Pikes in Service

When President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany, Pi Kappa Alphas from across the country were assembled for the 1917 Jacksonville Convention. In a show of support and national spirit, the first action of the Convention was to telegraph President Wilson and "pledge to you the loyal support of its membership."

While only a small number of Pikes had fought in or been impacted by the short-lived Spanish-American War, normal Fraternity life – both at the national and chapter level – was disrupted by World War I (WWI). The Fraternity had seen significant growth in the years prior to the war, but no new chapters were chartered for almost two and a half years during WWI. At the chapter level, regular college life was disrupted and was replaced for many with barrack life as college-age men across the country joined ROTC programs or left school outright to join the military. Many chapters saw their numbers dwindle as older members enlisted, leaving the younger members in control.

According to the June 1917 issue of The Shield and Diamond, 400 Pikes were among the first to volunteer after the United States entered the war. Filled with patriotic spirit and a desire to see action, Pikes – like many fraternity men – flocked into the army. Just one year later, in June 1918, more than 1,400 Pi Kappa Alpha members were in uniform. Of the nearly 2,000 who would eventually serve during WWI, 50 gave the ultimate sacrifice. The 1920 New Orleans Convention, also known as the Victory Convention in celebration of the end of war, included a memorial service to the "hero dead."

Learn more about the photograph taken during World War I here.