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Foundation of Greatnesss
On a clear, cool November night a week before Thanksgiving in 1904, the new Head Football Coach at the University of Florida surrounded himself with a carefully selected assembly of young men. They gathered on the second floor of the old Blue Goose Inn in Lake City for the purpose of founding a chapter of Coach Marvin O. Bridges's college fraternity: Pi Kappa Alpha. Bridges, an initiate of Rho Chapter at Cumberland University , is the father of modern football at the University. That night of November 17th, 1904, Coach Bridges organized and inspired the eleven undergraduates who were to form the core of Alpha Eta Chapter. The fellowship included Bridges's two younger brothers Bernard ‘04 and Benjamin '04. Bernard was Captain of Florida's football team.
We acknowledged Coach Bridges's vision and celebrated our Centennial Anniversary of the Founding of Alpha Eta Chapter on November 17th, 2004. Alpha Eta Chapter has initiated more men in to the bonds of pi phi kappa alpha than any other chapter and has enjoyed great success over the past 100 years. Alpha Eta produces only the finest of men. Some of our most distinguished alumni include James C. Adkins (Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court), William Akerman (Founder of Akerman Senterfitt law firm), E. Dixie Beggs (lawyer, Pensacola , Florida Bar President), Admiral James Cerda, M.D. (UF Medical Professor, Gainesville ), William Dial (Founder of Sun Bank, Orlando), Colonel Harlan Sanders (founder of KFC).