The Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta, commonly known as “Fiji,” is a college-based social fraternity founded on May 1, 1848 at Jefferson College in Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania. Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, Phi Gamma Delta proudly boasts 151 chapters on college and university campuses throughout the United States and Canada. With approximately 11,000+ undergraduate and over 180,000 graduate brothers, Fiji men have a profound influence throughout the world.
Our Mission:
Phi Gamma Delta exists to promote lifelong friendships, to reaffirm high ethical standards and values, and to foster personal development in the pursuit of excellence. Phi Gamma Delta is committed to provide opportunities for each brother to develop responsibility, leadership, scholarship and social skills in order to become a fully contributing member of society.
For more information, please visit the International Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta’s website at http://www.phigam.org.
Chapter History
On January 19, 1900, nine men met and drew up a constitution which contained a clause officially stating the goal to gain a Phi Gamma Delta charter at Purdue University. Unfortunately, the university president at the time notified the group that their request would not be granted, as the university had banned the creation of any new fraternities on campus. However, these men had great vision and persistence. They firmly believed in the cause of Phi Gamma Delta and continued to operate under strict secrecy. Their persistence paid off. After much laborious effort, the university granted their charter. On May 30, 1902, the Lambda Iota Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta was installed. This was the beginning of many great things to come.
The first chapter house was located at 417 Waldron Street, but after a very successful rush, Lambda Iota quickly outgrew the constraints of their small house. After several more moves to on and off campus residences in order to accommodate the constantly increasing number of brothers, it became clear that Lambda Iota needed a permanent home. In response to this dire need, the Alpha Graduate Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta came to ouraid. They raised a substantial amount of money and paid for the construction ofa new house large enough for all undergraduate brothers to occupy. On May 1, 1926, the undergraduate brothers of Lambda Iota moved into their new, luxurious home at 640 Russell Street. To this day, the Alpha Graduate Chapter exists stronger than ever and continues to support our chapter in any ways that they can –proving that Phi Gamma Delta is not for college days alone.
Today, we still live at 640 N. Russell Street. Various renovations and additions have been completed within the house, and now our home can accommodate over 70 men. Throughout the years Lambda Iota has received many accolades. The Lambda Iota Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta is considered one of the strongest chapters on both the campus level and the international level. We have a proud tradition of excellence – excellence in academics, excellence in leadership, and excellence in brotherhood.
Some famous Lambda Iota Fijis include:
- Eugene Cernan – NASA astronaut and last man to have walked on the moon
- Brian Lamb – founder of CSPAN
- Scott Givens – creative director of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah
- Chuck Armstrong – Former President of Seattle Mariners
- J. Timothy McGinley – Former Chairman of the Purdue Board of Trustees
- Thomas E. Spurgeon – Chairman of the Purdue Board of Trustees
- Dave Alexander – Former Purdue University Baseball Coach and Athletics administrator
- Arthur G. Hanson – Former President of Purdue University and Georgia Institute of Technology.
- Gerald Lyles – Lyles School of Civil Engineering
- Christopher B. Burke – Christopher B. and Susan S Burke Graduate Program in Civil Engineering
- Jim Gaffigan – Comedian and actor
- Tim Foley – Professional Football Player for the Miami Dolphins, TV Sports commentator.
- Morgan Burke – Former Purdue Athletic Director
- R. Joseph Rudolph – Former Executive Director of Purdue Alumni Association
- Richard E Grace – Former Purdue University Vice President
- James J. Stukel – Former President of the University of Illinois
- Mitch Daniels – Former Governor of Indiana; Former Purdue University President
- Mike Dilts – CEO of Shiel Sexton Construction
- Jim Hill—President Hill Group, Plumbing, HVAC, & Fire Protection
