Published August 14, 2026

CAPTION: Eli Morrison, Jake Balsamo, Caden Hickman, Brooks Anzalone, and Braden Moore 

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MONROE, La. – Members of the University of Louisiana Monroe’s Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity recently returned from the 75th Convention of Pi Kappa Alpha held in Las Vegas, Nev., where they won their seventh consecutive Robert A. Smythe Award.     

The Smythe is presented to the top Pi Kappa Alpha chapters each year. This win marks the 31st time in the last 35 years the ULM Pikes have taken home the Smythe.  Thirty-one wins overall rank the ULM Pikes third all-time in the history of Smythe wins for Pi Kappa Alpha. 

The Smythe is based upon excelling in 16 areas of chapter operations including academics, community service, campus involvement, athletics, management, health and safety, new member education, accountability and alumni relations.  

Four ULM student members joined five Pike alumni including Pike’s Delta Region President Tommy Walpole, Pike’s Arkoma Regional President Paul Wilkening and Braden Moore, an International Consultant for the fraternity and ULM graduate.   

During the convention, the group was recognized for earning—for the sixteenth consecutive year—an overall grade point average higher than a 3.0.  

Other highlights of the trip included the ULM chapter receiving the Raymond L. Orians Award for Chapter Excellence, which honors overall chapter performance from the previous year. This marked the chapter’s 39th consecutive Orians award for the ULM Pikes.  

The group was also recognized for excellence in support of the Fraternity’s Leadership program, 100% support of the International Undergraduate donor club, supporting the International Work Day, and winning the House Improvement Project of the Year.    

The ULM Pi Kappa Alpha Alumni Association won its 15th consecutive William R. Nester Outstanding Alumni Association award. This was the group’s 27th time to be recognized as one of the organization’s best alumni associations in North America in the last 32 years.   

This year saw ULM’s Executive Director of Auxiliary Enterprises / Pike’s Delta Region President Tommy Walpole get inducted into the Order of West Range.  The Order of West Range honors outstanding brothers who have achieved significant success in their careers, contributed notably to society or demonstrated exceptional long-term service to the fraternity.  Walpole is widely recognized within Pi Kappa Alpha as one of the fraternity’s most influential volunteer leaders dedicating over four decades to serving the fraternity. 

At ULM, the ULM Pikes have an eight-person advisory board, consisting of Eta Omicron Alumni who assist the chapter in all areas of operations. In addition, at ULM, the Pikes are proud to call Mrs. Erica Hopko their on-campus advisor. Pi Kappa Alpha has 200 chapters in North America and is headquartered in Memphis, Tenn.  

The Pi Kappa Alpha chapter at ULM was founded in 1972 and is one of only eleven Pike Chapters in North America to operate more than one house on a university campus.