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Phi Gamma Delta's 175th Anniversary - May 1, 2023


175th Anniversary Celebration Guide

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We all have formed meaningful, lifelong relationships through Phi Gamma Delta. We would love to hear about some of your favorite memories from recruitment, initiation, Pig Dinner and more. Submit stories and share how you plan to celebrate, so we can share on this website.

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Old Dominion - Pig Dinner weekend 2023

 Old Dominion Brothers Celebrate During Their Annual Pig Dinner

During Omega Deuteron at Old Dominion's Pig Dinner weekend, on April 29-30, the Chapter celebrated their 45th anniversary and the Fraternity's 175th anniversary. Part of the celebration included a graduate memorial on April 30 (pictured above).

Old Dominion - Pig Dinner weekend 2023

 
Wisconsin Eau Claire - 50th Pig Dinner - 10 Founding Fathers

 Wisconsin Eau Claire Celebrates at Their 50th Pig Dinner

On April 22, Epsilon Chi at Wisconsin Eau Claire held their 50th Pig Dinner. Approximately 130 graduate and undergraduate brothers attended the event, including 10 of the original Founding Fathers (pictured).

 
George Washington & National Capital Fijis - Pig Dinner

 George Washington & National Capital Fijis Celebrate PGD's 175th

On April 15, the George Washington Provisional Chapter and the National Capital Fijis (Washington, DC) Graduate Chapter celebrated the Fraternity's 175th anniversary at their Pig Dinner. Some of the brothers in attendance included Maryland Chapter Founding Fathers Bob Ramsey (1979), Dale Rickenbach (1981) and George Albamonte (1980), who were great inspirations to the GWU undergraduates.

 
Idaho Brothers Bergvall & Hauge

 Idaho Graduate Brothers Meet for the First Time Norway

By Don Shelton (Idaho 1976)

Pat Hauge (Idaho 1990) (right) still can’t believe it happened.

As he dined last summer in an upscale restaurant in Norway – 4,500 miles and nine time zones from Moscow, Idaho – he sang an old Phi Gam song with a Mu Iota brother he’d met only a few hours earlier.

Pat and Bjorn Bergvall (1962) (left) sang “Two Silhouettes” in May 2022 over dinner in an Oslo restaurant with Pat’s daughter chiming in and both their wives smiling and shaking their heads. The scene was a reminder of the how the bonds of brotherhood between Phi Gams can transcend time and distance.

“My daughter knows every word,” recalls Pat, who used the traditional Phi Gam love song as a lullaby to put his daughter Liv to sleep as a child. “So there we were singing along in an Oslo restaurant. It was really cool. He loved it, too."

That was one of several pinch-me moments for Pat. A few hours earlier he was sipping wine in Bjorn’s Oslo flat as Hege, Bjorn’s wife, brought out the Olympic gold medal her husband had won in 1960.

Bjorn Bergvall might be Mu Iota’s most celebrated brother. The native of Norway stunned the world by winning gold in sailing’s Flying Dutchman class 62 years ago with partner Peder Lunde. Two weeks later, Bjorn walked into the chapter house at 600 University Avenue as an exchange student and became a Phi Gam member.

He was one of several Norwegian exchange students who became Idaho brothers during the 1950s and 1960s. Like all the others, Bjorn became a star for the University of Idaho ski team and learned about life in America at 600U.

Bjorn went on to take over the family’s shipping-insurance business, building it to the largest in Scandanavia. He briefly retired, in 1997, the created another successful insurance business. He’s now 83, but stays active golfing, hunting and skiing. He and Helge, his wife of 65 years, split time between their flat in Oslo, a summer cabin on an island three hours south of Oslo and a winter cabin four hours north on a fjord.

Bjorn has fond memories of his time in Moscow.

“It was so good when I was there,” recalls Bjorn, who was a 21-year-old junior when he arrived in Moscow. “With Pat and his family, I had the same feeling. It was very nice to meet them."

The meeting almost didn’t happen. Pat and his wife Stephanie and daughter were about to embark on a four-week vacation, which included a couple of weeks in Norway, when a brother suggested he get together with Bjorn while he was there. Pat sent an email, but somehow missed Bjorn’s reply during the trip. He realized it the day before he landed in Oslo and called Bjorn at 8:00 a.m. on a Monday morning. Bjorn was on the golf course, but immediately invited Pat and his family to his house and even offered to pick them up.

Over wine and hors d’oeuvres, Pat asked about brother Bjorn’s Olympic achievement. Hege immediately retrieved the gold medal and handed it to Pat. “He’s a very humble guy,” Pat said. “He didn’t want to have it out. But I got to hold his gold medal.

Bjorn also had a positive impression of Pat, who lives in Bellevue, Wash., and is a senior mechanical engineer with Philips Healthcare. Pat shared the recent success of Mu Iota, which has rebounded in recent years because of the involvement of graduate brothers. Pat served on the Board of Chapter Advisors for several years in the 2000s.

Later, they went to dinner at an upscale restaurant in Oslo, where more wine was sipped and a Phi Gam song was sung. Bjorn paid the bill without a second thought.

“Both of us are Fijis, so we would have a nice time regardless,” Bjorn said.

“It was easy and relaxed. We enjoyed each other’s company. It was special."

The meeting is still a bit surreal for Pat, who is back to work but can’t forget the meeting with his famous Phi Gam brother. His only regret is that no one recorded the impromptu song that night in Norway.

 
Three Brothers Participate in Bradley's Big Ideas Competition

 Three Chicago Brothers Travel to Visit Founder's Grave

In September 2022, Chicago brothers Jim Vice (1954), Don Heinrich (1974) and Mike Dotsey (1974) traveled to Wabash, Indiana to visit Founder Naaman Fletcher's (Jefferson 1849) grave.

 
Old Dominion - Not for College Days Alone Dinner

 Old Dominion Hosts Not for College Days Alone Dinner for Brothers

Omega Deuteron at Old Dominion held their Not for College Days Alone Dinner at a local restaurant on September 10, 2022. There were 55 undergraduates and 15 graduate brothers in attendance.

 

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175th Anniversary Video

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Phi Gamma Delta's History

Archives Website

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