John J. Sparkman (Alabama, Gamma Alpha 1924) of Alabama was the founding president of Gamma Alpha chapter. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1946 where he served until 1979. He is the first Pike to be a candidate for Vice President as the running mate for Democrat candidate Adlai Stevenson in 1952. The ticket ultimately lost to Dwight D. Eisenhower, who became the 34th President of the United States, and his Vice President Richard M. Nixon.
