ALPHA PHI DELTA FRATERNITY
AN ITALIAN HERITAGE FRATERNITY
The Magnificent Seven: Our Founders:
Cesidio Ferdinand DiBartolo Cesidio Guarini and Dominic Ciolli, Otto Gelormini, Nicholas Frunzi, Joseph Cangiamila, Anthony Frascati
Alpha Phi Delta Celebrates Its 110th Anniversary!
On November 5, 2023, Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity celebrates the 110th anniversary of its founding. It was on that day, in 1914, seven students at Syracuse University -- Joseph Cangiamila, Dominic T. Ciolli, Ferdinand F. DiBartolo, Anthony T. Frascati, Nicholas Frunzi, Otto Gelormini and Cesidio A. Guarini -- swore a mutual Oath of Brotherhood on a sword, at Syracuse University to create our brotherhood: Italian in heritage, American in loyalty, and family-like in nature.
Since its founding nearly 23,000 men have been initiated into Alpha Phi Delta on over 110 campuses. November 5th is Alpha Phi Delta's Founders Day -- and on that day it is especially appropriate for members to wear a white carnation ("garafano") to honor our founding, and our founders.
Alpha Phi Delta evolved from our seven founders first establishing "Il Circolo Italiano" (an Italian Club) on the campus of Syracuse in 1913. However, realizing that they wanted to create something that they would be able remain part of after graduation, and in their lives ahead, they decided to form a fraternity, Alpha Phi Delta on November 5, 1914.
About a year and a half later, in June of 1916, the brothers of Alpha Phi Delta at Syracuse merged with another Italian fraternity at Columbia University (Sigma Gamma Phi) and from that merger Alpha Phi Delta, a national fraternity was formed. Our Chapter at Syracuse became known as our "Alpha Chapter" and our Chapter at Columbia became known as our "Beta Chapter."
Convention '24: Brotherhood, Friendship and a
Wonderful Sense of "la famiglia" Abound
The 101st National Convention of Alpha Phi Delta was the highlight of our 109th year of brotherhood. With well over 200 in attendance -- alumni and undergraduates alike -- our five-day convention at the Wyndham Resort Hotel in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Convention, held from July 31-August 4, featured meals together (in the Italian family tradition -- "la famiglia"), playing trivia, bocce, and softball; it also had events honoring our military brothers, celebrating our 50 years brothers, remembering our deceased; educating our undergraduate members; and capping off a great year with our awards banquet. All of this made our National Convention for 2024 a fantastically memorable event.
In our National Award program, the Delaware Valley District won the Outstanding District Award (for the fifth time in seven years), while two of that District's Chapters, Beta Phi (Rowan) and Gamma Mu (Stockton), walked off with the Most Improved Chapter Award and Outstanding Community Service Award, respectively. Gamma Sigma Chapter (St. John's University - Staten Island) won the Outstanding Chapter Award, and relatedly, the Gamma Sigma Alumni Association and Brother Justin Siracusa (Gamma Sigma '21) won the Outstanding Alumni Association Award and Outstanding Undergraduate Award, respectively. Closely connected to these winners, the Staten Island Alumni Club walked off with its fourth Outstanding Alumni Club Award. The highlight of the evening was when a shocked Ralph Parmegiani (Beta Sigma '62) was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award for 2024; Brother Parmegiani, a convention regular, is President of the South Florida Alumni Club.
Some photos from Convention '24
photos courtesy Emil Coscarelli (Theta Beta '74)
Members of the Hilton Head Alumni Club with their charter and some VIPs (l. to r.) Frank Dampf, Zachary Bartolotta (Expansion Chairman), Rod Belsky (Club President), Past National Presidents Doug Sundo and Salvatore Flagiello, and Convention Chairman Ralph Parmegiani.
Hilton Head Alumni Club
Receives Its Charter
The National Council approved the Hilton Head Alumni Club (located in the Hilton Head Island area of South Carolina) in February. Members of the Alumni Club received their framed Charter during a special presentation by Zachary Bartolotta (Expansion Chairman) during the Fraternity's National Award Banquet on August 3, 2024, at the National Convention.
A number of the brothers from the fledgling Alumni Club were on hand for the occasion, notably Club President Rodney Belsky (Psi '71) and Past National President Douglas Sundo (Psi '75).
Members of the Jersey Shore Alumni Club receiving their charter (l. to r.): Emil Coscarelli, Brett O'Connell, Jeffrey Breen, Leoard Cilli, Zachary Bartolotta (Expansion Chairman), Glenn Perry and Dean Perry.
Shore Winners:
Jersey Shore A.C. Chartered
On the morning of Saturday, August 3, 2024, the Executive Committee of the National Council approved the chartering of the Jersey Shore Alumni Club. This new Alumni Club, led by Brother Leonard Cilli (Beta Xi '73), has a large roster of members (including three Past National Presidents) and is centered in the greater Monmouth County area of coastal New Jersey.
The Jersey Shore Alumni Club was approved by a unanimous vote of the Executive Committee and was presented with its formal charter that veruy same night at the Fraternity's annual National Awards Banquet (at the National Convention). Club members were on hand to receive the Charter.
Our 2024 graduates from Chi represent just a small portion of the 145 Chi members who worked hard to set a Fraternity fundraising record of nearly $90,000 at the campus' THON event for 2024. Chi is Alpha Phi Delta's largest -- and one of its oldest -- chapters and THON has been a key event for its fundraising efforts in recent year.
Chapter goes Chi-High with Fundraising
Our Penn State Chapter Breaks Fraternity Fundraising Record
Our Chi Chapter (Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus) hit a landmark for itself and for Alpha Phi Delta, as it set a fundraising record in 2024. As part of the THON event (a 46-hour dance marathon fundraiser for childhood cancer), the Chapter managed to raise nearly $90,000. This is almost double what the Chapter raised last year in its fundraising for THON. At Penn State, THON is a massive event for the school, and nearly every campus organization is involved in one way or another.
On the Alpha Phi Delta side of the equation, the money that Chi Chapter raised for THON represents the largest one-year fundraising amount in the history of Alpha Phi Delta -- it represents over two-thirds of all undergraduate funds raised last year, in relation to charity. We are very proud of our Chi Chapter brothers and their can-do spirit displayed in the 2024 THON event.
Alpha Phi Delta Foundation Announces 84 Scholarship Winners
On August 3, 2024, the Alpha Phi Delta Foundation announced that its Scholarship Trustees award 84 scholarship awards, ranging from $500 to $5,000, to worthy applicants. The scholarship winners were announced at the 101st National Convention of Alpha Phi Delta. The number of scholarships awarded represent a new high for the Foundation's Scholarship program. Of the 84 winners, 67 were brothers of Alpha Phi Delta and 17 were children or relatives of fraternity brothers. Scholarship have been awarded annually in this program since 1975. Click the button below to view our online Scholarship winner booklet showing the name of all of our 2024 Scholarship award winners.
Alpha Phi Delta by the Numbers
109
Number of Years of Brotherhood
22,782
Number of Brothers
Initiated since 1914
30
Number of currently active
Chapters and Colonies
28
Number of currently active
Alumni Clubs and Associations
3.2
Our Average Undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA)
86%
Our College Graduation Rate
31-percentage points above the U.S. all-male grad rate
27.1%
% of Members
attending College on Scholarship
98.4%
1st year to 2nd Year of College Retention Rate