The Alpha Tau Chapter at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) was rechartered on September 28, 2024. The chapter was originally chartered on June 12, 1931, and was active until 2020.
The Rensselaer Technical Society, known on the campus as R.T.S., was founded on April 26, 1906, and was intended to be a society whose meetings allowed serious-minded students of science and technology to discuss common interests and coursework. The society had high scholastic requirements for membership. As the years went on and the society flourished on campus, it functioned like a local fraternity and was viewed as such by members of the campus community. R.T.S. was a charter member of the Interfraternity Council formed at the Institute in 1915.
In 1931, RPI had an undergraduate enrollment of 1,700. At the chapter’s 1931 chartering, 33 men served as founding fathers and were brought into the fold of Pi Kappa Phi. Additionally, 23 R.T.S. alumni were alumni initiated, embracing membership in Pi Kappa Pi as a continuation of their lifelong vow to their local society. The initiation of both founding fathers and alumni were conducted at the chapter house, then located at 4 Park Place, in Troy, New York.
Installing officers in 1931 were Albert W. Meisel, Alpha Xi (St. John’s) and William J. Berry, Alpha Xi (St. John’s), both of whom went on to become national president. The initiating team was comprised of Alpha Xi Chapter members.
Since 1951, the alumni of Alpha Tau have proudly owned and maintained the John Paine Mansion, known as the “Castle,” a Gilded Age home built by John Welles Paine in 1896. As a result of the dedicated preservation by Alpha Tau alumni, the Castle was used in the filming of Martin Scorcese’s 1993 adaptation of Edith Wharton’s, “The Age of Innocence.” More recently, the Castle has served as a filming location for HBO’s series, “The Gilded Age.”
After the chapter’s 2020 closure, expansion efforts began at RPI in February 2024 and were led by Director of Chapter Services Dane McGrath, Alpha Mu (Penn State), and Leadership Consultants Matt Ramsay, Delta Lambda (UNC-Charlotte), Sage Gordon, Alpha Zeta (Oregon State), and Colin Duff, Beta Theta (Arizona). Despite the chapter’s dormancy, the alumni of Alpha Tau remained committed to maintaining the Castle, which played an instrumental role in the success of these efforts.
“It was truly a full circle moment,” said Ramsay. “I spent the better part of three months recruiting each of these men to be refounding fathers. They’re a smart and driven group, ambitious to build a legacy at RPI. I’m proud of their hard work and dedication. I am confident they will continue to enact positive change on their campus.”
At the rechartering, National President Joe Brady, Epsilon Omicron (Villanova), and National Vice President Wally Wahlfeldt, Upsilon (Illinois-Urbana-Champaign), served as installing officers. Along with Brady and Wahlfeldt, Chief Executive Officer Jake Henderson, Beta Theta (Arizona), and Chief Growth Officer Curt Herzog, Theta Lambda (Missouri State), addressed the chapter and the 150 alumni and guests present at the celebration.
“It was really great getting to hear from the refounding fathers about their chartering process after watching this expansion get off the ground,” said Duff. “I was so impressed by everything they have accomplished in such a short time. They are very deserving of this charter, and I am excited for their future.”
Since 1931, undergraduate enrollment has grown to 5,900. Pi Kappa Phi joins 22 nationally recognized fraternities at RPI. Eighteen men served as refounding fathers and satisfied the requirements of the chartering process. The Alpha Tau Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi received its charter and officially reentered the Fraternity as an active chapter on September 28, 2024.