Beta Chi
Founding of the Beta Chi Chapter
In the late 1970's the Beta Upsilon chapter of PHI KAPPA SIGMA was founded by a group of students from Clarkson University (then Clarkson College) and The State University of New York, College at Potsdam (now Potsdam College). The joint chapter chartered with National's blessing.
A little over a year later, in a brilliantly orchestrated, expansionist driven, pound of the gavel, National decided that it was no longer acceptable for Beta Upsilon to pledge Clarkson brothers. The Beta Chi colony, largely members of the most recent Beta Upsilon pledge class, set off to charter (read "pledge again for two more semesters. Thank you for my 1.9 GPA") at Clarkson.
There were admittedly a few ill feelings as we moved forward; but, in the long run things worked out and it was a move well worth making. Beta Chi Chapter was officially chartered on April 12, 1981, and has enjoyed a proud Fifteen years at Clarkson and has great promise for the future.
Soon after colonization, the brothers of PhiKap at Clarkson went looking for a house. They eventually found a place at 93 Pierrepont Avenue, in a state of slight disrepair. They fixed it up, though, and made it into a decent looking fraternity house. After the lease there expired, the brothers moved through a succession of different houses.
Eventually, a group of brothers bought property on 103 Maple Street, across the way from the main entrance to Clarkson. They hired an architect and created the blueprints for an ambitious house there, but sadly never raised enough to begin building it.
The Colony Founders
Bob Dianetti, Bill Carew, Bill Amidon, Rick Fosher, Paul Ristuccia, Don Woodbury, Scott Lind, Tim Haynes, Greg Nicklaus
Honorary Founders
Ed Gorton, Tim Niesen, Chris Remer
Charter Members
Paul Ristuccia, Randy Bulriss, Don Woodbury, Tim Haynes, Bob Monroe, Bill Carew, Greg Nicklaus, Dave Rodenizer, Greg Fenton, Kevin Strause, Bill Amidon, Doug Burtch, Paul Chaiet, Craig Dickson, Rick Fosher, Don Kranz, Scott Lind, David Sandway
Unfortunately in the later 90s, the Beta Chi chapter took a turn for the worst and finally disbanded in the fall of 1998.
Re-founding
In the fall of 2003, Tony Grimaldi, a sophomore at Clarkson set out to return Phi Kap to Clarkson University. Rallying together a group of aspiring young men, Tony has been able to create the Phi Kappa Sigma Beta Chi colony once again. We all look forward to a bright future.
Thanks to the fantastic efforts of the founders and their successors, the Beta Chi chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma was finally re-chartered on April 8th, 2006.
The Re-colonizers
Tony Grimaldi, Matt Kishpaugh, Dustin Mackin, Chris Ronk, Justin Basinger, Chris Lighty, Michael Hitsman, Edward Despard, Richard Fanto, Eric Kedron, William Klimek, Mike McCabe
Re-charter Members
(Pictured above, left to right:) Eric McGregor (Advisor), Dustin Mackin, Eric Kedron, Matt Kishpaugh, Justin Basinger, Andy Potocek, Mike McCabe, Aaron Fetterman, Jeff Ward, Chris Lighty, Chris Ronk, Richard Fanto, Edward Despard, Alex Polimeni, Tony Grimaldi, Michael Stridesberg, William Klimek, Michael Hitsman, Ethan Jud.
We are still continuing to grow.
A group of Alumni still own the property on 103 Maple Street, though it is still a forest, with a “staircase” of wood and mud leading to a small barbeque pit. The current brothers of Phi Kappa Sigma live on campus, and are considering a number of options for housing:
- Raising a lot of money, and getting a house built on 103 Maple
- Raising a lot less money, and getting a lounge built on 103 Maple, big enough for events, but with no bedrooms.
- Leasing a house on the greek row that Clarkson is considering, with varying degrees of interest, creating on the access road.