Alpha Phi Omega's Epsilon Zeta Chapter at RPI
Introduction[edit]
Alpha Phi Omega (APO) is a co-ed service organization based in the United States and was founded on December 16, 1925 in Lafayette College. APO has chapters located internationally as well.
History[edit]
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s APO chapter, known as Epsilon Zeta (EZ), was founded on May 11th, 1947 at 2:30pm in Lally Hall (previously known as the RPI Clubhouse). At the time, Russel Olsen was president, Walter Locher was vice president, Peter Gundlefinder was secretary, and John Thompson was Treasurer. Epsilon Zeta had forty members, who mostly comprised of World War II veterans.
The Epsilon Zeta chapter was founded on May 11th, 1947 at 2:30 p.m. in the RPI Clubhouse (the present-day Lally Hall). As well as having national representatives on hand, five members of the RPI faculty and some Boy Scout executives attended. Russell Olsen was installed as president, Walter Locher as vice president, Peter Gundlefinger as secretary and John Thompson was installed as treasurer. There were forty charter members of the chapter, most of them veterans of World War II.
APO RPI
Throughout the earlier years of the chapter, the brothers primarily spent their time helping out at Vanderheyden Hall, a local non-profit organization. The chapter’s main services included donating money, building new facilities, painting, and helping out in many other ways.
Epsilon Zeta provided a lost and found service to the RPI community, which was run from their office in the RPI Clubhouse (now Lally Hall) starting from 1947.
Beginning in 1949, Epsilon Zeta also started a used book exchange that took place twice per semester. During this year, to commemorate RPI’s 125th anniversary, EZ also donated a Costa Blue Spruce tree to be used as a Christmas tree. It was later replaced by a flag pole.
Another notable service event was the Meanest Man on Campus (MMOC) competition that began in 1958. Members of the RPI community would donate money in order to vote on their favorite contestant. The money raised would then be donated to several different charities. The Meanest Man on Campus competition has since been rebranded as the Biggest Meme on Campus (BMOC).
In the late 1960s, the Epsilon Zeta chapter moved their office from the Clubhouse to what is now the current Rensselaer Union.
References[edit]
https://www.apoez.org/pages/aboutUs/history.php
https://www.apoez.org/pages/events/bmoc.php
Epsilon Zeta Handbook