In the spring of 1959, Otis R. McCollum joined Pi Kappa Phi’s Kappa Chapter at UNC-Chapel Hill as its 200th initiate. From the moment Brother McCollum become an initiated brother, people knew him by his unwavering dedication to the Fraternity at both the national and chapter levels.
Brother McCollum expressed this devotion to the chapter by serving as a member of Kappa’s Executive Council, broadening his impact on the chapter’s affairs and serving as a confidant for numerous brothers. In addition, he fostered the advancement of Pi Kappa Phi and its vision nationally by serving on the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation’s Board of Trustees, attending nine Supreme Chapters and being a founding member of the Nu Phi Society. Most of all, it was evident that Brother McCollum understood the timeless value of lifelong brotherhood and, because of his exceptionally meritorious service to the Fraternity, he was awarded the Merit Citation by the 39th Supreme Chapter in 1983 and honored with the Fraternity’s highest honor, Mr. Pi Kappa Phi, in 1996.
Brother McCollum passed to Chapter Eternal in December 1997. However, he stamped his enduring legacy on Pi Kappa Phi by showing what true brotherhood is all about: trustworthiness, dedication and unselfish devotion. Today, his legacy lives on through the Otis R. McCollum Memorial Scholarship.
Criteria
Every fall, one recipient from a North Carolina chartered chapter is selected as the recipient of the Otis R. McCollum Memorial Scholarship, receiving a $2,000 grant.
To be eligible, an applicant must:
- Be an initiated member of a North Carolina chartered chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity.
- Be enrolled as a full-time at his university.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Complete the entire application.