PRESERVING PI KAPPA PHI’S HISTORY

by Rachel Greene

“It’s like building a puzzle from the outside in. We won’t know exactly which pieces are missing until we get that initial framework built,” said National Archivist Ethan Norman, Delta Lambda (UNC-Charlotte) when asked what challenges he has faced in his new volunteer role. As the appointed national archivist for Pi Kappa Phi, he is responsible for the curation and governance of all historical documentation and artifacts of the Fraternity. Whether it be the minutes of the very first meeting of Pi Kappa Phi, chapter photos or member badges, he has a responsibility to ensure that the story of the Fraternity can be passed down to the next generations of Pi Kappa Phi brothers.

This year, in particular, Norman faces a unique challenge with the National Headquarters, which currently houses the Pi Kappa Phi archives and museum, relocating to a new office space. Aside from ensuring the safe transport of all crucialand some fragile - pieces of Pi Kappa Phi history to the new office, he, along with his committee, is faced with the task of reimagining the museum and how the history of the Fraternity can be best curated to appeal to the overall membership as the new museum space is created. Ideally, the committee hopes to showcase as much history as possible while effectively telling the story of Pi Kappa Phi in an organized, cohesive manner.

“We have so much history that we’ve done a great job of collecting, but not cataloging. Now we are tasked with cataloging that history and figuring out the best way to use it collectively to tell the Pi Kappa Phi story,” said Norman. He feels that story is not only the larger pieces that one would expect to see within the walls of the museum, but also the stories of individual members, which they may find insignificant on their own, but each are a crucial part of piecing together the Pi Kappa Phi puzzle, as he calls it. One such example is the collection of Pi Kappa Phi bid cards. Those who do not live near Charlotte or have been afforded the opportunity to visit the current National Headquarters building may not know, but there is a small piece of everyone who has ever joined Pi Kappa Phi within “the vault” of the

Fraternity. Whether they joined in 1904 or 2023, their initial commitment to Pi Kappa Phi is memorialized alongside relics like meeting minutes, photographs and the Star & Lamp magazine. In fact, a printed version of this article will have been added to the archives by the time this issue has been made public.

For those who may be history buffs themselves or just have an interest in the project, Norman wants to urge them to reach out and get involved with the historical preservation of Pi Kappa Phi. “We want people with ideas to reach out,” he says. “We always need help and always need people who are invested in this cause.” As he scans the Pi Kappa Phi vault and catalogs each historical item found within the walls of the current office, Norman says, “I want to look back after my term and know that I served the Fraternity well and was able to add value to the preservation of our history.”