History
Alpha Psi became a colony of Alpha Gamma Rho on October 18, 1964, by Maynard Coe and a recognized student organization at the Wisconsin State University—River Falls on November 18, 1964. On September 19, 1967, the Alpha Psi Alumni Corporation was chartered by Gary Beastrom and Gary Steele. The following day, the group purchased the house and property at 1024 East Cascade Avenue in River Falls. Today, this property remains our fraternal home and meeting place. Changes have occurred to the structure, but the commitment and dedication of the members have always been strong. May 4, 1968, is the birthday of our chapter’s charter. Maynard Coe and Ovid Bay from the national AGR Home Office, along with the Iota and Lambda chapters, chartered and initiated our members into the national fraternity and signing of the Alpha Psi Charter.
Changes that the Alpha Psi Chapter has made include:
- Constructing the 18-room dormitory section in 1969
- Replacement of the original house, built in 1911. The new structure is a lot bigger in order to handle the growing numbers in the fraternity. This part of the house includes the housemother's living quarters, guest bedroom, kitchen, dining room, living room, a library in honor of Dr. Peery Johnston, and a recreation room in honor of Mark C. Peters.
- The garage was restored- A large deck was built off of the common area of the house
- Dorms were renovated in 2011. One room was removed from each main floor to add laundry rooms. The chapter room was moved to where the recreation room was previously. The chapter room was made into a five-person dorm room. Housing capacity is now at 39.
- Chapter room was renovated in the winter of 2014-2015. It was also rededicated to all of Alpha Psi's deceased Brothers.
The brotherhood, commitment, and friendship which Alpha Gamma Rho is built upon are based on its rich history. The Alpha Psi chapter is no exception, and we take great pride in our history and the brothers that have come before us.
At Alpha Psi, we believe that our school can only be as strong as the students' involvement. At the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, there is a total of approximately 6,700 students -- 6,200 are undergraduates, and 500 are graduate students. Of the undergraduates, 1,200 are associated with the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, which is comprised of about 40 percent male students. With the vast majority of our members involved in one or more student organizations, we are proud to be active in a cross-section of the 160 student organizations available on campus. Many of our members hold leadership positions in these organizations, and we have members currently sitting on the UWRF Student Senate. A few years ago, Brother Sam Tauchen served as President of the UWRF—Student Senate.
UWRF provides our members and fellow students with unique opportunities ranging from quality education from professors' laboratory space for experiments, internships, and campus jobs. Brothers participate in a variety of community service activities and work at local agribusinesses. The student-to-teacher ratio is about 20:1 meaning our members are in smaller classes and receive more one-on-one time with the instructors. Another great resource available to the students is the two campus farms. Campus Farm hosts the equine science program, school forest, and fruit research plots. Mann Valley Lan Farm hosts the beef, sheep, swine, and poultry programs along with the cropland and pasture management experiments and is the home of the Dairy Learning Center. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Alpha Psi have much to offer, and we invite you to learn more about us. Come take a tour of campus, our farms, and our fraternity home!