Alpha Gamma Pi Chapter History
Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society traces its beginnings to the original six charter members under the name of Kappa Phi Omicron at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, in 1910. The Society continued to grow and in the spring of 1918 was one of many honorary groups in Missouri. At a meeting of the president’s of the Missouri junior colleges for women in 1918, it was decided to organize a new honorary society, chapters of which would have a common character, stand, and similarity of organization. The name Phi Theta Kappa was chosen, and the Society was incorporated in Missouri as a national organization. Founders modeled many aspects of the new society after the prestigious senior college honorary society, Phi Beta Kappa. There have been over 2 million members inducted to date.
The Alpha Gamma Pi Chapter was chartered in October 1977 at the Texas Regional Leadership Conference. Mae E. Thompson and Mike DeVault, counselors at Austin Community College, were the founding sponsors and Ramon Dovalina, Dean for Student Services, chartered the chapter for Austin Community College.
Five Austin Community College students with outstanding grade point averages were selected to become the charter members. These students worked diligently from October, 1977 to April, 1978 to organize themselves into a chapter with bylaws that identified the criteria for membership and the procedures for inviting and inducting new members. Since starting the chapter, Alpha Gamma Pi has inducted students into membership each fall and spring semester.
The Alpha Gamma Pi chapter continues to sponsor activities to provide members opportunities for scholarship, service, and leadership development. Traditional activities include the following: officer’s training, new member orientation, attendance of weekly meetings, attendance at regional and international events., leadership positions as committee chair/co-chair, recognition of outstanding instructors, and the chance to receive scholarships and other awards. All members are encouraged to become viable, active participants of the organization, as well as the college and the community at large.
The Alpha Gamma Pi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Austin Community College. Phi Theta Kappa was founded on a commitment to provide enrichment in four hallmarks: scholarship, leadership, service, and fellowship. Texas has approximately eighty chapters in its region. The Alpha Gamma Pi chapter of Austin Community College is located in District V of Texas in the Southern Division of the United States.
Alpha Gamma Pi is dedicated to the Phi Theta Kappa program Honors In Action. This program combines scholarly inquiry and research with leadership to increase awareness and service to the community, an individual or chapter can make a difference regarding the issue explored or discovered by studying the topic. Honors in Action projects create balanced, comprehensive projects in which participants advance their knowledge and application of all the Hallmarks.
- Sponsors/Advisors who have guided the chapter are:
- Mae E. Thompson, Sponsor 1977-1986
- Mike DeVault, Sponsor 1977 – 1979
- Emma Moore, Sponsor 1978 – 1986 and Advisor 1986 – 1992
- Rosemary Gillett-Karam, Sponsor 1979 – 1981
- Ramon Dovalina, Advisor 1981 – 1986
- Walter Cooper, Advisor 1991 – 2005
- Reed Peoples, Advisor 2005 – 2024
- Mary Kohls, Advisor 1986 – Present
- Jon-Mikel Pearson, Advisor 2024 – Present