Caption: Alumni members of Phi Kappa Tau recently attended the chapter’s 50th anniversary celebration. The chapter is the oldest fraternity on campus.
50 Years on Campus
Phi Kappa Tau’s Gamma Omicron Chapter Celebrates Milestone
The Gamma Omicron Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity recently hosted a celebration to commemorate five decades of service and brotherhood on campus.
More than 180 alumni, members and guests attended an afternoon barbecue at the fraternity’s house, “the Barn,” and a formal banquet in the Titan Student Union. During the festivities, alumni shared memories as undergraduates and members of the first and oldest fraternity on campus, founded in the fall of 1960.
“This milestone event created many memories while allowing friends and brothers to catch up, many of whom hadn’t seen each other for over 40 years,” said Andrew Lopez, chapter member and a past president.
Kandy Mink Salas, associate vice president for student affairs; Greg Heilmeier, Phi Kappa Tau national president; Joseph Lopez, CSUF Associated Students Inc. president; and David Boggan, executive director of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation, were among honored guests.
Also attending were some of the fraternity’s founders, including Jack Hale, who was an original mahout, or rider, in the first Intercollegiate Elephant Races held in 1962, and Paul Sandoval and George Rentfro, who participated in the dedication of the first campus building (now McCarthy Hall) in 1963.
Caption: Dore Schwartz, left, and Tim Clark, both alumni members of Phi Kappa Tau, Gamma Omicron Chapter, returned to campus to celebrate the fraternity’s 50th anniversary.
“It was great to see so many brothers attend who had not been back to this campus since the ‘60s, when there were only a few buildings but a lot of orange trees,” said Tim Clark, chairman of the chapter’s alumni board.
Alumni came from across the country, including Larry Bridwell, who teaches at Pace University in New York.
“Cal State Fullerton has certainly grown since I was a member of the first freshman class, and the student body was less than a thousand students. I’m among many proud Titans who recognize the importance of our university to the California economy, especially Orange County,” Bridwell said.
The Gamma Omicron Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau, with more than 70 current members and more than 800 alumni, is the oldest continuously operating Greek organization in Orange County.
Jan. 24, 2011
