In 2001, Brother Edward J. Donahue, JH 1968, was contacted by a group of young men from Pennsylvania State University. The group, wanting to found their own fraternity chapter at the school, was researching national fraternities that currently did not have a chapter at Penn State. After exchanging pleasantries via letter, and multiple conversations, the group and Brother Donahue met to discuss details; the Fraternity wanting to know what the group would be bringing to Alpha Delta Phi, and the group wanting to know why Alpha Delta Phi should be their choice for affiliation.

The group was invited to attend the Convention in Montreal in August 2001 to better obtain a feeling of what Alpha Delta Phi truly was. After much discussion, the Board of Governors was convinced that the group was worthy of attention, and the group was officially associated with the Alpha Delta Phi.

Under the tutelage of Cray J. Coppins, III, K 2001, the group was taught the ideals and ways of the Alpha Delta Phi. After much discussion at the Board of Governor’s meeting in New Haven, Connecticut in October of 2001, it was decided that the Virginia Chapter in Charlottesville, Virginia would initiate the group into the Alpha Delta Phi.

Thus, on a dreary, late fall night on November 30, 2001, in the presence of an assembled group of Brothers numbering more than 60, the original 10 members of the Nittany Affiliate were initiated into the mysteries of the Alpha Delta Phi under the auspices of the Virginia Chapter.

The newly initiated Brothers were officially granted their Affiliate status at the Board of Governor’s meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on January 26, 2002. The group immediately began recruiting more members to add to this exceptional group, and was able to initiate the second class of new Brothers at the Cornell Chapter in April of 2002.