Pi Alpha Xi, the national Horticulture Honors Society, was founded in 1923 and consists of 40 chapters located in U.S. four-year institutions. The organization was established to foster good fellowship among students, educators and professional horticulturists. The society mission is to promote high scholarship, fellowship, professional leadership and the enrichment of human life through plants.
The Iota Chapter (at NC State University) was chartered February 15, 1957. In 2007, we marked the 25th year of our annual spring and fall plant sales, which have benefited many horticultural endeavors. On February 24th, 2008, we were proud to have our faculty advisor, Dr. Frank Blazich, honored with the national Pi Alpha Xi Fellows Award for his dedication to Pi Alpha Xi, in part due to his instrumental role in establishing Iota Chapter as an organization dedicated to benefiting horticulture.
Dr. Blazich served as Faculty Advisor to Pi Alpha Xi for over 30 years and from the beginning he has helped this organization become very active, both within the Horticultural Science Department and in the community. Dr. Frank Blazich passed away in December 2013, and Pi Alpha Xi will strive with our utmost ability to keep him alive in our memories at every meeting, community service event and plant sale.
Please consider donating in honor of Dr. Frank Blazich so that his legacy may live on: Donate here to the Frank A. & Joan April Blazich Graduate Scholarship.