This year, the Tennessee Epsilon annual Alumni Golf Tournament in Cookeville was extra special, as the chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary at Tennessee Tech. The chapter was founded in 1969 when members of the school’s Delta Chi Delta chapter joined Sigma Phi Epsilon.

The night before the tournament, more than 150 brothers attended an anniversary dinner that included speeches from alumni. Chapter President Andrew Bumpas, ’19, also shared an update on the current direction of the chapter and the national Fraternity.

Another highlight of the evening was a commitment by several brothers to start a fund to help send chapter brothers to SigEp’s national leadership events. Due to financial support from alumni, four brothers have attended Ruck Leadership Institute in recent years.

Thanks to efforts by alumni and undergraduates, the chapter also celebrated another milestone. In December 2017, the chapter’s house caught fire. Fortunately, no brothers were injured, but the damage left the chapter without a house for eight months. Alumni vowed to help the undergrads rebuild. Their efforts resulted in a full remodel of the house with new furniture and appliances, creating an even nicer home for the undergraduate brothers to live and study. The celebration marked the first major gathering of alumni and undergrads since the renovation.

Over the past 50 years, Tennessee Epsilon has served as a brotherhood for over 600 brothers and looks forward to a great future as it continues building balanced men for years to come.