Theta Kappa Chapter History

                                                  Pi Kappa Alpha to Theta Zeta Chi to Sigma Chi

History of the Founding

In 1978, a Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity alumnus, Frank (Pancho) Sutherland, decided that the UTA chapter needed his leadership, and imposed himself on the chapter.  He rigged an election to elect one of his supporters, Richard Near, as president.  Although the popular choice for President was another Pike Brother, Mr. Near won the election under mysterious circumstances.  This angered many of the Pike Brotherhood, and conflicts among brothers became common. A few of the Pikes were very vocal about their displeasure with the rigged election, and Mr. Sutherland considered these brothers as troublemakers, and decided to find a way to get rid of them.

On October 30, 1978, the Pikes had a brotherhood party, yet most members were very upset over the election of Mr. Near, and the influence of Mr. Sutherland.   Most members did not agree with the direction that Mr. Sutherland wanted the Chapter to take. 

Mr. Sutherland and Mr. Near made a list of 12 members that they believed were going to be a problem in the future, and conspired with a National representative of the Fraternity to expel these members.  In a meeting, the 12 members were expelled.  Over the next 2 1/2 hours, each member was called in individually before the president, Pancho, and the National Representative and was told that the members had been expelled.  One by one, each member resigned from the Fraternity upon learning of the injustice done to their brothers.  Each Brother made their decision completely on their own, not knowing what the brother before him had done. In the end, 30 out of 33 members left Pi Kappa Alpha of their own accord.

On Wednesday evening, November 1, 1978, most of these men met and decided that they wished to continue the perpetuity of their brotherhood.  They formed a new fraternity, and named the fraternity Theta Zeta Chi.  They chose the fiery Phoenix as their symbol, as they had risen from the ashes to find greatness.  The preamble to the constitution summarized their motivation.

Preamble to the Theta Zeta Chi Constitution and By Laws

Wednesday Evening, November 1, 1978

at

The University of Texas at Arlington

When the ideals of brotherhood and friendship are forsaken, and the common bond of obligation to one another is forgotten, it becomes the responsibility of men to reestablish these goals for their own benefit.  This we have done...

At the time of the founding of Theta Zeta Chi, they were the largest fraternity on campus, and dominated Intramural sports.  IFC became very jealous of the Theta's, and along with the help of the Greek Advisor, Zack Tucker, conspired to keep them out of IFC, and tried to keep them out of all other Greek activities.  The Theta's persevered, and their brotherhood, resolve, and numbers grew. However, it became apparent that without IFC membership as well as participation in other activities such as Intramurals, the future of the Theta’s could be in trouble.

In 1983, John Habeeb, a Sigma Chi Alumni from Texas A&I the Theta Zeta Chi about joining the Sigma Chi family. At the same time, another group at UTA (Sigma Chi Alpha) was already petitioning Sigma Chi for a charter. In a meeting with the membership, Grand Praetor, Nathan White, told the Theta's that Theta Zeta Chi would benefit by becoming Sigma Chi.  The Theta's responded by saying that Sigma Chi would benefit if the Theta's joined.  John Habeeb liked that answer.  Due to Theta Zeta Chi’s advanced level of operations and organization they were selected by Sigma Chi to be the petitioning chapter over the other group at UTA.  Although several other fraternities had also approached the Theta's, Sigma Chi was the only fraternity that seemed to be worthy of the Theta brotherhood. 

Under the leadership of Kevin Preola as President, Theta Zeta Chi formally petitioned to become a Sigma Chi Chapter in the summer of 1983. Approval to grant a charter to Theta Zeta Chi was given in less than one year which was the shortest time to receive a charter in Sigma Chi’s history.

On March 31, 1984, Theta Zeta Chi ceased to exist, and the Theta Kappa Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity was born.

In its first year of membership the Theta Kappa chapter won the Petersen Significant Chapter award which was the first time in the history of the Sigma Chi Fraternity that this was accomplished.  Theta Kappa followed this with a second Petersen the next year and a third the following year.

As the Theta Kappa chapter continued to grow, more space was needed than provided by the old wood frame house they rented on 1111 W. Second Street.  A group of Sigma Chi alumni who lived in the area but graduated from other schools was led by John Habeeb to help the new Sigma Chi chapter build its own chapter house.

In 1987, the Pi Kappa Alpha chapter’s land lease expired which created the perfect spot for Sigma Chi’s new chapter house on Greek Row.  The old Pike house demolition was witnessed by members of the same group that left the Pike’s because of injustice, who reestablished themselves with the fiery Phoenix as their symbol, and came back as Sigma Chi to triumphantly establish their own roots in the same spot where their history began just 19 years earlier. 

In the fall of 1988, the Theta Kappa Chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity opened its new chapter house.

Alumni brothers continue their close friendships fostered during pledgeship and their undergraduate years at UTA.  Some of these friendships exceed 22 years and are a testament to the strong bonds of brotherhood that will last for a lifetime.