1915

1915: The Year in Review
National President
Torchia Recipients
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New Chapters
Reactivated Chapters

The Year 1915 in review for Phi Sigma Pi.

1915

• As World War I progressed in Europe in 1915, bad luck struck Normal No. 2. An electrical fire on March 6 engulfed four of the six campus buildings, including Old Main. The library moved into the big gymnasium, the Dockery Building, which had escaped the flames. After the fire destroyed Old Main, the Science Annex and the Training School, the General Assembly of Missouri forwarded $470,000 for a new administration building, a science hall and a training school. In a seemingly political move just 23 days after the fire, the Regents voted to not retain William J. Hawkins, the head of the school since 1906.
• Eldo L. Hendricks, former head of the history department, was appointed new head of the school. Rebuilding the school would be the top priority for Hendricks.
• Alfred Thayer, Harold Patterson and Harry Hill, all student members of the closed Beta Kappa Chapter of Phi Lambda Epsilon, worked with other male students and took their plans for a new professional fraternity to the Warrensburg faculty. At first, the faculty did not look favorably on starting a new fraternity, mostly because of the recent closing of Phi Lambda Epsilon. However, three influential men gave their support and encouragement to this fledgling group. The three men who convinced the faculty to establish a new fraternity were Dr. Eldo L. Hendricks, Dr. Claude A. Phillips, and Dr. C. H. McClure. All three men were members of Phi Delta Kappa, a national education fraternity which operated in larger universities and colleges with graduate departments of education. Phi Delta Kappa, would not charter chapters at Normal Schools. The fact that the most prestigious education fraternity was not interested in having a chapter at their Normal School did not deter these three men. They felt, that due to the quality of these students, they should be affiliated with and receive the membership benefits of a national fraternal organization.
• Although there is no proof, it has been passed down verbally through the leadership of the fraternity that this is how Phi Sigma Pi came to be:

Upon reviewing the academic records of each student, the three professors felt that the group should affiliate with a nationally recognized fraternal organization stressing scholarship. They contacted Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious fraternal organization stressing scholarship, and requested permission to start a chapter at Warrensburg. Phi Beta Kappa declined because the State Normal School was not a qualified liberal arts college.

Undaunted, the three professors then decided to pursue a national fraternity stressing leadership since most of the student members with campus leaders. They contacted Omicron Delta Kappa, the most prestigious fraternal organization stressing leadership, and requested permission to start a chapter at Warrensburg. Omicron Delta Kappa declined because the State Normal School was not a qualified liberal arts college. (It should be noted that since Omicron Delta Kappa was founded at Washington & Lee University on December 3, 1914 and its second chapter on May 1, 1916 at John Hopkins University, it is very unlikely that this part of this story is factual.)
Finally, believing that these young men should not be denied membership in a national fraternal organization solely because they were enrolled in colleges for teachers, the three professors decided to pursue a national fraternity stressing fellowship since most of the student members had developed a close bond of friendship with each other. Once again the professors were declined because the State Normal School was not a qualified liberal arts college.

Hendricks, Phillips and McClure decided that if no national fraternal organization would recognize these students, simply because they were enrolled in a Normal School, then they would create a fraternal organization unique unto itself. This fraternity would not stress only scholarship, leadership, or fellowship, but would be built on a tripod of all three qualities. Originally, the words knowledge, training and fellowship were used.