Phi Iota Alpha: Fraternal History
Origins
The origins of Phi Iota Alpha began at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy, New York, in 1898. A group of Latin American students organized the Union Hispano Americana (UHA) as a cultural and intellectual secret society based on the ideology of Pan-Americanism. The immediate goal of the UHA was to provide a cultural environment for students of Latin America and Spain. The UHA was the first association of Latin American students ever founded in the United States. The UHA expanded to several colleges and universities in the United States; however, due to the secrecy imposed upon its members, not many records were kept.
The expansion and growth of the UHA were based on compromise and the ultimate need for similar organizations to unify and become more powerful. In the Northeastern Province of the United States, a group of Latin American students decided to organize a cultural and intellectual fraternity; as a result, Pi Delta Phi (ΠΔΦ) fraternity was founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1916. Shortly after its foundation, Pi Delta Phi initiated a search to expand to other colleges and universities where they became aware of the existence of other similar organizations.
Consolidation
Monument of Sigma Iota's birthplace on the former LSU Campus
Pi Delta Phi established communications with Phi Lambda Alpha (ΦΛΑ) fraternity, which had been recently founded in 1919, in the Western Province of the United States, at the University of California, Berkeley. After some communication, these two organizations realized the existence of a non-Greek letter secret society, the Union Hispano Americana (UHA). As a result of intensive correspondence and various interviews, the three organizations merged. In their merger agreement, the three organizations adopted the name of Phi Lambda Alpha fraternity, with the distinctive emblem & constitution of Pi Delta Phi, and the goals & motto of the UHA. This new union was formalized on June 11, 1921, in the City of New York.
After ΦΛΑ was organized, other societies joined it: the "Club Latino-Americano" founded in 1919 at Colorado School of Mines; the "Federación Latino-Americana" founded in 1926 at Columbia University which joined in 1928; the "Club Hispania" founded in 1929 of Cornell University which joined in 1931; the "Club Hispano-Americano" founded in 1921 at (then) Tri-State College in Angola, Indiana which joined in 1929 and the Alfa Tenoxtitlan Militant chapter founded in 1929 made up of members of the old ΦΛΑ in Mexico.
Meanwhile, in the Southeastern Province of the United States, another similar organization was under development. In 1904, an organization with similar goals as Phi Lambda Alpha was founded under the name "Sociedad Hispano-Americana" at Louisiana State University. In 1912, recognizing the benefit of the disciplinary background of a Greek system, the society transformed itself into Sigma Iota (ΣΙ) and became the first Latin American–based fraternity in the United States. Between 1912 and 1925, Sigma Iota expanded rapidly in the United States, Central America, and Europe. As a result of this, Sigma Iota became the first international Latin American–based fraternity. By 1928, Sigma Iota had lost many of its chapters and therefore sought to stabilize its operations by consolidating its chapters in the United States with a more stationary and well-rooted organization.
Phi Lambda Alpha was seeking to expand throughout the United States and to promote the ideology of Pan-Americanism. Sigma Iota Fraternity was in search of revitalizing some of its defunct chapters. Thus both organizations complemented each other and began to work towards the creation of the fraternity now known as Phi Iota Alpha.
Establishment
In December 1931 in Troy, New York, delegates from Phi Lambda Alpha and Sigma Iota assembled with the objective of forming a unified fraternity to address the needs of Latin American Students in universities in the United States.
On December 26, 1931, the first day of a three-day convention, Phi Iota Alpha was born as both groups agreed to the merger. They resolved to unify under one name, one banner, one organization, and one ideal. The next day of business was dedicated to preparing the details of revising the constitution and working on the creation of a shield to represent the newly formed national Latino brotherhood. On December 28, by the end of the three-day convention, the majority of the merger was completed. The last step in the merger was the ratification of some of the chapters of Sigma Iota that were not represented at the convention.
The fraternity was incorporated as a national organization on October 28, 1936, under the laws of the State of Louisiana, under the name and title of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity.
History: 1939–1983
The outbreak of World War II greatly hindered the growth of Phi Iota Alpha in the United States. After the war, the Fraternity drafted and implemented a new expansion strategy. As a result, the post-war period saw positive internal growth for the Fraternity. In the early 1950s, Phi Iota Alpha eradicated any remnant of its political agenda. With only a few chapters, the Fraternity continued to pursue its mission. The Fraternity was again incorporated as a national organization on January 9, 1953, when the Secretary of State of New York accepted the incorporation of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity.
The 1960s were very challenging years for Phi Iota Alpha. The effects of the Vietnam War and the '60s counter-culture created an anti-institutional atmosphere amongst many college students. In addition, this drastically reduced the enrollment of Latin American students in American universities. This in turn hindered potential membership in the organization. As a result, by 1968, after many years of struggle, the only active undergraduate chapters were at LSU, and at RPI. The chapter at RPI became inactive in 1973 with the graduation of its Secretary General. The Secretary-General took with him the chapter's official fraternity documents. By 1979, the last active brother from the chapter at LSU graduated, thereby marking the closing of the undergraduate chapter at LSU.
Phi Iota Alpha Brother Bolivar DeGracia. (bottom row, second from the right) Member of the IFC Athletic Council at LSU 1972.
From 1979 to 1983, the Fraternity witnessed a period of inactivity only at the undergraduate level. Some efforts were made to re-establish Phi Iota Alpha at the undergraduate level, but these efforts were not successful. Throughout this period, the brothers continued to maintain communication and continued to accomplish the mission of the organization. The history, ideals, and goals of the Fraternity never diminished; they simply did not have active undergraduate members to cultivate them. Phi Iota Alpha continued to exist with the many Alumni members and Alumni chapters as they continued to develop their professional lives mostly in Latin American countries and in the United States.
History: 1984–2000
In 1984, a group of young men at RPI, set upon learning about the fraternity that once existed on their campus, re-established Phi Iota Alpha. After the re-emergence of the Fraternity, the last Secretary General instituted the members of the RPI chapter as the Alpha Chapter of Phi Iota Alpha. In the 1980s the Fraternity dedicated its efforts to rebuilding the organizational infrastructure and expanding to several universities in New York State. The fraternity was considered officially revived nationwide in 1987 at the collegiate level due to this effort. By 2000, Phi Iota Alpha had chartered chapters across the United States; which include the re-establishment of the former Sigma Iota (ΣΙ) fraternity chapter at Syracuse University and the former Phi Lambda Alpha (ΦΛΑ) fraternity chapter at Columbia University.
