Chapter House Remodel - Open for all Brothers!!
DATE: June 25, 2024
TO: Zeta Iota Capital Campaign Donors
FROM: Tom Roudebush Capital Campaign Chairman
Blaine Nye Alumni Association President
RE: Update on Fraternity House Renovation
Even though we spent a million dollars not everything could get completed. However, with new fire suppression system, a new security system, all new windows and doors etc., we feel the house is a much safer place. Some of the actives have seen the house and are very excited and proud of the investment the alumni have made to continue the legacy of Zeta Iota. We couldn’t turn this over to a better group than the current active chapter.
Now that the remodel has been completed we would very much appreciate if you could complete your pledge and if possible make it even earlier. We had to take out a bridge loan to complete the construction on the house while we wait on pledge payments to be paid. As with any construction project after Covid the monies from the capital campaign did not go as far as we originally had planned. Subsequently we are still in the process of raising more funds for furniture, repairs on the outside and to do something with the basement. So many of you have been so generous and we can’t thank you enough. If you can donate more we sincerely welcome all the donations we can get. If you would like to know more details, please feel free to call either one of us.
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QRNI6TETOVBr70euOLe9bkhC7XG4GmEQ/view?usp=sharing
In Hoc,
Tom Roudebush Blaine Nye
913-406-8479 913-653-5710
About ZETA IOTA
History of Our Chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity
Xi Omega Fraternity was founded in the fall of 1960 at then Kansas State College of Pittsburg with the primary intention of becoming a chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity. There were fourteen founders—Charles Barnes, James Bartelli, Jerry Bonewitz, Warren Bradfield, Henry Buscher, David Crockett, Cecil Deel, Bill Hawkins, Ken Ladek, Tom McCourt, Pat Poole, Charles Shell, Jon Solomon, and Don Wilson—many of whom were in their mid-20s, several having already served four years in the U.S. military. They were a mature group of young men who set maturity and respect as baseline tones of Xi Omega Fraternity, and they rented the fraternity’s first house at 811 S. Broadway.
Xi Omega then purchased its first chapter-owned house at 1714 S. Broadway in the early summer of 1963. The original “1714” was located at what is now the Pi Kappa Alpha house, but that specific address moved next door when the fraternity purchased that property and built a new home a number of years later.
Zeta Iota Chapter of Sigma Chi Fraternity was chartered on December 13, 1964. There were 60 Charter Members, and John Bumgarner served as the chapter’s initial Consul.
From its inception, the fraternity was strongly supported by John and Berndette O’Rourke. Mrs. O’Rourke was the secretary to Dr. Denmar Cope, the college’s Dean of Administration and the first Chapter Advisor to Xi Omega Fraternity, serving as our Chapter Advisor for nearly six years. The O’Rourkes were a wonderful couple with no children, and they supported the chapter in numerous and generous ways until their passing, John in November of 1980 and Berndette in November of 1984. In many ways, our fraternity had become their surrogate children.
During the fraternity’s early years, there were few alumni, and the function of “alumni relations” was basically performed by the Zeta Iota House Association, a corporation legally formed when the first home was purchased in 1963. In the fall of 2003, the Zeta Iota Alumni Association was formed, with George Lampe serving as the first president.
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