The History of the Gamma Phi Alumni Association
In the year 2003, for the first time in a long time, Gamma
bar-talk turned into actual "action” and the Gamma Phi Alumni
Association was born. Months of discussions that occurred
during First
Friday events and other gatherings provided us with the
impetus to move forward and establsh what we hope will be
a valuable, long-lived asset for current and future alumni.
So, who and what are we?
We are a well-rounded group of Duquesne graduates and Gamma
Phi alumni spanning the past 40 or so years. Our motivation
to get together on this project was driven by the troubles
that have been experienced by the active brotherhood in recent
years. For many of us, although we've been out of Duquesne
for a while, it seemed like not much had changed in the university's
Greek system.
One of the main problems that active brothers relayed to
us during these First Friday events was that the university
was still coming down hard on fraternities in general, and
locals in particular. It was all a matter of money and power.
Being a local fraternity, Gamma Phi doesn't have the resources
that national affiliates can employ in times of distress.
They are often left on their own to beg for help and hope
that some recently graduated brothers might know someone who
can come to their aid. To alumni like us, this seemed ridiculous.
Even among our small group, we personally knew enough people
and had access to enough resources that we decided it would
be foolish not to help if we could. It was easy to remember
our days in college, the problems we encountered, and the
fact that it seemed like there was never anyone who we could
depend on for guidance and real-world advice. We also remembered
how much fun we had and how much we enjoyed being associated
with Gamma Phi. It was a no-brainer to establish the Alumni
Association.
Thus, after several meetings and discussion over the course of 2003, we took action. We decided to lay out a plan to organize and establish an Alumni Organization that would best serve the brotherhood and alumni at large. Our goals have been to aid the active brotherhood by whatever means possible, to bolster communication among all alumni, and most importantly, have a good time.
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