Alpha Gamma Rho

Infobox Fraternity
letters=ΑΓΡ
crest=
name=Alpha Gamma Rho
colors=Forest Green,Old Gold
flower=Pink Rose
symbol=Sickle and Sheaf
motto= "To Make Better Men"
founded=1904
birthplace=Ohio State University
type=Social/Professional Fraternity
scope= National
address=10101 North Ambassador Drive
city=Kansas City
state=Missouri
country=USA
chapters =72
homepage=http://www.alphagammarho.org
free_label=
free=

Alpha Gamma Rho (ΑΓΡ) is a social-professional fraternity in the United States, with 72 university chapters. Though primarily a social organization, its members pride themselves on their affiliations to the life sciences and agricultural sciences.

Founding

The Fraternity considers the Morrill Act of 1862 to be the instrument of its inception. Having been signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, it provided land and other financial supports to establish one institution of higher learning in the agricultural and mechanical sciences within each state. Alpha Gamma Rho, referred to as "AGR", was founded when two local fraternities from Ohio State University (Alpha Gamma Rho, founded 1904) and the University of Illinois (Delta Rho Sigma, founded in 1906) met at an International Livestock Competition in Chicago. Sixteen men originally signed the Fraternity's charter at the Claypool Hotel in Indianapolis on April 4 1908. Expansion increased dramatically over the next 3 decades to almost all land-grant universities in the country. The first chapter at a non-land-grant university was chartered in 1959 at Arizona State University. The National Fraternity has expanded to many smaller agricultural colleges and departments in the last 45 years as a measure to increase its membership and influence in agricultural communities. Its members typically pursue agricultural careers upon completion of college, but many have gone on to have careers in other natural sciences, education, economics, law, medicine, and politics. Three easily recognizable alumni from Alpha Gamma Rho are Orville Redenbacher, Norman Borlaug, and J. C. Penney.

Purpose

Executive board

There are at least 9 officers for every chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho on the Executive Board. The hierarchy results in a shape similar to many corporations. The board leaders are the Alumni President, Noble Ruler, and Chapter Advisor or Advisors. Several "vice noble rulers" head subdivisions of responsibility, under which are members in charge of specific areas of responsibilities.

Minor committees and offices
*Philanthropy
*Chaplain
*Public Relations
*Interfraternity Council or North-American Interfraternity Conference Representative

Famous alumni

Chapters

Chapter accomplishments

In the 2006-07 academic year, the Iota chapter (University of Wisconsin-Madison) became the first Greek Organization on campus to win "The Trifecta." The Trifecta includes Homecoming, Humorology, and Greek Week; the three most important Greek competitions of the year.

The Alpha Kappa chapter at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville has won the Overall Homecoming competition the past 3 years (2005-2008). They participate in Large Float, Large Banner, Smokey's Howl, Soapbox Derby, Kickoff, 3 on 3 Basketball, and Window Display.

Popular culture

*Stephen King's novel Gerald's Game references the main character's husband as belonging to an Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. King attended the University of Maine, Orono, which hosts the Psi Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho.
*The former Alpha Pi Chapter house at the University of Arizona was used as the location of the Alpha Beta house in the movie Revenge of the Nerds(1984). The house was also used in the 1998 issue of Playboy's Girls of the Pac-10. [http://imdb.com/title/tt0088000/] [http://ag.arizona.edu/agr/house.htm]
*In Major League II, as Vaughn is walking out onto the field during the last game of the movie in the 9th Inning, they show shots of the crowd. There are two people in the crowd wearing ΑΓΡ letters.Fact|date=April 2007

External links

* [http://www.alphagammarho.org/ ΑΓΡ homepage]