Phi Boota roota is a fraternity dedicated to college drumline unity. Phi Boota was established in 1971 at the University of Southern Mississippi by founding father Connie Sprinkle. In 1982 John Paul Gay of Louisiana State University became the national founding father be helping establish 10 new chapters.

Phi -- precision, perfection, and any term referring to excellence

Boota -- one of the "lost" Greek letters, meaning percussion

roota -- one of the "lost" Greek letters, symbolizing the "Unbroken Circle of Root"

PHI BOOTA ROOTA
IAO CHAPTER

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF HISTORICAL EVENTS

1971

    Phi Boota roota is born at the University of Southern Mississippi by Connie Sprinkell and Joe Evans, who will forever be known as "The Founding Fathers."  This first PBr Chapter is known as IPT.

1979

    The Root is discovered for the first time and presented to the first Root Queen (Sweetheart.)

1981

    PBr is brought to Louisiana State University by Scooter Wooten and Roy King.  It eventually becomes known as Iota Alpha Omicron.

1982

    John Gay becomes the first official President of the IAO Chapter and becomes known as "National Founding Father" due to his efforts of recruiting new prospects into PBr.  He sends 27 letters of invitation to major universities and within one year, several had accepted, thus pushing the numbers of chapters to eleven.  (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Southern Mississippi, USC, and West Chester State.)
    John Gay also defines the meaning of PBr as follows:
          Phi - precision, perfection, and any term referring to excellence
          Boota - unknown Greek term meaning percussion
          roota - represents the unbroken circle of root
    Kenny Quick introduces "Have a Drink With Hawkeye" and "Rhythms," which become the premiere social games of the IAO Chapter.
    70 copies of a "Women of PBr" calendar is printed, but due to poor quality, it is not distributed.

1984

    David Lestage continues the traditions of PBr by becoming the second President of the IAO Chapter and serves two consecutive terms.  Through his excellence in percussion and in the game of "Rhythms," David Lestage is come to be known as "The Rhythm Man."
    The legendary percussionist Jeff Prosperie, considered one of the best in Louisiana, begins his five year tour at LSU.  He eventually becomes one of the best Pledge Masters in the following years and later goes on to run the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps for a brief period.

1985

    The Pledge Class of '85 becomes the first class to fool the Actives.  In the process of acquiring the root, Eric Guenoit and Brett Waterhouse were allegedly arrested for theft.  Other pledges returned to the Band Hall in a panic-stricken sweat and told the Actives what had occurred.  At first there was disbelief, but eventually the Actives fell for it.  They even went down town to bail the two freshman out.  The truth was eventually told during the Fall of 1986.
    The roll up the football field and self-introduction to the Sweetheart was initiated at Bernie Moore Stadium by the pledge class and was derived from Pledge Master Jeff Prosperie.

1986

    A stick exchange with the University of Florida (I Tappa Kegga) begins at the 1986 SEC Basketball Tournament, in which we were given an aliquot stick and they were given a regular drumstick.  This historic event was initiated by UF.

1987

    In Florida, another stick exchange occurs.  This time LSU is the victor in stick decor.  After the game, Florida treats LSU to a keg of beer and a new friendship begins among the two chapters.
    The Pledge Class of '87 becomes the first freshman class to beat the Actives in football in the "Boota Bowl."
    The Goblet (a.k.a. the Boota Bowl of Life) is acquired in Donaldsonville, LA while some of the members watch fellow brother Parrish Sonnier's band perform at a night club.

1988

    An attempt is made to make Phi Boota roota a Professional Fraternity and a part of the Greek system by President Marty Sixkiller.  This attempt doesn't succeed.

1989

    Johnathan Brent Rhodes, an active member since 1985, dies in a tragic car accident on July 27.  He was "Mike the Tiger" at the time of his death.  While a member, his love and dedication for PBr showed through his support of the organization.
    In remembrance of Brent Rhodes, IAO does not pledge any new members and abstains from activities during the Fall Semester for the first and only time in its history.
    1989 is also the only year there is no PBr sweetheart.  (Nicky Divietro is selected to be sweetheart, but due to a conflict among some active members, she is not given the crown or title of sweetheart by majority vote.)

1991

    IAO celebrates its 10th anniversary and PBr celebrates its 20th anniversary.
    Keith Dupré returns to LSU from a three year tour with the U.S.  Marine Drum & Bugle Corps and brings up the morale of PBr by bringing back the early traditions.  Support of IAO slowly increases once again among the ranks of members.
    All thirteen of the Golden Girls are taught Drumline talk and language.
    Scott Courtright wins the heart of the PBr Sweetheart, despite the wishes of President Karriker.  He is the first pledge to succeed at such a difficult task.
    The Pledge Class of '91 is by far the most motivated and dedicated class up to this time.
    A stick exchange with the University of Alabama drumline is begun by Keith Dupré

1992

    The IAO Hall of Fame is begun with John Gay, Jeff Prosperie, and Marty Sixkiller being the first inductees into the Hall of Fame.  The guidelines were drawn up at the request of the brothers by President Keith Dupré and Vice-president Mike Clement.  These guidelines and inductees had a majority vote of all brothers present during the scavenger hunt.
    The Pledge Class of '92 goes down in history for being the first to acquire The Root from the LSU Police Station.
    The University of Alabama reinstates their chapter of PBr with the assistance of Keith Dupré and Scott Courtright.
    For the first time, IAO "parties" with Florida and Alabama chapters occur in Gainesville, FL and Baton Rouge.  The LSU and Florida drumlines actually jammed "together" after the game for about ten minutes.
     IAO continues its dominance in football by defeating both the Tubas (42-21) and the Trumpets (49-28), thus bringing their overall record to 8-1.  The only loss occurred in 1985 to Phi Mu Alpha fraternity by a score of 8-6.
     The Gavel is presented to President Dupré by the Pledge Class.
     The infamous 36" bass drum is marched for the first time.  It eventually is retired in 1994 after two incidences of heatstroke result from trying to march with it.

1993

    Paige Rose becomes the first female in modern history to become Drum Captain at LSU and moves from quads to snare.

1994

    The Pledge Class of '94 becomes the second class to fool the Actives.  Upon arriving at the party with the root, they tell the Actives that Pledges Shannon Templét and Brent Beckman broke into the apartment of Pledge Bambi Danais' ex-boyfriend.      The Actives all buy the story and shower admiration upon the two.  A few years later, the truth comes out that no such incident occurred.
     Due to the former President not turning the Presidential materials over to President Rob Hebert, the Pledge Class becomes one of the few not to learn any history or rules of Boota roota.  A small decline in the quality of the IAO chapter takes place for the next couple of years as a result.
    After a falling out with the drumline, the Golden Girls do not ride the drumline bus for the '94 season.

1995

    Traditions such as the Preseason meeting of IAO at the Library are lost as a result of the State Legislature changing the age for purchasing alcohol from 18 to 21.
    The most inflammatory issue of the Lug Nut ever printed is distributed on the way to Alabama, resulting in several flared tempers and a few shredded copies of the magazine.
    The Golden Girls continue their boycott of the drumline bus.

1996

     IAO celebrates its 15th anniversary and PBr celebrates its 25th anniversary.
    Alumnus Roy King, who was one of the founding members of the IAO chapter, returns to LSU as a Graduate Assistant and is eventually added on as an Assistant Director of Bands in 1998.
    Katy Strickland becomes the first female to make snare by audition in modern times without first being promoted to Drum Captain.
    The Golden Girls return to the drumline bus, causing tension between members of PBr because there is not room for all drumline members to ride the drumline bus.

1998

    The Pledge Class of '98 is the largest ever, being comprised of 17 Pledges, including Drumline Graduate Assistant Travis Downs.

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