Town and Country magazine’s August 28 article “The Most Prestigious Fraternities in America” highlights eight fraternities excelling in campus leadership, philanthropy and public service.

With five of the listed chapters here at Iowa State, get to know what these fraternities are doing to lead the way on their campus. 

Alpha Phi Alpha- Most Celebrity Alums

While Town & Country noted Alpha Phi Alpha for their many celebrity members, the fraternity is also known for their academic, political and social leadership. Founded in 1906 at Cornell University, Alpha Phi Alpha is the nation’s “first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men,” according to Iowa State’s Greek community website. 

Pi Kappa Alpha- Best Leadership Program  

More commonly known as “Pike,” Pi Kappa Alpha was noted for their leadership program and opportunities. Pike is known for its Pike University program, a series of nationwide leadership events, which “sees over 3,300 attendees while the PIKE Foundation awards over $223,000 in scholarships and grants yearly for the events,” the Town & Country article said. 

Representatives from Iowa State’s Pi Kappa Alpha chapter were unavailable for comment at the time of publication. 

Tau Kappa Epsilon- Most Undergraduate Chapters 

Listed in Town & Country as the fraternity with the most undergraduate chapters, Tau Kappa Epsilon has over 278,000 initiated members in its 246 active chapters in America. Iowa State’s Epsilon chapter is the longest continuously running TKE chapter, according to Thomas Scallon, the Epsilon chapter president. 

“Nearly 2,300 men have signed our scroll- that is not something our current members take lightly,” Scallon said. “Every day we work to uphold and surpass the legacy left by our alumni.” 

Scallon also noted that every year, TKE Headquarters chooses a few chapters as “Top TKE Chapters,” with the Epsilon chapter winning six consecutive Top TKE awards. 

“The size of TKE internationally comes into play here too,” Scallon said. “With 245 active chapters, there is plenty of competition to be had.”

Sigma Phi Epsilon- Best Vision for the Future  

Sigma Phi Epsilon, or SigEp, is known for their Balanced Man Program. Started in 1991, the program promotes the “academic, emotional and cultural growth, physical health and wellness, post-college life skills, leadership and service,” of the members, according to Matthew Dahl, Iowa State’s SigEp chapter president. 

The fraternity also does away with the pledging process, in order to encourage equal treatment of new members. Each man in the fraternity also goes through the four Rites of Passage, which span a member’s entire college career. 

“In between each Rite of Passage, members are presented with a set of challenges to achieve and are given a list of programs in which they can participate, with the goal of helping them to develop into balanced individuals,” Dahl said. 

Sigma Chi- Most Philanthropic  

Sigma Chi’s philanthropic partner is the Huntsman Cancer Institute, which was started by Sigma Chi alum Jon Huntsman Sr. Their annual fundraising event for HCI is Derby Days. 

“Historically Derby Days has been a week-long competition among the sororities, but this year, we are making an effort to involve all four Greek Councils,” said Joey Stauffer, the chapter president. 

Iowa State’s Sigma Chi chapter will host Derby Days during the last week of September. They also make an effort to support other house’s philanthropy events, such as Delta Zeta’s “DZ Dogs” for the Starkey Hearing Foundation. 

“Here at Sigma Chi, we pride ourselves on what we can give back to our community and our country,” Stauffer said. “You could ask any member, and they will tell you about the charities we care for, and why we raise money for them every year.”