Purpose of AGR
Making Better Men
The Purpose of Alpha Gamma Rho is to Make Better Men, and through them a broader and better agriculture by surrounding our members with influences tending to encourage individual endeavor, resourcefulness and aggressive effort along lines making for the development of better mental, social, moral and physical qualities; to promote a wider acquaintance and a broader outlook on the part of agricultural men through fellowship in a national organization that stands for the best social, mental and moral development.
Who we are
Is every member of Alpha Gamma Rho (AGR) a farm kid? Not at all. But we all share a deep appreciation for agriculture and the outdoors. What unites us is a common love for spending time outside rather than being cooped up indoors.
Being an AGR does not mean you have to major in an agricultural field or come from an agriculture background, but AGR brothers share a love and compassion for agriculture. Being an AGR means having a close community surrounding you and making friendships that will last a lifetime. Not only do brothers make connections with other collegiate members but also with our alumni brothers who assist us through our academic and professional careers.
Chapter House
The AGR house located at 3980 West Lakeshore Drive sleeps around 25 members. Each room sleeps one or two people. Room and board, membership dues and fees, and other costs are typically lower than comparable accommodations nearby or at the university. The chapter house comes with study spaces for members to focus on academics.
Brothers living in the house are blessed with the services of an amazing chef who cooks two delicious meals every day during the school week.
Membership Development
Alpha Gamma Rho is the fraternity sharing a common bond within a dynamic, global agriculture committed to fostering the highest values and providing each and every brother with superior lifelong personal development and professional success.
At the Alpha Epsilon Chapter at Louisiana State University, we make sure to include Alpha Gamma Rho’s Promises and Values as an integral part of our Membership Development within the chapter.
Before any new member is initiated, we hold a Q&A session with each individual to make sure they can live up to our Values during their time as an undergraduate student at LSU.
After initiation, each new Brother participates in a 8-week new member education program. During this experience, newly initiated members meet as a group to discuss the values and topics our chapter sees vital for new members to learn.
We strive to develop our members through house activities, intramural sports, and campus involvement. Our members also serve in a multitude of Agriculture related clubs, student government groups, and many other leadership and service groups on campus.
History
On January 29, 1926, the Alpha Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho was installed at Louisiana State University. The chapter had mediocre beginnings. Plagued with small numbers, it hardly survived the Great Depression. Membership picked up thereafter but dwindled again during World War II. After 25 years of existence and a meager 210 members and alumni, Alpha Epsilon surrendered its charter in 1951.
In the school year of 1962-63, a group of young men, under the leadership of Rex Schultz and Mac Strong and guidance of Dr. Lonnie Fielder, were recognized as a colony of Alpha Gamma Rho. In 1969 the chapter began renting a house, which made a tremendous impact on the chapter morale and progress. In the fall of 1970, the colony moved into what is now affectionately known as the “old house”, which was coincidentally built in 1926 (the year of the chapter’s original charter). In 1971 the colony was re-chartered as the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity.
In 2012, through an effort led by brothers Glen “Pops” Bryant and Scott Louque, Alpha Epsilon moved to their current home on the West Lakeshore Drive. This effort was made possible by not only the alumni brothers, but by countless brothers who contributed in various meaningful ways. This move allowed for the chapter to more than double the amount of members it is able to provide lodging for and has become the college home for the more than 400 members that have been initiated since. In the Fall of 2024, the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity initiated its 1,000th member in the fraternity.