Tau
Chapter, the first fraternal organization to be chartered at East
Carolina University,
was founded when Dr. Beecher Flanagan ( Epsilon 2, Tau 12) came to East
Carolina University
to teach in the Department of Social Sciences. Dr. Flanagan decided to
start a chapter of Phi Sigma Pi. Under Dr. Flanagan’s direction,
the local fraternity, Tau Sigma Sigma,
became Tau Chapter of Phi Sigma Pi. Eleven
members were inducted on May 28, 1936. Dr.
Flanagan served as faculty advisor for the newly started chapter and Wesley
Bankston was elected Tau Chapter’s
first president. Dr. Flanagan led the chapter for 14 years.
In
1950, Dr. Richard C. Todd ( Sigma 58, Tau 878) came to East
Carolina University
to teach. Flanagan invited Todd to a dinner meeting of the chapter. During
the meeting, Flanagan suffered a fatal heart attack. Dr. Todd assumed Flanagan’s
role as faculty advisor and served Tau Chapter for
the next 27 years. Todd helped lead Tau Chapter,
as well as the national fraternity, into greatness. During these years,
Dr. Todd aided in the integration of women into the fraternity. Clauda Pennock
Todd, wife of Richard Cecil Todd, was inducted into Tau
Chapter on May 7, 1977. Nicknamed “Sweetheart,”
Clauda Pennock Todd
became an integral part of her husband’s service to the fraternity. Tau Chapter established an impressive record of service
and scholarship during Dr. Todd’s years of guidance, evidenced by its
receiving the Joseph Torchia Outstanding Chapter
Award (the most prestigous award a chapter can receive) a total of 32
times in the 42 years the award has been given.
In 1977, Dr. Richard C. Todd retired
from East Carolina
University. He recruited Dr.
Jack Thornton as the new faculty advisor to the chapter. Thornton continued
the service exemplified by Todd and Flanagan to Tau
Chapter. During this time, the Todd Scholarship for Leadership and the
Thornton Scholarship for Outstanding Pledge were originated. Also, the
Clauda Pennock Todd Fellowship Award and the Rick Creech Award
were created. Over the years, these awards have flourished and grown. The
Todd Scholarships are now given to all officers. Historically, the award
was only awarded to the president. Furthermore, funding for both the Todd
and the Thornton Scholarships have increased dramatically
over the years.
In 1998, Dr. Jack Thornton retired
from East Carolina
University and the duties of faculty
advisor were passed to David Batts. Tau has continued to be one of the most outstanding chapters
of Phi Sigma Pi in the nation. Several Tau
chapter brothers have served the organization on the national level, including
Beecher Flanagan, Richard C. Todd, Robert Zalimeni,
Jack Thornton, Mike Hosey, Bob Landry, Mark Pabst,
Linda Wilson, Lindsay Fernandez, Hope Harrell Turnbull, David Batts, Jamey Tisdale, Jonathan Wood and Brittany Bodart. Of
the previously named brothers, five have served as National President, some
serving more than one term.
Tau Chapter also led the way for development of alumni chapters. The
first alumni chapter was chartered in Greenville, North Carolina on November
7, 1994. Richard Cecil and Clauda Pennock
Todd also set up the Todd Tripod Scholarship. In 1993, the inaugural award
was presented to David Batts. Since that time, Tau
brothers Amanda Hines, Nicole Gray and Brittany Bodart have won this prestigious
award.
