Military service during the Vietnam Era and other reasons prevented many who were part of the Beta Sigma Tau (BST) local fraternity at Emporia State University from returning in January 1969 to be initiated as charter members of the Kansas Epsilon Chapter of Phi Delta Theta. On April 25th, three of these Beta forbearers, including two BST founders, returned to Emporia to become Brothers in the Bond.

The Kansas Epsilon undergraduate officers closed a circle of history when they initiated BST founder Jack Adams of Arlington, Texas, BST founder David Rukes of Overbrook, Kansas and BST member James Alexander, of Macon, Georgia, 46 years after the chapter’s installation. This special initiation, sanctioned by the General Council, occurred during White Carnation festivities in Emporia.

Charter members from Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas returned to welcome these three Beta Sigma Tau brothers into the Fraternity. Kansas Epsilon charter members stand behind the new Phis seated in the photo. The weekend was a multi-generational celebration of “fraternity for life” where Friendship reigned.