65.92.246.77 at 21:57, 4 May 2025

2025-05-04T21:57:44Z

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{{Short description|American architecture fraternity}}
{{redirect-distinguish|ΑΡΧ|APX (disambiguation)}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2007}}
{{Infobox Fraternity
| name = Alpha Rho Chi
| letters = {{lang|grc|ΑΡΧ}}
| crest = Alpha Rho Chi Coat-of-Arms Color.png
| image_size = 150px
| founded = {{start date and age|1914|04|11}}
| birthplace = [[Sherman House Hotel]], [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]
| affiliation = PFA
| former_affiliation = PIC
| status = Active
| type = Professional
| scope = National
| emphasis = Architecture and the allied arts
| motto = ''Fidelitas, Amor et Artes''<br />Fidelity and Love of the Arts
| member badge = [[File:Alpha Rho Chi badge.png|90px]]
| colors = {{color box|#25519E}} [[Azure (color)|Azure]] and {{color box|#C00C1E}} [[Sanguine (heraldry)|Sanguine]]
| flower = White Rose
| publication = ''The Archi''<br />   ''The Alpha Rho Chi Letter''
| chapters = 30 collegiate chapters, 16 alumni associations
| address = 1217 86th Street
| city = [[North Bergen, New Jersey|North Bergen]]
| state = [[New Jersey]]
| ZIP code = 07047
| homepage = {{url|http://www.alpharhochi.org}}
| country = United States
}}

'''Alpha Rho Chi''' ('''{{lang|grc|ΑΡΧ}}''') is an American [[professional fraternity|professional]] co-educational college [[Fraternities and sororities|fraternity]] for students studying [[architecture]] and related professions. The fraternity's name is derived from the first three letters of the [[Greek alphabet|Greek]] word for [[architecture]], ἀρχιτεκτονική.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 2011 |title=The Archi Pledge |url=http://alpharhochi.org/attach/ArchiPledge-july2011-press.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127202602/http://alpharhochi.org/attach/ArchiPledge-july2011-press.pdf |archive-date=January 27, 2018 |access-date=October 8, 2022 |website=Alpha Rho Chi |via=Wayback Machine}}</ref>

==History==

===Founding===
APX was founded on April 11, 1914, with the merger of Sigma Upsilon (local) at the [[University of Michigan]] and the Arcus Society (local) at the [[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign|University of Illinois]] to form a national fraternity for Architecture and the allied arts.

Sigma Upsilon (local) had been founded four years prior by eight architecture students at Michigan, with the intent of eventually forming a national architecture fraternity, and had drafted their constitution and laws to reflect that. Two years after they were founded in 1912. they were recognized by their school as a fraternity and started negotiations with other schools to open up more chapters.

In 1911, the Arcus Society (local) was formed by fifteen architecture students as a secret society; it became public a year later. After recognition by their school, the Arcus Society started correspondence with several other schools to expand. One of those schools was the University of Michigan, which started the collaboration of the two founding brothers of '''{{lang|grc|ΑΡΧ}}''', [[Leo M. Bauer]] of the Arcus Society and [[Chandler C. Cohagen]] of Sigma Upsilon.

According to fraternity history books, the ''Anthemios chapter'' at the University of Illinois claims to be the first chapter of the new fraternity. This was achieved by setting the meeting for the fraternity's organization and merger while Illinois was on break and Michigan was still holding classes. ''Iktinos'' at Michigan also claims to be the first chapter as their precursor organization existed before the society in Illinois. Both the ''Iktinos'' and ''Anthemios chapters'' are considered the founding chapters and share the same cadency mark.

Bauer and Cohagen met on {{dts|1914|04|11}}, at the Hotel Sherman in [[Chicago]], where they selected the name for the combined organization, the new constitution and by-laws, and the coat of arms. The brothers decided to keep the colors azure and sanguine, from the Arcus Society, and the white rose, a symbol of Sigma Upsilon. They also selected the chapter names from a list of prominent Greek and Roman architects; Egyptian architects were added at a later date. Illinois selected ''[[Anthemius of Tralles|Anthemios]]'' as their name, and Michigan selected ''[[Iktinos]]''.

===Expansion to World War I===
Alpha Rho Chi set expansion and becoming a national architecture fraternity as their first goal. Several existing architecture organizations petitioned to join, but only Tau Epsilon Chi of [[Ohio State University]] was accepted, being installed as the ''[[Demetrios]] chapter'' on February 25, 1916. The Cyma Club became the ''Mnesicles chapter'' at the [[University of Minnesota]] on October 10, 1916. Recruiting efforts slowed with the start of [[World War I]] because most of the brothers entered the armed services.

===Great Depression and World War II===
After the war, the ''Kallikrates chapter'' was installed at the [[University of Virginia]] on February 15, 1922. The ''[[Andronicus of Cyrrhus|Andronicus]] chapter'' was installed a month later, on March 11, 1922, with eleven charter members at the [[University of Southern California]].<ref name="Pledge" /> Expansion continued at a rapid pace with the addition of members at [[Kansas State University]], which formed the ''[[Paeonios]] chapter'' on February 10, 1923. Ten members of the Delta Club at the [[University of Texas at Austin]] were initiated on April 19, 1924, to form the ''[[Dinocrates]] chapter''. The ''[[Polykleitos the Younger|Polyklitos]] chapter'' at Carnegie Tech (now [[Carnegie Mellon University|Carnegie-Mellon University]]) was established on May 24, 1924. With the addition of the ''[[Theron (disambiguation)|Theron]] chapter'' at Oklahoma A&M (now [[Oklahoma State University–Stillwater|Oklahoma State University]]) on May 23, 1926, the fraternity stood at ten active chapters and was truly national in stature.

The [[Great Depression]] and [[World War II]] affected the strength of the local chapters, and several failed to survive. Only six chapters returned–''Anthemios'', ''Iktinos'', ''Demetrios'', ''Mnesicles'', ''Andronicus'', and ''Kallikrates''–with strong alumni support and renewed membership. In 1954, the ''[[Vitruvius]] charter'' was established at [[Pennsylvania State University]] and was installed as a chapter on March 27, 1955.

===Post-war and further expansion===
Next to be installed was a group from [[Arizona State University]], which became the ''[[Satyros]] chapter'' on May 13, 1962. Two representatives from Virginia Polytechnic Institute ([[Virginia Tech]]) were initiated at the 31st National Convention; in turn, they assisted with the installation of the ''[[Metagenes]] chapter'' on March 23, 1969. With the addition of the ''[[Xenocles]] chapter'' at the [[University of Texas at Arlington]] on September 13, 1970, Alpha Rho Chi returned to its former high point of ten active chapters.

During the early 1970s, fraternity membership, in general, dropped as controversy raged on college campuses over the [[Vietnam War]] and any "establishment" organization. Alpha Rho Chi continued, installing the ''[[Cleisthenes]] chapter'' at the [[University of Houston]] on March 11, 1972. In the 1980s, college fraternities enjoyed a renaissance and Alpha Rho Chi added four new chapters. In June 1980, the ''[[Daedalus]] chapter'' was founded at the [[California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo|California Polytechnic State University]] to become the fraternity's second West Coast chapter. After an initiation night at the ''Anthemios chapter'' house, the ''[[Daphnis]] chapter'' of the [[University of Arkansas]] was installed on November 23, 1980. The ''[[Heracleides (architect)|Heracleides]] chapter'' of the [[University of Oklahoma]] was installed before a Texas-style bar-b-que at ''Xenocles chapter'' on September 6, 1981. After collecting the required ten members for initiation, the ''[[Rhoecus]] chapter'' was installed at the [[University of Kansas]] on April 8, 1984.

The ''[[Apollodorus of Damascus|Apollodorus]] charter'' was bussed for thirteen hours from the [[University of Florida]] to ''Metagenes chapter; they were officially installed as a chapter on April 10, 1986, in [[Gainesville, Florida]]. On March 29, 1992, Alpha Rho Chi installed the ''[[Pythius of Priene|Pytheos]] chapter'' at the [[University of Nebraska–Lincoln|University of Nebraska]]. The ''[[Seshat|Seshait]] chapter'' at [[Florida A&M University]] was installed on March 12, 1994, becoming the first chapter with an Egyptian namesake.

===New Millennium===
The co-op program at the [[University of Cincinnati]] created a unique installation for the ''[[Rabirius (architect)|Rabirius]] chapter'', whose members were initiated in two separate ceremonies; one held in [[Cincinnati]] on November 4, 2000, and the other on January 20, 2001. In September 2001, a professor began a correspondence with the fraternity in hopes of establishing a chapter at the [[University of Memphis]]. Up to this point, Alpha Rho Chi had limited expansion to accredited schools of architecture; however, after revisiting the fraternity's original objectives and mission, it was determined that there was no reason to exclude the University of Memphis. On October 19, 2002, the ''[[Imhotep]] chapter'' was installed in [[Champaign, Illinois]].

Improved communications, including a website and email access, helped interested architecture students discover and contact the national fraternity, accelerating the pace of the expansion of new and reactivated chapters. ''[[Aeulius Nicon|Nicon]] chapter'' was established at [[Florida International University]] on July 11, 2004. In the Northeast, the ''Vitruvius chapter'' sponsored two new chapters simultaneously. ''Vitruvius'' installed the ''[[Domitian]] chapter'' at the [[New Jersey Institute of Technology]] on January 30, 2005, and the ''[[Senenmut]] chapter'' at the [[University at Buffalo]] on February 26, 2005. A charter at [[Tulane University]] was preparing its petition to establish a chapter when [[Hurricane Katrina]] struck [[New Orleans]], closing the school for a semester and scattering the students across the country. After regrouping, the ''[[Hadrian]] chapter'' was finally installed on November 4, 2006.
[[Image:Alpha Rho Chi uiuc.JPG|thumb|right|[[University of Illinois]] chapter house]]

Students at the [[California College of the Arts]] in [[San Francisco]] formed the ''[[Decimus Cossutius|Cossutius]] charter'', and were installed at the ''Andronicus chapter'' house on January 20, 2008. Representatives from ''Andronicus'', ''Daedalus'', ''Satyros'', ''Anthemios'', ''Hadrian'', and ''Vitruvius chapters'' were on hand to usher in the newest chapter.

===Recent history===
The Anthemios Alumni Association held a centennial celebration beginning in 2014. In 2014, the ''Olynthius chapter'' was installed at the [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]]. In the spring of 2017, Alpha Rho Chi welcomed two new chapters; the ''Theodorus chapter'' was established at the [[University of Tennessee|University of Tennessee-Knoxville]] in February and was followed by the ''Amenophis chapter'' at [[Southern Illinois University Carbondale|Southern Illinois University-Carbondale]] in April. ''Skopas chapter'' at [[Syracuse University]] is the most recent addition, installed in May 2021.

The fraternity's national headquarters is in [[North Bergen, New Jersey]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contact APX |url=https://alpharhochi.org/contact |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Alpha Rho Chi}}</ref>

==Chapter Houses==
The ''Anthemios chapter'' house at the University of Illinois is on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. It has eighteen bedrooms, most of which used to be double occupancy. Currently, only rooms 5–7, 16, and 17 are double occupancy. Keeping up with the progressive era, the ''Anthemios'' house changed to coed bathrooms in the late 2000s due to the influx of female brothers.

The ''Andronicus chapter'' house is listed as a [[List of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in South Los Angeles|Historic Cultural Monuments]] by the City of Los Angeles and is awaiting placement on the Federal Register of Historic Structures.

==Medals==
The Alpha Rho Chi Bronze Medal is awarded annually at accredited schools of architecture in the United States and Canada to honor graduating seniors who have demonstrated leadership, service, and the promise of professional merit. The recipients of the medal are decided by the faculty of each school. Membership in the fraternity is not a criterion for the award, nor is membership conferred to the medal's recipients. The medal program was established in 1931. Designed by [[sculpture|sculptor]] [[Robert Merrell Gage]], the medal is cast in bronze and features an image of a seated [[Athena]] holding a [[skyscraper]].

On occasion, Alpha Rho Chi recognizes other individuals with two other classes of medals. The fraternity awards the Alpha Rho Chi Silver Medal for fraternal service. The Gold Alpha Rho Chi Medal honors an outstanding practitioner of architecture or an allied art. Recent recipients of the gold medal include [[I.M. Pei]] and [[Samuel Balen]].

==Master Architects ==
Master Architect is a special classification of fraternity membership to honor brothers who have gained national prominence in the field of architecture and the allied arts, or who have made significant contributions to the built environment. The following individuals have been installed as Master Architects (with year honored):
*[[Nathan Clifford Ricker]] ([[1914 in architecture|1914]])
*[[Cass Gilbert]] ([[1924 in architecture|1924]])
*[[Eliel Saarinen]] ([[1942 in architecture|1942]])
*[[John Wellborn Root Jr.]] ([[1951 in architecture|1951]])
*[[Ludwig Mies van der Rohe]] ([[1966 in architecture|1966]])
*[[Buckminster Fuller|Richard Buckminster Fuller]] ([[1970 in architecture|1970]])
*[[I.M. Pei]] ([[1981 in architecture|1981]]), the only Master Architect who is not to be a fraternity member
*[[Robert Ivy]] ([[2010 in architecture|2010]])

==Chapters==
Chapters take their names from architects of ancient [[Ancient Egypt|Egypt]], [[Ancient Greece|Greece]], or [[Ancient Rome|Rome]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Active Chapters |url=https://alpharhochi.org/chapters |access-date=October 4, 2022 |website=Alpha Rho Chi}}</ref> Active chapters are in '''bold'''; inactive chapter are in ''italic''.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102851093 |title=A Survey of the National Policies of Professional Fraternities |date=April 1934 |publisher=The Professional Interfraternity Council |location=Chicago |page=26 |via=Hathi Trust}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
!Chapter
!Charter date and range
!Institution
!Location
!Status
!Reference
|-
|'''[[Anthemius of Tralles|Anthemios]]'''
|{{dts|May 22, 1914}}
|[[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]]
|[[Champaign, Illinois]]
|Active
|{{Efn|Originally the local group Sigma Upsilon, established in 1900.}}
|-
|'''[[Iktinos]]'''
|{{dts|June 5, 1914}}
|[[University of Michigan]]
|[[Ann Arbor, Michigan]]
|Active
|{{Efn|Originally the local Arcus Society, established in 1911.}}
|-
|'''[[Demetrios]]'''
|{{dts|February 25, 1916}} – xxxx ?; February 1, 2020
|[[Ohio State University]]
|[[Columbus, Ohio]]
|Active
|{{Efn|Formed by absorbing the local group Tau Epsilon.}}
|-
|'''[[Mnesicles]]'''
|{{dts|October 10, 1916}}
|[[University of Minnesota]]
|[[Minneapolis Minnesota]]
|Active
|{{Efn|Formed by absorbing the local Cyma Club.}}
|-
|''[[Kallikrates]]''
|{{dts|February 15, 1922}} – xxxx ?
|[[University of Virginia]]
|[[Charlottesville, Virginia]]
|Inactive
|
|-
|'''[[Andronicus of Cyrrhus|Andronicus]]'''
|{{dts|March 11, 1922}}
|[[University of Southern California]]
|[[Los Angeles California|Los Angeles, California]]
|Active
|
|-
|''[[Paeonius of Ephesus|Paeonios]]''
|{{dts|February 10, 1923}} – 194x ?
|[[Kansas State University]]
|[[Manhattan, Kansas]]
|Inactive
|
|-
|'''[[Dinocrates]]'''
|{{dts|April 19, 1924}} – xxxx ?, xxxx ?
|[[University of Texas at Austin]]
|[[Austin, Texas]]
|Active
|{{Efn|Formed by absorbing the local Delta Club.}}
|-
|''[[Polykleitos|Polyklitos]]''
|{{dts|May 24, 1924}} – 194x ?
|[[Carnegie Mellon University]]
|[[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]
|Inactive
|{{Efn|Chapter was named for Polykleitos the Younger who was famous for being an architect. The spelling variation appears to be a Greek-to-English translation error.}}
|-
|''[[Theron (architect)|Theron]]''
|{{dts|May 23, 1926}} – {{Circa|1933}}
|[[Oklahoma State University–Stillwater]]
|[[Stillwater, Oklahoma]]
|Inactive
|
|-
|'''[[Vitruvius]]'''
|{{dts|March 27, 1955}}
|[[Pennsylvania State University]]
|[[State College, Pennsylvania]]
|Active
|{{Efn|Formed as a colony in 1954l}}
|-
|'''[[Satyros]]'''
|{{dts|May 13, 1962}}
|[[Arizona State University]]
|[[Tempe, Arizona]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Metagenes]]'''
|{{dts|March 23, 1969}}
|[[Virginia Tech]]
|[[Blacksburg, Virginia]]
|Active
|
|-
|''[[Xenocle (architect)|Xenocles]]''
|{{dts|September 13, 1970}} – xxxx ?
|[[University of Texas at Arlington]]
|[[Arlington, Texas]]
|Inactive
|
|-
|''[[Daphnis (architect)|Daphnis]]''
|{{dts|November 23, 1980}} – xxxx ?
|[[University of Arkansas]]
|[[Fayetteville, Arkansas]]
|Inactive
|
|-
|'''[[Daedalus]]'''
|{{dts|June 1980}}
|[[California Polytechnic State University]]
|[[San Luis Obispo, California]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Cleisthenes]]'''
|{{dts|September 6, 1981}}
|[[University of Houston]]
|[[Houston texas|Houston, Texas]]
|Active
|
|-
|''[[Heracleides (architect)|Heracleides]]''
|{{dts|September 6, 1981}} – xxxx ?
|[[University of Oklahoma]]
|[[Norman, Oklahoma]]
|Inactive
|
|-
|''[[Rhoecus]]''
|{{dts| April 8, 1984}} – xxxx ?
|[[University of Kansas]]
|[[Lawrence, Kansas]]
|Inactive
|
|-
|'''[[Apollodorus of Damascus|Apollodorus]]'''
|{{dts|April 10, 1986}}
|[[University of Florida]]
|[[Gainesville, Florida]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Pythius of Priene|Pytheos]]'''
|{{dts|March 29, 1992}}
|[[University of Nebraska–Lincoln]]
|[[Lincoln, Nebraska]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Seshat|Seshait]]'''
|{{dts|March 12, 1994}}
|[[Florida A&M University]]
|[[Tallahassee, Florida]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Rabirius (architect)|Rabirius]]'''
|{{dts|November 4, 2000}}/{{dts|January 20, 2001}}
|[[University of Cincinnati]]
|[[Cincinnati Ohio|Cincinnati, Ohio]]
|Active
|
|-
|''[[Imhotep]]''
|{{dts|October 19, 2002}} – 20xx ?
|[[University of Memphis]]
|[[Memphis, Tennessee]]
|Inactive
|
|-
|'''[[Aeulius Nicon|Nicon]]'''
|{{dts|July 11, 2004}}
|[[Florida International University]]
|[[Miami, Florida]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Domitian]]'''
|{{dts|January 30, 2005}}
|[[New Jersey Institute of Technology]]
|[[Newark, New Jersey]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Senemut|Senenmut]]'''
|{{dts|February 26, 2005}}
|[[University at Buffalo]]
|[[Buffalo, New York]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Hadrian]]'''
|{{dts|November 4, 2006}}
|[[Tulane University]]
|[[New Orleans, Louisiana]]
|Active
|
|-
|''' (Decimus) [[Cossutia gens|Cossutius]]'''
|{{dts|January 20, 2008}}
|[[California College of the Arts]]
|[[San Francisco, California]]
|Active
|{{Efn|Formed as the Cossutius colony.}}
|-
|'''[[Sostratus of Cnidus|Sostratus]]'''
|{{dts|April 19, 2009}}
|[[Washington State University]]
|[[Pullman, Washington]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Agamedes]]'''
|{{dts|April 30, 2011}}
|[[University of Miami]]
|[[Coral Gables, Florida]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Isidore of Miletus|Isidorus]]'''
|{{dts|April 30, 2011}}
|[[Miami University]]
|[[Oxford, Ohio]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Severus (architect)|Severus]]'''
|{{dts|June 9, 2012}}
|[[Kent State University]]
|[[Kent, Ohio]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Philon]]'''
|{{dts|January 26, 2013}}
|[[Washington University in St. Louis]]
|[[St. Louis Missouri|St. Louis, Missouri]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Callimachus (sculptor)|Callimachus]]'''
|{{dts|March 2, 2013}}
|[[University of California, Berkeley]]
|[[Berkeley, California]]
|Active
|
|-
|''[[Hemiunu]]''
|{{dts|March 9, 2013}} – 20xx ?
|[[Howard University]]
|[[Washington, D.C.]]
|Inactive
|
|-
|'''[[Hippodamus]]'''
|{{dts|March 9, 2013}}
|[[Mississippi State University]]
|[[Starkville, Mississippi]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Polyidus]]'''
|{{dts|April 12, 2014}}
|[[Southern Polytechnic State University]]
|[[Marietta, Georgia]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Numisia gens#architect|Numisius]]'''
|{{dts|May 3, 2014}}
|[[NewSchool of Architecture and Design]]
|[[San Diego, California]]
|Active
|<ref name=Pledge/>
|-
|'''[[Crates (engineer)|Olynthius]]'''
|{{dts|September 6, 2014}}
|[[University of Maryland]]
|[[College Park, Maryland]]
|Active
|<ref name="Pledge">{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=The Archi Pledge |url=https://estatedocbox.com/80631303-Architects/National-professional-fraternity-for-architecture-and-the-allied-arts-the.html |access-date=October 8, 2022 |website=Alpha Rho Chi Fraternity}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Raimond |first=Austin |date=January 18, 2014 |title=Olynthius Colony: Petition to Establish a Chapter of Alpha Rho Chi Fraternity |url=https://issuu.com/austinraimond/docs/colony_petition |access-date=2022-10-08 |website= |publisher=The Olynthius Colony |language=en |via=Issuu}}</ref>
|-
|''[[Aristobulus of Cassandreia|Aristobulus]]''
|{{dts|March 7, 2015}} – 20xx ?
|[[Clemson University]]
|[[Clemson, South Carolina]]
|Inactive
|
|-
|'''[[Theodorus of Cyrene|Theodorus]]'''
|{{dts|February 4, 2017}}
|[[University of Tennessee]]
|[[Knoxville, Tennessee]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Amenhotep III|Amenophis]]'''
|{{dts|April 1, 2017}}
|[[Southern Illinois University]]
|[[Carbondale, Illinois]]
|Active
|
|-
|'''[[Skopas]]'''
|June 2020
|[[Syracuse University]]
|[[Syracuse, New York]]
|Active
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alpha Rho Chi Skopas Chapter |url=https://soa.syr.edu/live/profiles/706-alpha-rho-chi-skopas-colony |access-date=2023-02-03 |website=soa.syr.edu |language=en}}</ref>
|}{{notelist}}

== See also ==

* [[Professional fraternities and sororities]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Professional Fraternities}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Student organizations established in 1914]]
[[Category:Professional fraternities and sororities in the United States]]
[[Category:Professional Fraternity Association]]
[[Category:1914 establishments in Illinois]]

Alpha Rho Chi - Revision history

65.92.246.77 at 21:57, 4 May 2025