Travis Gerbert, Texas State ‘20, become our 100,000th member over the weekend
Phi Kappa Tau is pleased to welcome our 100,000th brother to the Fraternity. Initiated over the weekend at Texas State University-San Marcos, Gamma Psi chapter, Travis Gerbert is officially our 100,000th member.
Travis (left in the gray t-shirt) and his Gamma Psi chapter brothers
William Lee Hidy, Miami ’53, and his father, Frank Hidy, Miami ‘25
Travis is a sophomore at Texas State majoring in Marketing, and shares that he was drawn to Phi Tau by the brotherly environment from the chapter, along with its determination to represent a good fraternity. “The idea that 100,000 men came before me in this process is mind blowing and the pride that I feel is beyond measurable,” he said. “Coming from a smaller chapter in Texas, it’s pretty special to carry this distinction. In my future with Phi Tau I’m looking forward to holding other positions within my chapter and experiencing its growth.”
This moment has been highly anticipated. Phi Tau began tracking major initiation markers at the French Lick, Indiana, National Convention in 1953 when William Lee Hidy, Miami ’53, became the 20,000th member. William Lee Hidy was a legacy and his father, Frank Hidy, Miami 25, was initiated some thirty-years earlier at badge number 2,774, demonstrating exponential growth in 3 decades.
The next major initiation came six years later when Toward Wells, Penn State ’59, became the 25,000th initiation (See excerpt from the spring 1959 Laurel below).
By the time Robert Cowan, Kentucky ’79, initiated, our membership had doubled in size to 50,000 men. On November 11th, 1996, Michael Revis, Washington State ’96, became the most recent major initiation at 75,000.
To put these numbers in perspective, between 1996 to 2020, Phi Tau has initiated more members than we did our first 47 years of existence. More than half of our members have been initiated since 1979 - just 41 years of our soon-to-be 114 years of history. This reminds us that in many ways, we are still a young organization, and the best is yet to come.
Go Far!
