Famous Phi Kaps

Famous Members of Phi Kappa Theta: Past and Present

Edward Kirchner

School: Ohio State
Chapter: Ohio Gamma Theta
Graduated: 1935

Recipient of the “Brother of the Century Award” at the 1989 Centennial Convention, Brown University

Gene Kelly (Eugene Curran Kelly)

School: University of Pittsburg
Chapter: Pennsylvania Mu
Graduated: 1933

A very famous Entertainer, Kelly earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Pittsburg in 1933. Kelly was a dance instructor who made it to Broadway and then to Hollywood in time to become a top musical star during the 1940s and ’50s. Kelly’s euphoric, puddle-splashing dance from Singin’ In the Rain is one of the iconic moments of 20th-century Hollywood. Kelly was a major exponent of 20th century filmed dance, known for his energetic and athletic dancing style, his good looks and the likeable characters that he played on screen. Although he is probably best known today for his performance in Singin’ in the Rain, he dominated the Hollywood musical film from the mid 1940s until its demise in the late 1950s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Kelly among the Greatest Male Stars of All Time, ranking at No. 15.

John F. Kennedy

Honorary Alumnus Initiate
Chapter: Massachusetts Lambda

One of Phi Kappa Theta’s more prominent alumni’s, he was married to Jacqueline Kennedy and became the thirty-fifth President of the United States. In 1960 he became the youngest person ever to be elected as President of the United States, and the second youngest, after Theodore Roosevelt, to serve. Kennedy served from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. The Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the, the Space Race, the American Civil Rights Movement and early events of the Vietnam War took place during his presidency.

Paul Allen

School: Washington State
Chapter: Washington Alpha Delta
Initiated: 1975

With Bill Gates, he formed Microsoft. Allen regularly appears on lists of the richest people in the world; as of 2007 Forbes ranks him the fifth richest American [1], worth an estimated $18.0 billion. He is the founder and chairman of Vulcan Inc. (his private asset management company) and chairman of Charter Communications. Allen also has a multibillion dollar investment portfolio which includes large stakes in DreamWorks Animation SKG, Digeo, Oxygen Media, real estate holdings and more than 40 other technology, media and content companies. Allen also owns two professional sports teams: The Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association.

Dan Devine

School: Missouri Columbia
Chapter: Missouri Kappa Upsilon
Graduated: 1965

Devine was a football coach who served as head coach at three colleges and also served for four years as head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1971 to 1974. During his final coaching stint, he led the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the 1977 national championship.