During a beautiful, event-filled weekend in April, brothers from Florida Iota at the University of South Florida traveled across the country to Tampa, Florida, to celebrate the chapter’s 50th anniversary. Twelve of the chapter’s 29 surviving founders attended.

The weekend started off with two great receptions, one for the founders and their wives, and another for the “younger generation..

Alumni got up early on Saturday morning to officially welcome Jim Coppens, South Florida ’67, into the chapter. Coppens was vice president of the SigEp colony, but graduated and joined the United States Air Force before the other men were inducted at Florida Iota’s chartering in May 1968. Now, 50 years later, Coppens is finally a SigEp, even though he and the USF alumni were brothers all along.

More than 100 brothers and guests, including undergraduates, attended a banquet held at the Gibbons Alumni Center on campus in Tampa. Brother Ray King, Drake ’56, founding chapter counselor and retired USF associate vice president of student affairs, was the evening’s featured speaker. Other brothers spoke about the past, the present and the future of Florida Iota. Kevin Knudson, Nebraska ’15, an advancement officer from SigEp Headquarters, presented a proclamation on behalf of the Grand Chapter. In keeping with a chapter tradition, each of the ladies was presented with a rose, and brothers concluded the evening by singing “Rum, Rum.”

On Sunday morning, some of the brothers and their wives gathered at Top Golf to participate in the seventh annual Balanced Man Scholarship Golf Tournament.

Over the past 50 years, Florida Iota has produced distinguished scholars and won many awards, including four Buchanan Cups, two Grand Chapter Scholarship Cups, four Excelsior Awards and two Chapter Home of the Year Awards. Its alumni have gone on to serve the university, their communities and our nation with distinction.

For more details and pictures, please visit floridaiota.net.