The 1920s
Soon after the opening of the 1921-22 school term, C.F. Hollberg and several of his closest friends, after carefully investigating the fraternity situation at the Georgia School of Technology, met and decided to form a local fraternity. The necessary twenty-five members were elected and in January 1922 a petition requesting recognition for Pi Lambda Delta was submitted to the Pan-Hellenic Council and approved.
"Scholastic First" was stressed from the beginning and each member was required to have at least two campus activities. The first house came in September 1923 and was located on Peachtree Street. Late in that same year, an Alumni Club was organized and a program inaugurated whereby each Alumnus signed $100 notes for a building fund. The Petition Committee to study national fraternities was organized in 1924 and began then to look to Phi Kappa Tau. The first contact with the fraternity came through Arthur A Johnson, California. Robert M. Ervin, Centre, a member of the faculty at Georgia Tech worked closely with Pi Lambda Delta both before and during their days of petitioning Phi Kappa Tau. As early as 1924 the group contacted Phi Kappa Tau, but it was not until March 1929 that their petition was approved by mail ballot of the chapters.
The installation took place over the weekend of April 25 to 27. The degree team included Grand President I. M. Wright; Past Grand President E. E. Brandon; Granz Secretary R. K. Bowers; Domain Chief Harley W. Chandler; representatives from Auburn including J. M. Robinson, Miami, and Robert Willingham, Norman McInnis and Williar Harris; and representatives from Florida who were A.C. Deen, George Scofield, Pet, Peterson and Lewis Blalock. Initiations were conducted at the Knights of Columbus hall. The initiation banquet was held at the Atlanta Athletic Club with T. M. Holland, one of the founders of Pi Lambda Delta, as Toastmaster. Speakers were Alpha Rho Presider Don W. Frakes, Bowers, Chandler, Robinson, Ervin, Brandon, Wright, and Sid, Richardson, and alumnus. The charter, number forty-one, was presented on Saturday morning in appropriate ceremonies.
The 1930s
The 1930 school year saw four of the members of Alpha Rho elected to honorary fraternities and A. W. Hale awarded a gold "T" for his football activities. Chapter scholarship jumped from twenty-eighth to eighth and members held a large percentage of positions in the campus publications.
In 1931-32 members of Alpha Rho were to be found in every major sport at Georgia Tech, a great number of the members were added to the list of members in honorary societies. In 1933 the chapter's scholastic standing rose to fourth place among all fraternities on the campus. During 1933-36 the chapter moved to first place. The chapter continued it's successes but with difficulty as a result of the late depression years. Membership decreased, and financial obligations mounted. During the 1938-39 school year, there was not one person initiated at Alpha Rho. The chapter was unable to reopen it's house when the school term began in 1939.
The 1940s
The chapter was reactivated in 1946. Faculty advisor and organizer of the chapter was Robert M. Ervin, Centre, who played a leading part in the original affiliation of the group with Phi Kappa Tau. Ervin selected seven men to form the nucleus of the chapter. Colonel Robert L. Watkins, a charter member of the chapter, was the most instrumental in bringing about the reactivation of the group. Before the college year began in September, the first members were initiated into Phi Kappa Tau by Alpha Chi chapter at Mississippi State College. In just 125 days, the chapter grew form seven men to thirty two. The development was remarkable and built on a sturdy foundation. Housing was an immediate problem that was surmounted with the purchase of a suitable home.