History of the Headquarters

Throughout the years, Pi Kappa Phi National Headquarters has been located in a number of different cities. When George Sheetz, Alpha (Charleston), was selected as the fraternity's first executive secretary in 1924, he operated the "Central Office" out of his home in Charleston, S.C. In 1928, the National Headquarters was relocated to Chicago, Ill. The move to the Midwest was a strategic decision to promote Pi Kappa Phi's growth in the heartland. In 1935, the Headquarters was relocated once again—this time to Richmond, Va., where the fraternity rented its office space for the first time.

In 1953, amid fears that the fraternity would sustain membership losses during the Korean War as they had during and after World War II, the Headquarters was moved to Sumter, S.C.—home of then-Executive Secretary Bernie Jones, Alpha (Charleston). There, he would be able to manage the fraternity's affairs more effectively and efficiently should another wartime crisis arise.

The National Headquarters remained in Sumter for more than a decade. However, the National Council sought to relocate the Headquarters to a larger city with a more suitable business climate for a burgeoning fraternity. In 1965, after considering a number of cities, the National Council selected Charlotte, N.C., as the new home of Pi Kappa Phi. A two-story colonial home was purchased to serve at the National Headquarters. The property, located at 1924 Vail Avenue, would be the first office owned by the fraternity.

By 1975, the national staff had outgrown the Vail Avenue property and plans were unveiled for a new construction. Nestled in a stand of pine trees on the outskirts of south Charlotte, the rustic, Lowcountry-inspired building was affectionately referred to as "the Cabin."

By 1998, the fraternity had yet again outgrown its home. Trading quaint and charming for modern and purposeful, CEO Mark Timmes, Alpha Epsilon (Florida), moved the Headquarters to a business park in southwest Charlotte. And in 2008, after a $1.5 million fundraising campaign led by the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation, the fraternity moved into its current home, the Kelley A. Bergstrom Leadership Center of Pi Kappa Phi.