Alumni of Purdue’s Fraternity, Sorority and Cooperative Life (FSCL) community gathered in late September to celebrate the organization’s 150th anniversary and its ongoing commitment to scholarship, service, philanthropy and leadership development.
Generations of Boilermakers have found their place in the FSCL community, beginning in 1875 with the founding of the Delta Delta Chapter of Sigma Chi fraternity. The first sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, was founded in 1915, and the university began offering its first cooperative houses in 1937. Today, FSCL boasts one of the largest fraternity, sorority and cooperative life bodies in the country, with more than 6,500 students holding membership in 90 organizations governed by five bodies — the Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council and Purdue Cooperative Council.
Boilermakers such as Angela Costley Harris (BA psychology and organizational development ’89) have taken their first small steps toward becoming leaders in their workplaces and communities by taking on leadership roles in their FSCL organization. During her time as a student, Harris served as president of Alpha Chi Omega and later served as the organization’s national president from 2016-20. Today she owns and operates a consulting firm where she serves as an organizational strategist, board and executive coach, and brand ambassador.
“The opportunity to serve as chapter president altered the course of my professional life,” Harris says. “Through leading and collaborating with peers; being mentored, challenged and supported by alumnae advisors; and sharing challenges with other FSCL chapter presidents, I learned communication skills and conflict management, how to handle confidential situations and the utter joy that comes from doing your best alongside others doing their best. Those learnings have served me at every stage of my life and career.”
To celebrate the impact of experiences such as Harris’ over the last 150 years, FSCL hosted a series of events Sept. 26-27. Alumni participated in community tours, organizational open houses, an oral history booth, and a formal banquet and after-party.
The celebration engaged and connected alumni and students alike. Matthew Williams (BS biomedical engineering ’25) served as a co-chair for the 150th anniversary steering committee as he pursues a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. With recent experience as president of Theta Chi fraternity and associate chief justice of the Purdue Interfraternity Council, Williams saw firsthand the power of the connections between current students and alumni across diverse organizations.
“Something that comes up every year with council leadership and the chapter presidents is that they want to have more cross-council collaboration,” Williams says. “This was a good steppingstone in that direction. It’s hard to find events that cater to all councils because they’re all so unique, but one of the main similarities is that they all have a sense of community that students are looking for. As different as the backgrounds of some of these organizations can be, there’s still a common ground around community and leadership.”
