East Carolina celebrates rechartering
In March, undergrad and alumni brothers from NC Delta Zeta celebrated the official rechartering of the East Carolina chapter! Alumni and friends from several decades were there to celebrate the auspicious occasion.
Originally founded in 1971, the chapter had two periods of inactivity before being re-colonized in 2018 and working toward their charter. Chapter rex, Andrew Rosewall said of the recognition, “Our rechartering represents not only the undergraduate brothers, but all the brothers along the way that allowed us to reach this goal, proving that we have built leaders to operate and push the chapter forward. Support from alumni and Pilam HQ really gives us the confidence we need to reach our goals.”
Rechartering celebration and ceremony
Before the banquet, the chapter hosted a baseball watch party at a local bar called “The Buccaneer,” where current brothers got the chance to talk to alumni who were eager to bend their ears with stories about their experiences at NC Delta Zeta.
The rechartering celebration was held at Harvey Hall, which overlooks the ECU football field and formally kicked off with invocations by the rex, Andrew Rosewall, and past rex, Yahir Almanza. Two former reges from previous eras, Chris Feathers ’98, and James Edwards ’73 also shared stories from their glory days as undergrads, and their high hopes for future success.
After dinner, the official Pi Lambda Phi charter was delivered to the chapter by Brian Moore, Pilam Director of Operations. Chapter rex, Andrew Rosewall, said “The banquet was filled with a lot of heart, memories, and excitement for the future of the NC Delta Zeta Chapter.”
Snaps to the undergrads who put in the time, effort and dedication to ensure that the chapter met all of the qualifications needed to become a chartered organization.
Founding Father shares the origins of the chapter
David Walsh, a founder of the Pilam chapter at East Carolina University, recounted its inception in 1971, saying “I had three close friends and we initially joined a business fraternity, but it wasn’t what we were looking for. So the four of us, me, Jack Fowler, Don Bollinger, and Steve Wiggins decided we wanted to start a social fraternity on campus.”
Two national fraternities turned them down before they reached out to Pi Lambda Phi who said “yes.” They recruited about 20 more guys and were initiated with the help of the UNC chapter.
The chapter didn’t initially have a chapter house, but found another fraternity on campus that had a house but few members to support it. They came to an agreement to merge as Pi Lambda Phi, and in 1972, the ECU chapter had a house.
Reflecting on his Pilam experiences David said, “Staring a fraternity on campus probably gave me my first shot in the oil business. After my interview I was told me the reason I got the job was because ‘any 19 year-old kid that’ll start a fraternity on a college campus is like somebody starting their own business. That showed initiative.’ That’s why they hired me.”
David was immediately impressed by the current brotherhood and said he was surprised when the rex contacted him via email in 2025. Though David couldn’t attend the rechartering, he visited the chapter with a few other classmates in October. The undergrads eagerly asked about the history of the chapter and sought advice. David offered his counsel saying, “They have a lot more challenges than we had in the 70s. But they seem like a very nice group of capable young men.”