of Governors? Build Your Graduate Council First

For most chapters, the Board of Governors is the only alumni organization they ever really think about. The BoG advises the undergraduates on finance, recruitment, scholarship, and risk management — vital work. But here is what decades of serving Alpha Rho has taught me: a strong Board of Governors is not something you conjure out of thin air. It is the natural by-product of an active, well-run Graduate Council.

Every chapter already has a Graduate Council — the Constitution says so. The trouble is that most exist in name only. When Alpha Rho was suspended in 2014, we needed to rally brothers and raise money for an eventual rechartering, and the Graduate Council became the engine that did it. Along the way we learned that the Graduate Council does something the BoG cannot: it keeps hundreds of alumni informed, connected, and invested. Those engaged alumni are exactly the brothers who later raise their hands to serve on the BoG and House Corporation.

So if you want a deep bench of BoG volunteers, start by building the thing that creates them.

Four building blocks

It takes surprisingly little to begin — a few dedicated alumni and four essentials:

  • Officers. Start with just a President, Treasurer, and Secretary. Their first task is to draft bylaws and submit them to National HQ — the step that makes the Council your chapter’s official alumni body and seats your delegate at National Convention.

  • An online presence. Reserve a domain (ours is arpkt.org) and build a simple site. Google Sites is free and ties into Google Drive, Docs, and Groups; we keep our alumni directory in a shared Google Doc spreadsheet with several editors.

  • A way to communicate. Email is king. Social media platforms come and go, but every working professional checks email. A free, moderated Google Group keeps the conversation going and the spammers out.

  • A way to raise money. Make giving effortless. A PayPal account lets alumni give by credit card, including small recurring gifts — our “100-for-10” campaign solicits alumni to donate a minimum of $10 a month. Once engaged with the chapter, those same alumni can become a base of support for future fundraising.

Put that engagement to work

Money and communication are the means, not the end. Alpha Rho’s Graduate Council pays for tailgates, Homecoming, and Founders Day; funds rush and semester scholarships; reimburses actives and our elected delegate for Convention and leadership events; and even prints custom chapter swag. We hold monthly Zoom meetings open to any brother, and broadcast two live meetings a year from Manuel’s Tavern. None of this requires officers to live near campus — almost all of it happens online.

The payoff goes well beyond social events. Since 2014 the Council has received tens of thousands of dollars in alumni donations, and that momentum has made far bigger things possible. We recently raised more than $50,000 to endow the James P. Chambers Scholarship Fund, and we are now in the middle of a $400,000 campaign to enable the House Corporation to renovate the chapter house. Neither effort would exist without the Graduate Council. And when alumni see what their gifts accomplish, brothers we had not heard from in years reach out to us. That re-engaged base is where future BoG and House Corporation volunteers come from — and the actives, watching all of it, learn how alumni are supposed to show up once they graduate.

A word to brothers everywhere

Here is something most Phi Taus rarely consider: you can serve a chapter other than your own.

Thanks to Zoom and similar tools, none of this work has to happen in person — the Board of Governors and House Corporation can welcome remote participants just as readily as the Graduate Council does. So your skills — writing, web design, accounting, fundraising — can help a struggling chapter three states away as easily as your own. If you have ever wanted to give back but had no local chapter to give back to, this is your opening. Reach out to a chapter near you, or to one that simply needs the help.

A thriving chapter rarely begins with a thriving Board of Governors. It begins with a Graduate Council that keeps alumni close. Build that first, and the volunteers, the funds, and a strong Board will follow.

Building Bridges in Florida

How one alumnus is connecting Brothers across the Sunshine State 

As an undergraduate at Old Dominion University, Paul Johnston, Gamma Tau ’07, spent a lot of time thinking about what it meant to be a member of Phi Kappa Tau. He and his chapter brothers were part of a colony, which meant they wouldn't be initiated until the colony officially chartered. That waiting period gave him time to dig into the fraternity's materials, searching for something that captured the spirit of the brotherhood he was building toward. 

He found it in a poem.

“Bridge Builder" by Will Allen Dromgoole tells the story of an old man who, after crossing a deep chasm, turns back to build a bridge for those who will follow. For Johnston, the poem became a quiet compass, one that would guide him well beyond his college years in Norfolk, Virginia.

“That poem felt central to my undergraduate experience," Johnston said. “It stayed with me long after I left campus."

A Lesson in What Gets Lost

One of the draws of Old Dominion was its proximity to the beach. Students came from across Virginia for a change of scenery, but many left the area after graduation, returning to hometowns closer to the mountains or the capital. Without a strong local alumni base to sustain it, the chapter eventually closed, less than a decade after it chartered.

It was a hard lesson, but one that planted a seed.

Finding the Way Back

Years later, after building a career and settling in Florida, Johnston felt a pull to reconnect with Phi Kappa Tau. He just wasn't sure how to start.

With a background in mid-level management and a comfort with raw data, Johnston got to work. He started by calling the first 100 brothers closest to him. As anyone who's tried cold-calling can imagine, most calls went to voicemail. Calling was time-consuming, required detailed tracking notes and was prone to errors. It wasn't working. 

Texting felt too informal for a first introduction, especially without knowing which numbers were cell phones versus landlines. Email seemed like the better option, but Johnston knew he needed more than an introduction. He needed a call to action.

Building the Bridge

"If I just sent an email introducing myself, the relationship stays between me and that brother," Johnston said. "But what if we could grow a network instead? What if all 2,000 brothers in Florida could communicate with one another, instantly?"

He chose WhatsApp as the platform, prioritizing ease of access. The simpler it was to join, the more likely brothers would show up. He began sending personalized emails with a link to the group, copy-and-pasting his way through the roster. He quickly discovered Gmail's daily sending limit: 200 emails.

He kept going.

A Network Takes Shape

Since launching the effort in August, the group has grown to 80 members, including Chief Alumni and Housing Officer Chris Parthemore and Past National President Dale Holland. 

More importantly, the connections are real. Brothers are reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. The group isn't built around any single chapter. It's open to all active members in the state.

"I've been pleasantly surprised with how many brothers have taken to communicating on this platform," Johnston said. "We're not just reconnecting. We're building something new."

Looking ahead, Johnston sees the network growing into a hub for business networking, shared interests, local events and group outings. The key is having everyone on one platform where communication is instant and accessible.

The Old Man and the Bridge

Johnston often finds himself thinking back to that poem from his undergraduate days, wondering if he's become the old man in the story, building a bridge so others can cross a little more easily.

*"He, too, must cross in twilight dim,*

*Good friend, I am building*

*This bridge for him."* 

If you'd like help starting your own bridge, reach out to Paul Johnston directly at PaulAJohnstonJr@gmail.com or (813) 895-4789.

Honoring Our Founders: They Chose Something Better

On Founders Day, we remember four men who refused to accept the way things were — and built something that has lasted more than a century.

 

On the night of March 17, 1906, two college students found their way into the wrong office at Miami University.

They weren’t there to cause trouble. They were there to change everything.

William Shideler and Dwight Douglass had come back to campus early from spring break, restless with an idea they couldn’t shake. They made their way into Old Main, tried a few doors, and slipped into the one room that happened to be unlocked: the office of Dean Hepburn. Douglass settled into the dean’s chair, helped himself to one of the cigars he found in the desk, kicked his feet up, and said to Shideler, “Well, Doc, let’s see what you have.”

What they had was a vision. And when Dean Hepburn walked in on them mid-conversation, cigar smoke curling under the door, he didn’t send them away. He listened. Then he said, “Well boys, I wish you all the success in the world.”

Two weeks later, 21 men climbed the steps of Old Main to become the Non-Fraternity Association. Phi Kappa Tau was born.

Why It Happened

The story behind that night is worth knowing, because it makes what Shideler, Douglass, Taylor Borradaile, and Clinton Boyd built mean a lot more.

In the early 1900s, three fraternities controlled campus life at Miami University. If you weren’t in one of them, you were largely shut out — from athletics, from student government, from any meaningful role on campus. The track meet of March 1905 made that painfully clear. Shideler and Douglass coached an unaffiliated team that year. The fraternity men colluded and swept the competition. Their runners didn’t place.

That was the moment something shifted.

Over the following months, the four men organized non-fraternity students into political coalitions and competed in campus elections. They won some. They lost some. But when Borradaile and Douglass showed up to a meeting called by Miami’s president to address the tension on campus, they were told something that crystallized everything: without a formal organization behind them, they didn’t represent anyone.

So they built one.

They didn’t call it a fraternity. They called it a Non-Fraternity Association, because the fraternities of their day had come to represent exclusion, entitlement, and politics over people. What they wanted was the opposite: a community built on genuine brotherhood, open to men who earned their place in it, with no shortcuts and no gatekeeping.

The Values That Founded Us Are Still the Point

More than 100 years later, that original instinct is still the DNA of Phi Kappa Tau.

The men who founded this fraternity weren’t the most powerful men on campus. They were the ones who saw something wrong and decided to fix it. They weren’t motivated by status. They were motivated by belonging — by the belief that every man deserves a community where he can compete, contribute, and grow, regardless of who he knew walking in the door.

That’s still what Phi Kappa Tau asks of its members today. The Strategic Plan isn’t just a document. Recruitment growth isn’t just a number. New staff, new programs, and new chapters — all of it traces back to that same original commitment: building something real for men who want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

The founders didn’t have a playbook. They had each other and a conviction that it was worth doing right. And on a cold March night in Ohio, they sat down in a borrowed office and got started.

Here’s what the history books don’t quite capture: the founders eventually became alumni, too. At some point, every one of them walked off the Miami campus for the last time as an undergraduate. So did the men who came after them, chapter by chapter, decade by decade. Each one left something behind — not just memories, but a living organization that the next generation would inherit and make their own.

That line has never broken. It runs through every chapter, every initiation, every conversation in a chapter house that turned into something a brother still thinks about years later. It runs through you, wherever you are in it.

For the Undergraduate: You’re Part of What They Started

Founders Day is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a reminder of where this fraternity comes from and what it has always stood for.

Shideler, Douglass, Borradaile, and Boyd weren’t famous men. They were students, just like you, who decided that what they were building mattered. The brotherhood they started has now spanned more than a century, hundreds of campuses, and hundreds of thousands of men.

You are part of that line.

On March 17, take a moment to think about what they handed you — not a name, not letters, not a social calendar — but a brotherhood with a purpose. And then ask yourself what you’re going to do with it.

That’s what the founders would have asked, too.

For the Alumnus: You Helped Build It for Them

As an alumnus, Founders Day hits differently.

You’re not being asked to imagine what you’ll do with what the founders built. You already know. You lived it. You took it somewhere, used it in ways you probably didn’t expect, and carried the values of this fraternity into a career, a family, a community — whether you think about it that way or not.

What Founders Day asks of you now is simpler: remember it.

Remember what it felt like to belong to something that asked something real of you. Remember the brothers who pushed you, the experiences that shaped you, and the version of yourself who showed up because of Phi Kappa Tau.

Shideler himself returned to the Miami campus and served on the faculty for many years, staying involved with the chapter there for most of his life. He stayed connected because what they built still mattered to him.

If it still matters to you, stay connected too. The fraternity our founders started 120 years ago is still being built. The men building it today could use the reminder that what they’re part of has always been worth the effort.

That’s something only you can give them.

Our Founders Chose Something Better

On Founders Day, we remember four men who refused to accept the way things were — and built something that has lasted more than a century.

 

On the night of March 17, 1906, two college students found their way into the wrong office at Miami University.

They weren’t there to cause trouble. They were there to change everything.

William Shideler and Dwight Douglass had come back to campus early from spring break, restless with an idea they couldn’t shake. They made their way into Old Main, tried a few doors, and slipped into the one room that happened to be unlocked: the office of Dean Hepburn. Douglass settled into the dean’s chair, helped himself to one of the cigars he found in the desk, kicked his feet up, and said to Shideler, “Well, Doc, let’s see what you have.”

What they had was a vision. And when Dean Hepburn walked in on them mid-conversation, cigar smoke curling under the door, he didn’t send them away. He listened. Then he said, “Well boys, I wish you all the success in the world.”

Two weeks later, 21 men climbed the steps of Old Main to become the Non-Fraternity Association. Phi Kappa Tau was born.

Why It Happened

The story behind that night is worth knowing, because it makes what Shideler, Douglass, Taylor Borradaile, and Clinton Boyd built mean a lot more.

In the early 1900s, three fraternities controlled campus life at Miami University. If you weren’t in one of them, you were largely shut out — from athletics, from student government, from any meaningful role on campus. The track meet of March 1905 made that painfully clear. Shideler and Douglass coached an unaffiliated team that year. The fraternity men colluded and swept the competition. Their runners didn’t place.

That was the moment something shifted.

Over the following months, the four men organized non-fraternity students into political coalitions and competed in campus elections. They won some. They lost some. But when Borradaile and Douglass showed up to a meeting called by Miami’s president to address the tension on campus, they were told something that crystallized everything: without a formal organization behind them, they didn’t represent anyone.

So they built one.

They didn’t call it a fraternity. They called it a Non-Fraternity Association, because the fraternities of their day had come to represent exclusion, entitlement, and politics over people. What they wanted was the opposite: a community built on genuine brotherhood, open to men who earned their place in it, with no shortcuts and no gatekeeping.

The Values That Founded Us Are Still the Point

More than 100 years later, that original instinct is still the DNA of Phi Kappa Tau.

The men who founded this fraternity weren’t the most powerful men on campus. They were the ones who saw something wrong and decided to fix it. They weren’t motivated by status. They were motivated by belonging — by the belief that every man deserves a community where he can compete, contribute, and grow, regardless of who he knew walking in the door.

That’s still what Phi Kappa Tau asks of its members today. The Strategic Plan isn’t just a document. Recruitment growth isn’t just a number. New staff, new programs, and new chapters — all of it traces back to that same original commitment: building something real for men who want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

The founders didn’t have a playbook. They had each other and a conviction that it was worth doing right. And on a cold March night in Ohio, they sat down in a borrowed office and got started.

Here’s what the history books don’t quite capture: the founders eventually became alumni, too. At some point, every one of them walked off the Miami campus for the last time as an undergraduate. So did the men who came after them, chapter by chapter, decade by decade. Each one left something behind — not just memories, but a living organization that the next generation would inherit and make their own.

That line has never broken. It runs through every chapter, every initiation, every conversation in a chapter house that turned into something a brother still thinks about years later. It runs through you, wherever you are in it.

 

For the Undergraduate: You’re Part of What They Started

Founders Day is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a reminder of where this fraternity comes from and what it has always stood for.

Shideler, Douglass, Borradaile, and Boyd weren’t famous men. They were students, just like you, who decided that what they were building mattered. The brotherhood they started has now spanned more than a century, hundreds of campuses, and hundreds of thousands of men.

You are part of that line.

On March 17, take a moment to think about what they handed you — not a name, not letters, not a social calendar — but a brotherhood with a purpose. And then ask yourself what you’re going to do with it.

That’s what the founders would have asked, too.

 

For the Alumnus: You Helped Build It for Them

As an alumnus, Founders Day hits differently.

You’re not being asked to imagine what you’ll do with what the founders built. You already know. You lived it. You took it somewhere, used it in ways you probably didn’t expect, and carried the values of this fraternity into a career, a family, a community — whether you think about it that way or not.

What Founders Day asks of you now is simpler: remember it.

Remember what it felt like to belong to something that asked something real of you. Remember the brothers who pushed you, the experiences that shaped you, and the version of yourself who showed up because of Phi Kappa Tau.

Shideler himself returned to the Miami campus and served on the faculty for many years, staying involved with the chapter there for most of his life. He stayed connected because what they built still mattered to him.

If it still matters to you, stay connected too. The fraternity our founders started 120 years ago is still being built. The men building it today could use the reminder that what they’re part of has always been worth the effort.

That’s something only you can give them.

In a crisis? Text PHITAU to 741741 to access the Phi Kappa Tau Crisis Textline. Confidential and free mental health support via text that is available 24/7 to Phi Kappa Tau Members