In 1992, Bill Clinton Got the White House—and I Got the Frat House

June 3, 2026 by Shawn Collins

One of the things that attracted me to Greek life was the opportunity to take on leadership roles. From the start, I was excited to be more than just a brother. I wanted to help, give back, build, learn, and support the brotherhood’s success.

While I was initiated in early 1989, my drive to be a leader in the house was delayed because I spent all of 1989 doing community service when I wasn’t working or studying.

My first roles were in spring 1990 as the public relations person for G.A.M.M.A. (Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol), corresponding secretary for Pi Kappa Alpha, the Greek Week booklet chairman, and as a copy editor and staff writer for the Greek Insider newspaper.

Each semester after that, I ran for various offices and served on committees to represent our chapter on campus and gain experience myself.

All of this led up to the spring of 1992, when I decided to run for President of the fraternity. I made some handouts to share with the brothers during the election that highlighted my experience and reasons I should be elected.

As the election drew closer, I made one of the toughest decisions of my fledgling political career. I had scheduled a get-together for brothers and alumni to begin encouraging alumni to come around more and help the active brothers with the chapter.

But after I’d scheduled the event with our alumni, my girlfriend told me her spring formal was on the same night. I knew what I had to do. I told her I was going to the fraternity event and would have to miss the sorority formal. That didn’t go over well.

I thought it would be important to show my priorities to the brothers and alumni, and reinforce how serious I was about becoming President of the chapter. Did skipping the formal help me win the election? I have no idea, but it didn’t hurt.

Well, it hurt my relationship with my girlfriend, but that ended a year later, and I still have the composite from when I was President.

Plus, as President, I got the best room in the fraternity house, and no rent was charged to the President, which was a huge perk for me, as I paid my way through school.

That same spring, a Democratic primary debate was held at the University of Maryland on March 1, 1992. Jerry Brown, Bill Clinton, Tom Harkin, and Paul Tsongas participated in the debate, and afterward, Bill Clinton held a party at the Santa Fe Cafe, which was next to our fraternity house.

My term began at the start of the fall 1992 semester, shortly after Bill Clinton had secured his nomination at the 1992 Democratic National Convention.

I went to a campus rally for Al Gore on September 18, 1992, and got to shake his hand as he passed through the crowd. That day, I got a Clinton/Gore sign and put it in my room window.

My one-semester term concluded shortly before President Clinton was sworn in on January 20, 1993. I accomplished the goals I’d set and was happy with how everything went while I was in office.

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