06/17/2025
In 1929, while visiting the Alpha Chapter at the University of Virginia, Dr. Freeman H. Hart uncovered a sealed strongbox. Inside? A black-and-white photograph from 1871–1872—the earliest known image of Pi Kappa Alpha brothers. Dr. Hart got a copied scan of the photo where it has been in Memorial Headquarters since. For decades, the Original Alpha Composite—dated 1897 and believed to be the earliest surviving framed group photo from Pi Kappa Alpha’s Alpha Chapter—was missing. It had quietly passed through generations; hidden from the eyes of the brotherhood it once helped build.
Until now.
Thanks to the efforts of Tommy Walpole (Louisiana – Monroe, Eta Omicron ’74), Tony Baez (Nicholls State, Zeta Psi ’77), Adam Cossey (Louisiana – Monroe, Eta Omicron ’02), Matt Parker (Nicholls State, Zeta Psi ’76), Keith Daigle (Nicholls State, Zeta Psi ’96), and Shawn Lowe (Southeastern Louisiana, ’89)—alongside the generosity of the McCollam family, descendants of a former chapter member—this treasured artifact has been returned to its rightful home. Carefully preserved through time, the composite carries the legacy of the earliest brothers who stood at the foundation of Pi Kappa Alpha.
Since 1868... Built on Brotherhood. Bound by History.