The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-18
Elaborate Plans Made For Pi Kappa Alpha Visitors Here

Big plans are on foot for the en- tertainment of the Pi Kappa Alpha
 guests who will arrive this week
 for the district convention which this organization wll hold March 22 and 23. The social calendar will in ciude a banquet at the Tutwiler Thursday night, a. formal reception at the Country club Friday night, and many other more informal af- fairs which will be arranged later. Delegates will be present from every chapter in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. Besides, there will Do prominent national and district officers, including H. P. Willingham of Atlanta, the district princeps; Robert A Smythe of Atlanta, grand treasurer of the organization: j.. Lawton Francis of New York, grand secretary: John U. Field of Lexing- ton, Ky, and John R. Perez of New .Orleans, grand princeps.
 Birmingham has two chapters of this fraternity, one at Howard col ,lege and the other at Birmingham southern The Howard chapter was organized March II. 1911, with How ard McCord, Hugh Grant, Joe Embry, sE. F. Day, J. A. Deaver, M. X. Hoff- man. L. F. Harris. A. F. Moon, I. F. Simmons, J O. Williams and Ralph Stodgill as the charter members. At first. they were only local organi- xation. known as the Sigma Omicron Tau. and held their meetings in q room in the academic building of the rollege. In 1911 they petitioned the national fraternity. known as the Pi Kappa Alpha for admission. and were received into it as the Alpha Pi chapter. The first year after becom- ing allied with the national fraterni- ty, they remodeled one of the dormi- Tories on the campus for a fraternity home and fully equipped it.
 Since that time. this fraternity has always taken both an active and leading part in all the col lead in athletics. the Porter loving cup for the best all-round athlete having been awarded the first year to Shelley Jackson of Clio. the sec ond to o. B. Newman of Birmingham and the third to Othar Afford, also of Birmingham When student gov ernment was organized in the col lege, Ben Walker, a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha's, became the first student president.
 In the recent war, there were over 50 from this chapter that served. J. A. Denver, one of the charter mem bers, was killed in action.
 The present members are planning to build this spring a new fraternity house on the campus, to cost S15,000.
 A large number of the members of this chapter have attained promi- hence after graduation and entrance into tho business world. Among these are Hugh Grant, who is secretary of the organization for disabled sol- diers; F. r. Day, secretary Of the E. E. Barrett Cement company, one of the largest corporations in Detroit; h. F. Harris, a prominent physician of Chicago; l. F. Simmons, an out standing educator in Alabama; J. o. Williams, pastor of the First Baptist church in Athens. and Lewis Dawson, head of the department of mathemat ics in enc of the city high schools of Mobile. Berney Acton, the star out fielder, who has lately been sold to the Yankees, is also a member.
 There are also many wellknown alumni from this chapter in the city. Among them are Roger Allen, Allison Bell Ben Walker, Mercer James, Will son Harris, Emmet Bates. Park Dur rett, Ed Duke, Arthur Duke, John Allen, Carey Phillips. Clarence An drews and IT. E. Dean.
 Others from over the state have attained prominence in various lines of work. pr. G. C. ursery Is a lead ing physician of Roanoke; Collis Gun ningham i s making q successful mis- sionary in Japan; Red Robinson is captain in the United States army in the Philippines; K. Shelburne has responsible position in the school for the blind; Ralph Simmons Is den- tist in Minneapolis;s o, B. Newman is