Phi Delta Chi

History

    Phi Delta Chi: Professional Pharmacy Fraternity, founded on  November 2, 1883 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, is an association formed to advance the science of pharmacy and allied interests, and to foster and promote a fraternal spirit among brothers. The Fraternity has chartered 72 collegiate chapters, - Alpha thru Beta Omega - and numerous alumni chapters.  More than 50,000 men & women have proudly called themselves Brothers of Phi Delta Chi.

 

Local History

    Beta Rho was officially chartered in August, 1999.  The interest in starting a new chapter of a fraternity in a new school began with a few students at a poker game in Fall of 1998.  The students who were present included Siblings:  Flores, Hodges, Johnson, Nguyen, Sucher, E.Tran, and P.Tran.  Ideas were discussed during this poker game about the necessity of a new fraternity at our young school.  The purpose was to develop an organization that would make a difference in us as well as the profession of pharmacy.  A few short weeks after this poker game, charter WCC Sucher attended ASHP Midyear in Las Vegas, where he fatefully met Alpha Psi Brother Ralph Saroyan, Past Grand President.  Brother Saroyan introduced Sibling Sucher to the existence of Phi Delta Chi, a fraternity previously unknown to Sucher.  Brother Saroyan sparked Sibling Sucher’s curiosity in this fraternity through his own personal experiences.  Sibling Sucher’s interest was further piqued when Brother Saroyan invited him to a Phi Delta Chi gathering at a local club known as The Beach, where he met Grand President John Grabenstein and Executive Director Tony Chaffee.  This prompted Sibling Sucher to share the idea of starting a new Phi Delta Chi chapter at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Pharmacy.  After returning from Las Vegas, Sibling Sucher shared his enthusiasm with his friends from the poker party about his experiences with Phi Delta Chi at ASHP Midyear.  He then inquired their interest in starting a new chapter at TTUHSC School of Pharmacy.  Thus the activation of a new colony began.
     The decision of who to include in the colony effort was extremely challenging.  The group needed to be diverse in order to have strengths in all areas of fraternal involvement including Academic, Social, and Professional.  It was decided that more than fifteen people in the colony would make it difficult to create a new and effective organization.  Also a number of students in the P2 and P3 classes were leaving for their rotations outside of the Amarillo campus the subsequent year.  These students were excluded in the colony effort since they would not be able to fully participate in the chapter following charter recognition.  In addition, the students that were members of the other fraternity at the school were also excluded.  After these exclusions, there were still a number of students to choose from.  The intent was to find energetic individuals who truly wanted to make a difference and would be willing to accept the challenge of starting a new chapter of Phi Delta Chi.  Finally, in January 1999, the individuals who attended the poker game that fateful night selected eight P2s and six P1s.  These fourteen students consisted of Sobha Abraham, Sarah Briscoe, Odessa Flores, Shawn Hodges, Rekha Johnson, Tramy Nguyen, Rajesh Patel, Viet-My “Bum” Pham, Josh Rodgers, Ilka Rodriguez, Brandon Sucher, Elizabeth Tran, Phuong Tran, and Viet-My Tran.  They met with Alpha Psi Brother Dean Robert Supernaw and Theta Brother Dr. Mark Haase to discuss the history of the fraternity and all the advantages Phi Delta Chi has to offer.  Then the ball started to roll.
    Shortly after, Delta Brother Tony Chaffee, Executive Director, met with the fourteen eager students and thus initiated the colony process with a pinning ceremony. Beta Rho began meeting weekly for the next eight weeks as they developed a constitution, bylaws, and pledge guide for the chapter.  At the first meeting officers were elected as follows: WCC Brandon Sucher, WVC Odessa Flores, WKRS Rekha Johnson, WC Sarah Briscoe, WKF Tramy Nguyen, WP Phoung Tran, WMA Shawn Hodges, WIG Rajesh Patel, WIG Viet-My “Bum” Pham, WAL Josh Rodgers.
    Beta Rho’s first philanthropy event involved helping the Department of Energy host a Regional Science Bowl for high school competitors on February 27, 1999.  After making Phi Delta Chi tee shirts for the chapter, they headed down to San Antonio for the APhA Annual meeting, to meet many other Siblings from other chapters across the nation.  Beta Rho’s first official social event was Casino Night on March 26, 1999, where a professional auctioneer auctioned off more than thirty prizes.  Additionally, the chapter created a window display on Alzheimer’s Disease.  In April, in conjunction with CPFI, several siblings packaged and labeled vials with vitamins for the residents of Belize.  Fundraising involved sending ninety-eight handwritten letters to local Phi Delta Chi Alumni requesting financial support for the establishment of a new chapter.  Two days preceding initiation the Siblings took a final exam created by all of the colony members, to assess each student’s competency regarding Phi Delta Chi’s history and traditions.  On May 1, 1999 the Beta Rho Chapter was initiated with the support of national officers and Brothers from Rho and Alpha Omega.  The charter was finally granted at the Grand Council meeting in San Diego, on August 7, 1999.