Alpha Phi Gamma (ΑΦΓ) was an Honor Society in the field of Journalism founded in 1919 at Ohio Northern University. It merged with Pi Delta Epsilon to form the Society for Collegiate Journalists in 1975.

History

Alpha Phi Gamma was founded on December 11, 1919, under the name Phi Alpha Gamma.^[1] The founders were B. H. Focht, Lloyd W. Reese, R. S. Lyman, Tom B. Haber and Fred C. Slager. In 1923, the group called its first national convention, at which delegates from six other Ohio colleges attended and were granted charters. Also at this meeting, the group changed its name to Alpha Phi Gamma due to another fraternity being called Phi Alpha Gamma and initiated its first female member.^[2]

In 1929 the fraternity merged with Omega Xi Alpha, a similar California group, which became Alpha Phi Gamma's western section. After activity came to a standstill during World War II, Gil A. Cowan of the Los Angeles Examiner was responsible for its revival and post war growth. In 1949, Cowan was named President Emeritus, a unique honor to the organization.

In the spring of 1957, Alpha Phi Gamma welcomed Alpha Delta, likewise a journalistic recognition society, in another merger. Alpha Delta had been formed on December 28, 1929 at Rock Island, Illinois by the editors-in-chief and business manager of three weekly newspapers, which had been recognized as leaders within the Illinois College Press Association.^[3]

Alpha Phi Gamma itself merged with Pi Delta Epsilon to form the Society for Collegiate Journalists in 1975.

Symbols

The Symbols of Alpha Phi Gamma^[2]

• Badge: A rectangular key with the three Greek letters, Alpha Phi Gamma diagonally from upper left to lower right, three stars in the upper right and an inkwell in the lower left.
• Coat of Arms:Three wreath and quill-surmounted inkwells and a secretary bird at the crest
• Pledge Emblem:White Bridge Emblem with Alpha Phi Gamma inscribed in black.
• Black and White are the society colors^[1]
• White Carnation is the society flower

Chapters

Chapters of Alpha Phi Gamma:^[4][2]

• Alpha - Ohio Northern University
• Beta - University of Akron
• Gamma - Wilmington College
• Delta - Baldwin-Wallace College
• Epsilon - Muskingum College
• Eta - University of Toledo
• Theta - Cotner College
• Iota - Louisiana State Normal College
• Kappa - New York State Teacher's College, Albany
• Lambda - Redlands University
• Nu - Southwestern University (Los Angeles)
• Omicron - State College of Fresno
• Pi - Santa Barbara State Teacher's College
• Rho - Hanover College
• Sigma - Pennsylvania State Teacher's College - Indiana
• Tau - Albion College
• Chi - Georgetown College
• Psi - College of Puget Sound
• Omega - Ball State Teacher's College
• Alpha Beta - Gustavus Adolphus College
• Alpha Gamma - San Francisco State Teacher's College

Chapters of Alpha Delta in 1957, at the time of the merger into Alpha Phi Gamma:^[3]

• Illinois Alpha - 1930 - Augustana College (Illinois)
• Illinois Beta - 1930 - Bradley University
• Illinois Gamma - 1930 - Illinois Wesleyan University (dormant in 1932)
• Iowa Alpha - 1930 - Parsons College (dormant in 1931)
• Georgia Alpha - 1930 - Brenau University
• Illinois Delta - 1933 - Wheaton College (Illinois) (dormant 1950)
• Georgia Beta - 1937 - Georgia State Women's College (Valdosta) (dormant in 1941)
• Colorado Alpha - 1939 - Colorado State College (now UNC)
• Wisconsin Alpha - 1941 - St. Norbert College
• Illinois Epsilon - 1941 - Western Illinois University
• Illinois Zeta - 1942 - Northern Illinois University
• Michigan Alpha - 1947 - Central Michigan University
• Illinois Eta - 1949 - Knox College (Illinois)
• Oklahoma Alpha - 1950 - East Central University (Oklahoma)
• South Dakota Alpha - 1950 - South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
• Michigan Beta - 1951 - Ferris State University
• Oklahoma Beta - 1951 - Phillips University (Oklahoma) ^[5]
• Wisconsin Beta - 1951 - University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
• Illinois Theta - 1951 - Illinois State University

Chapters of Pi Delta Epsilon in 1915:^[6]

• Alpha - pre-1915 - Syracuse University
• Beta - pre-1915 - University of Nebraska
• Gamma - pre-1915 - Ohio Wesleyan University
• Delta - pre-1915 - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Epsilon - 1915 - Columbia University

Officers

Presidents

The presidents of Alpha Phi Gamma were:^[7]

• 1923-1926 Charles McCorkhill, Ohio Northern University
• 1926-1927 George McNamara, Ohio Northern University
• 1927-1928 Ralph L. Ropp, Ohio Northern University
• 1928-1929 Maxwell P. Boggs, Muskigum University
• 1929-1930 Richard P. Overmyer, Ohio Northern University
• 1930-1933 Russell H. Fitzgibbon, Hanover College
• 1933-1936 John Allan Smith, University of California, Santa Barbara
• 1937-1939 Richard P. Overmyer, Ohio Northern University
• 1940-1042 Erwin W. Bischoll, San Francisco State University
• 1942-1943 Lawrence J. Freeman, Ohio Northern University
• 1945-1947 Gil A. Cowan, Southwestern College (Los Angeles)
• 1948 Paul S. Conklin, Hanover College
• 1949 Gilbert L. Brown, University of Redlands
• 1950-1951 J. Paul Boushelle, New Mexico State University
• 1952 Ira G. Hawk, Wilmington College (Ohio)
• 1953-1954 Paul V. Sheehan, Fresno State University
• 1954-1955 Lloyd Ritter, Occidental College
• 1955-1956 Clyde Parker, Sacramento State University
• 1956-1957 Louis E. Ingelhart, Ball State University
• 1957-1958 John H. Duke, Fresno State University
• 1958-1959 Frank S. Basker, Hanover College
• 1959-1960 Wilfred P. James, California State Univ. at Long Beach
• 1960-1961 John A. Boyd, Indiana State University
• 1961-1962 Leo V. Young, San Francisco State University
• 1962-1964 J. William Click, Central Michigan University
• 1964-1965 Erling H. Erlandson, California State Univ. at Northridge
• 1965-1967 Arthur H. Margosian, Fresno State University
• 1967-1969 Ira L. Baker, High Point College
• 1969-1971 Marilyn A. Walker, Taylor University
• 1971-1975 Glen A. W. Kleine, Eastern Kentucky University

Executive Directors

Executive Secretaries of Alpha Phi Gamma:

• 1927-1934 Sherrill E. Leonard, University of Akron
• 1934-1935 Terrence H. Ellsworth
• 1935-1938 Iola Rust, University of Redlands
• 1945-1946 Frank J. Waters, Southwestern (Los Angeles)
• 1947-1949 Betty Acheson Mann, Indiana State University
• 1949-1950 James R. Bash, Indiana State University
• 1950-1957 Charles L. Brown, University of Redlands
• 1957-1964 Margaret E. McConnell, Oakland City (Ind.)
• 1964-1975 J. William Click, Central Michigan University/Ohio University

National Conventions

National Conventions for Alpha Phi Gamma:^[8]

• 1923 — Ohio Northern University, Ada, Ohio
• 1924 — University of Akron, Akron, Ohio
• 1926 — Ohio Northern University
• 1927 — Ohio Northern University
• 1928 — University of Akron, Ohio
• 1929 — Hanover College, Hanover, Ind.
• 1930 — Albion College, Albion, Mich.
• 1933 — University of California at Santa Barbara
• 1946 — Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Ind.
• 1948 — University of Redlands, Redlands, Calif.
• 1949 — Moorhead State University, Moorhead, Minn.
• 1954 — Fresno State University, Fresno, Calif.

(After 1954 Alpha Phi Gamma discontinued National Conventions.)

References