Faithful Home of the Three Stars

The Faithful Home of the Three Stars

The First 150 Years of Beta Theta Pi

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS The First 150 Years o f Beta Theta Pi

Peter J. Floriani, B.S, M.S. Lehigh U niversity 1977 with the assistance of

Stanley R. Church, L.L.B., J.D. W ashington S tate 1931 Edited by

B. Hum e Morris II, C entre

B A ., J.D.

1968

G en eral S ecretary of the F ratern ity Frontispiece by Patrick A. Floriani

“Alere Flammam ”

Published by T he

BETA THETA 1989

P I F r a te r n ity

*

T h e

*

*

Copyright 1989 by BETA THETA P I F r a t e r n

ity

* * * Fraternity Studies, c o p y rig h t 1883, 1894 b y W illia m The Handbook o f Beta Theta Pi, c o p y rig h t 1907 b y W illia m The Beta Book, c o p y rig h t 1927, 1929, 1935 b y th e B e ta T h e ta

C o n tin u in g :

R a im o n d B a ird R a im o n d B a ird P i F r a te r n ity

All rights reserved.

This entire book was typeset by the author, and camera-ready copy for this book was produced by the author at I n t e g r a t e d I n f o r m a t i o n M a n a g e m e n t S y s t e m s , I n c .,

Reading, Pennsylvania, who contributed the use of their desktop publishing system.

Printed in the United States of America by T h e

C. J.

K r e h b ie l

Cincinnati, Ohio

Co.

THIS BOOK is dedicated

Ad

Majorem

Dei

Gloriam

To the G reater Glory of God

“He fixes the number of the stars, He calls each one by its name.� (Ps. 147:4)

In gratitude for the 150 years of friendship, concern for others, and development of self with which Beta Theta Pi has been blessed, in supplication for continued blessings in the future for all Betas and their families.

And to my brothers of the future I give this book to nourish your fire, to strengthen your bridge.

The Faithful Home of the Three Stars

Rafters blue with stars abound, Red and white the walls and ground, Pure and faithful, wise and strong, Home inspiring every song: Boundless halls beneath the sky, W here dwells Beta Theta Pi. H ere below our tower chime We recall our founding time... Pain and sorrow, work and fun, While the milestones backward run. Young and old, the gathered ranks Offer up this prayer of thanks: “Strengthen our fraternal love, Bless us all, oh God above. Thanks for all the joy and tears In these hundred fifty years. Grant henceforth our mystic three Always guide us home to Thee.�

Foreword W hen the General Fraternity determined to publish the Sesquicentennial History of Beta Theta Pi, the first question was: who will be the author? A natural choice was Peter J. Floriani, Lehigh 1977, a young m an who had already impressed the Fraternity with his interesting and exhaustive research concerning the Wooglin Clubhouse. In the opinion of the writer, the choice could not have been better made. While Brother Floriani takes great pains to point out that he is not an historian by education, neither was William Raimond Baird, who wrote the first histories of the Fraternity for which he is justly famous. In fact, most of the histories of the Fraternity and its chapters have not been written by historians, but by men of all walks of life, who so loved the Fraternity, that they could not help but commit to writing the glorious seeds of the past, knowing that they were a prologue for the future. The writing of this history is such an act of love by the author, for which all Betas should be grateful. Since the writer is also the editor of the work, I have had the rare opportunity to read the book in its entirety prior to its publication. I believe all of the brothers will join with me in recognizing that there is something very special here. By combining youthful exuberance, careful scholarship, and an interesting style of writing, Brother Floriani has produced a work which will proudly stand in the long illustrious line of works such as Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation by Baird and The Beta Book by Shepardson. Thus the Fraternity is enriched, as it has been so often in the past, and as it will be so often in the future, by the act of one man of whom it may be truly said that the Three G reat Principles of the Fraternity were written on his heart.

B. Hum e M orris II G eneral Secretary

Preface After nearly one hundred years, Beta Chi has made a demonstration of wealth in books to the rest of Beta Theta Pi. Perhaps it took the catalyst of a programmer from Reading, Pennsylvania, with a bit of PASCAL and laser printing thrown in. But how did a computer scientist get asked to write a fraternity history? It’s a strange story. I had just arrived at the convention of 1987, when Hum e Morris, the General Secretary, came up to me. H e put his arm around my shoulder, and said, “Pete, the Board was talking about you.” Well, I was nervous. How did they find out that I was the one who reset the clock on the campanile? But that wasn’t it. Hume: We want you to write a book for the 150th. Me: Oh, you want me to finish the Wooglin Clubhouse book I started in 1984. Hume: No - this is a new one, to be ready for the 150th, and cover everything. Me: Just how big do you think it will be? Hume: At least as big as Shep’s The Beta Book. Me: Is that all? By now we should have a ten-volume set. Hume: Just make it about 600 pages, and have it ready for the Sesquicentennial. A year and a half passed: Formulating the master outline. Reading the Beta books, magazines, songbooks, record books at Miami and old letters in the files at Oxford. Rewriting a graph-theoretic utility to plot the chapter tree. Five months of scanning, editing, fighting user-“friendly” software, and waiting for output. Finally, I can put six pounds of paper into an envelope and say, Ok, Hume, HERE IT IS! And that’s how it happened. Sort of. There are bound to be errors in this book, both factual and typographical, since I have no way of detecting them mechanically. So I invite comments, questions, or corrections, but complaints will be electronically removed. And don’t think I can’t! A real historian would have put a footnote on every fact, but Hum e wanted interpretations as well as facts, and there just wasn’t room. With that approach, the founding alone would be fifty pages, not counting the necessary background —who knows what a “literary society” is in these days? The opinions expressed are mostly mine (except of course in the “quotes” section), but they follow what I believe to be the mainstream of Beta thought and feeling. This book is not only for Betas, nor even for Beta pledges. My intention was not merely to satisfy H um e’s request, nor to give Beta Chi another book for their shelves, nor to get a Doctorate in American Fraternity History. Rather, I hope that you, my reader, will get a wider perspective on Beta from this book, and that you will think a little more deeply, and act more strongly in the direction of Beta, Theta, Pi. Always in —/cat — Peter J. Floriani, BX 773 March 28,1989

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CONTENTS Introduction 1 An Introduction to Beta Thcta Pi Essence 2 3 4

What is Beta Theta Pi? The Objects of Beta Theta Pi The Meaning of Beta Theta Pi

1 6 13 19

Chronology 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Some Background Before the Founding The Founding Early Growth The Civil War A Decade of Development Wooglin-on-Chautauqua The Turn of the Century The Shepardson Era The Centennial World War II Marching Along Recent Times An Interpretation

45 57 63 66 78 85 93 103 107 121 130 135 148 157

Organization 19 Membership 20 Government 21 The Convention 22 The Chapters 23 Recognizing Achievement

161 179 215 233 281

Visible Characteristics 24 Songs 25 Writings 26 Symbols 27 Poems 28 Hum or 29 Rituals

287 317 335 361 387 393

Additional Material 30 Historical Exhibits 31 The Code of Beta Theta Pi 32 A Beta Theta Pi Composite 33 Conclusion 34 References

419 485 524 537 543

vii

Please

Note:

Fraternities are unusual things. Like most other fields of study, they have their own terminology. So, before we begin, there are a few items to which your attention should be drawn, to avoid confusion later. First, the branches of a fraternity are called “chapters,” so the major components of this books are referred to as “sections.” Second, there are a few schools which have changed their names over the course of the years. The ones we are concerned with are: De Pauw was once called Indiana Asbury. Colgate was once called Madison. Washington and Lee was once Washington (Virginia). Washington and Jefferson was once two separate schools, as was Case-Western Reserve. Some others have upgraded “College” to “University,” but we will not list them. Third, there are fifty or so names which occur repeatedly throughout this book. These G reat Ones are shown in the “Beta Composite” which appears after the Code, near the end of the book. Two appear so often that the author has occasionally used a familiar form of their names: “Pater Knox” is really Founder John Reily Knox, Miami 1839; “Shep” is Francis Wayland Shepardson, Denison 1882, Brown 1883.

SECTION 1 An Introduction to Beta Theta Pi If you are a brother of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, you already have a reason­ able knowledge of it. However, it is possible that you are not one of those who follow the light of the Three Stars. Perhaps you are a member of a similar organization, or have some contact with someone who is in a fraternal order. No m atter what your familiarity with Greek-letter fraternities in general, or with Beta Theta Pi in particu­ lar, this section will give you a quick introduction to our fraternity.

What is Beta Theta Pi? Beta Theta Pi, often referred to simply as “Beta,” is a secret, Greek, American college social fraternity. (Yes, all of those qualifications are necessary!) The Latin word frater means brother, so a fraternity is literally a brotherhood, an organization of men who associate with each other in a manner which is (hopefully) a close friendship akin to blood brotherhood. But it is a very specific kind of fraternity. Beta is secret: we keep certain symbols and signs hidden from non-members. The inner meaning is revealed to new members in a secret ritual of initiation. There are some associations which do not have secrets - still their doings are private, and not usually published in the local papers. Though Beta does have a secret motto and grip or handshake, and a secret ceremony of initiation, our “secrecy” is more in the nature of privacy, the same as the privacy of a family. Beta is Greek: not in the national sense, but in the use of letters and symbols from Classical Greek language and literature. Some organizations use no symbols, others use English or Hebrew or other notations as names and emblems. But, since most college students of the 1800’s studied Greek (which has a mysteriously differ­ ent alphabet), and, as the saying goes, “the Greeks had a word for it,” most of the college organizations begun in those days used Greek names and lore. Beta is American: presently it is found only in the United States and Canada. It can be contrasted with the various clubs found at the English universities, or the “color-wearing” fraternities of German schools. Beta is a college organization: its branches are found only at universities and colleges, and membership is available only to students of the schools where these branches are located. This is different from the fraternal organizations which have city branches not connected with any academic institution. Beta is a social fraternity - its members live in a microcosm of human society, and act together as a social entity. The word “social” is also used as distinct from the “professional” or “honorary” societies. Phi Beta Kappa, the first fraternity, was originally a social fraternity, but now it exists solely to honor academic excellence. While it and many others acknowledge professional or academic accomplishments, a social fraternity has its primary purpose in close association for friendship’s sake. Note that “social, society” and “association” are derived from the Latin verb sequor, “I follow.” Hence, a society or an association is a group following a particular path 1

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

towards some goal. In Beta Theta Pi, our goal is symbolized by the Three Stars. Its precise inner meaning is our greatest secret, but long ago we spelled out Beta’s purpose in our published constitution. Details of Beta’s objects and organization can be found in the Code (Beta’s constitution and laws), which appears in this book. Other sections of this book will elaborate on its essential and practical features.

How did Beta originate? Beta was organized in 1839 at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio by eight stu­ dents: John Reily Knox, Samuel Taylor Marshall, David Linton, Jam es George Smith, Charles Henry Hardin, John Holt Duncan, Michael Clarkson Ryan, and Thomas Boston Gordon. These eight, Beta’s Founders, are affectionately and re­ spectfully kept in “ever honored memory” by all Betas. The first of the founders, John Reily Knox, is often termed “Pater” (“father” in Latin), since he is considered the prime founder; he had a paternal interest in Beta in his later life. These eight founded Beta Theta Pi for the purposes of mutual support, friendship, and progress in scholarship. In some ways, Beta mimicked the literary societies of the early 1800’s, but it quickly became much more extensive, both in size and in formulation.

What is Beta’s present structure? Beta presently consists of over 80,000 members, who consider each other as brothers. About 7,000 of these are attending one of more than 120 schools in Canada and the United States at which Beta has a branch. These branches are known as “chapters”, and are the primary organizational unit of the fraternity. The members of a chapter usually live in their own house, and are self-governing for the most part. O ther branches of Beta exist in various cities and are not associated with a par­ ticular school, however, only alumni of chapters belong to them. These are known as alumni clubs, and do not play a direct role in the acquiring of new members. Beta also has a central government, which has three divisions. The General Convention, comprised of one delegate from each chapter and alumni club, meets annually, and is the legislative branch of government. It elects the Board of Trus­ tees, which, as the executive branch, governs while the convention is not in session. The Administrative Secretary is appointed by the Board, and manages the admin­ istrative headquarters in Oxford. He handles the day-to-day business affairs and the record-keeping of the fraternity. As Beta is international in scope, the term “national” is incorrect, and we always speak of the “General Fraternity” when referring to the entirety of chapters, or to Beta’s central government. The total area including all the chapters is termed “Beta’s Broad Domain.”

What are the stages of membership in Beta? M embership is only available through the undergraduate chapters. It is offered to candidates selected and approved by the members of the chapter. Actual m em­ bership is by formal initiation, but this depends on the candidate’s acceptance of the offer of membership and his completion of certain requirements. The time from his 2

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

acceptance until actual initiation is known as “pledging”; during this time the can­ didate is called a “pledge.” After a certain minimum period of learning, and a test of fraternity knowledge, the pledge is formally initiated into membership by means of the secret ritual. This requires a promise of secrecy, after which all the main secrets are revealed, and the initiate signs the official roll. He is assigned a sequential “roll number,” which ranks him in the total number of members of his chapter. M embership in the fraternity continues throughout life, unless the individual resigns or is expelled. M embers of Beta Theta Pi are divided into undergraduates and alumni, depending on whether or not the member has graduated. Undergradu­ ates are sometimes referred to as “actives,” although this is a misnomer, and implies that alumni have only a passive role in the fraternity. The only practical difference between undergraduate and alumni brothers is related to voting and representation.

How is Beta governed? Beta is governed by a written code of law, consisting of the Constitution and the Laws. The Code can be modified only by the meeting of the annual convention, to which every chapter and every alumni club must send a delegate. The convention is the supreme legislative authority of Beta Theta Pi. It elects six Betas to the Board of Trustees, which holds executive authority during the year while the convention is not in session. The Board consists of the General Secretary, G eneral Treasurer, the President, and three Vice Presidents. The General Secretary is the executive head of the fraternity. With the approval of the Board, he appoints an Administrative Sec­ retary, who handles the record-keeping and other daily affairs of the Fraternity. The office of the Administrative Secretary is in the administrative headquarters at Ox­ ford, Ohio, within view of the site of the founding on the campus of Miami Univer­ sity. The General Secretary divides the chapters of Beta’s Broad Domain into “districts,” and appoints Assistant General Secretaries or “District Chiefs,” who then appoint Chapter Counsellors and Chapter Financial Advisors for each chapter. The chapters have their own autonomous government, which is subject to the Code and the General Convention. Except for the criteria governing membership, chapters are also required to adhere to the policies of their school.

What are some of Beta’s external activities? Beta publishes a periodical, The Beta Theta Pi, which is the oldest continuously published fraternity magazine. One issue contains the minutes of the annual con­ vention. Others contain letters written by the chapters, detailing their recent expe­ riences and their expectations for the future. Short updates, or in-depth articles on the doings or careers of alumni appear regularly. A nother feature is the obituaries and memorials of deceased brothers, often quite detailed. Many books have been written about Beta. William R. Baird wrote five books, Francis W. Shepardson wrote four, Seth R. Brooks wrote two. O ther authors in­ clude K. W arren Fawcett, Karl Fischer, A. J. G. Priest, G. H erbert Smith and R obert T. Howard. These books include histories, lore, poetry, speeches, and inspirational writings, as well as instructional material for new members. 3

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

One of Beta’s most unique aspects is her gigantic collection of songs. Singing was already a part of Beta since the eighth year of her existence. The song book has passed its twenty-fifth edition, and it includes songs which have been in constant use since 1866. Great melody-writers and lyricists such as Horace Lozier, Kenneth Rogers and H erb Blair have given Beta wonderful songs of sentiment. Many of the songs are sung frequently, both at conventions and at chapter meetings. The initia­ tion ceremony itself requires the use of ten songs. Through the efforts of George M. Chandler, John I. Covington and others, Beta has a wide collection of carefully planned insignia, including a badge, a flag, a coat of arms, a flower, a great seal, and other emblems.

Just why is it called “Beta Theta Pi”? The name “Beta Theta Pi” is often a matter of some confusion to those unac­ quainted with fraternities. It is simply an acronym, like NASA, but using Greek letters. However, while everyone knows that NASA stands for “National A eronau­ tics and Space Administration,” only Betas know what the three Greek words are which start with Beta, Theta, Pi. Still confused? In Baird's Manual o f American College Fraternities, you can find the Greek words for Phi Beta Kappa, which are QiXooocfria B l o v Kv/3e p i / r j T r ) < ; meaning “Love of wisdom the guide of life.” As you can see, the first letters of this Greek phrase are $ B K hence the name of the fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa. Well, there are three Greek words which start with B 0 II but we can’t tell you what those three words are.

Why the feminine pronoun for a brotherhood? A nother usage which can seem confusing is the use of the female pronoun in referring either to the individual chapters, or to the fraternity as a whole. This has been in use since 1840, and has been found to be fitting even if difficult to explain. Old letters often conclude “Our chapter sends her love to her sister chapter.” Another beautiful example appears in the chorus of the song, “Gemma Nostra S alv e, B e ta T h e ta P i, tu re g in a p u ra !

which may be translated as: H a il, B e ta T h e ta P i, y o u p u r e q u e e n !

Kenneth Rogers also refers to Beta as “M other of M en” in his song, “Marching Along,” so (we might say) Betas look on the fraternity as having maternal and royal attributes, being both powerful and gentle, delightful in her familiarity as well as stately in bearing.

How can I find out more about Beta Theta Pi? Read the rest of this book. If you want more detail, most of the important Beta reference books can also be found in the libraries of Beta chapters, or in the Baird collection in the New York Public Library. If you still want to know more, write to the Administrative Office. Or wait for the next edition of this book... 4

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

An Acrostic Best beloved band of brothers, Ever eager to employ Talents trained to toil for others. Aiding all - an altruist's joy. Look out. Think things through, to thyself be true. Help hand, heart and head to heed Each earnest effort, and endue Thyself with talents thou dost need.Achieve, aspire, aid, and accrue. Look in. Perfect trust promotes persistent peace. If implicit, ideals increase. Look up.

W illia m B. P a rm e le e , W e s te rn R e s e rv e 1883

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SECTION 2 What is Beta Theta Pi?1 The table of contents of this book has headings for each of the various compo­ nents of Beta. All of these are very important parts of the fraternity, but they are not its essence, its true being. Beta is a brotherhood, and its chapter houses, books of lore, rituals and badges are mere sensual expressions of its spiritual core. Willis O. Robb said that “the first mark of a Beta is his Beta spirit.” It is that spirit, that essence of the Beta brotherhood, which we shall now consider. Our definition will necessarily be incomplete, since we cannot go into the secret aspects of the fraternity. These secrets involve great and mystical ideas and can only be hinted at in a book of this kind. Yet these spiritual elements are the reality of Beta, and a certain understanding them is necessary for any of the tangible aspects to have meaning. In 1839, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, eight young men joined together to form a new association. Their leader, the president of a literary society, had been offered membership by a Greek organization, but he was dissatisfied with what he saw, and felt that he could do better. Together with another imaginative friend, a name was chosen: Beta Theta Pi - the initial letters of three Greek words denoting principles of particularly attractive force to them. They developed a badge annd a set of laws. The evening of the day on which three of these founders graduated, they held the“first regular meeting” of their new association. One hundred and fifty years later, eight has grown to 80,000 and another “regular meeting” is held: thousands of brothers attend, representing over 120 branches of the fraternity. This paraphrase of Beta’s founding story provides us with these following points of definition: 1. Beta Theta Pi is a Greek organization of college men —founded and kept alive by college men, and having secrets denoted by Greek letters. Its branches are located only at colleges and universities, and only undergraduates can confer membership or establish new chapters. 2. Beta Theta Pi exists for both undergraduates and graduates. Membership starts as an undergraduate. Contact with Beta begins with pledging - the period of learning and preparation for initiation. Initiation means, literally, a “beginning” the beginning of brotherhood. The closeness of chapter life last through three years of college, but brotherhood continues after graduation. Beta was founded by both alumni and undergraduates, and alumni were counted on to do their part from the beginning. Alumni provide continuity in governing the fraternity. Their guidance has become legendary, and it has entered into the secret lore. They make large contributions of time and money to provide their younger brothers with teaching leadership and scholarships. 3. Through the past 150 years Beta Theta Pi has grown in size and strength. On the average, Beta has started one new chapter and initiated about 1000 men 1 T h e a s s is ta n c e o f J a m e s A . M e r c a d a n te , C o lu m b ia 1983, is g ra te fu lly a c k n o w le d g e d . P J F

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

every year. It has furthered its own objects, and formulated new expressions of fraternalism. It has held conventions, conclaves and workshops to engender unity across both space and time; moreover, it has pioneered in several strategic choices facing Greek organizations. Beta has inspired men who have attained many important positions in society. Moreover, she has pioneered in many ways and benefitted other Greek organizations even as she improved her own internal structure. 4. Beta Theta Pi is a great and a good fraternity. The Three G reat Principles, which are the foundation pillars of the organization, were chosen with care by the founders and they have not lost their brilliance despite the changes of 150 years, the Civil War, hazing, anti-secret society laws, traitorous secessions, revelation of secrets, and apathy. These four points form a sufficient basis for the definition of Beta Theta Pi as a Greek college association, and its contrasting with other Greek organizations.

An organization of college men... Beta Theta Pi is an organization of college men. It would be good to recall here that colleges are outgrowths of monastic houses, where men went to devote themselves to work for others, not for themselves. Their isolation was holy and sacrificial in the old meaning of “set apart from the use of the world” - they set themselves apart from the usual occupations of the world in order to study, pray, and worship. This religious connection had not completely vanished from the college world in 1839, though it certainly was not prevalent. Surely the desire to “set one’s self apart for devotion” was part of the motive of the founders of Greek societies. An old saying of the monastic orders was “to live in the world, but not of the world.” B eta’s principles demand that brothers rise above the triteness and selfishness of the everyday world. Another now extinct aspect of college life is that competition was with one’s self in the pursuit of knowledge, rather than against other students. This gave rise to strange events, such as the “Burial of Logic” at Miami or the “Cremation of Calculus” at Lehigh, wherein the spirit of the subject was tried and executed in effigy. The subject itself was to be overcome, with the assistance of the teacher, and students were fellow warriors in the battle. Enthusiasm for courses was common, and readily communicated, for students knew that the best way of learning a subject was to teach it to each other. This led to varieties of organized study groups, one form of which were called “literary societies,” in which the members practiced the skills necessary for success in college. Each one took his turn at speeches or essays, and he was criticized by his peers. Confidence was built, as well as the critical ability —results difficult to attain in classroom activity. The literary aspect was strong in early life of Beta Theta Pi, and even the growing dominance of technological study has not extinguished it. When “our fathers brought upon this continent a new nation,” they set a fire burning —a fire of freedom and of human rights. The sparks from this fire flew far and wide, some smoldering for years until they ignited new societies founded upon the right of free association. Surely the founders of the early fraternities were

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

imbued with the sense of revolutionary liberty, the spirit of 1776, which we can only read about and ponder. Indeed, men throughout the ages have formed into various groups, frequently for spiritual purposes, but also for the comfort of companionship. These groups were occasionally suppressed, but now the new country was to protect a m an’s right to worship and associate as he liked. This idea of association for the purpose of simple comradeship is apparently as ancient as mankind itself, of which the earliest tale says: “It is not good for man to be alone.” When the founders planned out the rules of their new association, they demanded that “at least three” men be required to form a chapter, Strength, not symbolism, was their desire strength of their associates, their brothers. Finally, there are purposes for having secrets. Perhaps secrecy is natural to the learning experience, as each discipline has its own esoteric words and actions. There is a possible connection to the existing Masonic societies, which arose from the need to protect methods of the trade - a kind of medieval patent. But regardless of the immediate source, it is fun to have a secret way of shaking hands, and other such private signs. These things are emblems of the oldest human association: the family. Each family develops and passes on little traditions of speech or action - these are especially easy to see in holiday rituals. Yet, selection of emblems is not limited to the family. Tribes, cities, nations have their own familial markings. So strong is the desire to have this private and inner family life, that such things are carried even into the cold, inhuman corporate world, wherein such marks of identification as the “corporate suit” and nicknames can be found. By choosing secret symbols, Beta is following this human characteristic, and identifying herself as a family. Thus we are correct in calling ourselves brothers.

For undergraduates and alumni... Beta Theta Pi exists for both undergraduates and graduates. Its graduate m em­ bers are naturally produced by the attainment of the goal of college life. Starting with the day of the founding, and throughout the 54,787 days of Beta’s first 150 years, every one of them had some involvement with alumni. Presently, alumni make up the six-member Board of Trustees, the executive body of the fraternity, and they serve in many other capacities. Although alumni did not serve in their present major roles in Beta government for the first thirty years of the fraternity’s history, they have always been an important part of Beta life, providing inspiration and support, guarding the Beta fire, maintaining the Beta bridge. Considering that alumni now hold the major offices in Beta government, it might appear that undergraduates have no role in Beta government. Nonetheless, the undergraduates are truly the active members of Beta. They initiate new members. The convention, the legislative authority of the fraternity, is made up of delegates from the undergraduate chapters. Alumni chapters may vote on most questions, but only the undergraduate chapters may vote to create new chapters, revoke a chapter’s charter, or elect officers. Beta has been blessed with many alumni who spend both time and money on her. This seems remarkable, since there is little tangible benefit to be gained from

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

active involvement in the fraternity after graduation. Detractors of fraternities like to invoke a “desire to remain in college adolescence,” the ability to make taxdeductible donations, or perhaps a mere desire for fame. However, these arguments are weak and superficial, considering the long duration of alumni devotion to Beta, and the personal qualities of these supporters. Indeed, nearly every other fraternity has found it necessary to pay members to perform the same services for which Beta has always had volunteers. Perhaps it is a feeling of gratitude that motivates Beta’s volunteers. They found a true benefit in living and working with their brothers in the chapter — the significance of this benefit becoming more visible with increased maturity. These men then make donations to their Alma M ater, and also to their fraternity. Regardless of size, the gift is but a token of esteem and thanks. It says “I recognize the good you did for me, and I desire that you continue doing good for others.” There is another explanation for the devotion of alumni to Beta, but it involves the secret principles of Beta, which can’t be explained fully. This sentence is accurate in both senses: the secret words cannot be revealed in this book, and at the same time, no brother has fully plumbed their depths in 150 years. Yet the longing to impart light is so strong, we will risk the borderline of concealment. The three Great Principles are not mere abstract nouns. They are “verbals” or nouns of doing. They are ideas of activity. Their pursuit cannot be a bored or lazy wandering, but a fervent, lively and planned quest. If this is true of the undergraduate life, then it must be true also after graduation. Many Betas followthem consistently, even though they never go to a convention, or even visit their chapter —the principles do not speak of such things. However, the principles do require a consistent concern for others. They form a “golden rule” of Betadom: “be as ready to assist your brother as you would wish him to be when you are in need.” It was this formulation of Judaeo-Christian ethics (though maybe only motivated and applied to academic concerns) which resulted in the “cooperation makes strength” motto of the Union Literary Society, which provided the kernel and the moving sentiment within Beta.

One hundred and fifty years of growth... Beta Theta Pi has grown over the past 150 years. With a nearly exponential growth from eight members in 1839 to over 130,000 in 1989, and with over 120 of 150 chapters active, it is among the top twenty fraternities in numerical size. It maintains continuing contact with its alumni, since each member receives the fraternity’s magazine for life upon payment of the initiation fee. It has become known as a singing fraternity, having a large collection of good songs, some of which have been sung for over a century. It takes note of the achievements of its m embers by making awards to outstanding alumni, chapters, and undergraduates. It has tried to preserve a good balance between the alumnus and the undergraduate in its governance. It has aimed at a consistently high quality of scholastic accomplishment. Unique among the larger fraternities, Beta holds an annual convention where the undergraduates meet and govern together with the alumni. Not only can important issues be acted on in timely fashion, but the members of the various

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chapters have the opportunity to meet each other, and undergraduates can meet alumni, some of whom have experienced over sixty years of Beta life. Conventions are fun, informative, unusual, and a most important part of Beta spirit. Certain of the social aspects of the convention developed at the unique Wooglin clubhouse an alumni summer-house and the site of eight conventions in the 1880’s and 1890’s.

A Pioneer Beta Theta Pi can be called a “pioneer,” as it has been the first fraternity to establish a chapter on more campuses (and in more states) than any other. It was the first to publish its constitution, removing the secret aspects of ritual from it, and thereby showing faculties and interested parties our fundamental purposes and the legal workings of Beta life. It was the first to accomplish the long-desired publication of a fraternity magazine, which has published works of outstanding quality continu­ ously since 1872. It was the first to aim for national representation, avoiding a “sectional” character, and it was also the first to specify a method for binding together its chapters by requiring periodic correspondence between them — a requirement which has been preserved informally through the magazine. It also devised a system of management of the chapters by dividing them into regional districts, since adopted by many other Greek organizations. It has been the primary force in beginning inter-fraternity activities of all kinds. It provided a means of organizing its alumni into associations in various cities, granting these groups convention representation and other privileges — these “alumni chapters” were another first for the fraternity world. Recently, Beta was the first fraternity to require a minimum grade point average for its chapters, accepting such an average as a m easurement of intellectual attainment consistent with its constitutionally specified objectives.

...A great and a good Fraternity A fraternity is a brotherhood. It should draw men closer to each other and set them working towards worthy goals. It is great if it is faithful to its objects despite pressure to discard them as impractical, if its accomplishments further its objects, and if its failures are used as a guide to future success. It is good if it considers itself not as an authoritarian hierarchy or a result-oriented corporation but as a true brotherhood, desiring to form better men and to benefit society. Its values should be spiritually and morally good, inspiring its members to be urbane in deportment, courteous in expression, and steadfast in friendship. One of Beta’s wisest and most spiritual leaders, Dr. Seth R. Brooks, often said that Beta Theta Pi was a great and a good fraternity. A re we truly great? Are we truly good? Are we sincere in pointing to our preserving of friendships through 150 years, and in enhancing the campus life of thousands of young men each year? Or are we claiming excellence on our own contrived scale? How can we be honest in our self-evaluation? The success of Beta is to be seen with respect to her Three Great Principles, as they alone specify us to be Beta, Theta, Pi. This poses an interesting dilemma, since only members know the 10

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literal meaning of these Principles, and they can hardly be unbiased in their judgment. Some external evaluation of Beta relative to other Greek campus societies has been done by independent groups, but this does not directly answer the questions. Perhaps there is a solution, however. There is an award given by the G eneral Fraternity for chapter excellence: the Sisson award. It recognizes the compliance with certain stringent criteria indicative of excellent work, but providing the chapter meets all of them, it could be said that the chapter actually grants itself the Sisson award, since the judges only validate the documentation submitted by the chapter. By analogy, let us consider that the “Sisson” award to the fraternity as a whole is to be based on the criteria of Beta and Theta and Pi. While these are less objective than the usual Sisson criteria, we shall use them nevertheless, and submit this book as a record of Beta’s first 150 years of the pursuit of the Three Stars.

The above engraving is the Bethany chapter picture from the 1881 Catalog.

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SECTION 3 The Objects of Beta Theta Pi1 A R T IC L E I N A M E A N D O B JE C T S

S E C T I O N 1. N a m e : T h e n a m e o f th is fr a te r n ity is B E T A T H E T A P I. S E C T I O N 2. O b je c ts: It s h a ll b e c o n s titu te d a s h e r e in a f te r p ro v id e d a n d s h a ll h a v e fo r its o b je c ts th e p r o m o tio n o f th e m o ra l a n d so c ia l c u ltu re o f its m e m b e rs , th e e s ta b lis h m e n t o f c o n fid e n c e a n d frie n d ly r e la tio n s a m o n g th e u n iv e rs itie s a n d c o lle g e s o f th e U n ite d S ta te s a n d C a n a d a , in s e c u rin g u n ity o f a c tio n a n d s y m p a ­ th y in m a tte r s o f c o m m o n in te r e s t a m o n g th e m , a n d th e b u ild in g u p o f a f r a te r ­ n ity th a t re c o g n iz e s m u tu a l a s s is ta n c e in th e h o n o ra b le la b o rs a n d a s p ir a tio n s o f life, d e v o tio n to th e c u ltiv a tio n o f th e in te lle c t, u n s u llie d fr ie n d s h ip , a n d u n f a lte r ­ in g fid e lity a s o b jc c ts w o rth y o f th e h ig h e st a im a n d p u r p o s e o f a s s o c ia te d e ffo rt.

The objects of Beta Theta Pi are her constitutionally defined goals and purposes. It would be of great interest to examine how these goals compare with our secret motto. For purposes of discussion, we will assume a complete philosophical harmony between them; however our objects should be carefully distinguished from our three G reat Principles, formulated as they are in a completely different manner (not to mention a completely different language). Because Beta’s constitution is in English and is completely open to the public, we shall examine the objects as they are set forth in Article I, Section 2, and see how Beta has implemented these objects.

“Promotion of moral and social culture of its members” Beta works for the growth of its members in ways which make them better men individually, and better members of the com m unity at large. How is this done? Beta teaches about life in society by providing in her chapters a microcosm of important aspects of society. There is a government, diverse backgrounds, and (most impor­ tantly) there is a common purpose, towards which all are to work. The intimate friendships within the chapter should aid the individual brother in accomplishing his academic goals and help round out his campus life. The activities of all the chapters are told in the issues of The Beta Theta Pi, giving an insight into the lives of other young men and the variations of college life across two great countries. By recognizing the esteem in which Beta holds her alumni, the young Beta learns a proper respect for the older man’s experience; in the careful preservation of lore and tradition, he learns his debt to the past. Older Betas are called on to pass on their heritage and their guardianship of the altar fire, to assist the “youth whose feet must pass this way.”

1 T h e a ss is ta n c e o f J a m e s A . M e r c a d a n te , C o lu m b ia 1983, is g ra te fu lly a c k n o w le d g e d . P J F

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“Establishment of confidence and friendly relations among the universities and colleges of the United States and Canada” Without communication, there cannot be friendship. Therefore in 1842 Beta required that each chapter report to the others its status and activities at least twice a year. This had been accomplished by inter-chapter correspondence for thirty years until the foundation of the fraternity magazine, in which it continued. While correspondence has not always been carried on unfailingly, it has certainly bound the several chapters closer. The other chief unifying force is the convention, to which every chapter must send a delegate. To ensure fair representation, certain commit­ tees are arranged to include delegates from different areas, but usually no urging for inter-chapter discussion is needed. A slightly different reading of this clause might refer to the colleges themselves, as opposed to the chapters. But Beta is wise in providing that a few students of the many schools can come together, since these can focus more easily on issues pertinent to college life, and distinguish a merely local variation from the overall picture. Often a chapter’s representative is a campus leader, who can make known an issue which arises in Beta but also has campus-wide application. A point often missed is that such communication also occurs on the alumni level. St. Paul wrote of the body having many members. Beta intends in her body of many chapters, that all feel what one feels through the organ of The Beta Theta Pi magazine. Perhaps this increased perception of collegiate life on many campuses is the real aim of this clause.

“Securing unity of action and sympathy in matters of common interest among them” On October 7, 1987, Dr. Seth R. Brooks, former president of the General Fraternity and former minister of the Unitarian Universalist church in Washington D.C., passed away. By the wonderful device of the telephone, I found out that very evening. But there was more at work than electricity. Not being a mem ber of his family, a close friend, or an officer of the fraternity, I was not called directly. No, I was called by the president of the Lehigh chapter, who had been called by the District Chief for Eastern Pennsylvania. Later, I found out that by means of the Corps of District Chiefs, the message was transmitted to all the chapters, resulting in a wave of sympathy and fraternal prayers. Some perhaps had a moment of silence before dinner; others may have used the convention ritual for the Beta dead. Yet few of the thousands of students had met the wise minister in life. Why should the death of an aged man in Washington cause this reaction from California to Toronto? Obviously there was some unifying force at work. M embers of the chapters had heard Seth speak at conventions. His inspirational messages could be found in every recent Beta magazine. But it wasn’t simply that Dr. Brooks was a well-known Beta. He was a brother, and was mourned as a brother. Betas everywhere know the same history, sing the same songs, wear the same badge. Beta meetings produce close relationships between the alumni and the undergraduates —these meetings serve as a forum for the sharing of common ex­

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periences. Besides frequent informal contacts during the year, there are the conven­ tions, the leadership conferences or “mini-conventions,” and district conclaves. All these factors have as their purpose the cultivation of a common feeling and a unity of action within Beta Theta Pi. Perhaps the explanation for the common feeling in Beta comes from working towards a common goal. The pledges should work towards brotherhood and posses­ sion of the secrets; the brothers should work to deepen their understanding of them, and also to carry them out in life. But in this struggle for wisdom, Betas should not selfishly seek merely their own personal gain. Beta constantly directs the individual’s concern outwards. Like many other Betas, Seth Brooks set an example of this love for others - the unselfish love which strengthens Beta’s unity.

“Mutual assistance in the honorable labors and aspirations of life” An honorable labor of life is anything that benefits another person. Clearly, an “honorable labor” would automatically include attending to the necessities of another’s existence - man’s neglect of his brother’s hunger is the greatest of crimes, so something beyond the great virtue of charity for one’s neighbor is implied by this idea. The natural fullness of humanity comes from social and intellectual life. Not only do we need air, food, water, clothing, and shelter; we also need companionship and mental stimulation. These must come from others, and should come as a gift, since no price could ever be set on them. Obviously, personal contact is required. Maybe we could rephrase this object as “helping each other accomplish good things.” This is in contradiction to the “get ahead of the other guy” philosophy common to both college and business life in this age, but reminiscent of the literary societies of long ago. Back in the early 1800’s, students actually got together to help each other prepare for class by practicing public speaking, debating, and writing essays. The literary societies were not only for the “nerd” or special-interest student - everyone joined them. Students knew it was fun to work together, so they got together in a room of the college to do it. There was no athletic rivalry (since there were no organized athletics), but there were usually at least two literary societies at any one school, and they would often hold public debates with each other. The societies were a source of friendships despite their rivalries; one would recognize his compatriots outside the meeting, and enjoy even non-academic activities together. The literary societies may in some way have been derived from a slogan popular in the new nation: “In Unity There Is Strength.” Perhaps they derived from the real human needs we mentioned earlier. Whatever their source, it was from them that Pater Knox derived much of the philosophical substance of Beta. In particular, the Union Literary Society, of which he was president, used the motto Firmam Consen­ sus Facit, “Cooperation Makes Strength,” which is really another formulation of this object of the fraternity. Let us pay close attention to this object. There is too much selfishness in the world, and Beta gives us this weapon to fight it.

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“Devotion to the cultivation of the intellect” It was on this topic that Shepardson wrote one of his most interesting essays. He examined the literal meanings of devotion and cultivation: “devotion” is a giving by vow or a solemn dedication to something; “cultivation” comes from the Latin word for “tilling” or working of the soil in preparation for growth, and for its continued stimulation. In this object, Beta solemnly dedicates herself to the preparation and continued stimulation of the intellectual powers. As noted, Beta can be described as an outgrowth of the literary societies of the early 1800’s. Their objective was to enhance mental prowess by engaging classmates in common labors, practicing speeches and debates, and critically examing each other’s work. However, these societies were primarily aimed at the immediate requirem ents of college life, even though interest in them occasionally carried on after graduation. But Beta’s objective is much more far-reaching. Its operation only begins in college, and continues on through alumni life. Indeed, it calls upon the m embers of Beta to constantly dedicate themselves to stimulating the growth of their minds. Reading and discussion are not only meant for the pursuit of academic goals, but to be ongoing activities of a Beta’s life. In this age, more than any other in recorded history, the human mind is being neglected. There arc many facts available, but encyclopedias do not wear the capand-gown. There are extremely fast computers which produce in minutes the answers it would take years to find by hand, but the machines aren’t marching to “Pomp and Circumstance.” Clever combinations of the two have even been made, resulting in “expert systems” which have found previously unknown ore deposits, but these do not graduate with honors. The increases in mere factual data have not increased self-knowledge. Increased sophistication in technology has not produced more human compassion. We can achieve more mechanical marvels than ever before, but we often do very little for others. Some of this may be because we think less nowadays. Men base decisions on principles without considering the underly­ ing philosophy. Even words have been subject to erosion — how absolute is “absolute,” and how ideal is “ideal”? Many unthinking people say, “oh, they’re just words, and it hardly matters.” Beta says NO! It does matter. Words matter, thoughts matter. Beta commands her members to study, to delve into the depths of philosophy, to consider the reasons why. Possession of the intellect distinguishes Man from Beast, and its wise use distinguishes Man from Machine. Beta defends the use of the intellect, and has chosen to strive for its growth. This puts our fraternity into the battle even now being waged against those who would darken the world of the mind. But powerful weapons are available, and we do not fight alone. In the company of the purest philosophy and the most God-centered religion, Beta urges her members to dedicate themselves to cultivating their minds by thinking, reading, and discussing, not only for the sake of self-improvement, but in order to “assist in the honorable labors” of others. Thus will the light of knowledge destroy the darkness of ignorance, and wise compassion defeat apathetic disdain.

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“Unsullied friendship”, “Unfaltering fidelity” Beta is not to be just a service organization or a reading club. It is to be a brotherhood, an association of friends. Friendship is a special kind of love not often considered in the modern world. People say, “I love my car” or “I love artichokes,” but eyebrows might go up if someone were to say “I love my brother.” The ancient Greeks, who had a word for just about every shade of meaning, would have used the term <j>i A ta , or “friendship.” Beta wants her members to have friendships which are unsullied - that is, neither injured nor neglected by selfish desires. Beta also wants true friendships, and ones which are faithful to her other objects - the friendships should show fidelity which is unshaken by the changes of life, by failures or even successes. This pair of objectives requires keeping our friendships pure in a world of impurities and keeping our faithfulness unwavering in a world of many turmoils. Beta embraces these objectives to create a dependable bond between her members. The other objectives require certain external contacts which would be destructive to anything lacking an interior unity of great strength. So Beta specifies her need for integrity within the organization embodied by a unity formed not by mechanical stimulus-response or by tyrannical subjugation, but by bonds of friendly association and mutual trust. Beta brothers are to achieve a unity, not by an external similarity, but by a “unity of action and sympathy in matters of common interest.” This coherence starts with the individual, who must ever deepen his own understanding of the Great Principles. It continues within the chapters and alumni clubs, and at the conventions, where brothers meet to work together. Steadfastness to Beta’s principles, and harmonious brotherly association in the works we face - these are the culmination of Beta’s objects, selected by the Eight who met long ago.

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18

SECTION 4 The Meaning of Beta Theta Pi The exploration of the essence of Beta Theta Pi, whether it be made by Brooks, Shepardson, or even Knox himself, would be limited. The preceding section merely brushed the surface of the author’s thoughts from only fourteen years of Beta experiences. How, then, can a better perception of the REALITY of Beta be ob­ tained? A statistician would suggest that the sample be enlarged. So, we will now turn the keyboard over to some other brothers, including the honored Founders, Betas of days gone by (now members of the Chapter Eternal), living legends of the Board and Advisory Council, and brothers of the chapters across Beta’s Broad Domain. The question to each of them: “What does Beta mean to you? What message would you send to the next 150 years of Beta Theta Pi?” Pater John Reily Knox, Miami 1839: Revolutions have been accomplished and despots dethroned by the united action of small but daring associations. The great secret of their success consisted not in numbers but in union; not in great strength, but in well-directed and simultaneous exertions. What a few men united in object and effort will to do can be done; and more than that, such associations teach us in their records how far human friendship can carry us from the shrine of idol self... M utual support and assistance, absolute faith and confidence in each other, and progress in knowledge and scholarship, were the fundamental idea on which we built... Next to the cultivation of friendly feelings, the advancement of science and literature is the mainspring of our exertions [Beta Book page 6] Founder Samuel Taylor Marshall, Miami 1840:1 wished to be at one more meeting of the [HH & before I wrote. Things are going first-rater, if not more so. Receive the best wish of one who loves his friend - and - may you advance in that noblest of studies, “whose seat is the bosom of God - whose voice is the harmony of the world.” [This is from his letter to Pater Knox, November 19,1839. Note that the above symbol in Marshall’s own handwriting - three x’s for stars, an arc for the crescent, and a heart - stood for Beta Theta Pi, being a “shorthand” for the badge. It was also the first secret form of signature. It appears only in a few of the earliest letters.] Founder David Linton, Miami 1839: Beta Theta Pi is prospering and I rejoice. I hope they may ever keep the standard high and press on with a calm, silent and un­ conquerable energy. Based upon no unjust principle; formed for noble purposes; all that is necessary to secure complete success is an unflinching determ ination to pursue steadily the track in which we started. [Beta Lore page xi] Founder James George Smith, Miami 1840: Greatness in a student is a m atter of possessing a strong, original and fertile intellect; the great acting power of the mind must have a vigorous and comprehensive character. The discriminating faculty,

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selecting whatever is beautiful, correct, or appropriate should be accurate and discerning, [from his essay “The Elements of Greatness in a Student,” written July 24,1838] Founder Charles Henry Hardin, Miami 1841: The Betas are full of the joy and jollity of life, warm and cordial as the wine of years. Let us rejoice in our association, and emulate each other in the accomplishment of those objects which our constitution specifies or implies. [Beta Lore page 196] Founder John Holt Duncan, Miami 1840: You tell me that this society formed by a half-dozen young fellows has spread, and hundreds are glad in its pleasant places? I can scarcely believe it. Give them for me the grip of the hand, one which has the pressure of the old time. [Beta Lore page 180] Founder Michael Clarkson Ryan, Miami 1839:1 spent a few minutes with one of the new brothers as he passed through here on his way to Oxford. He appears to be a very companionable fellow and no doubt an ornament to the society. That pros­ perity and success may ever attend you is the sincere wish of your friend. [From his letter to Pater Knox, April 15, 1840] Founder Thomas Boston Gordon, Miami 1840:1 heartily send you congratulations, respect and love. I would be glad to know each Beta personally. Go forward, straight forward. The founders are proud of you! [From his letter to C. L. Thornburg, September 4, 1889] Alexander Paddack, Miami 1841: Our friends here at Miami were much pleased to hear of the proceedings in Cincinnati. You have entered into the spirit of Beta so warmly that I wish myself possessed of ubiquity that I might be with you and take part in your pleasures. [Beta Letters page 5] Edward Bruce Stevens, Miami 1843: Now that we are becoming quite extended, there must be something more than the mere word of friendship and something beyond a name to keep up our interest in Beta. Old members have no strong desire to come back merely to play hide and go seek about the streets and alleys of O xfordwe need something to wake us all up. [Beta Lore page 202] A. J. Gustin Priest, Idaho 1918: For a sense of destiny, let us consider John Reily Knox and his associates, who founded at an obscure W estern college what they intended to become a great national fraternity. Perhaps it is true that they builded better than they knew and perhaps it is also true that other hands gave substance to their dream, but I am always amazed when I think of the serene, quiet confidence with which they launched their venture. Only young men who found life good and wholesome and zestful, could have had such faith in what the future might bring. [Beta Life page 55] 20

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Charles Duy Walker, V.M.1.1869: A peculiar characteristic of our Fraternity is the strong attachment evinced towards it by those who are no longer active members. To foster this spirit is a matter of prime importance to us. We take pride in their success in life, and look to them as our examples. They must rem em ber this; that they are bound to us by peculiar ties, and have upon them the noble responsibility of setting us such examples as may be worthy of our imitation. [The Beta Theta Pi, 1872 - Vol. I, No. 1] John I. Covington, Miami 1870: There is a steady and reliable swing to the delib­ erations of a Beta convention that assures the perpetuity of the organization. In it are combined the enthusiastic zeal of the college boy, kindly tem pered by the worldly experience of the loyal silver grey. The fact that the convention is composed of delegates from the college chapter, enthusiastic and unselfish in their advocacy of what seems to them to be for the honor and glory of the fraternity, assures us that the fraternity can never be used by any one for the advancement of selfish purposes. Loyalty of the chapter member to the principles of our order is an absolute necessity, for Beta Theta Pi is an undergraduate institution, and upon the brightness of the chapter altar fires depends the light to guide its steps into the uncertain future. [The Beta Theta Pi, 1889, page 132] William Raimond Baird, Stevens 1878: The impetus and energy imparted to Beta by John Reily Knox and his associates, based as this energy was upon true friendship, enabled it to survive the shock of the Civil War and the mortification of treachery and desertion and to grow into the splendid envied association of today pre-eminent in the college world. I believe that the history and achievements of Beta are in the future and not in the past; Beta is on the eve of an era of expansion and improvement which will so far cast into shade what has already been accomplished that the accomplishments of previous years will scarcely be worth talking about. [Beta Lore page 60] Francis H. Sisson, Knox 1892: The ideal Beta, in college and out, is equal to and ready for any responsibility, self-poised and confident, yet reverent, mindful of established ordinances, obedient to the right, earnest to resist evil, diligent in busi­ ness, patient under its exactions, generous but not wasteful, quick to acknowledge error, prom pt to repay obligations, chaste in thought, upright in deed, ever courte­ ous. Beta teaches a higher obligation than that to self: it is that to neighbor. [Beta Lore page 42] Willis O. Robb, Ohio Wesleyan 1879: The action and reaction of brother on brother, chapter on chapter, graduate on undergraduate in the warm atm osphere of the fraternity relation, cannot but make powerfully for the upbuilding of the conserva­ tive but democratic spirit. The Beta of the future: how can he be otherwise than warm blooded, clear-eyed, and big-hearted - fraternal, forward-looking, and dem o­ cratic? [Beta Lore page 49] 21

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Rev. Edward J. Brown, Hanover 1873: When one needed wisdom, it was good sense to go to the source of all wisdom; when one needed power, it was wise to go to Him to whom alone belongeth power. If I could not go with my Lord into Beta Theta Pi, I would stay out, but going in and staying in Beta Theta Pi could be and was the object of sincere and honest prayer. [Beta Life page 70] Francis W. Shepardson, Denison 1880: An institution which has flourished for all these years must have something of value about it to hold interest so long. This fraternity has come down to us as a precious legacy. We have a distinct and definite obligation to cherish it, to add to it, and to transmit it to those who are to follow after us in Beta Theta Pi. It is an inspiring thought that idealism persists through the ages. An even finer conception is that of adding to such a treasure to make it more valuable, more potent, to another generation. [Beta Lore page 389] Carl G. Doney, Ohio State 1891: Four years of Beta instruction fills one with the purer desire to use his ability for the noblest possible ends. The next century will imperatively demand the higher works of thought, social, political, literary, moral. The Beta will be summoned more and more into these fields not by reason of ambition or of policy but as a patriotic obligation. The Beta will see before him not mere incentives to wealth, ease or fame but the ideal of a grander, broader, truer life. Beta Theta Pi’s mission in the next century will be to erect an aristocracy of mind and sentiment to combat an aristocracy of mercantilism. [Speaking as an under­ graduate on the Beta of the 20th century in The Beta Theta Pi 1889, page 183] Harold J. Baily, Amherst 1908: The inspiration of the fraternity’s past, its present prosperity and its high hopes for the future gave us just pride in our organization and renewed courage and enthusiasm for the tasks which immediately confront us. The complete cooperation of the chapters and alumni can make possible such progress in the coming years that our hopes for the distant future will seem insignificant when compared with what we shall presently accomplish. [Beta Life page 92] Amaro Sato, De Pauw 1881 (Ambassador of Japan to the United States): In chapter meeting, we share each other’s griefs and joys; here college life is sweetened by the magic influence of friendship; here the history of the past, replete with names “high on the scroll of honor and fame” gives us inspiration and encouragement for our honest endeavour. Indeed Beta Theta Pi is a grand organization. It addresses itself to the higher and better sides of human nature... [In one of Shep’s notebooks] Alberts. Berry, Miami 1856 (captain in the Confederate Army): H ere we recognize no creed, no party, no section, in an atmosphere of fraternal love: we extol American citizenship. May all sectional differences be forgotten by the American people in rejoicing over its unparalleled advancement. May the principles that control our association as Betas become the sentiment of American citizens toward each other. [Berry was addressing the convention of 1879. Beta Life page 34] 22

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Joseph S. Tunison, Denison 1873: Bless now, Oh God on high, bless Beta Theta Pi. Let naught of wrong sully her mystic gem, let not the wreath be dim. Then shall praise be to Him to whom our song, [from the Songbook] John Hogarth Lozier, De Pauw 1857: Then keep our m otto in view, brother, and ever with lofty aim be fearless and pure and true, brother, and Wooglin will guard your fame, [from the Songbook] Joseph Stillson, Hanover 1871: Friendship gave our order birth, pure and lasting as the earth. Strong devotion to our motto gives us life. With the help of brothers dear, and of God, we’ve naught to fear as we mingle in the din of earthly strife, [from the Songbook] Mark L. DeMotte, De Pauw 1853: In writing chapter reports, recorders generally write just what they are obliged to of business affairs and go no further. I think it is well enough to give great heed to temporal affairs, but I think also that they ought to regard spiritual affairs likewise. They should cast in a morsel of fun once in a while; it does the soul good and settles the supper. Our boys are good laughers. Nothing stirs the energies more than a good letter, so turn yourself loose, and the good you will accomplish will be great. [Beta Life page 149] Charles J. Seaman, Denison 1871: Then draw the mystic circle round, hearts and voices blending. Let us pledge each other now friendship never ending. Then chase away till coming day the thought that we must sever and pledge to Beta Theta Pi fidelity forever, [from the Songbook] John C. Hanna, Wooster 1881: There are many practical questions upon the an­ swers to which depends the successful maintenance of our position as the best fraternity or one of the best. We must study them - we must understand them —we must decide them. We cannot pass over them and be a strong fraternity. Our fraternity has been conservative. She has also been progressive. Most of the great reforms and improvements in fraternity matters have originated in Beta Theta Pi. Therefore, we must realize the difficulties and rivalries which surround us, and determ ine to face them with a heroism and a loyalty worthy of the Betas of old days. [A Decade o f Fraternity Reconstruction page 342] Stanley Coulter, Hanover 1871: Initiation was a serious matter. It was definitely and seriously obligatory; all charged with duty and responsibility. A t the m ature age of fifteen I evolved “As Betas Now We M eet”: Oh may our sacred fire kindle a new desire and true Greek love inspire for all our band. [Beta Lore page 115] Kenneth W. Rogers, Syracuse 1917: Marching along in Beta Theta Pi, marching along we’ll rend the air with song! Strong in the might of our bond fraternal, friend of the right and the foe of the wrong! Following paths old Wooglin blazed for us, till

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we arrive at the shrine on high, singing again, M other of Men, hail to thee, Beta Theta Pi! [from the Songbook] Horace Gilette Lozier, Chicago 1894: “Oh start the loving cup around, nor pass a brother by. We all drink from the same canteen in Beta Theta Pi. Oh, you and I can ne’er grow old when this fair cup is nigh. H ere’s life and strength, here’s health and wealth, here’s all in Phi kai Phi.” I cannot take credit for originating these words. They were written by you. You wrote them in my heart, all I did was put them on paper. [The Beta Theta Pi 1956] James L. Gordon, William and Mary 1877 (Virginia State Senator): This fraternity has a higher mission then the mere passing of an idle hour; the mere congregation of young men for social enjoyment, because it is in that formative period of life at college that we first drink in those principles which are most apt to last and endure. The love and affection which the boy from Georgia today pledges the boy from Pennsylvania around the shrine of Wooglin is carried into after-life. It is the thresh­ old of that high and noble resolve which is first formed in boyhood, and to which, as much as anything else, is due the healing of the wound which once tore asunder the sections of this nation, and that the tendons of the great republic grow firmer and stronger than they ever were before. [Beta Lore page 58] Dr. Richard Mcllwaine, Hampden-Sydney 1853 (president of Hampden-Sydney College): I was inducted when I was 1 7 .1 can remem ber the influence which was exerted on me, teaching me to aspire for higher and better things than I had yet conceived of... If there is any human organization the principles of which should be carried out by those entrusted with the responsibilities of which devolve on the chief officers of our colleges, it is found in our order. [Beta Lore page 52] Robert S. Ryors, U. S. Naval Academy 1866 (Missouri State Senator): I do not believe that there is a single Midshipman here but has heard of our glorious asso­ ciation and is proud and anxious to become a member. Although this chapter is young, still it is strong in Beta principles, and full of that indescribable feeling which only “G reeks” can feel. I do not think that Beta Theta Pi will ever regret that a chapter was founded at the United States Naval Academy. [Beta Lore page 236] Clarence L. Newton, Wesleyan 1902: At your earliest opportunity, go by yourself to some quiet spot, take off your pin, look at its face and consider the significance of the gold. Then consider the significance of the three stars. Then consider the signifi­ cance of the diamond and the encircling wreath. And after these are clearly in your mind, turn the badge over and consider the significance of the clasped hands, and when you have thought these all through, then consider the thing that is behind the significance of these. After all this has thoroughly saturated your system, then make anew your plans for working with the chapter, with the alumni. [Marching Along page 10]

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

James L. Gavin, De Pauw 1896: Again Beta chapters evidenced their pride in their record, and loyalty to the fraternity, and the ability in time of stress to do the impossible. Beta’s record was achieved only by teamwork: the cooperation of chap­ ter officials, alumni counselors, interested alumni organizations, generous alumni, and willing assistance of the Trustees and General Officers [Beta Book page 237] Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922: Francis W. Shepardson, who had seen practi­ cally every fraternity and sorority ritual, told me that in all rituals there were two ideals - “Improvement of the intellect and improvement of self.” I’ve thought that in Beta Theta Pi we have another great ideal - it is mutual aid and assistance, helping one another. What you ask in friendship, I answer in fidelity. Ours is a mutual association. We have mutual bonds, mutual ideals, mutual aims, mutual hopes. [Beta Theta Pi 1975 page 185] Rev. John Allan Blair, Wabash 1893: Cynics deride fraternities as being mere devices to prolong adolescence. Rather they are evidences of the perennial fresh­ ness of vision which is part of youth. A fraternity preserves the morning powers, keeps the vision glowing. Beta is an ageless idea... the idea of love, the conception that love is possible and useable. As long as we shall dare to believe in love, Beta Theta Pi will grow from more to more. [Marching Along page 72] Col. John R. Simpson, Miami 1899:1 urge you, each in your own way, to accumulate a debt in happy and unselfish service to your Fraternity. You will find it different from any other debt that you will owe in after life. The more you try to discharge it in further service the more it will accumulate - and the happier you will be! Another important difference: it will pay you interest, instead of the other way around. [Marching Along page 173] George M. Chandler, Michigan 1898: Success and usefulness and more service surely awaits Beta. No individual who has been found worthy to wear the badge and bear the name of Beta Theta Pi has ever been aught but a better undergraduate, a better alumnus, a better citizen, a better son and a better father for his having lived under the three stars. The Beta ceases to live alone - he becomes part of an insti­ tution of recognized standards and whose teachings are all of mutual respect, mutual assistance and mutual responsibility. [The Second Fifty Years page 27] Horace H. Lurton, Cumberland 1867 (Associate Justice of the Supreme Court): W hen our chapter met after the Civil War, there were twelve, and of that twelve, ten had worn the grey and two had worn the blue; but we met as brothers. We believe that reconstruction and reconciliation began right there. [Beta Lore page 370] John S. Wise, Virginia 1867: Toward the fraternity I felt an unfeigned tenderness, the result of early association. I joined the army of the Confederacy... and surren­ dered in North Carolina. October found me a student at the University of Virginia...

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

The people beyond the Potomac were still our foes... Imagine, then, what impres­ sion was made upon a boy so situated by the first fraternal messages which came to us from our northern and western brethren. They were words of love and encour­ agement; they were filled with the wish that our chapter should be re-established, and the old fraternity and cordiality should be restored, without condition or re­ serve. We were made to realize that the bitterness was over, that there were those in the land of our enemies who yearned to be once more our brethren and our friends. [Beta Lore page 53] Francis W. Shepardson, Denison 1882, Brown 1883: A line of affectionate greeting this time. You hve brought me much and I am happy that Beta Theta Pi drew me near to you. There are many reasons for saying “I’m glad I’m a Beta.” It is a great fraternity! How many hearts have been made happier by it - how many lives en­ riched! I looked for a few minutes today into a Beta mother’s heart through a lovely letter. God only knows what might be done with our fraternity if we knew how. We must try hard! [to Gordon S. Smyth, Pennsylvania 1918, in MarchingAlong page 311] Stanley Matthews, eighth on the old Cincinnati roll: There are but few survivors now of the young men who, like myself, became members of the society in the earliest days of its organization, but I recall them to mind with the memory of many delightful associations. It is pleasant to think that they have perpetuated their memories and influence in the society of Beta Theta Pi, which beyond their expec­ tations, has so grown and flourished. Esto Perpetual [Beta Lore page 55] George Hoadly, Western Reserve 1844, Harvard 1844 (Governor of Ohio): Among the recollections of my college days, the most pleasant are those connected with what was then the Gamma chapter at Western Reserve College. Forty-three years, nearly, have passed since I left college, but my affection for the society has not weakened with time. [Beta Lore page 55] Lewis P. Foster, South Carolina 1858 (Confederate Captain killed in the Civil War): Ours is a glorious association, just all we could ask for. One in which kindred spirits shut out from the envy and deceit of a cold world may hold continued intercourse. O ur constitution, though simple and unassuming, has for its end a noble purpose. The means by which this union of feeling and sentiment is kept up are very pleasant. All of the letters which we have received from sister chapters have been of the most endearing nature, and with much pleasure did our young chapter listen to the benefits and pleasures of Betaism inspiring her with perfect confidence in every one who “wears the badge and bears the name of Beta Theta Pi.” [Beta Letters page 357] David W. Thompson, Illinois College 1862: Strive to make your chapter the grand center of attraction by drawing into her ranks only those whose talent, genius, intellectual capacity, purity of heart, fidelity and devotedness to principle shall bring honor upon her name and vindicate the nobility of her character. Let us discharge

26

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faithfully our duties as enjoined upon us by the constitution, let us ever respond to the pulsations of Beta’s great heart. [Beta Letters page 390] Clifford C. Gregg, Cincinnati 1917: In looking ahead, we must keep in mind the high ideals of the fraternity. Each chapter must seek to be a contributor to the common good of all chapters. Petty discord must be abandoned in favor of mutual coopera­ tion in the honorable labors and aspirations of life. If all our chapters hold fast to the vision unfolded before them, Beta Theta Pi approaches the future with confidence. [Marching Along, pages 221-222] Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922: We are all part of the same glorious heritage. Every chapter has the same possessions, i.e. the name of Beta Theta Pi, our history, our grip, our songs, our traditions, our library, our badge, our magazine, our general officers, our alumni, and our convention. The difference in the complexion of indi­ vidual chapters and the variety of gifts or handicaps we have, add up to what makes us a great General Fraternity. We are not a National Fraternity but a General Fraternity with chapters in the United States and Canada. No chapter is an orphan. No chapter should expect special treatment. Every chapter has the rich endowment of Beta Theta Pi and can enter into that noble inheritance. [Marching Along, page 368] Bertram W. Bennett, Knox 1920: Our goal should be a Fraternity in which every chapter is a living example of its idealism - every member worthy of wearing the badge and bearing its name - every fraternity house a real home, and whose chapter hall is an inspiration - every chapter altar a place of consecration - a fraternity which will stimulate young men to high endeavor and out of which will come men of high ideals and trained for leadership. [Marching Along, pages 367-368] Sherwood M. Bonney, Dickinson 1931: Ours is a fraternal brotherhood. No college administration of which I am aware has ever seriously tried to compete with frater­ nities in this all-important aspect of the matter. Our brotherhood is built on ideals - a philosophy of life - and a code of living stated in our ritual. Our ritual expresses principles which are both liveable and lovely - and these distinguish us from those living in the average dormitory... With the principles expressed in the ritual, our Fraternity holds in the palm of its hand the opportunity to help build men of integ­ rity, responsibility, and capability. This is the job that our Fraternity is particularly fitted to do; and in doing it, brothers will help each other. Ralph N. Fey, Miami 1940: It would seem to me that among any group of scholars privileged to attend our colleges there should be a reasonable percentage that would appreciate the purposes for which true Betas have been getting together for almost a century and a quarter. We had no chapter living quarters for many years, we may have none in the future. I, for one, earnestly hope that at the good schools there always will be good groups of like-minded gentlemanly scholars, enjoying each

27

l n c m i i n r u ^ n w ivic, u r i ni_, i m vu,u, o i rvi\o

other’s determination to be a credit to themselves, their fellowship and their school. W here one eats and sleeps need not necessarily play too great a part in the worth­ while principles of such a group. The sooner we all concentrate on the fundamental aims of our heritage, the richer our lives will be. [The Beta Theta Pi, October 1963, page 77] Richard R. Shoop, Denison 1941:As we look ahead, we must strive to maintain the excellence achieved by those who have preceded us through the fleeting decades since our humble beginning. We are prospering today, but there are those who would challenge our prestigious position, should we, by our actions, display any intent to rest on our laurels. To lead is not an easy task. In spite of the enviable position we enjoy among our peers, each Beta now and in the years ahead, must do his part to press forward with Leadership uppermost in his mind. Leadership at the chapter level. Leadership at the international level. [TJie Beta Theta Pi, November 1973, page 147] G. Herbert Smith, De Pauw 1927: My Beta brothers, I believe you will agree that the principles of Beta Theta Pi which were meaningful to John Reily Knox and his associates back there at old Miami in 1839 are just as basic for the lives of men today as they have been at any time in the history of our Fraternity. And so, if our Frater­ nity is to fail in its appeal and in its service to college men of this generation, then our fault is not in our stars, but rather in ourselves. [The Beta Theta Pi, January 1962, page 221] J. Moreau Brown, Dartmouth 1939: There is no short cut to being a good Beta nor is there any short cut to being a good citizen. Both require a recognition of high standards of conduct, of morality, responsibility, and cultivation of the intellect. Such ideals are not achieved by osmosis but only by conscious development in the individual by the individual not only of acceptable standards, but of standards that will show the way to others. Our Beta stars are those which guide us, but only our own character and will can move us toward our destination. [Tlte Beta Hieta Pi, November 1963, pages 126-127] Burton W. Folsom, Nebraska 1949: As society’s changes increase exponentially, it becomes ever more difficult and really quite impossible to ignore the outside world and avoid changes within Beta Theta Pi. But we can keep it quite simple if each of us will base our personal decisions and our fraternity’s decisions on the principles and obligations identified by our founders nearly a century and a half ago. Then the Beta Spirit will simply prevail... [The Beta Theta Pi, Convention 1988, page 168] Hugh E. Stephenson, Jr., M.D., Missouri 1943: Since those early August days in Miami, 141 years ago, the Beta story has been one of great dedication, and a tenacious belief in the principles of this great fraternity. Throughout these many decades, the belief that the virtues of Beta Theta Pi are treasures to be nurtured and 28

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

passed on to others has remained uppermost despite adversity, disappointment, discouragement, and despair. The Beta story is one of which we can be proud. It is one for which we can be grateful - grateful to those generations who believed that unsullied friendship, unfaltering fidelity, and a devotion to a cultivation of the intel­ lect, were, and are, goals of the highest order. [The Beta Theta Pi, Convention 1980, page 151] James G. Martin, Davidson 1957:1 urge you to fashion strong chapter leadership. I urge you to fashion brotherly relations with your alumni and throughout your chapters. And most earnestly I urge you to fashion sensible, inspirational, educa­ tional and thus unifying pledge training programs worthy of Beta, and of Theta, and of Pi. Then you will be able to say truthfully to inquiring rushees concerned about the m atter of hazing, as you should be: “We offer the Beta experience! While it’s not for everyone, you will find it worthy of anyone!” [The Beta Theta Pi, November 1977, page 141] Peter E. Van de Water, St. Lawrence 1958: Beta brothers, chapter leaders, if I can leave you with one thought today, it is this: never underestimate the impact your example can have on the pledges and younger members of your chapter. You determ ine the future through your actions today. Have the wisdom to know that you hold the fate of this “Great and Good” General Fraternity, this family descended from generations of “Bridge Builders” in your hands. [The Beta Tlieta Pi, Conven­ tion 1983, page 156]

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T H E FAITHFUL H U M E U F TH E I H K iiti STARS

John J. Rhodes, Kansas State 1938: When I think about looking at the stars, natu­ rally I think about the three stars that are the favorites of all of us in this room. The stars of this fraternity were, of course, chosen because the people who founded our fraternity wanted something which would remind the members of the value of looking beyond their own capabilities. Looking at something which was unknown. Something which you would like to do but weren’t sure you could. Looking into space just for no reason other than you have this feeling that somewhere out there is something that God wanted you to see. This paraphrase follows almost completely the stars of Beta Theta Pi. [The Beta Theta Pi, November 1963, page 91] John E. Dolibois, Miami 1940: Beta Theta Pi was made to order for an immigrant lad just beginning to master the English language. With much patience and under­ standing the older brothers polished and polished until there emerged a “brother new to greet by grasp of hand.” I’m grateful for the friendships that have indeed lasted through life and the memories that will ne’er grow dim. John K. Easton, Jr., Wesleyan 1958: Joining a fraternity was an easy decision for me because of my family background. The rewards have been far greater than I ex­ pected. As an undergraduate, the chapter provided academic support, leadership development, and a valuable interpersonal living experience. As an alumnus, I have had the opportunity to nurture lifelong friendships throughout Beta’s Broad Domain. As a District Chief, the rewards of working with young men have been fantastic, especially as individuals and chapters have achieved various levels of excellence. It is truly the lifelong involvement of many great Betas that has built an organization so rich in tradition, performance, and the bonds of brotherhood. B. Hume Morris II, Centre 1968: Have fidelity to your purpose. You know your purpose, you take the diamond torch that has been handed to you today and you take it from the North to the South and from the East to the West and you light the fires of fidelity all over North America. That is your job... have fidelity to your purpose. [The Beta Theta Pi, Convention 1986, page 175] James A. Mercadante, Columbia 1983: Our founders had the wisdom to create an organization which did not depend on wealth or politics for its success. They recog­ nized that the only objects of lasting value rest in our hearts... From three principles, they created the Beta spirit we inherit today. There can be no doubt that this is true, because the three principles were all they had. All they had was a unity - a unity entirely dependent on their devotion to Beta, Theta, and Pi. We should always remind each other that our most important possessions are intangible. Ken S. Stephen, Toronto 1977: Beta Theta Pi has all the hallmarks of a truly great idea: modest in stature at first sight, but growing greater in power and influence as we come to know her better. Beta provides a common ground where the most unlikely diversity of men can work and dwell together in unity.

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Daniel D. Mistichelli, Dickinson 1980 [Chief of District VI]: As a District Chief I have the opportunity to m eet many Betas, not only from my district, but from all chapters and all walks of life. My wife and I are always impressed with the quality of the individuals we meet and who give their time to Beta. There is something special about Beta when sitting governors and congressmen as well as corporate leaders find time to serve as officers in our fraternity. For me, the greatest gift I receive from Beta is the opportunity to work with the undergraduates, to help where I can, and to learn from them as well. Thank God Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Beta! Martin I. Lewison, Columbia 1988 [TIR for Minnesota]: Beta Theta Pi is truly an amazing phenomenon. The Founders ensured her success by taking three great universal principles, principles that appeal to the whole of humanity, and setting them down as the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest aims. In doing this, they put Betaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s purpose on a higher level than those of similar organizations. These universal principles were made specific to our fraternity, thereby blessing her with a success that is to be expected only from an association with the loftiest of goals. Beta, Theta, and Pi are mystical and magical principles, and I am awestruck by our potential for continued greatness. To say one is privileged to wear the badge of Beta Theta Pi is a gross understatement.

31

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Herbert Blair, MTSU 1988: Beta is like to a seed. We must plant it with careful hands. We must cultivate with brotherhood and devotion to the cause. We must harvest and gather that which honors our fraternity. So it is with all those who came to Beta for a home. If we plant quality, care for that quality with careful cultivation, our harvest will be quality —a harvest that will feed the souls of Betas for many years to come. Michael Joseph Flynn, Miami 1989:1 don’t know if, on an organizational level, I’ll ever be associated with a more cooperative, directed group of people. I do know that on a personal level, I won’t ever meet closer friends than the ones I had met in Beta. Ram Padmanabhan, McGill 1990: Perhaps what strikes me as unique about Beta is its blend of diversity with commonly held ideals - leadership, commitment, and success being among them. Jeff Miller, Westminster 1990: Beta, to me, is a life long commitment. A commit­ ment, not only to my house but to my brothers. My brothers whom I’ve grown so close to because of Beta. My brothers know that I know I can count on them to be there no m atter what the situation for the rest of my life. Martin Paul Dixon, Miami 1989: The feeling of brotherhood is no better exempli­ fied than by the Alpha chapter of Beta Theta Pi. As an active mem ber of this fraternity a young man challenges himself to reach a level of excellence which has been maintained over many generations. Betas of today realize the challenge ahead of them and are determined to meet this challenge with the spirit of Wooglin in our hearts. John Kull, Westminster 1991: Beta Theta Pi will always represent a unity of bro­ therhood. A group of men who will share a unique bond of friendship that only a few are privileged enough to obtain. I will always cherish my brothers in Beta and the goals this fraternity sets for me. Jeffrey Bonds, Westminster 1991: The brotherhood of Beta Theta Pi is like no other bond on earth. Betas will always be close to one another. This bond of brotherhood will grow no weaker even though distance may separate us. J. P. Michael, Puget Sound 1989:1 will remember Beta Theta Pi as a fraternity of leadership, scholarship, brotherhood, community service, social functions, and friendships. It gave me opportunities that I would not have if I was not a Beta. I hope Beta Theta Pi will continue to strive in its next 150 years. Stephen Harvey Barragar, Puget Sound 1990: Beta Theta Pi. Not just a house, but a home. Not full of friends, but of family. Not only a collegiate experience, but enduring brotherhood to last a lifetime.

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Jeffrey W. Hale, Knox 1990: Serving as president of Xi chapter has granted me immeasurable opportunity for personal growth, both as a leader and in the appre­ ciation of what Beta is all about. But this experience is secondary to the friendships I’ve made here at Knox. Without Xi chapter, my college experience would be a pale imitation of what it really is. Mighty proud! The Brothers of Beta Zeta, St. Lawrence: Being a brother at Beta Zeta is an education within itself. Being a brother at Beta Zeta means being associated with some of the most respected, successful men on campus. I believe this affiliation has given me the opportunity to set higher goals for myself, and the ambition to attain them. Betas at St. Lawrence are characterized by an unsurpassed sense of unity and loyalty. This sense of dedication derives from our commitment to secrecy. Secrecy and tradition are very important. Beta Zetas will be the same type of people twenty years down the road. Beta Theta Pi has given me the opportunity to make the best friends of my life. The unity developed through pledging and living in the house will remain with me for my entire life. Being a brother at Beta Zeta is especially important to me because of the unending unity and desire of our chapter to excel on the field, in the classroom, and within the community. William Lee, Knox 1990: Being a part of the brotherhood of Xi chapter has been a very fulfilling experience ever since I was a pledge. During my freshman year in college, an intimidating time for anyone, Xi chapter took the time to make me feel at home with the unfamiliar setting of college life. Now, as a junior at Knox, my feelings of brotherhood are stronger than ever. With all the trials and tribulations from my freshman year to my junior year, I must say that I am mighty proud to be a Beta. Gary H. Jantho, Knox 1989: When I pledged Beta Theta Pi in the fall of my fresh­ man year, I joined because, as a member of the Knox football team, I viewed it as a good support system during the off season. However, now, as I enter my senior year, I realize that Beta is more than that. It has become my extended family. During a difficult period in my life, Beta Theta Pi provided the support I needed to cope with my problems. I will never forget the brothers of Xi chapter whom I lived with in my four years at Knox. They’ve helped make my college career the most enjoyable and successful time in my life. Thomas A. DeTurk, Cal Poly 1989: To Beta brothers everywhere Who burden grief and wisdom share From Wooglin shall we never part Our thoughtful minds and open heart. 33

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Mark Joseph Imhoff, Carnegie Mellon 1991: Why do I want to be a Beta? W hen I look at any of the brothers, it’s like looking into a mirror. I see myself. Gregory S. Nordquist, Puget Sound 1990: The separation from other fraternities and Beta Theta Pi is much more than the physical houses and the Greek letters on the front. Leadership, philanthropy, scholarship, social functions and B R O TH ER ­ H O O D are still the guts of the best fraternity for the last 150 years. Christopher Todd Bailey, Cal Poly 1991: Our friendships, character, and confi­ dence gained through membership in this great fraternity have formed the enduring strength which bonds each and every one of our brothers in —Ka i —. William Paul Hales, Cal Poly 1991: For one hundred and fifty years I have been coursing through the veins of great men across the land. I’ve pumped through the hearts of heroes and have been sacrificed for nations. I give strength to thousands who all live as one. I am the blood of Beta Theta Pi, and I shall live forever! Christopher Williams, California 1990: Beta Theta Pi brings out the gentleman in all of its members. Through my years as a Beta I have truly enjoyed learning the true meaning of the friendship and fidelity that exists in Beta. It has been a challenge to develop to my full potential as an adult; for this I am grateful for being a Beta. It has taught me about the strong relationship that exists within the brotherhood. Matthew N. Klink, California 1989:1 always knew that I had leadership abilities and leadership instincts. It wasn’t until I experienced being a Beta that my true abilities came out. Through my Beta years I have been able to see the potential in both myself and others, and I have been able to successfully lead my brothers of the Omega chapter to their full potential. As a result, our chapter has regained the respectability it once had. Paul Michal, British Columbia 1989: Beta Theta Pi has meant far more to me than I ever imagined when I pledged. It means sharing time with friends creating mem ­ ories that will last a lifetime. It means working hard as part of a team to accomplish goals for common benefit. It means good friends that can be counted on for support when they’re needed most and, most importantly, it means developing strong ties that will always be there. Scott Roetzel, South Dakota 1989: Beta Theta Pi is more than a place to live. It is a place to grow, share, and come to the realization of one’s own abilities. Beta Theta Pi helps everyone to reach his full capabilities. The strong sense of mutual assis­ tance, and the respect and love for one another, create the cornerstone for the building of a great fraternity. People enter the house as boys and leave its walls as men. Beta Theta Pi has been the brightest spot of my college career and will lead me into the future. Beta Theta Pi has been my life and will continue to be.

34

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Rick Jones, South Dakota 1990: My feelings towards Beta Theta Pi can best be described as a passion. A passion that not only grows with time, but also matures with time. I have come from being a boy with a wide-eyed infatuation with our fraternity, to a man with a genuine love for Beta Theta Pi. It is this love that drives me to say that I am now and always will be, thankful to God that I am a Beta. Todd Brink, South Dakota 1990: Year after year, the same old story is heard again and again: “The only reason I’m still in Vermillion is because of the Beta house.” Gamm a Alpha is located in Vermillion, South Dakota, home of the University of South Dakota. It is a campus o f6,000 students in a town of 11,000 people. Since the university is not a major campus, the brotherhood of Beta Theta Pi is at the center of the college lives of our members. I feel that the fact that Beta Theta Pi is the top priority in our lives and is literally the sole purpose for us being here, it creates a brother hood and a love that is unique among other chapters. Richard L. Hallett II, DePauw 1989: There is something about Delta Chapter that sets it apart from all other Greek letter organizations at DePauw. It is not the size of the chapter house or the number of members, for this alone does not guarantee brotherhood. What sets Delta Chapter apart is the incredible unity between men of sharply contrasting backgrounds, and the commitment to individual and chapter growth shared by all who bear the name of Beta Theta Pi. Robert Kyle, British Columbia 1990: When one is out on the sports field in the midst of a gruelling match, there is no person in the world who shares the closeness that one team member shares with his fellow team mates. It is this sense of togetherness, of the complete committal of the group towards a common goal that is found in the membership of Beta Theta Pi. M embers of this great and good fraternity have been privileged to be given this feeling on a continued basis; it doesn’t end when the final whistle blows. Andrew Mortimer-Lamb, British Columbia 1989: Fidelity and unity are very strong qualities which clearly stand out in the name Beta Theta Pi. Qualities which are portrayed by its members: on the sports field and facilities where they are revered sportsmen, in the libraries and lecture halls where they are academic achievers, and in social interactions where they participate in many activities. The brothers of this great fraternity proudly pursue these qualities in every aspect of university life. The fidelity and unity of Beta Theta Pi maintain the fraternity as symbol of strength and leadership on university campuses in Canada and the U.S. Chris Nazarian, Syracuse 1990: In modern times, brotherhood oft falls short and rubs coarse. The bedrock base of fellowship and loyalty are cleaved and convoluted. A cold and pernicious outside world erects a monolith and names it “Greek.” There remains one stone, sacred and apart. It is the diamond; flawless, polished, brilliant; it is Beta.

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Steven Dyer, California 1989: Through the friendships that I have made through my Beta years I have been successful in sustaining my loyalty to Beta Theta Pi and to myself by succeeding in both aspects. Being a Beta has brought the brotherly binding that I know will last throughout my lifetime. Loye Troxler, Westminster 1991: The Alpha Delta chapter of Beta Theta Pi will always hold a special place in my heart. I know that no m atter how many miles separate us, we will always be very close friends. Jeff Sparshott, Syracuse 1991: Beta brings together the diverse elements of our university. Beta gives us the materials we need to build Friendship - Friendship that would otherwise be out of our reach. There are no distances we can not span with Brotherhood. Karl F. Bader III, Northwestern 1991: To me, Beta Theta Pi embodies much more than friendship and fidelity. This organization has given me not only brotherhood, but also a life-long commitment to excellence and nobility in everyday interactions. Scott Murr, Oregon 1991: The friendships I have made at this chapter will last a lifetime. This house is made up of many unique people. We have all learned things from each other that not even the most noteworthy of scholars could teach us: the true meaning of brotherhood. I feel it is a privilege to be part of this brotherhood and I will always be proud to call myself a Beta. The Brothers of Gamma Eta, Georgia Tech: Beta is a home away from home, where guidance and respect come from our brothers who strive to be their best in every facet of life. Among the brothers there exists a genuine and unified effort to guide and support one another through times of hardship and celebration. The excellence of Beta Theta Pi fraternity is achieved, not by such talk, but by our brothers’ collec­ tive efforts in scholarship, athletics, activities, and the attainment of common goals during their life in college and out. Michael Warnich, Northwestern 1990: To sum up my feelings for Beta Theta Pi in so few lines is very hard for me. But I am deeply grateful for the chance to mention myself as a member of this far-reaching brotherhood. Robert Bryan Hayes, Jr. Idaho 1992: To be a Beta... To be a Beta, so fine and true, is a privilege meant for both me and you. The times you’ll share, you’ll remem ber forever, the friends you have will leave you never. Beta gave me the wings to fly, I will forever remember, Beta Theta Pi.

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Xavier Hansen, Northwestern 1991: Beta Theta Pi is an established brotherhood which I hold very close to my heart. The experiences of my college fraternity years will be forever ingrained in the words “growth,” “virtue,” and “happiness.” Matthew Miles Martell, Oregon 1991: To even attem pt to put into words the growth and personal gains I have been able to make because of what Beta has been able to do for me, as well as the importance of the building and bonding of my many friendships, would be a futile and impossible task Richard Taff, Oregon 1991: We, the men of Beta Rho, recognize the uniqueness of each and every one of our fellow brothers. Support is given through the good times and a helping hand through the bad. Ultimately, a truly brotherly feeling of love is acquired through this learning experience. Roger Clark, Syracuse 1989: College is a good experience, but Beta Theta Pi makes it a great one. Life without brotherhood is a desert, vacant of moisture and the things needed to grow. Beta brings to our college world the extra ingredient, the last painter’s touch that makes the picture of life - a masterpiece. Robert Daniel Beale, Emory 1989: The Temple of the Sword was the F I R S T college fraternity/secret society to be established in the South. We consider that to be quite a legacy. [The “Temple of the Sword” of the Mystic Seven, started in 1841, was re­ activated in 1948 when Beta installed the Gamma Upsilon chapter there.] Scott Thomas Mosier, Willamette 1992: Part of being a Beta at Willamette is the realization that you are not in the fraternity for yourself. As soon as you join, you become part of the body of Beta which relies on each individual member in order to function. Tim Michael McBeth, Willamette 1989: Beta Theta Pi is a feeling of home, of brotherhood and friendship, and a feeling of pride. Although I look forward to being a Beta for the rest of my life, the memories that I have gathered in my undergraduate years with Beta Theta Pi will be extra special to hold on to. James P. Afremon, Oregon 1990: Working together in a common, ever expanding direction blended with a unique depth of character and the desire for achievement is the mark of a Beta. This formula produces the foundation from which we all develop and benefit. It is our strength. David H. Whitman, Michigan 1990: To me, Beta Theta Pi represents the greatest collection of men that I could possibly imagine. So many people with so many different backgrounds and one great bond between them - the brotherhood of Beta Theta Pi.

37

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

38

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Joseph H. Lane, Hampden-Sydney 1990: I consider Beta Theta Pi the most modern of anachronisms, combining the greatest achievements of W estern Culture - from the life of the mind to the brotherhood of man to the fraternity party - under a single auspice which offers all the benefits appropriate to an honorable man in the W estern tradition. Douglas P. Brogowski, Lehigh 1987: The best part about being a Beta is the 70 or so guys who will be part of my life forever. I spent the best three years of my life with them, and they will be important to me until the day I die. It’s safe to say that becoming a Beta was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Jeffrey T. Brogowski, Lehigh 1988: The lifelong relationships created between Beta brothers are indeed bonds that last. With the passing of the years, brothers come and go - but the spirit of kinship is ever-present. Matthew T. Brogowski, Lehigh 1991: Beta Theta Pi is, for me, a true representation of the friendship, unity, belonging and brotherhood that men search for all their lives. As a brother of Beta Theta Pi, a man needs to look no further than his own chapter to find these qualities. Louis P. Gugliotta, Lehigh 1989: Beta Theta Pi symbolizes friendship and excel­ lence. The brothers of Beta Chi constantly strive to be the best. That common goal, as well as the experiences and memories shared by close friends, help form the bonds of everlasting friendship. Peter E. Messikomer, Lehigh 1990: Beta Theta Pi means so many different things to me. Beta has given me responsibility, trust, strength, and judgment. Most impor­ tantly Beta has given me direction in my life and helped me to find out what I’m really about. I have learned most everything I associate with good character. Beta is memories which will last forever and friendships which will last even longer. Beta is feeling a bond to Betas you’ve never met before and a willingness to do anything for those you know well. All I can say is thank God I’m a Beta. Kent Zambelli, Lehigh 1991: Beta is a collection of men bonded together through camaraderie and trust. Friendship is foremost the best part of being in Beta Theta Pi. Being able to quickly befriend another Beta you meet in passing shows devotion to Beta’s ideals. *

★

39

*

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

40

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Anniversary Messages The Founding, 1839. Founder David Linton, Miami 1839:1 shall direct your at­ tention to the first and last words of our motto, for I feel that they lie at the foun­ dation of all our hopes, that they constitute the sure anchor of our future prosperity, the main pillars upon which the temple of our glory is to rest. Let me exhort you to cultivate friendship for its own sake. What exertions willyou make to prove to all that you are not a mere cipher in the association to which you belong? [Beta Lore page 32]

First Anniversary, 1840. Pater John Reily Knox, Miami 1839: M utual support and assistance, absolute faith and confidence in each other, and progress in knowl­ edge and scholarship were the fundamental ideas on which we built. Let each brother be as ready to assist as he would wish the brother to be of whom in the hour of need he would ask assistance. Bear our principles, our motto, our badge to the utmost bounds of the land - and proud I am to think that you will bear them honorably and nobly. [Beta Lore page 30-31]

15th Anniversary, 1854. The chapters committee of the convention of 1854: Your committee congratulate you, and with reason, they think, on the recent history, present condition and prospects of the Association. We have reason to believe that all chapters prom ote the interest and at least partially, in their respective spheres, accomplish the ends of the Association, now in a highly prosperous condition and with brighter prospects than ever before appeared in its horizon. [Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation, page 49]

30th Anniversary, 1869. A. J. Van Wagner, Knox 1871 (president of the con­ vention of 1869): As we glance over the history of our noble order, we see what rapid progress has been made in everything which relates to its interest. The principles of our order, health-giving and life-preserving, have been disseminated wider and wider through the land. We cannot but thank a kind Providence for his goodness in the past and humbly supplicate for further mercies in the future. May Beta rear a structure in the heart of every one of her devoted followers which shall contain in one harmonious whole every principle of right and duty, every pure and noble sentiment toward God and man. [Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation, page 142] 50th Anniversary, 1889. John Calvin Hanna, Wooster 1881: Beta is today prosperous, vigorous and ambitious. She has maintained successfully and with a uniformity that is marvelous, her high standard of achievement. Within our past fifty years there has been developed a love and loyalty for the old fraternity that lives in the hearts of our brothers. Beta has developed an organization in management and supervision of chapters that has no equal, and has been a model to all other progres­ sive fraternities. She has benefited thousands of boys and young men, assisted and 41

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

improved them for the cultivation of their manhood, and called forth an ideal friendship whose exercise is invaluable to them for all time. What has she to do in the future? First, keep it up - keep up the standard and the work. Then go on with wisdom and energy in the work of extension. Develop a great good fraternity inter­ est. Show herself the model, the ideal fraternity, a necessity and a blessing to the faculties and the students of all good colleges and the cultured world of America. [The Beta Theta Pi 1889, page 38]

75th Anniversary, 1914. William Raimond Baird, Stevens 1878: The fraternity has established seventy-five existing prosperous chapters in practically the leading institutions in the United States and Canada, drawing to its ranks in those colleges a fair proportion of the brightest intellects and most striking personalities and potentially successful men among students, in each chapter welding such men into a continuous body of competent, patriotic, well-educated, well-intending citizens. Indeed, no man can spend his undergraduate life in a Beta chapter and after leaving college continue even the faintest relation with his fraternity without being a better scholar and a better citizen by reason of such conduct. And when we reflect that these ennobling, molding influences are being quietly and persistently exerted in seventy-five colleges and among hundreds of picked young men, can we not justly say that what Beta Theta Pi has achieved in seventy-five years has been well worth while? [Beta Life page 67]

80th Anniversary, 1919. Francis W.Shepardson, Denison 1880: Every chapter was represented in the convention. Every delegate was present at every meeting. Ev­ eryone was on the job. Everybody seemed to recognize that he was a factor in doing things of great importance to the fraternity. The District Chiefs made many valuable recommendations. G reat things were accomplished. G reat things were planned. There was renewed in the heart of every one present the zeal for the fraternity and the determination to work for it which are always counted the greatest assets pos­ sessed by Beta Theta Pi. [The Beta Theta Pi 1919, page 109] 90th Anniverary, 1929. Mrs. Fanny Gordon Wilson: In blessed memory of my sainted father, founder Thomas Boston Gordon, who never ceased to love the Betas, I extend affectionate greetings. May your lives be brave and useful. May they be in joy and peace. May you help exalt this nation till your days on earth shall cease. [The Beta Book page 215]

100th Anniversary, 1939. George Banta, Jr., Past President of Phi Delta Theta: I am certain that we can look to Beta Theta Pi for the same leadership in the century to come that we have been privileged to receive in the century just past. I base this hope not only on actual performance but upon the spirit of the organization from the time of its conception. [Marching Along page 72]

42

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

125th Anniversary, 1964. Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922: We have come here [to the foot of the Beta Campanile on Miami’s campus] from all over Beta’s Broad Domain to reaffirm. We reaffirm - our belief, faith and hope in Beta Theta Pi as a great and good Fraternity. W e reaffirm - our continued allegiance to the vision first held by the Founders. We reaffirm - the ideals of our Fraternity are still guiding lights for us upon our way. We reaffirm - our conviction that College Fraternities have a vital and important role to play in the lives of college men. We reaffirm - that the history of Beta Theta Pi is one of which its individual members can be justifiably proud. We reaffirm - our belief that each chapter and each member should endeavour to bring honor to the Fraternity. We reaffirm - that as we are grateful for our past, that we will ever keep our eyes to the future and strive for progress. We reaffirm - our appreciation for the individual Beta, Beta Parents, Beta Wives and Beta Families. We reaffirm - our commitment to religious principles which are expressed in rev­ erence and ethical behavior. For we are certain that right conduct and spiritual motivation have much to do with the kind of fraternity we desire to be. [In Beta’s Broad Domain page 254]

150th Anniversary, 1989. B. Hume Morris II, Centre 1968: In the one hundred and fifty years of her history, Beta Theta Pi has grown from eight young men to over 100,000. She is rightly considered by most to be among the greatest, if not the greatest of all American college social fraternities. The secret to her greatness has always been, and, God willing, will continue to be the devotion of her members to her Three G reat Principles. In that way she was born, grew to her greatness, and will be kept, not just in the next 150 years, but forever. *

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43

Colleges Existing in 1839 1638 1693 1700 1740 1742 1743 1746 1749 1754 1764 1769 1770 1770 1772 1775 1780 1782 1783 1785 1787 1787 1787 1789 1789 1791 1793 1794 1794 1794 1795 1798 1800 1801 1804 1806 1807 1812 1812 1812 1813 1815 1816 1817 1818 1818 1819 1819 1819 1819 1819 1819 1820 1820 1821 1821 1821 1821

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44

SECTION 5 Some Background What events were responsible for the foundation of Beta? We do not have room to trace the origin of the University, or of America. Nor can we examine in detail the forces which are part of human nature: the longing for freedom and companionship; the search for an understanding of existence; the need not only to plan, but to accomplish. We must, however, give some background to the American college life of the 1830’s, and the various organizations which influenced the founders of Beta.

The United States In 1776, the world saw a new light dawn in the West. Liberty had been declared. It was explicitly stated that Man was endowed “by his Creator with Certain Inalien­ able Rights,” rights detailed in the Constitution of the new nation. Included were the right to free speech, freedom of religion, and the right to peaceably assemble. Government was to be by elected leaders. This method would require the individual to have a reasonable knowledge of issues, and a sufficient intellect to discern wisely among those running for office. Hence the new country would be implicitly relying on an educated citizenry for its continuance - this has not often been noticed as a stimulus towards the founding of state-run colleges. We cannot delve deeply into all of the philosophy of the early United States, but we will mention a few facts. Did you ever wonder why Beta’s early history refers to Ohio as a “W estern” state? Well, in 1839 Ohio was a western state. Ever since the Royal Proclamation of 1763, an imaginary line following the crest of the Allegheny Mountains (ranges of the Appalachian system) had marked a boundary for the Americans, and everything on the other side was “the West,” and reserved for the Indians. The Quebec Act in 1774 then added what is now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan to Canada, increasing the colonists’ anger at Britain. After the Declaration of Independence was signed, the Continental Congress formulated the Articles of Confederation, which would bind the 13 separate states together into a nation. But Maryland would not join until all the states contributed their lands west of the Alleghenies to the new nation. Common ownership of these lands helped unify the country, and their joint control (through the Congress) increased the sense of national pride. When the settlers crossed the mountains into the West, they entered not just another former colony, but United States land; this inspired a growing loyalty to the country itself. The United States was entirely east of the Mississippi when in 1803 (the year Ohio became a state), the United States had bought the Louisiana Territory from France - 36 years before Beta’s founding in 1839. Before then, three states had been added west of the Mississippi: Louisiana (1812), Missouri (1821), and Arkansas (1836). Also, the U.S. had fought the W ar of 1812 with England, a war partly aimed at securing freedom of the seas. Growing national pride was another reason for the war, but even so the nation was divided. The North was not in favor of the war as

45

THE, EAiTHt'UL, HUMt UE THE, THKE;E; STARS

were the South and the West, which desired to expand their territories. The United States was already becoming sectional - a force later to erupt in war. The end of the W ar of 1812 saw the abandonment of U.S. plans to invade Canada, and the begin­ nings of cooperation between the two countries. In 1817 the Rush-Baghot Treaty was signed, which stated that neither country would build up armaments on their common border. O ther treaties were later negotiated to agree on the borders. The friendship between Canada and the United States can be said to date from this time. It was also in the early 1800’s that voting rights were extended to nearly all adult white males (the requirement of owning property was dropped). Democracy made great advances in the United States, stimulated mainly by the growth of the Western states. Both the political philosophy of the ancient Greeks and Judaeo-Christian morality emphasized individual dignity and the right to self-government.

Freemasonry Freemasonry is a secret international organization, not related to a college or occupation as are the typical Greek-letter fraternities and sororities. It differs in many other ways, most of which cannot be discussed here. The record is uncertain, but Beta is probably less closely related than some other fraternities. Nevertheless, the history of Masonry has somehow influenced the history of Beta; there are also certain pertinent but sensitive areas which will be examined only to show how Beta differs from Freemasonry. The stone-cutters or masons who built the great cathedrals of Europe formed associations similar to trade unions. These used secret recognition signs to identify themselves as qualified workmen, and as those having access to the trade secrets. After all, the materials were expensive, and the high, rickety scaffolds were danger­ ous places — only trained personnel were allowed in these “hard-hat” areas. M embership in the masons identified and protected an occupation which some­ times required travel in search of work. They were usually organized in local groups or “lodges,” referring to the construction shed used by working masons of the 13th century. After the Reformation, the occupation declined, and the lodges began to admit non-working (honorary) members. Then, at a London tavern in 1717, four surviving lodges combined. Modern “speculative” freemasonry (i.e. not practiced as a trade) dates from this meeting. The secrecy of the earlier masons was preserved. Since the Masons were a secret organization, Masonry frequently came under heavy suspicion. In 1826, an incident occurred which had its effect on the govern­ ment as well as other parts of society. This incident is known as the “Morgan Episode” of American Freemasonry. William Morgan, a former Mason, had pub­ lished a book on the secrets of Freemasonry. Shortly after this, he disappeared; he was popularly assumed to have been m urdered by vengeful Masons. Rising public feeling against them resulted in the formation of the Anti-Masonic political party. In 1830, the party got 128,000 votes, but by 1832 the party was virtually dead. It was not until after the Civil War that Masonry began to grow again in the United States. One of the results of this event was the removal in 1831 of the requirement of secrecy from Phi Beta Kappa. Its effect on Alpha Delta Phi (founded in 1832) is

46

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unknown, but there are some indications of its influence on Beta Theta Pi. Pater Knox, in his speech on Beta’s first anniversary in 1840, implicitly referred to the M organ Episode, and said that “the necessity of its [Masonry’s] existence in this country is very questionable.” Even so, it seems that Knox may have borrowed some of their ideas. Dr. Shepardson, himself a thirty-second degree Mason, be­ lieved that Pater Knox had access to M organ’s book, pointing out that the “vow” appearing in Beta’s first constitution was a modification of the vows for the “Thrice Illustrious Knights of the Cross,” a Masonic degree, and one of those detailed in M organ’s book. It appears unlikely that the removal in 1879 of the secret matters from Beta’s Constitution was due to the Morgan Episode. Beta still preserves her secret lore, but her objectives are public; they are set forth in the Code and also in this book’s discussion of Beta’s essence and government.

The American College The early English colleges in America were based on those of Cambridge and Oxford in England. These were different from those of Spain and France, which were copied in the schools of Central and South America, and Canada. These schools seem to have been primarily motivated by needs of religion. The coupling of Reason with Faith - a tradition of the Scholastic philosophy begun in the Middle Ages was implemented by those of many faiths. Except for the College of Philadel­ phia (later the University of Pennsylvania), all the schools founded before the Revolution were tied to a church. The need for an educated clergy may have been the chief reason for the founding of these schools by various faiths, though not the only reason. The utility of the arts and sciences was also acknowledged; the schools were to prepare not only clergy, but every type of professional, due to the inacces­ sibility of the great schools of Europe. Although there was this coupling with various religions, the schools did not have particular doctrinal admission requirements, since they wished to attract more students (who would of course be paying tuition). Indeed, even before the Revolution the increasing diversity of religions required the schools to become more tolerant in this regard: notably Brown, Columbia and Princeton provided for admission regardless of religion. Meanwhile, more people were going to college as a preparation for a profession such as law, medicine or teaching, and less were entering for the ministry. College was not free then, though even in the 1600’s Harvard had a kind of scholarship. A nother factor may have been more of a restriction than cost. At this time, there were few colleges, but even fewer preparatory schools - actually few lower schools at all. A college would let you walk right in off the street if you paid the tuition, but they did have certain expectations of previous education. Assuming you could afford to go to college, what were the entrance requirements? Despite the lack of SAT scores, things were fairly uniform: there was an oral examination by the faculty, and sometimes a written essay. In what? Latin and Greek —ab initio, e/c t o v a p x r i s - from the beginning. A little later, arithmetic, though by 1870, this had been replaced by mathematics. History, geography, and English were also added.

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Once you were admitted, what would you study? M ore Latin and Greek. The languages enabled the study of the “classics,” the great works of ancient G reece and Rom e underlying nearly all other fields. Both the classical trivium of grammar, logic, and rhetoric and the qiiadrivium of arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy were represented. Other classes included geography, history, various sciences, m athe­ matics and pertinent religious studies. All these were required “core” courses; there were professional specializations as well. It seems strange to see the history of when subjects were taken: at Yale in 1720, geometry was taken in senior year; in 1743, sophomore year; in 1825, freshman year; by 1855 it was an entrance requirement. W hat did all that Latin and Greek of ancient philosophers or statesmen lead to? There was only one undergraduate degree then. It was what might be called the B .A. in Classics, but it could serve as a pre-law, pre-med, or pre-religious degree, since the classic readings gave a good preparation for further study in many directions. Yet, there was also a need for a practical introduction to public speaking and debate. This was not part of the curriculum, and was provided by the students themselves. All in all, the American colleges of the early 1800’s were working towards an educated society, founded on a moral and spiritual basis. They taught the classics to give a good background in every intellectual area. Despite increasing secularization and specialization of study, the colleges (even those that were state-run) continued reliance on a spiritual and classical core of knowledge; many of the originators of early colleges believed that in this way they had continued the benefits of learning from the earliest days of history.

Existing Student Societies A few months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the first American Greek-letter society was formed: Phi Beta Kappa, founded on December 5,1776 at the College of William and Mary. This organization had “all the charac­ teristics of the present-day fraternity: the charm and mystery of secrecy, a ritual, oath of fidelity, a grip, a motto, a badge for external display, a background of high idealism, a strong tie of friendship, an urge for sharing its values through nation­ wide expansion.1” It is known to have been preceded by “The Flat H at,” which had started in 1750 and apparently lasted for twenty years, but little is known of this earlier society. In the early years, Phi Beta Kappa’s main occupation was speeches, essays, and debates; it was really a secret literary society with a Greek name. A few years after the M organ incident, the requirement of secrecy was dropped - Baird’s Manual specifies the once-hidden motto as Q i X o o o c j ) loc B i o u K v / 3 e p i / r i T r ) < ; , which means “Love of wisdom the guide of life.” Today Phi Beta Kappa is strictly an honorary society, but in its early days, it performed most of the functions of a social fraternity. There is some evidence that Phi Beta Kappa was somehow connected with the starting of the first Kappa Alpha in 1812. A few other societies appeared, (also with uncertain links to Phi Beta Kappa), but they did not continue in that form to the present. l

Baird’s Manual o f American College Fraternities, 1 9 th 48

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It is difficult to determine where the fire of fraternity spread, as it was nearly all underground for a decade or two. Then, in 1825 at Union College, Kappa Alpha Society was started. (Do not confuse this with the unrelated Kappa Alpha Order, a large southern fraternity founded in 1865.) Certain aspects of KA were reminiscent of Phi Beta Kappa, which already had a chapter at Union. Within two years either opposition or imitation led to the founding of Sigma Phi and D elta Phi, completing the “Union Triad.” In 1831, Sigma Phi started a new chapter at Hamilton College, probably resulting in the founding there of Alpha Delta Phi in 1832. This fraternity seems to have been more ambitious than the others, for in 1833, it placed its second chapter at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. As we shall see, it was this chapter which was responsible for the establishment of Beta. Greek growth continued over the next six years. Psi Upsilon got started at Union, and KA started its second chapter at Williams, followed closely by Sigma Phi’s third chapter. Not all students liked the new organizations: at Williams, an anti-secret society developed. This was called the “Social Fraternity,” and it later became part of the non-secret Delta Upsilon. However, it was not a significant hindrance, and the Greek-letter fraternities continued to add more chapters. Another organization began in 1837 at Wesleyan College. It did not have a Greek name, but was similar in other characteristics. This was the Mystical Seven, which proceeded to establish the first chapter in the South in 1841, but this is getting ahead of the story. To summarize the Greek social fraternity situation before Beta’s founding in 1839, there were 19 chapters of 5 fraternities, at 10 colleges in 5 states: New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. There also was an “anti­ fraternity” and a non-Greek one, the Mystical Seven. Kappa Alpha (society) 1825 Union, NY 1833 Williams, MS

Delta Phi 1827 Union, NY 1838 Brown, RI

Sigma Phi 1827 Union, NY 1831 Hamilton, NY 1834 Williams, CN 1835 New York University, NY

Psi Upsilon 1833 Union, NY 1837 New York University, NY 1839 Yale, CN

Alpha Delta Phi 1832 Hamilton, NY 1833 Miami, OH 1835 New York University, NY 1836 Columbia, NY 1836 Yale, CN 1836 Amherst, MS 1836 Brown, RI 1837 Harvard, MS

49

itic, f t t i i n r u L nunc, u r

inn, inK.&n, a i f l s a

Note again Alpha Delta Phi had 8 out of the 19 chapters, and was the only one in more than two states - in fact, it then had chapters in all 5. It was the only frater­ nity with a chapter west of the Alleghenies. This can be summarized in a diagram of our ancestry: 1776 Phi Beta Kappa at William & Mary 1817 Phi Beta Kappa at Union 1825 Kappa Alpha (society) at Union 1827 Sigma Phi at Union 1831 Sigma Phi at Hamilton 1832 Alpha Delta Phi at Hamilton 1833 Alpha Delta Phi at Miami 1839 Beta Theta Pi at Miami Our ancestry, then, developed over 63 years, through 4 different fraternities, 7 chapters and 4 separate schools.

Literaiy Societies Another kind of organization had also developed in the late 1700’s or early 1800’s. Known as the “literary society,” its objects were educational rather than fraternal, though occasionally they were secret, and had a Greek (or Latin) motto. In fact, Phi Beta Kappa had this form, and probably was also the first literary society. The literary society was primarily concerned with the various forms of public speak­ ing, as well as preparation of essays and papers. The topics were often drawn from the subjects then under study, but just as often were matters of current public im­ portance. Since the educational methods then in use allowed little room for personal expression, the literary societies filled the gap by providing practical experience in oratory and debate. All too often the faculty preferred to examine details of Roman law rather than recent acts of Congress, and the lives of the ancient Greek and Latin politicians usually overshadowed contemporary ones. Again, the literary societies provided a forum for careful study of all ages of public policy and officials, and many questions were debated there, some still as timely as ever. There were usually (at least) two societies at a particular school, and just about everyone belonged to one of them. Rivalry was very strong —stronger than any political or sectional division, or indeed any present-day athletic rivalry. The public exercises provided competitive activities long before organized athletics. They had their own internal organization, with elected officers. The loyalty of their members led to election contests and fund-raising efforts which sometimes overshadowed the student curriculum, or even local or national elections. The funds were raised to equip the society’s meeting hall and library —the latter often of wider scope than the college library. The faculties, for the most part, approved of the literary societies; they were well-advertised in college catalogs. Both the 19th edition of Baird’s Man­ ual [page 6] and The Beta Book quote Miami University’s catalog of 1839:

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Each of these societies has thus far been fully equal to a professor­ ship; and the manner in which mind comes into contact with mind in these voluntary democratic associations is admirably well adapted for the development of every natural talent with which any young man may be endowed, [emphasis added] There were two important benefits which resulted from the literary societies: first, the channelling of student passion, rivalry and energy into pursuit of academic matters; second, the erection of a microcosmic society embodying some important aspects of national government —a “voluntary democratic association.” Their large membership increased student acquaintances, and often resulted in intimate friend­ ships. At times, however, there was rivalry and factions developed within an individ­ ual literary society. The growing influence of Alpha Delta Phi in the literary societies at Miami led to difficulties within the Union Literary Society in early 1839, resulting in its split. It was at this time that the development of Beta was proceeding. It may be of interest to examine the preamble of the Erodelphian constitution, which was adopted May 10,1828: Scientia, Eloquentia, etAmicitia F o r o u r o w n m u tu a l im p ro v e m e n t in L ite r a tu r e in g e n e r a l a n d E lo q u e n c e in p a rtic u la r, f o r th e p r o m o tio n o f m o ra lity a n d th e c u ltiv a tio n o f fe llo w sh ip a n d g o o d f e e lin g a m o n g s t u s, w e th e s u b s c rib e rs d o fo rm o u rs e lv e s in to a n a s s o c ia tio n to b e k n o w n h e n c e fo r th b y th e n a m e a n d title o f “T h e E r o d e lp h ia n S o c ie ty o f th e M ia m i U n iv e rs ity .”

Miami University in 1839 Miami University was founded in 1809 by act of the Ohio General Assembly. It is located in the town of Oxford, about 40 miles north of Cincinnati, and close to the Indiana border, near the river bearing the name Miami. When it was founded, it was virtually in the wilderness, and it still retains some of its original forest setting. It is a state school, and it began conferring the baccalaureate degree in 1826. In 1839 it had the following statistics: The College The Grammar School The English Scientific Department 32 seniors 31 seniors 9 students 29 juniors 15 second class 31 sophomores 14 first class 43 freshmen This is a total of 204, over half of which were from Ohio. If you have a time machine available (and feel competent to pass the entrance exams in Latin and Greek), you will probably be greatly attracted by Miami’s tuition for 1839 - it was $24.00 a year! Rooms could be had in the college buildings for $3.00 to $5.00 annually. Boarding was available “off-campus” in private or regular boarding houses for $1.50 to $2.00 a week, and washing bills ranged from $6.00 to $8.00 a year. The college year started on the first Monday of October; Commencement Day was the second Thursday of August, typical of the western colleges in 1839, where students were needed at home during harvest. There was a two week vacation for Christmas, and another of three 51

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

weeks in M arch - sounds like spring break, but it probably was for helping out with the planting. As can be seen from the above table, Miami had a grammar or preparatory school associated with it. If a student had not had sufficient training in a particular course, he was placed in the “prep” departm ent until the faculty admitted him to regular study in the college. This was the usual way in which a student entered. Pater Knox had started in the prep school in 1834, when he was fourteen. There were seven professors and instructors. Two had four recitations daily, the president and four others had three. Each taught at least two different subjects including mathematics, rhetoric, civil engineering, natural philosophy [now known as physics], Evidences of Christianity, philosophy, Hebrew, and (of course) Latin and Greek. The catalog stated Miami’s basic policy of education: It is a n d h a s b e e n th e s e ttle d p o lic y o f M ia m i U n iv e rs ity to give a s full a n d a s e x te n d e d a c o u rs e o f e d u c a tio n , a s th e s ta te o f s o c ie ty in th e W e s t d e m a n d s a n d w ill s u s ta in . A n d w h e n all c o n n e c te d w ith s o c ie ty is o n th e a d v a n c e , th e m e a n s fo r th e in te lle c tu a l a n d m o ra l im p ro v e m e n t o f th e m e n w h o a r e in th e n e x t g e n e r a ­ tio n , to p u s h fo rw a rd th e im p ro v e m e n t o f th e ir c o u n try a n d th e w o rld , o u g h t n o t to b e d im in is h e d o r a b rid g e d .

How about extra-curricular activities? Sorry, there wasn’t any organized college athletics then, though there was some informal football, according to Founder Marshall. But you could join one of the literary societies at Miami: Name

Founding Date

Erodelphian Union Miami Hall

November 9, 1825 December 14, 1825 May 18,1839

Size (1839)

Graduates

Honorary Members

470 426 38

115 90

155 182

The two older societies both had libraries of 1500 volumes, and furniture worth between $3000 and $4000. Another important extra-curricular activity was the “Sabbath Day Exercises.” The catalog stated: “It has been and is a fixed principle in the government of Miami University, that the Sabbath Day is to be fully occupied in devotional and religious services, by all connected with the institution.” These exercises included the reading of Scripture and prayers in the college chapel and Bible recitation. All were required to attend “public worship at some one or the other of the churches in the village.” Why was this? “In all these services, the particular object is to have, if possible, the understanding, and the conscience and the heart interested. ...All are urged and encouraged to read the Bible...” The faculty knew that the “understanding, con­ science and heart” had to be developed along with the intellect in order to attain both the “intellectual and moral improvement” of the students. Please recall that Miami was a state-run institution, set up by act of the Ohio General Assembly and don’t be too surprised. Miami’s president was a minister, after all, as was typical of many schools of the time. There were three buildings on the Miami campus in 1839: two dorms, and the

52

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

main building. This had a large main wing of classrooms, and a smaller western wing, “Franklin Hall,” which had been built in 1818. In 1839, it still contained some student quarters, and was known to the students as “the old wing” ; they called the entire building “Old M ain.” On the third floor of Old Main on the southern side were two large rooms, each outfitted with seats, a podium, and many shelves. These were the Literary Society halls - the Erodelphian on the western side, and the Union on the eastern side - each had a neat inscription on the door. The shelves were stacked with books and also held the “scientific collections” of the Societies: fossils, minerals, and other specimens. Friday after Friday, the students marched up the steps to the third floor, and read and debated from after lunch until late at night. They kept careful minutes of their proceedings in large record books. Some of these are preserved at Miami’s King Library. Unfortunately, the Union book for 1839 has never been located, but both earlier and later ones are there, as well as all the Erodelphian books. Therein it is recorded that Founders Knox, Marshall, Smith and Hardin were m embers of the Union Society, and Founders Linton, Duncan, Ryan, and Gordon were m em­ bers of the Erodelphian. O ther curious things also appear in these records. The minutes for January 20, 1837 record an interesting topic for the next debate: “Has a state, under any circum­ stances, a right to secede from the Union?” Also on that night, two of the members marked as absent were J. R. Knox and S. T. Marshall. Though this is suggestive, it is probably coincidence. Maybe. The next week, it turned out that both had excuses for their absence. However, in what must have been a rare slip, Knox was “fined for failure in reading composition.” In the Beta archives is preserved a copy of a composition by Founder Smith entitled, “The Elements of Greatness in a Student,” which discusses the importance of intellectual endeavours in attaining to greatness. Knox, Marshall, Linton, Smith, Hardin, Duncan, Ryan, Gordon. These names are well-known to Betas. But who were they, and what were they like? W ere they like the patriotic giants of history, men with grey hair, wise with age? W ere they perhaps devoted to some private internal vision, with little interest in the practical world around them? No, indeed. They were a group of earnest young men, students at an American college. Five of the eight were under 20. They all expected to be lawyers, or at least had an interest in law. They had ideals, perhaps some internal vision of greatness, but they were practical-minded, with a view to actually implementing their principles in American life.

The Founders A t Miami in August of 1839 were eight students whose names are repeated by thousands of students 150 years later, and kept in “ever honored memory.” They came from various parts of the country to study there. As of August 8,1839, they ranged in age from not quite a month over 19 to nearly 27 and a half, and their primary interest was in law. These eight “earnest young m en” were the founders of Beta Theta Pi. In the records of the Miami chapter, their names appear in the following order:

53

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Name

Home

Class

Society

J o h n R e ily K n o x S a m u e l T a y lo r M a rs h a ll

B u tle r C o u n ty , O h io

S e n io r J u n io r

U n io n L it U n io n L it

S e n io r J u n io r S o p h o m o re

E r o d e lp h ia n U n io n L it U n io n L it E r o d e lp h ia n E r o d e lp h ia n

24 *19 19 19 19

E r o d e lp h ia n

23

D a v id L in to n J a m e s G e o rg e S m ith C h a r le s H e n ry H a r d in J o h n H o lt D u n c a n M ic h a e l C la rk s o n R y a n

B u tle r C o u n ty , O h io C lin to n C o u n ty , O h io W a r r e n C o u n ty , O h io P o in t P le a s a n t, M iss o u ri F a y e tte , M ississip p i H a m ilto n , O h io

T h o m a s B o s to n G o r d o n

E lb e r t C o u n ty , G e o rg ia

J u n io r S e n io r J u n io r

Age 19 27

* A c tu a lly , o n A u g u s t 8, S m ith w as tw o d a y s a w ay fro m h is 2 0 th b irth d a y .

What were the founders like? The quoted sections in these sketches are based on comments made in the 1880’s by Founder Marshall, recorded in Beta Lore. Knox, John Reily. Butler County, Ohio. Senior, born May 20,1820. He was first in his class, secretary and then president of the Union Literary Society. “Studious, notably modest, manly, and a splendid character in every way. H e did not take to athletics, not being a rugged boy, and seldom played football. His college life was a dead level on a high plane and he always stood high with the faculty.” Marshall, Samuel Taylor. Butler County, Ohio. Junior, born February 26, 1812. The “old man” of the founders, and their biographer. “An athlete, could beat anybody playing football... did many tricks in which he was generally discovered, and saved at least twice from suspension or expulsion.” Linton, David. Clinton County, Ohio. Senior, born January 30, 1815. Older than everyone but Marshall. The silent and laughing philosopher of the founders. “On the playing fields, he seldom said a word, but laughed almost continuously. A Quaker, broad-shouldered, chunky. A good debater, a thinking man, methodical.” Smith, James George. W arren County, Ohio. Junior, born August 10,1819. Called “Leb” after Lebanon, town near his home; generous, helpful. The “unknown founder,” as no picture has ever been found. “Pale, studious, quiet, in delicate health. I never saw such an eater in my life, and he never took physical exercise. W hatever lesson he prepared, he understood. H e never forgot to be a gentleman.” Hardin, Charles Henry. Point Pleasant, Missouri. Sophomore, born July 15,1820. The youngest of the founders. He attended Indiana University from 1837 until March of 1839. “H e was a bright student, it didn’t take him half the time to get his lessons than it did the others.” Duncan, John Holt. Fayette, Mississippi. Junior, born July 7, 1820. “The best dressed boy in the class, and the best appearing young gentleman in the whole college. But he couldn’t study mathematics. In the other departm ents he stood well.”

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Ryan, Michael Clarkson. Hamilton, Ohio. Senior, born April 23,1820. Especially fond of the fair sex. “A splendid fellow, whole-souled and all heart. He had fits and starts of study, and was a kind of an athlete, too.” Gordon, Thomas Boston. Elbert County, Georgia. Junior, born February 4, 1816. “As studious a boy as could be found in any college. A vigorous debater and a hard worker. H e was noted for ingenuity in debate. A critical scholar who loved literature. H e came from a wealthy family, but wore as poor clothes as he could pick up. I don’t believe I ever saw him with a necktie on. He played football with the rest of us and was full of energy.” So the eight included the intellect, the athletic “character,” the laughing philo­ sopher, the quiet (shy?) one, the transfer student, the nice dresser, the ladies’ man, and even the typical “all-around” student. About as “normal” a distribution as any statistician could hope for. It is curious to note their ages. Marshall, the oldest at nearly 27 and a half, was a junior, but Knox was a senior and not quite three months older than 19. Hardin, a sophomore, was the youngest at three weeks over 19. Back then, once the entrance tests were passed, a student was admitted. It was a question of how much prepara­ tion a student had, and by 1839, Knox had been at Miami for five years.

The above is Old Main at Miami University as it appeared in 1830’s and 1840’s. The view is of the south side of the building. The other two buildings are dormitories. T o the right of the picture some students are playing “foot ball” in the south field. The Union Literary Society Hall is indicated, as well as the room Knox occupied, as reported by Ralph N. Fey, Miami 1940.

55

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Miami University as it appeared in the 1830’s and 1840’s T h is p ic tu r e a p p e a r s c o u rte s y o f th e S p e c ia l C o lle c tio n s L ib ra ry o f M ia m i U n iv e rs ity .

56

SECTION 6 Before the Founding There is very little pre-founding information available. Neither Shep nor Baird recorded much, except for Knox’s Union Lit speech quoted below. There are only a few hints in Knox’s letters and Marshall’s recollections. The hypothesis stated in the “Believe it or Not” anecdote appearing elsewhere in this book is suggestive, but remains unsupported. But while few details are certain, we do know the key events - the probable offer of membership to Knox (and Marshall?) by Alpha Delta Phi, Knox’s rejection of the Alpha’s organization, his reading of the mysterious old book of secret organizations, and subsequent difficulties with the Alphas in the Union Literary Society. Then followed Knox’s election as president of the Union Literary Society, the incubation of ideas by Knox and Marshall independently, and then their cooperation in the planning of their new idea. We are almost certain that none of the other founders were involved before this point. In the school year 1838-1839, Knox was a senior. He does not say it explicitly, but it seems that at some point he was approached by the Alphas with an offer of membership. H e wrote to E. B. Stevens that he believed the disruption in the Union Literary Society was due to them. Chances are that he knew perhaps one or two Alphas (those who had approached him), and had made astute guesses as to the others, some of which he thought were the troublemakers of Union Lit. These probably were merely Alpha sympathizers, however. However, Knox really disliked something about the Alpha organization as such, but he did not specify what it was. This may have been merely the general student resentment of the Greek organization, which appeared indistinguishable from a literary society, yet was also part of one. But, to the Alphas’ credit, Knox must have also seen something good: its “compact organization and esprit de corps,” which he found consistent with something he had just read in “an old book, no copy of which I have seen since, and the name of which I have forgotten.” Shepardson believed that this book was a copy of M organ’s book on Masonry. The “Morgan Episode” had oc­ curred in 1826. M organ’s book had made public certain Masonic rituals, including one for the “Thrice Illustrious Knights of the Cross,” an old Masonic order.

Knox and Union Lit Knox was a leader in the activities of the Union Literary Society. It must have been an important part of his college life, as it was for many students. Its suggestive m otto Fimiam Consensus Facit, “Cooperation Makes Strength,” seems to have made a real impression on him. His friend S. T. Marshall was also a member. On May 20 (which just happened to be his 19th birthday), over his signature as secretary, he reported the expulsion from the society of three members. They were accused of “using profanity and other ungentlemanly expressions about the society and its members both within and without the Society hall.” The expulsion was then “an­ nounced at chapel, in spite of the attempt of the offenders to escape the penalty by resigning the next morning after the disturbance.” These rebels established their

57

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

own society, the “Miami Hall,” which eventually merged with Union Lit in 1842. After a lively campaign, during which considerable bitter feelings developed, Knox was elected president of Union Lit. (Apparently, his adamant feelings against the Alphas were a major issue in the campaign, and the turmoil never ceased until the merger.) Nevertheless, on June 7, 1839, he delivered the following inaugural ad­ dress, trying to soothe the ruffled members: F e llo w M e m b e rs o f th e U n io n L ite r a r y S o c ie ty : Y o u h a v e s e e n fit to e le v a te m e to th e h ig h e st p o s t in y o u r p o w e r to b e s to w o n a p riv a te m e m b e r o f y o u r a s ­ s o c ia tio n . N e e d I say th a t I th a n k y o u fo r it? A c tio n s , it is s aid , s p e a k lo u d e r th a n w o rd s . L e t th e n m y a c tio n s p ro c la im m y th a n k s . L e t m y a c tio n s p ro v e m y d e v o tio n t o y o u r in te re s ts . W h e n m y h e a r t c e a s e s to r e m e m b e r w ith g r a titu d e m y o b lig a ­ tio n s to y o u a n d fo r g e ts th e in te re s ts o f U n io n H a ll, th e n m a y th is rig h t h a n d fo r g e t h e r c u n n in g a n d m y b ro w re c e iv e th e b r a n d , “ U n g r a te f u l.” F e llo w M e m b e rs : W e a re a b o u t to c o m m e n c e a n e w o u r e x e rc ise s a n d s e rv ­ ices in th e U n io n H a ll. A n d n o w , g e n tle m e n , le t e a c h o n e fo r g e t w h a t h a s g o n e b e f o r e , o r le t it o n ly b e r e m e m b e re d a s a w a rn in g in h is f u tu r e c o u rs e . I x t o ld s trife s a n d a n im o s itie s b e b u rie d . I f a n y o n e r e ta in a lin g e rin g o f d o u b t o r e n m ity to w a rd a n o t h e r m e m b e r, le t h im q u e n c h it im m e d ia te ly . L e t e a c h o n e , lik e th e R o m a n s o ld ie r, re n e w h is v o w o f o b e d ie n c e a n d a ffe c tio n . L e t h im ta k e u p o n h im s e lf a g a in th e s a c ra m e n t o f d e v o tio n a n d o f lo v e. L e t all jo in h a n d in h a n d , a n d le t e a c h g o o n h is w ay re s o lu te ly a n d n o b ly , a n d , th o u g h o u t o f th e H a ll s e p a r a te ,

in his intercourse with the other members be urbane in his manners, and mild in his expressions, and steadfast in his friendship.” T h u s s h a ll it b e , g e n tle m e n , th a t one shall be to the other as a brother and the name o f U n io n L it shall be the shibboleth o f Love. [The Beta Book, page 5, emphasis added] Almost sounds like a Beta speech, doesn’t it? Well, the emphasized phrases in Knox’s inaugural address appear in the speech he made at the first anniversary of Beta’s founding. They also appear in the ritual obligations paraphrased from those of the “Thrice Illustrious Knights of the Cross,” which, Shepardson noted, appeared in M organ’s expose of Masonry, possibly the book Knox read. Clearly, by June 7, Knox had begun planning an organization “which would embrace the good without the ingredient of evil,” as he stated in his letter to Stevens, in which he continued: “My attention was drawn more forcibly to this by the dissention then existing in the Union Hall, which I conceived originated in the Alpha Society.” y e t h e re u n ite d . L e t e a c h o n e , o f th e S o c ie ty ,

Marshall’s part M arshall’s version of these days was different. Although he was a member of Union Lit, there is no indication of his position during the difficulties in May of 1839. When he was interviewed in the 1880’s he stated that he had been offered m em ber­ ship in Alpha Delta Phi, but refused, since “secret societies were very unpopular with both the faculty and students.” O f course there were initially no rules on such things, the Alphas having been the first of the kind on campus - but their activities quickly made them unpopular. It seems that the idea of such an organization stuck in his mind, and he began considering a society of absolute secrecy, with no visible badges to provoke the fierce anti-Alpha sentiment. He also studied the Morgan book of rituals, or something similar. H e also related that by the beginning of July,

58

m e,

rA iin ru L ,

nunt

ur

th is

THKJsis

John Reily Knox Miami 1839 59

STARS

the,

f H i i n r u L , n u n c- u r

in n , ir m a c ,

j i /w j

he had completed the constitution, which he patriotically dated July 4,1839.

Who was first? The greatest unsolved mystery of Beta Theta Pi comes at just this point in the pre-founding story. Who was truly responsible: Knox or Marshall? Our history, taken from the minutes of the Alpha chapter’s first meeting, consistently puts Knox first, then Marshall. But when the two met at the semi-centennial in 1889, according to M arshall’s daughter, Marshall asked Knox: “Reily, it seems to me that you are getting the credit as the founder of the fraternity. How did that get out?” Knox replied, “Why, Taylor, I did found that Society.” Marshall then went on, rather emotionally, “Why, you didn’t.” Shep said that the information from Marshall “magnifies his part in the proceedings” and pointed out Marshall’s other inaccura­ cies after nearly 50 years, but in his letter of 1873, Knox had his share as well. So does Shep, and this book will be no different. But we don’t really know. None of the other founders ever gave any clues about the pre-founding history - we believe that they were approached after the initial planning, and it was never discussed afterwards. So, without new evidence, nothing can be said for certain. However, examine carefully the following lines from Knox’s letter of 1843, believed to be the most accurate version of Beta’s origin: T a y lo r M a r s h a ll s u g g e s te d th e id e a o f b u ild in g u p a s o c ie ty w h ic h m ig h t u n ite th e b e n e f its w ith o u t th e d is a d v a n ta g e s o f th e A lp h a s . I to ld him I h a d th o u g h t o f it b u t w a s a fra id th a t w e c o u ld n o t su c c e e d . B u t if y o u k n o w M a rs h a ll, I n e e d n o t tell y o u th a t h e is o n e o f th e m o s t s a n g u in e m e n in e x iste n c e . T h e id e a o n c e s ta r te d , h e w o u ld n o t give it u p u n til I s e t to w o rk .

Both Knox and Marshall had considered the idea, but neither of them had yet accomplished anything with it. Certainly Knox and Marshall were already good friends. Maybe the answer is they were both responsible, each in his own way. They needed each other; indeed, Beta remained only an idea until they implemented it between themselves. Hence, we propose this interpretation of the founding: Beta Theta Pi truly came into being by the joint action of Knox and Marshall when they cooperated in planning their new idea. This allows for both of them to have been right, and is in keeping with the real idea of the fraternity, as voiced in the motto of the Union Literary Society. It is certain that the initial planning sessions were late at night in Knox’s or Marshall’s room in the “old wing.” (Knox had the easternmost room on the south side of the second floor according to Ralph Fey.) What a scene could be imagined: Knox paging through the Greek Lexicon (borrowed from Union Lit’s library?), Marshall drawing designs for the badge; their whispered discussions while the candles dripped wax through the night...

Other happenings Now that we have determined Knox and Marshall were the first Betas, who was next? It’s another mystery. Knox said that it was Hardin, who room ed next to Marshall, but Marshall said that his roommate, Smith, was third. The minutes actually show Linton as third, then Smith, then Hardin. Certainly, Smith as 60

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

M arshall’s room m ate would had to have been approached earlier. Just try keeping the plans for your new fraternity secret from your roommate... The third man was important, as the constitution required three members in order to form a chapter. The other five followed shortly thereafter, upon mutual approval of the first three. It is significant to note that four were Union Lit, and four were Erodelphians, which under any other conditions would have been the greatest of rivals. Several other things happened before the first regular meeting. Indeed, the m ere qualification by the word regular is enough to deduce at least one preliminary meeting. Also, all were already brothers - the formalities of election and of signing the constitution had already taken place, since otherwise such things would have appeared in the minutes. The constitution was completed, as well as a design for the badges, which were to have clasped hands as one of the symbols. Marshall had apparently obtained nine $10 gold pieces to be made into badges. H e went to Cin­ cinnati to get them, changing the proposed clasped hands into a crescent. A letter from 1846 tells of an early meeting in a peculiar place: ... th e e x iste n c e o f th e s o c ie ty w as k e p t a p r o f o u n d s e c re t, a n d th e y u s e d to m e e t a f te r th e o th e r s tu d e n ts h a d g o n e to b e d , o t in th e c o u n tr y in s o m e f a r m e r ’s h o u s e . T h e r e is a n o ld h o u s e a b o u t a m ile fro m to w n o f w h ic h it w as p o s itiv e ly a ffir m e d in th o s e d a y s th a t it w as h a u n te d . T h e b o y s u s e d to o b ta in th e k e y fro m th e o w n e r w h o liv ed in to w n , a n d m a k e th e ir w ay o u t th e re , tr a n s a c t th e ir b u s i­ n e ss, a n d r e tu r n a f te r all w a s s ile n t a b o u t c o lle g e. It is a ric h tr e a t to h e a r o n e o f th e o ld p a tr ia r c h s tell o f th o s e d ay s. T o th is se c re c y th e y a s c rib e th e ir su cc e ss.

We do not yet have direct evidence from the Founders, but in a letter from E. B. Stevens to Pater Knox, we have learned that it was known as “Cathcart’s haunted house,” and that some lost story spoke of Marshall “falling in the cellar.” In 1843, Knox wrote toE . B. Stevens that “a circumstance occurred at this time that came near breaking up the whole affair.” Marshall had mentioned something about the society to a student known as “Grimke Swan,” whom Knox felt was “an insufferable bore, and a man that I cordially disliked.” His real name was George A. Swan. Knox went on: “He found out entirely too much about our proceedings and was determined to be initiated or expose us.” Swan knew that pins had been sent for, and also that Linton and Hardin were members. Knox said that to initiate Swan “would be to bring a perfect incubus on the Society,” but if he were to expose its existence at that time “would been certain death.” So Linton, Hardin, Marshall and Knox met in H ardin’s room, and decided “to give him a mock initiation, let him pay for a pin, and have nothing more to do with him.” Knox’s letter continues the story: T a y lo r w e n t a n d b ro u g h t h im in, a n d I g o t u p a n d a d m in is te r e d a n d o a th to h im w ith a ll th e s o le m n ity o f a n ow l. I to ld h im th e n th a t th e S o c ie ty o f w h ic h h e w a s a m e m b e r h a d n o w ritte n C o n s titu tio n - th a t w e w e re to h a v e n o m o re m e e tin g s , a n d ta k e n o m o r e m e m b e rs , & c., & c. I th e n g av e h im s o m e a d v ic e a b o u t w e a rin g h is p in , & c., all o f w h ic h h e to o k a s law a n d g o s p e l. H e le ft a t th e c lo se o f th e s e s sio n , a n d w h a t b e c a m e o f h im is m o re th a n I kn ow .

Miami’s Alumni Catalog states that Swan died in 1840, and was an Alpha Delta Phi. Finally, at some point in the summer of 1839, Duncan was elected as the first president, Smith as the first secretary, and Linton was appointed to prepare an essay for the first regular meeting, which they arranged to be held at 9:00 on August 8, the “second Thursday of August” of 1839.

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The Hall of the Union Literary Society T h e first r e g u la r m e e tin g o f B e ta T h e ta P i w a s h e ld in th is ro o m . (A s it a p p e a r e d in 1890) T h is p ic tu r e a p p e a r s c o u rte s y o f th e S p e c ia l C o lle c tio n s L ib ra ry o f M ia m i U n iv e rs ity .

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SECTION 7 The Founding Thursday, August 8,1839 was Commencement for Miami. Knox, Linton, and Ryan received their degrees. The long speeches had finally ended, and the degrees were conferred. The sun had set, and the stars were coming out. No one was up on the third floor in Old Main. But wait! Very quietly, a young men stealthily comes up the wooden stairs, carrying a lit candle and a key. Another follows him, with a manu­ script of some kind. Shortly afterwards, six others make their way up to the landing. The first one unlocks the door which bears the inscription U N I O N H a l l . They enter, and having carefully locked the door from the inside, take their places around the room. Just enough candles are lit to enable one of them to write down what is happening: Miami University, August 9, 1839 The following young men, students of Miami University, namely, John R. Knox, Samuel T. Marshall, David Linton, J. G. Smith, Charles H. Hardin, John H. Duncan, M. C. Ryan, and Thomas B. Gordon, having associated themselves together, formed and subscribed to the foregoing constitution, laws, and obligations, held, agreeably to previous arrange­ ment, their first regular meeting in the hall of the Union Literary Society at 9:00 o’clock on Thursday evening, August 8, Anno Domini 1839. John H. Duncan, having been previously elected as first president of this association, delivered his inaugural address as required, and entered upon the discharge of his duties. David Linton, who have been previously appointed to prepare a suitable address for the occasion, discharged the duty devolving upon him in an essay upon the first, and an ex tempore address upon the last, words of the motto. J. R. Knox was then elected to address the society upon the first anniversary of its foundation. Thomas B. Gordon was appointed to prepare the essay for the next meeting. Mr. Ryan proposed that it should be the duty of the secretary to inform by letter all absent members of the election of any new member, which proposition was agreed to. As a portion of the members would be absent during the ap­ proaching recess of the university, it was deemed advisable to adjourn to meet on the second Thursday of October, and the society adjourned ac­ cordingly. Jo hn

H.

D uncan,

Pres. Ja m es

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

So there it is. It isn’t much different from what has appeared in many editions of Son o f the Stars, to be memorized by numerous pledges. Shep’s “eighth day of the eighth m onth” is more poetic. But another mystery is, why were the minutes dated August ninth? What else went on that night? Did they look at the stars shining down on them? Did they think that it would last for an agel They certainly expected to still be in existence a year later. Could they expect 150? The essays at every chapter meeting ceased after many years, but still addresses would be prepared for other anniversa­ ries. Some would be renowned speakers; Hanna, Sisson, Shepardson, Robb, Brooks, Fey, Martin; others would be undergraduates, “discharging the duty devolv­ ing upon them,” often speaking on the words of the motto. But the above minutes are so scanty - why did they not leave us more details? Maybe they did something better. They left us enough. After all, in our own chapters we have private times where even a brother from another chapter might feel outside. Their first chapter meeting was private - they left us an example of their friendship by what they did not record. But actually we do have one other piece of this meeting. Linton’s essay also appears in the Alpha records, and we have included it elsewhere in this book. It should be read carefully, referring as it does to the words of the motto. It is a welcome sample of a founder’s thoughts, even though many of the classical allusions are now meaningless to those with “little Latin and less Greek.” There are a few comments to be made at this point. First, it is probably only known by “Lore-M asters” that Duncan was a “legacy” - in Alpha Delta Phi! His brother, Robert, graduated from Miami in 1837. Speaking of legacies, Knox’s brother came to Miami in the early 1840’s, but did not become a Beta. Finally, M arshall’s son went to Miami in the 1860’s but became a AKE. But Knox’s grandson did become a Beta, as did Linton’s great-grandson. In his report to the convention of 1878, Ransom stated that each of the founders had been approached by Alpha Delta Phi, but we have no independent knowledge of this. We sincerely hope that if any Beta ever invents a time machine or gets access to one, he gets a good video tape of the year before the founding, as well as the founding itself (and also of the Wooglin clubhouse conventions!)

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The Cover of the First Alpha Record Book preserved in the archives of the fraternity. It contains the minutes of the first few years of the Miami chapter’s existence, including the first constitution, the minutes of the first meeting on August 8, 1839, and Linton’s speech on that occasion. It is believed that the record of the first year was copied from other documents in December, 1840 by John Whitney, Miami 1841. Note the use of a ' for the name of the chapter, indicating that the name was actually “chapter num ber one.” Also note the use of commas and the article: the Beta, Theta, Pi.

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SECTION 8 Early Growth 1839-1840 W hen August 9,1839 dawned on Oxford, there was a new fraternity on campus. School was over until October. The founders went home, or travelled around. Linton went to see Smith at his home. H e later wrote to “Leb,” telling him of his great “experiment” - he had concocted what can only be called a primitive “jetpropelled” raft. But he was too dissatisfied with its poor performance to speak of it even to Knox. By October 10, the five undergraduate Betas were together again. This time they met in the Erodelphian Hall, of which both President Duncan and Gordon were members. Gordon read the essay which he had been appointed to prepare, and Hardin was appointed to prepare one for the next meeting. Then, the first regular proposal for membership was made: Henry Hunter Johnson, Miami 1840, “was then proposed as a gentleman possessing every quali­ fication for membership in the Beta Theta Pi Association; and all those present having expressed a wish that he should be admitted as a brother member, Mr. Gordon was selected as the most suitable person to make the proposition to the member-elect, and, in case he should accept of membership in the Beta Theta Pi, to introduce him at the next regular meeting.” [from the minutes of the Alpha Chapter, October 10,1839, in Beta Life, page 6] Things don’t work quite so simply any more, but the main idea is the same - see the section on membership in this book for more details. Johnson was initiated on November 14, the “second Thursday.” He was to prepare an essay for the December meeting. He and Smith were appointed a committee to propose “some new exercise which should increase the interest and prolong the meetings of the Society.” In December, they reported this plan, which is quite interesting: A f te r a ll th e r e g u la r b u s in e s s s h a ll h a v e b e e n d is p a tc h e d , th e p r e s id e n t s h a ll call u p o n th e m e m b e rs in d iv id u a lly , e a c h o f w h o m w ill b e e x p e c te d to m a k e so m e e x te m p o r a n e o u s re m a rk s u p o n a n y s u b jc c t w h ich h e m a y s e le c t o r to give a w r itte n o r v e rb a l s e n tim e n t. A f te r all th e o t h e r m e m b e rs s h a ll h a v e b e e n c alled u p o n , th e p r e s id e n t a f te r th e s a m e m a n n e r s h all p e rfo r m th e c lo sin g e x e rc ise s. It is to b e u n d e r s to o d h o w e v e r, th a t th is e x e rc ise is to b e o n ly v o lu n ta ry a n d is to fo rm n o p a r t o f th e c o n s titu tio n a l d u tie s .

In January, three new members were elected: Whitney, Alexander Paddack, and A. W. Hamilton. They were initiated in February. At this meeting, Founder Gordon was elected president. The spring recess of Miami was in the near future, and some of the brothers intended to visit Cincinnati then. O f course there were no plans to go to Florida, as that was still full of Indians. A special meeting was called, and on M arch 13, it was “ RESOLVED, that a committee consisting of Messrs. Pad­ dack, Hamilton and Gordon be appointed to establish a chapter of the Association in the City of Cincinnati.” Note that they did not really state that the chapter was to be at the University of Cincinnati. While the records are not completely clear, it seems that all of the 66

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

members were college students (of various schools). The new members were cer­ tainly enthusiastic about the fraternity - this chapter would proceed to start three chapters before Miami would start another. This move towards a multi-chapter organization was important, as we shall see. On April 8th, the committee met in Cincinnati, Gordon took the Chair, and Paddack acted as secretary. Membership had been proposed to four men: Henry Snow, Stephen Gano, Henry Beard and Louis P. Harvey. After Gordon made some appropriate remarks on the nature of Beta and explained its objects, the new chap­ ter elected Snow as president and Gano as secretary. Snow was a Miami graduate of the class of 1838. No sooner had the Cincinnati chapter been established than an issue arose which could easily have become a major problem. The Cincinnati chapter was full of excitement about the fraternity; however, they had some different ideas, and were removed from the Literary Society politics in which the Miami chapter was involved. Miami was sub rosa —that is, their chapter’s existence was completely secret (from everyone else on campus). Though the brothers had badges, they did not wear them while they were undergraduates. Cincinnati didn’t like that idea. They weren’t about to be tossed out of some Literary Society because they were in a fraternity (this seems to have been the Miami brothers’ biggest worry). Unlike some fraternities then in existence, however, Miami did not pretend that Cincinnati was just some other club with the same name and symbols, and ignore them. But, for a short time, it appeared that Miami was going to take the alternate route, and become the “m other chapter,” holding full authority over the others (well, there was really only one other —Cincinnati.) Three selections from Baird’s collection of Beta Letters tell how it happened: May 18,1840: Paddack wrote to Henry Snow, president of Cincinnati. He noted that Cincinnati had “entered into the spirit of the thing so warmly.” This, perhaps, is the first mention of the “Beta spirit” immortalized by Robb. H e also emphasized the “great necessity of preserving the utmost secrecy of the whole affair.” June 8th, 1840: John Whitney and Founder Marshall wrote to Snow, detailing a method for protection of the source of the badges. They concluded: “Our associa­ tion has considerable business on hand in making such laws and regulations as are necessary to render it both permanent and useful. Your Chapter will be duly in­ formed of every regulation which may be made to apply to each Chapter.” [emphasis added] It would appear that adopting this attitude towards the other chapter(s) would have made Miami the legislative as well as executive head: a “mother chapter” as some other fraternities had at that time. Fortunately, the Beta spirit (referred to by Paddack) prevailed. June 12th, 1840 (only 4 days later): Almost apologetic in tone, Whitney and

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Marshall again wrote to Snow: “You doubtless received a letter a few days since from us in relation to some measures that were adopted by our common associa­ tion... They then gave more details regarding a method for protecting the source of the badges, and continued: “The present arrangement, however, is merely tem po­ rary and if we see proper will alter it at the [first anniversary meeting to be held at the] end of this session [of school] at which we expect to have as many of you to be present as is possible, in connection with the members who have graduated [Knox, Linton and Ryan], We propose then in a full assembly to consider in what respects the constitution is defective and make such alterations and additions as we may deem necessary for the good o f our association. All regulations entered into now may consequently be deemed temporary.... We hope you will think about these and be prepared to give your opinion.” [emphasis added] This letter is really the first definition of a Beta convention and also the first in­ vitation to one. Clearly the “mother chapter” idea was not seriously envisioned by Alpha, but rather a mutual effort among the chapters, meeting “in full assembly” to­ gether with “the members who have graduated,” in order to further “the good of our association.” Miami held six more meetings before the first anniversary meeting. More planning was accomplished and five more members were added (so the “ no more than nine” clause in the constitution had been dropped by then). Founder Hardin was elected president of Alpha at the July meeting. On Miami’s commencement of 1840, the second Thursday, August 13th, the Betas met. All eight of the founders were there. (This is known not from Beta records, but from Miami University’s Alumni Club Record Book in King Library, which records the attendance of the three alumni at its meeting that morning.) Knox read the anniversary address (which appears in this book). There was to have been a report on changes to the constitution, but the committee was not prepared at that time. A motion was made to authorize this committee to insert an article “requiring a triennial celebration” - the first official mention of the General Convention. That day, Marshall, Smith, Duncan and Gordon graduated. At this ceremony, it was reported that Dr. Bishop, the president of Miami, noticed the badges they wore, and asked “How long has this been going on?” The reaction of the students was immediate: thousands of slips of paper appeared all over campus, each with lines of “doggerel” about the new fraternity and its members. (It appears that this was a custom then prevalent of anonymous commenting on current college life.) Marshall said that he stayed up all night with some others, “writing doggerel in reply.” He composed it, and the others copied it and distributed it. [Sounds like “cooperation makes strength” to me!] Marshall says “We downed them!”

1840-1841 Miami and Cincinnati proceeded to develop the constitution. The badge was the biggest single difficulty, but the diamond and wreath were finally approved, re­ placing M arshall’s crescent. The first triennial convention was planned for August 68

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of 1842. Miami wanted to establish a chapter at Jefferson, (by means of Johnson, who was then an alumnus and living in Pittsburgh), but it did not happen. Then Miami proposed a chapter at W estern Reserve. This was established on August 9, 1840 by L. P. Harvey of Cincinnati, one of the four initiated by Founder Gordon at its founding. The second anniversary occurred, attended by “all the resident members pres­ ent, together with some of the graduated members and a large portion of the Cincinnati Chapter.” Rodney Mason, Miami 1844 was initiated. Founder Ryan had been appointed to give an address, but he had declined, and R obert W. Wilson, Miami 1840 addressed the assembled brothers.

1841-1842 This year saw four new chapters added: W estern Reserve, Ohio, and Transyl­ vania, through the efforts of Cincinnati brothers, and Jefferson, by Miami. The last two named, Beta’s fifth and sixth chapters, were the first chapters of any fraternity in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, respectively. While Transylvania only lasted no more than five years, Jefferson continues her life unbroken to the present - when W ash­ ington College united with Jefferson in 1865, the chapters merged - this chapter is now the Washington and Jefferson Chapter, the Gamm a of Beta Theta Pi. Some authors take note of this long life, then proceed to criticize the establishment of Transylvania as an “example of hasty and unwise expansion” - but they can’t have it both ways. Consider the facts: two chapters were founded only five months apart, one dies and another has not yet died... Clearly, it is difficult to predict anything about a new chapter, and therein (it would seem) lies a flaw on which much of Beta’s varying expansion philosophy has rested.

The First Convention Beta planned to meet in the first Triennial Convention at Cincinnati, August 15 and 16,1842. This was Beta’s first convention, and certainly any present conventiongoer would like to know about it. There were no Fraternal Fifties present, since Beta was only three years old. There was no passing the Loving Cup. If there was singing, it was never mentioned. However, at 3 PM on Monday, August 15, 1842, twelve Betas met somewhere in Cincinnati. There were delegates from four of the six chapters then in existence: Miami, Cincinnati, W estern Reserve, and Ohio. No one came from Transylvania (a very troubled chapter) and Jefferson was about to enter their exam period, but they sent a letter of suggestions. All of those in attendance were familiar with parliamentary procedure, and they began by electing a president and secretary. After taking atten­ dance, they entered into legislative matters. Finding it necessary to have some time to discuss and ponder the issues under discussion, they adjourned to meet at 8 PM that evening. Then, three more members of the Cincinnati chapter having arrived, they heard the constitutionally required Address, given by A. W. Hamilton, Miami 1842. They continued with business, and at length they adjourned to meet the next day. One really wonders what went on that night... but they convened the next day

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at 9 AM, and continued with their business. After lunch, another session began at 3 PM, and the final meeting was at 8 PM that night, which adjourned sine die, “without a day.” Hardly a day and a half was spent conducting business. H ere is the outline of the convention of 1842: Monday 8/15

Tuesday 8/16 9 AM

3 PM 8 PM

Session 1 (dinner) Session 2 (speech)

3 PM 8 PM

Session 3 (lunch) Session 4 (dinner) Session 5

1842-1843 The Harvard chapter was established, and Cincinnati became inactive.

1843-1844 The Princeton chapter was established, the first chapter of any fraternity in New Jersey. The first use of the term “Greek” referring to a Beta brother appeared in a letter from Milton S. Latham, Jefferson 1845, to Charles W. Gilmore, Miami 1846, telling of their recent initiates: “They had been elevated to the proud rankofaG reek and cast off the old title of barbarian. The change brought them into a purer atmosphere and they embraced our cause heart and hand.”

1844-1845 George Hoadly, W estern Reserve 1844, transferred to Harvard and found that the chapter there had ceased to meet. He asked for permission to transfer the chapter to Yale, but did not receive it - the Harvard chapter died in 1845, and Yale was not established until 1892. Meanwhile, on April 23,1845, two brothers from Miami established a chapter at Indiana Asbury, now known as De Pauw. It was the first fraternity chapter in Indiana. The Second Triennial convention was due, but there was no agreement on where it would be held. So none was called. O r so Shep and Baird thought. Their searches never found any record or minutes of the event. However, in the archives of the fraternity is preserved a letter from E. B. Stevens to Pater Knox, dated October 12,1845, a section of which we will quote verbatim... W h e t h e r in a n tic ip a tio n o f y o u r R e d - H a ir e d jo y s ,* y o u c an fe e l m u c h in te r e s t in th o s e m in o r c o n s id e ra tio n s th a t h a v e o fte n a ffo r d e d us to p ic s in d a y s th a t a re p a s t, is a m a tte r o f s o m e d o u b t I s u p p o s e - b u t if a n y o f th e s e w ill p ro v e a c c e p ta b le , I w o u ld fa ir te ll th e e o f a v isit to th e T r ie n n ia l C o n v e n tio n o f th e B.e.IL h o ld e n in C in c in n a ti S e p t. 15, A n n o D o m in i '45 - T h is c o n s titu te s a b o u t th e a m o u n t o f th e m a tte r - T o m M itc h e ll w as c a lle d to th e c h a ir, a n d J n o . C. Z a c h o s a p p o in te d S e c re ta ry . D u B o is & S te v e n s w e re th e r e p re s e n ta tiv e s o f th e O x fo rd [M iam i] C h a p te r , a n d M r. G o o d w in o f [In d ia n a ], o f th e A s b u r y [D e P a u w ] C h a p t e r a t G r e e n C a s tle . T h e r e w as n o b u s in e s s w h a te v e r b e f o r e th e C o n v e n tio n , o n e o r tw o 1 K n o x w a s a b o u t to m a rry Is a b e l B rig g s.

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re s o lu tio n s w e re re a d a n d la id o n th e ta b le , a fte r w h ic h th e P r e s id e n t a m u s e d th e c o m p a n y w ith a v a rie ty o f silly y a rn s a n d th e C o n v e n tio n a d jo u rn e d . In th e e v e n in g M r. Z a c h o s a d d re s s e d th e B e ta T h e ta P i a t th e 4 th S t. H a ll a n d to s p e a k s e rio u s ly a n d c a n d id ly it w a s an e ffo r t th a t d id g re a t h o n o r to th e first p u b lic a p p e a r a n c e o f th e a ss o c ia tio n in C in c in n a ti. B u t I r e g re t th e slim a u d ie n c e th a t g a v e a tte n d a n c e o n th e little G re e k . T h e n e x t e v e n in g w a s to h a v e b e e n d e v o te d to th e C o n v iv ia l. B u t I le ft th e c ity b e f o r e it c a m e o ff, a n d h a v e h e a r d n o th in g f u r th e r o f th e a ffa ir. B e tw e e n us, th e 2 n d T r ie n n ia l C o n v e n tio n w a s r a t h e r a fa ilu re ; b u t th a t w a s o w in g to th e n o n - a tte n d a n c e o f th e a c tin g m e m b e r s h ip — f o r I h a v e le a rn e d w ith in th e la st few d a y s th a t a c alle d C o n v e n tio n w ill p ro b a b ly b e h e ld a t H u d s o n n e x t fall. I f a C o n v e n tio n is to b e c a lle d I w o u ld s u g g e s t O x fo rd a s th e p la c e...

So it seems that there was one after all, though it did practically nothing.

1845-1846 Chapters were established at Indiana, Michigan and Wabash. Miami planned to start chapters at Farmers College and M arietta College, but nothing came of either. Miami chapter also finally admitted its existence on campus. The Princeton chapter became inactive, but the other chapters did not know of this.

1846-1847 The Williams Chapter was established. Ohio became inactive, as did Transyl­ vania but again the chapters were not aware of this. Since the regular convention of 1845 was “rather a failure,” a special convention was called. It met in Cincinnati, on May 14, 1847. Delegates from the Miami, Jefferson, Western Reserve, Michigan, Asbury [De Pauw] and Wabash chapters were present. The Indiana and Williams chapters were active, but sent no delegates. M embers of Cincinnati were present, although their chapter was inactive, as were those at Ohio, Harvard, Transylvania and Princeton, though the convention thought the last two were still alive. This convention established the “presiding chapter” system of government, in which the chapters took turns serving as Beta’s administrative office.

1847-1848 This year, the Miami chapter became inactive, and the Centre chapter was started. Both were a result of the famous “Snow Rebellion” at Miami. The reader is directed to Beta Life, pages 197-199, Beta Letters, pages 189-190, or the student journal of Joseph Brady for the students’ view, ox A t Old Miami, pages 110-114 or The Miami Years, pages 93-36 for that of the faculty...

The Snow Rebellion It all started on Wednesday, January 12,1848. There had been a large snowfall in Oxford. Some students were on their way back from a prayer meeting in town. They rolled perhaps a dozen huge snowballs and filled in the first floor of Old Main. They had gotten a day’s play for a long night’s work. The next day the janitor worked for an hour to clear a passage. Though at least one of the faculty thought it amusing, the president was in a towering rage: he was going to find the guilty and expel them, he was determined to make Miami “a decent college.”

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The next night, a larger crowd of students made a much more impenetrable barrier, and wreaked more havoc, nailing the doors shut, filling the hall with wood and snow, removing the college bell and dropping it in the cistern. There were no classes that Friday, and none the next week, either, while the trials began. The students would admit their own guilt, but would not implicate others. Finally a list of forty-six was arrived at, who would neither admit their guilt nor make any promise for the future. They were dismissed from Miami. Of the 20 seniors, only 9 were left, and only 5 of the 12 juniors remained. This was not strictly speaking a Greek affair, but a campus-wide stunt. Yet it hurt the fraternities severely. Alpha Delta Phi and Beta Theta Pi had lost members. Three Betas were dismissed; they were admitted to Centre College, and proceeded to set up a chapter there. That chapter, the Epsilon of Beta Theta Pi, is the oldest presently existing chapter of any fraternity in Kentucky, making Beta Theta Pi and the Epsilon chapter the first (at Transylvania in 1842) and the oldest (at Centre, since 1848) fraternity in Kentucky. Two remaining Betas and one remaining Alpha left Miami that spring, and hence no fraternity remained on Miami’s campus - until December of 1848, when Phi Delta Theta was started. No Betas were at Miami after all was said and done (and the snow of a new winter lay on the ground). But our chapter there was not the “mother chapter,” and the life of the fraternity was strong at other schools. The wisdom of erecting the “sister societies,” the “other selves” was finally apparent. In 1963, one hundred and fifteen years later, this event affecting the fraternities was humorously re-enacted by Miami students after another heavy snowfall.

The Convention of 1848 The convention of 1848 was held in Hudson, Ohio, the site of W estern Reserve College. It began on Tuesday, August 8, and recorded use of the “committee of the whole,” and also the first mention of music. W hether this “music” was Beta songs is unknown, but the first sheet of Beta “odes” had appeared just seven months before, at the Wabash chapter. W estern Reserve was appointed as the presiding chapter. A rule was enacted which provided that no preparatory school students were to be admitted to Beta. A committee was appointed to draft a ritual. The convention also prescribed a series of regulations for those petitioning for charters, required unanimous approval of all existing chapters in order to establish a new one, and restricted chapters to colleges. A clever idea of the W estern Reserve chapter served to publicize the meeting and give the prototype for future toastmasters and (temporary) convention presi­ dents, but it had an unintended side-effect. A recent Beta graduate, Charles Rock­ well Pierce, W estern Reserve 1844, was the son of the president of the college, George E. Pierce. The chapter decided to invite President Pierce to membership in the W estern Reserve chapter, then have him preside over the public exercises. This would insure publicity in the papers, but (they hoped) would also make envious the chapter of Alpha Delta Phi (Beta’s chief rival at the time). Moreover, the Alphas would then be invited to the exercises.

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Pierce accepted, as did the Alphas, who attended in a body. Although it was not the highest motive on the W estern Reserve Betas’ part, it goes down in history as the first inter-fraternity event. It is also remarkable that in 1848 a college president would publicly show his interest in a fraternity. O f course we don’t choose our speakers to irritate our fraternity rivals any more, but a prominent local alumnus is often elected to the office of temporary president of the convention. An outline of the convention of 1848 Tuesday 8 /8

Wednesday 8/9

9 AM Session 3 1 PM Session 1 1 PM Session 4 (dinner) 7 PM Session 2 (speech)

Thursday 8/10

Friday 8/11 8 AM Session 5 1 PM Session 6

No sessions were held on Thursday, probably to allow some time for the committees to work. Another of the mysteries of early conventions is found in the minutes of the final session: “The Convention then passed a vote of thanks to the Hudson [Western Reserve] Chapter for its kind entertainment of the delegates from abroad....” what kind of entertainment was it? The current schedule provides for a recreation period on Wednesday or Thursday, which apparently was done then also.

1848-1849 The Brown chapter was established. As Beta completed her first decade, this brought the total number of chapters to 15, of which 8 were inactive. Beta then had about 400 members.

1849-1850 Michigan chapter had been fighting the “Fraternity W ar” with the faculty for nearly four years. The college had a rule against membership in secret organizations while an undergraduate; the Betas would evade this by not signing the constitution until they graduated. But the faculty came down hard on the fraternities, expelling every known member. They offered to permit the chapters to continue only if the constitution of the fraternity was inspected by a faculty member, and nothing objec­ tionable was found. A rthur D. Rich, Michigan 1851, talked the problem over with one of the friendlier professors, Silas H. Douglass, who asked why the chapter didn’t invite one of the faculty to join Beta. Once a member, he could then examine the constitution and report truthfully to the faculty... This was done, and so Michigan became the first chapter officially recognized by the faculty. The Indiana and Wabash chapters became inactive. The Hampden-Sydney chapter was established, the first fraternity chapter in Virginia. They had a different approach to the faculty vs. fraternity problem: two of the faculty were already Beta

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alumni of other schools! This made a significant difference to the life of the chapter. In fact, it seems to have resulted in what was the first “chapter house” of the fraternity: the “Ratcastle” - which was rented to members of the chapter by a member of the faculty.

1850-1851 Despite faculty approval, the Michigan chapter became inactive. The first dark event in Beta history occurred, as the Brown and Williams chapters deserted Beta to join Alpha Delta Phi. These chapters had been comparatively isolated from the rest of the chapters, but their conduct was nevertheless inexcusable. The Fourth Triennial Convention was held at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from August 7 to 9. Only the Western Reserve and Jefferson chapters were represented. The periodical was discussed, with no firm plans. The chapter recorders were to carefully preserve correspondence, and keep copies of letters sent. Jefferson was made the presiding chapter. A new grip was adopted, and a new obligation was added to the ritual. These changes were all in reaction to the recent betrayal. A catalog of membership was ordered to be prepared. A regular system of committees was appointed to handle convention business, which has continued in use to the present.

1851-1852 The Miami chapter was revived, and a new chapter was established at North Carolina.

1852-1853 Ohio Wesleyan and Hanover chapters were established. It was during this school year that the first Beta banquet was held. Robert C. Galbraith, Miami 1853, told the story in The Beta Theta Pi for February 1915. A t o n e tim e w e h a d a b a n q u e t, th e first th a t I e v e r a tte n d e d - w e m a d e c a re fu l p r e p a r a tio n s f o r it a n d w h e n it c am e it w as a w o n d e r. T w o o f o u r n u m b e r h a d th e ro o m in th e O ld W in g in w h ic h K n o x a n d M a rs h a ll w r o te th e c o n s titu tio n a n d fo u n d e d th e F r a te rn ity . T h e O ld W in g h as b e e n t o r n d o w n [in 1867], b u t th e p la c e w h ich th e ro o m o c c u p ie d is n o w m a rk e d w ith a h a n d s o m e ta b le t in th e w all o f th e C h a p e l, w h ic h h a s b e e n b u ilt o n th e site o f th e O ld W in g . T h e r o o m h a d d o u b le h o n o r; first, b e c a u s e in it th e F r a te r n ity h a d its o rig in ; s e c o n d , b e c a u s e in it w as c e le b r a te d th e first a n d in s o m e re s p e c ts th e m o s t r e m a rk a b le B e ta b a n q u e t. T h e ro o m , to o , h a d a s to v e , w h ic h h a d an o v e n , in w h ic h a tu rk e y c o u ld b e ro a s te d , a n d th is p ro b a b ly , m o re th a n a n y th in g e lse , m a d e it a n id e a l p la c e f o r a b a n q u e t. O n e o f th e m e n o c c u p y in g th e ro o m , a fte rw a rd b e c a m e d u rin g th e [C ivil] w a r, q u a r te r m a s te r a n d b o u g h t s u p p lie s fo r th o u s a n d s a n d th o u s a n d s o f m e n in th e a rm ie s o f th e W e s t, a n d d id th e w o rk e x c e lle n tly w ell; n o fa u lt w as e v e r fo u n d w ith h im , h e re c e iv e d n o th in g b u t c o m m e n d a tio n fro m th e G o v e rn m e n t. I s u p p o s e h e w a s u n c o n sc io u s ly tr a in e d fo r th is la b o r w o rk in th e b u y in g o f s u p p lie s f o r o u r b a n q u e t. In th is h e d id w ell a n d w h e n th e b a n q u e t c a m e o ff th e r e w a s n o th in g lack in g . I h a v e s e e n n o o t h e r like it a n d d o n o t d a r e to h o p e to s e e its like. W e c o u ld h a v e g o t c h ic k e n s a t o n e d o lla r a d o z e n ; b u t w e w a n te d a tu r k e y w ich w o u ld c o st u s fifty c e n ts, o r, if it w as a v e ry fin e o n e , sev e n ty -fiv e c e n ts. W e g o t a tu rk e y , a fin e o n e . I d o n ’t r e m e m b e r how ,

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o r w h e re , w e g o t it, b u t I d o k n o w th a t a tu r k e y in th e d a y tim e is h a r d t o c a tc h , a n d th e n it w o u ld h a rd ly b e th e th in g to g o o u t w h e re th e r e w a s a flo c k o f tu rk e y s , p ic k o u t th e fin e s t b ird a n d ru n h im d o w n ; th e o w n e r w o u ld c e r ta in ly e n t e r a v ig o ro u s p r o te s t. T h e n th e tu rk e y s a b o u t O x fo rd , a s I u n d e r s ta n d r o o s te d h igh; I k n o w th e r e w e re m a n y v e ry h ig h tre e s in th e n e ig h b o rh o o d a n d b o y s w o u ld h a rd ly d a r e to c lim b th e s e tr e e s in a d a r k n ig h t; n o w w o u ld it d o to a tte m p t to g e t a tu rk e y fr o m its lo fty p e rc h in a n ig h t o f b rig h t m o o n lig h t? T h e n I d o n o t r e m e m b e r s e e in g a n y f e a th e r s ly in g a ro u n d a n d so , I th in k , w e m u s t h a v e b o u g h th a t tu rk e y re a d y d re s s e d . M y in te r e s t in h im , a t a n y ra te , b e g a n a f te r h e w a s c o o k e d , w ith all th e m o s t te n d e r a n d sav o ry , w ith th e sk in all b ro w n a n d c risp , w ith s tu ffin g m a d e to o th s o m e w ith p e p p e r a n d salt; a n d f r a g r a n t a s a g a rd e n o f sp ice s, w ith e x a c tly th e p r o p e r in te rm ix tu re o f sag e; a n d th e n th e g ravy! B u t w o rd s fail m e , I c a n n o t te ll h o w g o o d it w as! T h e n th e d e s s e rt a t e a c h p la te - a s p le n d id b u n c h o f ra isin s a n d c a k e s w e re th e re , th e o ld -fa s h io n e d g in g e r c a k e s, c o s tin g a c e n t a p ie c e , m a d e w ith g e n u in e N e w O r le a n s m o la sse s, a s y e llo w a s if v a rn is h e d . T h e n w e h a d s o m e k in d o f c ak e s, e a c h o n e o f w h ich h a d a h o le in th e m id d le a n d w e a te th e m h o le a n d all a n d w e re u n a b le to d e c id e w h ich k in d o f c a k e w as th e b e tte r , b o th b e in g so g o o d . W e c o u ld n o t h a v e s u c h b a n q u e ts o fte n , o u r n e c e s s a ry e x p e n s e s b e in g g r e a t. W e h a d to p a y six d o lla rs a y e a r f o r a ro o m a n d th e n fu rn is h it o u rs e lv e s ; tr u e th e f u r n itu r e th a t w e h a d w as n o t v e ry e x p e n s iv e - a p la in ta b le , a s to v e , f o u r o r five w o o d e n c h a irs a n d a b e d ; a few w e n t s o fa r a s to h a v e c a r p e t b u t th a t w as n o t a t all n e c e s sa ry , th e n w e h a d to p a y o n e d o lla r a n d fifty c e n ts a w e e k fo r b o a rd . A few , h o w e v e r, b o a r d e d th e m s e lv e s , “ b a c h e d ” a s w e c a lle d it a n d th a t c o u ld b e d o n e a s th e c a ta lo g in fo r m e d u s fo r fro m fifty to sev e n ty -fiv e c e n ts a w e ek . B u t h e a v y a s o u r e x p e n s e s w e re , w e d e c id e d to h a v e a b a n q u e t, re g a rd le s s o f c o st, a n d w e h a d it. It c o st u s tw e n ty -fiv e c e n ts a p la te , b u t s u re ly it w a s m o n e y w ell s p e n t - n o t o n e o f u s w a n te d it b a ck .

1853-1854 The Ohio chapter was revived. Celebrating Beta’s fifteenth year, the Fifth Triennial Convention was held in Cincinnati, on August 16 and 17. Delegates from Miami, W estern Reserve, Jefferson, Asbury [De Pauw], Centre, Hanover, and Ohio were in attendance. Jefferson reported that $250 had been collected towards the publication of a catalog, which was made the responsibility of Miami. Asbury was made the presiding chapter. The conventions were henceforth to be held every two years. Again a committee was appointed to work on the ritual, but nothing resulted.

1854-1855 Four new chapters were established: at Cumberland, Tennessee, at Washing­ ton College, Pennsylvania, Knox College, Illinois, and the University of Virginia. The one at Knox was the first fraternity chapter in Illinois. The chapter at Indiana was revived. In June 1855, a split in the Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter at Miami led to the founding of the Sigma Chi fraternity. The three fraternities founded at Miami - Beta Theta Pi, Phi Delta Theta, and Sigma Chi - are known as the “Miami Triad.”

1855-1856 A chapter was established at Washington College, Virginia, now Washington and Lee University. Hanover and Western Reserve were reduced to one member. The first biennial convention was held at Louisville, Kentucky, on August 13

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through 15. Present were delegates from Miami, Jefferson, Asbury [De Pauw], Centre, North Carolina, Ohio Wesleyan, Hanover, Ohio, Cumberland, Washington (Pa.) and Indiana. The first catalog was presented to each delegate. M ore frequent correspondence was urged on the chapters. The magazine was again discussed. The idea for a secondary badge was mentioned. Hampden-Sydney was made presiding chapter.

1856-1857 The Illinois College chapter was established. Wabash was revived.

1857-1858 Chapters were begun at Davidson and South Carolina College. The second biennial convention was held at Berkeley Springs, Virginia, August 13-16. The attendance was low, due to an error in sending out the announcements: only Wash­ ington (Pa.) Jefferson, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Centre and Cumberland were represented. A new catalog was ordered to be produced. Chapters were requested to correspond more frequently, making reports semi-annually. The plan of commit­ tees started in 1851 was made permanent. North Carolina was made the presiding chapter, but later declined, so Hampden-Sydney retained the position.

1858-1859 A chapter was established at Oglethorpe University, Georgia. The second catalog was issued.

1859-1860 The third biennial convention was held in Columbus, Ohio, August 15. Dele­ gates were present from Miami, Jefferson, Asbury [De Pauw], Ohio Wesleyan, Hanover, W estern Reserve, Michigan, Washington (Pa.), Indiana, Washington (Va.), Wabash, and Davidson. Rules were devised which forbade the election of a senior as corresponding secretary, and specifying that upon the refusal of a chapter to act as presiding chapter, the position would pass to the next chapter in order of establishment. A secondary badge in the form of a watch-key was authorized, but this was never made. The periodical was again discussed, and nothing resulted. Ohio Wesleyan was made the presiding chapter.

1860-1861 A chapter was established at Beloit College, Wisconsin. Owing to lack of knowledge of the establishment of the chapter at Oglethorpe, both chapters re­ ceived the name “Chi.” Another chapter was begun at Bethany, West Virginia.

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Kepuoi

TioJtet.

FOR PRESIDENT,

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, O F IL L IN O IS . FOR VICE PRESIDENT,

HANNIBAL HAMLIN, O F M A IN E . Electors for President and Vice President o f th« United States. FREDERICK HASSAUREK, of Hamilton County, JOSEPH M. ROOT, of Erie County. D i 8t b ic ® -

w i l l i a m ii. DiOKsu* PRANK McWHINNEY. JOHN RILEY KNOX. DRESDEN W. ff, HOWARD. JOHN M. KELLUM. NELSON RUSH. ABRAHAM THOMSON. JOHN F. HENKLE. HEZEKIAH S. BUNDY. DANIEL B. STEWART. , RICHARD P. L. BABER. JOHN BEATTY. WILLARD SLOCUM. JOSEPH ANKENY. EDWARD BALL. JOHN A. DAVENPORT. WILLIAM K. UPHAM. SAMUEL B. PHILBRICK. GEORGE W. BROOKE. N O j j ^ N K. MACKENZIE. 77

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SECTION 9 The Civil War So many books have been written about this sad time in our nation’s history that a short summary would be incomplete - we shall not attempt it here. The Civil War, in which family members fought each other, divided Beta Theta Pi as nothing ever has. Beta was wide-spread through the country by this time, and the war tore the fraternity in half. In 1861, the active chapters were: North

South

Miami W estern Reserve Ohio Jefferson De Pauw Indiana Michigan Wabash Ohio Wesleyan Hanover Washington (Pennsylvania) Knox Illinois College Beloit Bethany

Centre Hampden-Sydney North Carolina Cumberland Virginia Washington (Virginia) South Carolina Davidson Oglethorpe

But some chapters were split in two. Even the founders were involved on both sides. Michael Clarkson Ryan helped recruit and organize the Fiftieth Ohio Volun­ teer Infantry regiment and was made its colonel, but he died in October of 1861 before he had a chance for service in the field. Gordon and his two teenage sons entered the Confederate Army, joining a battalion of infantry in the brigade of General Humphrey Marshall (not a Beta), which battalion was later merged with the Fifth Kentucky Regiment. In the spring of 1863 they were transferred to Company F, Second Battalion, Kentucky Mounted Rifles, commanded by Lieuten­ ant Colonel “Tom ” Johnson (not a Beta). Gordon lost everything in the war. M ore tragically, John Holt Duncan also fought for the South, and lost his leg. It is a curi­ ous story, reported by his nephew, D. H. Chamberlain (not a Beta) in 1924: O n th e o u tb r e a k o f th e C ivil W a r h e [D u n c a n ] le ft a s c a p ta in o f a c o m p a n y o f c av a lry a n d fo u g h t u n d e r G e n e r a l P ric e all th ro u g h th e A rk a n s a s a n d M iss o u ri c a m p a ig n s a n d w a s in th e b a ttle fa rth e s t n o rth o n P r ic e ’s o p e ra tio n s w h e re h e w as w o u n d e d a n d le ft b e h in d a t a fa rm h o u s e in M iss o u ri. B e f o re th e r e tr e a t C o n fe d ­ e r a te s u rg e o n s a m p u ta te d h is rig h t leg. A few d a y s a f te r th e C o n f e d e r a te s r e ­ tr e a te d th e F e d e ra ls fo u n d h e h a d b e e n ta k e n in a n d c a r e d fo r b y th is f a r m e r a n d h is fam ily , a n d p ro m p tly to o k th e fa rm e r, s to o d h im u p a g a in s t th e b a r n a n d

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rid d le d h is b o d y w ith b u lle ts , a n d w o u ld h a v e a ls o k ille d J u d g e D u n c a n h a d it n o t b e e n f o r th e in te rc e s s io n o f th e w e e p in g w ife a n d c h ild re n o f th e s la in fa rm e r. T h e y n u rs e d h im u n til h is w o u n d s h a d h e a le d a n d th e n s m u g g le d h im th ro u g h in to th e C o n f e d e r a te lin e s, th e n s o m e 200 m ile s s o u th o f th e fa rm h o u s e w h e re h e h a d b e e n ta k e n c a re o f. F r o m th a t tim e till h e b e c a m e s u p e r a n n u a te d a n d w e n t to th e O ld S o ld ie r s ’ h o m e in A u s tin , T e x a s w h e re h e d ie d , h e s p e n t n e a r ly e v e r th in g h e m a d e in c a rin g f o r a n d e d u c a tin g th e c h ild re n o f th e M iss o u ri fa m ily w h o h a d b e fr ie n d e d h im a n d w h o h a d lo s t h u s b a n d a n d f a th e r b e c a u s e o f th e h u m a n ity th e y h a d sh o w n .

Perhaps even more tragic is the story of Joel Allan Battle, Miami 1859, who fought for the South in the battle of Shiloh, Tennessee. His body was found by John C. Lewis, Miami 1860 and his classmate Clifford W. Ross, both in the Union army and Battle’s former roommates at Miami. They and another classmate, John R. Chamberlain, a Sigma Chi, proceeded to bury the gray-clad figure beneath an oak tree near the Union camp. After the war they could not locate the exact place, but as Lewis remarked, “his friends have the consolation that his unmarked resting place is for all time preserved in that field consecrated to the memory of the brave who fell at Shiloh.” Nearly all of the members of the chapters at South Carolina, Davidson, Ogle­ thorpe, Washington (Virginia), and the University of Virginia, and a large number of the Hampden-Sydney, Cumberland, and Centre chapters enlisted in the Confed­ erate service. The Northern chapters were depleted by their members enlisting in the Union army, Western Reserve, Jefferson, Wabash and Hanover suffering greatly. By May 1,1861, out of 15 members at Ohio Wesleyan (the presiding chap­ ter), only two were left. On June 16, 1862, David H. Moore, writing from Camp Chase, near Columbus, Ohio to a chapter mate at Ohio, said: T h e r e a r e n e a r ly th ir ty B e ta s a t c a m p fro m H u d s o n [th e W e s te r n R e s e rv e c h a p ­ te r], D e la w a re [th e O h io W e s le y a n c h a p te r ] a n d O x fo rd [M ia m i]. I te ll y o u w e h a v e a g o o d tim e . T h e w h o le o f B e ta c h a p t e r is h e re . T h e c h a p te r a t C a m p C h a s e is ‘B e ta in th e F ie ld .’ T o m e e t B e ta s s u c h a s w e h a v e h e re is ‘b lis s b e g u n b e lo w .’

But things really were not very blissful, and it was a long time until they got better.

1861-1862 Early in 1861, Ohio Wesleyan, the presiding chapter, received a letter from the Centre chapter bearing the flag of the Confederacy, “but recognizing with pleasure the bonds that unite us as one.” But soon all communication ceased between the northern and southern chapters. As all of their membership enlisted in the Confed­ erate Army, these chapters closed: Hampden-Sydney, North Carolina, Virginia, Cumberland, Oglethorpe, Washington [and Lee] (Virginia), South Carolina, Davidson. Most of the other chapters were greatly weakened.

1862-1863 The convention had been appointed to meet at the M ammoth Cave, Cave City, Kentucky, but the presiding chapter, Ohio Wesleyan, would not call it for there because of the war. The chapters voted to hold it in Dayton, Ohio, but Ohio Wesleyan urged that it be held off for a year. Meanwhile, Centre ceased operations.

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1863-1864 The war raged on. But a most unusual event occurred: a new chapter was estab­ lished! This was Omega at the United States Naval Academy. Due to the war, the school had been relocated to Newport, Rhode Island, from its usual location in Annapolis, Maryland. However, secret societies were forbidden there, and the chapter never grew. It died by the end of the war. The convention of 1864 met at Indianapolis on August 19. Delegates from Miami, W estern Reserve, De Pauw, Hanover, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Wabash were present. The Miami chapter was ordered to prepare a catalog, and W estern Reserve was to prepare a songbook. The conventions were ordered to be held annually, rather than biennially. The Lambda chapter at Michigan became the presiding chapter, and the next convention was to be held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The suggestion of uniting with Psi Upsilon was made. It was resolved “that a committee of two shall be appointed by the chair to prepare an address to the Psi Upsilon fraternity, and which shall be presented to the next convention for ap­ proval.” It was also resolved that Beta “does not deem it for her best interests to establish chapters in Eastern institutions.” The idea of forming a union with Psi Upsilon had been discussed as early as 1857; some chapters (notably Michigan and Western Reserve) seeking the alliance due to their competition with “eastern” fraternities. It was said that the union would be of advantage, especially since the war had barely touched Psi Upsilon. J. B. Root, the Michigan delegate, was behind this and some other actions of the convention.

1864-1865 But Mr. Root would not wait for the next convention to act. He persuaded Psi Upsilon to grant a charter to Beta’s chapter at Michigan, and in December 1864, notified the chapters that Lambda had resigned her charter, in mock heroics an­ nouncing “that nothing but stern necessity and a deep respect for Beta Theta Pi” could had induced the chapter to take the step. But the hypocrisy and insincerity of his letter were quickly revealed when the fraternity began its investigations of Michigan’s treachery. The traitorous members returned the chapter records to Miami, which as­ sumed the functions of the presiding chapter temporarily. Alpha proceeded to call a convention to meet at Detroit on February 1, 1865, at the request of “the old members of Lambda” - though twelve of Michigan’s alumni abandoned Beta, the other 75 remained true to their obligations. This convention was attended by delegates from Miami, Western Reserve, Centre, Ohio Wesleyan, Hanover, Indiana, Michigan, De Pauw, and Wabash. Miami was to work on a catalog, De Pauw was assigned the songbook, and Hanover was made the presiding chapter. A new grip was adopted. The one loyal member of Michigan, Edward C. Boudinot, was complimented and thanked on “his manly bearing in maintaining the dignity and honor of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity.” The convention revoked the resolutions of the previous convention regarding eastern colleges and union with Psi Upsilon. It expelled the traitors, but also re­

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solved that “we will make an earnest endeavor to maintain a chapter of Beta Theta Pi at Michigan University, and in order to accomplish this we recommend the several chapters to endeavor to send some true Greeks to receive their degrees at the University of Michigan, and aid in the building up of the chapter.” So several members transferred from other chapters, and the fire on Lam bda’s altar was kept burning. Beta was in the darkest days of her life. At this point, the only active chapters were Miami, W estern Reserve, Jefferson, De Pauw, Ohio Wesleyan, Hanover, Ohio, Michigan, Knox, Indiana, Illinois College, Bethany, Beloit, and the Naval Academy - the last four and Michigan were barely alive. But Hanover was working hard as presiding chapter, trying to keep things together. It checked into the status of Western Reserve, which had been cooperating with Michigan until it deserted. Hanover put the question squarely to Western Reserve, and received “an explanation entirely satisfactory,” as she put it in her report —though her judgment turned out to be based on misinformation. Bethany found that she could go on no longer, and ceased operations. Then came Appomattox on April 9,1865, and the nation began to bind up her wounds. Beta acted to speed the healing process: at a banquet many years later, Horace H. Lurton, Cumberland 1867, later a justice of the Supreme Court, de­ scribed the re-establishment of the Virginia chapter by fourteen, “twelve of whom had worn the Gray and two the Blue,” and declared it was one of the first of many movements to reunite the South and North.

1865-1866 A petition for charter was received in September from Monmouth College, Illinois, and the chapters granted the request - Alpha Alpha, the first two-letter chapter, was formally established December 16,1865. A petition was also received from the Northwestern Christian University at Indianapolis (now called Butler University), which was granted, and a committee appointed to establish the chapter, but “upon investigation, it was considered inexpedient to do so,” and the charter was returned. The Washington, Pennsylvania chapter was declared extinct and merged with the Gamma, Jefferson, chapter. The schools had united and were now called Washington and Jefferson. The united chapter was called sometimes Gamma, sometimes Nu - in 1873 it was named Gamma Nu, and finally changed to Gamma in 1876. The broken links of the fraternity to the southern chapters were being repaired: in the fall of 1865, the Washington, Virginia, chapter was re-established, the school now being called Washington and Lee. On October 21, 1865, Frank C. Wilson, Washington and Lee 1860, Virginia 1867, wrote to the Ohio chapter: A f te r h a v in g , a s it w e re , b e e n o u t o f th e w o rld f o r th e la st f o u r y e a rs o ld R h o c h a p t e r o n c e m o re s e n d s g re e tin g s to K a p p a . I, th e o t h e r d a y , re c e iv e d fro m c h a p t e r Pi th e first G r e e k le tte r re c e iv e d b y R h o sin c e th e c o m m e n c e m e n t o f th e w a r, a n d it g la d d e n e d m y h e a r t to fe e l th a t w e c o u ld s till g ra s p b y th e h a n d a n d g re e t a s B e ta s m a n y fro m w h o m w e h a v e b e e n c u t o f f fo r s o lon g ... T a k e tim e to w rite u s a g o o d lo n g l e tte r a n d te ll u s e v e ry th in g th a t h a s o c c u r re d in th e B e ta w o rld d u r in g th e la st five y e a rs. H a s th e r e b e e n a n y c o n v e n tio n s in c e I8 6 0 a n d

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THIS FA IT H FU L HUME UF THE THREE STAKS

w h a t h a s b e e n d o n e a t th e m ? W h e r e c a n th e p r o c e e d in g s o f th e c o n v e n tio n o f 1 8 6 0 a n d th e s u c c e e d in g c o n v e n tio n s b e o b ta in e d ? W h e r e d o e s t h e n e x t o n e o c c u r a n d w h e n ? W h ic h is th e p r e s id in g c h a p te r ? W h e r e d o y o u g e t y o u r b a d g e s m a d e n o w ? D o e s J. B. K irb y , 76 C h a p e l S tr e e t, N e w H a v e n , C o n n e c tic u t, s till m a k e th e m ? A n d , if so, a t th e s a m e o ld p ric e o f $6.00, a n d if n o t, w h o is th e m a k e r a n d a t w h a t p ric e ? W e h a v e s o m e n e w m e n w h o w ill s o o n w a n t b a d g e s .

Virginia and Cumberland both had renewed activity by the end of November. However, the Naval Academy chapter became inactive in December, and Beloit and Illinois College died in early 1866. But the last initiate of Illinois College, Louis H. Jackson, transferred to the State University of Iowa, and requested permission to start a chapter there, which was granted, but the establishment of the chapter was delayed until the spring of 1866. The convention of 1866 was held at the Spencer House in Cincinnati on May 1 and 2. Represented were Miami, Western Reserve, De Pauw, Ohio Wesleyan, Hanover, Ohio, Cumberland, Jefferson, Wabash, Knox and Indiana, and Centre, though inactive, was allowed representation. A proposal to unite with Zeta Psi was decisively rejected, with a declaration “never to unite with any other secret society in a manner demanding any surrender of identity.” Because of the mess with the Chi chapter at Beloit and the other Chi chapter at Oglethorpe, it was decided that all establishment of chapters and docu­ ments for them were to be had only through the presiding chapter. At the convention banquet, a toast was drunk, responded to by Captain James R. Carnahan, Wabash 1866, late of the Eighty-sixth Indiana Volunteers: T h e B e ta T h e ta Pi F r a te rn ity ! M a y s h e , a rm e d w ith th e d iv in e p o w e r o f L ove, w a lk fo r th u p o n th e tro u b le d w a te r s o f o u r n a tio n a l e x iste n c e ; b id th e m “ P e a c e , b e s till,” call p r o s p e rity fro m th e b u r ie d p a st, c o n fid e n c e fro m o u r a ss o c ia tio n , a n d b e s to w u n iv e rs a l jo y u p o n o u r C o u n try !

1866-1867 Hampden-Sydney was revived, as was Davidson. The Wittenberg chapter was established on January 18,1867. The convention met on April 9 and 10,1867 at In­ dianapolis. Only a synopsis of the minutes has ever been found, and few details of its actions are known. There were two major items which were significant: David H. M oore, Ohio 1860, proposed that the fraternity build a $10,000 temple at Oxford, Ohio, to be a depository for records. This was not favorably received, but one of the reasons advanced against it was that the suggested amount was far too small'. The second action was the granting of permission to establish alumni chapters. These could not elect or initiate new members, and were not tied to a school, but rather to a community. Baird notes this as another of Beta’s pioneer actions, no other fraternity having alumni organizations of this kind before this time. The first one was started in Memphis, Tennessee, noted in a letter dated June 30,1867 from James P. Coffin, North Carolina 1859, to Stephens Croom, North Carolina 1859: T h e r e a r e s o m e te n o r fifte e n o ld m e m b e rs o f th e B e ta T h e ta Pi A s s o c ia tio n h e re a n d w e h a v e o rg a n iz e d o u rs e lv e s in to a s o rt o f local c lu b w h ic h w e call th e “ M e m p h is C h a p te r o f th e B e ta T h e ta Pi F r a te r n ity .” W e h a v e a s y e t a d o p te d n o d e fin ite p la n o f a c tio n b u t in te n d to m a k e it a s o r t o f m u tu a l b e n e f it a ffa ir. W e h a v e m e t s e v e ra l tim e s a n d I e n jo y th e e v e n in g s v e ry m u c h in d e e d . S e v e n o r e ig h t

82

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nunc, Ur

ltt£ ,

ItlK tt,

b lA K b

d if f e r e n t c h a p te r s a r e r e p r e s e n te d in o u r o rg a n iz a tio n ; tw o fr o m O h io , tw o fro m I n d ia n a , o n e fro m P e n n s y lv a n ia [c o u ld o n ly h a v e b e e n th e W a s h in g to n o r J e f f e r ­ s o n c h a p te r s ], s o m e fro m L e b a n o n [T e n n e s s e e , s ite o f th e C u m b e r la n d c h a p te r ], o n e fro m C o lu m b ia [S o u th C a ro lin a ], o n e fro m V irg in ia (a p r e a c h e r ) , a n d J o h n H in e s , N e d B e a s le y a n d m y self fro m o u r o ld c h a p te r . A t th e la s t m e e tin g a re s o lu tio n w a s p a s s e d r e q u e s tin g e a c h m e m b e r to w rite to a n y o ld B e ta s h e m ig h t s e le c t, in fo rm in g th e m o f o u r o rg a n iz a tio n a n d r e q u e s tin g fr o m th e m a c o m m u ­ n ic a tio n e x p re ss iv e o f th e ir v iew s o f o u r o rg a n iz a tio n .

This was a very significant action, laying a foundation for the great events soon to come in the 1870’s. It is most interesting to note that this came about in a Southern city, and united Betas from several chapters only two years after the end of the Civil War! In the spring of 1867, the Old Wing of “Old Main” at Miami University, the wing containing Knox’s room, and formerly known as Franklin Hall, was torn down. A new wing was built, later housing the chapel, and torn down in 1958.

1867-1868 Chapters were established at Westminster College in Missouri, and also at Iowa Wesleyan. Davidson became extinct. An application for an alumni chapter at Nash­ ville was granted, and named Zeta Zeta, though it was not a regular undergraduate chapter. The convention was held there on July 14-16,1868, in the Senate Chamber of the state capitol. Delegates were present from Miami, De Pauw, HampdenSydney, Ohio Wesleyan, Cumberland, Washington and Lee, Wabash, Jefferson, W estern Reserve, Hanover, Virginia, Nashville Alumni and the inactive Centre chapter. W estern Reserve was again instructed to prepare a songbook. A ritual was adopted. Knox was made the presiding chapter. A tax of one dollar was levied upon each mem ber of every chapter. A committee was appointed to design a grand seal. A form of credentials for convention delegates was adopted.

1868-1869 Charters were granted for Denison University, Virginia Military Institute, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, University of Chicago, and an alumni chapter at Chicago. This last was named Alpha Alumni, and not Lambda Lambda. Permission was also granted to for a chapter at the University of Kentucky, but it was not established on advice of two Beta faculty, because of anti-fraternity laws there. Ever since the treachery of Michigan, there had been rumors of disloyalty of the W estern Reserve chapter. The rumors were settled in 1868 when Delta Kappa Epsilon granted a charter to the petitioners of the former chapter of Beta Theta Pi at W estern Reserve. These were expelled for disloyalty by the presiding chapter, Knox, in Decem ber of 1868. The convention of 1869 met in Columbus, Ohio on July 7-9. The committee on finance made a report, showing $129 had been paid in by eight chapters. Virginia was made the presiding chapter. A design for a grand seal was adopted.

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84

SECTION 10 A Decade of Development 1869-1870 A petition from the University of the Pacific at Santa Clara, California was ap­ proved, but later withheld by the presiding chapter when false statem ents were discovered in the application. A petition for an alumni chapter at Louisville was not approved by the chapters. The convention of 1870 was held in Chicago on August 31 through September 2. The catalog manuscript was presented by Roger Williams, Miami 1870, and ordered to be published by the Alpha Alumni (Chicago). A songbook still had not been prepared, so the Denison chapter was ordered to work on one. The idea of a general treasurer was suggested, but action was postponed. The name of the Chicago chapter was changed to be Zeta Zcta, and the Nash­ ville Alumni chapter became Beta Alumni. Indiana was the new presiding chapter.

1870-1871 The new catalog was published. Alumni chapters were established at Indian­ apolis and Cincinnati. The convention of 1871 was held in Indianapolis from August 30 to September 1, presided over by Oliver P. Morton, Miami 1845, the governor of Indiana during the Civil War. The presiding chapter asked for money to buy a printing press, and an amendment was made to supply it with a telegraph outfit as well, but both ideas were unfortunately laughed down by the convention. The con­ vention finally abandoned any idea of merging with another eastern fraternity. Washington and Lee was made presiding chapter.

1871-1872 Washington and Lee straightened out the general correspondence of the frater­ nity, providing a strong basis for the imminent founding of the magazine. Centre and Bethany were re-established. A chapter was begun at Richmond College, and an alumni chapter in the same city. A chapter was also begun at W ooster in Ohio, and one at Howard College in Marion, Alabama. An alumni chapter was started in Cincinnati. The Miami chapter became inactive when the school closed due to administrative difficulties. Cumberland, Iowa and Washington (St. Louis) also ceased activities this year. But the major events of this year occurred at the convention, which met August 21 in Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy. Delegates were present from De Pauw, Hampden-Sydney, Hanover, Ohio, W ashington and Jeffer­ son, Virginia, Washington and Lee, Wabash, Bethany, Monmouth, Iowa Wesleyan, Denison, Virginia Military Institute, Richmond, and Miami. There were also three delegates from alumni chapters and eleven visitors, for a total convention atten­ dance of 29. Seventeen of these were from Virginia or Virginia chapters. There was still a certain lack of warmth, the “late unpleasantness” by no means forgotten. Yet

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this convention played its part in reuniting North and South. Its enthusiasm was high, and it did much good work. The chairman was Charles J. Seaman, Denison 1871, the vice president, since the elected president, Professor William Allan of the University of Virginia, did not attend any sessions. There were several legislative steps taken by the convention, such as an addition to the ritual obligations, adoption of a secondary badge and a standard form of charter, but these were trivial changes. It was the committee on Constitution which proposed the changes creating the offices of General Secretary and General Treas足 urer, the first general officers of any fraternity. The General Secretary was to handle the correspondence of the fraternity, and the General Treasurer its funds, but their exact duties and powers were rather undefined. Both were, however, to be subject to the authority of the presiding chapter and the convention, to which they had to make annual reports. Furthermore, the constitution was ordered to be revised com足 pletely. It was proposed that the secretary of the convention was to be the first General Secretary: this was Charles Duy Walker, V.M.1.1869. He proposed to start a frater足 nity magazine and took subscriptions for it from the convention attendants. Elected as the first General Treasurer was John I. Covington, Miami 1870. Wabash was made the presiding chapter. Several relatively minor issues on membership were discussed and resolved - the opinion expressed by that commit足 tee bears consideration: T h a t in th is a c tio n , a n d e sp e c ia lly in th e e v e n ts w h ich p re c e d e d it a n d a p p e a r to h a v e le d t o it, th e r e s e e m s t o b e a g re a t w a n t o f a p p re c ia tio n o f th e tr u e s p irit o f B e ta is m ; a w a n t o f th a t c h a r ity a n d lo v e w h ich s h o u ld le a d to k in d ly a d m o n itio n w h e n a d m o n itio n m a y b e n e c e ssa ry ; a n d a w a n t o f th a t f r a te r n a l fe e lin g w hich

C h a r le s D u y W a lk e r, V .M .1 .1869

J o h n I. C o v in g to n , M ia m i 1870

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

s h o u ld le a d e a c h B e ta to z e a lo u s ly d e fe n d th e h o n o r a n d g o o d n a m e o f his b r o th e r .

Seaman's songbook was published this year - it had over 40 songs, many of which are still in use.

1872-1873 The Beloit chapter was revived. The first issue of the new magazine, The Beta Theta Pi, came from the press December 15, 1872. The Kansas chapter and the Northwestern chapter were established. The publication of the magazine visibly increased the activity and enthusiasm among the chapters. Because of a cholera epidemic, the convention was postponed until December 29-31,1873. There, the magazine was adopted as the official organ of the fraternity. By recommendation of Charles Duy Walker, the General Secretary was ordered to divide the fraternity into territorial districts for convenience of administration. This was another pioneering move, and has since been followed by many other Greek organizations. An undergraduate, Amandus N. Grant, De Pauw 1874, was elected as new General Secretary. A communication from Pater Knox was received, con­ taining his recollections of Beta’s founding and early days - it was spread on the minutes, and it appears in the exhibits section of this book. Monmouth was made the presiding chapter, although it shortly became sub rosa, impairing its usefulness. De Pauw was entrusted with giving aid to the Michigan chapter.

1873-1874 The Dickinson chapter was established but the Knox chapter ceased its opera­ tions. No convention was held, because the last convention had been so late in the year. The wide-spread financial depression in the country had a marked effect on college life everywhere.

1874-1875 The convention of 1875 met at Evansville, Indiana on August 25. Though the constitution provided for dues of no more than one dollar per member, an addi­ tional tax of $1.50 was levied on each undergraduate to pay for the magazine - it was accepted because the magazine was an acknowledged necessity. De Pauw was made the presiding chapter. Each chapter was to have “exclusive jurisdiction over each Beta attending the college where it is situated, no m atter whether he was a member of that chapter or not.” Conventions were ordered to be held biennially. Darwin H. Cheney, Northwestern 1876 was elected General Secretary, and R. Harvey Young, Washington and Jefferson 1869, was elected General Treasurer.

1875-1876 De Pauw’s aid to Michigan was successful, and the chapter was reorganized. A charter was granted to William and Mary College in Virginia, the site of the found­ ing of Phi Beta Kappa, the first American fraternity, ninety-nine years before. The convention of 1876 met in Philadelphia on July 5, to allow the Betas to visit the United States centennial celebration being held there. The order to make con­

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

ventions biennial was repealed. Michigan was made the presiding chapter. A plan for an endowment fund for the support of the magazine was considered, but not adopted. New catalogs were ordered to be printed. George C. Rankin, Monmouth 1872, was elected General Secretary, and George M. Halm, Ohio Wesleyan 1876, was elected General Treasurer.

1876-1877 A charter was granted to Boston University, and another to the “Agricultural and Mechanical College of Virginia” which is now known as Virginia Tech. The Howard chapter became sub rosa. The convention of 1877 met on August 15-17 in Detroit. Wyllys C. Ransom pro­ posed a resolution to prepare a new constitution from which all the secret elements would be eliminated, and the formulation of a separate ritual - the development of both to be done by a committee. This was adopted by the convention, and a commit­ tee consisting of Ransom, Brouse, and Amandus N. Grant was appointed. Joseph R. Lamar, Bethany 1877, was elected General Secretary and Olin R. Brouse, De Pauw 1866, was elected General Treasurer.

1877-1878 The Johns Hopkins chapter was established. Butler University in Irvington, Indiana - formerly known as Northwestern Christian University - petitioned and was granted a charter. Monmouth, however, died, surrendering its charter rather than reveal its existence as a sub rosa chapter. The Washington (St. Louis) and the William and Mary chapter also ceased operations. Kenyon petitioned for a charter - though it was not granted at this time, they persisted in petitioning, and the chapter was finally installed in 1879. M arietta also petitioned, and was rejected. California petitioned and a charter was granted, but the installation was withheld at the last minute due to a report of underhandedness in the preparation of the petition - after this was resolved, the chapter was installed a year later. The convention of 1878 met at Indianapolis, Indiana on September 4-6. There were more than 100 visiting brothers. In every way the event was a complete success. The committee on the “open constitution” reported, and their report was adopted - the report appears in the exhibits section of this book. Not only did this report provide for the removal of the secret matters from the constitution, but also abol­ ished the presiding chapter system and replaced it with a Board of Directors, who together with the General Secretary would manage and govern the fraternity. W ittenberg was made the presiding chapter - this would be the last chapter to hold the title, as the newly adopted constitution would not go into effect until ratified by the next convention. Edward J. Brown, Hanover 1873 was elected General Secre­ tary, and Brouse continued as General Treasurer.

1878-1879 The California chapter was installed, after the suspicions of underhandedness in their petition were finally laid to rest. The Kenyon chapter was installed. At 88

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

W illia m R a im o n d B a ird , S te v e n s 1878

W yllys C . R a n s o m , M ia m i 1870

Mississippi, the last existing chapter of Alpha Kappa Phi, a southern fraternity founded at Centre about 1858, petitioned for a charter, which was granted, and the chapter installed. Meanwhile, correspondence had been taking place between several Betas and a Mr. William Raimond Baird, concerning the Alpha Sigma Chi fraternity. This was an “eastern” fraternity founded in 1872 at Rutgers in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It also had chapters at Cornell and St. Lawrence in New York, at Stevens in New Jersey, and at the University of Maine. Baird, an alumnus of the Stevens chapter, was the executive officer of the fraternity. He had made a study of the existing fra­ ternities, and was interested in merging Alpha Sigma Chi with Beta Theta Pi. The convention of 1879, the last in a decade of remarkable developments in Beta, was held in Cincinnati on September 2-4. The new constitution and ritual were ratified, and Beta proceeded to elect her first Board of Directors: John W. Herron, Miami 1845 John I. Covington, Miami 1870 Wyllys C. Ransom, Michigan 1848 Thad A. Reamy, Ohio Wesleyan 1870 Olin R. Brouse, De Pauw 1866 William F. Boyd, Ohio 1866 David H. Moore, Ohio 1860 Augustus D. Lynch, De Pauw 1857 R. Harvey Young, Washington & Jefferson 1869 H erron was elected president of the Board, and Boyd elected its secretary note that he was not the General Secretary - this was still Edward J. Brown. R. Harvey Young was elected General Treasurer. In other business, after a long and rather heated discussion, pink and blue were adopted as the fraternity colors, and the badge was standardized. Also, the proposal for the union with the Alpha Sigma Chi was approved.

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1879-1880 The union with Alpha Sigma Chi was consummated at Ithaca, New York (site of the Cornell chapter), October 9,1879. Five chapters were added at once: Rutgers, Cornell, Stevens, St. Lawrence, and Maine. William R. Baird, the former secretary of Alpha Sigma Chi, was appointed chief of the newly formed district, to which were added the Dickinson and the Washington and Jefferson chapters. Reaction to the newly adopted ritual was favorable - it was beautiful and had effective speeches, but it was too great an advance over the older, simpler forms for it to attain a secure place in the fraternity. Seaman, Terrell and Baird offered to work on the catalog, which the Board of Directors approved. The sole surviving chapter of Alpha Kappa Phi at Brown University petitioned for a charter, and it was granted, re-establishing the old Kappa chapter which had been expelled in 1851. The Univer­ sity of Pennsylvania petitioned as well, and they were also granted a charter. The Iowa chapter was re-established, as were the ones at Cumberland and Harvard. The 1880 Convention met in Baltimore on August 20-26. A new code of enact­ ments, term ed “laws” as distinguished from constitutional provisions, together with regulations for the government of conventions, were adopted. A regulation prohib­ iting the initiation of students in a preparatory school was passed - this put Beta at a disadvantage since other fraternities did as they pleased - but the resolution was in keeping with Beta’s constitution, and it passed by a vote of 66 to 12. One may note that in those days, all convention attendants voted on all questions, except those (such as the granting of a charter) where each chapter had one vote. This convention also juggled the roll of chapter names, and formally revoked the charters of a large num ber of defunct chapters.

1880-1881 An old local society called the “Adelphia” at Madison University, New York, petitioned and was granted a charter. The name of the school was later changed to Colgate. The Howard, Butler, V.M.I., and Virginia chapters ceased operations. The W estern Reserve chapter was re-established and another chapter was started at Union College in New York. The convention met August 30-September 1, 1881 in Chicago. A charter was granted to Columbia University in New York, and the charter of the Trinity College, Texas chapter was withdrawn. The convention ordered that chapters were forbid­ den to enter into political combinations with other fraternities for the purpose of influencing college politics. Eugene Wambaugh was elected General Secretary. A system for keeping the roll was adopted, which provided for recording the data for each new initiate and sending it to the General Secretary.

1881-1882 The Columbia chapter was installed. The long-awaited catalog was published in December, 1881. It was unusual in that the list of each chapter was preceded by an engraving, term ed the “chapter cut,” which was of an allegorical or mystical sig­ nificance. The two most famous of these are the Centre or Epsilon Dragon and

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Kenyon’s Boy in the Window Seat; both are described elsewhere in this book. The editors of The Beta Theta Pi requested a Pan-Hellenic meeting of the editors of the various fraternity journals, which met in February, 1882. The convention of 1882 met at Cincinnati the last four days of August. It made an am endment changing the conventions to biennial, but this was rejected by the next convention - amendments did not take effect until passed by two consecutive conventions. A committee was appointed to revise the ritual. It was about this time that pledging seems to have appeared. Since preparatory school students could not be initiated, in order to be sure that a desirable “prep” would join Beta, he was offered membership, and asked to promise or pledge his word to join when he could legally do so. The new “pledge” then wore ribbons of the fraternity colors (more recently, the pledge pin) to indicate his commitment to Beta, so other fraternities would not pursue him with offers of membership.

1882-1883 Perhaps it was the calm before the storm, but nothing very dramatic happened this year - until the incredible Charles J. Seaman went to the convention in Sara­ toga Springs, New York on August 28. The convention only lasted three days. It granted a charter to Amherst, and rejected the idea of biennial conventions, but these actions were constantly overshadowed by Seaman. On the way to the conven­ tion from his home in Cleveland, Ohio, he happened to visit Lake Chautauqua in western New York - and with that visit, he opened a new section in Beta history.

This is the Stevens chapter emblem from the Catalog of 1881; the Beta badge superimposed on the Alpha Sigma Chi monogram signifies the union of the two fraternities which was ratified in October of 1879. 91

WOOGUN

THE FA IT H FU L HUME UE THE THKEE S iA K b

92

SECTION 11 Wooglin-on-Chautauqua W here is Lake Chautauqua? It is near the western end of the state of New Y ork. It is (geologically speaking) a finger lake, about twenty miles long and three miles wide, and is great for fishing —one interpretation of the original Indian name is “Fish Lake.” It is seven miles from Lake Erie, but 730 feet above it. A t the southern end is Jamestown, the county seat of Chautauqua county. At the northern end is Mayville. New York Route 17 (and 430) run along the eastern shore of the lake. Up until August of 1883, Beta Theta Pi had no particular interest in the area. But that soon changed. Charles J. Seaman, Denison 1871, Beta songwriter, song-book and catalog editor, went around the convention of 1883, proposing to anyone and everyone that Beta Theta Pi should purchase land on Lake Chautauqua and build a clubhouse there. Poor Chambers Baird (not a relation of William R.), the editor of the maga­ zine, had been thoroughly enjoying the convention - he had spent several days “in real, restful quiet - except when Seaman gets going about his ‘club-house scheme’.” W hen the convention was written up for the magazine, Baird found that he had written five pages without once mentioning it - “Seaman couldn’t have done that to save his life.” Seaman and some others from Cleveland had spent a day at Lake Chautauqua on their way to the convention and there came up with the idea of buying some land on the lake on which a lovely Beta summer resort would be built. Seaman was so convincing that by the end of the convention he had gotten $1200 subscribed to the enterprise. By January of 1884, word of the project had gotten around - the Beta magazine for that month reported that the Shield of Phi Kappa Psi had mentioned Seaman’s project. A nother visit was made to the lake in February of 1884. One of the visitors was Pater John Reily Knox himself! Then on March 5,1884, the articles of incorporation of the “Beta Theta Pi Alumni Club” were filed with the Secretary of State of Ohio. This corporation proceeded to buy some land - 1 9 acres at $150 an acre for a total cost of $2850. The land was located about two miles south of Mayville on the eastern shore of the lake. Soon afterwards the building of the clubhouse began.

The Clubhouse The clubhouse was of the “Queen Anne” style of summer hotel. Its front faced the lake. It had a central “tower” part of four stories. This had a wide roofed porch on the first floor, a widow’s walk on the third, flanked by two circular towers with conical roofs, and a lookout on the top. There were two large wings, both of three stories, which angled out from the central part, going east and away from the lake. Having come to the Wooglin dock by steamboat, one would see the “Wooglin” pennant flying a pole high above the tower. A path led up a gentle slope to the wide front porch. There the silver grays sat in the old porch chairs, perhaps discussing the convention business, swapping stories of their undergraduate experiences, or more

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likely, telling about the “big one that got away” yesterday on their fishing trip. The front double doors entered into good-sized room, perhaps 50' by 50' called the front hall, or lobby. On the right was the large fireplace, great for the occasional chilly night. To the left of the fireplace was a door leading to the parlour and several other rooms. On the other side of the lobby was the doorway leading into the dining room, above which was carved the mystic phrase

TH EB E

STISGO

ODEN

OUGH

FORUS.

Directly ahead was the staircase, which went up to a landing, then proceeded both left and right to the second floor. The lower stairs would be flooded with color as the morning sun illuminated a most unusual stained glass window of the famous Centre dragon, bearing a shield on which was depicted the altar, and Father Wooglin swearing the youth to eternal fidelity. This window, Chandler reported, “had a profound effect on all who saw it.” He had been there as a young boy with his father, E. B. Chandler, Michigan 1858. There was also an upright piano in this room, a map of Beta’s Broad Domain, and numerous rocking and other chairs and tables, all of which would be cleared away for the convention dance. Upstairs there were about fifty rooms, and up on the fourth floor in the tower was a billiard table. Behind the dining room was the kitchen; there was a small porch and a well in the back of the clubhouse. Lighting was by kerosene lamps.

The Wooglin Clubhouse on Lake Chautauqua ( F lo o r p la n s p r o b a b ly d ra w n b y C h a rle s L. T h o r n b u r g , V a n d e r b ilt 1881)

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There were numerous things to do, either at the clubhouse or around the lake, and during the summertime, the weather was distinctly splendid. The club had its own boat, the Marshall, often in use to traverse the lake for fishing or just for a leisurely cruise. There were several other summer resorts around the lake, though none of them were run by fraternities. These were often challenged to a game of base ball (written as two words in the magazine); sometimes Wooglin’s team won, sometimes not. It was one of these games, coupled with the natural desire of young men to make noise at such events, which resulted in the first Beta yell or “call,” described in the section on songs. It was convenient to get to the clubhouse, either by railroad, which passed a few hundred feet east of the clubhouse, or by boat from Jamestown, which was on the main rail line. The club had a post office, and letters were actually postmarked “Wooglin, New York.” Perhaps most Betas do not realize that the clubhouse was open for the entire summer. The conventions were no more than a week long, and certainly the occu­ pancy went up greatly for that week, but there were always a good number of Betas staying there the rest of the time. Because of this, it could be said that Beta Theta Pi has had an edge in the matter of living in chapter houses —we had a decade of practice in the Wooglin Clubhouse. Eight conventions were held at the Wooglin Clubhouse, those of 1884, 1887, 1888,1889, 1890,1891, 1892, and 1893. There was never a concern about possible conflicts with other groups - the clubhouse was for Betas only. The rooms got full during convention week, but that was understandable.

Its Demise But this remarkable phenomenon had its dark and gloomy side. The details are uncertain, but there were financial difficulties. It seems that the mortgage was foreclosed for non-payment of debts; the clubhouse was sold at sheriffs sale in 1895. A New York firm bought it and converted it into a hotel, but it did not succeed. There was a real desire to rescue it, but an even worse problem had arisen - the government of Beta was torn by dispute, and in 1895, the entire Board of Directors resigned. Also in this year, the one Beta who might have been able to rescue it, John I. Covington, passed away. In the late 1890’s the clubhouse stood abandoned, many of its windows broken. Junius E. Beal, Michigan 1882, a mem ber of the Board, visited the site and reported that somehow the dragon window remained unbroken - the last indication of its Beta connection. Yet not the last... Then, on June 28,1901, the Mayville area was visited by a thunderstorm. On the next day, the Jamestown Post-Sentinel reported that “at 1 PM yesterday, the Wooglin Clubhouse was hit by lightning, and burnt to the ground with all its con­ tents” (it was doubtful that much was left inside by then). It was the dateline of this article, June 29,1901, which caused the variation in the dates for the destruction of the clubhouse.

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Wooglin, Inc. Time went on, and other non-Betas bought the land, dividing it up into various small regions on which were built tiny summer cottages. But on the official records of Chautauqua County it was still called the Wooglin area. Then on October 21,1954, papers were filed in the Mayville Courthouse for­ mally incorporating several of the residents into “Wooglin, Inc.” This is a private corporation for the purpose of preserving the Wooglin area of Lake Chautauqua. To our knowledge, none of them are Betas. But the people there still call it Wooglin.

A uthor’s note: When I went on the “Wooglin Expedition” in 1982 to do research for a book about the clubhouse, I stopped in a small country store in Dewittville, a few miles south of Mayville. I asked if anyone there had ever heard of a place called “Wooglin,” and was surprised to get specific directions on getting there. I ex­ plained that I was a member of the fraternity which once owned that place, and then I was asked if I knew what that word meant! Well, from the first time the “Wooglin” banner flew over the clubhouse in 1884 to the present, the very name has been a m atter of puzzlement to the local citizens of Lake Chautauqua, though abundantly clear to all who once trod the porch of the Wooglin Clubhouse, or their brethren of later years.

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1883-1884 The Amherst and Vanderbilt chapters were established. A new edition of the songbook, the first with full musical scores, was released. By spring of 1884, suffi­ cient funds had been subscribed, the Wooglin clubhouse was being built, and the Board of Directors ordered the convention to be held there. August 18, the convention met at the Wooglin clubhouse on Lake Chautauqua. The building was not complete: the walls had not yet been added, though muslin was stretched across the openings of the lower floors, the third floor was left “in rather an airy state” —the undergraduates stayed up there. The report of this convention in the magazine begins: T h a t il w a s p le a s a n t g o e s w ith m u c h s ay in g fro m all w h o h a d a t a s te o f it. T h e id e a o f a fr a te r n ity c lu b -h o u s e , su ch a s th is o n e a t L a k e C h a u ta u q u a , is n o w h e ld b y all w h o k n o w o f it to h av e b e e n little s h o rt o f in s p ira tio n ; a n d th e h a p p y , s u c c e ss ­ fu l m a n n e r in w h ich th e p ro je c t h a d b e e n b ro u g h t to a su c c e ssfu l in a u g u ra tio n is b e y o n d a ll e x p re s s io n o f a p p ro v a l. T h e p la c e is a lm o s t w ith o u t e x c e p tio n th e m o s t d e s ir a b le a n d c o n v e n ie n t o f w e s te rn s u m m e r w a te r in g p la c e s , a n d c o m b in e s w ith in its e lf a s m a n y a d v a n ta g e s o f c lim a te a n d e n te r ta in m e n t a s c an p o s s ib ly b e e x p e c te d ... T h u s h a s th is te m p le lig h tly d e v o te d to th e p le a s a n t s y m p o sia o f so cia l life a n d to th e re s tfu l le is u re o f th e listle ss s u m m e rtim e , r e a re d its e lf to c e n tra liz e a n d b in d c lo s e r fr a te r n a l ties.

Also in this article, the first indication of the “sleepless nights” of conventions is found: “Every day was about twenty hours long and filled to the brim with fun and excitement. The lights at Wooglin gleamed far into each night with a noisy ferment of social gaiety and steady hubbub within and without, and woe to the poor people who liked to lay themselves early to sleep. All powers, musical, vocal and physical were invoked to ‘revive’ them, and no mercy was shown. It is a doubtful question who deserved the greater sympathy, the dwellers on the third floor or the unfortunates living beneath them.” On one night was held the fete and the hop. “The clubhouse and grounds were brilliantly illuminated with lamps and Japanese lanterns... H and­ some by day, the clubhouse by night shone from the lake like a fairy dream...” An important note to ritualists: this convention was closed with the mystic circle and singing of “So say we all of us.” Despite all this, some business was conducted by the convention: a new system of naming the chapters was adopted, the form joining both the school name and Greek name: “the Miami chapter, the Alpha of Beta Theta Pi” - the one presently in use. John Calvin Hanna, W ooster 1881 was elected as General Secretary.

1884-1885 A “colony” was begun at Denver, under a dispensation granted to Northwest­ ern. Alumni chapters were started at Washington, Philadelphia, and Denver. D e­ spite the success of the Wooglin convention last year, the Board did not alter the plans to meet in St. Louis, and so the convention of 1885 was held there on August 25-27. The governor of Mississippi and a member of the long-defunct Transylvania chapter, B. Gratz Brown, 1845, was president. Texas petitioned and was granted a charter. Some specifics of voting rights were adopted, and a “chapter transportation fund” was ordered to be formed, to pay the railroad fare for at least one delegate

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from each chapter. Meanwhile, at a certain clubhouse on a certain lake, there was fishing by day, and tilting of chairs against the fireside rail at night...

1885-1886 Ohio State had petitioned for a charter, and upon direct vote of the chapters (by mail), it was granted, and subsequently installed, as was the Texas chapter. Miami University had come back to life in the past year, and Alpha was re-established once again. Despite the lure of the sun on the lake by day, and the cozy fire by night, the convention was held in Cincinnati, August 25-27, 1886. The prep school student issue was still being debated - this time, the various chapters were instructed to “make efforts to come to an agreement with their rivals against” the initiation of these students. Subscription to the magazine was made mandatory for new initiates.

1886-1887 The General Secretary, J. Cal. Hanna, had been absent for part of the year his absence was severely felt, as Beta was coming to rely more heavily on the centralized authority placed in his hands. He later issued several manuals for the guidance of chapter officers. This year the convention returned to the Wooglin Clubhouse, meeting July 20, 1887. The governor of Pennsylvania, James A. Beaver, Washington and Jefferson 1856, was president. The charter of Rutgers was withdrawn. A regular committee on magazine was added, and the editor was to make a regular report. A new catalog was requested, without any encrypting symbols or allegorical illustrations. But it was another Wooglin convention —and this time, the building was com­ plete, and all its facilities fully satisfactory.

1887-1888 A new edition of the songbook was released. The convention of 1888 met at Wooglin on July 24-27. Knox, Penn State, Nebraska, and Denver petitioned for charters, and all were granted. This was due to the well-prepared, printed informa­ tion submitted by these groups, which set such a high standard that the same was required of all future petitions.

1888-1889 The Knox chapter was re-established. The Nebraska, Penn State, and Denver chapters were installed. A group at Syracuse petitioned and was granted a charter. Correspondence had begun between certain Betas and the three surviving chapters of the non-Greek secret fraternity, the Mystic Seven, which had begun in 1837 at Wesleyan. Committees were appointed by each fraternity to consider the matter; these met at New York, December 29,1888, and agreed on terms to be presented at the next convention.

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The Semi-Centennial The Alpha chapter celebrated its fiftieth year in connection with Miami’s com­ mencement exercises on June 19,1889. Founders Knox and Marshall were present, together with a large number of Betas. It was presided over by John W. Herron, Miami 1845, who was president both of Beta Theta Pi and of the Board of Trustees of Miami University. In the afternoon there was a reception at the W estern Female Seminary - a school adjacent to Miami’s campus - it was given by Miss Leila McKee, the principal of that school, daughter of John L. McKee, Centre 1879, and sweetheart of John Young Craft, Centre 1881 (who had died as an undergraduate). In the evening a banquet was held; the guests included members of Alpha Delta Phi, Delta Kappa Epsilon, and Phi Delta Theta. It was on this occasion that the rose was chosen as the fraternity flower, the suggestion being made by Miss McKee. The semi-centennial convention met at the Wooglin Clubhouse on July 23-27. Charters were granted to Dartmouth and Syracuse. The term s of union with the Mystic Seven were altered; the changes made were eventually accepted by the Mys­ tics (See the section on chapters). The rose was approved as the fraternity flower. This was one of the most splendid of the Wooglin conventions. Just for example, consider this addendum to the convention minutes on July 23: T u e s d a y e v e n in g w a s o c c u p ie d b y th e B e ta s in a w ay th a t is c h a r a c te ris tic o f th e h o m e -lik e a tm o s p h e r e o f th e W o o g lin C lu b - o u r fr a te r n ity h o m e . T h e r e w a s an in fo rm a l h o p fo r th o s e w h o felt in c lin e d th e r e u n to . T h e r e w e re so c ia l g ro u p s h e re a n d th e r e ;- frie n d ly ta lk a n d re m in is c e n c e s a n d d is c u s s io n o f f r a te r n ity to p ic s, w ith a m u s e m e n ts o f v a rio u s k in d s, filled u p th e p le a s a n t h o u rs , a n d a ll w ith o u t th e fo r m a lity a n d r e s tr a in t s o o f te n s e e n in m o re p u b lic p la c e s o f s u m m e r r e s o rt.

Friday afternoon was the famous “base ball” game against a non-Beta Chautauqua team, which is described in the section on songs. That evening was the “big night... the banquet was a grand success. The menu was excellent... the reminiscences were full of wit and wisdom and sentiment and loyalty...” So with great happiness, Beta Theta Pi completed her first fifty years, intending, as General Secretary Hanna remarked, to keep up the standard and the work, and go on with wisdom and energy.

1889-1890 The union with the Mystic Seven was consummated, adding chapters at North Carolina and Davidson, and strengthening the Virginia chapter. Wesleyan peti­ tioned and was granted a charter - this, like the Syracuse chapter, had formerly been the site of a chapter of the Mystic Seven, and steps were taken to bring the Mystic alumni into harmonious relations with Beta. A charter was granted to Minnesota and also to Cincinnati, re-establishing (in sentiment) Beta’s second chapter. The first Beta flag —a red rose inside a triangle of three white stars within a white rectangular band, all on a blue background —was approved by the Board of Directors. Publication of the,Mystic Messenger, the General Secretary’s private com­ munication paper, was begun. The convention of 1890 met at Wooglin on August 25, and was presided over by John Reily Knox, Miami 1839! He made the address of welcome, which was

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replied to by the Governor of Pennsylvania, James A. Beaver, Washington and Jefferson 1856; this was followed by the raising of the fraternity flag above the clubhouse. The ritual of the Mystic Seven was read, and also Beta’s original constitution of 1839. The convention granted a charter to the last chapter of Zeta Phi at the University of Missouri.

1890-1891 An unusual banquet occurred on February 6,1891 at Wormley’s Hotel, W ash­ ington. It was tendered to the Honorable John M. Harlan, Centre 1850, one of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. It was preceded by an initiation. Among those initiated were David J. Brewer, Wesleyan 1855, Justice of the Su­ prem e Court and member of the Mystic Seven. (Under the terms of the union, all Mystic alumni were entitled to membership in Beta Theta Pi.) The convention of 1891 was held at Wooglin on August 3-8. A charter was granted to the petitioners from Lehigh, and also to Yale and Rutgers, the last being a re-establishment of Beta Gamma, originally one of the Alpha Sigma Chi chapters. It was at this point that problems were introduced into Beta’s government. The issues seem to have revolved around the exact interpretation of the Ohio laws under which Beta was incorporated, though there may have been other factors as well. The executive power previously exercised by the Board of Directors were divided with a new body, the “executive committee,” composed of the General Secretary, the G eneral Treasurer and the Alumni Secretary. At this time, the change seemed beneficial, but there was clearly some overlapping of responsibility.

1891-1892 The chapters at Lehigh and Yale were installed, and the Rutgers chapter was re-established. The convention of 1892 met at Wooglin on August 3. The convention ratified the governmental changes of the previous convention - things were still apparently working well. Payment of fees was made a requirement for representa­ tion at the convention.

1892-1893 The convention of 1893 met at Wooglin on July 26. A charter was granted to a group at the University of Chicago. The charter of Randolph-Macon was with­ drawn. As far as the government was concerned, things still seemed all right on the surface, but problems were brewing. It was the last convention to meet at the Wooglin Clubhouse.

1893-1894 The Kenyon chapter was revived. But problems were upon Beta. Both the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee were attempting to exert control: the Board, by authority of the laws of Ohio, and the Committee by authority of the Convention and Laws of Beta Theta Pi. An irreconcilable conflict arose. Little appeared of this matter in The Beta Theta Pi, and the undergraduates knew little of 100

THE F A IT H FU L HUMF UF l'HF THKFF STARS

it. Meanwhile the fate of the clubhouse was becoming m ore and more uncertain. The convention of 1894 met at Niagara Falls on July 24. It was hoped to transfer the meeting to the Wooglin Clubhouse at the last minute, but it was not to happen. The financial difficulties were too great to permit the opening of the clubhouse even for its regular season, and the power struggle in the Beta government was too allconsuming for action to be taken. It was easy to shrug off the m atter - technically, the clubhouse did not belong to the “General Fraternity” but rather to the “Beta T heta Pi Alumni Club” and its doom was clear, unless the independent action of alumni would save it. There was nothing much accomplished at this convention, as the delegates struggled to harmonize the relations between the two executive bodies. It did grant a charter to Stanford, and received the report of William R. Baird announcing his publication of the second edition of Fraternity Studies.

1894-1895 The difficulties in Beta’s government continued. The Board of Directors re-in­ corporated, trying to settle some detail of Ohio law. But the battle went on, and resolution seemed impossible. This year, Founder Samuel Taylor M arshall died, as did John I. Covington. The convention of 1895 was held in Chicago, July 23-27. Again attem pts were made to straighten out the mess of the two executive authorities. The convention rejected the proposals, whereupon the entire Board of Directors resigned, including Pater Knox. A new Board was elected, but to settle the m atter unequivocally, a code commission was appointed to draft a new constitution and laws which would “prevent the continuance of the undesirable situation.” It should here be emphasized that all those involved were loyal Betas, trying to perform their duties as specified by law, but the problem seems to have been so great that there surely had been other issues involved of which no report has survived. By this time, the clubhouse had ceased to belong to Betas. It appears that the mortgage was foreclosed, and that most of the money collected over the years had gone into the operation and maintenance of the clubhouse. It was rum ored that Seaman himself had benefitted by its operation; he attem pted to resign from the fraternity, but the convention rejected this move. The exact circumstances remain unsolved, but the clubhouse was sold at sheriffs sale in 1895, and passed out of the hands of Beta T heta Pi forever.

A Turning Point Though five years remained in the nineteenth century, Beta had reached a real transition point in her life. There was a lull in chapter expansion, and the govern­ m ent (with a carefully strict adherence to duty) was quiescent, as it awaited the imminent revisions of the code. The wonderful Wooglin clubhouse was gone, but m ore and m ore chapters were renting, buying and building their own houses. Unknown to anyone, new developments in songs and symbols were in the near future. Maybe no significant anniversary was celebrated at this point, but a water­ shed had been reached. The next year would bring new things into Beta Theta Pi. 101

TH E

F A IT H F U L HUME U E TH E T H R E E

i>TAKi>

The Pater Knox Loving Cup presented to John and Isabel Knox on their Silver Wedding Anniversary by the active chapters of Beta Theta Pi 102

SECTION 12 The Turn of the Century 1895-1896 A very quiet year passed. In November of 1895, Pater and Mrs. Knox celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary, and the chapters presented them with a beautiful silver loving cup. The chapter at the University of Pennsylvania was re-established through the efforts of the Lehigh chapter; the petitioning group gained an unex­ pected strength from the addition of a local group known as Tau Delta. The convention of 1896 was held at White Sulphur Springs, Virginia - the weather was intensely hot. The important work of this convention was the approval of the revised Code, which altered Beta’s government from the Board of Directors and Executive Committee to the present Board of Trustees structure. This new board consisted of six members - the President, the General Secretary and the General Treasurer, and three other trustees (now known as Vice-Presidents). The Code was carefully divided into the Constitution, stating the plan of government, and the Laws, which detailed matters of administration. U nder the existing Constitution, the proposal had to be passed by the next convention for it to take effect. The long-debated conflict with Ohio law was resolved, after examination of the legal issues and receipt of opinions of the Attorney General and Secretary of State of Ohio —the question regarded the residence of the corporation’s trustees.

1896-1897 No chapters were established and no petitions were presented - the first time in Beta history. The convention of 1897 met at Niagara Falls. (Some longing for W estern New York, perhaps?) The new Code was approved, and a new era was begun in Beta Theta Pi - the durable government of the Board of Trustees - gaining both the benefit of legal incorporation, and continuity of executive power vested in the General Secretary, who held the authority of the presiding chapter, entrusted by all the chapters for their welfare. The first Board of Trustees was elected: President: William A. Hamilton General Secretary: J. Cal. Hanna General Treasurer: Charles L. Thornburg Trustees: Willis O. Robb Francis H. Sisson Campbell J. McDiarmid

1897-1898 The fraternity was saddened by the death of founder John Reily Knox on February 7,1898. There was no expansion activity this year. The Spanish-American W ar had some effect on the chapters, though a comparatively minor one. The

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convention of 1898 met in Cincinnati on July 19-22. Sisson was elected Treasurer, trading places with Thornburg.

1898-1899 Near the end of the year, Cumberland surrendered its charter. The convention of 1899 was held at Niagara Falls, New York, on July 28-August 1, the third there since the closing of the Wooglin Clubhouse. Membership in Theta Nu Epsilon and other such inter-fraternity, inter-class societies was forbidden, except on granting of a one-year dispensation from the Board after application by the chapter. A new flag design was suggested, and a new pledge button and a standard form of badge were adopted - these being the work of a young alumnus, George M. Chandler, Michi­ gan 1898. A new catalog was presented. Sisson was elected General Secretary, and W arren D. Oakes, De Pauw 1895, was elected General Treasurer.

1899-1900 A commemorative tablet in memory of John Reily Knox was unveiled at Miami, placed on almost the exact site of the room he had occupied in 1839; the “Old Wing” had been torn down in 1867, and a new one constructed. It should here be noted that Old Main itself was torn down in 1958, but the tablet was safely moved to approxi­ mately the same place in the new building. This tablet states very simply, “In 1839 John Reily Knox and his associates founded here the Fraternity of Beta Theta Pi.” The convention of 1900 met at Put-in-Bay Island in Lake Erie, Ohio, August 2831. The new flag was approved, which is the one presently in use. It has a red dragon inside a triangle of three white stars on a background of three horizontal stripes colored blue, white, blue. A new edition of the song book was ordered, and the ritual was to be revised. Charters were granted to West Virginia, Colorado, and Bowdoin.

1900-1901 The Washington (St. Louis) chaptcr was re-established. Mississippi, however, became extinct, and Harvard returned its charter, the chapter being degenerated into a local. On June 28, at 1 PM, the Wooglin Clubhouse was struck by lightning, and burned to the ground. The convention met at Lakewood-on-Chautauqua, August 27-31. This was a resort site near the southern end of Lake Chautauqua. Some Betas took a boat ride up to the site of the clubhouse, where the ruins could be seen. It was a most unpleas­ ant visit for the alumni who had been to the clubhouse; the undergraduates who had come along could only guess at what the place had once been, and the good times that had been had there... The convention withdrew the charters of Mississippi and Harvard, and granted a charter to the Pi Theta local society at Washington (Seattle).

1901-1902 The University of Illinois was granted a charter by mail vote. A new songbook was published, under the editorship of Horace G. Lozier, Chicago 1894; it contained

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several new songs by him including the famous “Loving Cup.” The convention of 1902 was held at Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, July 8-12. Only routine business was transacted.

1902-1903 The convention of 1903 met at Put-in-Bay Island, July 16-20. Horace G. Lozier addressed the fraternity on singing. A charter was granted to Purdue University.

1903-1904 The convention of 1904 met at The Highlands Inn, M eram ec Highlands, a suburb of St. Louis, July 19-22. The well-known St. Louis W orld’s Fair of 1904 was going on, and it tended to draw attention away from the convention. The annual dues were raised by one dollar. Delegates from every chapter were present. Jim Gavin was elected General Treasurer and Robert M. Thompson, Minnesota 1895, vicepresident.

1904-1905 Upon mail vote a charter was granted to Case School of Applied Science (which later united with Western Reserve). Work on a new catalog was begun. The convention of 1905 was held July 11-15 at the Park Avenue Hotel, New York City. The attendance of over 500 exceeded all previous conventions. A charter was granted to the Tri-Serps local society at Iowa State. Sisson was re-elected General Secretary and Stanley E. Gunnison, St Lawrence 1899, vice-president. The “transfer problem” had been under much consideration in the last year: What is the status of a member who transfers to a school where another chapter is located? Previously, a Beta became a member of the second chapter by the m ere fact of his attendance at that school. An amendment to the Laws was made to settle this issue, stating that the chapter at the school to which a Beta transfers might elect him to membership in the chapter. This came about at some larger schools where there was an overwhelming number of transfers of members. Membership in Theta Nu Epsilon and similar organizations was severely condemned.

1905-1906 The seventh edition of the catalog was issued in December, 1905, having been accomplished in the unprecedented time of thirteen months. The convention of 1906 met at Denver, Colorado, July 23-28. One charter was granted - the charter which made Beta Theta Pi an international, or more properly, a General Fraternity. The new chapter was at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In other business, a stringent law was passed forbidding membership in Theta Nu Epsilon and similar organizations. Initiation ceremonies were restricted to the chapter’s own house or hall, and use of the badge as mere decoration was discouraged. It also provided for the examination of initiates in the principal facts of the fraternity history. William A. Hamilton was chosen president. Francis W. Shepardson, Denison 1882, Brown 1883, was elected vice-president.

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Francis Wayland Shepardson Denison 1882, Brown 1883 “Mr. Beta Theta Pi” 106

SECTION 13 The Shepardson Years Francis Wayland Shepardson, Denison 1882, Brown 1883, was affectionately known to his friends as “Shep.” With the exception of Pater Knox, it would be hard to pick a more prominent Beta in our first one hundred and fifty years. H e was an one of the editors of The Beta Theta Pi from 1882 to 1889 and also from Baird’s death in 1916 until 1929. H e was an official of the fraternity from 1906 until his death in 1937. H e wrote three volumes of Beta history (and edited one of Beta poetry), drawing on both the magazine and his wide experiences and friendships in Beta. His love and service for Beta earned him the title of “Mr. Beta Theta Pi” —it has been said that he had met perhaps ONE HALF of all Betas then alive during his lifetime. Shep’s thirty-one years of service, his books, and his popularity in Beta had a pervasive influence on the fraternity. Though he had his flaws (as we all do), his continuing devotion to Beta was the most significant aspect of the second fifty years of our life. Furtherm ore, he is quoted both directly or indirectly, or paraphrased, more frequently in this book than any other Beta.

1906-1907 The Toronto chapter was installed. The New York City alumni organized a club and secured a fine club house at 46 E. Twenty-fifth Street. This was not related to the Wooglin Clubhouse, but it could be thought of as the New York alumni club’s “chapter house.” Many activities were held there over the years. The convention of 1907 met at the Cataract Hotel, Niagara Falls on July 23. A charter was granted to the Gamma Phi local society at the University of Oklahoma. Due to the increasing amount of work they faced, the duties of the committee on chapters and charters were divided into two committees. A new edition of the songbook was ordered, and William R. Baird was asked to bring his book, Fraternity Sketches up to date. Francis H. Sisson and Francis W. Shepardson swapped places on the Board, Shep becoming General Secretary; Robert M. Thompson was re­ elected as a vice-president.

1907-1908 The Oklahoma chapter was installed. The year was marked by a number of large banquets. Shep noted that “at each of these meetings the alumni turned out in force, the singing was lively, and the zeal for the fraternity, on the part of graduate and undergraduate alike, was notable.” The fraternity must have really enjoyed the convention site last year, so the con­ vention met again at the Cataract Hotel on August 4,1908. Charters were granted to Colorado Mines and Tulane. The provision for convention orator and poet was abandoned. A law was passed requiring alumni of local societies which had been granted a charter were to pay one year’s dues upon their admittance to membership in Beta Theta Pi.

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1908-1909 Over 400 Betas were present at a banquet at New York, and other gatherings around the country attracted more than a tenth of the entire membership. The convention of 1909 was held in the Hotel Victory on Put-in-Bay Island, Ohio. The new standard badge designed by Chandler was adopted. Also approved was his system for chapter coats-of-arms, his Michigan chapter having requested an individ­ ual arms. The convention approved a proposal of a national inter-fraternity confer­ ence, designating Robb, Baird, and Shepardson as representatives of Beta Theta Pi. A charter was granted to the University of Oregon.

1909-1910 The convention of 1910 was held in the United States Hotel, Saratoga Springs, New York, beginning on July 8. Formal legislation was enacted authorizing chapter coats-of-arms, and providing for a new edition of the catalog. Roger Wolcott, Yale 1905 and Clarence L. Newton, Wesleyan 1902, were chosen vice-presidents.

1910-1911 The Missouri chapter house burned down in January. The social event of the year was the Justices’ Dinner in New York City on February 9,1911. M ore than 400 members of the fraternity joined in paying honor to the four Betas out of the nine members of the Supreme Court of the United States, Justices John M. Harlan, Centre 1850, Horace H. Lurton, Cumberland 1867, Joseph R. Lamar, Bethany 1877, Washington & Lee 1878, and Willis VanDevanter, De Pauw 1881. If Lam ar’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he was the third General Secretary. The 1911 convention was held beginning on July 4 at the Clifton House, Niagara Falls, Ontario —this was the first convention held in Canada. The trustees were instructed to make a contract with a single official jeweler.

1911-1912 The convention of 1912 was held at the Hotel Cadillac, Detroit, Michigan on September 3. A charter was granted to the University of South Dakota. George M. Chandler, Michigan 1898, was elected as vice-president. His father, Edward Bruce Chandler, Michigan 1858, had been on the earlier Board of Directors; it was the first instance of father-son official recognition by the fraternity.

1912-1913 The Hampden-Sydney chapter returned its charter, due to difficulty in main­ taining the chapter size and quality as student attendance at the college declined. A survey of all institutions of higher education was made by Hamilton, Shepardson and Chandler; it had great influence in shaping the policy of Beta Theta Pi regarding expansion. It was received with close attention at the 1913 convention, which met at the Atlantic House, Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts on September 2. Shepardson was given authority to prepare and publish a series of historical papers known as “Beta Leaflets” which later were expanded into chapters of The Beta Book. The 108

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General Treasurer was authorized to employ a certified public accountant to audit the books of his office. After persistent petitioning, charters were granted to the Kappa Theta local at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and to the Alpha Pi local at the University of Utah.

1913-1914 The M.I.T and Utah chapters were installed. Upon mail vote, a charter was granted to the Psi Omega local at Williams College. The convention of 1914 was held beginning on September 1 in the Planters Hotel at St. Louis, Missouri. With this meeting, Beta Theta Pi completed seventyfive years of life. General Secretary Shepardson read a notable paper, “Beta Theta Pi: The Achievements of Seventy-five Years.” [It appears in the historical exhibits section of this book.] It was written by William R. Baird who, due to illness, was unable to attend. Charters were granted to the local societies Delta Phi Theta of Colorado College, Theta Mu Epsilon at Idaho, and Tau Omega Sigma at Kansas State. Shepardson was re-elected General Secretary and William L. Graves, Ohio State 1895, was elected as vice-president.

1914-1915 In this year, William R. Baird published Betas o f Achievement', it had been sug­ gested by an examination of Who's Who in America which in 1912 contained over 400 Betas. Shepardson observed that of the 1459 Betas documented in Baird’s book, 626 of them were in the 1935 volume of W ho’s Who. An article in The Beta Theta Pi by Sidney C. Howard, California 1915, examined the issue of increasing chapter size a question which was causing much concern. A special train on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad carried 117 dele­ gates and visitors across the continent to the convention of 1915 in Oakland, Cali­ fornia, where the Panama-Pacific Exposition was being held. There were many side excursions and sightseeing on the way. This was, perhaps, the first Beta convention “road trip” and even by today’s standards, one of the largest, although it actually was a ra//road trip. In the absence of convention president Charles H. Bentley, California 1881, the vice president, William R. Baird was acting president. A charter was granted to the Delta Phi Delta local at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.The conven­ tion received the charter of the Boston University chapter, which had been surren­ dered, and withdrew that of Iowa Wesleyan because of discontent within the insti­ tution. The Betas of the West Coast were thanked for their donation of $3,500 toward the extraordinary costs of the western convention. Francis H. Sisson and George M. Chandler were re-elected as president and vice-president respectively. A t this convention there was a model presentation of the initiation ceremony. William R. Baird was presented with a beautiful cup in sincere appreciation of his service as a great leader. The convention expressed approval of the work of the national interfraternity conference, and paid close attention to an address by George Banta, a Phi Delta Theta leader.

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1915-1916 In this year Baird published Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation, a compendium of the minutes of Beta’s conventions from 1842 to 1878. World W ar One was having a serious effect on Beta’s lone Canadian chapter...

The Toronto Chapter Fund Canada had been at war since 1914, and the situation at the Toronto chapter had become critical due to enlistments of active members and alumni. The Theta Zeta chapter appealed to the Board of Trustees; it was estimated that $2,500 would be needed to keep the chapter house open and provide for chapter expenses. General Secretary Shepardson sent out the following appeal to Betas: 1. S h a ll B e ta T h e ta Pi p ro v e its g re a t s tre n g th a s a f r a te r n ity n o w w ith a s p le n d id illu s tra tio n o f th e p o s s ib ilitie s o f m u tu a l a ss is ta n c e ? 2. S h a ll B e ta T h e ta Pi k e e p o p e n its c h a p t e r h o u s e a t T o r o n to , w h e n s o m e o f its s tr o n g e s t riv als h a v e c lo se d th e irs ? 3. S h a ll th e e q u ity in th e T o r o n to c h a p t e r h o u s e b e s a v e d f o r T h e ta Z e ta a n d fo r B e ta T h e ta Pi? 4. S h a ll B e ta T h e ta Pi p re s e rv e its T o r o n to c h a p t e r in th is e x tr a o r d in a r y s itu a tio n , w h e n its life is th r e a te n e d , n o t b y c a r e le s s n e s s o r m is m a n a g e m e n t o r d e e d s o f d is h o n o r, b u t b e c a u s e o f a lo fty a n d h e ro ic p a trio tis m w hich h a s led its m e m b e rs to lay “ u p o n th e a lta r o f th e ir c o u n try th e ir lives, th e ir fo r tu n e s , a n d t h e ir s a c re d h o n o r ” ? 5. S h a ll B e ta T h e ta P i give to th e c o lle g e a n d f r a te r n ity w o rld a n in c o m p a ­ ra b le illu s tra tio n o f th e s tre n g th o f its o rg a n iz a tio n , th e p o w e r o f its s e n tim e n t, th e a b id in g fa ith o f its m e m b e rs in th e ir b r o th e r s ? It is u p to y o u . H e r e is a s itu a tio n su ch a s h a s n e v e r fa c ed us b e fo re . H e re is a n o p p o r tu n i ty t o p ro v e w h a t B e ta T h e ta P i, w h a t f r a te r n ity m e a n s. H e r e is a M a c e d o n ia n cry th a t s h o u ld s tir e v e ry lo y al B e ta h e a rt: “ C o m e o v e r in to T o r o n to a n d h e lp u s !" W e w a n t a d o lla r a m a n fro m e v e ry a ctiv e B e ta c o n tr ib u te d o n “ P a t e r K n o x N ig h t” w h e n w e th in k o f o u r d e b t to th e f o u n d e rs o f o u r fr a te rn ity . A lu m n i h a v e a s k e d a c h a n c e to s h a r e . L e t th e m k n o w a b o u t it. S e n d th e m o n e y to m e . I w ill a c c o u n t f o r it a n d fo rw a rd it to th e G e n e r a l T r e a s u r e r f o r a d ­ m in is tra tio n . B ro th e rs , let u s m a k e th is th e g re a t e v e n t o f th e c o lle g e y e a r, th e g r e a te s t e v e n t in th e lo n g h is to ry o f B e ta T h e ta Pi. It is a n o p p o r tu n ity th a t c o m e s b u t o n c e in a life tim e . It is a c h a n c e to p ro v e B e ta T h e ta P i w h a t s o m e o f us h o p e th a t it is, th e g r e a te s t o f A m e ric a n c o lle g e f r a te rn itie s . I b e s p e a k y o u r c o -o p e ra tio n . I h a v e fa ith in th e fr a te rn ity . I b e lie v e it w ill p ro v e its p o w e r o n F e b r u a r y 7, 1916. “T h u s h o n o r s h a ll c o m e to th e b a d g e th a t w e w e a r, A n d e v e ry tr u e B e ta th a t h o n o r s h all s h a r e .”

At the convention of 1916 Earle B. Lowndes, Toronto 1919, told of the chapter’s situation; General Treasurer Gavin reported that $3,029 had been collected and sent to aid Theta Zeta, the sum later was increased to $3,040. This convention met in the United States Hotel in Saratoga Springs on Septem­ ber 5. A charter was granted to the Alpha Pi Alpha local of Georgia School of Technology. A new catalog was ordered. General Secretary Shepardson made a strong plea for steps toward a permanent endowment fund. William R. Baird, the convention president, offered to be one often persons to donate $1,000 each to start such a fund; his offer was promptly followed by Stratford L. Morton, Washington (St. Louis) 1910. However, this fund was not actually started until 1919. Among 110

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many interesting things reported by the committee on chapters was the fact that nineteen chapters were first in scholarship at their schools; also that work was being done in abolishing or modifying the â&#x20AC;&#x153;rough initiationâ&#x20AC;? - this shows that hazing was already an issue in 1916. Begun at this convention was the meeting of the district chiefs for a day before the regular sessions. President Sisson presented a silver cup modeled by Tiffany; this was to be awarded annually to the chapter deemed to have best illustrated during the past year the principles and the ideals of Beta Theta Pi, the determination to be made by the Trustees and the District Chiefs in conference.

1916-1917 William R. Baird died on March 15,1917. The last of his literary labors, Beta Letters, already in galley proof stage, was brought to completion by Shepardson and Chandler, and published the next year. Shepardson took over as magazine editor. W orld War I made chapter life difficult, but there was not the same disastrous effects as during the Civil War, nor the effects (as will be seen) of W orld War II. Perhaps as a show of solidarity with our Canadian brothers, the convention of 1917 met in the International Hotel, Niagara Falls, practically on the border between the allied nations. Nine chapters had no delegates, and others were only present part of the time. The charter of the W ooster chapter was withdrawn: the school had been promised a huge sum of money from an alumnus on condition that fraternities be outlawed there. But after this was done, the alumnus reneged on his offer.A charter was granted to the local Trident Club of Washington and Lee University, re-establishing the old Alpha Rho chapter. George Howard Bruce, Centre 1899, was elected General Secretary, and J. Harold Ryan, Yale 1908, was elected vice-president. The first Sisson award was presented to the Missouri chapter. It was announced that of the 1,901 active members in 65 chapters, 685 had enlisted in the military service, and 242 of these were officers; a total of 3,643 Betas were in uniform.

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1917-1918 The Board of Trustees noted a decrease of about 27 percent in the chapter membership due to the war; yet alumni were supporting the undergraduates in their difficulties. There was concern about the war’s impact on the fraternity, as the chapters’ situations became more serious. The Board voted to deposit Baird’s col­ lection of fraternity books and publications with the New York Public Library. The ninth edition of the catalog was published. Two “badge stories” recorded by Shepardson in Beta Lore are appropriate to quote at this point. One was a letter from E. F. Bovring, of Nashville, Tennessee: I h a v e in m y p o s s e s s io n a B e ta b a d g e w h ic h w as ta k e n fro m a n o ff ic e r’s c o a t o n a b a ttle fie ld in F r a n c e b y a N a sh v ille b o y w h o is a fr ie n d o f m in e , a n d w h o h a s e n d e a v o r e d to lo c a te s o m e re la tiv e o f its o w n e r, a s h e fe e ls c e r ta in th a t th e o w n e r o f s a m e w a s k ille d in a c tio n . T h e b a d g e b e a r s th e n a m e o f S. 1I. M ille r [a n d d a te F e b r u a r y 2 0 ,1 9 1 4 , a n d is fro m th e T h e ta c h a p te r . I a m w ritin g d ire c t to y o u [i.e. S h e p a rd s o n ], h o p in g y o u w ill a ssist m e in lo c a tin g s o m e p e r s o n to w h o m I m a y s e n d th e b a d g e . I h a v e n o t w ritte n d ire c t to th e c h a p te r , a s I p re s u m e d th e h o u s e w as p ro b a b ly v a c a n t fo r th e s u m m e r. [It a p p e a r s th a t th is w as J o h n H . M ille r, O h io W e s le y a n 1917; th e re is n o S. II. M ille r fo r a n y c h a p t e r a t th is p e rio d .]

The other related the recognition of John L. Craig, Vanderbilt 1908, a captain of artillery, as a Beta by Paul M. Fletcher, Case 1913, when he noted the Beta insignia on Craig’s ring. Craig then told Fletcher that he had found quite a number of Beta Theta Pi badges on shirts in salvage piles at the front, some of these shirts being taken off of the wounded in the hospitals; he also said that he sent the badges to the Paris Alumni chapter for return home. The “war convention” of 1918 was held in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia on July 2. Major George M. Chandler was convention president, conducting the ses­ sions in uniform. Twelve chapters were not represented. A telegram was sent to United States President Woodrow Wilson: T h e B e ta T h e ta Pi F r a te rn ity , in its s e v e n ty -n in th g e n e ra l c o n v e n tio n a s ­ s e m b le d , re a ffir m s its p le d g e o f lo y a lty a n d c o -o p e ra tio n w ith th e g o v e rn m e n t o f th e U n ite d S ta te s . F o u r th o u s a n d o n e h u n d re d e ig h ty -se v e n B e ta s n o w in a ctiv e serv ice .

Magazine Editor Shepardson again brought up the idea of an endowment fund; memberships were to be sold for $10.00, entitling the subscriber to the magazine for life. After considerable discussion, the matter was referred to the Board. Francis H. Sisson stepped down from the presidency, but remained on the Board; Francis W. Shepardson was elected president on July 4, 1918. Another appeal of assistance for the Toronto chapter was made in 1918, bringing in $2,221.60. The Board was empowered to omit the convention of 1919, depending on war conditions. However, they did not make use of this power, for...

1918-1919 On September 2, the convention of 1919 met at the New Ocean House, Swampscott, Massachusetts. A young alumnus, Kenneth W. Rogers, Syracuse 1917, introduced a new song entitled “Marching Along” - an undergraduate named Seth R. Brooks of the St. Lawrence chapter, attending his first convention, would recall 112

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this many years later... President Shepardson again brought up the m atter of the en­ dowment fund. Sixteen members had already sent in $10.00, although no effort had been made to secure subscriptions. Shep announced his decision to turn over the $912.68 surplus from the magazine into the new fund, in accordance with the report of the Board of Trustees: F o r m o re th a n a y e a r th e b o a rd h a s b e e n c o n s id e rin g th e s u g g e s tio n a t th e la st g e n e r a l c o n v e n tio n th a t th e f r a te r n ity m a g a z in e b e f u r n is h e d to m e m b e r s f o r life o n p a y m e n t o f te n d o lla rs f o r e a c h s u b s c rip tio n , a n d th a t, in th e f u tu r e , e ac h in itia te b e r e q u ir e d to p a y a fee o f te n d o lla rs to B e ta T h e ta P i in a d d itio n to a n y in itia tio n fe e d e m a n d e d b u y h is c h a p te r , su ch p a y m e n t c o n s titu tin g him a life s u b s c r ib e r to th e m a g a z in e . T h e s u b je c t h a s b e e n s tu d ie d c a re fu lly fr o m m a n y v ie w p o in ts , b o th a s a d e ta c h e d p la n a n d a s a p a r t o f a f a r la r g e r s c h e m e o f f r a te r n ity e n d o w m e n t. T h e th o u g h t o f h a v in g s o m e d a y a f r a te r n ity m a g a z in e to w h ic h e v e ry m e m b e r o f B e ta T h e ta Pi is a life s u b s c rib e r m a k e s s tr o n g a p p e a l to th e im a g in a tio n . T h e d e v e lo p m e n t o f a p e r m a n e n t fu n d , o n e d a y to b e so la rg e a s to a ffo r d in c o m e f o r w id e r a c tiv itie s th a n th o s e s o fa r p r o p o s e d s trik e s th e fa n c y a n d s tim u la te s f r a te r n ity zea l a s w ell. T h e b o a r d n o w r e c o m m e n d s to th e c o n v e n tio n th a t su ch life s u b s c rip tio n s b e e s ta b lis h e d ; th a t th e n e c e s s a ry a m e n d ­ m e n ts t o th e law s o f th e f r a te r n ity b e m a d e to p ro v id e f o r th e d if f e r e n t ty p e s o f s u b s c rip tio n s m e n tio n e d a b o v e ; th a t all m o n e y re c e iv e d f o r s u c h p u r p o s e s sh all b e k e p t in a s e p a r a te p e r m a n e n t fu n d , w h o se in c o m e o n ly sh all b e u s e d ; a n d th a t th is fu n d s h a ll f o r e v e r b e k n o w n a s th e “ B a ird F u n d ,” in la s tin g m e m o ria l to W illia m R a im o n d B aird .

The convention’s response to the proposition was immediate, enthusiastic, and practical. O f the total contributed by Betas in support of the Toronto chapter, $983.97 was not expended; the remainder was turned into the fund in memory of the Toronto chapter dead. In an hour of great excitement the pledges came in fast when the counting was done, the Baird Fund had $5,500 to its credit. The convention also voted that each initiate should pay $10 into the fund, thus becoming a life subscriber to the magazine. The convention also established the Founders’ Fund, an immediate outgrowth of the Baird Fund. It was intended for various purposes: to help chapters in their house construction, to provide fellowships and scholarships as prizes to be con­ tended for, to establish instructors or big brothers in chapter homes, to help members needing loans in order to continue their college work, to help those to enjoy fraternity life who might be barred otherwise because of poverty, to enable the fraternity to carry on more frequent and more helpful inspection, to make it possible to reduce the annual dues and other charges. The principal was to remain intact, only the interest being used under direction of the Board of Trustees. The Fund was to be formed from gifts, donations, bequests or other sources. Jim Gavin was re-elected as General Treasurer; Clarence L, Newton and John R. Simpson, Miami 1898, were elected as vice-presidents. A charter was granted to the Sigma Rho local at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), Pittsburgh, Pa., on condition that it have at least $15,000 equity in a chapter house in the next year. A charter was also granted to Gamma Delta local at Washington State, Pullman, Washington.

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1919-1920 The Sigma Rho local having met the conditions of a house, the Gamma Iota chapter was installed at Carnegie. Bethany and Knox lost their houses by fire. Mrs. William R. Baird died on November 29,1919; the bulk of her estate, $65,000 was left to the fraternity, and received into the Founders Fund. The Board selected Sisson and Newton, together with General Treasurer Gavin, as trustees of the Founders Fund; Gavin, Sisson and James T. Brown were to serve as trustees of the Baird Fund. The convention of 1920 met on September 3 at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The plan for the so-called “rule of thirty-nine” was enacted, to gradually limit chapter size to thirty-nine, though this was later abandoned. Bruce was re-elected as Gen­ eral Secretary, and Morris R. Ebersole, Cincinnati 1898 was elected as vice presi­ dent. This year, the convention schedule included Sunday and Labor Day, the religious service on Sunday taking the form of a memorial to the Beta war dead.

1920-1921 The Baird Collection of fraternity books was deposited with the New York Library on May 21,1921. The Colgate chapter house burnt down. The convention of 1921 met in the Stanley Hotel of Estes Park, Colorado on September 6. A standard set of examination questions for new initiates was adopted.

1921-1922 A new edition of the songbook was released. As the Board of Trustees had become “fully convinced of the difficulties connected with a just award of a trophy in a fraternity containing so large a number of chapters in institutions of such differing character,” the Sisson cup was returned to its donor. An attem pt would be made at revising the criteria in 1949, but it would not be until 1982 that the present formulation was made, permitting any number of chapters to win.

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The convention of 1922 met in the West Baden Springs Hotel, West Baden, Indiana on September 5. (This is reasonably close to French Lick, Indiana, at which some more recent conventions have been held.) It was a most beautiful site. C har­ ters were granted to the Delta Sigma local society at the University of North Dakota, and to a local society - also known as Delta Sigma —at the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, now known as Oklahoma State. Gavin and Newton were re-elected as treasurer and vice president. The difficulties of the increasing augmen­ tation of the initiation ceremony with spurious activities were noted, and the follow­ ing law was adopted: A ll in itia tio n c e r e m o n ie s in to B e ta T h e ta P i s h a ll b e lim ite d b y th e r e s p e c ­ tiv e c h a p te r s o f th e f r a te r n ity to re a s o n a b le p r o b a tio n a r y m e a s u re s n o t m a te r i­ a lly in te rf e r in g w ith a c a n d id a te ’s s tu d y o r class h o u rs , a n d n o t in e x ce ss o f o n e w e e k ’s d u ra tio n ; to th e tr a d itio n a l W o o g lin c e r e m o n y [n o t id e n tic a l w ith th e p r e s e n t- d a y c e r e m o n y o f th e s a m e n a m e ]; a n d to th e f r a te r n ity e x a m in a tio n s a n d th e r itu a l o f B e ta T h e ta Pi; all g iv en o n d a y s o th e r th a n S u n d a y , w ith in th e c h a p te r h o u s e o r h a ll; a n d a ll h o rs e p la y a n d all p ro b a tio n a r y m e a s u re s e x c e p t a s a b o v e m e n tio n e d , a r e h e re b y fo rb id d e n ; p ro v id e d , h o w e v e r, th a t a n y p re v a ilin g in itia ­ tio n p ra c tic e s c o n flic tin g w ith th e e x p re ss p ro v is io n s h e r e o f m a y b e c o n tin u e d w ith th e c o n s e n t o f th e B o a r d o f T r u s te e s .

1922-1923 The Board approved Chandler’s designs for official robes and other ritual devices. The chapters were urged to hold a commemoration of Pater Knox Day, February 7, but no details were specified, everything being rather informal. The convention of 1923 was held in the Greenbrier Hotel at White Sulphur Springs, Virginia on July 3. A charter was granted to the Kappa Theta Rho local at Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State. The convention discussed the possibilities for development and chapter interaction resulting from district conclaves and conferences of chapter presidents - an idea thoroughly implemented by means of the Leadership Workshops started in the 1970’s and sponsored by the Beta Lead­ ership Fund.

1923-1924 A unique action demonstrating the new spirit among college fraternities oc­ curred when the Oregon State chapter was installed: the brothers of the Kappa Sigma fraternity turned over their house to the new Beta chapter during the three day installation celebration. The convention of 1924, the eighty-fifth, was held at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan. This is a small island in Lake Huron, several miles east of the Straits of Mackinac - the gap between the two peninsulas of Michigan. It was the first convention at Mackinac, which became one of Beta’s favorite convention sites, and as such, became an historically significant place on the order of Miami University and the Wooglin clubhouse. For the first time in 58 years, the convention president was an undergraduate: Elm er L. Lindseth, Miami 1923, Case 1925. Shepardson was re-elected president of the fraternity, and Frank G. Ensign, Beloit 1900, was chosen as a vice president. 115

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Expansion was discussed at length, the principle having been iterated in the reports of several conventions: ...B e ta T h e ta Pi b e in g a n a tio n a l [sic] fr a te rn ity , it p ro p o s e d to o c c u p y all o f th e im p o r ta n t c o lle g e s in A m e ric a . If th e r e a d e r to o k th e w o rd ‘i m p o r ta n t’ to m e a n w o rth y o r first-c la s s fro m an e d u c a tio n a l s ta n d p o in t th a t s ta te m e n t m u s t b e m o d ifie d f o r it is v e ry e v id e n t th a t w ith o u t th e e n la rg e m e n t o f o u r c h a p t e r ro ll to a size w h ic h w o u ld b e lite ra lly d a n g e r o u s to th e c lo s e n e s s o f o u r fr a te r n a l b o n d w e c a n n o t h o p e to o c c u p y all o f th e in c r e a s in g n u m b e r o f w h a t m a y b e te rm e d a n d re c o g n iz e d a s ‘g o o d c o lle g e s ’ in th is c o u n try . N o r to b e a tru ly n a tio n a l fr a te r n ity is it a t all n e c e s s a ry to d o so .

1924-1925 The chapter house at Wisconsin was destroyed by fire. The convention of 1925 was held starting on September 1 at the Bigwin Inn on Bigwin Island, Lake of Bays, Ontario, Canada. The three members of the board of trustees other than the Presi­ dent, General Secretary, and General Treasurer, were henceforth to be known as vice presidents. The Advisory Council was created, to be formed of past general officers and trustees. An initiation fee of $10.00 was adopted.

1925-1926 The St. Lawrence chapter dedicated the Abbott-Y oung M em orialTem ple.The 1926 convention met on June 29 at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. A charter was granted to the Alpha Pi local of the University of California at Los Angeles. Harold J. Baily, Amherst 1908 was chosen as General Secretary.

1926-1927 As the supplies of Baird’s Handbook were exhausted, the Board asked Presi­ dent Shepardson to prepare a new manual. This was published in 1927 under the title of V ie Beta Book. It had been ordered that a copy of this book was to be presented to each new initiate, so the Code was included, as well as several other reference documents. The convention of 1927 was held at Bigwin Inn on August 30. The Baird Fund had risen to over $100,000. A Fraternal Fifties card, recognizing fifty years of mem­ bership in Beta, was suggested by George W. Switzer, De Pauw 1881, was approved. Vice President Frank G. Ensign retired to undertake special work as an assistant to the General Treasurer, Dunlap C. Clark, Chicago 1918 was chosen as his replace­ ment on the Board. A ceremony for the installation of chapter officers was adopted.

1927-1928 In the first week of June, 1928, a flight from Oakland, California to Sydney, Australia via Honolulu was completed successfully. The airplane, the Southern Cross, was navigated by Harry Lyon, Dartmouth, 1908, who sent a message to Wallace R. Farrington, Maine 1891, the governor of the Territory of Hawaii: “A brother Beta coming to see you on the Southern Cross.” The message was published in news reports of the Associated Press.

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The convention of 1928 met at the Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs on Sep­ tem ber 4. Shepardson’s second Beta Book, entitled Beta Lore, was published. The Mississippi chapter was re-established, by the granting of a charter to the Theta Beta local society. Preparations for the centennial were discussed.

1928-1929 The ninetieth convention was held at Bigwin Inn, Ontario on August 27,1929. A revision of the Code was approved. Baily was re-elected G eneral Secretary, and Gordon S. Smyth, Pennsylvania 1918, was elected as vice president.

1929-1930 The convention of 1930 was held at the Chamberlin-Vanderbilt Hotel, Old Point Comfort, Virginia, starting on September 2. The Fraternal Fifties card, ap­ proved by the convention of 1927, was presented, and the first one was awarded to George W. Switzer, De Pauw 1881, who had come up with the idea. General Treas­ urer Gavin proposed a plan to replace the annual dues with a single initiation fee of sixty dollars to include: 1. The $10.00 general initiation fee 2. The $10.00 Baird Fund membership 3. A standard badge 4. The shingle 5 .A copy of the songbook 6. A copy of The Beta Book 7. The equivalent of four years’ dues This was unanimously approved, after the fee had been reduced to $50.00. The celebration of Pater Knox Night on February 7 was again urged. A motion was passed directing the General Secretary to appoint “commissions” to address various topics regarding chapter affairs. This has been continued by the appointment of the scholarship commissioner, alumni affairs commissioner, and other officers. A charter was granted to the Delta Tau local society at the University of Florida.

1930-1931 The Columbia chapter made a special subscription for the purpose of putting every living member of the chapter on the Baird Fund rolls. The convention of 1931 was held at the Royal Muskoka Hotel in Ontario, September 1-4. Due to the Depression, the one-time initiation fee approved last year was shelved, and the fees reverted to the previous plan. The chapters commission had made a careful study of conditions at all the chapters, and their findings were reported to the convention. In order to stimulate chapter efforts toward scholarship, the Board of Trustees was authorized to make scholarship awards, one annually to the chapter “deemed most deserving on the basis of improvement and relative position on campus,” the other m ade every three years to the chapter which has “maintained high standards of scholarship most consistently over the three year period.”

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1931-1932 Gordon S. Smyth, Pennsylvania 1918, replaced Shepardson as magazine editor. The convention of 1932 met on August 30-September 2 at the Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia. Baily was re-elected as General Secretary, and William W. Dawson, Ohio Wesleyan 1914 was chosen as a Vice President. The first scholarship awards were presented to Oregon, for improvement in the past year, and to Illinois, for outstanding achievement over three years. Development of new alumni associa­ tions was discussed. The North Dakota chapter expressed its desire to offer a prize for outstanding works of chapter journalism.

1932-1933 Due to the continued depression, there had been serious consideration of omitting the convention of 1933. The chapters were polled, the results being over­ whelmingly in favor, and so the convention was held at the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan, on August 29-September 1. Shepardson was re-elected as presi­ dent, and Ronald F. Moist was re-elected as vice president. The publication of a new catalog was announced. Three commissions, on alumni, chapters, and scholarship, made reports. Denison and Colorado Mines won the scholarship awards.

1933-1934 The convention of 1934 met at Mackinac on September 3-6. The annual dues were decreased to $7.00, apparently the only time in our history the fees were reduced. Gavin and Gutelius were re-elected to the Board. Preliminary plans were begun for the centennial, to be held at Miami University, August 8,1939. The “Beta Senate” was created, a board of nine distinguished Betas, which was to “aid the fraternity in its effort to incorporate the ideals and principles of the fraternity in the lives of its members.” The first North Dakota award for chapter publications were given to The Crucible of the Colorado Mines chapter.

1934-1935 The convention of 1935 was held at the Seignory Club, Quebec, on September 3-7. Shepardson challenged the delegates to begin their preparations for the centen­ nial. G. H erbert Smith, De Pauw 1927 was elected General Secretary, and William W. Dawson, Ohio Wesleyan 1914 was elected a vice president. George Howard Bruce, Centre 1899, was appointed chairman of the centennial committee. The committee on initiation called for an end to “Hell W eek” practices, and called upon the Trustees to deal harshly with chapters still disobeying the rules of the fraternity.

1935-1936 Shepardson prepared a third edition of The Beta Book. A Beta balloonist, Albert W. Stevens, Miami 1907, opened a new frontier of the upper air, reaching an altitude of 74,187 feet. Harold J. Baily, Amherst 1908, former General Secretary, was elected president of the National Interfraternity Conference.

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The convention of 1936 was held at the Edgewater Gulf Hotel in Biloxi, Missis­ sippi, on August 24-28. General Secretary Smith stated the fraternity’s policy on liquor, strongly disapproving of overindulgence and disobedience to rules of the school. A new idea at this convention was a series of discussion sessions on various topics, each directed by a District Chief or Board member. The publication of Shepardson’s volume of collected poetry, Beta Bards, was announced. Shepardson was re-elected for a seventh term as president, A. J. G. Priest was elected as a vice president. Two charters were granted: to the thirty-four year old Beta Sigma Phi local at Lawrence College, Appleton, Wisconsin, and to the Sigma Alpha local at the University of British Columbia, this being Beta’s second chapter in Canada.

1936-1937 It was at the end of this school year, three weeks before the convention of 1937, that Francis W. Shepardson passed away. We quote from Fawcett’s summary in Marching Along: B e ta T h e ta P i h a s b e e n b le s t m o re th a n m o s t o rg a n iz a tio n s o f m e n w ith g re a t fig u re s w h o h av e giv en o f th e m s e lv e s a n d h a v e g u id e d its d e s tin y d o w n th ro u g h th e y e a rs. N o n e w as g r e a te r o r m o re b e lo v e d th a n F ra n c is W . S h e p ­ a r d s o n , D e n is o n 1882, B ro w n 1883, w h o se s u d d e n d e a th o c c u r re d o n A u g u s t 9, 1937 - ju s t tw o s h o rt y e a rs aw ay fro m th e fr a te r n ity ’s C e n te n n ia l c e le b r a tio n fo r w h ic h h e h a d p la n n e d s o long. F e w m e n h a v e p o s s e s s e d h is g e n iu s fo r le a d e rs h ip . H is p u r p o s e s w e re so n o b le a n d h is m e th o d s so s in c e re th a t h e a w a k e n e d in h is fo llo w e rs a n in te n s e d e s ir e to e m u la te h im a n d to s e e k th e b e t t e r p a th s th ro u g h th is life. B e ta T h e ta Pi w as to h im a n in s tru m e n ta lity b y w h ich to e x p re s s a n d d e v e lo p th e v e ry h ig h e st a n d h o lie s t o f h is d re a m s . H e u s e d it, b u t a b o v e all, h e w as th e e m b o d im e n t o f all th a t w h ic h h e b e lie v e d it m ig h t b e c o m e .

The Board of Trustees appointed senior Vice President Charles B. Gutelius as acting president of the fraternity. The convention of 1937, held at Mackinac on August 31-September 3, was opened with a memorial service for Shep. Plans had been approved by the Trustees for a Campanile and W estminster Peal of bells as a centenary gift to Miami University. Clarence L. Newton was elected as president of the fraternity; Clifford C. Gregg, Cincinnati 1917, was elected as a vice president.

A Shepardson Monument Shepardson’s direct influence on Beta Theta Pi ceased just two years before the one hundredth birthday of the fraternity. Yet his influence remains a permanent part of Beta —like Baird, his books are his great and lasting monument, preserving his memory even to the present day.

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The Beta Campanile (also known as the Beta Bell Tower) Centennial gift to Miami University 120

SECTION 14 The Centennial1 1937-1938 Plans were moving ahead for the centennial: an artist’s rendition of the Beta Campanile was presented in the magazine. It was proposed to establish an archives center at Oxford for the storage of memorabilia. The convention of 1938 was held at Poland Spring House, Poland, Maine on September 6. Lloyd G. Balfour, Grand Consul of Sigma Chi, presented a memorial plaque honoring Shepardson. G. Herbert Smith was re-elected as General Secre­ tary, and George M. Roudebush, Denison 1915. The Beta Senate was abolished. The Board was authorized to permit a chapter to initiate students at a school not having a Beta chapter, in order to “colonize” there. U nder this authority, permission was granted to the North Carolina chapter to initiate students at Duke University. The issue of chapter size was debated. It was felt that chapters were becoming too large; thirty-nine was considered ideal, and fifty chapters were larger than this.

1938-1939 Form er officer and trustee John Calvin Hanna, W ooster 1881, passed away. Preparations for the centennial continued. John R. Simpson, Miami 1899, was appointed the Director of the Centenary; he warned that the advance reservations indicated a great host of Betas would descend on Oxford, severely taxing the limited facilities of the small college town...

The Centennial Convention The one hundredth birthday of Beta Theta Pi, celebrated at Oxford, Ohio on the Miami University campus August 4-8, 1939, was, up to that time, the most pretentious event ever planned and carried out by the fraternity. To succeeding gen­ erations it will be of less and less significance that the association should have endured for one hundred years - in fact, readers of these words m aybe planning the one hundred fiftieth or two hundredth anniversaries. Nevertheless, students of Beta history will do well to pay close heed to what was said and done at the Centenary. It was the greatest assemblage of Betas, over fifteen hundred, ever gathered together; the number included all the living greats, the builders of the fraternity during her second fifty years, her most devoted and gifted sons. What they said there illuminates the road down which we came; their words for the future reveal their hopes for what was to come. From the vantage point we now occupy we can judge how well those hopes have been realized or how great is the task still to be accom­ plished. The great gathering “neath the elms of old Miami” consisted of two great parts, the One Hundredth General Convention and the Centenary Celebration inter1 M o s t o f th is s e c tio n is ta k e n v e rb a tim fro m

Marching Along, 121

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twined together from the opening convention session on Friday, August 4 to the Centenary Exercises presided over by Owen D. Young on the birthday of the fraternity, Tuesday, August 8. The varied Centenary events, planned and supervised by Centenary Director John R. Simpson, Miami 1899 Centenary Committee Chairman George Howard Bruce, Centre 1899, began with a great song fest in the college auditorium. General singing was led by Horace G. Lozier, Chicago 1894, composer of “The Loving Cup” and other Beta songs, and by Morris Ebcrsole, Cincinnati 1898, while special numbers were given by the Whitman and Miami chapter choruses. The only speaking on the program was a talk by Gordon S. Smyth, Pennsylvania 1918, on “Beta Firsts and Beta Achievements,” a reminder to the oldsters and a revelation to the undergraduates of the varied fields of endeavor in which members of the fraternity had gained positions of eminence and leadership.

The Centenary Church Service and Vespers In keeping with the spiritual foundation on which the ritual and traditions of Beta Theta Pi have been erected, it is significant that a Sunday was included in the Centenary program and that the events of Sunday, August 6 were among the most important in the entire celebration. The day began with services in the Memorial Presbyterian Church with Rev. A rthur C. Wickenden, Denison 1915 presiding. Before a packed-in congregation of alumni, undergraduates, Beta wives, sons and daughters, the sermon was given by the Rt. Rev. Robert N. Spencer, Dickinson 1903, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri. Taking as his subject “The Counsel of the H eart,” Dr. Spencer referred to the troubled times facing the world as a time of twilight, when there was just enough light to see by, but not enough light to judge by. He called upon his listeners to “obey the counsel of the hearts” - God’s primordial gift to every man born into the world. “It is,” he said, “what we call the image of God in man. It is something more than conscience that tells us the difference between good and evil, between right and wrong. It is what the Bible means when it says, ‘Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.’ It is what Jesus meant when He said, “The kingdom of God is within you.’ It is what Shakespeare meant when he said, ‘To thine own self be true.’ We must never believe men when they say they do not know the difference between right and wrong. They do know, and when they choose the wrong, they are deliberately listening to other voices and going against the counsel of their own heart.” The Scripture reading was by Rev. Clarence A. Hanna, Bethany 1910, the prayer by Rev. John B. Ferguson, Miami 1903 and the Centenary Anthem “Be Thou With Us” was sung, with words by Joseph M. Bachelor of Miami University. The choir was composed of members of the Alpha chapter. At five o’clock in the evening Vesper Services were held in the beautiful open air Nature Theatre of nearby Western College. There in a perfect setting of green foliage and rolling lawns Beta’s own “Johnny” Blair, Rev. John Allan Blair, Wabash 1893, presided. With the Gamma Zeta Chorus leading, the Centennial Hymn was sung and “Johnny” Blair delivered one of the great Beta addresses, “Beta Eternal” 122

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for which he is so justly famed. The theme of his inspiring message was that the idea of Beta Theta Pi, its ideals, can be immortal even though its rolls and records, its buildings, its outward forms, should be swept away. “Cynics deride fraternities,” he said, “as being mere devices to prolong adolescence. Rather are they evidences of the perennial freshness of vision which is part of youth. Arnold of Rugby once told some of his students that they would begin life’s pilgrimage with a morning vision - all things clear and beautiful. As they journeyed across the years, the dust of the highway would gradually obscure the golden light of dawn, until all seemed commonplace, even unlovely. But a fraternity preserves the morning powers, keeps the vision glowing. Years mean little or nothing. We follow a path upon which light shines from within us. No true fraternity member ever knows the day when the light dies. “Thus it is that Beta can be eternal. It is an ageless idea, and within ideas lie enshrined the spirits of men.... It is by this spirit that we shall continue to live, not simply by the love of brother for brother, but by the idea of love, the conception that love is possible and usable. It is this idea that is eternal! As long as we shall dare to believe in love, Beta Theta Pi will grow from more to more.” Assisting Brother Blair in the Vesper Service were Rev. R. Ames Montgomery, Miami 1893, who gave the invocation and William L. Graves, Ohio 1893, who read the scriptural quotation, “Let Us Now Praise Famous Men.” The words of the Centennial Hymn, written for the occasion, were by Rev. Blair.

Centenary Initiation On Sunday evening an initiation was conducted in the college auditorium under the direction of George Howard Bruce and with former Trustee A. J. G. Priest taking the president’s part. Eight pledges of the Alpha chapter, symbolic of the eight founders of the fraternity, were the initiates and never had a group of neophytes been welcomed into the brotherhood by a more distinguished ritual team. Taking parts in the ceremony were these Beta greats: William W. Dawson, Robert Frazier, William Graves, Walter Holt, Howard Law, Stephen Penrose, Jr., A. J. G. Priest and G. H erbert Smith. These officers and former officers were assisted by a group of undergraduates from the De Pauw chapter with singing by the Alpha chapter quartet and by soloist Kermit Read Hanson, Nebraska 1938. The initiates of the Alpha chapter were: John C. Boldt, James E. Canright, William H. Condit, John E. Dolibois, Lewis H. Evans, Norman F. Hcydingcr, Paul V. Smith and William K. Wallace.

Centenary Eve Program Following the closing session of the One Hundredth General Convention on Monday, August 7 and a late afternoon garden party at the home of the President of Miami University, occurred the Centenary Eve Program. Featured as speakers at this event were not only well know Betas but several distinguished guests, not members of the fraternity. 124

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The opening address was by Alfred H. Upham, President of Miami University, a mem ber of Delta Kappa Epsilon. Dr. Upham again welcomed members of Beta Theta Pi to Oxford and in his remarks described the physical appearance of Miami University in 1839, and told something of the life of students of that period. Those who followed him included the Hon. John W. Bricker, Governor of Ohio and and a mem ber of Delta Chi and Mr. George Banta, Jr., Past President of Phi Delta Theta who spoke for the National Inter-fraternity Conference. Mr. Banta referred to the leading role which Beta Theta Pi had played in developing interfraternity cooperation and enumerated the occasions through the years when the fraternity had made efforts to “get on” with its rivals. In concluding he said, “I am certain that we can look to Beta Theta Pi for the same leadership in the century to come that we have been privileged to receive in the century just past. I base this hope not only on actual performance but upon the spirit of the organization from the time of its conception.” Two distinguished Betas delivered the principal addresses of the evening. They were Brigadier General Oliver L. Spalding, U.S.A., Michigan 1895 and Dr. James L. McConaughy, Yale 1909, President of Wesleyan University, Lieutenant Gover­ nor of Connecticut. Brother Spalding compared the spirit which is found in a fraternity chapter with that at West Point Academy - the loyalty of a cadet for the academy and his country - the loyalty of a Beta to his chapter and the general fraternity. He called upon members of the brotherhood to hold fast to these loyalties and extend them to our country and to other peoples of the world. With inspiring words, Dr. McConaughy pointed to three stars “which you and I may wisely keep ever bright, guiding lights in today’s gloom.” First, Betas should seek their brothers from all kinds of young manhood - never seeking conformity to one pattern but welcoming athletes, scholars, musicians, northerners, southerners, Canadians, lads from the farms and ships of Maine, each with his contribution to make to the brotherhood. Second, that though we are privileged to be among a selected few who have gained membership in an organization of men, we should resist intolerance and indifference to others and should be ready and willing at any time to render service where it is needed. The third star, he said, “speaks of youth, idealism, fidelity.” A fraternity, he pointed out, can degenerate into a club when mere physical comforts become more important than ideals and brotherly love. “If materialism and soft beds, and good food, and comfort are all we stand for - all that Beta offers - let us disband and return to this campus tomorrow the torch which Pater Knox lit a century ago. But we know that that is not what Beta means. We know it makes men broader in their sympathies, finer in their ideals, truer in their friendships.”

Centenary Day The thrilling climax to five days of ceremonies, celebrations, convention sessions, speeches and singing came on Tuesday, August 8, the one hundredth birthday of the fraternity. Opening with the Centenary Day Parade at 10:30 A.M., 126

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with George M. Chandler, Michigan 1898, as Chief Marshal, it concluded with the Centenary Day Exercises in an open air setting on the campus with over one thousand persons in attendance. The parade was led by the Marshal and corps of General Fraternity officers and included all the chapter and alumni delegations, each with guidon bearing the appropriate coat of arms. Presiding at the Centenary Day ceremonies was Owen D. Young, St. Lawrence 1894, chairman of the Board of Directors, General Electric Co. He first called upon G eneral Secretary G. H erbert Smith who presented the Centenary Box containing important records of the fraternity to be opened in the year 2039. The contents of the box which was placed1 in the American National Bank of Indianapolis, Indiana included: A Standard Badge The Ritual The Coat of Arms Impress of the G reat Seal The Beta Book Beta Life Bairdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Manual, 1935 The Centenary Program

A Pledge Button The Code The Song Book The 1933 Catalogue Beta Lore Son of the Stars The Centenary Medallion The Centenary Photograph

Picture of the First Fifty Years - by J. Calvin Hanna Picture of the Second Fifty Years - by George M. Chandler Letter from President Newton to the President in 2039 Letter from General Secretary Smith to the General Secretary of 2039 Copies of the Centenary Addresses Special Issue Number One, 1938, of the Magazine Special Issue Number Two, 1938, of the Magazine The Flag of Beta Theta Pi. Following a memorable address by Dr. Franklin S. Edmonds, Pennsylvania 1893, on the great opportunities which would exist in America during the next century, came the reading of the Centenary Ode, composed by William Henry Drawshaw, Colgate 1887 and read by H. Walton Mitchell, Pennsylvania State 1890. [This ode appears in the poetry section of this book.] And following these inspiring lines came one of the great events of the celebration, the presentation of the Memorial Bells by president Clarence L. Newton, and accepted by Dr. Alfred H. Upham, President of Miami University. The Peal of Bells, four in number, are pitched to ring the Westminster series of four notes for each quarter hour, with sixteen notes at the full hour followed by the striking of the hour itself on the largest bell. At the time of the Centenary, they were 1 In 1958 th e b o x w as tr a n s f e r r e d to a n e w v a u lt in th e B e ta T h e ta Pi A d m in is tra tiv e O ffic e in O x fo rd , O h io .

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hung in the East Tower of Harrison Hall - known through many decades as “Old Main” - the building in which Beta Theta Pi was born. Two years later they were transferred to the beautiful bell tower, the Beta Campanile, erected by the fraternity on the Miami campus and where the bells continue to ring out the hours over that peaceful college scene. On August 8, 1939, however, they great moment came when, over a national radio network, the bells first rang and Betas heard their notes from coast to coast. Alumni and undergraduate groups in all sections of the land had gathered to heard this evidence of Beta’s celebration and the thrilling closing address by one of her famous sons, Charles P. Taft, Yale 1918. For further details and the complete story of the Centenary celebration, see 77ie Beta Theta Pi for October 1939, and November 1939.

The One Hundredth General Convention Almost submerged in the succession of Centenary events, the One Hundredth General Convention was proof that the business of the fraternity must go on in spite of ceremonies and celebrations. Fortunate indeed were the undergraduates who, by accident of birth, came along at the right time to be selected as their chapters’ representatives, but it also became their responsibility to see that Beta’s second hundred years began auspiciously. The president of the fraternity, Clarence L. Newton, was elected president of the convention; District Chief Frank P. Weaver, Michigan 1926, was elected convention secretary. A charter was granted to the “colony” at Duke University. The design of the shingle was changed to utilize the chapter seal rather than the great seal of the fraternity. Committees were appointed to study the administration, the finances, and the heraldry of the fraternity. Clarence L. Newton was re-elected as president of the fraternity, and Owen D. Young, St. Lawrence 1894 and Robert H. Frazier, North Carolina 1919, were selected as vice-presidents.

Start of the Second Hundred Thus ended the first one hundred years of Beta Theta Pi and also an era in the life of the fraternity. Unbeknown to the celebrants at Oxford, the dark forces of World War II were waiting in the wings, ready to take over the stage with all their cataclysmic effects on the lives of the men there assembled and the organization which had brought them together. The war years which followed were to have a profound effect on the Fraternity but again, as during the Civil War, Beta Theta Pi was to demonstrate that it could survive the most devastating of influences.

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SECTION 15 World War II It was not quite a year and a half after Beta’s one hundredth birthday that the United States entered World War II. Our brothers in Canada were already part of that conflict. On the “day that will live in infamy,” Decem ber 7,1941, two Betas lost their lives aboard the USSylnzo/ia: Lt. Frank S. Lomax, Nebraska 1939 U.S.N.R. and Ens. James W. Haverfield, Ohio State 1939 U.S.N.R. Yet the pilot of the first plane in the air against the Japanese that day was Ensign John Perry Edwards, Kansas 1939; for his gallantry in action he was awarded the Navy Cross. Many young men were leaving school, and alumni such as Major George M. Chandler, Major Clifford C. Gregg, and others were being called into active duty. As General Secretary G. Herbert Smith stated, “Beta Theta Pi, in common with every other American institution, has but one compelling purposethe winning of the war.” If Beta voices could have been heard from the far-flung corners of the world they would have swelled to a mighty chorus of “So say we all of us!” Yet there was a real concern, as young men left school for the armed forced, and Betas everywhere asked themselves, would Beta Theta Pi survive?

1939-1940 Two unique anniversaries occurred this year. Davidson celebrated its 50th an­ niversary, commemorating the merger of the Mystic Seven with Beta Theta Pi. At this event, Karl W. Fischer, Indiana 1925, presented his book, The Mystics and Beta Theta Pi. Also, an unusual pair of birthdays: Cincinnati celebrated both its 50th and 100th anniversaries! Recall that the first chapter established was in the city of Cincinnati in 1840 though it lasted only three years; in 1890 the Beta Nu chapter was established at the University of Cincinnati. The convention of 1940 was held in Del Monte, California, June 26-28; it was only the second time Beta met on the west coast up to that point. A study of the ad­ ministrative structure of Beta and other fraternities had been made; in several others, central administrative control was through paid officials. But the committee of Otho E. Lane, Miami 1901, chairman, A. J. G. Priest, Idaho 1918, and George B. McKibbin, Iowa Wesleyan 1909, determined that “We believe our system of volun­ teer executive administration has called to our service far better men than we could ever hope to secure upon a semi-commercial basis - on these convictions we reject the idea of the full-time Secretary. We deem the current plan of administration which in its essentials has remained unchanged since 1896, to be completely ade­ quate.” However, additional clerical help was recommended. Clarence L. Newton was elected president of the fraternity, Jim Gavin was re­ elected General Treasurer, Walter Holt, Denison 1913, was elected vice-president. One of the highlights of the convention was the news from Philadelphia of the nomination of Wendell L. Willkie, Indiana 1913 as the Republican nominee for President of the United States. 130

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1940-1941 The cornerstone of our bell tower, the Beta Campanile, was laid on November 10.1940. On its completion, the Beta Bells were removed from the tower of Old Main and hung in the new tower. The dedication of the Campanile was held on May 17.1940, in conjunction with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Midwest District Roundupâ&#x20AC;? of the chapters of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. A guest of honor at the banquet following the ceremony was Mrs. Maud Marshall Hassall of Keokuk, Iowa, daughter of Founder Samuel Taylor Marshall. Mackinac Island was the site of the convention of 1941, held August 26-29. President Dawson drew attention to the fact that while the convention was being held on an undefended border between two great nations, symbolizing the fact that nations could live with each other peacefully, at the same time the two Canadian chapters were in a nation at war. G. H erbert Smith was re-elected as General Secretary; Vice President Robert H. Frazier, North Carolina 1919, was re-elected to fill the term of Owen D. Young, who had resigned. Bertram W. Bennett, Knox 1920, was elected as vice-president.

1941-1942 W ar came to the United States. In May of 1942, T)\eBeta Theta Pi published the names of over eighteen hundred members in military service - about a third of the 5,000 who had already joined by the publishing time of that issue. The list was headed by fifteen wearers of the diamond who had already made the supreme sacrifice, including the above-mentioned brothers Lomax and Haverfield who died at Pearl Harbor, and Ensign Thomas J. Cole, Jr., Westminster 1938, American Volunteer Group, who died on the Burma Road on January 29, 1942. The convention of 1942, the last until after the war, met at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, on August 25-27. There had been serious doubts among both the officers of the fraternity and the undergraduates as to the advisability of holding the convention at all - but the Board decided that the convention was necessary in order to obtain the proper legislation for continuing the administration of the fraternity during the war. Conventions were to be eliminated, but while the issues of the magazine were reduced in number, it was seen necessary to maintain the unity of the fraternity, and to permit reports to the membership from the Board of Trustees. William W. Dawson, Ohio Wesleyan 1914 was elected President, and Howard A. Law, Pennsylvania 1935, was elected Vice President. The Code was amended, granting certain powers to the Board of Trustees in times of national emergency. Other steps were taken to safeguard the active chapters, and proposals were made to increase Beta support of the war effort. Gordon S. Smyth, Pennsylvania 1918, resigned as editor of the magazine; the Board asked L. Thad Byrne, Washington State 1925 to take over.

1942-1943 Considering the completeness with which the United States and Canada turned to the war effort and the effect which that activity had on the colleges and on college131

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age youth, it is remarkable that Beta Theta Pi could remain a living force. It is significant that men whose every thought and action were directed toward the winning of the war could also fight and labor to keep alive something which was dear to their hearts. In early 1943, 28 chapters claimed to be “operating as usual” though this was hardly accurate. Another 28 were partially active, unable to pledge or initiate, but continuing to hold meetings; 14 were active, but doubtful of being able to continue; and 12 reported that all activity had ceased for the duration of the war. Annual dues were suspended - only initiation fees were collected. The frater­ nity budget was drastically reduced, made possible by the elimination of the conven­ tion and two issues of the magazine. The Board re-elected Jim Gavin as the General Treasurer and Walter Holt as Vice-President. Two of the many heroic acts documented in The Beta Theta Pi at this time were those of Col. Paul A. Gavan, Missouri 1927, who gathered up sagging morale when the going was tough in the hardest fighting at Guadalcanal - for which he received the Legion of Merit in the degree of Legionnaire and the Silver Star; and First Lt. David C. Waybur, California 1942, winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, who, armed only with a Tommy gun, had successfully withstood an attack by enemy tanks in Italy after it appeared that he and his men were hopelessly cut off.

1943-1944 Despite almost impossible conditions, many chapters continued to be active, though in reduced or drastically altered forms. Informal Beta “clubs” were formed in many parts of the world, wherever Beta met Beta. The Board of Trustees contin­ ued to direct and administer the affairs of the fraternity, reporting regularly through the pages of the magazine. Again G. Herbert Smith was re-elected as General Secretary, and Bertram W. Bennett was re-elected as Vice-President. Dues, as in the previous year, were only collected from those initiated in the year. Upon request from alumni in the Spokane area, permission was granted to rush, pledge and initiate members for Washington State, Idaho and Whitman, providing the various requirem ents of the Code, the colleges and the Interfraternity Conference were adhered to. An initiation of historic significance took place September 16, 1944, when Gamma at Washington and Jefferson, Beta’s oldest continuous chapter, was as­ sisted in maintaining its unbroken record by the chapter at Carnegie Mellon. Gamma had only one active member, who had pledged three men; these were initiated into Gamma by active members of Carnegie. A most unusual report from an air force prison camp somewhere in Germany told of the formation on August 8, 1944 of a Beta alumni chapter composed of brothers unwillingly residing there. The ranking officer of this group was Lt. Col. Melvin F. McNickle, South Dakota 1936.

1944.1945 A year of victory at last! The end of a horrible war reaching nearly every corner 132

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of the world. A war in which Beta Theta Pi had played a part. The names of over fifteen thousand Betas appeared on the official Military List. The incredible accom­ plishments of some of them appeared in the magazine, to which the reader is directed. Besides First Lt. David C. Waybur, California 1942, who was killed in France in 1945, two other winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor were Betas: Major Everett P. Pope, U.S.M.C, Bowdoin 1941, and Major Thomas B. McGuire, Jr., Georgia Tech 1942, to whom it was awarded posthumously. O ther awards earned by Betas include eight Silver Stars, twenty Bronze Stars, and seven Distin­ guished Flying Crosses. Thirty Betas had reached the rank of General. But another dramatic battle had been fought at home and won. It was assumed by the leaders of the fraternity that the war would cause the cessation of all chapter activity, as chapter houses were converted and undergraduates entered the armed forces. It had been forgotten that Beta Theta Pi had operated without chapter houses; it had not been foreseen that Betas in training programs on many campuses would seek and find ways to keep the Beta Stars shining. Nor was it foreseen that the alumni were ready and willing to assume the responsibilities of rushing, pledging and initiation. The records show that only one-third of the chapters became totally inactive at one time or another during the war years. Beta’s great strength had come from the traditional volunteer services of its members. It was not yet possible to hold a convention, and the Board continued to govern the fraternity. Despite that fact that President William W. Dawson, Ohio Wesleyan 1914 was on active duty in Germany, he was re-elected as president. Jam es L. Gavin, De Pauw 1896 died in this year, and his brother William E. Gavin, Wabash 1911, became acting General Treasurer, continuing as such until Treasurer-elect Howard A. Law, Pennsylvania 1935, returned to civilian life. Col. Lee B. Thompson, Okla­ homa 1925, was elected Vice-President. Beta actually had a financial surplus, due to a larger number of initiates than expected. Fund Trustee W alter Flory proposed a central office for the management of fraternity business - this would soon become a reality in the Administrative Office. Beta Theta Pi had come through another World War, strong, and with plans for the future.

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SECTION 16 Marching Along The period from the end of World War II to 1970 was not filled with dramatic events or developments. It was, however, a part of the long illustrious line of Beta brotherhood marching along.

1945-1946 The brothers of Beta Theta Pi began returning to campus. It was a difficult period of adjustment for many. But the chapter house was still there, or soon would be, once it was returned by the school. Another unchanging element was the assis­ tance rendered by Beta alumni. The alumni organizations had not only continued to function during the war, but in many cases had assumed a degree of activity and responsibility far beyond their peace time practice. The Board continued to govern, planning to hold a convention in the fall. Three important items were considered before that meeting: President Dawson and General Secretary Smith desired that their successors be chosen at the convention. The idea of a central office deriving from the separation of the office of Keeper of the Rolls from that of the General Secretary was approved, though professional officers were still opposed. Finally, the Board gave its unanimous approval to the Kappa Gamma Rho local organization at Willamette to petition for a charter. The first post-war convention was held at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, August 27,1946. Four years had elapsed since the last one in 1942, the longest gap since the four-year hiatus due to the Civil War. G. H erbert Smith was elected President, and Edward M. Brown, Miami 1931 was elected General Secretary. Howard A. Law, Jr. Pennsylvania 1935 filled out the unexpired term of the late General Treasurer Jim Gavin. Also elected was Elm er H. Jennings, Northwestern 1912 as Vice-President. The financial picture was good - Beta had operated the entire war period without dipping into her surplus funds. In 1945-1946, the Baird Fund had increased by $12,900, which, combined with the Founders Fund, had reached a total of $585,000. The General Fund had assets of $75,000 and no debts. It was proposed to continue the practice of dispensing with annual dues from active members. Instead, each new member was to pay forty dollars, ten of which would be allocated to the Baird Fund endowment as a life subscription to the magazine, and the other thirty would go to the General Fund. This was unanimously approved by the delegates. A charter was granted to the W illamette petitioners. Difficulties of returning veterans were discussed, some chapters encountering conflicts of interest with them. A. J. G. Priest, Idaho 1918, gave the first in a series of ten convention speeches on Beta G reats - these were later published in The Great Ones.

1946-1947 The Willamette chapter was installed simultaneously with chapters of Phi Delta 135

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Theta and Sigma Chi - the first time in history that the Miami Triad joined together to install chapters on a campus. The convention of 1947 was held at Poland Spring, Maine, September 1-4. A new General Secretary, Clifford C. Gregg, Cincinnati 1917, was elected, and Edward M. Brown, Miami 1931, was elected vice president. A charter was granted to the colony at the University of Southern California. One of the major issues debated was the increasing size of the chapters - the average membership had risen to 60, and six chapters had more than 100. This was due primarily to the return of war veterans, which was another problem - conflicts often developed between the veteran and non-veteran members. Another big issue was pre-initiation practices. The Board appointed Stanley R. Church, Washington State 1931, to review chapter questionnaires on this topic. A strong rebuke was issued to chapters which contin­ ued these practices. The Golden Wedding Loving Cup which had been presented to Mr. and Mrs. Knox in 1895 was returned to the General Fraternity at this convention. Otho E. Lane, Miami 1901 had received the cup and other memorabilia of Pater Knox from Mrs. Madge Miller Landsdowne of Cincinnati, the widow of John Knox Landsdowne, last surviving grandson of Pater Knox. Otho Lane and John Knox Landsdowne had been initiated on October 10,1896, in the presence of Pater Knox. It was used in the Loving Cup ceremony following the convention banquet, as it has been used at many, many Beta meetings since.

1947-1948 The efforts of Morris Ebersole, Cincinnati 1898, culminated in the installation of the chapter at the University of Southern California. He had been the “pater” of theU .C .L A . chapter in 1926, and had greatly helped with the colonization at U.S.C. The Board of Trustees created the position of Alumni Affairs Commissioner: Russell E. Ragan, Wabash 1923, was the first appointed to this office, to manage and encourage Beta alumni groups, made up of alumni of many different chapters, and to suggest programs and methods of operation. The convention of 1948 was held at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. A charter was granted to Emory, once the site of a temple of the Mystic Seven. G. H erbert Smith was re-elected as president, and Elwood T. Starbuck, Chicago 1923, was elected vice president. Two major topics faced the convention, both very impor­ tant in Beta history.

The Administrative Secretary For many years there had been a growing recognition of the fact that a major change in the administrative structure of the fraternity would soon become neces­ sary. Beta Theta Pi had always prided itself on its ability to attract members to serve as its officers on a non-professional basis. Although Shepardson had served in a nearly full-time capacity (being paid $6,000 a year), almost all other officers had worked for Beta while holding positions in the professional or business world. As Beta grew, the difficulty of obtaining qualified brothers to serve as officers had 136

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greatly increased. There was also a need for a central office to handle paperwork and correspondence for these officers, as well as the various records of membership. At the same time, the Board recognized that extreme caution should be exercised in changing Beta’s government, so that there would be not danger of impairing the traditions of the fraternity. There was complete agreement that Beta had no desire to place itself under the control of an “executive secretary” or create a staff of professional fraternity officials. Therefore, the Board asked the convention to approve the creation of an office of Administrative Secretary, to be selected and under the supervision of the Board. It stated, “Let it be clear from the outset that it is not intended that the Adm inistra­ tive Secretary be or become the executive officer of the fraternity.” The Board also pointed out that the Code clearly designates the General Secretary as the executive officer of the fraternity and that the Administrative Secretary would merely handle the routine records, reports, correspondence and other details burdensome and time-consuming for the general officers. It was envisioned that a young Beta would be employed for a four or five year period, it being an opportunity to gain valuable experience in administrative work. The delegates voted approval of the creation of the office, to be located at Oxford, Ohio, and the Board was empowered to set the salary, choose the man, and prescribe his duties.

A West Coast Incident1 T h e c o n v e n tio n re c e iv e d a c o m p le te r e p o r t o f a n u n f o r tu n a te o c c u r re n c e a t o n e o f th e w e st c o a s t c h a p te r h o u s e s re s u ltin g in n a tio n a l p u b lic ity m o s t u n f o r ­ tu n a te to B e ta T h e ta Pi. T h e in c id e n t in v o lv ed a s ta te m e n t b y a p le d g e t h a t h e w as re s ig n in g h is p le d g e s h ip b e c a u s e h e h a d b e e n to ld th a t h e w o u ld b e r e q u ir e d to e a t a p o r ti o n o f th e flesh o f a d o g . T h e c h a p te r w as a c c u s e d o f k illin g a d o g fo r th a t p u rp o s e . In th e c o u rs e o f a leg al h e a r in g th e c h a p t e r a d m itte d th a t a d o g h a d b e e n b r o u g h t to th e c h a p t e r h o u s e b u t s ta te s th a t it h a d la te r b e e n re le a s e d a n d h a d ru n aw ay. T h e p le d g e a d m itte d th a t h e h a d n o t s e e n th e b o d y o f a d o g a t an y tim e . In s p ite o f th e e ffo r ts o f D is tric t C h ie f A r th u r F. W h e e le r, B e lo it 1924, a n d th e o t h e r o ffic e rs a n d a lu m n i to p r e s e n t th e tr u e fa c ts, th e r e w a s a n im m e d ia te flo o d o f n e w s p a p e r a n d r a d io n ew s s to rie s o f a s e n s a tio n a l n a tu r e fro m c o a s t to c o a s t. A s id e fro m th e d o g in c id e n t, th e r e w as f u r th e r e v id e n c e t h a t th e c h a p t e r h a d v io la te d th e law s o f th e f r a te rn ity b y c o n d u c tin g p a r t o f its in itia tio n p ro g r a m o u ts id e th e c h a p t e r h o u s e , a n d b y e n g a g in g in p re -in itia tio n p ra c tic e s w hich h a d b e e n d e c la r e d illeg al b y th e fr a te rn ity . T h e B o a rd th e r e f o r e h a d re m o v e d th e c h a r te r fro m th e c h a p t e r a n d h a d p la c e d it o n p ro b a tio n p e n d in g c o m p le te a g r e e ­ m e n t th a t it w o u ld c o n fo rm to th e law s o f B e ta T h e ta P i a n d w o u ld a ls o a g re e to c e r ta in re q u ir e m e n ts o f th e u n iv e rsity . T h e r e p o r t to th e c o n v e n tio n in d ic a te d th a t all o f th e s e r e q u ir e m e n ts h a v in g b e e n m e t, th e c h a r te r h a d b e e n re s to re d . I t w a s iro n ic a l th a t th is in c id e n t s h o u ld h a v e c o m e a t th is p a r tic u la r tim e b e ­ c a u s e it h a d a d ra m a tic e ffe c t o n a n e ffo r t a t th is c o n v e n tio n to o b ta in a p p ro v a l o f a n e w “ W o o g lin C e r e m o n y .” M a jo r G e o rg e M . C h a n d le r h a d b e e n c o m m is ­ s io n e d b y th e p re v io u s c o n v e n tio n a n d b y th e B o a r d o f T r u s te e s to w rite a c e r e m o n y w h ic h w o u ld b e c o m e th e o fficial p r e - in itia tio n c e r e m o n y o f th e f r a te r ­ n ity to re p la c e th e m a n y v a rie tie s b e in g u s e d b y th e v a rio u s c h a p te r s b a s e d o n th e 1 T h is is ta k e n fr o m

Marching Along p a g e s

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le g e n d o f “ W o o g lin a n d h is D o g ." T h e m a jo rity o n th e c o m m itte e o n In itia tio n a n d R itu a l u n d e r C h a irm a n W . F. L o v e le ss, D e n is o n 1925, re c o m m e n d e d a p ­ p ro v a l o f th e C h a n d le r c e re m o n y b u t p ro p o s e d th a t its u se b e le ft a s o p tio n a l by th e c h a p te r s . A m in o rity g ro u p u n d e r th e le a d e r s h ip o f J a m e s M . R a tc liffe , C h ic a g o 1946, s u b m itte d a r e p o r t c o n d e m n in g s u ch a p p ro v a l a n d s ta tin g th a t an y c e r e m o n y m ig h t b e a b u s e d a n d th a t th e w ay to p re v e n t s u c h o c c u r re n c e s a s th a t w h ic h h a d ta k e n p la c e o n th e w e st c o a s t w as to e lim in a te su ch p re -in itia tio n c e r e m o n ie s c o m p le te ly . A f te r a lo n g a n d h e a te d d e b a te , th e m in o r ity r e p o r t w as a d o p te d b y a v o te o f 57^48 a n d a p p ro v a l o f th e c e r e m o n y w as w ith h e ld . T h u s w h ile it a p p e a r e d fro m th e a c tio n s o f th e B o a r d a n d o f re c e n t c o n v e n ­ tio n s th a t th e r e w a s a g ro w in g d e m a n d th a t th e f r a te r n ity rid its e lf o f c h ild ish p ra c tic e s w h ic h h a d b ro u g h t d is c re d it o n th e o rg a n iz a tio n , it w a s a lso c le a r th a t it w o u ld b e v e ry d iffic u lt to o b ta in a p p ro v a l o f a n y u n ifo rm p r e - in itia tio n c e r e ­ m o n y . T h e o p p o s itio n s e e m e d to c o m e fro m s o m e c h a p te r s w h o se c e r e m o n ie s w e re u n o b je c tio n a b le a n d w e re s te e p e d in h is to ric a l tra d itio n - th e s e g ro u p s re s is te d a n d m o v e w h ich m ig h t u ltim a te ly b e c o m e c o m p u ls o ry a n d w o u ld ta k e a w ay a v a lu e d c h a p t e r c u sto m . T h e y w e re jo in e d b y th o s e w h o re s is t a n y e ffo r t b y th e g e n e r a l f r a te r n ity to le g is la te in an a re a w h ich th e y b e lie v e s h o u ld b e le ft to c h a p t e r d is c re tio n . T h e d e b a te o n th e s e m a tte r s h a d its in flu e n c e o n th e le g is la tio n w hich w as fin a lly a d o p te d . T h e L aw s w e re a m e n d e d to e lim in a te all m e n tio n o f th e W o o g lin c e re m o n y , to p re s c r ib e th e p e rm is s ib le fo rm s o f in itia tio n a n d to p ro v id e w ays in w h ich c h a p te r s m ig h t o b ta in p e rm is s io n to u se o th e r f o rm s o f p re -in itia tio n c e r e ­ m o n ie s . M a n y d e le g a te s e x p re s s e d d is a p p o in tm e n t th a t th e v o id le ft b y th e e lim i­ n a tio n o f th e o fficially re c o g n iz e d c e re m o n y h a d n o t b e e n filled , b u t th e r e w as little d o u b t th a t it w as th e in te n t o f th e c o n v e n tio n to p re v e n t a n y re o c c u r re n c e o f th e in c id e n t o n th e w e st c o a s t. T h e r e w a s a n a w a r e n e s s th a t th e p u b lic re la tio n s o f B e ta T h e ta Pi a n d o f th e e n tir e f r a te rn ity m o v e m e n t h a d b e c o m e a m a tte r o f g re a t c o n c e rn to all m e m b e rs .

1948-1949 The chapter at Emory was installed. It began with a unique event - the re­ activation of the Temple of the Sword of the Mystic Seven, carried out by Karl W. Fischer, Indiana 1925. The charter members were initiated first into the Mystic Seven, then into Beta Theta Pi. The convention of 1949 was held at the Colorado Hotel, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, in early September. President Smith paid tribute to those chapters hold­ ing leading positions on their campuses, but spoke with disappointment of those who were “smugly self-satisfied with mediocrity.” The dreams of many members and efforts covering along expanse of years were realized with announcement of the purchase of property in Oxford to be the new Administrative Office. It was located adjacent to the Alpha chapter house, about two blocks west of the founding site, just off the Miami campus. The Board also announced the appointment of the first Administrative Secretary, Ralph N. Fey, Miami 1940. In other business, the initiation fee was increased to $45.00, of which $10.00 was the Baird Fund membership fee. A charter was granted to the colony at the Uni­ versity of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, and also to the Beta Tau local at Michigan State, stipulating certain scholastic standings to be achieved. Howard A. Law was re-elected as General Treasurer, and Earl Sneed, Jr. Oklahoma 1934 was 138

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elected as vice president. The pre-initiation issue was re-opened; the Board was to appoint a committee to draw up new ceremonies based on Chandler’s Wooglin ceremony and a Dragon Ceremony used by the Kansas chapter. The revised Code was approved, the work having been done under the direction of A. J. G. Priest. Several slight changes were made in the articles of incorporation, in order to bring this into conformity with Ohio law. Criteria for the two Sisson awards were reformulated by a committee under chairman Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922, and awarded to Kansas and Ohio State. However, discussion followed as to whether these awards should be discon­ tinued, as the committee had reported the great difficulty of comparing chapters when confronted with many intangible and nebulous factors. A committee was appointed to report to the next convention.

1949-1950 The Korean conflict had an effect on the active chapters, but Beta was going strong - the effects would not be felt to the extent of World War II. The conven­ tion of 1950 met at Bigwin Inn, Ontario, on August 29 to September 2. Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922, was elected General Secretary. Charles E. Dykes, Cornell 1936, was elected General Treasurer to replace Howard Law, who had been forced to resign due to demands of business. Dr. Robert C. Shattuck, Denver 1926, was elected as vice president. The sad news was announced that for the first time in the seventeen years that scholarship rankings had been published by the National Interfraternity Conference, Beta had fallen below the national all-mens average. In an effort to combat this, legislation was passed to require a certain scholastic minimum for initiation. A charter was granted to the colony at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. The pre-initiation ceremonies were again discussed, but action was deferred, a committee being appointed to continue study and make proposals at the next convention. The two Sisson awards were given to Bethany and Willamette, but there was dissatisfaction with the system used in choosing the win­ ners, so the awards were ordered discontinued, until further study and revision was done. It was recommended that the alumni be annually solicited for funds to in­ crease the Baird and General Funds.

1950-1951 The new Administrative Office was running smoothly. A new magazine editor, Columbus S. Barber, West Virginia 1920, was appointed. The convention of 1951 met in the Chamberlin Hotel at Old Point Comfort, Virginia. A. J. G. Priest was elected president, and Elmer H. Jennings, Northwestern 1912, was elected vice president. The commission on pre-initiation, under chairman Stanley R. Church, Washington State 1931, reported and demonstrated proposed ceremonies. The proposal was not adopted, but sanctioned for use as a trial. The ceremonies were substantially authored by Church, and eventually adopted in 1984.

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1951-1952 The average chapter size had decreased to about 45 in this year. The solicitation for alumni donations was successful, one of many accomplishments proving the value of the Administrative Office. The convention of 1952 was held at Bigwin Inn, Ontario,. A charter was granted to the local society known as Kappa Tau Sigma at the University of W estern Ontario - this was Beta’s third chapter in Canada. As General Treasurer Dykes could no longer continue in office due to business pressures, the convention elected Sher­ wood M. Bonney, Dickinson 1931 as the new General Treasurer. Clem B. Holding, North Carolina 1918 was elected vice president. The convention gave approval for continued use of the trial pre-initiation ceremonies - they would not be formally adopted until some thirty years later. The quarrel over pink and blue came up again, leaving the colors unchanged. Baird’s badge was returned to the fraternity by his nephew, Clarence G. Campbell, Boston 1905, to be worn and passed on by the magazine editor.

1952-1953 The convention of 1953 was held at the Huntington Hotel, Pasadena, Califor­ nia. Like the west coast convention of 1915, a special train was used, though most of the delegates came by car. An undergraduate was selected as convention presi­ dent: Thomas K. Brown, Whitman 1953. A proposal was made to increase the size of the Board of Trustees to eight, but it was voted down. Also disapproved was a proposal to set minimum scholarship standards for chapters. Seth Brooks was re­ elected General Secretary, and Harry M. Easton, Pennsylvania 1926 was elected vice president.

1953-1954 Elmer H. Jennings resigned from the Board of Trustees, and Judge Ralph P. Edgerton, Whitman 1931 was selected to fill his place on the Board. Le Roy J. Marx, Jr., Denver 1949, was selected as Assistant General Treasurer. The convention of 1954 met at Miami University, celebrating Beta’s 115th birthday. Elected president of the General Fraternity was Bertram W. Bennett, Knox 1920; Ralph P. Edgerton was re-elected vice-president. The membership fee was increased to $40.00, which, together with the $ 10.00 Baird Fund fee, brought the total initiation fee to $50.00. Another scholarship standard proposal was made, but no action was taken, another matter taking up most of the time...

The Kenyon Affair - The Facts [Note: this is summarized from Marching Along, page 331] In the spring of 1954, the Kenyon chapter had notified the General Secretary that they planned to initiate a member of the negro race, and inquired if there was any legal reason why it could not. He replied there was no Code restriction against such action, providing the other requirements had been met, but that such an act might be harmful to other chapters and to the fraternity at large. He requested that 140

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they consult with their alumni and that they delay the initiation until one of the general officers could visit them and discuss the matter, pointing out that the presi­ dent of the fraternity would be in the neighborhood and could be at Kenyon within a day. Also, the Cincinnati chapter asked the Kenyon chapter to postpone action until a group of undergraduates could visit them. All of these requests were refused and the chapter proceeded with the initiation. At the convention, evidence was presented to the committee on Chapter Affairs which cast doubt on whether all members of the chapter had been notified of the special meeting at which a vote was taken regarding the proposed action, and doubt was also expressed as to whether the Code requirem ent of a unanimous affirmative vote had been met.

The Kenyon Affair - The Results [Note: this is taken from Marching Along, page 332] After very long and heated debate, the convention strongly censured “the manner and methods of the Kenyon chapter” for refusing to consult with its alumni body although requested to do so by the general officers, for refusing to postpone the action for twenty-four hours to allow discussion with the fraternity president, or to postpone action until the matter could be discussed at the convention. The Board of Trustees was directed to appoint a committee of Kenyon alumni to “take such action and carry into effect such recommendations as, in the opinion of such com­ mittee and the Board of Trustees, shall be necessary to bring to the present active members of the Kenyon chapter an appropriate realization of the significance of their membership in a great international fraternity.” Furthermore, the code was changed, requiring that prospective members be approved by a “affirmative, unani­ mous vote at a chapter meeting duly called” Another amendment stated that when criticism of an act of any chapter has been directed to the General Secretary, he “shall give such advice or make such orders as he may deem advisable, which orders must be complied with until the Board of trustees or the General Convention shall act in connection with such matters.” Finally, no person can be initiated who has not been pledged for at least sixty days.

The Kenyon Affair - Some Comments1 It is probable that black members had been admitted before this time, in other chapters, since Beta Theta Pi, unlike many other fraternities, never had any racially discriminatory clauses in its constitution, but since no records have ever been kept as to a m em ber’s race, this cannot be accurately ascertained. It should be further noted that a significant aspect of the “ Kenyon Affair” was the result of a natural and continual tension between the active chapters and alumni over the control of initiation of members. Almost 100 years previously, a heavyhanded attem pt by Delta Kappa Epsilon alumni in attempting to force their active chapter at Miami University to support a certain literary society had resulted in the mutiny of that chapter and the founding by it of Sigma Chi. That the “ Kenyon Affair” occurred when it did, over the selection of a black member, probably was an oddity 1 T h is w as w ritte n b y B. H u m e M o rris , C e n tr e 1968, a n d th e a u t h o r c o n c u r s w ith h is an aly sis.

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in that were it not for the action of the Kenyon chapter in addressing the General Secretary, the issue might never have been raised, since there clearly was no prohi­ bition against initiation of a black member and never had been. Nevertheless, what is remarkable is that this incident, in the historical context of later years, is that it occured so early. Thus Beta Theta Pi was saved from the divisiveness suffered by many fraternities in the 1960’s and ’70’s as they struggled to come to terms with socalled “white Christian” clauses in their constitutions.

1954-1955 “One of its best years” was the way General Secretary Brooks described 1955. The convention was held at Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania, August 30-September 2. Ford R. Weber, Denison 1921, was elected General Treasurer, and K. Warren Fawcett, Minnesota 1926 was elected vice president. Scholastic legislation was passed, requiring each chapter to attain (as a minimum) the all men’s average at least one in every consecutive three years, or be placed on probation; if after the next two years the standard was not met, the chapter would be referred to the Board of Trustees for “appropriate action.” Robert T. Howard, De Pauw 1937, was an­ nounced as the new magazine editor. It was decided to publish the speeches of A. J. G. Priest under the title of The Great Ones. A recent chapter house fire resulted in an amendment to the Laws prohibiting the use of fire and inflammable material in the Cauldron Scene.

1955-1956 The legislation of scholastic criteria had an effect - 60 percent of the chapters were above the all-men’s average, with 20 chapters first on campus, and 8 in second place. There was increased harassment of fraternities on many campuses, however. The Board asked A rthur C. Wickenden, Denison 1915, a resident of Oxford, to begin working on the archives stored in the Administrative Office. The convention of 1956 met at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. Seth Brooks was re-elected as General Secretary, and Joseph J. Romoda, St. Lawrence 1933, was elected as vice president. The Syracuse charter was revoked. The expan­ sion policy of the fraternity was discussed, several recommendations being made, but no action taken.

1956-1957 A new “fraternity war” seemed to be in progress - the opponents’ chief weapon being accusations of “discrimination” while fraternities relied on their rights to freely associate and to govern the selection of their members. The convention of 1957 was held at the Poland Spring House in Maine. It approved a revised Code, this being the work of a committee headed by Ben C. Grosscup, Wittenberg 1916. Sherwood M. Bonney, Dickinson 1931, was elected president of the fraternity; Edm ond B. Stofft, Knox 1920, was elected vice-president.

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1957-1958 Thoroughly pleased with the work of Ralph Fey, who had held the position of Administrative Secretary for seven years, the Board appointed Frederick F. Brower, Miami 1950, as the new Administrative Secretary. The founding site of the frater­ nity, the building known as “Old Main” on Miami’s campus, was torn down - a new building was built on the same spot. An appeal was made to the alumni for donations to the Founders’ Fund. The convention of 1958 was held at the Bedford Springs Hotel. A series of seminars on various topics was given under the direction of John E. Dolibois, Miami 1942. The initiation fee was increased by $10.00, payable after pledging and not re­ fundable, making the total $50.00. The Board appointed K. W arren Fawcett to work on a new history to cover the 25 years after the 1935 edition of Shepardson’s The Beta Book. Edmond B. Stofft, Knox 1920, was elected General Treasurer, Fawcett was re-elected vice president, and Ben C. Grosscup was elected vice-president.

1958-1959 The convention of 1959, the 120th anniversary, met at the French Lick Shera­ ton, in French Lick, Indiana. Two charters were granted: to the Delta Beta local at the University of Arizona, and to the Alpha Gamma Gamma local at the University of Wichita, Kansas. It may here be noted that these were the first charters granted since W estern Ontario in 1952; this was perhaps the longest such gap (except for during W orld W ar II). It also should be noted that this had been a policy decision; it was thought that the size of Beta’s Broad Domain was large enough. Seth Brooks was re-elected to a fourth term as General Secretary; Francis M. Rich, Illinois 1924, was elected as vice president. The series of seminars was contin­ ued by John Dolibois. The convention banquet speaker was Congressman John J. Rhodes, Kansas State 1938, Representative of Arizona.

1959-1960 Beta songwriter and songbook editor Horace G. Lozier, Chicago 1894, son of the “high priest of Wooglin,” John H. Lozier, De Pauw 1857, passed away on October 12, 1959. The chapters at Arizona and Wichita were installed, the latter being formed from the forty-year-old Alpha Gamma Gamma local fraternity, fortyone undergraduates and three alumni were initiated at the installation ceremonies. The National Interfraternity Conference celebrated its fiftieth anniversary of its formation. This was particularly significant because of former president Shepardson had been a founder and president of this body. The Board approved a special arrangement for the initiation fees for the alumni of the Alpha Gamm a Gamma local which became the Wichita chapter of Beta Theta Pi: A lump-sum of one thousand dollars was paid, and each initiate only had to pay $20.00 for membership in the Baird Fund; initiation was to occur between No­ vember 15,1959 and November 15,1960. Over two hundred were initiated during this period.

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The convention of 1960 was held at the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, on August 30-September 2, the tenth one at that place. The day before the opening, Karl W. Fischer, Indiana and Dickinson 1925, died after a prolonged illness; he had written many articles on Beta history, and also a book on the Mystic Seven, The Mystics and Beta Theta Pi. The legislation on scholarship was difficult to enforce because of the refusal of many colleges (i.e. not chapters) to provide information. However, more than 60 percent of the chapters were above the all-men’s average for each of the last five years. Seth Brooks was elected president; J. Moreau Brown, Dartmouth 1939, was elected General Secretary; Richard T. Steele, Wesleyan 1921, was elected vice president. The Syracuse chapter was re-established. The seminar series was contin­ ued, as was a feature begun at the last convention, “My Most Memorable Beta Experience.” This was Jack Ryan’s fiftieth convention, and he was presented with a silver bowl in recognition of this accomplishment.

1960-1961 K. W arren Fawcett’s book, MarchingAlong, subtitled “A History of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity for the Twenty-five Year Period 1935-1960” was published. Fawcett was named Historian-Archivist, and Chandler was named Historian Emeritus. The convention of 1961 was held at the Sheraton-Huntington Hotel, Pasadena, Califor­ nia, August 29-September 1. It was the first time that no Beta registered with a class year before 1900. Ralph N. Fey, Miami 1940, was elected General Treasurer, and Jam es K. Johnson, Washington State, 1950, was elected vice president. A major issue was debated, arising from a situation at the Williams chapter. This was due to the so-called “Total Opportunity” agreement on the Williams campus. Because of this coercive agreement in which the school attem pted to control the chapter’s membership criteria, the Board had enjoined the chapter from pledging or initiating; this action was upheld by the convention. It was moved by General Secretary Brown “that the 122nd General Convention of Beta Theta Pi go on record as opposing guaranteed fraternity membership in any form” - this motion was passed unanimously.

1961-1962 George M. Chandler, Beta’s heraldry expert, died on November 7, 1961. The convention of 1962 met in the Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina, on August 28-31. Two charters were granted, bringing the number of active chapters to one hundred and one. These were the Beta Gamma local at Bowling Green, and the Beta Zeta Pi local at the University of Puget Sound. J. Moreau Brown Dartmouth 1939, was elected General Secretary to take the place of Seth Brooks, who was elected President. Paul P. Van Riper, De Pauw 1938, was elected vice president. Again a proposal was made to enlarge the Board, this time by three undergraduate trustees; however, this was rejected by the convention.

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1962-1963 The convention of 1963 met at the Bedford Springs Hotel in Pennsylvania, August 27-31. The Colorado charter was revoked. The injunction against pledging and initiation at Williams was lifted, provided the chapter “will not accept any man into its membership who is not unanimously elected by the active chapter.” Seth Brooks was re-elected President, Paul Van Riper was elected General Secretary, and Peter F. Greiner and Clifford C. Gregg were elected vice presidents.

1963-1964 Robert H. Kurz, Miami 1958, took over as magazine editor. An interesting study in The Beta Theta Pi for May, 1964 showed that 3 out of 4 of the chief executive officers of the nation’s 750 largest corporations were fraternity men (of those who went to a school with fraternities). Of these, the fraternity with the most represen­ tation was Beta Theta Pi. John R. Wooden, Purdue 1932, was selected as the UPI Coach of the Year - he coached the UCLA basketball team to the national cham­ pionship in undefeated thirty-game season. The 125th convention met at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, August 25-28, 1964. A new plaque was added to those on the Campanile, reaffirming Beta’s dedication to cultivation of the intellect, friendship, and fidelity. Charters were granted to the Beta Pi local at Auburn University, Alabama, and to the Beta Alpha Epsilon local at General Motors Institute, Michigan. This school is most unique among our chapters, as it actually has two student bodies, which alternate periodi­ cally between classroom and industrial experience. The ritual commission re­ ported, laying groundwork for the convention’s decision to make the opening scene of the ritual optional, as well as several minor changes in style or phasing. Burton W. Folsom, Nebraska 1949, was elected General Treasurer, Phillip W. Morris, W ittenberg 1940, was elected vice president. Due to some deficiencies, the Alabama local known as Beta Theta did not petition, however the Board was authorized to use the so-called “emergency procedures” of granting a charter. This entails a mail vote by the chapters, the normal manner of granting charters in the 1800’s.

1964-1965 The vote of the chapters being favorable, a charter was granted to the Beta Theta local at Alabama. The convention of 1965 was held August 30-September 3 at the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island. A charter was granted to the Sigma Theta local at Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana. The Chicago charter was returned due to many difficulties. Joseph J. Romoda, St. Lawrence 1933, was elected as General Secretary; Samuel J. McCartney, Jr., Dickinson 1941, was electcd vice president.

1965-1966 The convention of 1966 met at Bigwin Inn, Ontario, on August 30-September 2. An amendment to the constitution was made, permitting the initiation of non­ students by a chapter - this was governed by certain rules and limitations. Authority 145

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was granted to the Board of Trustees to subsidize the transfer of George Lonnquist, Nebraska 1968, to Tennessee, at which a colony was to be established. The Williams charter was returned, due to the imposition of conflicting membership rules at that school. Francis M. Rich, Illinois 1925, was elected president; Jam es G. Martin, Davidson 1957 was elected vice president.

1966-1967 The convention of 1967 was held at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, August 29-September 1. Just before the convention, General Secretary Joseph J. Romoda, St. Lawrence 1933, passed away, and so the convention was called to order by the delegate from Miami, E. Phillips Knox, Miami 1968. Burton W. Folsom, Nebraska 1949, was elected General Secretary to finish out Rom oda’s term of office. Frederick F. Brower, Miami 1950 was elected General Treasurer, and George T. Shields, Whitman 1950 was elected vice president. The Yale charter was revoked, as the undergraduates had vote to disengage from the fraternity. A charter was granted to the Tennessee colony. A book by Seth Brooks, In Beta’s Broad Domain, was presented.

1967-1968 The convention of 1968 met at the Bedford Springs Hotel, Pennsylvania. After much debate, the Code was changed: the requirement of a unanimous favorable vote for initiation was altered to grant the chapters autonomy to decide the require­ ment for themselves. Burton W. Folsom, Nebraska 1949, was re-elected General Secretary, and James P. Ewin Jr., Tulane 1942 was elected vice president. The charter of the University of Pennsylvania chapter was revoked.

1968-1969 The convention of 1969 was held at the Mount Washington Hotel, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, August 19-22. The charter of the Amherst chapter was revoked. A charter was granted to the colony at Florida State. The fees were in­ creased to a total of $60.00: a $15.00 pledge fee, and $45.00 initiation fee. Peter F. Greiner, Minnesota 1951, was elected president; Dr. Hugh E. Stephenson, Missouri 1953, was elected vice president.

1969-1970 The colony at Texas Tech petitioned, and was granted a charter by mail. The convention of 1970 met at for the twelfth time at the Grand Hotel, Mackinac, August 24-28. A charter was granted to the colony at Clemson University. The charters of the Arizona and Colorado chapters were revoked. Elected General Treasurer was John Sommer, Miami 1953; elected vice president was Peter Van De Water, St. Lawrence 1958.

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SECTION 17 Recent Events At this point, the United States was involved in the Vietnam War. Unlike previous conflicts, however, the effect on the chapters was more abstract than practical. Campus unrest, protests, and actions against the “establishment” were widespread. Moreover, apathy for tradition was at work —at some chapters, there was lost a real concern for the fires which had burned on their altars for decades. Yet despite the apathy, there was a force still acting within Beta, unreckoned by those undergraduates. It was the start of the present era of development in Beta. It may not be clear why the division between the previous section and this one occurs at this point in Beta chronology, since Fawcett’s book, Marching Along, covered up to 1960, rather than 1970. However, with the launching of the Beta Leadership campaign in early 1971, an entire sequence of new developments in Beta Theta Pi began, which we are still observing as they continue to occur...

The Beta Leadership Fund C a m p a ig n la u n c h e d B e ta T h e ta P i’s first e v e r y -m e m b e r fu n d ra is in g c a m p a ig n is u n d e rw a y . In la te F e b r u a r y a n d e a rly M a rc h y o u a n d 70,000 living m e m b e rs o f th e F r a te r n i ty r e ­ c eiv ed a n a p p e a l fro m P r e s id e n t P e te r F. G r e in e r , M in n e s o ta 1951, f o r a n a n n u a l $10.00 c o n trib u tio n . It is h o p e d th a t th e re s u lts w ill m e a s u re u p to th e a n n u a l c o n tr ib u tio n s th a t m o s t o th e r m a jo r fr a te r n itie s a re re c e iv in g a n d h a v e re c e iv e d f o r se v e ra l y e a rs to a id in m e e tin g th e in c re a s e in o p e r a tio n a l co st.

This was the announcement which appeared in The Beta TlxetaPi for April 1971. It went on to mention some of the areas the new fund would assist: Beta’s positive, forward-moving philosophy of leadership development and expansion, computeri­ zation of membership records, colonization, perpetuating Beta’s leadership role in the Greek world, and maintaining our volunteer organization. One of the special innovations would be periodic regional “leadership workshops,” almost like a m iniconvention, to be attended by delegations from chapters in the region. These were not a form of Bela government, but a learning experience and a time for meeting both other chapters and officers of the Fraternity. Transportation costs and room and board would be paid for by the fraternity.

1970-1971 The first leadership workshop was held on April 3,1971, on the O hioState Uni­ versity campus —24 midwest chapters were represented. It was a definite success, and many suggestions and ideas were proposed for future meetings. The magazine article reporting on it ended with these words: T h is n e w c o n c e p t in c o m m u n ic a tio n a n d le a d e r s h ip d e v e lo p m e n t s h o u ld s tr e n g th e n B e ta T h e ta Pi a n d s h o u ld p ro v e h e lp fu l to B e ta u n d e rg ra d u a te s , c h a p t e r o ffic e rs , a n d c h a p te r a d v ise rs, it is m a d e p o s s ib le o n ly b y y o u r s u p p o r t o f th e B e ta L e a d e rs h ip F u n d ! T h a n k y ou!

Three colonies and a local petitioned the convention of 1971, held at Sun Valley, Idaho, August 31-September 3, and charters were granted to the colony at Eastern 148

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Kentucky, a thirty year-old local called Excelsior at W eber State, the colony at the University of Texas at Arlington, and the eight-year old Nu Sigma Chi local frater­ nity at the University of Louisville. The charter of the Davidson chapter was re­ voked. Richard R. Shoop, Denison 1941, was elected General Secretary, and Robert L. Cottrell, Miami 1954 was elected vice president.

1971-1972 Asheville, North Carolina, was the site of the convention of 1972, which met on August 22-25. This was the last convention to have a Friday evening closing session. A charter was granted to the colony at Virginia Polytechnic Institute - thus re­ establishing the old Alpha Phi chapter which had lived from 1877 to 1880. Ralph N. Fey, Miami 1940, was elected president and Jam es S. Wachs, Cincinnati 1955, was elected vice president. The appointment of Peter W. C. Barnhart, Miami 1966, as the new Administrative Secretary was announced.

1972-1973 The convention of 1973 was held at Tan-Tar-A, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Over eighty chapters had representation by a “Sophomore Leadership Fellow” whose convention expenses were paid for by the Beta Leadership Fund. The char­ ters of the Brown and Virginia chapters were revoked. James S. Wachs, Cincinnati 1955, was elected General Treasurer. Two vice presidents were elected: Dr. Hugh E. Stephenson, Missouri 1943, and Hugh Tuck Schulhof, De Pauw 1958. Initiation of women was refused, the proposal to maintain the limitation to males passed by a margin of 92 to 4; the fraternity was not even permitted to officially recognize allied or associated women’s organizations such as “little sisters” or “Daughters of the Diam ond.” It appears that the “troubled chapter” designation was first used in the Board of Trustees report of this convention. Also reported was the idea of longrange General Fraternity goals, which had been under discussion by the Board, led by Vice President Cottrell.

1973-1974 The convention of 1974 met at Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania. A charter was granted to the colony at the University of California at Irvine. The “Sophomore Fellows” program was continued. Jack H. Wesenberg, Iowa 1950, was elected General Secretary and Richard R. Shoop, Denison 1941, was elected vice president. The fees were increased to $80.00, consisting of a $20.00 pledge fee and a $60.00 initiation fee. The first in a series of fraternity “management by objective” was adopted: Beta Goals ’77, a set of seven goals covering chapter number, size, percent pledges initiated, financial responsibility, scholarship, area alumni organization, and alumni financial support. Plans were devised for the attainment of these specifi­ cally stated goals, which were to be followed over the next three years, and the results evaluated in 1977.

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1974-1975 The convention of 1975 was held in the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, August 19-22. Reports showed a continuing recovery from the period of campus unrest. However, many chapter scholarship and financial reports were overdue, and money was owed the General Fraternity by some chapters. Jam es G, Martin, Davidson 1957 was elected president, and James A. McMullen, Texas 1954, was elected vice president. An innovation called an “Idea Fair” proved interesting and beneficial - this was a collection of 15 groups, each discussing a different topic, among which the participants moved at 20-minute intervals. Progress was reported on the Beta Goals ’77 program.

1975-1976 The convention of 1976 met August 24-27 at French Lick, Indiana. Charters were granted to Arizona State and Houston, and the chapter at the University of Pennsylvania was re-established with the help of the Lehigh chapter. Elected General Treasurer was Samuel J. McCartney, Jr., Dickinson 1941; Lee B. Th­ ompson, Jr., Oklahoma 1954, was elected vice president. The “Idea Fair” and Sophomore Fellows programs were continued. A few chapters were considered “troubled”; some had not paid their initiation fees to the General Fraternity, however, in general the state of the chapters was encouraging.

1976-1977 John R. McClung, Jr., Kansas State 1937, the newly appointed editor of The Beta Theta Pi, reporting on the convention of 1977 said, “As normal, much was ac­ complished not only in the sense of this being the annual legislative session of the Fraternity, but in exchange of beneficial ideas and in the pure enjoyment of broth­ erhood and fellowship.” It was held at Tan-Tar-A, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, August 23-26. A charter was granted to the colony at Wright State, Ohio. The accomplishments of Beta Goals ’77 were evaluated: some were met, some sur­ passed, and some fell short, but the overall effect was great improvement in most areas; hence a new set of objectives under the title of Beta Goals ’80, was adopted. Jack Wesenberg was re-elected General Secretary, and Edward C. Friedrichs, Washington and Jefferson 1952, was elected vice president.

1977-1978 The convention of 1978 was held at Beta’s favorite Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The charter of Johns Hopkins was revoked, and charters were granted to Colorado and Western Michigan. The fees were increased to $120.00, of which $25.00 was payable upon pledging; a Baird Fund membership of $20.00 was also included. Elected president was Dr. Hugh E. Stephenson, Jr., Missouri 1943; David R. Foust, G M I1965 was elected vice president. A rarity in the twentieth century was this short convention poem which appeared in the convention issue of the magazine:

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W h e n I w a s u p in M a c k in a c I e ith e r w a lk e d o r to o k a h ack . T h e o n ly tim e I fe lt re m o rs e W a s w h e n I trie d to rid e a h o rs e . It w a s n ’t c h e a p , th is B e ta b a sh . N o c re d it c a rd s. Y o u p a id in c ash . A s e v e n ty -s e v e n d o lla r p a c k a g e In c lu d e d ro o m a n d m e a ls a n d b a g g ag e . T h e q u a lity o f fo o d w as g re a t N o w a y to k e e p fro m g a in in g w e ig h t. A flo c k o f B e ta s w e e th e a r ts th e re L e n t G r a n d H o te l a fe stiv e a ir. R e e lin g in th is sw irl o f y o u th N o n e I sa w a p p e a r e d u n c o u th . I le a r n e d a g a in th e w a y it fe e ls T o c h e ris h B e ta ’s h ig h id eals. If n o th in g fa ta l c o m e s to m e I ’ll b e b a c k in ’83. L e e D e tc h o n , W a b a s h 1923

1978-1979 For Beta’s one hundred fortieth birthday, the convention was held on the campus of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio. Various special events were held, in­ cluding a ceremony at the Campanile led by Seth Brooks, and a number of historical talks and personal reminiscences were given. The lead editorial in The Oxford Press for Thursday, August 16, said, “We enjoyed the Beta convention... We liked the Betas and hope the next century will see their ideals of mutual assistance, cultivation of the intellect, adherence to fidelity more nearly realized by us all.” The business of the convention went on as usual: the chapters of Case and W estern Reserve w'ere finally united, twelve years after the two schools had merged. Sam McCartney was re-elected as General Treasurer. Loyd Mahan, Whitman 1951, was elected vice president.

1979-1980 The 140th Anniversary Directory was published —it contained the names, ad­ dresses and telephone numbers of over 70,000 living Betas - unlike the last publi­ cation of the kind, the Catalog of 1933, which listed deceased Betas as well. The con­ vention of 1980 met at The Homestead, Hot Springs, Virginia, and was one of the smoothest and most enjoyable in recent memory. A charter was granted to Baylor University and the chapter at the University of Virginia was re-established. A letter expressing the thoughts and prayers of those gathered in convention and Betas everywhere was sent to Col. Thomas E. Schaefer, Lehigh 1953, a hostage in Iran. Lloyd L. Kirk, Kansas 1955, was elected General Secretary, and Allen P. Splete, St. Lawrence 1960, was elected vice president. The Beta Goals ’80 program was re­ viewed, again with mixed results, and a follow-up Beta Goals ’83 program was adopted. Fiscal irresponsibility seemed to be a growing problem in the chapters. 151

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1980-1981 The convention of 1981 met at the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona, August 18-21. The Sisson award was revived, with a new set of specifications, to be awarded to as many chapters as meet the criteria. A Fraternal Fifty pin was adopted. Chapter difficulties in various areas, notably financial, continued. Elected president was Peter E. Van de W ater, St. Lawrence 1958; Peter W. C. Barnhart, Miami 1966, was elected vice president.

1981-1982 The convention of 1982 was held at French Lick, Indiana, August 17-20. Char­ ters were granted to Maryland and East Carolina. The “pink and blue” issue came up again, with no action. Various troubles were present at some chapters, chiefly financial irresponsibility. Elected General Treasurer was H. Tuck Schulhof, De Pauw 1958; the new vice president was Dr. Ferdinand Del Pizzo, Jr., Washington (St. Louis) 1958. A revised pledge education manual was approved.

1982-1983 John R. McClung, Jr. Kansas State 1937, the magazine editor, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, introduced several changes in The Beta Theta Pi: the size was increased to the standard size of 8-1/2" by 11" and eight pages of color were added. The convention of 1983 met at the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, on August 16-19. A charter was granted to the colony at San Diego State University. B. Hume M orris II, Centre 1968, was elected General Secretary, and John J. Rhodes, Kansas State 1938, was elected vice president. Progress on the Beta Goals ’83 was reviewed, and a new set of Beta Goals ’86 was approved.

1983-1984 Tan-Tar-A at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, was the site of the convention of 1984, held August 14-17. The new convention opening ceremony was used, this being developed by Charles J. Helman, Ohio 1982 and General Secretary Morris. A new Beta First was recorded: legislation was passed requiring chapters to have a 2.5 scholastic ranking on campus in order to remain in good standing with the General Fraternity - in the words of William R. Baird, “as far as we know, the first of any fraternity” to take such action. In other business, the fees were increased to $185.00, of which $35 is payable upon pledging. In the hope of increasing the financial responsibility of the chapters, a fine of $30.00 was to be levied if the fees were not paid within thirty days. The “ idea fair” format was revised into a series of leadership seminars. The Wooglin and Dragon ceremonies were finally adopted as standard pre-initiation ceremonies, and the Code amended to include them. Elected president was John J. Rhodes, Kansas State 1938; two new vice presidents were elected: Alan G. Young, British Columbia 1970, and Ronald P. Helman, Miami 1955. Two new awards were announced: The Oxford Cup, to be given to Betas selected by the Board for outstanding achievement, and the Chapter Counselor of the Year Award. 153

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1984-1985 The Board of Trustees appointed a committee to formulate a set of long-term goals. The result was known as “Beta Goals 2000,” and these were presented to the convention of 1985. These covered the following points: 1. Quality Expansion 2. Chapter Excellence 3. Increased Scholarship 4. Continue Volunteerism 5. Better Housing 6. Renovations at Oxford 7. Endowment 8. Beta Spirit The complete document explaining them appears as one of the exhibits in this book. This, Seth Brooks’ fiftieth convention, was held at the Boca Raton Hotel and Club in southern Florida. A charter was granted to the colony at Central Michigan. The report of the Beta Goals 2000 committee was approved, and the set of eight goals adopted. An important ruling by the IRS paved the way for tax-deductible donations to the Founders Fund to support local chapter scholarships and loans. General Treasurer Tuck Schulhof was re-elected; Michael D. Bloom, Georgia Tech 1968, was elected vice president. Editor McClung reported that “In no time in the memory of this writer (who this year chalked up his 20th convention) has there been such an upbeat, optimistic, ebullient atmosphere permeating the annual congregating of the international Beta clan. Perhaps it’s a reflection of a new general national attitude, but long gone are the anti-establishment, anti-fraternity and freakish individualistic days of the ’60’s and ’70’s...” With 778 in attendance, it was the biggest convention ever, except for the centennial.

1985-1986 The convention of 1986 met at the Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, Arizona. C har­ ters were granted to the colonies at California Polytechnic University, the Univer­ sity of Georgia (re-establishing the long-gone Mystic Seven’s Temple of the Skull and Bones), the University of Guelph (Beta’s fourth Canadian chapter, and a “pioneer” campus, on which Beta was the first fraternity), and also Texas A & M. Elected General Treasurer was Bruce M. Lloyd, Brown 1969, Pennsylvania 1977; General Secretary B. Hume Morris II was re-elected. Due to an injury, Seth Brooks was unable to attend. Last minute juggling of the schedule brought a delayed vote on the new vice president, Arch A. Moore, Jr., West Virginia 1951, and also a fascinating Loving Cup Luncheon speech from General Secretary Morris on fidelity to purpose.

1986-1987 The convention of 1987 met at the Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina, 154

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August 18-21. The effects of Beta’s pioneer scholarship legislation were evident, only 21 chapters being below the 2.5 requirement, but 18 chapters had a 3.00 or better. Two charters were granted: to the colony at California State (Chico) and to the colony at Middle Tennessee State. Elected president was Burton W. Folsom, Nebraska 1949; thus he has held all three of the major positions of the Board, a record previously attained only by Francis H. Sisson. Elected vice president was Gupton A. Vogt, Westminster 1931. A resolution was passed prohibiting chapters from hosting open parties where alcohol is served; though hotly debated, the vote was unanimous. The idea of a special event for Pater Knox Night, February 7, was again discussed. Due to illness, Administrative Secretary Tom Beyer did not attend; performing admirably in his place was Administrative Assistant John F. Schaller, Ball State 1985.

1987-1988 On October 7,1987, Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922, passed away. The con­ vention of 1988 was held at the Inn on the Park, Toronto, Canada. The keynote address was given by John E. Dolibois, Miami 1942, who had been appointed director of the Sesquicentennial Celebration. Four charters were granted to colo­ nies at Colorado State University, McGill, the University of Missouri (Kansas City) and George Mason University. It was reported the 85 percent of the chapters were above the 2.5 grade requirement. The fees were raised to $240.00, of which $55.00 was payable upon pledging. After much controversy, chapter “little sisters” pro­ grams were banned. General Treasurer Bruce Lloyd was re-elected. Thomas D. Cassady, Cincinnati 1976, was elected vice president. Twenty-five chapters received Sisson Awards for excellence. A remarkable video presentation for the Sesquicen­ tennial Campaign was made. An unusual gift was presented by General Secretary Morris: seven oil portraits of the Founders, donated by Vice President Vogt.

1988-1989 On January 11, 1989, Ralph N. Fey, Miami 1940, passed away. Plans for the 150th anniversary continued. The winter issue of The Beta Theta Pi carried the official announcement of the Sesqui-Centenary Convention, to be held August 4-8, 1989, in Oxford, Ohio. And so the excitement grew for the start of Beta’s next 150 years...

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SECTION 18 An Interpretation This section appears at the explicit request of B. Hume Morris II, Centre 1968, the General Secretary of Beta Theta Pi. It is the author’s attem pt to interpret, in real time, what the last two decades have meant to the fraternity. W hen a mechanical engineer wants to predict the behavior of a structure, he determines its strengths and weaknesses, measures the forces acting on it, and proceeds to compute the stresses and strains using well-known laws of physics. Well, we can do the first two parts, but we really can’t make any predictions since there are no well-known laws of fraternities.

External Forces The society of America is changing, and exerting an influence on Beta Theta Pi unlike any other in our past. The idea of a traditional, moral, idealistic organization is derided as archaic by those who claim a right to free speech based on a twohundred-year-old document. An organization which chooses its own members is seen to be a threat, or even as an actual evil by those who claim an absolute right to decide any and all matters for themselves. Some people have even claimed question­ ing, criticism and dissent as goals in themselves. All these inherent contradictions go unnoticed as the importance of thinking diminishes. At the same time, there have been alterations in the campus picture. The academic atmosphere of some institutes of higher learning has weakened as some administrations have succumbed to the “diploma mill” mentality, and as some teachers have abandoned the pursuit and propagation of truth for stylish but bogus philosophies. The college life of the typical student is changing as well. Obtaining the degree is valued far higher than the knowledge gained. Tuition continues to rise while the purchasing power of the diploma has decreased. The self-directed lifestyles prevalent in society have degraded people in many ways, and narrow­ mindedness blinds students to the opportunities of the modern campus. But there are positive forces acting as well. There has been a time of relative peace and prosperity - a prosperity which has stimulated society to study things in nature which have hitherto gone unstudied. Artists use electronics to develop unimaginably complex and beautiful pictures, while musicians play new instruments and have ever-better means of preserving their work. New surgical techniques and drugs have cured or alleviated impossible illnesses; new knowledge has suggested ways of avoiding others. Some have lost their faith, yet others have deepened theirs. Patriotism is on the rise, and there is an increasing interest in history.

Internal Forces The first internal force to be considered is that which resists a change in motion. (The inertia of physical bodies does this naturally.) In Beta Theta Pi, we have special mechanisms for keeping to our original path. Indeed, in a sense, almost everything 157

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

about our fraternity is to keep it aimed at the Stars: There are the alumni, the Board, the songs, books, badge, and especially our name. In the last few years, however, there have been several special actions taken to maintain our focus on the Stars. Perhaps one of the earliest and most important accomplishments of recent times was setting up of the Beta Leadership Fund in 1972. At a time when the “es­ tablishment” was hated on many campuses, an “establishment” was providing funds for an enjoyable and instructive weekend. Beta Leadership Workshops have continued, and their effects of uniting chapters, demonstrating the concern and interest of the General Fraternity, and stabilizing the morale of chapter leadership is evident. Another new device dating to the same time was the “Tutor-inResidence,” which also has had a beneficial effect on many chapters. Another more recent accomplishment is the requirement of a scholastic mini­ mum for our chapters. Not only does this stimulate the active brotherhood to w'ork hard at being students, but it also induces a significant reason for alumni to become more interested in helping their chapter. When this is coupled with the new rulings regarding the provision of chapter scholarships from designated gifts to the Found­ ers Fund, the devotion to intellectual endeavor by our fraternity is unmistakeable. A less-obvious result of the scholarship requirement is that it may start college ad­ ministrations and faculty to thinking: if one of those “beer-swilling” fraternities is concerned about their grades, maybe there really are some students who want to learn, and aren’t just there for the diploma... Another major force acting to resist forces of unbalancing is the long-range view taken by the Beta Goals 2000 plan. Point by point, this plan opposes both various external forces, and internal apathy and decay. Alumni as well as under­ graduates are motivated to have pride in the fraternity to which they belong, not only for its past accomplishments, but for what it is, and what they are helping it to become. One should note here that Beta Theta Pi does not have change as a goal, nor does she have lack o f change', rather she has Three Stars... One of the most argued activities of the last two decades is expansion. Chapters are being added, not haphazardly, but judiciously. During one of our recent conversations, General Secretary Hume Morris stated to the author that “we ought to have a chapter at such-and-such a school, to form a chain in order to give suchand-such existing chapter a closer neighbor.” The comparative isolation of some of our chapters had once been seen as leading toward desertion. Carefully planned addition of schools not only removes this old fear, but increases interest in the fraternity in the nearby chapters and provides a set of new neighbors for ongoing activities. As a final argument on this point, the old adage of “not putting all your eggs in one basket” saved Beta’s life when Alpha chapter died with the Snow Rebellion. Even after the division of the Civil War, the forces of friendship acting throughout our wide domain helped heal a wound far larger than the fraternity, and strengthened Beta life with the experience. Finally, there has been an increase of spirituality among many brothers, acting perhaps on the words of former General Secretary, Rev. Edward J. Brown: “going in and staying in Beta Theta Pi could be the object of sincere and honest prayer.” 158

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A Vector Sum... Your author is neither a mechanical engineer nor a theoretical sociologist. He will not attem pt to make any predictions. The basic rules of physics state that the resulting force can be determined by a vector sum of all the forces acting on the object. This sum will be closest to the strongest force. Which forces are stronger, of all those presently acting on Beta Theta Pi? The Board, the alumni and the chapters have engaged in the effort to continue the life of our fraternity. It is our utmost intention, our hope, our desire, our prayer that these efforts lead to an increase of assistance in lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s honorable labors and aspirations, to a greater cultivation of the intellect, and to steadfastness in friendship. But we are forgetting something. It is a problem in dynamics, not statics - the actions of individual brothers will determine what happens to our fraternity. So donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget: your own actions - or inactions - are part of the sum. Make sure you are aimed in the right direction: towards Beta, Theta, Pi.

The above is the Wisconsin chapter picture from the Catalog of 1881

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SECTION 19 Membership1 It’s very clear - either you are a Beta, or you are not. If you are, it may be presumed that you already know how it happened. But if you have forgotten, or if you are not one of those who “wear the badge and bear the name of Beta Theta Pi,” you may wonder how the transition from non-Beta to Beta is accomplished - also what membership in Beta involves. In this section, we tell the story of the journey from non-Greek to brother and what happens then. First of all, with very few exceptions, membership in Beta is limited to under­ graduates at colleges or universities where a Beta chapter is located. But not all undergraduates at those schools are Betas, so some kind of selectivity must be in effect. Unlike some organizations, to which an individual may petition for m em ber­ ship, a Beta chapter makes the selection from those not already in another frater­ nity. The brothers try to meet a good number of the possible candidates, and then hold a meeting to agree as to which undergraduates will be invited to participate in the process of pledging. If they accept the invitation and complete the pledging process, they will (eventually) become brothers. Like nearly everything in Beta except our name, the stages of membership have changed since 1839. Presently, there are three stages in becoming a brother: these are known as “rush,” the “pledge” period and the very transient “neophyte” period. Then follows the secret and mysterious initiation into brotherhood. After this, however, there is little practical distinction between undergraduate and graduate members. In Beta’s early years, things were simpler: there was not pledgeship’s gradual introduction to fraternity life, and the transition from non-Greek to brother could occur in one night. The early history of Beta is uncertain, but it seems clear that Knox and Marshall worked closely together. Sometime in 1839, after they had selected the name and drawn up the constitution, “the next question was, Whom shall we connect with us in this m atter?” We do not know who was chosen to be the third Beta: Knox said it was Hardin, who lived next door to Marshall, and “so we called him in,” but Marshall said it was Smith, his roommate, who was approved “by mutual consent.” These minor discrep­ ancies cannot now be resolved, but certainly by the first regular meeting on August 8, these four and four other friends had become brothers. Beta’s first rush season was over. In fraternity jargon, the term “rush” or “rushing” means seeking new members. The founders would not have used the term, as rushing as we know it developed somewhat later, but the idea is simply as Pater Knox expressed: “who shall we connect with us?” We are an association of friends with certain objectives, and we desire to find others to work together with us in pursuing them. Once we find them, we teach them the things they need to know, and then (at the right time) we reveal 1 T h e a ss is ta n c e o f J a m e s A . M e r c a d a n te , C o lu m b ia 1983, is g ra te fu lly a c k n o w le d g e d . P J F

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our main secrets to them in the ceremony of initiation, binding them to us as brothers. Please be clear on this fact, however: brotherhood is more than knowledge of the secrets. It is an experience and a heritage held in common, but moreover it is a continual activity in which each Beta participates. Hence, the single most important criterion for membership is this connectibility “with us in this m atter”: the pursuit of the Three Great Principles. Since no one has been able to devise a objective test for things such as devotion and steadfastness, Beta has had to rely on more subjective means: Will he make a good friend? Will he care about the things we care about? For our first forty years (at least), the procedure of becoming a brother was quite simple. The brothers considered their friends and acquaintances, and pro­ posed membership for those they felt would be agreeable to everyone. A vote was taken, and if favorable, the brother-to-be was informed of his election and offered membership in the fraternity, usually by a committee appointed just for the purpose. Note that the proposed member was not aware of any of the proceedings until this point - thus if the vote had been unfavorable, he was never approached. If he accepted the offer of membership, he was brought to a meeting at which he took upon himself the obligations of secrecy. Then he read and signed the constitution. Until 1879, the secrets were stated in the constitution, so he learned then and there the hidden aspects of the fraternity. The president then addressed him, remarking on the principles he had just learned. There was no ritual as we presently know it, and both meetings could occur in just two evenings. Today, however, the process is not so brief. There are now three separate pre­ liminary stages before brotherhood. Each transition is marked by a ceremony, each one revealing increasingly more lore. 1. Rushee - a prospective member meets the members, and becomes acquainted with the idea of fraternity life. The length of this period is often governed by the college or local inter-fraternity organiza­ tion. If the brothers choose to offer membership, and he accepts the offer, he participates in a ritual of welcome. The veil is lifted just enough so that some light shines out and tantalizes him. 2. Pledge - a period of at least 60 days, during which he learns the history of the fraternity, and comes closer to his future brothers. When the brotherhood determines that he has reached a suitable level of understanding and appreciation for Beta, he then proceeds to certain rituals of entrustment. 3. Neophyte - a period (typically) of no more than a week, during which he completes his preparations for brotherhood. Meanwhile the brothers also prepare for the rituals of instruction, through which he becomes a brother. 4. Brother - a lifetime of living and pondering the Great Principles to­ gether with his brothers. Our task in this section is to give some details on these stages of Beta life.

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The English journalist G. K. Chesterton remarked that histo­ rians frequently leave out the most important part of the record: the feelings of the people of the past. In an effort to combat this tendency, we shall attempt to give the reader a feel for Beta life in the 1980’s. The reader may also like to read “G rifs Candidate” (which appears elsewhere in this book) to get a taste of Beta life a century ago. * * *

It all started when Joe Thompson was a freshman. It was his first weekend at college. He had gotten all his books, and finished all his assignments for Monday. He decided to go for a walk around the campus. After wandering past some aca­ demic buildings, he saw a house with three strange letters on the wall. There was a small crowd of people on the front porch; most were conversing in small groups. At the bottom of the steps, there were three young men, one wearing a shirt with the same three letters. The other two were dressed in suits. Joe spotted a strange gold and black button of some kind almost hidden by their sport coats. One of the two came forward, and extended his hand: “Hello, welcome to Beta. W e’re having open house, would you like to take a look around?” “Sure,” replied Joe. After introducing themselves, they went up the steps, and entered the house. ★* * Though not every first contact with Beta is like Joe’s, at many schools the “open house” is the first event which introduces frater­ nity life to freshmen. There are three goals of such events: 1. 2. 3.

Meet freshmen, and get them to meet as many brothers as possible. Tell them about the fraternity, and the chapter itself. Show them the house, and what life there is like.

This introduction is more for the benefit of the freshmen, and is not truly part of the rushing season itself. However, the brothers also begin considering which of the freshmen they would like to have as brothers. Real rushing usually doesn’t begin until some brother gets to know a particular freshman whom he thinks would make a good brother. However, the fun only begins then. One brother cannot offer membership on his own authority - the chap­ ter must meet him, and the formalities must be attended to. But “rushing” implies a kind of hurry in the matter - what’s more, “rush” comes from the same root as “ruse”: to trick or deceive. Why would trickery, deception, or hurry be involved? Well, Beta is not the only fraternity on campus... * * *

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“Now, don’t forget to come by here any time, Joe. Several of the guys are in your major - you may want to discuss your courses with them. I’d like to hear more about your trip to Europe, since I have European History this term. Yeah, I live here - just ask for Jim. I’ll see you later!” At the bottom of the steps, Joe waved to him, and put the leaflet on “Beta” into his pocket. H e thought to himself, “Well, that’s an inter­ esting idea.” H e continued to walk across the campus, and not very far from the Beta house he saw a similar building. Again a crowd of people jammed the entrance. Again, three unrecognizable letters are on the wall. He walks up to the door, but he isn’t greeted. Joe didn’t hear one whisper to another: “Hey, that’s Joe, you know, the one A1 told us about...” Suddenly he is engulfed by young men, all trying to get his attention. In the chaos he noticed a couple of guys from his hall, shaking their heads and walking away from the house. One of the crowd managed to drag Joe into the house. “Hey, Joe, sorry about that. We heard that you were coming to school here... yeah, A1 was two years ahead of you at your high school - remem ber him? - and he told us about your pitching record. See, our house has a team, and we think you’d be great. No, they won’t let freshmen pitch for the school team, but ours is just an intramural team, so they won’t care. Yeah, this is a great place to live. It’s not like those characters,” and he pointed towards the Beta house. Joe sighed inwardly. Definitely not anything like them. *

*

*

On every campus where Beta has a chapter, there are some fraternity rivals, and (except for a short time on thirty-some campuses where Beta was the first fraternity) it has almost always been that way. When there was “desirable material” in the fresh­ man class - those who were particularly talented or outstanding in some way - every fraternity nearly bent over backwards trying to get them to join their chapter. Freshmen used to be met as they got off the train on their first day at school, and hustled off to chapter houses where they were wined and dined, and “rushed” into decid­ ing to join that fraternity. Such tactics were commonplace from as early as the 1880’s until at late as the 1930’s. It’s hard to date these things, since they gradually appeared and silently vanished, but they definitely were not present in the 1840’s, and if they still happen in the present, they are kept much more quiet. The main force which caused the end of this kind of rushing tactic was the formation of campus inter-fraternity organizations. These set up rules to govern rushing so that freshmen would have a fair chance (at least initially) of seeing all the fraternities on campus in a less biased manner. * ★* As the semester continued, Joe went to see a few other houses, and met more

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fraternity men. He went to a party at the Xi Omega Psi house (the other place), but they only seemed interested in his baseball career. He was invited to dinner by the Betas, and they seemed more interested in him than in what he might do for them. H e had several conversations with Jim, and discovered that they had similar inter­ ests. O ther Betas met Joe; one showed him a helpful reference for his math class. Slowly but surely he met every member in the chapter, though he didn’t always rem em ber their names. They, however, were paying close attention to him. Then one night Joe went to the library to work on a paper. Unknown to him, a meeting was going on in the Beta chapter room. The president spoke: “Brothers, the next order of business is proposals for membership.” H e recognized Jim, who proceeded to state: “Brother President, I propose Joe Thompson for membership in Beta Theta Pi.” Several brothers indicated their approval of Jim ’s proposal. “Is the chapter ready for a vote?” asked the president. Silence for a short interval, then he continued: “Very well. Hearing no objections, Joseph Thompson has been pro­ posed for membership. We shall proceed to a vote.” The secretary handed each brother a small piece of paper. The brothers marked their ballots, the secretary collected them, and handed them to the president. The president counted them and announced: “Joe Thompson has been approved unanimously! Jim, you and Matt are appointed as a committee to notify him.” *

*

*

Some Betas might wonder why the word “m em ber” as op­ posed to “pledge” was used above. In the imaginary chapter where Joe was being rushed, as well as some real chapters, the offer of membership signifies that chapter is convinced that he will be a good brother, and unless he should happen to decide otherwise, they are committed to pledge and subsequently initiate him. For almost 130 years, this vote was required to be unanimous. External pressures, among other reasons, led to its replacement in 1968 with a vote “to be determined by each chapter with complete autonomy.” In the early days, the vote on membership was per­ formed anonymously: each member dropped either a white or a black ball into a small wooden box. If any black ball appeared, the candidate was rejected. From this method (which has been used in other organizations as well) came the term “black-ball,” as a synonym for rejection. *

* *

Later that night Jim and Matt went over to Joe’s dorm room. H e had just gotten back from the library, and was relaxing before finishing his work for the night. They knocked on the door, and entered. “Hey Jim, what’s up?” “Joe, we have something important to talk to you about. Tonight, our chapter has elected you to membership in Beta Theta Pi! You don’t need to make a decision now - think about it, and talk to us if you have any questions about it. Meanwhile, how about going for a pizza?”

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This scene varies in detail from chapter to chapter, from year to year and from era to era in the fraternity. Some schools do not allow freshmen to accept membership for some initial period of time - these “closed rush” periods give the freshmen time to become accustomed to the idea of college life before making such an important decision. * * * Joe had received an offer from the Xi brothers almost a week before Jim ’s visit. On several occasions thereafter, two or three of them came to his room to see if he had decided to join them. But Joe was glad to see Jim, so when Beta offered him membership, he didn’t hesitate: “Sure - I don’t need to think about it. I do w'ant to be a Beta, and I accept the offer! Pizza sounds good to me, too.” * * * Now, if this was the 1850’s, Joe would have returned to the Beta house and been initiated immediately. This is quite an anach­ ronism, since there were no fraternity houses back then. But 130 years later, Jim and Matt are content with his acceptance. Under some views, he is now a pledge in theory, if not in actuality - this formal transition is accomplished by a ceremony. W e’ll skip ahead to the day of that ritual: * * * Joe, dressed in his best suit, was sitting in the library of the Beta house. Seven other fresl men were also seated around the room, two of whom lived in the same hall as Joe. Jim and Matt had been talking quietly with them when two more brothers entered. Joe recognized Lou, the new president, but not the other. Jim spoke: “Ok, quiet down. You probably all know Neil - he’s your pledgemaster, and he will explain what’s about to go on. I’ll be seeing you shortly.” The brothers left Neil and the pledges alone in the room. Neil began: “This is the formal ceremony of pledging. You aren’t going to be brothers now - that’s still in the future, but this is the beginning of your journey to brotherhood. My job begins right now - I’m delegated by the brothers to teach you the history and lore of Beta. I have to keep you informed about the brotherhood’s activities, and let them know how you’re doing. If we all work hard together, you’ll see that ‘cooperation makes strength,’ and in maybe a few months, you’ll be brothers. Ok, now, Jim and Matt will be back shortly to bring you upstairs.” They waited in the room. Joe noticed that many of the books had Beta Theta Pi written on them, and he wondered how much he would have to learn about it. Some of the others whispered together. He heard one ask “Hey, do you think this is when we have to eat the goldfish?” He chuckled to himself, since Jim had told him that Beta doesn’t require anything unpleasant or degrading. Just then the door opened, and M att and Jim came in. “Ok, guys, get in a line.” Each put his right hand on the 166

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shoulder of the one before him. In a linked line, they marched upstairs where the brothers had gathered in their spacious living room. Suddenly the chapter started singing: “Come smoke a friendly pipe with me...” * *

*

How did pledging arise in Beta? It can be traced to Beta’s law prohibiting the initiation of prep school students. Recall that, until the late 1800’s, there were few high schools, and a student often went to the preparatory (or “prep”) school associated with the college until the faculty decided that he was ready to be admitted. These were typically younger students, and were not in actuality college students, though they studied at the same place. However, as these students were virtually certain to be admitted in time, the fraternities always considered them carefully. When a prep stu­ dent was found whom a fraternity wanted, he would be ap­ proached with an offer of membership. But, like other fraternities, Beta forbade the initiation of such students. However, he could be offered membership - the prep student would then promise or pledge his word to join Beta once he was a regular college student. He then wore a ribbon of the colors to signify his commitment; this also indicated that the other fraternities could cease their efforts to attract him. In recent times, another reason for a pledge period can be perceived. There is a need to have some time for the prospective member to become convinced in his acceptance of membership. Pledging also provides a time for learning the basic history and lore of the fraternity, and a chance to deepen the friendships which began during rush. Finally, it is a time for the pledge to examine his own motives: to answer for himself, the questions “why do I want to be a Beta?” and “what does Beta mean to m e?” If he has not answered them by initiation, then that experience will be empty of meaning to him. He must learn to trust the brothers, and to act in a way that shows him to be worthy of trust. This trust will culminate in the brotherhood’s entrustment to him of the great Beta secrets. First, he has to learn the basics of the lore before he can understand enough to answer the more im por­ tant questions: What motivated Knox to start Beta? How did Beta survive the Civil War? What about Beta’s magazine is more im­ portant than the fact that it was the first of its kind? Why are there all those books by Baird and Shep and Seth, and what do they con­ tain? When Robb talked about Beta Spirit, what was he referring to? Furtherm ore, how does all this relate to him, studying engi­ neering or law, accounting or art or Germ an in the present, when all this was gone before he was born? But the pledge learns that for Betas, past achievements are not forgotten; they are propagated to 167

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the present in Beta’s traditions. Through all Beta tradition shines the light of the Three Stars, and the pledge seems to have no real clue to what they are. Perhaps he hasn’t looked in the right place yet... *

* *

Joe got a copy of the pledge manual, Son o f the Stars, and a copy of the song book at their first pledge meeting. There, each pledge was assigned a brother as a mentor —Jeff Arnold was Joe’s “big brother.” H e received a list of the others in his pledge class, and what appeared to be trivia about the brothers of the chapter. But when he looked over the home towns, he learned that Jeff lived in a suburb of his own city. They would be able to ride home together, and get together on vacations... The pledges met every week with Neil, to go over their assigned work and learn information that wasn’t in the pledge manual. Joe learned to recite the “founding paragraph,” which gives the basic facts about Beta’s beginnings, and the names of the founders. H e collected a list of unusual facts about the chapter, the Upsilon Epsilon of Beta Theta Pi - the brothers called it UE. One of the academic buildings was named after a U E Beta, and a couple of dorms as well. H e found out more about famous Betas: there were Beta governors, congressmen, and actors. H e learned about the black badge the brothers wore, with its diamond and three stars (always the three stars, he thought.) Then there were songs to learn. Not all the pledges thought they could sing, but they all learned to carry the tunes fairly well. The pledges also had certain duties in the chapter house. Joe found that he wanted to help the brothers make the U E house look nice: “It will soon be my home, too. The home of the three stars.” The pledges did lots of things together with the brothers - some weekends they played baseball, and one time they painted some houses that the city was restoring for the homeless. Once an alumnus came to ask for help in doing some research at the school library - five brothers and two other pledges besides Joe went along to track down references for him.

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During all this time, Joe worked together with the brothers, and saw them also work together. It really was a matter of “cooperation makes strength,” which he knew was the motto of the Union Literary Society, of which John Reily Knox, Miami 1839, of ever honored memory, had been president. Slowly the days passed; he learned more lore and songs. By chance one day he overheard Neil and Lou talking quietly. “Yeah, Bill and Dan will be coming,” stated Lou. I’m going to be giving out the parts at the next meeting, and we’ll have to practice the songs again. Do you think they guess it’s about to come to an end?” “Ha!” laughed Neil. “They haven’t given it a thought. But why would they want to stay pledges any longer?” “Well, I hope they will be ready for the test, Neil.” “I’m sure they are. Just make sure we’ll have everything we need for the ceremony, and I’ll have them ready also.” Because of his unintentional eavesdropping, Joe was the first pledge to find out that the end of pledging was fast approaching. The pledges got together that night to go over their lore, and to discuss the future events. As usual, George and Joe debated what was in store for them... “So, George, you still think they are going to make us eat goldfish? That’s nonsense. You know the rules Beta has against hazing. These guys are only trying to confuse us.” “I don’t think so,” replied George. You know, there’s a room that we’ve never been inside - except I don’t know where the door is.” Joe shook his head. “You’re crazy. This isn’t an amusement park funhouse with sliding panels.” But George wasn’t convinced: “Maybe not, but they’re serious about this stuff. T here’s a lot they have never told us, and I’m sure it’s important.” “George, do you think I would know? I’m only a pledge, too. Now let’s get back to our work. Who was the first General Secretary?” A few days later, the pledges were informed it was time for a final test. They met once again to go over their history. It won’t be long now, thought Joe. They took the test, and the results were found to be satisfactory. Neil gave them directions on what would happen next: “You’re nearing the end of your pledge period. You must be on your best behavior, and complete your homework and pledge duties quickly, as there will be several meetings in the coming evenings. The brothers will help you as much as they can, but you must work very hard - there’s a lot more yet to come.” “Goldfish soon,” whispered George. Joe smiled. The first night after the test, they were addressed by several Betas. One was a retired professor of the school, who earned his doctorate at Oxford, England. He told them of his college days at another chapter, now 54 years past. He stressed learning for its own sake. “The doctorate was a lot of work, but I enjoyed the knowledge I gained more than I enjoyed anything I ever got because of the di­ ploma,” he said. Another alumnus was the president of a local trucking company. H e told the assembled chapter and pledges about his days in the old chapter house, since rebuilt, and discussed the importance of steadfastness, illustrating with a personal story: “My father died while I was a junior, and I contemplated suicide. Three brothers stayed up the whole night talking to me. I cried for hours, then I slept a whole night and a day. The next evening 169

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I woke up, and I later found out that they had missed taking tests to help me. I knew they cared for me more than they cared for themselves, and I resolved to live.” A third Beta stood to speak. “I’m an undergraduate, like you.” He had driven two hours from the next closest chapter in order to see his brothers. “Our chapter and yours have always worked closely together. W hen we had the big flood last year, this entire chapter came to help pile sandbags on our campus - our chapter house is not far from the river. We didn’t even call you - you just came. We can always count on you to be there, and you can always count on us.” Joe and the other pledges were amazed by the stories these Betas told. Finally the room emptied, and Neil left them alone in the living room. Three candles shone on three carved wooden letters above the fireplace. The next night, a different ceremony took place. Joe was taught some secret lore, and he began to suspect there were a lot of hidden things yet to be discovered. The third night, the pledges were told to write an essay on “why I want to be a Beta,” including what they thought Beta meant. Joe started at 9 PM, wrote twelve pages, then suddenly realized it was 2 AM! He jumped into bed, glad that he didn’t have a class until 11 the next morning. Over the weekend, the pledges did various jobs in the house, including re­ painting the basement game room and weight room. The weather was mild, and they had a cookout in the evening, with many songs around the fire. Joe heard Jeff murmur as he looked up in the darkening sky, “Looks like the Stars are nearly aligned.” But Joe did not see which ones he was looking at. The next day Joe began to wonder why they wanted the essay. It was all made clear that night, as he was tested again - not on pure lore, but on his intentions and understanding of the inward features of Beta. He was prepared by his writing, and felt he had expressed himself properly. By the time he went to sleep, he no longer was a pledge - he was a “new growth,” a “neophyte.” It wouldn’t be long now. Again there was an evening of meditation and reading. Another day of class. He seemed to notice the brothers everywhere on campus, looking at him. Another evening of discussion with his big brother, and a short meeting with the chapter counselor and president. Neil gathered them together in the library later in the night. “You are nearly to the point of completing your journey. This night you must participate in feeding the Beta fire which we have kindled for you. In silence, each of you will go out to our wood pile, pick up a stick (no big logs, please!) and walk upstairs to the living room. Lou will instruct you there. Then, the big brothers entered to escort them. Jeff smiled at Joe, but neither spoke. “No big logs,” Joe thought, “but I can’t just take a twig either.” H e found one of intermediate size, and they proceeded to the living room. The room was dark, except for a flickering light in the fireplace. Joe sensed others in the room, but he only saw Lou standing by the fireplace, holding a small lantern. Lou called, “Hurry, add your fuel! Feed the fire quickly, lest it die and leave the brothers cold and dark.” Joe ran to the fireplace, with Jeff right behind. H e would have fallen into it, but Lou and Jeff held him. He placed his log on the small blaze; it caught and blazed quickly, as it was old and dry. H e saw that his choice was wise; the fire blurred as his eyes filled with tears. Jeff took him 170

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to his room, and they talked into the night. The next day, Joe went to the Beta house, but the doors were locked. He went back to his dorm, and there was a message for him: “Be at the house at 7 PM, coat and tie. DO NOT BE LATE!” The house was dark. Joe and the other pledges (no, we’re neophytes, he cor­ rected himself) waited on the front porch for the door to open. They were all rather nervous. Would this be it? They had worn suits nearly every night for their meetings, but had never been summoned so abruptly. Then Joe noticed that there was a car parked across the street with an out-of-state license plate, and a Beta coat-of-arms on the window. He was about to speak when Lou opened the door. Quietly entering, they followed Lou to the library. “Wait here,” he ordered, and left them. After what seemed like a century or two later, Neil entered, a big smile on his face. “ It’s time!” “Now pay attention. Listen to everything carefully, for it only ever happens this way once - the next time you see it, you’ll be brothers. He paused, and looked at them. “I’ve had a good time with you guys, and I think that we’ll have an even greater time as brothers. Now, let’s get in line once more...” What happened then was something which Joe would later describe as one of the most exciting points in his life. It was all summarized in one line he often recalled: “Joseph Gilbert Thompson, you are number one thousand, eight hundred and thirty-nine on the official roll of the Upsilon Epsilon chapter of Beta Theta Pi.” * * *

While not every pledging period is so smooth, they are almost always just as emotional. Alas, there have also been bad times associated with this period. We must now leave Joe and the happy glow of friendship for a dark and dangerous (and now nearly non­ existent) aspect of the journey towards brotherhood. It is sadden­ ing and embarrassing to discuss, but it still continues despite over 60 years of effort to destroy it. We are referring to “hazing,” the term for stupid, degrading, embarrassing or painful activities forced upon someone. In the minds of some, fraternities are synonymous with initia­ tion, which always implied hazing and secret horrors. Before we continue, we must assure the reader that the formal ceremony absolutely DOES NOT contain any objectionable activities - it never has, and never will. However, by a common process of “guilt by association,” some evil pre-initiation activities have been asso­ ciated with the dignified ceremony of the ultimate revelation of the great secrets. No such pre-initiation activities existed in fraternities in the early years. College faculty (at that time identical to the admini­ stration) were suspicious of Greek societies, believing them to be subversive to their authority, but they never would have charged the fraternities with the remarkable inconsistency of torturing

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their brothers-to-be. There was non-fraternity hazing of the fresh­ man class for many years. In fact it dates to (at least) the fourth century A.D. Cardinal Newman, in his book University Sketches, gives several stories of life at the ancient University of Athens. He recalls a statement by St. Gregory Nazienzen that when he and St. Basil began their study at the U niversity of Athens, St. Basil was so well-liked that he was not put through the initiation usually ad­ ministered to freshmen. This kind of freshmen hazing was usually more silly than dangerous. It continued through many centuries, and was too prevalent to be eradicated. Late in the 19th century, however, and (alas) continuing to the present, this kind of nonsense infected fraternities, and there have been stupid, dangerous, rude, and nasty actions forced upon those about to devote themselves to the uplifting ideals of brotherhood by those who were supposedly instructing them. It is uncertain when any kind of event was added to precede the formal ritual - perhaps in the 1880’s or 1890’s. The source is also uncertain. The above-mentioned hazing of freshmen, also called “fagging,” was then prevalent, and had been a part of English schools for a long time. Many rationalizations have been advanced for hazing, but we will not bother with them. In the considered view of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, including many of our Great Ones and the actions of several conventions, there is NO REASON for hazing. Indeed, it is certainly against the principles and ideals of any organization which claims brotherhood and in­ tellectual accomplishment as its primary objectives. Despite Beta’s laws, which are carefully phrased to prohibit any possible form of hazing, forbidden activities still precede the formal ceremony of initiation at some chapters. Now, there are several pre-initiation ceremonies and events which are specified and approved by the General Fraternity. (We have constructed a fictional account in our talc of Joe.) Except for approved local traditional ceremonies, any variation of them is prohibited. Pro­ posed changes are studied and may be approved if they are consis­ tent with Beta principles and good sense. However, Beta’s laws do not prohibit activities which are inspirational in character, or which test the candidate’s knowledge and desires, where the tests are neither deceptive nor injurious to him. After all, no one re­ gards taking exams as hazing... If Pater Knox found Beta’s growth impressive and delightful, he would be shocked and saddened to find the vulgar plans of misguided brothers being forced on those whom they have se­ lected to “wear the badge and bear the name.” Activities such as these do not gain dignity by their age, and no one should defend 172

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them in the name of tradition. They are actions against our prin­ ciples and contrary to the essence of Fraternity itself. O ur hope for Beta’s future is not that there will be no report of hazing incidents, but that there will NO HAZING by ANY chapter of Beta. *

* *

Joe had heard about hazing, of course, and George, one of his former fellow pledges had always expected to be forced to swallow a goldfish. His chapter would never permit such nonsense, though there were always a few brothers who liked to jokingly pretend that such things would occur - he remembered two of them dis­ cussing the shortage of hot peppers one night, in rather devious voices, but nothing came of it. He thought about the initiation ceremony itself. Clearly there was no room in such a special event for silliness, even if the Great Principles were not so positively in contradiction of unbrotherly actions. Hazing was definitely excluded from Beta - however, there was certainly room for humor. The day after the cere­ mony, Lou gave him the ritual book to read, with the stern warning not to remove it from (he president’s room. He also loaned him a copy of At Good Old Siwasli by Cieorge Fitch, a Beta from the Knox chapter. While the stories were set in the very early 1900’s, he found them humorous, especially the “self-initiation” of Ole Skjarsen. Joe realized that much of pledging’s suspense came from mere ignorance of the inner features of Beta, and clever planning on the part of the brothers. Though they never lied outright, they did give his imagination full rein. It was nearing the end of the semester, and at one of the last chapter meetings, Lou announced the convention dates, and asked if any brothers wanted to go. When Jeff raised his hand, Joe decided he would go also. Fifteen brothers planned to go, though some had to check for possible conflicts with their work schedules. George, the “goldfish pledge,” was the only other sophomore besides Joe who indicated that he could go. Lou appointed George as the chapter’s sophomore class delegate or “sophomore fellow.” After the chapter meeting, George and Joe asked Lou what that meant. “I was the sophomore fellow last year,” he replied. “You get a special folder, like a mini-briefcase, and you have to go to some meetings. I think George needs to find out a little more about Beta’s position of hazing, don’t you, Joe?” They chuckled. The story of Joe’s voyage to the convention will be told another time. He had a good time there - it was comparable only to the initiation itself in Beta feeling. The chapter arrived back at school in the fall semester following the convent ion. Joe, a sophomore now, shared a room in the chapter house with George. The brothers started work upon their return from vacation - the chapter house needed to be cleaned for open house. Joe was about to see rushing from the “other side” for the first time. He decided to review his lore, concentrating on the unique features of Beta at his school. He wanted to be ready to talk to the new freshmen about both the General Fraternity and his chapter. He also went through the chapter scrap­ book, which contained many odd facts about the school itself, as well as those relating to the chapter.

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At open house, Joe met many freshmen. Very few had any idea about fraternity life; their ideas usually centered on the “goldfish” or other rumors. H e and George and the other brothers took them on tours of the house, and explained what they could about the fraternity. “And here is our library,” Joe repeated for maybe the 50th time. The lone freshman on this tour asked him: “What are all those red books?” “Those are the bound copies of the fraternity magazine. Lots of interesting things are in it. Look here.” He opened one - Batman was on the cover. “Wow, was Batman a Beta?” “Yeah, and he still is. Once you’re a Beta, you’re always a Beta.” It suddenly struck Joe just how consistent that saying was with Beta’s principles. He looked at the freshman, thinking what might lie in store for him, if... “My name is Joe. W hat’s your name?” “Andy Schmerd,” answered the freshman. Suddenly Joe rem em bered last fall when he first entered the house. Maybe this was how it started, he thought, but we’ll have to see. So he took Andy on a tour of the house, making sure to get his campus address before they separated. After the chapter meeting the next week, Mark, a senior, announced that he was goingto “pin” his girlfriend. Through the laughter and joking, Joe heard Lou telling the steward to be sure to order steak and asking the social chairman to remember to buy champagne. Whatever “pinning” entailed, he thought, it certainly has fringe benefits. When Joe asked about it, Lou reminded him of the rules about the Beta badge: “a Beta shall permit none but his mother, sister, wife, daughter, or sweetheart to wear the badge.” But at UE, it was somewhat more significant, since pinning your badge on your girlfriend meant that engagement was just around the corner. Also, the brother doing the pinning had certain chapter responsibilities: a steak dinner for the chapter and champagne for a toast at the pinning party. The next Saturday evening, the living room was packed with well-dressed brothers and guests. Lou signalled for silence, and the brothers made their way to the fireplace, forming a semicircle around the couple. They sang the “Beta Sweet­ heart Song,” and Mark pinned his badge on his girlfriend. Then Lou proposed a toast to the new couple, and the chapter drank to their health and happiness. Joe wondered if one day he would stand before the chapter in the same way. Certainly it was something to look forward to... The very next week, Joe was given a chance at meeting his “sweetheart.” It was the practice of the U E chapter to serenade the sororities at their houses once each year. If anyone had told him about this when he was rushing, he probably would have thought it corny, but after learning several Beta “sweetheart” songs as a pledge, and seeing several hundred Betas serenading the “Beta Girls” at the convention, he hardly thought about it. Besides, he and George were the best singers of the sopho­ mores. Together with two juniors, they had learned the four-part harmony to a couple of songs, and they were anxious to show off their work. The other brothers also had a practice session, with guitar and piano accompaniment.

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Friday night was clear and pleasant. A crescent moon appeared low in the west, a planet bright above it. Stars shone down on the corner of campus where the six sorority houses were clustered. Other stars, less bright, were flickering on the ground - a line of Betas were marching towards the sororities. Some brothers carried candles, others carried song books. “ ...Strong in the might of our bond fra­ ternal, Friend of the right and the foe of the wrong...” they sang as they marched. On the Theta Omicron Psi porch, the girls stood in silence. The Betas arranged them ­ selves on the walk just below the porch; there was a pause, then another song was begun: “Oh, when our sons to college go...” - the chapter’s tradem ark song. Then they sang the College Alma Mater, the school fight song, several Beta “Sweetheart” songs, and then the “Beta Goodnight.” Then they marched over to the Iota Nu Kappa house, and sang to them. Almost two hours after they started, they marched back to their own house. The moon had set, but the stars still shone. Joe saw one of the INK girls in his English class the next week. “Anne, what did you think of our singing?” “I may have been just one of the forty girls on our porch that night, but somehow it was as if all of you Betas were singing just to me. I liked your songs, too.” She lowered her voice. “I was glad to see you there singing, Joe.” Suddenly, as if she just realized the campus around her, she resumed normally: “Yeah - INK is always glad to be sung to, even by Betas.” She turned and walked away. When she was sure he couldn’t see her, she smiled. Joe smiled too, and watched her walk over the grass. 175

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Homecoming weekend was a few weeks later. U E had invited the Fraternal Fifties for the year, and a special party was planned. The whole weekend was filled with planned events: Friday night was a informal “brothers” party at the chapter house. Saturday morning was the alumni house corporation meeting. The football game was at 1:30, followed by cocktails and dinner, for which the General Secretary was scheduled to appear. All U E was excited about it - Joe not the least, as Anne had agreed to be his date for the party. Meanwhile, however, the house had to be thoroughly cleaned, and repairs made. The weekend before, all the chapter had worked, preparing for homecoming. Preparations continued all that week, and there were some late nights for the brothers. But finally it was Friday and the last class was over. From the neighboring cities, Betas of the Upsilon Epsilon chapter watched the “milestones backward run” as they journeyed back for the weekend. Just after dinner that night, alumni began to show up. The first one was Mike, an alumnus for more than thirty years, who lived a distant suburb of the city. He was a past secretary of the house corporation, and always stopped in at the “new house” (it was now 20 years old) before going to the hotel for the evening. His former roommate, president of a Fortune 500 company, was due at the airport at 9 PM; could some of the brothers go pick him up? No sooner said than done - George and Joe took Jeff’s car. On the way to the airport, they realized that they had no idea what their older brother looked like. But when they arrived, there at the “Arrivals” entrance was a man sitting on a bench holding two pennants. One was the school pennant, the other bore three Greek letters... He introduced himself as “Steve, class o f‘long ago’.” In the car, he thanked them for coming. “That Mike. Just because I’m president of JRK Developments he won’t come and pick me up - he says it’s better for me to spend a half-hour with some undergraduates. ‘They’ll give you some new ideas’, he says. Ok. So what are you studying?” By the time the three got back to the chapter house, they were deep in a discussion of practical economics from a corporate executive’s view. About ten other alumni had arrived in the interim - together with several of the undergradu­ ates, they had gathered around the piano, and begun working through the Beta songbook. Steve and Mike shook hands, and they joined in the singing. Joe noticed that they didn’t use the song books. Between sets of songs Steve asked Mike if he could still say the founders. The undergraduates laughed, but then the two of them rattled them off, Mike alternating each name with Steve. There were many surprised looks in the room. “Wow!” “Hey, nearly forty years later and they still know their lore!” “Great going!” Steve and Mike looked at each other, recalling the time they first pulled that gag on their pledgemaster, and the shocked look on his face... The next day the chapter prepared a buffet brunch; the alumni who had found places to sleep in the chapter house were joined by new arrivals who had stayed in hotels or elsewhere. Two of the Fraternal Fifties had flown in. At 11 A.M., the alumni, the chapter officers, and several other brothers gathered in the chapter library for the house corporation meeting. As Joe had learned, this corporation owned the chapter house and its major furnishings. The meeting went quickly - the only business discussed was the plans for the chapter’s upcoming anniversary. 176

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Joe and nearly half the chapter did not go to the game, since there were numerous matters to arrange for the party. They listened to the game on the house’s stereo, however, and cheered for every touchdown. The game was nearly over when everything was ready. After changing, they went up to the porch overlooking the path from campus. Then Joe heard singing: “Marching along in Beta Theta Pi, Marching along we’ll fill the air with song!” About 100 brothers of U E were march­ ing across the campus in the usual “snake-line” formation. Soon they reached the house, and they filed inside. The singing continued while other guests began to arrive. The Dean of Students was the U E faculty advisor - he and his wife and three children came. Joe saw Anne coming down the path, and he ran down to escort her to the living room. After a hour or so of conversation, Lou collected about twenty of the brothers together at the piano. Jeff played a short fanfare, and they began the chapter song. Nearly all the other brothers soon joined in. When it was over, Lou introduced the chapter officers and those of the house corporation. Then he asked the chapter’s alumni secretary to come forward and assist with the presentation of the Fraternal Fifties ceremony... Andrew Schmerd, the President of Beta Theta Pi, handed Joe his Fraternal Fifties card, and shook his hand. Joe thought back on how he had rushed Andy, seen him become a brother at UE, and go on through several offices in the fraternity. Joe recalled the first fraternal fifties ceremony he had seen so many years ago. Yes, he thought, and now I’m a Fraternal Fifty as well. What a shame George died just a year ago. He thought back over his own Beta life: rushing, the long, long pledge period which passed, like his entire undergraduate life, so very fast... His first convention, his time on the Board of the UE house corporation, the initiations and homecom­ ings... Seeing his son and his grandson become Betas... Joe turned to Anne and smiled. There had been difficult times for them as well as good ones, but he knew that his membership in Beta had been worthwhile - so much so that he could sincerely say “Thank God for Beta Theta Pi, and thank God I’m a Beta!”

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The Three Great Principles

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SECTION 20 Government Every human organization needs some controlling or directing agency, to keep it in existence, and to achieve its objectives. Given the nature of the brotherhood of Beta Theta Pi, it might appear that the acceptance of her aims would be sufficient to perpetuate and further them. But even religions cannot dispense with some form of government, in order to provide direction and guidance. Such an organized internal structure for government in any group is so natural that it can be likened to the nervous system of the human body. Although it started simply, Betaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s govern­ ment developed as the fraternity grew, and it is now a reasonable formulation of her principles of trust and friendship as well as a working strategy for directing her members towards the Three Stars. What aspects of direction and maintenance are necessary in Beta? Certainly some formulation of written law is necessary. The active members, organized into chapters, must be represented, and (as they are the original source of the fraternity) they must retain their primacy of authority. The alumni must be involved so that history and experience may be perpetuated. There are records to be maintained, financial matters to be arranged, fraternal activities to be performed. All of these things must be kept consistent with the Great Principles, and act so as to assist brothers in their pursuit. Beta should then have a three-part government: 1. 2. 3.

Legislative power: to make and amend laws, and issue directives to be carried out in furtherance of Betaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objects. Executive power: to carry out the directives, to propose new insights into the objects, to guide, counsel, and admonish. Administrative power: to collect and distribute information, to handle the practical side of the law such as record keeping of membership and finance.

In 1839, the founders of Beta wrote a very short constitution, embedding in it the Three G reat Principles which specify the essence of Beta. It also included a few other guidelines, hinting at greater things, but it was hardly a complete plan of government. After all, there were only the eight of them, or rather, just five, since Knox, Linton, and Ryan had already graduated by time of the first regular meeting. Five could easily handle running one chapter. The elected officers and the constitution were the complete government of the fraternity at that time. Once the next chapter was started, they saw that it would be necessary to come together and resolve how control was to be handled. The two chapters came to a mutual agreement on a few changes in the constitution, one of which provided that all the chapters convene every three years, in order to amend the constitution and discuss matters of common interest. Every chapter was to send representatives, but each chapter would have only one vote. This was both a fraternal and democratic solution.

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This first convention was held in 1842. By then, there were six chapters. While the chapters would retain their own government and autonomy in most matters, the convention would have authority over them as set forth in the constitution; it could enact and enforce laws over the whole fraternity. Of course, the convention would only last a few days, but some issues would require continual handling until the next convention. Since there was no other body to do this, the duty was assigned to a chapter. Miami acted in this capacity from the founding until 1847. Then, from 1847 until 1879, one particular chapter was designated as the “presiding chapter,” having executive and administrative control. This meant that undergraduates of that chap­ ter had to handle the business of the entire fraternity as well as their schoolwork, passing on the records to the next presiding chapter every few years. Beta’s dependence on undergraduates for performance of the executive and administrative functions did not last. A series of actions called for increasing alumni involvement, nearly each one being unique among the existing fraternities. The convention of 1867 granted permission to establish alumni chapters, not associated with a particular college. These chapters could send delegates to the convention. In 1872, it was proposed that the secretary of the Convention “be the executive officer and depository” of the fraternity during the year: this office of General Secretary was held first by Charles Duy Walker, V.M.I. 1869. He suggested the division of the chapters into geographical areas called “dis­ tricts,” and the appointment of an assistant to care for each one. Then came the dramatic changes of 1878: the secret aspects were removed from the constitution, the presiding chapter system was abandoned, and a Board of Directors was ap­ pointed, to hold the authority of the convention while it was not in session. In 1892, it was revised into the Executive Committee, then in 1897 it was again revised into the Board of Trustees. These “boards” were elected by the convention, and were answerable to it as well. In 1940, the Board recommended, and the convention approved the creation of a new paid office to perform various administrative duties. This resulted in a sim­ plified organization, and made possible the continuance of a volunteer board. The addition of paid assistants to this office of Administrative Secretary brings us to the present state of Beta government. Thus, there are presently three branches of government in Beta, external to that of the chapter itself. The three branches presently serving the fraternity are the General Convention, the Board of Trustees, and the Administrative Office, acting as the legislative, executive, and administrative bodies, respectively. The functioning of Beta government is very straightforward: the several chap­ ters meet annually in the Convention, electing volunteers to the six-member Board of Trustees. While the convention is not in session, the Board has executive author­ ity; it must report on its activities to the next convention. The Board serves w'ithout pay, although honoraria and travel expenses are granted them. It employs brothers to work in the Administrative office in Oxford; these are the Administrative Secre­ tary and his assistants. They handle the various paperwork for registration of new brothers, financial matters, and other day-to-day business. All of these branches are 180

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subject to the Code of the fraternity, which itself can be amended by the convention. Beta’s government is minimal: it satisfies the needs of the fraternity without excess bureaucratic structures. It is also consistent with our Great Principles, not only furthering them, but providing a good example of them to both Betas and nonBetas. Its current form has been devised with great labor to satisfy the developing needs of the fraternity.

The Code The Code of Beta Theta Pi is the written law of the fraternity. It grew in complexity as Beta faced increasingly complex situations, but its fundamental reli­ ance on the Three Great Principles has never changed. In 1839, the founders adopted a simple constitution, providing the essential definitions of their new organization. There was only the merest hint of such things as expansion or chapter organization, and nothing explicit on finance or alumni involvement. Shortly after this, a more detailed constitution was adopted (possibly in 1840) and the first convention in 1842 made amendments to it. Nearly every convention in the next forty years would spend much effort in amending it. Baird pointed out that most fraternities did not then make a “distinction between consti­ tutional law and legislative enactment,” even though “the Constitution of the United States was a splendid example of this essential classification.” Then, after the dra­ matic changes adopted in 1879, the (Jencral Secretary recommended a separate set of “by-laws.” Only a two-thirds majority of the convention was needed to amend them, as opposed to the “concurrent action of two consecutive conventions” re­ quired to amend the constitution. These by-laws were subsequently adopted by the convention of 1880, thus resulting in our present two-part Code. The current Code of Beta Theta Pi consists of the Constitution, which contains the general or funda­ mental definitions of Bela, and the Laws, which are the more specific rules of government. There are several early constitutions: the original of 1839, two dating before the first convention in 1842, one from 1873, and the epochal one of 1878. Copies of varying accuracy probably appear in the old minute-books or archives of chapters, but we shall consider the four which appear in Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation. After 1880, the separate constitution and by-laws have been published many times (always including all recent amendments), appearing in The Beta Book and every edition of Son o f the Stars, as well as in pamphlet form. An almost identical version of the second constitution appears in Beta Letters together with a letter which helps explain its development and its probable date. The stories of how the second constitution developed from that of 1839, and what led to the revolutionary one of 1878 will be told shortly. In order to properly understand the nature of the dramatic changes referred to above, and also to provide a further glimpse into the thoughts of the founders, we shall now consider the first constitution as they wrote it in 1839. It was quite short, and so significant, that we shall reproduce it in full:

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The First Constitution Article 1. The title of this association shall be Beta, Theta, Pi. Article 2. The M otto of this association shall be * * *. Article 3. The objects of this association are found in the words of the motto, * * *. Article 4. The visible badge of this association shall be a breastpin bearing on the front the following characters: 1st, three stars; 2nd, a crescent; 3rd, the initial letters of the motto; 4th, the date of the formation of this association. On the back, a heart with a spear passed through it, together with the name of the member who wears it. Article 5. The secret pass word of this Society shall be * * * together with the words of the motto. Article 6. No chapter of this association shall consist of more than nine or less than three regular members. Article 7. No person shall become a member of this association of whose abilities we are not well assured, and in whose fidelity we have not the most implicit confidence, and not then unless by the united concurrence of every member present. Article 8. Other branches of this association may be established at such places as may be thought suitable and prudent. Article 9. The badge shall not be worn by any member whilst in attendance at college, or in other such place as may be deemed by himself, or the members of this association, unsuitable. Article 10. An address shall be delivered in private to the members of this association on each anniversary of its foundation. Article 11. The members of each chapter shall meet at least once in each month, for the purpose of hearing an essay read by some member who shall have been appointed for this purpose, on any subjects connected with the objects of this association. Article 12. The signs, symbols, proceedings and constitution of this associa­ tion shall be kept inviolably secret. Article 13. Every member, before becoming a member of this association, shall bind himself with the following obligations: * * * At this point, Baird added the following comment: T h e s e o b lig a tio n s a re th o s e w hich a r e c o m m o n to e v e ry s o -c a lle d s e c re t o r g a n i­ z a tio n a n d , a lth o u g h th e y h a v e b e e n c h a n g e d in w o rd in g fro m tim e t o tim e , a re o m itte d o u t o f d e fe re n c e to th e s e c re t c h a r a c te r o f th e fr a te rn ity .

Simple it is, but powerful. Of course, the most important (and the most inter­ esting) parts are the parts indicated by * * * that we can’t p rin t182

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Much of the constitution has changed since 1839 - many articles had to be added, due to the rather glaring omissions of the original one. Note especially that nothing is said about chapters, except that they may be started, and the only hint of a convention is in the requirem ent of an anniversary address. Nevertheless, all the essential parts of Beta are there. Articles 1 (name), 2 (motto), 3 (objects) and 5 (password) are still the same. Article 8 (chapters) is similar, and 13 (obliga­ tions) is still part of the ritual, though some­ what modified. However, article 6 (size) has vanished, and only vestiges of 7 (m em ber­ ship), 9 (secrecy of badges), 10 (anniversary address), and 11 (chapter meeting essay) remain. The changes in the badge (article 4) are dealt with in the chapter on symbols. Many of the modifications were made in the Founder Samuel Taylor Marshall, next year, but the dramatic change in article Miami 1840 12 (secrecy) would not occur for almost 40 A Fram er of the Constitution years. This first constitution was fine, as long as there was only one chapter, but it lacked any directions about more than one. Sure enough, on April 8, 1840, eight months to the day after the “first regular meeting,” the committee duly appointed by the Miami chapter had initiated four young men, starting the Cincinnati chapter. Two months later, it looked like trouble might develop between the two chapters, but it seems to have been merely a communication problem. This will be considered at greater length when we examine the development of the convention. Miami was hard at work in rewriting the constitution, and wisely decided to consult with Cin­ cinnati; eventually correspondence began as the two cooperated on its revision. A letter from Miami to Cincinnati dated December 1,1840, tells of a visit planned by John Whitney, Miami 1840, stating that he will bring a copy of the revisions for their consideration. The Cincinnati chapter proceeded to make revisions, and sent back a copy. This was considered further by Miami in a meeting on January 13,1841, and a letter to Cincinnati dated the next day reported that “with one or two exceptions, your report was adopted.” There were still one or two articles not completely satisfactory to both chapters, one of them being the difficulties with the badge, but harmony was just around the corner. In Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation, Baird gives the date of the “Second Constitution” as “probably of 1840,” and states that “we do not know when it was adopted.” However, a nearly identical version of it appears in Beta Letters attached to a letter from Miami to Cincinnati, dated February 8,1841. In this same volume, another letter from Miami to Cincinnati dated March 9, 1841 includes an am end­ 183

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ment which “completes the constitution.” A letter written on June 24, 1841 seems to treat it as being completed; apparently Cincinnati had requested information about some previous correspondence. Miami replied that they “thought it best, from the first, to destroy all documents” they considered “not absolutely necessary to the records of the Society,” which unfortunately explains why there are occasional gaps. No further discussion appeared prior to the convention in 1842, which proceeded to amend it, as did many of the conventions until 1873, when an entirely revised constitution was adopted. The second constitution, as approved by both Miami and Cincinnati, provided for chapters to be established upon approval of 3/4 of the existing chapters. The crescent on the badge was changed to the diamond and wreath, and it was not to be worn in public. Each chapter was to have at least two officers, a president and a recorder, with defined duties. A triennial convention was to be held, “to promote and consider the general interests of the association and to hear an oration”; only the convention could amend the constitution, and its proceedings were to be valid unless disapproved of by 1/3 of the chapters. Chapters were to celebrate their anniversary of founding by an oration and other suitable exercises, and they could make their own by-laws, as long as they were not in conflict with the constitution. The only article from the first constitution which was completely discarded was the limitation on chapter size, which was probably seen as a restriction on friendship, but also could have been seen as an unnecessary complication on starting new chapters. This issue will be examined more closely in our discussion on chapters. There were many small changes made to the constitution over the next thirty years. A few were significant, and some were unique among the fraternities of the time. The record is often confusing, as regards the article and section numbers, so we shall omit reference to them. The convention often instructed the chapters to straighten this out, but even if it happened, the minutes showing the adoption of amendments were never corrected. Things remained rather confused until the revision of 1872. At the first convention in 1842, permission was granted to wear the badge in public, though members and chapters were not to reveal anything about Beta, and also “no chapter shall reveal even the existence of another chapter, without its consent.” Chapter disapproval of convention action had to occur within four months of adjournment. Cross-membership in similar organizations was forbidden. That is, a member of another fraternity could not join Beta, and a Beta could not join another fraternity. This was unique, since existing fraternities only provided the second half, assuming that a member would care more for the organization joined later. There were occasional illegal exceptions, usually when a member of some fraternity at one school transferred to another school where there was no chapter of that fraternity, but there was a chapter of Beta (or vice-versa). A nother important development of 1842 was the requirem ent of semi-annual reports. Chapters were to make “a list of its members, a statement of its conditions and prospects, and such other matters as may seem advisable,” and copies were to be sent to every chapter. This was a unique action in fraternity management, and has 184

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done much to consolidate and unify the fraternity. It has continued to the present, in the form of the chapter letters in The Beta Theta Pi. Baird said that “so far as known, Beta Theta Pi is the first fraternity to adopt such a system of reports.” Another action was the setting up of chapter names and seals. Each chapter was to have a chapter seal, consisting of clasped hands and a Greek letter indicating the priority of the chapter. The convention of 1847 began the “presiding chapter” system: at each conven­ tion, a chapter would be chosen to act as the depository of Beta records, to be the clearing-house for propositions requiring action by the chapters, and the center of fraternity correspondence. In 1848, chapters were limited to colleges as opposed to “places” as stated in the first constitution, and unanimous approval was required, rather than 3 /4 majority of the existing chapters. In 1854, the celebration of chapter anniversaries was left to the individual chapters; conventions were to be held every two years, rather than every three years; and chapters were to send at least one delegate to the convention. Two corresponding secretaries were added to the required chapter officers by the convention of 1856. They were to carry on the system of monthly correspon­ dence with the other chapters, “for the promotion of a regular interchange of information and empathy.” The convention of 1858 specified that new chapters would be named by doubling the letters of the Greek alphabet: after Omega would come Alpha Alpha, Beta Beta, etc. Also, the presiding chapter was to be the sole source of documents for new chapters, and sole authority for their recognition. In 1864, annual conventions were mandated, rather than every two years. Since then, only four years have been skipped: 1874 and three years during World War II. Also, upon vote of 1/3 of the chapters, the presiding chapter was to appoint a committee to visit and report on a college at which it was proposed to start a chapter. The convention of 1867 granted permission to establish alumni chapters; these could not initiate members, and were not restricted to colleges. “So far as we know,” said Baird, this “was the first legislation on the subject by any college fraternity,” in our specific use of the term. This would later result in great advances in our govern­ ment, as more and more alumni started attending conventions. Also, convention attendants “who have borne the name of Beta Theta Pi without reproach” had the same privileges as delegates, except to vote on questions requiring votes by chapters. Furtherm ore, the president of the convention might be an alumnus, while the remaining officers were to be undergraduate members. In 1868, a form of credential for chapter delegates was adopted, and a “reserve fund” was to be formed by payment of a one dollar “tax” by every member of both regular and alumni chapters. It was to be used only for the expenses of the conven­ tion or other expenses of a general nature, and not for any individual chapter. The convention of 1871 specified that alumni chapters could not initiate, but could recommend possible members to a chapter upon unanimous ballot. This amounted to a “rushing suggestion” from an alumni club. The first major changes to the constitution in thirty years began at the conven­ tion of 1872. The Convention Secretary, after the final adjournment, was to be 185

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known as the “General Secretary,” and he was to be the “executive officer and depository” of records for the fraternity, but he “shall do no official acts without the approval of the presiding chapter.” At this same time, the office of General Treas­ urer was created. Although the presiding chapter was not yet abandoned, these offices were the first real step towards a replacement. The convention also specified that chapter names were to be formed on a new scheme: after Omega, would be Alpha Alpha, Alpha Beta, Alpha Gamma,... then Beta Alpha, Beta Beta, etc. Thus, chapters with double letters replaced their first letter with Alpha. Furtherm ore, in 1872, the constitution was ordered to be completely revised; the new one was adopted in 1873. This third constitution unified much of the disjointed and much-amended articles, and handled several other loose ends which had gone unrepaired. Specifics on anniversary exercises were removed, as was the second corresponding secretary. There was some new material, such as provision for expulsion of a member. It was not to be amended except by 3/4 vote of the chapters at two successive annual conventions. The convention of 1875 passed an amendment to permit transfer of members between chapters, subject to regulation by the by-laws of the chapters involved. Also, chapters were to have solcjurisdiction over all members at their own colleges. This was the only change made to this constitution before the major changes of 1878. At the convention of 1877, it was proposed to incorporate the fraternity, which would entail some changes in the specifications of the “reserve fund” and the office of treasurer. It was also proposed to create a committee to examine the possibility of revising the constitution to remove all secret aspects. While the soon-to-come fourth constitution would dramatically revise Beta government, this change in­ volved more than just a method of government, and must be explained in detail. Considering that we have published the first constitution a few pages back, as well as many of the amendments of 40 years, the issue of secrecy of the constitution may seem to be void. However, article 12 of the first constitution provided that it be kept inviolably secret, and the requirement had not been revoked by 1878. This was partly because the actual secrets were explicitly part of the constitution, which we have indicated by * * *. However, it wasn’t just the words you don’t see which were to be kept secret it was the words you do see as well. This may seem peculiar, but for much of the early history of fraternities, it was superstitiously believed that the revelation of the constitution of a society would cause its immediate dissolution. O f course, this was almost a paranoid secrecy, but we still take very good care of our real secrets -hence the * * * parts in the constitution. These secrets, incidentally, are more properly called the esoteric parts of the fraternity. Why are there these secrets in Beta, and are they really necessary? This subject will be addressed here, rather than under the heading of “essence,” for secrecy is really not of Beta’s essence, but only an quality of expression of that essence (or a lack of expression). It might be a let-down to those who do not understand Beta. The introduction to Beta Letters explains the “secret” aspect of the fraternity as estab­ lished by its founders: 186

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T h e y m a d e th e a s s o c ia tio n a s e c re t so c ie ty , a lth o u g h w h a t s e c re ts th e y p o s ­ s e s s e d b e y o n d th e e s o te ric m e a n in g o f th e ir m o tto , n o o n e h a s b e e n a b le to le a rn , a n d in fa c t in c o m m o n w ith s im ila r a s s o c ia tio n s th e w o rd “ s e c r e t” w a s n o t a p tly a p p lie d to th e ir o rg a n iz a tio n b e c a u s e th e s e c re c y in v o lv e d c o u ld m o re p r o p e r ly b e te r m e d “ p riv a c y ” a s th e y d e s ir e d to m e e t a n d d is c u s s m a tte r s o f m u tu a l in te r e s t w ith o u t th e in tr u s io n o f o u ts id e rs .

Perhaps, outside of a handshake, three Greek words and their meanings, there was only the undefmable mystery of intimate human society. What was this problem with secrecy? Most Betas of that time never realized that while they knew what Beta was all about, nobody outside did, especially the faculty. Most readers might wonder about the administration’s feelings in the m atter, but in the nineteenth century, the faculty and the college administration were identical. They believed these Greek organizations to be subversive (yes, that’s right, subversive), possibly deriving from the recent public sentiment against Free­ masonry, but also from the mere fact that they were an unknown quantity on campus. So they enacted strict rules prohibiting Greek societies. The growing danger was noted by Wyllys C. Ransom, Michigan 1848, and he offered a resolution to the convention of 1877. The convention approved it, appointing a committee to explore the situation, and consider and develop a remedy. In their extensive report to the convention of 1878, a committee composed of Wyllys C. Ransom, Michigan 1848, Olin R. Brouse, De Pauw 1866, and Amandus N. Grant, De Pauw 1874, stated that the fe e lin g o f a n ta g o n is m , it is b e lie v e d , h a s n o t a s a g e n e r a l ru le , s p ru n g fro m h o s tility to s e c re t s o c ie tie s u p o n g e n e ra l p rin c ip le s , b u t fro m th e m is ta k e n id e a th a t c o lle g e s e c re t s o c ie tie s w e re in m a tte r o f fact b u t little b e t t e r th a n j u n ta s o r c a b a ls o rg a n iz e d a m o n g th e s tu d e n ts fo r th e p u rp o s e e ith e r o f e le v a tin g th e “ A n c ie n t H e n ry ” [sla n g fo r ra is in g th e d ev il], o f re g u la tin g c o lle g e p o litic s a n d a p p o in tm e n ts in p e rs o n a l in te re s t, o r o f a ffo r d in g o rg a n iz e d in te r f e r e n c e w ith th e p r o p e r e n fo rc e m e n t o f S e n a te d isc ip lin e a n d ru le s. E n tire ly in th e d a r k a s to th e o b je c ts a n d p u r p o s e s o f su ch o rg a n iz a tio n s , it is, p e rh a p s , n o t s tra n g e th a t th e y s h o u ld h a v e re g a rd e d th e m w ith s u sp ic io n o r a s o f a d o u b tfu l u tility - e sp e c ia lly in th o s e in s ta n c e s w h e re th e c h a r a c te r o f th e m e m b e rs w as n o t e n tire ly “ sa n s p e u r, s a n s r e p r o c h e ” [w ith o u t fe a r, w ith o u t re p ro a c h ]. N o r h a s th e fe e lin g o f y e a rs s e rv e d o t h e r th a n to in te n s ify th is feelin g ...

Therefore, this committee recommended the removal of all the esoteric aspects from the constitution. They reasoned that some drastic step had to be taken to avoid the growing anti-fraternity actions of the faculty. They gave another reason in support of such a change: it would be an excellent rushing tool - of course they didn’t call it “rush,” but that’s what it was: “who can measure the influence of the quiet placing in his [the prospective mem ber’s] hands of a neat copy of our Constitution, from which he could gain a general outline of the organization, its salient features, and the ends it sought to accomplish?” The reader of today, recalling his rushing experience, may hardly think that this would be good rush tactics, but remember, this was the 1870’s, and college life was different then. The report of this committee was adopted by the convention of 1878, and (as required by the constitution) approved by the convention of 1879, giving Beta Theta Pi the first open constitution, and permitting it to be published to the world. 187

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The adoption of the open constitution was a remarkable event in Beta, and the first such action undertaken by any fraternity. As was m entioned earlier, there was a kind of superstition attached to the secrecy of the constitution, and the removal of the esoteric parts was felt to be little short of sacrilege, if not an actual catastrophe. Well, no such thing happened, and many other fraternities have since done the same. This action was not the only big change made in the constitution. Indeed, it was entirely rewritten. It abolished the presiding chapter system, and created the Board of Directors, which we will examine shortly. After this revision, the constitution and the laws were separate, with different mechanisms for amending them. Many changes have been made over the last 110 years, but none have been as widespread as those of 1878. We shall only mention a few of the m ore significant changes. In an attem pt to resolve some imagined difficulties with the incorporation of Beta under the laws of Ohio, the convention of 1892 devised the Executive Committee of the General Secretary, the General Treasurer and the Alumni Sec­ retary. This was a real mistake, finally corrected in 1897 by the creation of the Board of Trustees, which settled the struggle between the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. As in the first fifty years, new developments in fraternity life induced changes in the Code. Also, refinements to the duties of the general officers were continually made: the development of pledging, for example, required some adjustments, and, in 1947, the provision of the Administrative Secretary. The an­ cient requirem ent of “unanimous” approval by a chapter for m embership was changed in 1968 to allow each chapter to determine its own voting criterion. One of the small problems with the Code is that sufficient care has not always been used in amending it. Without a synopsis of earlier changes, it is often difficult to know the reasons behind particular phrasings. It is probable that complete revi­ sion will be necessary in Beta’s future, but it is unlikely that any future change will be as profound as the changes of 1878.

Executive Authority in Beta Evidence from such widely disparate fields as theoretical computer science and cellular biology has supported the old maxim that “everything must have a head.” A head in government serves to produce order, maintain a purpose, and guarantee the rights of all. Beta’s original constitution, however, did not define any head for the fraternity, and a good solution was long in coming. As the organization was prim ar­ ily handled by the undergraduates of each chapter, consistent care and accuracy fluctuated from year to year. The conventions were not annual in the beginning; Beta was developing and encountering unusual situations requiring more timely re­ sponse than possible from those attending classes. Meanwhile, alumni concern for Beta began to develop, and they soon presented a reasonable scheme for govern­ m ent to the convention, providing a central executive and administrative authority. The undergraduates approved of the plan, which not only lessened the year-round burden on the chapters, but also would allow for greater accomplishments than had previously been attained.

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The Presiding Chapter System “Miami begot Cincinnati,” and that’s when the real complications began for Beta government. The Great Principles kept Miami from becoming the “mother chapter” found in some other societies, and they kept Cincinnati from breaking away and becoming its own independent entity, sharing merely some Greek words with Miami. Perhaps it was this founding which was the real test Beta faced in her growth — the harmony ultimately prevailing was due to the wise choice of the Founders. On August 13, 1840, Pater Knox himself indicated the proper view: “A sister association, or rather our own society, another self is found in the Queen City of the Glorious West,” in Cincinnati. The constitution was still to be agreed on, but surely there was no doubt of the unity of the two chapters in one fraternity. The first solution was to have a triennial convention of all the chapters. This was certainly necessary, but the convention could only meet for a short time, and schedules varied between colleges. Indeed, Jefferson could not send a delegate to the very first convention because, believe it or not, they were studying for finals. After this first convention in 1842, the chapters procrastinated. No call went out to the chapters in 1845, though some small meeting was held - according to E. B. Stevens, only delegates from Miami and De Pauw were present, and other than laying some resolutions on the table, no business was transacted. Enough of the chapters realized the need to resolve the many problems they faced, and they finally called a special convention in 1847. Obviously, there had to be some other body to handle things in between conventions. At that time, there were few alumni, and it seemed that these then had little interest in Beta - no doubt they were getting married and starting their careers. Baird thought that “Beta seemed to be afraid of any central executive authority.” Actually, there just wasn’t any other alternative. So the Convention of 1847 adopted the following amendment: T h e r e s h a ll b e a p r e s id in g c h a p te r c h o se n a t e a c h T r ie n n ia l C o n v e n tio n w ith n o e x tra le g isla tiv e p o w e r, w h ich s h all b e m a d e th e d e p o s ito r y o f p a r tic u la r in fo r m a tio n in re g a rd to e a c h c h a p te r , to w h o m all p r o p o s itio n s r e q u irin g th e a c tio n s o f th e A s s o c ia tio n s h all b e s u b m itte d a n d b y w h o m th e d e c is io n o f th e c h a p te r s s h a ll b e o b ta in e d a n d tra n s m itte d to th e s e v e ra l c h a p te r s a n d w h ic h s h all b e th e c e n t e r o f a ll c o rre s p o n d e n c e .

Thus began the presiding chapter system. Every few years, a chapter had to take its turn at writing lots of extra letters (rem em ber that each chapter also had to corre­ spond monthly with each other). If it was thought good to start a chapter at a certain school, the presiding chapter had to write to all the others, and find out how they voted. It had to copy and distribute the constitution and minutes of the convention, and write to the others about any other proposals. All this, and go to class, speak in Literary Society, and study. Baird preserved a fascinating letter from 1854, in which the writer had been asked for a copy of something, and replied something like: “ Hey, why are you asking us do this? We aren’t the presiding chapter this year. We were last year, but we don’t have to do that any more.” It was a lot of work, and the other chapters often looked on the presiding chapter with jealousy. These eighteen chap­ ters served twenty term s as presiding chapter:

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1847 1848 1851 1854 1856 1860 1864 1865 1866 1867

Miami W estern Reserve [Washington &] Jefferson De Pauw Hampden-Sydney Ohio Wesleyan Michigan Hanover Ohio Cumberland

1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1875 1876 1877 1878

Knox Virginia Indiana Washington and Lee Wabash Monmouth De Pauw Michigan Wooster Wittenberg

h school took office after the convention of the year indicated. Both De Pauw and Michigan served twice. Except for the first eight years when Miami was the implicit presiding chapter, Ohio Wesleyan served the longest, during the Civil War. Meanwhile, more and more alumni were coming to conventions. They became more interested in Beta, and they desired to form chapters of their own - associated with the city of their residence. The convention of 1867 granted permission for the formation of “alumni chapters,” but since only a synopsis of the minutes has been preserved, more detail on this important issue is unavailable. These alumni chapters could not initiate members, but were entitled to representation at the convention. The first alumni chapter was formed in Nashville, Tennessee, and was represented at the convention of 1868. More were established, and they began to work towards a more stable government. The convention of 1872 met on August 21 in Richmond, Virginia - the capital of the C onfederacy-just seven years after the end of the Civil War. Four of the five members of the Committee on the Constitution were alumni; three of these were representatives from alumni chapters. This committee proposed a new office in the following resolution: R e s o lv e d , th a t th e C o n s titu tio n b e a m e n d e d th a t th e S e c re ta ry o f th e A n n u a l C o n v e n tio n s h a ll b e th e e x e c u tiv e o ff ic e r a n d d e p o s ito ry o f th e B e ta T h e ta Pi F r a te r n i ty f o r th e s u c c e e d in g y e a r, a n d u n til h is s u c c e s s o r b e a p p o in te d , a n d sh all b e c a lle d th e “ G e n e r a l S e c re ta ry .” P ro v id e d , sa id S e c re ta ry s h a ll d o n o o fficial a c ts w ith o u t th e a p p ro v a l o f th e P r e s id in g C h a p te r .

This proposal was adopted by the convention - it is interesting to note that another amendment altering the naming of the chapters was discussed at greater length than this change. So, for the first time among all college fraternities, Beta had decided to give responsibility to an elected officer. (Like all officers of the conven­ tion, the convention secretary is nominated from the floor, and voted into office.) The convention secretary was Charles Duy Walker, V.M.I. 1869, who therefore became Beta’s first General Secretary. At the same convention, the office of (General Fraternity) Treasurer was estab­ lished, and John I. Covington, Miami 1870, was elected. Both of the new officers were recent alumni. Finally, this committee requested that the Alpha Alumni Chapter (of Chicago, Illinois) prepare a revised constitution for the next convention. The presiding chapter system had not been abolished yet, but much responsi­ 190

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

bility for fraternity business was taken from the undergraduates. The new General Secretary immediately began to formulate plans for the performance of his office. He started the often-discussed and often-tabled magazine, The Beta Theta Pi. He organized the chapters into geographical regions, which were term ed “districts.” which would taken charge of by what he called “chief assistant” secretaries. These are officially designated Assistant General Secretaries but they are usually called “district chiefs.” During his term of office, Walker handled several propositions to establish chapters, issued copies of the minutes of the convention, and issued char­ ters to the new chapters at Beloit, Kansas, Randolph-Macon, Trinity, Wisconsin, Northwestern and an alumni chapter at Evansville, Indiana. All of these activities were covered in his report to the convention of 1873. A new constitution was proposed at the convention of 1873, which was adopted. It provided that the executive officers (namely, General Secretary and General Treasurer) would be elected by the convention. The new General Secretary, Amandus N. Grant, De Pauw 1874, together with ex-General Secretary Walker, presented a series of laws regarding the office and its workings. These were adopted at the next convention. The next step came just a few years later. The need for increased financial backing for the magazine, a more stable form of government, and the growing anti­ fraternity sentiment of the faculty at many colleges all led to the proposal in 1877 by Wyllys C. Ransom to again study and revise the constitution. Along with the removal of all esoteric information, the structure of the government was changed in the constitution approved by the convention of 1879. Ostensibly, the change provided a suitable structure to allow Beta to incorporate under the laws of Ohio. A nine-member Board of Directors, or the “ Executive Board,” would hold the corporate power. They would elect a President, Secretary and Treasurer. This secretary was not the General Secretary, although the Treas­ urer was ex officio the General Treasurer. So too, the President was ex officio president of the fraternity, but there was no particular duty or power associated with that office. Beta’s constitution specified that the Board was to report to the General Convention, and also that the Board was charged with the publication and manage­ ment of the magazine and the catalog. The Board was to perform the duties of the presiding chapter throughout the year. As the presiding chapter system was then no longer necessary, it was abandoned. Starting in 1879 and continuing to the present, Beta has been run by an elected “board” of officials. There, many alumni have served their fraternity with great dedication. It is wise to note here that the undergraduate delegates at the convention are the ones electing them. Furthermore, they are not paid to hold the office (except for honoraria and travel expenses). For them, it is a matter of serving the fraternity, not of personal gain. The first Board of Directors was elected in 1879. H erron was chosen as chairman, William F. Boyd, Ohio 1866, as secretary and R. Harvey Young, Wash­ ington & Jefferson 1863, as treasurer (therefore treasurer of the fraternity). The report of the Board to the convention of 1880 recorded the following incident: the 191

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

General Secretary had presented to the Board a petition regarding revocation of a charter; the Board directed him to present it to the convention. There was no friction between the Board and the General Secretary, but the incident is mentioned be­ cause it indicated the one important gap in the government plan of 1878. You see, the Board was created with the purpose of incorporating the fraternity under the laws of Ohio (which required, among other things, that a majority of the Board be residents of the state), so the Board was perceived as the officers of the corporation under state law, while the General Secretary was the officer of the fraternity under fraternity law. This divergence in power became a problem after the next major revision of the government. The following table shows the 45 brothers who served on the Board of Directors. A digit indicates that the brother was elected to membership during that year, while a dash indicates that he did not serve that year. From 1892 to the revisions in 1897, there were frequent resignations and replacements due to the “power struggle” going on then. 1870's

Di r e c t o r J o h n W.

H erron,

John

C ov in g ton ,

I.

W y lly s C.

Ransom,

Thad A .

Reamy,

O lin

Brouse,

R.

W illia m

F.

D a v i d H. R.

Miami

1845

Miami

1870

M ichigan

1848

O h i o W e s l e y a n 1870 De Pauw 1866

Boyd,

M oo re ,

O hio O hio

1866 1860

H a r v e y Young W&J 1869

A u g u s t u s D. S y lv e ste r

Lynch,

G.

W illia m s ,

W illia m P.

W at so n,

W i l l i a m B.

Burnet,

Peleg

E.

Jo hn R. W illis

A ld ric h , Knox ,

0.

C h a rles

C h a r l e s M.

Iowa 1879 Harvard

1844

W illia m s

Seaman,

1879

1850

D enison

H ep b u rn ,

0123456789

01234 —

9

0123456789

0-234+ ( d i e d )

9

0 1 2 3 4 ...........................456-

9

0123456789

01234 —

9

0123456789

01234 —

9

..................................2 --------

9

..................................2 ...........

9

0 1 2 3 ......................1234 —

9

.........................................56-

-

0 1 2........................................

-

0 1 2.................................. —

-

—

3 4 5 ............................. ..

-

—

3 4 5 ..................................

................... 456789

1839

O h io Wesleyan

Smith,

J.

1875

01234 —

................... 45 6 7 8 ................... — ..................... 56789

1871

18 90's

9

O h i o W e sl ey a n 1877

Rutgers

Miami

Robb,

R o b e r t W.

De Pauw 1857

1880's

................-

........................6 7 8 ..........................

V irg in ia

........................6789

01234 —

Eu gene Wambaugh, O h i o W e sl e y a n 1875

...............................9

- - 2 ...........

George H o a d ly ,

...............................9

0 1 .............

1854

.................................

01234 —

De Pauw 1882

.................................

01234 —

W e s t e r n R e s e r v e 1844

D a v i d W. M c C lu n g , F r a n k M. Jo h n K. A lb e rt Frank

Joyce, P e e b le s,

S. H.

B erry, Scott,

E d g a r W.

Ru n yan ,

Miami

V irg in ia Miami

W i l b u r H.

S ie b e rt,

J.

Hanna,

R a lp h

K.

C h a rle s Jun iu s

Jones, L.

E.

Miami

O hio S t a t e

M a in e

............................................2 ...........

1882

1891

Wooster

Thornburg, Beal,

............................................2 ........... 1876

O h io Wesleyan

Tobey,

............................................2 ...........

1856

Northw estern

W alte r L . C a lv in

1888

1888

1881

V a n d e rb ilt

.............................................. 34 — .............................................. 3 ------

1886

M ichiga n

.............................................. 34 — .............................................. 3 4 5 - -

1881

1882

-----------------

—

3 ------

.............................................. 3 -----.................................................456-

192

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

E.

Bruce C h a n d le r,

Amandus N. W illa rd

Grant,

H. A u s t e n ,

W a r r i n g t o n K. W illis

L.

Boughton,

John J . James L .

Lentz,

1858

---456-

1874

----- 56-

C o rn e ll

1891

------56-

W ar w ick K e n yo n , M ichigan

Wooster

de Fremery,

1884

1881

----- 56------56-

1881

------56-

C a lifo rn ia

1882

------56-

Mussey,

C in cin n a ti

1889

----- 5 -

W illia m s,

W ittenberg

1885

------56-

W illia m 0. H e n ry A .

M ichigan M ic hig an

C a m p b e ll

J.

M cD iarm id,

M arshall

P.

Drury,

H a rry C.

Hays,

W illia m A.

C in cin n a ti

1893

Knox 1870

C in cin n a ti

H a m ilto n ,

1890

Northw estern

----- 56................

6-

............ 7 1879

............ 7

Each year a president was elected from the Board’s members, who was ex officio the president of the fraternity. Only four brothers held this position: 1879-1893 John W. Herron, Miami 1845 1893-1894 John R. Knox, Miami 1839 1894-1895 Thad A. Reamy, Ohio Wesleyan 1870 1895-1897 Wyllys C. Ransom, Michigan 1848 Things seem to have gone reasonably well for the next few years, but apparently, there had always been some doubt as to the status of Beta’s incorporation. In 1890, the convention directed that the situation be properly resolved. Attem pting to do so, the convention of 1891 adopted a constitutional amendment to create an “executive comm ittee” of three members: the General Secretary, General Treasurer, and Alumni Secretary. The changes were approved by the convention of 1892, which elevated John Calvin Hanna, Wooster 1881, Charles L. Thornburg, Vanderbilt 1881, and Ralph K. Jones, Maine 1886, respectively, to the three positions. Beta’s government was thus divided into the Board of Directors (as required by the laws of Ohio governing the corporation) and the Executive Committee (as defined by the laws of the fraternity). However the power of these two bodies overlapped, and problems were imminent. The inefficiency of the presiding chapter system is obvious. However, it continued for forty years without the ambiguous state of two presiding chapters arising. Now, after fifteen years of primarily alumni government, there was just that problem. This became an irreconcilable conflict in the 1893-1894 school year, even though the Executive Committee were elected as Directors. Indeed, there were heated words exchanged: Hanna of the Executive Committee refers to the Directors as “the Cincinnati group” and says that they had “little knowledge or appreciation of the living problems which confronted the fraternity.” The Directors meanwhile said that the Executive Committee was “useless, foolish and illegal.” [These words are H anna’s recollections, appearing in Beta Tlieta Pi -T h e First Fifty Years. He was one of the Executive Committee.] The convention of 1894 then tried to enact leg­ islation to resolve the situation, to no avail. The convention of 1895 again tried, but when Board’s proposal was rejected by the convention, Charles M. Hepburn, Vir­ ginia 1880, immediately resigned from the Board, followed by all the other mem193

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

bers, including Pater Knox himself. A committee was then appointed to draft a new constitution in order to prevent the continuance of the situation. This committee consisted of Wyllys Ransom, J. Cal Hanna, and William A. Hamilton. (John I. Covington had just died or he would have certainly been involved as well.) The board was reduced to six: the President, General Secretary, General Treasurer and three others. They would be known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;trustees.â&#x20AC;? One of the big issues was the incorporation of Beta under the laws of Ohio - the committee received information from the Attorney General and Secretary of State of Ohio that the laws of Ohio would not restrict the residence of the trustees. The committee also specified the duties of these officers, carefully segregating the constitution as the plan of government from the laws detailing administrative regulations, as is done in the present Code. The entire set of revisions was adopted by the convention of 1896, and ratified by the convention of 1897, which proceeded to elect the first trustees of Beta Theta Pi: President: William A. Hamilton, Northwestern 1879 General Secretary: John Calvin Hanna, Wooster 1881 General Treasurer: Charles L. Thornburg, Vanderbilt 1881 Trustees (now known as vice presidents): Willis O. Robb, Ohio Wesleyan 1879 Francis H. Sisson, Knox 1892 Campbell J. McDiarmid, Cincinnati 1893 In 1924, the convention provided that the other three trustees would be known as vice-presidents, with duties assigned by the Board.

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

ii__ INNONTHEPARKjwa To r o n t o I i*#*»v

This brings us finally to our current Board of Trustees. This form of government has been successful for over ninety years, and has not only maintained Beta but added greatly to her. Possibly the only question which has arisen in those years was the actual method of selection of the trustees. This question seems to have arisen due to a lack of understanding of the entire foundation of the Board’s existence: that of trust - the chapters trust the Board to work for Beta, and keep her interests foremost. But, for the record, it’s a very simple process. The problem is finding someone who is sufficiently interested in Beta and has enough spare time to devote to fraternity work. Over the school year, the Board looks over the District Chiefs, Chapter Advisors, and prominent alumni (and also any recommendations coming from individuals —even on their own behalf). After careful consideration, one is selected for each office which is vacant that year. These are recommended to the committee for nomination of General Officers at the convention, who speaks with the candidates and the Board as required, and makes the actual nominations on the convention floor. There just isn’t the time at the convention to make a fair assess­ ment of several candidates, and it is wise to trust the Board to do this for Beta. It also avoids the embarrassment of unfraternal bickering or canvassing and voting for several candidates. Once in twelve conventions the writer witnessed another nomination from the floor. The brother was present, and he “respectfully declined.” It is possible in theory to circumvent the Board’s choices, assuming the cooperation of all the chapters. However, if we are not going to trust the Board, why have it? But then we would have to have a “presiding chapter” again, and it would be a lot more work now than it was a hundred years ago... 195

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Just what does the Board do, anyway? The constitution provides that: “The powers, business and property of the fraternity shall be exercised, conducted and controlled by the Board of Trustees, subject to the Laws of the Fraternity and the orders of the General Convention.” There are to be six T rustees: President, General Secretary, General Treasurer and three Vice Presidents. They must be members of the fraternity in good standing, and may hold meetings as they determine. They must report their activities to each convention, and may require reports from other officers, chapters, or alumni associations. They handle resignations, expulsions, and disciplinary cases (notably those of members no longer in college). In 1925, the Code was changed to provide that former members of the Board constitute the “Advisory Council.” These may attend meetings of the Board without vote, and wear a copy of the Marshall Badge as a mark of gratitude for their service.

The President of the General Fraternity The President of the General Fraternity presides at meetings of the Board. H e signs all charters, and designates the “installing officer” for new chapters. He also signs all documents required to be executed by the fraternity. Traditionally, he gives a speech at the Lov­ ing Cup Luncheon on the last day of the convention. H e is titular head of the fraternity, but he has less constitutional authority than the General Secretary he directs by inspiration and example, rather than by authority. The following brothers have served as President of Beta Theta Pi:

President Folsom

1897 1900 1903 1906 1912

W illia m A . H a m ilto n , N o rth w e s te r n 1879 (firs t te rm ; a lso V P , G S ) J o h n C alv in H a n n a , W o o s te r 1881 (a ls o V P , G S ) W illis O . R o b b , O h io W e s le y a n 1879 (a ls o V P ) W illia m A . H a m ilto n , N o rth w e s te r n 1879 (s e c o n d a n d th ir d te r m ) F ra n c is H . S isso n , K n o x 1892 (tw o te rm s ; a ls o V P , G S , G T )

1918 1937 1937 1940 1946 1951

F ra n c is W . S h e p a rd s o n , D e n is o n 1882 (s e v e n te rm s , d ie d in o ffice ; a ls o V P , G S ) C h a r le s B . G u te liu s , In d ia n a 1905 (a c tin g p re s id e n t a f te r S h e p ’s d e a th ; a lso V P ) C la re n c e L. N e w to n , W e sle y a n 1902 (a ls o V P ) W illia m W . D a w s o n , O h io W e s le y a n 1914 (tw o te rm s ; a lso V P ) G . H e r b e r t S m ith , D e P a u w 1927 (tw o te rm s ; a ls o G S ) A . J . G u s tin P r ie s t, Id a h o 1918 (a ls o V P )

1954 1957 1960 1966 1969 1972 1975 1978 1981 1984

B e r tr a m W . B e n n e tt, K n o x 1920 (a ls o V P ) S h e rw o o d M . B o n n e y , D ic k in so n 1931 (a ls o G T ) S e th R . B ro o k s , S t. L a w re n c e 1922 (tw o te rm s ; a ls o G S ) F r a n c is M . R ic h , Illin o is 1925 (a ls o V P ) P e t e r F . G r e in e r , M in n e s o ta 1951 (a ls o V P ) R a lp h N . F e y , M ia m i 1940 (a ls o G T , A S ) J a m e s G . M a r tin , D a v id s o n 1957 (a ls o V P ) H u g h E . S te p h e n s o n J r., M is s o u ri 1943 (a ls o V P ) P e t e r E . V a n d e W a te r , S t. L a w re n c e 1958 (a ls o V P ) J o h n J. R h o d e s , K a n sa s S ta te 1938 (a ls o V P )

1987 B u r to n W . F o ls o m , N e b ra s k a 1949 (a ls o G S , G T )

196

in c .

ffliinruL

nunc, u f

ih e

,

ih k h e

stars

The General Secretary The General Secretary is the executive head of the fraternity. H e is subject to the authority of the Board, and he supervises the chapters and alumni associations and everything pertaining to them. He has entire charge of all correspondence, reports, records, and publications of the fraternity. He manages the division of the districts, and the appointment of District Chiefs, Administrative Officers, Scholarship Commissioner, and Chapter Advisers and Counsellors. He must pre­ pare an annual report for the convention, and any petitions for charter. He directs the keeping of the official rolls of each chapter at the administrative office. H e has the privilege of opening and closing the General Convention. General Secretary Morris The following brothers have served Beta Theta Pi as General Secretary: 1872 C h a r le s D . W a lk e r, V irg in ia M ilita ry I n s titu te 1869 1873 A m a n d u s N . G r a n t, D e P a u w 1874 1874 D a rw in H . C h e n e y , N o rth w e s te r n 1876 1876 G e o rg e C . R a n k in , M o n m o u th 1872 1877 J o s e p h R . L a m a r, B e th a n y 1877 1878 E d w a rd J. B ro w n , I la n o v e r 1873 1881 E u g e n e W a m b a u g h , O h io W e sle y a n 1875 1884 J. C alv in H a n n a , W o o s te r 1881 (a ls o G P , V P ) 1899 1907 1917 1926

F ra n c is F ra n c is G e o rg e H a r o ld

H . S isso n , K n o x 1892 (a ls o G P , G T , V P ) W . S h e p a rd s o n , D e n is o n 1882 (a ls o G P , V P ) H . B ru c e , C e n tr e 1899 J. B ailey , A m h e r s t 1908

1935 G . H e r b e r t S m ith , D e P a u w 1927 (a ls o G P ) 1946 E d w a rd M . B ro w n , M iam i 1931 (a ls o V P ) 1947 C liffo rd C . G re g g , C in c in n a ti 1917 1950 1960 1963 1965

S e th R . B ro o k s , S t. L a w re n c e 1922 (a ls o G P ) J. M o re a u B ro w n , D a r tm o u th 1939 P a u l P. V a n R ip e r, D e P a u w 1938 (a ls o V P ) J o s e p h J. R o m o d a , St. L a w re n c e 1933 (d ie d in o ffice ; a lso V P )

1967 B u r to n W . F o ls o m , N e b ra s k a 1949 (a ls o G P , G T ) 1971 1974 1980 1983

R ic h a r d R . S h o o p , D e n is o n 1941 (a ls o V P ) J a c k H . W e s e n b e rg , Io w a 1951 L lo y d L. K irk , K a n sa s 1955 B. H u m e M o rris , C e n tr e 1968

Also, George M. Chandler, Michigan 1898 was the acting General Secretary during Shepardsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leave of absence in 1914.

197

m iL

rftiinruL

nwriiL u r

in n ,

1 iiim lil

dim d

The District Chiefs When a new chapter of Beta is proposed, the petition must be accompanied by the recommendation of “at least two of the three chapters nearest situated nearest the location.” One of the innovations proposed to the convention of 1873 by Charles D. Walker, Beta’s first General Secretary, was the division of Beta’s Broad Domain into five sections or “districts.” Each was to be administered by a “chief assistant secretary,” who would get to know the chapters in the district, and aid in the process of petitioning. The second General Secretary, Amandus N. Grant, implemented the idea, and it has continued to the present. This plan was another of Beta’s break­ throughs in fraternity strategy, and has since been borrowed by many other large fraternities. When the plan was devised in 1873, there were only five districts, covering the 26 chapters then active. Now, there are 38 districts for 120 chapters. The office of “chief assistant secretary” is now called “District Chief,” or Assistant General Secretary. H e is subject to the authority of the General Secretary, and has supervision of the chapters in his district - usually three or four. The District Chief is important to the chapters as he represents the continuing interest and concern of the General Fraternity, and he keeps the General Officers informed of the status of the chapters under his care. He is required to make a minimum number of visits to his chapters; he must also make an annual report on each chapter, which is published in the convention issue of the magazine. Further, with the approval of the General Secretary, he appoints chapter counsellors and financial advisors.

198

THE FA IT H FU L HOME OF THE THREE STARS

The General Treasurer Although the office was proposed in 1870, it was not actually created until the convention of 1872. The General Treasurer has charge of all the funds of the General Fraternity; he is ex officio a trustee of the Baird Fund and Founders Fund. The Code provides that he collect and pay out funds as directed by the convention, to which he must present a report, audited by certified public accountants. Before entering into his duties, he must give a bond [an actual sum of money] and security approved by the Board. The following brothers have served Beta Theta Pi as treasurers:

General Treasurer Lloyd

1872 J o h n I. C o v in g to n , M ia m i 1870 1873 R . H a rv e y Y o u n g , W a s h in g to n & J e f fe rs o n 1869 1876 G e o rg e M . H a lm , O h io W esle y a n 1876 1877 O lin R . B ro u s e , D e P a u w 1866 1879 1884 1891 1892 1898 1899 1904

R . H a rv e y Y o u n g , W a s h in g to n & J e f fe rs o n 1869 (s e c o n d te r m ) J o h n I. C o v in g to n , M ia m i 1870 (s e c o n d te rm ) R . H a rv e y Y o u n g , W a s h in g to n & J e f fe rs o n 1869 ( th ir d te rm ) C h a rle s L. T h o r n b u r g , V a n d e r b ilt 1881 (a ls o V P ) F ra n c is H . S isso n , K n o x 1892 (a ls o G P , G S , V P ) W a r r e n D . O a k e s , D e P a u w 1896 J a m e s L. G a v in , D e P a u w 1896

1945 1945 1950 1952

W illia m E . G a v in , C o rn e ll 1911 - a c tin g tr e a s u r e r a f te r h is b r o t h e r ’s d e a th H o w a rd A . L a w J r., P e n n sy lv a n ia 1935 (a ls o V P ) C h a r le s E . D y k e s, C o rn e ll 1936 S h e rw o o d M , B o n n e y , D ic k in so n 1431 (a ls o G P )

1955 F o r d R . W e b e r, D e n is o n 1921 1958 E d m o n d B. S to fft, K n o x 1920 (a ls o V P ) 1961 R a lp h N . F ey , M ia m i 1940 (a ls o G P , A S ) 19 6 4 B u r to n W . F o ls o m , N e b ra s k a 1949 (a ls o G P , G S ) 1967 F r e d e ric k F. B ro w e r, M iam i 1950 (a ls o A S ) 1970 J o h n M . S o m n e r, M ia m i 1953 1973 J a m e s S. W a c h s, C in c in n a ti 1455 (a ls o V P ) 1976 S a m u e l J. M c C a rtn e y J r. D ic k in so n 1941 (a ls o V P ) 1982 H u g h T u c k S c h u lh o f, D e P a u w 1958 (a ls o V P ) 1985 B ru c e M . L lo y d , B ro w n 1 9 6 9 /P e n n s y lv a n ia 1977

The Vice Presidents The convention of 1897 provided for a six-member board. Not counting the offices already described President, General Secretary and General Treasurer), there are three other positions which were simply known as “trustees.” After the convention of 1925, they were known as Vice Presidents. The Board assigns various duties to these officers, such as expansion or alumni affairs - the exact specifications of these duties are variable and usually have been devised as needed.

199

inn,

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The Vice Presidents

Arch A. Moore, Jr.

Gupton A. Vogt

Thomas D. Cassady

The following is the list of the men who have been a Trustee or Vice President: 1897-1901 1901-1904 1904-1910 1905-1910 1910-1914 1912-1918 1 914-1917 1917-1920 1919-1924 1920-1923

C a m p b e ll J. M c D ia rm id , C in c in n a ti 1893 H . W a lto n M itc h e ll, P e n n sy lv a n ia S ta te 1890 R o b e r t M . T h o m p s o n , M in n e s o ta 1895 S ta n le y E . G u n n is o n , S t. L a w re n c e 1899 R o g e r W o lc o tt, Y a le 1905 G e o r g e M . C h a n d le r , M ich ig an 1898 W illia m L. G ra v e s, O h io S ta te 1898 J. H a r o ld R y an , Y a le 1908 J o h n R . S im p so n , M iam i 1899 M o rris R . E b e rs o le , C in c in n a ti 1898

1923-1926 II. S h e rid a n B a k e te l, D a r tm o u th 1895 1924-1931 J o h n A lla n B la ir, W a b a s h 1893 1924-1927 F r a n k G . E n s ig n , B e lo it 1900 1926-1929 1927-1930 1929-1932 1930-1936 1938-1939

S tr a tf o r d L e e M o rto n , W a s h in g to n 1910 D u n la p C . C la rk , C h ic a g o 1917 G o r d o n S. S m y th , P e n n sy lv a n ia 1918 R o n a ld F . M o ist, W e s t V irg in ia 1915 G e o rg e M . R o u d e b u s h , D e n is o n 1917

1939-1941 1939-1942 1940-1946 1943-1945 1945-1948 1946-1949

O w e n D . Y o u n g , S t. L a w re n c e 1894 R o b e r t H . F r a z ie r, N o rth C a ro lin a 1919 W a lte r H o lt, D e n is o n 1913 G o r d o n S. S m y th , P e n n sy lv a n ia 1918 L e e B . T h o m p s o n , O k la h o m a 1925 E lm e r H . J e n n in g s , N o rth w e s te r n 1912

1948-1951 E lw o o d T . S ta rb u c k , C h ic a g o 1923 1949-1952 E a r l S n e e d , J r., O k la h o m a 1934 1950-1953 R o b e r t C . S h a ttu c k , D e n v e r 1926 1951-1954 1952-1955 1953-1956 1954-1957 1955-1960

E lm e r H . J e n n in g s , N o rth w e s te r n 1912 C le m B. H o ld in g , N o rth C a r o lin a 1918 H a r r y M . E a s to n , P e n n s y lv a n ia 1926 R a lp h P. E d g e rto n , W h itm a n 1931 K . W a r r e n F a w c e tt, M in n e s o ta 1926

200

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1958-1961 B e n C. G ro s s c u p , W itte n b e r g 1916 1960-1963 R ic h a rd T . S te e le , W e s le y a n 1921 1961-1964 1964-1967 1967-1970 1968-1971 1969-1972 1971-1974 1975-1978 1976-1981 1977-1980 1978-1981 1979-1982 1980-1983 1981-1984 1982-1985 1984-1986 1984-1987

J a m e s K. J o h n s o n , W a s h in g to n S ta te 1950 P h illip W . M o rris , W itte n b e r g 1940 G e o r g e T . S h ie ld s , W h itm a n 1950 J a m e s P . E w in , J r., T u la n e 1942 H a r o ld S. H o o k , M iss o u ri 1953 R o b e r t L. C o ttre ll, M iam i 1954 J a m e s A . M c M u lle n , T e x a s 1954 L e e B . T h o m p s o n , J r., O k la h o m a 1954 E d w a rd C. F rie d ric h s , W a s h in g to n & J e f fe rs o n 1952 D a v id R . F o u s t, G .M .I. 1965 L o y d M a h a n , W h itm a n 1951 A lle n P. S p le te , St. L a w re n c e 1960 P e te r W . C. B a r n h a r t, M ia m i 1966 F e r d in a n d D e l P izzo , J r., W a s h in g to n (S t. L o u is ) 1958 A la n G . Y o u n g , B ritis h C o lu m b ia 1970 R o n a ld P. H e lm a n , M ia m i 1955

1985-1988 M ic h a e l 1986-1989 A rc h A . 1987-1990 G u p to n 1988-1991 T h o m a s F o r re a s o n s o f s p a c e , th is list

D . B lo o m , G e o rg ia T e c h 1968 M o o re , J r., W e s t V irg in ia 1951 A . V o g t, W e s tm in s te r 1931 D . C assad y , C in c in n a ti 1976 d o e s n o t in c lu d e th o s e w h o h e ld o t h e r o ffic e s o n th e B o a rd .

The Administrative Office The Administrative Office is the most recent of the branches of Beta’s govern­ ment. This office is located in Oxford, Ohio, next door to the Alpha chapter house, and just down High Street from the founding site. The staff consists of the Admin­ istrative Secretary, several assistants, and various secretarial workers. The Administrative Secretary and his assistants are the only Betas actually em ­ ployed by the fraternity. They handle the mail and reports, and manage much of the day-to-day business of the fraternity. They keep the master membership rolls updated, both with new initiates and address changes. The details of the convention are planned in this office; it is the clearinghouse for all convention minutes and records of every kind, since the archives are located there as well. In a sense, the Administrative Office acts as Beta’s perpetual floor manager, serving the chapters, the district chiefs, the Board, and individual Betas throughout the year. Before 1947, all of these many administrative and clerical tasks had been done by the presiding chapter or by the elected or appointed officers of the fraternity, often at great personal sacrifice. In that year, after considering the growing amount of work, the Board appointed A rthur C. Wickenden, Denison 1915 as Keeper of the Rolls. They further decided to establish a clerical service office in Oxford. However, this was just the beginning of the change. The idea of the Administrative Secretary was presented to the convention of 1948 by a committee of the Board of Trustees. It was the first significant develop­ ment in Beta government for fifty years. The new officer would be appointed by the Board, provided with equipment and also paid for his work. The committee’s report explained at length the reasons for the office: there was too much work for both the General Secretary and General Treasurer. Unless these were m ade full-time (paid) 201

THE FA IT H FU L HOME OF THE THREE STARS

jobs, only independently wealthy Betas would be able to hold these offices. Yet, the Board recognized that the outstanding officers of the past could not be paid for their work. In order to continue to get such qualified Betas in the future, the administrative duties of the gen­ eral officers would have to be eliminated. The new office was not to be an executive position in any way - the office of General Secretary would remain as specified by the Code. Rather, the new officer would handle all rou­ tine reports for him. Finally, the office was seen as providing good experience for a young Beta before going on to a regular profession, and not as a life-time position.

The Administrative Office Oxford, Ohio

The Administrative Secretary The convention of 1948 approved this report, and the Board chose Ralph N. Fey, Miami 1940, as the first Administrative Secretary. A former district chief (and future Treasurer and President of the fraternity), Ralph Fey started his duties on August 1,1949. The building just east of the Alpha chapter house was purchased and remodeled, and became the new headquarters of Beta. It now contains the archives, an extensive Beta library, and the offices of the Administrative Secretary.

Administrative Secretary Schaller

The following brothers have served Beta as Administrative Secretaries: 1947-1958 1958-1965

R a lp h N . F ey , M ia m i 1940 F r e d e ric k B ro w e r, M iam i 1950

1965-1972 1972-1977

R o n a ld P . H e lm a n , M iam i 1955 P e te r W . C. B a r n h a r t, M iam i 1966

1977-1983 1983 1983-1988

J o n a th a n J. B ra n t, M iam i 1975 K e n n e th R aw ley , P e n n S ta te 1976 T h o m a s A . B e y e r, N e b ra s k a 1980

1988-

J o h n F . S c h a lle r, B all S ta te 1985

202

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Other General Fraternity Officers U nder the Code, the Board of Trustees may appoint members to assist them in certain duties. The Board elects the various fund trustees who care for the Baird and Founders Fund investments (these are described in the section on finance). These officers are responsible to the Board, and make an annual report to the convention.

Historian This office was first termed “historiographer” and John S. Goodwin, De Pauw 1877, was elected at the convention of 1878. His work was chiefly a summary of the minutes of the conventions; it was very incomplete and contained errors, but it was a beginning. He continued until 1885, when Baird was elected as his replacement. Baird wrote the Handbook, and edited four important reference books on Beta: Beta Letters, Betas o f Achievement, Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation, and A Decade o f Fraternity Reconstniction. Shepardson wrote the other three main references: The Beta Book, Beta Life, and Beta Lore, all written while he was presi­ dent. George Chandler, assisted by Karl W. Fischer, Indiana 1925, was historian from the early 1900’s to 1960. In 1958, the Board asked K. Warren Fawcett, Minnesota 1926, to bring the history up to date, which was published as Marching Along -1935-1960. He served as historian until 1976. In 1979, the Board asked Robert T. Howard, De Pauw 1937, to prepare a similar book, Marching Along II, to cover the years from 1960 to the 150th anniversary in 1989. Each of these writers has published numerous articles in the magazine.

Archivist This office was created in 1950. The first archivist was John L. Baker, Miami 1904. He had assembled an outstanding display for the centennial celebration, and he began the organization of the collection of Beta memorabilia, which continued until his death in 1960. He was followed by K. W arren “Spig” Fawcett, Minnesota 1926, who was already serving as Historian. In 1968, Spig was also appointed editor, and he served in the triple position of Editor-Historian-Archivist until 1976, when illness forced him to resign. H. Hiram Stephenson, Miami 1939, was then appointed by the Board as Beta’s third archivist.

Assistant General Treasurer In 1925, District Chief Edward A. Adams, Iowa 1916, reported on chapter finance to the convention. It was the first detailed statement of the financial status of the chapters presented to a convention. Two years later, Trustee Frank G. Ensign, Beloit 1900, retired to undertake special work as an assistant to the General Treas­ urer (at the time, this was Jim Gavin). Ensign’s first significant report was to the convention of 1929, wherein he reported on “remarkable progress” in chapter financial affairs, and summarized the pertinent actions of recent conventions. Ensign was a great help to General Treasurer Gavin; they died just two months apart

203

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in 1945. As the Treasurer-elect was still in the military, Jim Gavin’s brother William E. Gavin, Wabash 1911, served as acting Treasurer; the Board did not appoint a successor to Ensign for two years. 1927-1945 1 947-1948

F r a n k G . E n s ig n , B e lo it 1900 W illia m C . S c h e e tz J r., P e n n s y lv a n ia 1934

1 948-1949 1949-1951 1951-1954 1954-1960 1960-1969

A lb e r t L . M c P h e r rin , N o rth w e s te r n 1935 C h a r le s E . D y k e s, C o rn e ll 1936 E . L e la n d W e b b e r, C in c in n a ti 1942 L e R o y J. M arx , J r., D e n v e r 1949 H a ro ld L. B ro w n , N o rth w e s te r n 1922

1969-1973 1973-1982 1982-1987 1987-1988

J o s e p h P. A lle n III, D e P a u w 1930 R o b e r t E . B o g g s, N o rth D a k o ta 1953 M ic h a e l D . M o ria rty , In d ia n a 1972 R a n d y P h illip s, B all S ta te 1979

1988-

M a rk T h e o h a r o u s , M ich ig an S ta te 1983

Keeper of the Rolls Initially, the individual chapters handled the duties of this office; they did not always do a very good job. The record is unclear about the proposal to have a separate office to handle the membership records for the entire fraternity, occurring for the first time in 1893. Then, in 1929 (apparently) it was handled by the General Secretary, until 1947 when it was again separated, only to be absorbed by the duties of the Administrative Secretary. 1893-1896 1 896-1899 1 899-1906

W ilb u r 11. S ie b e rt, O h io S ta te 1888 C h a r le s T . H e r b e r t, O h io S ta te 1897 G e o rg e M . C h a n d le r , M ich ig an 1898

1906-1928 1928-1929

J a m e s T . B ro w n , C o rn e ll 1876 G e o r g e II. B ru c e , C e n tre 1899

1929-1935 1935-1946

H a r o ld J. B ailey , A m h e rs t 1908 G e n e r a l S e c re ta ry (e x o ffic io ) G . H e r b e r t S m ith , D e P a u w 1927 G e n e r a l S e c re ta ry (e x o ffic io )

1946-1947

A r t h u r C . W ic k e n d e n , D e n is o n 1915

At this point, the duties were taken over by the Administrative Secretary under the direction of the General Secretary,

The Commissioners The offices known as commissioners derive from a provision enacted by the convention of 1930, which directed “the General Secretary to appoint a commission or commissions” to study chapter status, and report to the next convention -how ­ ever, they could “be continued in operation as long as deemed advisable.” These gradually separated into commissions on scholarship, alumni, and formerly one specifically on chapters; the special role of the Assistant General Treasurer for chapter finance is also related to this.

Scholarship Commissioner At the convention of 1929, General Secretary Harold J. Baily reported on Beta’s outstanding scholarship: statistics of the Interfraternity Conference showed that 204

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Beta led all large fraternities (having 50 or more chapters). In order to maintain this high level of academic excellence, and to provide more direct assistance to chapters with problems in this area, he appointed G. H erbert Smith, De Pauw 1927, then dean at De Pauw, as Beta’s first Scholarship Commissioner. The office has been continued since then, collecting chapter standings and reporting on them, and determining the winners of the Virginia Tech awards for outstanding scholarship. 1930-1935 1936-1946

G . H e r b e r t S m ith , D e P a u w 1927 A r t h u r R a y W a rn o c k , Illin o is 1905

1946-1952 1952-1960

E a rl S n e e d , J r., O k la h o m a 1934 J o s e p h J. R o m o d a , S t. L a w re n c e 1933

1960-1961 1961-1964 1964-1967 1967-1973 1973-1986

J o h n E . D o lib o is , M iam i 1942 P a u l P. V a n R ip e r, D e P a u w 1938 W illia m E . A ld e rm a n , M iam i 1944 W illia m A . Y a rd le y , O h io S ta te 1944 H . P ie rc e “ P e te ” A tk in s , C o rn e ll 1936

1986-1987

C . G r a n t D av is, A u b u r n 1972

1987-

W illia m I. J o rd a n , I d a h o 1969

Alumni Counselor or Chief Chapter Counselor This office was (apparently) created in 1924, when Clarence L. Newton, Wesleyan 1902 was appointed by the Board of Trustees to oversee the activities of the several chapter counselors. This officer was charged with the supervision of the chapter counselors and chapter alumni with respect to their own active chapters. The name was changed to “Chief Chapter Counselor” in 1947, to avoid confusion with the “Alumni Commissioner” which was created in that year. The responsibility was transferred back to the General Secretary in 1950. 1924-1935 1935-1938

C la re n c e L. N e w to n , W e s le y a n 1902 S e th R. B ro o k s , S t. L a w re n c e 1922

1938-1946 1946-1948

S u m te r D . M a rk s, J r., T u la n e 1914 O r r G o o d s o n , N e b ra s k a 1926

1948-1949

K e rm it A rn o ld , C in c in n a ti 1917

Alumni Affairs Commissioner This office was created in 1947 to oversee and encourage Beta alumni groups comprised of members of different chapters. These are typically the alumni associa­ tions based on a particular locality - which were known as “alumni chapters” from their inception in 1867. The office was vacant from 1971 to 1972. 1947-1948 1948-1951 1951-1953 1353-1955

R u sse ll E . R a g a n , W a b a s h 1923 E lw o o d T . S ta rb u c k , C h ic a g o 1923 E lm e r H . J e n n in g s , N e b ra s k a 1912 C le m B. H o ld in g , N o rth C a r o lin a 1918

1955-1957 1957-1958 1958-1961 1961-1963

R a lp h P. E d g e rto n , W h itm a n 1931 E d m o n d B. S to fft, K n o x 1920 B e n C. G ro s s c u p , W itte n b e r g 1916 J a m e s K. J o h n s o n , W a s h in g to n S ta te 1950

1963-1966 1966-1977

P e te r F. G r e in e r , M ia m i 1951 S a m J. M c C a rtn e y , J r. D ic k in so n 1941

205

THE FA ITH FU L HUME OF THE THREE STARS

1967-1969 1969-1971 1 971-1972 1972-1975

J a m e s H . D a n a , M a in e 1949 F a rr is P. H o tc h k is s , W a s h in g to n & L e e 1958 (o ffic e e m p ty ) F o r d R . W e b e r, D e n is o n 1921

1975-1977 1977-1980 1980-1983

B u r to n W . F o ls o m , N e b ra s k a 1949 E d w a rd C. F rie d ric h s , W a s h in g to n & J e f fe rs o n 1952 L o y d W . M a h a n , W h itm a n 1951 (a s V ic e - P re s id e n t)

1983-1987

F e r d in a n d D e l P izzo , J r., W a s h in g to n (S t. L o u is ) 1958 (a s V ic e P r e s id e n t u n til 1985, th e n re -a p p o in te d

1987-

G u p to n A . V o g t, W e s tm in s te r 1931 (a s V ic e P r e s id e n t)

Insurance Affairs Commissioner This office was created in 1987 to handle the growing complexities of insurance for the fraternity. Thomas D. Cassady, Cincinnati 1976, was appointed by the Board to be the first such officer. He presently serves in the same role as Vice President.

Tutor-in-Residence Commissioner This office was created to manage the awarding of scholarships to Betas who attend graduate school at a college where the chapter may be in some need. [See the discussion on T IR ’s in the section on membership for more details.] It was created in 1982, and former General Secretary Jack H. Wesenberg, Iowa 1951, has held the office since then.

Trustees of the Baird and Founders Funds These officers are elected by the Board of Trustees. They are responsible for the careful and wise investment of the money in these funds, which now amount to nearly 5 million dollars. The General Treasurer is ex officio a trustee of the funds. Please see the following section on Finance for more details about these funds.

Editor of The Beta Theta Pi In 1872, Charles D. Walker, the first General Secretary, started the magazine. A long list of Betas have served in this position, which has been perhaps the key to Beta life since its inception. Several of these have held other offices in the fraternity. The Editor is normally appointed by the Board, and ap­ proved by the convention. The editors have not worked alone. There is a large number of assistant editors and other assis­ tants, as well as frequent contributors, who all too often go unnoticed and unthanked. The list would be too long to include here, but every reader of The Beta Theta Pi should be grateful for their unseen efforts in maintaining its quality and interest.

206

Editor McClung

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

H ere is a list of the editors of The Beta Theta Pi: T e rm

V o lu m e s

E d ito rs

1872-1873 1874 1875 1876 1877

1-2 3 4 5

W a lk e r B ro u s e , C h e n e y G a n tz R a n k in , B e rry R obb

1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

1930-1940 1941-1943

18 19 20 21-44 4 5-58 5 9-69 70-78

1950-1953 1954-1961 1962-1965 1966-1974 1975-

79-82 83-90 91-94 9 5-103 104-

1890 1891 1892-1915 1916-1929

C o v in g to n , R o b b , W illia m s, D e n n is o n C o v in g to n , R o b b , W illia m s C o v in g to n , R o b b , W illia m s, B a ird C o v in g to n , R o b b , W illia m s, B a ird , S p ra g u e , H e p b u r n C o v in g to n , B a ird , B o y d , S h e p a rd s o n , D ru r y R o b b , B a ird , S h e p a rd s o n W a m b a u g h , S h e p a rd s o n , S p ra g u e C h a m b e r s B a ird , B a ird , S h e p a rd s o n , F e a rn , C ra n s h a w H e p b u rn , C. B a ird , S h e p a rd s o n H e p b u rn , S h e p a rd s o n , F e a rn , H e p b u rn , S h e p a rd s o n , F e a rn , H e p b u rn , S h e p a rd s o n , F e a rn , H e p b u rn H e p b u rn ( I l a n n a e d ite d th e 2 B aird S h e p a rd s o n S m y th B y rn e B arb er I lo w a rd K u rz F a w c e tt M c C lu n g

W e lsh W e lsh , C .B a ird , S c o tt, H o sk in s W e lsh , H o s k in s sp e c ia ls )

Or, if you want to see who did the editing, here is the list of the individuals: E d i to r

Y e a rs se rv e d

C h a m b e r s B a ird , H a rv a rd 1882

1885, 1886, 1888

W illia m R . B a ird , S te v e n s 1878 C o lu m b u s S. B a r b e r , W e s t V irg in ia 1920 J o h n R . B e rry . M o n m o u th 1872

1880-1883, 1885, 1892-1915 1950-1953 1876

O lin R . B ro u s e , D e P a u w 1866 W illia m F. B o y d , O h io 1866 T h a d B y rn e , W a s h in g to n S ta te 1925 D a rw in H . C h e n e y , N o rth w e s te r n 1876 J o h n I. C o v in g to n , M ia m i 1870 W illia m H . C ra n sh a w , C o lg a te 1887 W a lte r E . D e n n is o n , O h io W e sle y a n 1877 M a r s h a ll P. D ru ry , K n o x 1870 K. W a r r e n F a w c e tt, M in n e s o ta 1926 R ic h a rd R . F e a rn , S te v e n s 1884 E d w in J. G a n tz , B e th a n y 1875 J. C alv in H a n n a , W o o s te r 1881 C h a r le s M . H e p b u r n , V irg in ia 1880

1874 1882 1941-1949 1874 1878-1882 1885 1878 1882 1966-1974 1885,1887-1889 1875 1891 1881, 1886-1891

207

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

G e o r g e R H o sk in s, B o s to n 1890 R o b e r t T . H o w a rd , D e P a u w 1937

1888-1889

R o b e r t H . K u rz , M ia m i 1958 J o h n R . M c C lu n g , J r., K a n sa s S ta te 1937 G e o rg e C. R a n k in , M o n m o u th 1872 W illis O . R o b b , O h io W e s le y a n 1879

1962-1965 1 9 7 5 -p re s e n t

J o h n A . R o b is o n , M o n m o u th 1877 F r a n k H . S c o tt, N o rth w e s te r n 1876 F r a n c is W . S h e p a rd s o n , D e n is o n 1882

1876

G o r d o n S. S m y th , P e n n s y lv a n ia 1918 W illia m C . S p ra g u e , D e n is o n 1881

1930-1940 1881,1884

C h a r le s D u y W a lk e r, V .M .I. 1869 E u g e n e W a m b a u g h , O h io W e s le y a n 1875 F r a n k lin M . W e lsh , D ic k in so n 1888

1872-1873 1884 1887-1889

S y lv e s te r G . W illia m s, O h io W e s le y a n 1877

1878-1881

1954-1961

1876 1 8 7 7 -1 8 8 1 ,1 8 8 3 1888 1882-1889, 1916-1929

The following served Beta five or more years as editor: W illia m R . B a ird F ra n c is W . S h e p a rd s o n

29 y e a rs 22 y e a rs

J o h n R . M cC lu n g , J r. G o r d o n S. S m y th

14 y e a rs (a n d s e rv in g p re s e n tly ) 11 y e a rs

T h a d B y rn e K. W a r r e n F a w c e tt R o b e r t T . H o w a rd C h a r le s M . H e p b u r n W illis O . R o b b

9 9 8 6 6

J o h n I. C o v in g to n

5 y e a rs

y e a rs y e a rs y e a rs y e a rs y e a rs

These hard-working brothers have produced an outstanding magazine for over 110 years, keeping Betas everywhere informed of the activities of the fraternity. They have consistently “fed the fire” of Beta friendship. At the convention of 1927, Shepardson explained some of the characteristics the editor needs: T h e fu n d a m e n ta ls a re k n o w le d g e o f B e ta T h e ta Pi o rw illin g n e s s to s tu d y to a tta in th is k n o w le d g e , a b s o lu te u n s e lfish n e s s a n d w illin g n e ss to sa c rific e th e h o u r s o th e r s give to p le a s u re , a n d , a b o v e all, fa ith in th e f r a te r n ity a n d in its so n s, c o n fid e n c e in its g re a t ta sk , d e v o tio n to its d e stin y .

The Beta Senate This was a short-lived attempt to make use of the fraternity interest of distin­ guished Betas through a cooperating and consulting body. The idea was due to Dr. H. Sheridan Baketel, Dartmouth 1895, and reported at the convention of 1932. General Secretary Bailey appointed a committee of Baketel, Sisson and himself to consider the idea; the next year the convention of 1933 adopted an amendment specifying the creation of the Beta Senate, to “be composed of not more than nine members of the fraternity, who have attained special eminence in their respective vocations; who have rendered distinguished service to Beta Theta Pi; and who shall aid the fraternity in its effort to incorporate the ideals and principles of the fraternity in the lives of its members.” They were to be nominated by the Board, and elected by the convention, having terms of three years - three to be elected each year. It was 208

THE FAITHFUL. HUME UF THE THREE STARS

approved unanimously, so the convention of 1934 elected the following senators: O w e n D . Y o u n g , S t. L a w re n c e 1894 (V ic e P r e s id e n t o f G e n e r a l E le c tric ) F r a n k O . L o w d e n , Io w a 1885 (L a w y e r, P r o fe s s o r, C o n g re s s m a n ) S ta n le y C o u lte r, H a n o v e r 1871 (B io lo g is t, A u th o r ) W illis V a n D e v a n te r , D e P a u w 1881 ( S u p re m e C o u r t J u s tic e ) J a y N . D a rlin g , B e lo it 1899 ( C a r to o n is t) G u y C . E a rl, C a lifo rn ia 1883 (V ic e P r e s id e n t, G r e a t W e s te rn P o w e r C o )

The following were elected by the convention of 1935: J o s e p h W . B y rn s, V a n d e r b ilt 1891 ( S p e a k e r o f th e H o u s e ) W illia m E . B o ra h , K a n sa s 1889 ( I d a h o S e n a to r) B e r tr a n d II. S n e ll, A m h e rs t 1894 (N e w Y o rk C o n g re s s m a n ) D r. H . S h e rid a n B a k e te l, D a r tm o u th 1895 (P h y sic ia n a n d e d ito r ) W in fre d G . L e u tn e r, W e s te rn R e s e rv e 1901 (P r e s id e n t o f W e s te r n R e s e rv e )

After just four years, the convention of 1938 voted to abolish the senate. Despite the great love and devotion to the brotherhood, the remoteness of the Senators from the actual operations of the fraternity made it impossible for them to function effectively as an advisory group. There was also a feeling that it was inappropriate, if all Betas are to “stand on the same fraternal level.” As it had a completely different aim, the Advisory Council remained in existence, being formed by the “graduation” (as it were) of members of the Board. This Council still is effective in advising the Board, sharing their experience in the usual Beta way. Nearly every officer has made a significant contribution to the fraternity. Be­ cause of this, we can conclude that Beta offices are not merely a “maintenance” function. They are an individual’s direct assistance to his brothers, and every gain in our fraternal endeavour is non-trivial. Perhaps not every General Officer of the future will be instrumental in the development of Beta government, but each can carry the flame to new generations of Betas, and will thereby rank with Ransom, Hanna, Sisson, Shepardson and Brooks - “lovers of a great and good fraternity.” In concluding this part describing Beta’s offices, we shall quote General Secre­ tary Harold J. “Bing” Baily’s report to the convention of 1927: ... th is s a c re d fla m e is in y o u r k e e p in g a s m u c h a s it is m in e . In B e ta T h e ta Pi, w e h av e o ffic e rs o n ly fo r c o n v e n ie n c e . It is in d iv id u a l re s p o n s ib ility th a t c o u n ts. T o g e th e r w e c an k e e p th e to rc h b la z in g b rig h tly . T o p ro v e w o rth y o f o u r tru s t w e m u s t k e e p g re e n th e m e m o ry o f th e g re a t d e e d s o f o u r p re d e c e s s o r s b y w o rth y a c ts o f o u r o w n .

The Finances of Beta Theta Pi W hen Beta was founded in 1839, no provision was made for fees, dues or any other money matters. There was no need for money then. Three years later, some provision must have been made for a hall in which the convention was held, but it was not important enough to get into the minutes. Probably the costs were divided among those attending, as was typical for the next 30 years. These costs were nothing more than “rent” for the hall, and the cost of printing and mailing copies of the oration and poem. The only individual cost relating to Beta was the price of the badge; the chapters handled the cost of the required correspondence internally. For most of Beta’s early years, these were the only costs. In 1848, the convention decided that they wanted to have a catalog (a list of all 209

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the members of the fraternity). This was typical of the way things worked then, since they just decided that it would be nice to have it, but didn’t actually make plans for accomplishing it. The convention of 1851 formulated a plan: the Jefferson chapter would collect the money for its publication, and the Miami chapter would do the actual work. The next convention in 1854 revised the plan, and the catalog was finally published in 1855. The total amount involved appears to have been $341.00, as reported to the convention 1856. Another catalog was printed in 1859, but its cost was not recorded. Then the convention of 1865 decided to have a songbook, and another catalog was to be published in 1866. Conventions became more elaborate: in 1866, its cost was recorded as $87.75, of which $58.50 was spent for the banquet - each delegate was to pay $8.00 to the chairman of the committee on Finance and Arrangements. A better method was needed for handling the increasing costs. At the poorly documented convention of 1867, a committee chaired by David H. Moore, Ohio 1860, reported on the idea of a Beta Temple to be built at Oxford, Ohio, estimating the cost at $10,000. The temple was to be a depository for Beta records and archives, and also serve as a shrine to be visited by Beta pilgrims. The idea was rejected by the convention of 1868; one chapter opposing it wrote that the temple would localize the fraternity, and would cause “us to meet in one place all the time.” Furtherm ore, they said “the sum specified will not build such a temple as we would desire and as we ought to build. If we build a temple it should be someth ing that would last for ages and which it would be an object to see, and finally, something which no other Western society [i.e. some rival fraternity] could possibly eclipse.” They thought the minimum cost would be more like $100,000. That’s quite a lot of money for 1868, and it must have been some structure they were envisioning! The idea persisted, and although nothing came of it directly, 14 years later, Charles J. Seaman reformulated it as the Wooglin Clubhouse on Lake Chautauqua. It also was a prophetic vision of the Administrative Office. The Convention of 1868 amended the constitution to create a “reserve fund” to defray the costs of the convention, and any other expenses of a general nature. Each active member (either an undergraduate, or an alumnus associated with an alumni chapter) was to pay one dollar a year into this fund. The General Treasurer would be responsible for the fund, when that office was created in 1872. The next conven­ tion (1869) received a report from the first actual Finance Committee: seven chap­ ters sent a total of $101.00, and three chapters promised to send $56.00 more. The one existing alumni chapter sent $28.00, however, eight chapters did not even reply. The total income that year: $129.00. Hardly big finance today, but this was over 120 years ago! But before any kind of physical structure was erected, Beta wisely “built herself a house” which was more fitting an edifice for an association dedicated to the de­ velopment of the intellect and the furthering of friendships. Charles D. Walker, the first General Secretary, began the publication of The Beta Theta Pi in December, 1872. This had been proposed as early as 1842, and was discussed and longed for at nearly every convention since, but the difficulties of publication and its cost seemed 210

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to be insoluble problems for those thirty years. Initially, the magazine was paid for by direct subscription. This was a very unreliable method, and nearly resulted in the magazine’s failure in 1877. The problem of paying for the magazine was one of many issues which the committee headed by Major Ransom considered, when they revised the constitution in 1878. In the lengthy report given at that convention, he hinted at an endowment fund. However, he had ideas which were much more vast than anything yet attem pted in Beta! He was concerned about the alumni’s place in the fraternity: ...th e r e s h o u ld b e w o rk fo r th e a lu m n i to d o w h ich w ill p e r p e tu a te to th e ir la te s t h o u r th e ir p ra c tic a l in te r e s t in o u r b e lo v e d s o cie ty , a n in te r e s t to b e m a n ife s te d in w h a t th e y s h a ll d o w ith th e ir h a n d s , a n d w h a t th e y s h all b e q u e a th fro m th e p le n ty th a t F o r tu n e , in a p le a s a n t m o o d , h a s laid in th e ir la p s. A n d , a lth o u g h s u g g e s tio n s in th a t d ire c tio n m a y s e e m U to p ia n , w h a t m o re n o b le m o n u m e n t to u s e fu ln e s s c o u ld a f r a te rn ity s e e k th a n th e fo u n d in g a n d m a in ta in in g o f a te c h n o ­ lo g ical in s titu te , w h e re its m e m b e rs c o u ld h a v e p o s t- g r a d u a te c o u rs e s in su ch s p e c ia ltie s a s b e s t fitte d th e ir in c lin a tio n s , o r th e e s ta b lis h m e n t o f a lib r a r y w ith a r t g a lle ry a tta c h e d w h e re a r t s tu d ie s c o u ld b e p u r s u e d b y th o s e w h o w o u ld w a n d e r in th e id e a l w o rld ?

After proposing this “Beta University,” Ransom urged the importance of the magazine: In v iew o f th e a lre a d y la rg e a n d ra p id ly in c re a s in g n u m b e r o f c h a p te r s , f o r th e p u r p o s e o f s e c u rin g a d u r a b le m e a n s o f in te r- c o m m u n ic a tio n a m o n g th e m , a f r a te r n ity p a p e r s h o u ld b e p la c e d u p o n a p e r m a n e n t a n d c e r ta in b a sis.

Beta’s long-desired magazine was always her biggest financial worry. Indeed, it was the question of its support which prevented its publication in 1842 when it was first proposed. M embers who desired to receive it had to pay annual subscriptions until the establishment of the Baird Fund in 1919, which greatly simplified the support of the magazine, though “Beta U.” has not yet been started... Meanwhile, another enterprise had been started in which money became a problem. This was the clubhouse on Lake Chautauqua, built in 1884. The Wooglin Clubhouse, built in 1884, is described elsewhere in this book; however there are important lessons to learn from its demise, which are appropriate to discuss here. It is commonly believed that it burned down while it was still ours. That was not the case. The last convention there was in 1893, and it had been auc­ tioned at a sheriffs sale in 1895. Though the record is uncertain, it appears that the money which had been collected in rent and sale of stock had been spent on oper­ ating costs. Contrary to what the reader might expect, it was not run by irresponsible undergraduates, but by a group of alumni. Moreover, it was not actually run by the fraternity. It was Charles J. Seaman’s idea. He and some other alumni (including Pater Knox) formed the “Beta Theta Pi Alumni Association” in order to buy some land and build and run a clubhouse at which they could stay in the summertime, and at which conventions could be held if desired. But the loss of the clubhouse seems to have been a case of poor management from the very beginning - the original mortgage on the land in 1884 was around $10,000, and it appears that nothing had been paid on it by 1893. Another lesson from the Clubhouse involves a m atter which was virtually buried in our history. There had been a rum or that the Clubhouse was a scheme to 211

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make money on the part of Seaman. We can’t disprove that he ever made any money, but it certainly seems to be unlikely, given his previous devotion and service to the fraternity (as editor of a catalog and a songbook, and songwriter), and con­ sidering the obviously sloppy handling of the financial matters of the clubhouse. Moreover, given its record - a lot of Betas had an intensely good time every summer for ten years, and eight conventions made history there —it would seem in general, Beta got quite a bit out of it. However, apparently the rumor hurt Seaman so much that he tried to resign from the fraternity - this was rejected by the convention in 1893. This lesson is not so much financial as fraternal: if Seaman had failed in his trust to his brothers, restitution should have been accepted, and the act forgotten. Certainly, they should have been keeping careful account, and paying their debts. However, it’s perhaps an even greater crime to falsely accuse a brother of embezzlement in order to escape embarrassment for slipshod management. Let all brothers carefully keep their fraternal obligations, and keep their accounts straight as well! To continue —the next real financial development in Beta began in 1916 when General Secretary Shepardson made a plea for steps toward a permanent endow­ ment fund. Baird, the convention president that year, offered to be one of ten who would each contribute $1000 to this fund. He was followed immediately by Stratford L. Morton, Washington 1910. Baird died in 1917 before any action was taken on the issue. Certainly World W ar I was to blame for the inaction on this fund, for in 1919, Shepardson again raised the question of an endowment fund.

The Baird Fund and the Founders Fund At the convention of 1919, it was proposed by the Board of Trustees that upon a one-time payment of $10.00, a Beta would receive the magazine for life. The fund thus formed would be in lasting memorial to William R. Baird, and only the interest from the principal was to be spent. The convention enthusiastically approved $5,500 was collected then and there. The Toronto chapter, now able to take care of itself [see the “Toronto Chapter Fund” story elsewhere in this book], asked that the nearly $1,000 for it in the fraternity treasury be placed in the fund. Baird’s widow, Jennie Mansfield Baird, donated $2,000. Seven others each con­ tributed $1,000 and the convention added $1,000 in honor of recently elected Presi­ dent Shepardson, completing the “Ten” as suggested by Baird. These were: W illia m R a im o n d B a ird , S te v e n s 1878 J e n n ie M a n s fie ld B a ird S tr a tf o r d L e e M o rto n , W a s h in g to n 1910 J o h n E d w a rd G o o d , K e n y o n 1884 (in m e m o ry o f C h a rle s E d w a rd S c h w ey er, A m h e r s t 1891) A lo n z o M itc h e ll S n y d e r, K e n y o n 1885 J o h n R o y S im p so n , M ia m i 1899 M o r tim e r L e o S chiff, A m h e r s t 1896 W illia m D o w le r T u r n e r , B e th a n y 1895 (in m e m o ry o f R o b e r t H a m ilto n D e v in e , B e th a n y 1884)

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The Baird Fund has continued to grow; it is wisely invested by the Fund Trus­ tees and at present there is over $3.5 million in it. In the 1980’s, every Beta pays an initiation fee which includes $30.00 for the Baird fund, giving him the magazine for life. Recently, loans to chapters have been permitted, to build or improve their chapter houses. Also at the convention of 1919, the Founders Fund was established. This was to be a general endowment fund accumulating legacies, gifts or donations. Its principal was to remain intact, and the interest could be used as directed by the Board. The discussion of possible uses such a fund included some interesting ideas: ...to h e lp c h a p te r s in th e ir h o u s e c o n s tr u c tio n , to p ro v id e fe llo w sh ip s a n d s c h o l­ a rs h ip s a s p riz e s to b e c o n te n d e d fo r, to e s ta b lis h in s tru c to rs o r b ig b r o th e r s in c h a p t e r h o m e s , to h e lp m e m b e rs n e e d in g lo a n s in o r d e r to c o n tin u e t h e ir co lle g e w o rk , to h e lp th o s e t o e n jo y fr a te rn ity life w h o m ig h t b e b a r r e d o th e rw is e b e c a u s e o f p o v e rty , to e n a b le th e f r a te r n ity to c a rry o n m o re f r e q u e n t a n d m o re h e lp fu l in s p e c tio n , to m a k e it p o s sib le to re d u c e th e a n n u a l d u e s a n d o t h e r c h a rg e s .

They had desired the annual income to be at least $50,000. At present, the fund serves three purposes: first, annual scholarships totalling over $50,000, second, the tutor-in-residence awards totalling over $10,000, and anniversary gifts. [A more detailed explanation appears in the section on awards.] By the late 1980’s, the prin­ cipal had grown to over $1 million. Both of these funds continued to grow since their establishment, but there were other Beta projects which they could not be used to finance. So in 1971, the Beta Leadership Fund was established. This fund is the result of continuing interest and generosity of alumni, who currently give to it over a quarter of a million dollars each year. It assists in the establishment of colonies and finances the Leadership work­ shops. These workshops help develop chapter leaders and alumni advisers, and are held on a three-year cycle; two are held in different regions annually. For accounting purposes, there are presently two other funds besides the three “nam ed” funds just described. The Operating Fund is the one which pays for the costs of the Administrative Office and the Convention. The fees paid by a pledge or a new initiate are put into the Membership Revenue Fund (except for the $30.00 membership in the Baird Fund). We cannot go into the details of the management of these funds here, but our accounts are audited by an independent accounting firm, and the resulting report is published annually in the convention issue of the magazine, to which the interested reader is referred.

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The Famous Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island Site of 15 conventions 214

SECTION 21 The Convention The Beta Convention is the oldest and greatest part of Beta government (not counting the constitution). Only it can amend the constitution and laws, grant char­ ters (and revoke them), and elect members of the Board of Trustees. However, it is also the most fun a Beta can have, next to life in the chapter house as an under­ graduate. Only the appointed delegates of chapters and alumni associations may vote, but all Betas are welcome. Every chapter from across Beta’s Broad Domain will be there, and Betas of every age: new initiates, those about to graduate, and alumni from just-graduated to Silver Grays. Beta girls will also grace the occasion, and sometimes special guests are invited as well. Is this thing a formal body of government, or a Beta-sponsored grand party? Well, it’s both. The convention is vital not only as a governing body but also as perhaps the most important enduring force for the maintenance of the Beta spirit. The convention was originally held every three years, starting in 1842. In 1845, for some reason, delegates from only two chapters showed up, and no business was accomplished. So a special convention was callcd in 1847. Things got back to normal in 1848, followed by the conventions of 1851 and 1854. In 1854 it was changed to every two years, meeting in 1856, 1858, and 1860. The next convention was during the Civil War in 1864, which was Beta’s 25th anniversary, at which it was changed to every year. Since then, Beta has met annually except for 1874 (since the convention of 1873 was held at the end of December, it was not thought necessary to have another so soon), and three years during World War II: 1943,1944 and 1945 (during which the Board of Trustees held the authority of the convention). Beta is presently the only large fraternity to hold such an annual meeting. Careful minutes were kept of every meeting, except for 1867, for which only a synopsis was ever found. Baird collected all the early minutes, and those of the first forty years were published in Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation, and those of the next ten years in Ten Years o f Fraternity Reconstruction. Obviously these minutes are a primary source of much history - much of the information on the constitution in this book comes from them. Yet the conventions are often seen out of context, since the old minutes usually do not supply a personal view of the meetings. Once the magazine was started, there were personal glimpses, and of course there are lots of living Betas who have been to one. However, before you go to your first (or next) convention, you may like to explore the development of the convention, and get a detailed explanation of its features. The convention, considered strictly as a business meeting, was complete in 1842. The history of development of its social aspect is uncertain - though such events were held at the earliest conventions, they were certainly intensified during the period of the Wooglin clubhouse, from 1884 to 1893. With the development of modern resort complexes, the convention has been held throughout North America, providing the fringe benefits of a great vacation and geography lessons as well. 215

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The convention developed as a result of having more than one chapter, and the need to have a government consistent with Beta’s principles. The first constitution had no reference to a convention; it only provided for the existence of other chap­ ters, making not the least statement on how they were to be handled. Then again, the objects chosen by the founders would preclude anything other than a friendly and brotherly solution to the organization of several chapters into one fraternity. It was only eight months after the founding that resolution of the question became necessary. On April 8,1840, Beta’s second chapter, Cincinnati, was started. A letter to them from the Miami chapter on June 8,1840 stated “Our association has considerable business on hand in making such laws and regulations as are necessary to render it both permanent and useful. Your Chapter will be duly informed of every regulation which may be made to apply to each Chapter.” This rather severe lan­ guage was an indication of the Miami chapter’s fear that the new chapter would not preserve the carefully kept secrecy, causing the Miami chapter to be revealed, and subsequent destruction of Beta. Was this fear to give rise to an authoritarian “mother chapter,” who dictated policy to the other chapters? Realizing the inconsistency of such a government with Beta’s Great Principles, and despite their fear of being revealed, a revision in Miami’s policy was almost im­ mediate. Certainly the chapter meeting held on June 11 discussed the matter. On June 12, 1840, just four days later the first letter, another letter from Miami to Cincinnati began in a conciliatory manner: “You doubtless received a letter a few days since from us in relation to some measures that were adopted by our common association for the prevention of imposition.” [emphasis added]. The “imposition” refers to a proposed method of securing secrecy from the jeweler who was making the badges. After some discussion of this, the letter states: “The present arrange­ ment, however, is merely temporary and if we see proper will alter it at the [meeting to be held at the] end of this session [of school] at which we expect as many of you to be present as is possible, in connection with the members who have graduated. We propose then in a full assembly to consider in what respects the constitution is defective and make such alterations and additions as we may deem necessary for the good of our association. We hope that you will all be here on that occasion to make propositions or suggestions that you may think advisable. All regulations entered into now may consequently be deemed temporary.” The meeting to be held “at the end of this session” did take place - it was the first anniversary, the one at which Knox addressed the brotherhood - but we have no detailed records from it. However, correspondence between the two chapters took place, Miami and Cincinnati alternately developing new articles and proposing revisions. Finally a mutually acceptable version was agreed on, probably in March, 1841. The new constitution provided for a “Triennial Convention,” which was “to promote and consider the general interests of the association and hear an oration.” The new constitution was not to be “altered or amended except by the Triennial Convention.” Each chapter was to send representatives, one of whom was desig­ nated as a delegate, to cast the chapter’s vote. The first such meeting took place in Cincinnati, August 15-16,1842. As was typical of the meetings of the literary socie­ 216

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ties of the time, it was governed by parliamentary procedure, referring practically everything of importance to committees appointed for the purpose. This first convention lasted two days, ending in the evening of the second day. The minutes do not hint at events external to the convention proper, but it is not hard to imagine the delegates eating dinner together, and otherwise enjoying themselves together. While some changes in convention mechanics occurred over the years, the social aspects also developed. Non-Beta visitors were invited to the “public exer­ cises” of the convention - this was usually an oration on some topic of general interest, sometimes having only an oblique bearing on Beta. The Alpha Delta Phi fraternity was invited to these exercises of the Convention of 1848; Baird considered this to be the first recorded inter-fraternity event (even though this was not the intention of the invitation). Banquets often followed the meetings, attended by both Betas and guests - these were often given by the local alumni chapter, the first of which was begun in 1868. However, the fullness of these social aspects was not reached until the founding of the Wooglin club in 1884. At the clubhouse on Lake Chautauqua, entire families stayed the summer, and although they were not perm it­ ted to attend the convention sessions, they enjoyed the resort-like atmosphere, the banquets and the dances. The Board of Trustees and the Administrative Office spend very much time in planning the convention, creating a tight schedule of activities (presently lasting for three days) having these essential characteristics: 1. A “full assembly” of representatives of all the chapters, including under­ graduates and those who have graduated, performing the rituals specified for such a meeting, and engaging in fraternal activities. 2. A formal meeting, conducted by parliamentary procedure, making judi­ cious use of committees, each chapter and alumni association having one vote. It is to “prom ote and consider the aims” of the fraternity, accomplishing the tasks of Beta’s supreme legislative body. 3. An enjoyable social event, with public exercises and other entertainment for both brothers and guests, such as banquets, sports, and other activities. These aspects had developed to such an extent that the following editorial could appear in The Beta Theta Pi for April, 1887: It is q u ite n e e d le s s to h a r p a t le n g th o n th e b e n e f it a n d th e m a n w h o g o e s h a s his e n th u s ia s m s o a w a k e n e d b y th e c o n ta c t w ith o th e r m e n a n d th e fin e fe e lin g th u s e n g e n d e re d in th e c a u se , th a t h is lo y a lly a n d e ffo r ts a re im m e n s e ly q u ic k e n e d a n d h is h o riz o n v iew d is tin c tly b ro a d e n e d . T h o s e w h o “ h a v e b e e n th e r e ” fe e l th is in ­ flu e n c e to su ch a d e g re e th a t c o n v e n tio n -g o in g b e c o m e s a lm o s t a d is e a s e , a n d w e m a y a d d th a t w h e n a m a n g e ts su ch a d is e a s e th e r e is r e a lly n o te llin g w h a t h e w ill d o fo r th e s a k e o f s u ch a fra te rn ity . It s e e m s to g ro w b y w h a t it fe e d s u p o n , u n til w e s tro n g ly b e g in to s u s p e c t th a t o u r f r a te r n ity w ill s o o n , in s p ite o f itse lf, fo rg e c le a rly a h e a d o f all its riv als, e a s te r n a n d w e s te rn . B u t if y o u w a n t to d is c o u n t th is a la rm in g p ro s p e c t, y o u c a n a id in d o in g s o b y liv in g in a s ta t e o f in d if fe re n c e to c o n v e n tio n s ; fo r w e p la in ly w a rn y o u th a t y o u c a n ’t a tte n d c o n v e n tio n s a n d c o n tin u e to b e in d if fe re n t.

Sounds so good, you can’t wait to go, huh? Indeed, Karl Fischer, Indiana 1925, according to his chapter-mate Meid Compton, Indiana 1949, would make reserva­ tions for the next one as soon as he returned from a convention! Well, ALLBetas are 217

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always invited to every convention, not only those presently in school. The under­ graduates, after all, have no excuse. There has to be at least a delegate from each chapter. But there should be at least one other chapter-mate present. Thanks to the alumni who contribute to the Beta Leadership Fund, the expense of one sophomore from every chapter is covered - these “Sophomore Fellows” have special meetings during the convention. The General Fraternity also pays a mileage stipend for the transportation costs of the chapter delegate. “But I’m married,” you say. Well, bring your Beta Sweetheart along! There are special programs for the ladies and kids also. She’ll love hearing you and 400 other Betas singing to her. The sites are chosen to maximize the “vacation” atmosphere, and convention rates help make it a reason­ able way to spend a week in August. To any frequent convention-goer, the three days are a time of singing, good food, fraternal contact, curious meetings, inspiring speeches, moving rituals, and little sleep (so as not to miss anything). There are so many aspects to discuss at any one convention, and there have been so many conventions held. But if you have never been to one, you need a “convention vocabulary” (and several good nights’ sleep the week before!) if you are not to miss anything. What, then, must we examine? We have already discussed the Code which requires Beta to have a con­ vention, the Board of Trustees (who must give a report on their activities in the past year), the Administrative Office (who has set up its schedule), and the chapters (whose delegates are just starting to arrive after a long drive across the country). The other items peculiar to the convention are its powers, committees, officers, rituals, public exercises, and its actual schedule.

The Powers of the Convention The powers exerted by the General Convention are explicitly defined in the Code of the fraternity. Article 4, Section 6, of the constitution states: T h e G e n e r a l C o n v e n tio n sh all h av e ex clu siv e ju ris d ic tio n in all m a tte r s n o t s p e ­ cifically re s e r v e d to th e c h a p te r s by th e p ro v is io n s o f th is C o n s titu tio n , s u b je c t to d is a p p ro v a l, h o w e v e r a s h e r e in a f te r p ro v id e d . It s h all h a v e ju ris d ic tio n o v e r th e c o n d u c t o f all m e m b e rs o f th e fr a te rn ity , b o th a ctiv e a n d a lu m n i, w h ile th e y a re in a tte n d a n c e a t a G e n e r a l C o n v e n tio n , w ith p o w e r to a p p ly a n y d is c ip lin e s h o rt o f e x p u lsio n fro m th e fr a te rn ity . It m a y p a ss law s f o r th e g o v e rn in g o f th e f r a te r ­ n ity , its c h a p te r s a n d a lu m n i a ss o c ia tio n s. It m a y e s ta b lis h su ch o ffic e s n o t h e re in p ro v id e d f o r a s m ay b e fo u n d e x p e d ie n t.

Certainly the convention has a formidable power. The disapproval of an action of the convention may come either from the chapters or from the Board of Trustees, it being a kind of “checks and balances” specified by our Code. There seems to not be any record of its having been used. In general, the legislative actions of the convention are among the following: 1. Creation of new chapters 2. Examination and discipline of existing chapters 3. Amendment of the Code 4. Approval (or disapproval) of actions taken by the Board 5. Election of new Trustees 6. Consideration and enactment of ways of strengthening the fraternity 218

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Convention Committees In order to streamline its business, the convention appoints certain committees. Since 1851, a regular series of committees has been used; these later became stand­ ing committees, being first called so in 1876. Most of the common ones are explained in the following list. Note that the action of these committees is to report to the Convention, making motions as necessary. Also, the requirements on size are those currently in force. Permanent Organization nominates the temporary and permanent officers of the convention. These include a president, a secretary and assistants, vice presidents, a marshall and assistants, a chorister and assistants, a floor manager and assistant, and a parliamentarian; a description of their duties follows. This committee is required to have a delegate from each district. Credentials (and Registration) verifies credentials of voting delegates, compiles statistics on attendance, helps in registration. It must have at least three delegates. Constitution and Jurisprudence considers questions referred to it concerning the constitution and laws of the fraternity. Motions dealing with amendments to the Code are usually dealt with here. It must be comprised of at least five delegates. Miscellaneous Affairs deals with matters previously referred to it by the Board, or with any new matters the convention chooses to refer. Typically, issues such as ritual and symbolism, and entirely new proposals not appropriate for another committee are examined here. This committee must have at least six delegates. In the early years, there was one committee on both chapters and charters. Unfor­ tunately, the work involving the status of chapters grew overwhelming and the committee was split at the convention of 1907. Sometimes the chapters committee has been itself been subdivided into subcommittees for finance, scholarship, etc. Chapters examines the status of existing chapters. Usually the Board reports on unsatisfactory performance of a chapter, and action is taken (or the Board’s action is confirmed or rejected) by the committee. This committee is required to have a delegate from each district. Charters examines petitions to the fraternity for the granting of a charter. It also considers any revocations that may be recommended to it, and the status of colonies and newly established chapters. This committee is required to have a delegate from each district. Finance (and Corporation) examines the report of the General Treasurer, ap­ proves the budget, and handles all other financial matters. It must have at least four delegates. 219

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Magazine and Press prepares synopsis and news release for the convention, reviews chapter and fraternity publications. It must have at least four delegates. Alumni Affairs handles issues relating to alumni, such as recognition and other involvement, recommending and reporting as needed. At least six delegates must be on it. Nomination of Fraternity Officers considers recommendations, and makes nomi­ nations to the Board of Trustees. This com mittee m ust have at least six delegates as members. Scholarship examines scholastic standing of chapters, recommends ways to im­ prove academic life. Committee to inspect the minutes examines the minutes of each session to make sure they are in order, and accurate. Usually, the chair appoints the Historian and the Editor of the magazine to this committee. The following three committees appear in many of the early conventions, but are now obsolete. However, the function of each has been replaced in some manner. Necrology reported on the decease of members. Usually, there was a short talk of inspirational character, then followed the names of those who had died, with any appropriate comments. This practice ceased after 1897 but the idea remains in the “Memory and Our Mystic Shrine” convention ritual. Place of Next Meeting decided on the time and place for the next convention. Since 1916 this has been determined by the Board of Trustees, and recommended in their usual report to the convention. Orator and Poet selected a speaker (and alternate) to address the convention, and a poet to express the convention’s sentiment in verse. These formal exercises were abandoned by the convention of 1908, after a few years of growing feeling that the features were “no longer important to the success of the annual gathering.” While poetry has not been written since then, the oration has proceeded every year under a different disguise. The Board usually selects the speakers, and both great Beta alumni and undergraduates have inspired convention-goers even to the present day. W e just don’t think of them as orators, but they are. There is one other committee which is very unusual, as it is composed of all those Betas in attendance at a particular session of the convention. This is called the “Committee of the Whole,” and is a standard part of parliamentary procedure. However, in Beta, it is a traditional part of the proceedings of the convention. It is provided for in the Code, which refers to it as “the committee of the whole upon the 220

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condition of the fraternity,” and specifies that the president relinquish the chair to another member. Then, “any mem ber present shall have the privilege of speaking upon the subjects under consideration”; these are primarily the condition of Beta, and prospects for her growth and development. Although minutes are not kept, everyone present will hear the comments or suggestions which come to the commit­ tee. It is a most clever and ingenious device for fraternal communication, yet still a common practice provided for by Robert’s Rules of Order. Only a certain time can be spent in such a committee, then the chair entertains a motion to “rise and report.” The first use of this device was recorded in the minutes of the Convention of 1848, in its 9:00 AM session on Wednesday August 9, 1848, although it was then used for the discussion of limiting chapters to colleges (rather than places). Its first recorded use in the manner of today - to confer and inquire into the condition, etc - was at the Convention of 1856, in its 8:00 PM session on August 13, 1856.

Convention Officers Long ago, the motivation to maintain order and fairness in government m eet­ ings resulted in the formulation of parliamentary procedure. Well-known in govern­ ment and legal meetings of various kinds, it was taught and used in the meetings of the literary societies of the 1800’s. The practice was carried over to Beta conventions from the very start. Parliamentary procedure requires the election of certain officers to control the meeting, allowing business to be handled, and minutes to be recorded in an orderly manner. These two duties require the offices of chairman and secretary from the very beginning of the meeting. As will be seen shortly, after the opening ritual is complete, the General Sec­ 221

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retary calls the Convention to order. H e confirms the committee on Perm anent O r­ ganization, which makes nominations for a temporary President and Secretary. Both of these are usually suggested by the Board, due to the need of preparation for these offices. Recently, for convenience, nominations for all the other offices as “temporary” ones are also made at this time. Temporary President: usually a Beta of some local importance. H e is the chairman until the President of the Convention is elected, usually at the next session. Temporary Secretary: records the minutes until the Secretary is elected. Recently, the two have been identical, no doubt for the sake of convenience. At the next session, the committee on Perm anent Organization presents its nomination for the office of Permanent President and Secretary, as well as all other offices of the convention. Since certain offices require prior preparation, the Board usually makes recommendations for president, secretary, parliamentarian, marshall, floor manager and chorister. President: often a district chief, or frequent convention-goer. He must have a rea­ sonable knowledge of Beta, the Code, and parliamentary practice. H e holds the chair throughout the remainder of the convention. For some time, a gavel, fre­ quently of ivory was presented to him at the close of the sessions. Hence former convention presidents were said to belong to the “O rder of the Ivory.” Secretary: takes minutes, and calls the roll for the remainder of the convention. He also tallies votes when required. Assistant Secretaries: aid the convention secretary as required, for tallying votes, calling the roll, and other activities. Vice Presidents: around ten Betas are nominated. This is primarily an honorary position, but the president may call one to the chair to conduct the Committee of the Whole, or other parts of the convention. Marshall: guarantees that only initiated Betas are admitted to the convention, and also to monitor the overall demeanor of the convention. He is ordered to “seek out” absent delegates at the start of a session, and bring them to the censure of the convention. Assistant Marshalls: help the marshall in his duties. Chorister: leads the convention in song. Usually it doesn’t take much urging to get the brothers singing, except in the morning after a late night, when even the chorister might need some urging. Assistant Choristers: help the Chorister lead the songs. Floor Manager: assists in the running of the convention. He acts as the clearing­ house of business to come before the convention, including the various committee reports and other motions. 222

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Assistant Floor Managers: help the floor manager in his duties. Parliamentarian: assists in following parliamentary procedure, and resolves tech­ nical questions, such as quorum or majority when a vote is to be taken. This office requires a good working knowledge of R obert’s Rules of O rder, and often a Beta who is a lawyer (or a judge) is recommended by the Board. These officers provide the order necessary to organize and handle all the business of the convention, While their offices cease with the final adjournment, their place is recorded in the minutes and the convention record of the fraternity.

Convention Rituals There are a few formal rituals which arc required to be performed at each con­ vention. There are also several informal ones, which have been traditional for many years. These form part of the real fraternal aspects of the convention, bringing the continuing history of Beta into sharper focus. Of course, the secret parts cannot be revealed in detail, but their existence can be mentioned, and some limited observa­ tions made.

Formal Rituals The formal prescribed rituals are the opening ceremony, the memorial service for the dead known as “Memory and Our Mystic Shrine,” and the closing ceremony. Although the ritual of initiation is usually performed, it will not be considered here, nor will the “Loving Cup” ceremony, usually performed just before the final closing. The informal ones are the “snake” or “marching line” and the countdown. There are a few minor traditions, like finger snapping, singing, and incidental cheers. Opening Ceremony: There has always been a more-or-less formal rite of calling to order. However, we presently have a much more elaborate opening, which helps set the mood for the convention. This ceremony was devised quite recently, and is very impressive. A procession of the district chiefs and officers of the fraternity enter the hall, the flags of the United States, Canada, and Beta Theta Pi are presented. National anthems and Beta ceremonial songs are sung. The ritual Obligations are repeated by all Betas present. Certain portions of the initiation ceremony are de­ clared by the General Secretary who, as the original executive officer, then calls the convention to order. The Code provides a chain of authority specifying who formally opens the convention in the absence of the General Secretary: the delegate from the Miami chapter opens it; if he is absent, the delegate from the oldest chapter present opens it. This provision was used when General Secretary Rom oda died in office weeks before the convention of 1967; the delegate from Alpha, E. Phillips Knox, Miami 1968, [not a relation to Pater Knox], then called the convention to order. Memory and Our Mystic Shrine: A ritual for the Beta dead, in which the Founders and the deceased of the past fraternity year are recalled. Silent and spoken prayer are offered: 223

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T h e y re s t, th e y s le e p th e d re a m le s s s le e p W h ile cy cles m o v e . B u t in o u r h e a r ts e te rn a lly w e k e e p T h e ir fa ith a n d lo v e.

Closing ceremony: The General Secretary makes a short report on the actions of the convention, and urges deeper devotion to the Principles in the coming year. R e­ cently, the Loving Cup ceremony has been inserted at this point. The General Secretary then moves to adjourn sine die, after the singing of the Beta Doxology.

Informal Rituals The snake or marching line is a real attention getter. Not only does it jam up traffic around the convention site and get smiles from our Beta girls, it is the participation of every Beta present in a fun and stirring activity of great symbolic value. About a half-hour before the final evening banquet, all the Betas (and their guests) will be found gathered around in a convenient open area of the convention site, preferably outdoors. A cocktail party atmosphere has been provided. Then, the word is passed - the marching line is to be formed. The Marshall of the Convention begins the line, followed by the Board of Trustees, and other officers. After them follows all the Betas present, unintentionally approximating a random distribution of age and chapter. Each places his right hand on the shoulder of the man in front of him, forming a continuous (or nearly so) line of Betas.

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Kenneth Rogers’ song, “Marching Along” is begun - it will be sung continu­ ously throughout the march. Then, the Marshall begins to walk, carrying the entire chain of brothers along. It circles around, crossing any nearby driveways, streets, and bridges (such as at French Lick, Indiana), all the while “Marching Along” is being sung, in four or five keys, and at four or five different tempos. It sometimes appears that more of the time is spent laughing at each other than singing, but that’s only natural. Finally, after we’ve gotten our exercise, the Marshall leads the way into the dining hall for the banquet, and the song dwindles away - usually to be replaced by “Wooglin Forever” or another song, once everyone catches their breath. It’s so obvious, and certainly so public a ritual, that little discussion would appear to be necessary. However, there is one point that might be missed. In a way, the line does not start with the Marshall. He merely marks the connecting point to the previous convention, and has his hand on the shoulder of the last man of last year’s line. Thus, the “long illustrious line” led by the Founders will include the Betas at each convention, and all the chapters, through their representatives. Exactly when this “snake line” tradition began is uncertain, though it is certainly old - quite likely it was at one of the Wooglin conventions. O f course, the use of Rogers’ song started almost immediately upon his writing of it —sometime in the early 1920’s. They also used to use the so-called “Beta Hoe-down” song, which appeared under that title in the 1894 songbook. You never heard of it? Yes, you did. It’s the one that goes “We are the people... We wear the diamond... and three stars.” There is a little note at the end in the music: “repeat ad infinitum Do not confuse the hoe-down with the count-down. The countdown is another thing that started at some unknown time. O f course, it would have been silly to do it in the early years, and there were practically no “convention veterans” until the 1870’s. The countdown was once done during a session of the convention, but now it usually happens after the same banquet which is preceded by the marching line, on the last night of the convention. Usually, awards and speeches have been made, and people are getting a little itchy, so the M aster of Ceremonies for the banquet asks everyone to stand. Then, he asks everyone who is not a Beta to be seated - thus, everyone standing is a brother. He then asks everyone who is at his first convention to be seated. O f course, this significantly reduces the number still standing. Then, he asks that those at their second convention to be seated, then third, fourth, fifth. By now, there are usually around fifty left standing. He continues, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, [I have to sit down now], thirteen, and so on, until just a few are left. H e usually names them as they sit down, still counting off ascending numbers, until it is revealed who is the current convention veteran. It should be noted that those scoring high numbers are not always former officers, which says a lot about the dedication of our alumni brothers. So far, only two Betas have made the golden num ber of F I F T Y conventions - J. Harold Ryan, Yale, 1908, deceased, and Dr. Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922, also deceased. Ryan had made forty-five srRAlGIfT conventions before he missed in 1955. The convention of 1960 presented him with a silver bowl for his 50 conven­ tions. Dr. Brooks’ conventions were somewhat more scattered. There was no silver 225

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bowl for him, but he never missed it. You cannot imagine the noise of shouting and clapping that filled the hall at Boca Raton in 1985 when the count went to fifty, then Seth sat down (not too many people could see him, sitting down). After these two, the runner-up is Richard T. Steele, Wesleyan 1921, deceased, who attended 45 con­ ventions. For the record, the minutes show that the first Beta to attend ten conven­ tions was Charles J. Seaman, Denison 1872, reaching this in 1882; he ultimately attended seventeen in his life. The same process is repeated for the Beta Wives. Again, it is a real pleasure to see the support given by these ladies to their husbands, and their own interest in his fraternity - many of them have outstanding records of convention attendance. Also the process is repeated for Beta children in attendance - these are usually the children of the officers or district chiefs. Unfortunately, it can be a little disconcert­ ing to a young Beta at his first convention to see a Beta daughter who has been to four conventions already and she doesn’t yet go to school... After the convention veterans have been determined, all Betas are again asked to stand. Then, those who have been a brother for less than a year are asked to be seated. Then, brothers for one, two,... years are asked to sit down. After four, (one would expect) only alumni would be standing. Visually, it would appear to be around a quarter of those in attendance —again saying a lot about Beta alumni. By actual count at a recent convention there were 140 alumni out of 615 total Betas. The count continues until the golden number of fifty is reached, indicating those left standing are Fraternal Fifties. These are asked to come forward and give their name and number of years that they have been a Beta. The all-time oldest Beta at a convention has not yet been determined. It’s kind of funny that it’s called the Beta count-dow/i, since they actually count up. It should either be called the count-up, or the sit-down. It’s fun, it’s a pleasant break, and it reveals some interesting statistics of convention attendance.

Other Incidental Traditions There are several short “cheers” which probably should be noted here. One, de­ scribed by Historian Robert Howard, is used to honor a particular speaker, whose name is inserted in the indicated spaces. It arises spontaneously from the assembly: W hat’s the m atter w ith _______? H e’s all right! (accented either H e’s all right or H e’s all right) Who’s all right? ! H e’s a la-la! H e’s a lu-lu! He gets there every time! Let’s all evoke a facial ripple! H - A ! H - A ! Ha-a-a-a! SPEECH! Sometimes the last line is: H - A ! H - A ! Stand up! Turn around! Ha-a-a-a! SPEECH! 226

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Chandler stated that the cheer was first used in 1890 at the Wooglin convention. Another tradition is the use of the snapping of fingers to signify approval, rather than clapping. Its first recorded use was on April 4,1857 at a meeting of the Western Reserve chapter. It can be hard to distinguish when to snap and when to clap, but clapping is quite rare during the sessions. It is usually only heard at the election of officers, or at the granting of a charter. These have their own forms, which you can see for yourself at the next convention. Oh, yes - and now it’s time for that famous (or infamous) question. O.K„ put away your Son o f the Stars, and try this little quiz: Who was Pater Knox? Give up? If you said “he was the prime founder and number one on the Miami roll,” you were correct, but WRONG. The right answer is: FIRST IN WAR, FIRST IN PEACE, FIRST IN THE HEARTS OF HIS FELLOW GREEKS! This must be shouted very loudly, and is then followed with a rhythmic banging on the tables. The exact rhythm is easily lost in the racket, but an approximation seems to be “bang-bang-bang (pause), bang-bang-bang (pause), bang-bang-bang-bang, bang-bang-bang” or thereabouts. It also appears as “first in the hearts of the hungry Greeks.” This is an old, old tradition, and is preserved in one of our old chapters Case-W estern Reserve, according to John Teleha, Case-Western 1989. Usually someone stands up and yells the question out (over the usual back­ ground din) during one of the banquets. Due to this banging (and subsequent destruction of glasses and other china), this yell has been rather suppressed for some time. It still sneaks out on occasion, and is really funny to hear when you aren’t expecting it.

Public Exercises at the Convention This does not refer to calisthenics (that’s what the marching line is for). In the first constitution, Beta was required to meet on the anniversary of the founding to hear an oration. This has continued, perhaps less formally, through the years. The oration was a formal speech, and the topic could be anything of general interest, but usually it had some implied relation to Beta. As early as 1848, non-Betas were invited to hear the oration. In that year, the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity was invited to the public exercises. Baird considered this to be the first recorded inter-fraternity event; despite its devious motives, it actually worked out well. Once the banquet era had begun (in 1866, it would appear), speeches were always held in conjunction with the dinners. Sometimes, these took the form of “toasts” - short, extemporaneous speeches upon a particular aspect of the frater­ nity, with several members participating. Only vestiges of these “toasts” remain in 227

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the occasional short remarks made by the Fraternal Fifties in the countdown (see above), or in the comments made by the convention officers when they hold the chair. The formal poem and oration were abandoned at the convention of 1908. However, the speeches (or less formal orations) were continued. Indeed, they grew, and now there are really TH R E E (or perhaps four). These are known as the “Keynote Address,” the “Undergraduate Address,” and the “Loving Cup Lunch­ eon Address.” The fourth one is the General Secretary’s closing remarks, which are usually more of a final synopsis, but have recently become more broad and inspira­ tional. The schedule of the first two has varied in the last few years, and has not yet stabilized, though it would appear that the Keynote Address should come first. The Keynote Address was given by Dr. Brooks for many years. Like his writing of Inter Fratres, it was a dependably great feature. Seth often took a Biblical quota­ tion as a fundamental note, returning to it again and again, and harmonizing it with many episodes of Beta life - both recorded history and his own experience. Others who have given the address have remarked on feeling that they “were standing in Seth’s shoes.” The purpose of the speech is to inspire, and give spiritual direction to the convention. It is the alumni counterpart to the undergraduate speech. The Undergraduate Address is given by (you guessed it) an undergraduate selected in advance by the Board of Trustees. Of course, the style and approach used vary greatly from year to year, but many of them have been outstanding in expressing new and deeper aspects of Beta’s Principles. It is perhaps the convention speech which is most closely in keeping with Beta’s literary background and the intent of the original constitution. The last meal of the convention is presently the lunch on Friday, known as “the President’s Loving Cup Luncheon,” since it is followed by the Loving Cup Cere­ mony. After the meal, the President of the General Fraternity gives a speech (somewhat shorter than the other two, unless he happens to be a politician). This has become known as the “Loving Cup Address.” The speech is to provide inspiration for the coming fraternity (school) year, and gives the president a chance of relating the actions of the convention to the bigger picture of Beta history. Since the term of office of newly elected General Fraternity officers begins with the adjournment of the convention, this is often a farewell speech, leading directly into the presentation of the new officers, who then also get to say a few words. The adjournment is also really the “new year” for Beta, and it is fitting to examine recent events and future expectations at this point. Not only have our presidents done remarkable jobs in office, but they are also very good speakers - especially the politicians. Finally, the first Beta to speak officially is also the last. The General Secretary is directed by the ritual to make closing remarks of an inspirational nature, “sum­ moning the Chapters to enter upon the work of the year with enthusiasm and zeal.” Again, there can be great variation in the length of these remarks, but the talents of these officers are unmistakable. Perhaps to be included in the public exercises is the singing. Beta has always been known as a singing fraternity, and this aspect is discussed in detail elsewhere. 228

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As a m atter of record, it appears that the convention of 1848 had “some appropriate music,” but its nature is unspecified. Whatever it was, in 1864 a songbook was ordered to be printed; then at the convention of 1866, on May 2, the 8:30 session was “opened by a Beta song” for the first recorded time. Conventions since then have sung to varying extents, often giving a serenade to the Beta girls in attendance. At the Awards Banquet, various chapters enter the singing competition for the W hitman Choral Cup. The singing continues even late in the evening, but some of those songs are not (and will never be) in the Beta Songbook.

Convention Etiquette If you ever go to a convention as a delegate, there are a few things you should know about, to avoid looking silly when you have the floor. 1. Always give your name, school and year when addressing the convention: (I’m) John Reily Knox, Miami, ’39. Etc. 2. Formal reports should always begin with the following introduction: T o th e h o n o ra b le , th e o n e - h u n d re d -f iftie th G e n e r a l C o n v e n tio n o f B e ta T h e ta Pi: B ro th e rs : etc.

3. Never say “national fraternity.” We have had a chapter in Canada since 1906, and it’s rude, not to say inaccurate. Always say “General Fraternity.” 4. The names of certain schools have the following pronunciations: Bowdoin rhymes with Odin. Willamette rhymes with “dammit.” The “s” is not said in Louisville - but the vowel sounds vary with locality. The “u” sounds like a “w” in Guelph. The first “e” is long in Weber.

The Convention Schedule The convention is just too short. Oh, certainly there has rarely been a need to skip or hold over business, so from the legislative aspect it might be adequate, but that is not the only important part of the convention. In our first 150 years, Beta’s 130 meetings have varied in length from the one day all-business convention of 1854 to the five-day gala celebration of the centennial in 1939, complete with services, speeches, parade, and bell-ringing. [No fireworks, though.] Convention schedules have varied over our history, though lately a three day schedule has become typical. T uesday

3:00 B a c k g ro u n d 6:00 R e u n io n 7:00 K e y B a n q u e t 9:00 S e s sio n I 11:00 C o m . M tg s

W ednesday

T h u rsd a y

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8:00 B re a k fa s t

9:00 S e s sio n II 12:00 L u n c h

9:00 S e s sio n I 12:00 L u n c h

(P M ) R e c re a tio n 6:00 R e u n io n

(P M ) 6:00 6:45 7:00

7:00 B a n q u e t 9:00 S e re n a d e 9:30 S e s sio n III 11:00 C o m . M tg s

S e m in a rs R e u n io n M a r c h in g L in e A w a rd s B a n q u e t

10:00 In itia tio n 11:00 C o m . M tg s

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Though the Board of Trustees and other officers have already been hard at work for a couple of days, the convention begins for most Betas with the “back­ ground session,” in which the various General officers are introduced, and various explanations and announcements are made. There are six working sessions of the convention, various committee meetings, three reunions (which are like pre-dinner cocktails), three banquets and the Loving Cup luncheon, an initiation, seminars and a time for recreation (or sleep - you won’t get any at night.) It is a crowded schedule, but absolutely guaranteed to be interesting and fun. When it comes to the conventions of the early years, we cannot say very much, since details of the early conventions, outside of the legislation and attendance, were not recorded. Once the magazine was begun, however, convention activities were recorded in detail. We have documented the schedules of a few early conventions in the chronology section. At the 149th convention in 1988, it was recommended by the Board of Trustees that the schedule be modified to include the weekend. There were several benefits to this: more Betas would be able to attend at least one session, even if they could not take off from work. Also, airplane fares are less when a Saturday night is included. Perhaps an increasing concern for the spiritual within Beta will also provide time for attending religious services, as well as having a session to conduct the non-legislative, fraternal business of the convention. Certainly nothing is really permanent in the convention schedules. It’s more fun having new events to look forward to, just as it’s fun learning how to get to the convention hall in an unblazed resort complex. It’s even more fun trying to find your room at 4 AM after along singing session. But you don’t have to believe me. Just BE SU RE TO GO NEXT YEAR and see for yourself!

230

THE FAITHFUL HUME OF THE THREE STARS

Sites of the General Conventions of Beta Theta Pi 1842 C in c in n a ti O H

1900 P u t-in -B a y O H

1945 ( s k ip p e d )

1845 C in c in n a ti O H

1901 1902 1903 1904

L akew ood NY L a k e M in n e to n k a M N P u t-in -B a y O H S t. L o u is M O

1946 1947 1948 1949

1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911

N ew Y o rk N Y D enver CO N ia g a ra F a lls N Y N ia g a ra F a lls N Y P u t-in -B a y O H S a ra to g a S p rin g s N Y N ia g a ra F a lls N Y

1950 L a k e o f B ay s O n t

1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917

D e tr o it M I N a n ta s k e t B e a c h M A S t. L o u is M O O a k la n d C A S a ra to g a S p rin g s N Y N ia g a ra F a lls N Y

1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928

W h ite S u lp h u r S p rin g s W V S w a m p s c o tt M A W illia m s B a y W I E s te s P a rk C O W e s t B a d e n IN W h ite S u lp h u r S p rin g s W V M a c k in a c Is la n d M I L a k e o f B ay s O n t W h ite S u lp h u r S p rin g s W V I,a k e o f B ay s O n t C o lo ra d o S p rin g s C O

1847 C in c in n a ti O H (s p e c ia l) 1848 H u d s o n O I I 1851 P itts b u r g h P A 1854 C in c in n a ti O H 1856 L o u isv ille K Y 1858 1860 1862 1864 1865 1866 1867

B e r k e le y S p rin g s V A C o lu m b u s O H ( s k ip p e d ) I n d ia n a p o lis IN D e tr o it M I C in c in n a ti O H In d ia n a p o lis IN

1868 1869 1870 1871

N a sh v ille T N C o lu m b u s O H C h ic a g o IL I n d ia n a p o lis IN

1872 R ic h m o n d V A 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883

C in c in n a ti O H (s k ip p e d ) E v a n sv ille IN P h ila d e lp h ia P A D e tr o it M I In d ia n a p o lis IN C in c in n a ti O H B a ltim o re M D C h ic a g o IL C in c in n a ti O H S a ra to g a S p rin g s N Y

1884 W o o g lin -o n - C h a u ta u q u a 1885 S t. L o u is M O 1886 C in c in n a ti O I I 1887 W o o g lin -o n - C h a u ta u q u a 1888 W o o g lin -o n - C h a u ta u q u a 1889 W o o g lin -o n - C h a u ta u q u a 1890 W o o g lin -o n - C h a u ta u q u a 1891 W o o g lin -o n - C h a u ta u q u a 1892 W o o g lin -o n - C h a u ta u q u a 1893 W o o g lin -o n - C h a u ta u q u a 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899

N ia g a ra F a lls N Y C h ic a g o IL W h ite S u lp h u r S p rin g s W V N ia g a ra F a lls N Y C in c in n a ti O I t N ia g a ra F a lls N Y

1929 l ^ k e o f B ay s O n t 1930 O ld P o in t C o m fo rt V A 1931 L a k e R o s s e a u O n t

M a c k in a c Is la n d M I P o la n d S p r in g M E M a c k in a c Is la n d M I G le n w o o d S p rin g s C O

1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957

O ld P o in t C o m fo rt V A L a k e o f B ay s O n t Pasadena CA O x fo rd O I I B e d f o rd S p rin g s P A M a c k in a c Is la n d M I P o la n d S p r in g M E

1958 1959 1960 1961 1962

B e d f o rd S p rin g s P A F r e n c h L ick IN M a c k in a c Is la n d M I Pasadena CA A sh e v ille N C

1963 1964 1965 1966

B e d f o rd S p rin g s P A O x fo rd O I I M a c k in a c Is la n d M I L a k e o f B ay s O n t

1967 A sh e v ille N C 1968 B e d f o rd S p rin g s P A 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974

B r e tto n W o o d N II M a c k in a c Is la n d M I S u n V a lle y ID A sh e v ille N C L a k e o f th e O z a r k s M O B e d f o rd S p rin g s P A

1975 M a c k in a c Is la n d M I 1976 F r e n c h L ick IN

1934 M a c k in a c Is la n d M I 1935 S e ig n io ry C lu b Q u e

1977 1978 1979 1980

1936 B iloxi M S

1981 S c o tts d a le A Z

1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944

1982 F r e n c h L ick IN 1983 M a c k in a c Is la n d M I

1932 H o t S p rin g s V A 1933 M ac k in a c Is la n d M I

M a c k in a c Is la n d M I P o la n d S p rin g M E O x fo rd O H D e l M o n te C A M a c k in a c Is la n d M I M a c k in a c Is la n d M I (s k ip p e d ) (s k ip p e d )

1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

L a k e o f th e O z a r k s M O M a c k in a c Is la n d M I O x fo rd O I I H o t S p rin g s V A

L a k e o f th e O z a r k s M O B o c a R a to n F L S c o tts d a le A Z A sh e v ille N C T o r o n to O n t O x fo rd O H

Our favorite sites: M a c k in a c Isla n d , M ich ig an C in c in n a ti, O h io W o o g lin -o n - C h a u ta u q u a N ia g a r a F a lls, N Y L a k e o f B ays, O n ta r io

15 10 8 7 6

231

O x fo rd , O h io B e d f o rd S p rin g s, P A A sh e v ille , N C In d ia n a p o lis , IN W h ite S u lp h u r S p rin g s, W V

5 5 4 4 4

The Family Tree of Beta Theta Pi

1839

-

1989

SECTION 22 The Chapters A chapter (from the Latin for a small head) is a subdivision of a larger organi­ zation, having its own smaller version of all the aspects of the whole: history, members, insignia, lore, etc. In 1989, Beta consists of about 150 chapters, of which about 120 are currently active. In this section, we shall examine the parts which all chapters have in common, and also some issues which are unique to certain chap­ ters, yet of general importance: how chapters are formed, their life and their composition. B eta’s first constitution makes it clear that the founders intended other branches of the fraternity to be started. However, they left no real indication of what the character of these branches (i.e. chapters) would be, and they did not even explain how the branches were to be formed - at least such things do not appear in the first constitution. However, one of the founders had a hand in establishing the chapter at Cincinnati, A very early Beta letter reveals the details: Founder Gordon was the chairman of the committee appointed by Miami to organize the new chap­ ter. H e presided at the initiation of the Cincinnati members, and addressed them with “some appropriate remarks upon the nature of the Association and explana­ tory of its objects.” Remarkably, the founders of the next two chapters were in this group. One of these initiates, Louis P. Harvey, Cincinnati 1839, later governor of Wisconsin, started Beta’s third chapter at Western Reserve, and another, Henry Beard, Cincinnati 1840, started the fourth chapter at Ohio. R ather than narrate the continuing branching over 150 years, we present on the facing page, for the first time anywhere, a Beta family tree of chapters. A few chapters have died and have been resuscitated later - these “recolonizings” are not indicated. Beta’s chapters repeat the diversity of brothers on a large scale. There are very old ones, like Centre College, and very young ones, like Middle Tennessee State University; small ones, like Dickinson, and large ones, like Oklahoma. Some have died and come back to life several times, like Pennsylvania, some have never died, like De Pauw, and some are presently inactive, like Davidson. O f course, the entire social spectrum of both the United States and Canada are represented in their membership, and all the academic disciplines as well. The entirety of chapters is sometimes referred to as “Beta’s Broad Dom ain”; or, since chapters, like Beta herself, are always referred to with the feminine pro­ noun, “the sisterhood of chapters.” Except for the somewhat ambiguous early chapter at Cincinnati (the one which was founded in 1840 and lasted for three years, as opposed to the one founded in 1890), every chapter has been at a college or university in the United States or Canada, so each has a unique setting and local history beyond that of the fraternity. While it is not possible in the present volume to give a complete summary of the interesting facts about every chapter, selected chapter facts are presented in tabular form at the end of this section.

233

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Chapter Names Each chapter has its individual name, which is formed of Greek letters. These are typically used as nicknames for the chapters, or for a hint of formality. They are included in the formal title of a chapter, which has the form “The Miami chapter, the Alpha of Beta Theta Pi,” “the Wesleyan Chapter, the Mu Epsilon of Beta Theta Pi,” or “the Case-Western Reserve Chapter, the Lambda Kappa Beta of Beta Theta Pi.” While in early years there was no meaning behind the name, there is now a Greek motto for each chapter, this having been a logical result of the establishing of Beta’s complete heraldic system by Chandler. In examining the entire list of chapter names, one finds a rather confusing mess. While every chapter since 1913 seems to have been named in a regular (Greek) alphabetical fashion, there seems to be no particular order between 1848 and 1913. Furtherm ore, many of the chapters founded between 1840 and 1880 have had two or more names. There are two reasons for this. First, the list of chapters was juggled by the conventions of 1847,1848, and 1854 in an attempt to cover over Beta’s several defunct chapters. It probably didn’t help that much, and it certainly makes tracking our early chapter history difficult, but it’s far too late to do anything about it now. The other reason was the “low name” hunting spree that rearranged the list in 1880. In 1858, an amendment to the constitution was made which provided that a defunct chapter retained its name - but this was frequently disregarded even into this century. Another rule which was often ignored was the requirement to follow the Greek alphabet, so that order of the founding would be self-evident. This was especially ignored from 1880 to 1913: nearly all the chapter names beginning with Beta were arbitrarily assigned. This was also the era of “euphonious” names, or those with local significance, which were totally out of the normal alphabetical order: Theta Delta, Mu Epsilon, Zeta Phi, Phi Chi, Lambda Sigma, Sigma Rho, Lambda Kappa, Tau Sigma, Theta Zeta, and Gamma Phi. Ever since Idaho became Gamma Gamma in 1913, the names have been assigned in strict alphabetical order. All the names and their changes are summarized elsewhere in this book. Initially, the chapter names were merely an indication of the priority or age of the chapters. They were based on Greek numerals, explained in the exhibits section of this book. Thus, Miami, the first chapter, was number one, or a ’ , Cincinnati was chapter number two, f) ' , and so on. Certainly this was intended by a very early Miami secretary, who decorated the first minute book with the notation “Minutes of the a ' Chapter.” This was abandoned after Transylvania (number five, or e ' ) , since it was so much easier to use the order of the Greek alphabet, rather than the curious ordering of the Greek numerals. Hence, Jefferson, the sixth chapter, was called Z (Zeta) rather than , the Greek numeral for six. Meanwhile, Beta was continuing to establish new chapters, and by the Civil War (not counting extinct chapters), all the 24 letters had been used. W hen Monmouth was established in 1865, it was decided to double the letters, so it became Alpha Alpha, followed by Beta Beta at Iowa, Gamma Gamma at Wittenberg, and so on. This method was used for seven years; Howard College at Marion, Alabama had to live with “Mu M u” just a few months, until the epochal convention of 1872 changed 234

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

the naming to that presently used. In this method, the first 24 chapters had single letter names, the second 24 would use an Alpha followed by a Greek letter; the third 24 would use a Beta, and so on. Thus, all the double-letter names had their first letter changed into an Alpha, and Howard became the Alpha Mu chapter. This “odom eter” method provides for six hundred chapter names: 24 of one letter, and 576 of two letters. It has been used since 1872, except for the variations of order mentioned above, and one other special case, or perhaps I should say Case - when the W estern Reserve and Case chapters were merged in 1979, the new chapter was assigned a triple-letter name, Lambda Kappa Beta. There has been one other chapter merger in Beta’s history, that of Jefferson (once the Gamma) and the Washington (Pennsylvania) chapter (once the Nu) which united in 1865 to become the “Washington and Jefferson chapter, the Gamma of Beta Theta Pi.”

Chapter Arms Each chapter has another mark of identification, the chapter “device” from its coat of arms. Chandler planned this when he devised Beta’s coat of arms, but it was not implemented until 1909, when Michigan (Chandler’s own chapter) petitioned the Board of Trustees for approval of its own coat of arms. Under the usual rules of heraldry, a son takes the coat of arms of his father, but with a small change or difference. These “marks of difference” are specified by heraldry for up to nine sons. Miami, as the founding chapter, bears the arms “undifferenced,” that is, with­ out any change, except in the “m otto” or Greek phrase beneath the shield. After Miami, the following chapters have been assigned the nine regular heraldic marks of difference: Cincinnati the label for the oldest son W estern Reserve the crescent second son third son Ohio the mullet the martlet fourth son Transylvania fifth son [Washington & ] Jefferson the annulet sixth son Harvard the fleur-de-lys seventh son Princeton the rose De Pauw the cross moline eighth son ninth son the double quatre-foil Indiana O f course Michigan just happened to be chapter number ten (not counting Miami), so they decided to pick a symbol suggested by a Biblical quotation: “Your word is a lamp to m y feet, and a light on my path,” from Psalm 119, verse 105. The emphasized words in this quote in the Greek of the Septuagint version are A v x v o ? r o t ? no a i ^ o v , which begins with Lambda, the Michigan chapter’s Greek name. As for all chapters, the Greek motto appears at the bottom of the shield. These mottos and marks of difference have been carefully selected to suggest something pertaining to the individual chapter. By 1912 (after he had written a great many letters) Chandler had accomplished the selection of emblems by all the active chapters. Typically, the undergraduates of the chapter can handle finding an em ­ 235

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

blem, but finding a Greek motto with all the right endings and correct accent marks is beyond most students of today - alas. Hanna selected most of the mottos for them, with some urging by Chandler. After Hanna’s death, A. J. Gustin Priest, then Seth R. Brooks selected the mottos. In Beta’s 150th year, the job was taken over by Joseph H. Lane, Hampden-Sydney 1990, another of Beta’s rare students of the classical languages. Once the emblem and motto are selected by the chapter, they are sub­ mitted to the Board of Trustees for final approval.

Charters Each chapter has (at least in theory) a “charter,” the official document which formally establishes the existence of the chapter. Only the convention can grant charters, and a 2/3 majority of the existing chapters must give their approval. Unfortunately, in Beta’s 150 years, about thirty chapters have had their charters revoked, or have had to surrender it due to local difficulties. Depending on how the few “special cases” are counted, Beta has granted over 150 charters, but only about 120 belong to active chapters. In the early years, a document containing the formal motion to form a chapter was preserved as the official legal instrument of establishment —these were known as “letters of commission.” In 1872, this standard form of charter was adopted:

__C h a p t e r B e ta T h e ta Pi T o ____ g re e tin g : In v irtu e o f th e p o w e r v e s te d in us a s P r e s id in g C h a p t e r o f th e B e ta T h e ta P i F r a te rn ity , w e h e re b y a u th o riz e a n d d ire c t y o u to e s ta b lis h a c h a p t e r o f s a id F r a ­ te r n ity a t ____ C o lle g e , ____ , to c o n sis t o f th e fo llo w in g c h a r te r m e m b e rs : ________ , a n d to b e e n t i t l e d ____ C h a p te r o f B e ta T h e ta Pi. In to k e n w h e r e o f w e d o h e re s e t o u r h a n d s a n d s ea l t h i s ____ d a y o f _____, b e in g t h e ____ y e a r o f th e F r a te rn ity .

P r e s i d e n t ____ C h a p te r R e c o r d e r ____ C h a p te r C o r. S e c . ____ C h a p te r G e n e r a l Sec. B e ta T h e ta Pi

This form appears in Baird’s Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation, but it is unknown whether any of the older chapters possesses such a charter any more. 236

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

However, the form has varied through the years, and presently has the following appearance:

a Hi B E IT K N O W N T H A T U P O N T H E P E T IT IO N O F

fames'll lhaha: 'Stercnet^ (£ F^unnlcutt, Ifarn £ V,msIftaiaLi £ fo^inrftarj, JftEdjaelJ. Ifiark. 5-.Xkzv^&nnvai',

C-lWpk; Tf)ari^‘llU SeedIh;

IT WAS VOTED BYTHB ,147 th GENERAL CONVENTION OP BETA THETA PI THAT A CHAPTER THEREOF BE ESTABLISHED IN 'H V TJnix*r*jUj rf.@ >£OrXil0, WHEREFORE, THE SAID. PETITIONERS WHEN. DULY INi TlATEIJ ANDTTI0R DULY ELECTED AND INITIATED SUCCESSORS ARE BY VIRTUE OF SUCH ACTION AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FRATERNITY HEREBY ESTABLISHED AND CONSTITUTED THB lEgM'km T Efiilim to % ta ]P i IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF BETA THETA PI HAS CAUSED THESE PRESENTS TO BE SIGNED BY ITS PRESIDENT AND GENERAL SECRETARY AND ITS GREAT SEAL TO BE hereto affixed on the

7th c ^ J e b r u a r i} , }9ST

9 ^ .1

The Code requires that each charter be signed by the General Secretary and the President of the Fraternity, and sealed with the G reat Seal. Sometimes the signa­ tures have had to be signed post-humously. But every active chapter, even Miami (which never had one), is entitled to a charter, even if their original copy was lost or destroyed long ago.

The Establishing of a Chapter In 150 years, over 150 chapters have been begun, though some have since become inactive. Each one was derived from one or more of the others (except for Miami, of course). However, they were started in different ways, varying from the formal “colonization” of recent years and its earlier counterpart of “dispensation,” to the roving “chapter-makers” of the 1840’s such as A. W. Hamilton, Miami 1842, to the great unions with the Alpha Sigma Chi and the Mystic Seven. We are not able to provide details on the founding of each chapter, but this section will provide an overview of the various ways in which chapters were estab­ lished. The place where a chapter is proposed is referred to as the “colony school,” 237

iniL r / i i i n r u L

nu nc, u r

in n

mKnn

and the already existing chapter which acts as the primary point of contact for the colony with the fraternity is known as the “sponsoring chapter.” Except for Miami, which was founded by the Founders, each of the others owes its existence to one or more other chapters, both by their approval of the granting of a charter, and by the direct forming of the chapter itself. The process is reminis­ cent of the rush-pledge-brother sequence, and has varied over the years. It was over the “spring break” of 1840 that the first new branch of Beta was formed. Alpha chapter had already approved the idea at a meeting before vacation. Three members visited Cincinnati, and found a handful of “kindred spirits” who were offered membership, and upon their acceptance, were initiated and consti­ tuted “Beta” chapter, the second one. These guys liked the idea, and proceeded to start the next three chapters. The second constitution (probably of 1841) required a 3/4 majority to establish a chapter, but it seems that this was not rigidly imposed in the very early years. After the convention of 1842, as the number of chapters grew, things began to be done more carefully. The usual sequence seems to have been: an (undergraduate) brother visited (or transferred) to a proposed school. He found some possible candidates for membership, then he wrote for approval. Once the proper number of votes was received, he initiated them, and they proceeded to elect the president and other officers of the chapter. This method was followed more or less carefully, for the first forty years or so, until the growing alumni interest induced a less nonchalant attitude on the establishing of chapters.

238

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

The Dispensation Form of Colonization Since 1879 it has been the rule that only students in attendance at a school for which a chapter existed could be initiated into that chapter. Sometime in the 1880’s an extension method known as “dispensation” was begun. This meant that the localstudents-only rule was “dispensed with,” or suspended for the purpose of initiating students from another school who would (hopefully) establish a new chapter there. Frequently, a brother or two would transfer to the new school, select a handful of associates, and cooperate with the chapter holding the dispensation - unlike the early years, it was accepted that only a “chapter” could initiate, and not individuals. The dispensation method is very similar to the current “colonization” method, differing mainly in the placing of responsibility for the new colony. In former days, the work was primarily done by the chapter who held the dispensation; now the Administrative Office and a selected “colonizer” do most of the on-campus work, except (of course) for the initiation, which is done by the sponsoring chapter. The colonizer is usually a graduate student at the colony campus, though undergraduate transfer students would seem preferable from a historical view.

Petitioning or Outright Colonization? Yes, we have to admit it. Beta is well-known in the college fraternity world. It seems to have been the case for a very long time. [The author will forego comment­ ing on why, at least at this time!] Our good publicity (or whatever it is) has gotten us several chapters which came and asked for a charter on their own, saving us quite a lot of trouble. The easy way (for us) is for a local organization desirous of m em­ bership to petition Beta for a charter. The alternative is for Beta to go out and colonize a particular school - nowadays, this usually amounts to forming a “local” anyway, which then submits a petition. Quite a number of times, a bunch of undergraduates would get together and decide to “go Beta.” Often these would be impromptu organizations, formed by a few good friends (hallmates, perhaps) with a desire to be Betas. Others were complete active fraternities, either the last chapter of the family, or a “local” not existing elsewhere. There was one other special case which we will discuss shortly. Once a local had decided to work towards becoming a Beta chapter, they formulated a petition to Beta Theta Pi, describing their college situation, and their current membership. Some of these have tried many times - some of them have become chapters, others have not.

The Alliance with Alpha Sigma Chi This is the most famous of chapter formations in Beta. It is a nearly incredible event in all fraternity history, because of the time period when it occurred. More than anything else, the five chapters gained in the alliance are a lasting tribute to the remarkable fraternity mind which instigated the merger. Alpha Sigma Chi was a fraternity founded sub rosa at Rutgers in 1871-72. It had begun as a school-boy organization called “S.A.C.” when several friends attended a preparatory school at Blairstown, New Jersey, among these were Louis La 239

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Tourette, who died while attending Lafayette College, Elbridge Van Syckel, who went to Rutgers, and Ellis D. Thompson, who went to Cornell. Syckel and some others started the Alpha chapter of Alpha Sigma Chi. Thompson started Beta chapter at Cornell in February, 1874. Gamma at Stevens was begun in February 1875. A sub rosa chapter was started at Princeton in June 1875, but it never did well and soon became inactive. Though it was revived in 1876, it was but nominally existant by 1879. The Epsilon chapter was begun at St. Lawrence in the autumn of 1875, absorbing a local society originally called the “Five Liars,” then the “P. D. Club,” which had started in 1872. A well-attended national convention was held in 1876 at Hoboken, site of the Stevens chapter. Zeta chapter was started in May, 1877 at Columbia, but dissention arose in the fall of 1878, and the chapter was expelled. A local society called the “E.C. Society” at Maine petitioned, and was established in May of 1878 as the Eta chapter. But in 1878-1879, the fraternity was not prosper­ ous, and the stage was set for a dramatic scene... The time: 1879. Not even Beta Theta Pi, the pioneering fraternity, had yet published her constitution (though she was about to do so), nor did fraternities trust each other much. There were a few magazines, but the occasional mention of other Greeks was rarely complimentary. So someone trying to get information about a secret Greek organization would have a good bit of difficulty, and trying to evaluate them all would have been deemed impossible. The place: the Stevens chapter of Alpha Sigma Chi. This fraternity, then actively existing in five chapters - Rutgers, Cornell, Stevens, St. Lawrence, Maine - was not yet dying, but she was not in good health. Enter a unique individual, a member of Alpha Sigma Chi, an engineer with a legal slant to his mind. Recently elected to the leadership of Alpha Sigma Chi, he evaluated the state of his fraternity and has found little hope if matters would be allowed to continue as they were. He determined that the only real expectation for survival would be to ally with another large fraternity, perhaps losing some external insignia, but preserving the friendships and the inner and mystical bonds already existing. But how to find one? He set out to study the question, and his research resulted in a book now in its 20th edition. His conclusion: one fraternity was unques­ tionably better, using any applicable measurement. The man was William Raimond Baird, and he decided, in a manner of speak­ ing, to rush his entire fraternity into Beta Theta Pi. He knew about our magazine, he knew of the various difficulties we had faced and overcome. From outside, he felt the strength of our fraternal bonds, he observed the quality of our members and the achievements of our alumni. He had to be a Beta, and have every one of his brothers become Beta brothers. Could Beta resist someone who was persistent enough to research the shy Greeks of yesteryear? No, she welcomed the entire fraternity active and alumnus - thereby advancing into the East, where Beta chapters were sparse, and forming a new district, of which Baird was made district chief.

240

In c

r ftiin r u L

n u r iL

ur

in n ,

iruxiLiL

o ±^\rvo

School

AZX chapter

Beta chapter founded

Rutgers Cornell Stevens Princeton St. Lawrence Columbia Maine

1872 1874 1875 1875 1875 1877 1878

B r 1879 BA 1979 S 1879 (had died) BZ 1879 (had been expelled) BH 1879

Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Epsilon Zeta Eta

The Merger with the Mystic Seven About ten years later, correspondence was begun with another fraternity re­ garding a possible merger. Baird had something to do with this, also. The fraternity was an unusual one, as it did not use Greek letters for its name, and it had many other features which were out of the ordinary. This was the Mystic Seven, founded in 1837 by Hamilton Brewer at Wesleyan College in Middletown, Connecticut. Karl W. Fischer, Indiana 1925, described much of Mystic history in his book, The Mystics and Beta Theta Pi, which makes a distinction between the Mystic and the Mystical Seven. When the society was founded, it was called the Mystical Seven, and provision was made for the establishment of branches, along with certain rites of installation. However, the southern expansion begun soon afterward was not offi­ cially sanctioned by the “W and” Temple at Wesleyan. The “Sword” at Emory was started in 1841, the first fraternity in the South, by Henry Robert Branham, a Mystical from Wesleyan, but he had not gotten proper authority and the new branch was never recognized by Wesleyan —nor were any of the other branches except for Syracuse. In May of 1867 the “parent” temple ceased to be a four-year fraternity and became a senior society, known as “Owl and W and” but later renamed “Mystical Seven.” It maintains the history and lore of the society, but does not have the form of a fraternity. It was not with the senior society at Wesleyan that Baird corresponded, but with the living chapters of the Mystic Seven at Virginia, North Carolina and Davidson, and with the Regent of the Mystic Seven, H erbert Barry, Virginia 1888. (Actually, it appears that it was Barry who had first written to Baird.) After discussion by both societies, the union was debated at the convention of 1889 at the Wooglin Clubhouse. One of the terms of the agreement provided for a restriction to Christian members only; another banned the use of alcohol. These were rejected by the convention, which restated a key phrase of the ritual: ...[the obligations of the fraternity] shall in no way compromise you in your social, civil, or religious obligations. These parts of the agreement were changed, and after some discussion, ap­ proved by the Mystics. The union was then ratified, and announced in the January 1890 issue of The Beta Theta Pi, which bore the subtitle “with which has been united the Mystic Messenger.” The branches of the Mystics were known as “temples,” and named for various esoteric symbols: 241

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Wesleyan Emory Georgia Centenary Syracuse Mississippi Virginia Cumberland Davidson North Carolina

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ME 1890 IT 1948 EE 1987 (had died, not yet added) BE 1889 BB strengthened 0 strengthened M (had died) $A (re-established 1890) H (re-established 1889)

Wand Sword Skull and Bones W reath Scroll and Pen Star Hands and Torch Serpent Sword and Shield Star of the South

So six of the ten old temples were brought into Beta Theta Pi at the time of the merger. Emory and Georgia were inactive then, but have since been brought to life. Two others were also inactive at this time; Cumberland had then been an active chapter Beta Theta Pi, but the temple has been called the “lost cauldron” of the Mystics, and little is known of its activities. The temple at Centenary in Louisiana had also died and has not yet had a living Beta chapter. The union brought several interesting features of ritual to Beta. Though not adopted, one of the curious habits of the Mystics was the conferring (at initiation) of a “nickname” drawn from Shakespeare or classical works, by which the new member was known in the records of the society. Literary endeavours were a common part of Mystic meetings, and the Mystics published a small journal entitled The Mystic Messenger from 1886 until the merger in 1890. Its title was then added to the name of the magazine; later the title was used solely as the title of Beta’s private internal newsletter, which was published by the General Secretary. Though this ceased publication in the 1890’s, B. Hume Morris, Centre 1968, restarted publication of The Mystic Messenger while he was General Secretary in 1984. It had the same purpose as the earlier publication.

Other Mergers There were four other cases where Beta absorbed the last surviving chapter of a fraternity. These gave rise to the chapters at Mississippi, Wesleyan, Brown, and Missouri. Alpha Kappa Phi was founded at Centre College about 1858. Chapters were placed at a number of southern colleges, such as Cumberland and LaGrange, Tennessee; Oakland, Mississippi; the University of Mississippi; Bethel, Kentucky, and perhaps elsewhere. Though it was crippled by the Civil War (and many of its records lost), it reorganized in 1866, but when the parent chapter became inactive in 1878, the only surviving chapter was the Psi at the University of Mississippi. It was granted a charter as Beta Beta of Beta Theta Pi in 1879. Few of its alumni became Betas, although they were entitled to membership.

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Sigma Delta Pi, also called the Vitruvian, was organized in September of 1858 at Dartmouth College. It incorporated under the laws of New Hampshire in June, 1871. It started two other chapters: one at Cornell, which only initiated 14 and then became extinct. The other was at Wooster, but it died in 1875 after initiating 21. It published two catalogs, one in 1874 and one in 1882. It was granted a charter as Alpha Omega of Beta Theta Pi in 1889. Many of its alumni became Betas. Phi Kappa Alpha began as “The Wayland Literary Society” at Brown in 1870. It was an open fraternity, with methods and practices similar to those of Delta Upsilon [a non-secret fraternity]. In 1873 it merged with the “Literary Union,” a similar society at Rochester, New York. They gave the union the name of Sigma Phi, but (on learning of the existing Sigma Phi) changed the name to Phi Kappa Alpha. The Rochester chapter became inactive in 1879, and in 1880 the Brown chapter peti­ tioned Beta Theta Pi for a charter, and was granted one, reviving the old Kappa chapter. Unfortunately, this chapter became inactive in 1973. Hopeful colonists are advised to consider forming a local of the same name... Zeta Phi was founded at the University of Missouri on November 8, 1870. It had a strong resemblance to Sigma Phi. Oren Root, a member of the faculty, had been a member of Sigma Phi at Hamilton College, gave direct guidance and inspiration to Zeta Phi. It had started two other chapters, one of which died, and the other was released to become a chapter of Phi Gamma Delta. The parent chapter was granted a charter as Zeta Phi of Beta Theta Pi in 1890, and all of its alumni became Betas. Because of the terms of the charters admitting the alumni of these fraternities into Beta, some of these chapters have reached higher roll numbers quicker than most other chapters.

Desertions Beta has never stolen chapters from other living fraternities, though Baird’s Manual reports that we tried, in the case of Alpha Sigma Phi at M arietta in 1875 but there is no reference to M arietta at this time in any Beta book. The mergers just described only occurred with an entire fraternity or with its last surviving chapter. Alas, but we have lost chapters by desertion to other fraternities. There were three instances of this. The first was the desertion of the Williams and Brown chapters in 1851 to join Alpha Delta Phi. This action has been blamed on the relative distance of these two chapters from the majority of the chapters then in existence. Both these chapters were later restarted, and though both are presently inactive, the misconduct was always held to be that of the individuals involved. One of the lasting results of this event was the addition of an obligation to the ritual: “I will forever uphold my chapter as a chapter of Beta Theta Pi.” But still this did not prove sufficient protection against desertion. The second was more painful, coming as it did during Beta’s darkest hour - the 243

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Civil War. In December of 1864, Michigan, the presiding chapter, abandoned the fraternity to become a chapter of Psi Upsilon. Not to darken Lambda’s good name, but in the hope of admonishing future brothers to guard against this treachery, we shall quote Shepardson on this: S o m e o f th o s e w h o th u s b a se ly d e s e r te d th e f r a te rn ity in its tim e o f tria l, w h e n it w a s c rip p le d b y th e w a r, w h e n th irty -s e v e n o f t h e ir o w n c h a p t e r m a te s w e re in th e U n io n A rm y , b e c a m e p r o m in e n t in a f te r life; b u t n o th in g can e v e r re m o v e fro m th e m th e s ta in o f d e lib e r a te d islo y a lty , a n d th e v io la tio n n o t o n ly o f s o le m n p le d g e s o f f r a te r n a l s u p p o rt a n d frie n d s h ip , b u t a lso o f c o n fid e n c e re p o s e d in th e m , w h ich h a d m a d e th e ir c h a p te r th e e x ec u tiv e h e a d o f th e fra te rn ity .

[The Beta Book, p a g e 63] But the evil had spread to another chapter. It had supported Michigan’s action, and though it outwardly appeared loyal, was seeking an “Eastern connection.” This was W estern Reserve, and in 1868, it betrayed the trust of its Beta brothers and deserted to become a chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon. In each of these cases, the individuals were held accountable, and both Michi­ gan and Western Reserve were re-established eventually. Perhaps these individuals had good reasons for their actions, nevertheless they became infamous by betraying Beta trust, and will ever be known as traitors. So, if you want your name to be preserved in Beta history, please don’t go abandoning Beta! There’s plenty of hard work to do right here without trying to petition one of our worthy rivals. R ather than lessening the number of chapters, you might like to go out and start one up. Beta is always looking for brothers to transfer to our colony schools. 244

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Chapter Size The question of chapter size has been a m atter of debate at some conventions. The original constitution provided for a minimum of three and a maximum of nine in a chapter. But would the chapter be dissolved if its num ber fell to two? Once chapter houses came into use, could a nine-member chapter provide financial support to maintain chapter ownership or chapter financial responsibility? The founders certainly had no expectations of chapter houses; their choice may have been based on the mystical three (as the three stars), but there were some practical fraternal aspects as well. They most likely thought that at least three members were needed for proper support in the pursuit of the Principles, and more than nine members would preclude the intimate friendship they desired to awaken. This rule was abandoned by the time of the second constitution, and no correspondence on it has yet been found. Probably the new chapters did not like the idea of an upper limit on their brothers, or perhaps they recognized a problem with starting new chapters in the lower limit - at least three prospective members would have to be acquired. As a result there have been times when certain chapters (like Denison, or Washington and Jefferson), have preserved their existence with just one active member; at the other extreme, there are chapters in the 1980’s with well over one hundred active members. From our present view, it would seem that a chapter can be healthy regardless of size. Perhaps there is a different criterion which is involved. One thought which has been advanced is the importance of forming a collection of people with widely different backgrounds - this is mentioned by the English academician Newman as an important factor of a university. Another interesting explanation appears in The German Universities and University Study, in which Friedrich Paulsen (a non-Beta) examines the student organizations of the late 1800’s, notably the so-called “color-wearing fraternities.” Paulsen notes that it is the “complete isolation in which the student finds himself at the university” which gives rise to these frater­ nities, though they also had roots in certain political movements. Regardless of these differences of origin, Paulsen makes certain comments1 on the Germ an fraternities which are also applicable to Beta Theta Pi, and which bear on the question of size and membership in a chapter: In o r d e r th a t th e fr a te r n itie s s h a ll s e c u re fo r t h e ir m e m b e rs w h a t th e y w e re in te n d e d to d o , th e y m u s t m e e t c e r ta in g e n e r a l re q u ire m e n ts . I p o in t o u t th e fo l­ low ing: ( 1 ) T h e y m u s t h a v e a s u ffic ie n t n u m b e r o f m e m b e rs . T h e f r a te r n ity m u s t n o t b e to o sm all. W h e n th e m e m b e rs h ip is re d u c e d to a h a lf d o z e n o r less, a s, w ith o u r in c lin a tio n to e x cessiv e d iv isio n , s o m e tim e s h a p p e n s , n o re a l s o cia l life c a n b e ex ­ p e c te d to d e v e lo p ; fr e q u e n tly so m e o n e p e rs o n a lity b e c o m e s a lto g e th e r d o m i­ n a n t, a n d th e in d iv id u a l m e m b e rs a re s o c o m p le te ly o c c u p ie d w ith th e a im s o f th e f r a te r n ity th a t th e ir o w n in te re s ts a r e c o m p le te ly n e g le c te d . T h e la r g e r f r a te r n i­ tie s a ffo r d th e ir m e m b e rs e lb o w -ro o m ; all k in d s o f c a p a c itie s a n d p e r s o n a litie s c o m e in to p la y , c o n flic tin g p u r p o s e s d e v e lo p , w h ich give ris e t o w h o le s o m e a n d im p e rs o n a l o p p o s itio n a n d le n d c h a r a c te r a n d life to th e s o cie ty . (2 ) T h e y m u s t b r in g a n u m b e r o f d iff e r e n t e le m e n ts to g e th e r: m e m b e rs o f d iff e r e n t d e p a r tm e n ts , d iff e r e n t n a tio n a litie s , s o cia l c la ss e s a n d c o n d itio n s , p o l

The German Universities and University Study, p a g e s 245

367-370

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

litie a l a n d re lig io u s view s. E x c lu siv e n e ss le ss e n s th e ir v a lu e . It is a n u n w h o le s o m e s y m p to m w h e n s tu d e n t s o c ie tie s a r c b a s e d u p o n p o litic a l o r re lig io u s view s, a n d s u c h v iew s a r e u s e d to e x clu d e th o s e w h o th in k o th e rw is e ... (3 ) T h e s o c ie ty m u s t n o t in te rf e r e w ith th e s e r io u s p ro s e c u tio n o f s tu d ie s. O c c a s io n a lly it m a y h a p p e n th a t th e c la im s o f th e s o c ie ty s o o c c u p y a n in d iv id u a l s tu d e n t th a t m a n y a n h o u r is lo st w h ich m ig h t h a v e b e e n giv en t o stu d y ; b u t th e re a re a ls o o t h e r w ays, a n d n o t alw ay s a s in n o c e n t, in w hich tim e c an b e lo st. B u t th e s o c ie ty m u s t n o t s o e n g a g e th e s tu d e n t th a t s tu d y is m a d e im p o s sib le fo r h im ....

While Paulsen’s viewpoint and subject are different, his analysis is suggestive. But we must always keep the words of John Reily Knox in mind: “The great secret of success consists not in numbers but in union; not in great strength, but in well directed and simultaneous exertions. What a few men united in object and effort will to do can be done...” It is not so much a question of size, but of commitment to principles, which makes a good chapter of Beta Theta Pi.

The Organization of a Chapter Given that a chapter is a branch, or component part of the entire fraternity, what form does it take? Though every chapter has its own particular characteristics which have varied throughout its lifetime, there have only been two distinct forms of a chapter: the “Hall” form and the “House” form. In the late twentieth century, nearly every chapter lives in its own individual house, and has done so for time beyond the memory of even the oldest alumnus. But for most of the 1800’s, there were no fraternity houses. The entire style of fraternity life was different then. Let us now examine the idea of Beta as a “hall” fraternity, and its transition to the “house” form.

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The Founders lived in several different rooms when they were in school. The confused record seems to indicate that Knox lived in the “old college building” - Ralph Fey said that Knox’s room was the easternmost room on the south side of the second floor in the “old wing.” Marshall and Smith also lived there: they were roommates, and Hardin lived next door to them. Duncan lived off-campus (as we would now say) with a local judge. Their watchword was secrecy, and they would never dare reveal their presence by the slightest sign - they would not even wear their badges in public —so there were no letters on walls, shirts, or other objects. They met (as the minutes of Alpha state) in one of the Literary society halls, in one of their rooms, or in the famous Cathcart’s “haunted house” somewhere on the outskirts of Oxford (perhaps this was the “Oxford H otel” mentioned in the minutes for March 13, 1840!) Holding chapter meetings in a convenient (and securable) location was normal for the first fifty years or so of Beta’s life. For most of the Betas living a century and a half later, this hardly seems to be very fraternal - someone might ask: “How could they ever have anything like unity in their chapter life? How did they come to know each other, living apart from each other? We would never have a strong chapter without our chapter house!” Perhaps —but I think Pater Knox would tell you otherwise: “What a few men united in object and effort will to do can be done!” It was not necessary to have a specific place to live in, or even a fixed place to m eet,provided the efforts of the brothers can be united to a common purpose. The Betas achieved unity in “object and effort” by recalling Beta’s Principles at meeting after meeting, regardless of location. [Maybe we who live in elaborate chapter mansions need to recall this...] It has been suggested that Beta was just another subversive element in the politics of Miami’s literary societies. Its propagation to other campuses, which adopted the original “meeting-hall” form of chapter life, would tend to disprove this thesis. It was this “hall” of the chapter which saw the initiation of Covington, H anna, Shepardson, Robb, and particularly Charles J. Seaman, who perpetuated its image in the song, “The Alumni’s Return”: W e a re s in g in g a g a in in th e d e a r o ld I Iall o f B e ta T h e ta Pi. W h e r e o ft w e m e t to sin g th e s e s o n g s In g o ld e n d a y s g o n e by. S in g in g to n ig h t, w e a r e sin g in g to n ig h t! S in g in g in th e d e a r o ld H all. S in g in g to n ig h t, w e a r e sin g in g to n ig h t! S in g in g in th e d e a r o ld H a ll. T h e a lta r ’s lig h t b u r n s a s b rig h t to n ig h t a s e ’e r it b u r n e d o f y o re : A re fu g e fro m life ’s b a ttle e d g e , A h o m e w h e n to il is o ’e r. A s w e s in g to n ig h t in th e m y stic lig h t O u r s o rro w s q u ic k ly fly; A n d e a c h b r o t h e r ’s h e a r t is b o u n d a n e w In B e ta T h e ta Pi. A n d w h e n th e s e h a p p y h o u rs a re g o n e , O u r m e e tin g s h e r e a r e o 'e r , E a c h b r o t h e r ’s h e a r t s h all feel n e w s tr e n g th F o r th e “ b a ttle o f life ” o n c e m o re .

Seaman was no more than a year out of school when he wrote this. Be certain, my brothers, to understand this carefully: he was not talking about a chapter house, 247

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

nor any property belonging to Beta. Where, then, burned the fire? From whence came the “Mystic light?” Let each brother be “bound anew in Beta Theta Pi” and come to understand what Seaman meant - then he will see that there really is no need for a chapter house. How, then, did we end up with over one hundred chapter houses, representing tens of millions of dollars of investment? When brothers of the Hampden-Sydney chapter rented the “Ratcastle” in the 1850’s, a new idea entered Beta - brothers living together in a home-like setting. Indeed, old Zeta had something which has not yet again come to pass, and which would be of great benefit: not just one, but several professors at the school were brothers, one of whom owned the “Ratcastle” and rented it to students. But it was not so much Hampden-Sydney’s example. It is hard to trace the growth of chapter house life in Beta, but as far as we know, there were none in the 1870’s. In 1882 Michigan rented a chapter house, and in 1885 Amherst became the first chapter to own a chapter house. At this time, a most unique influence was exerted on this aspect of chapter life: the eight conventions held at the Wooglin clubhouse, founded in 1884. Betas from many chapters came to these conventions, and lived there in a chapter-house-like setting, There was a big dining room, a stained-glass dragon window, a big fireplace, and both undergraduates and alumni to talk to, sing with, eat with, and enjoy. Chandler suggests that the Wooglin Clubhouse imparted an important example to Beta as she moved into the “house” age. Life at Wooglin set a standard for cooperation in living in close contact with others. It “stamped quality into the fraternity” —into, stressed Chandler, as distinct from onto. But there was another aspect to life at Wooglin which is far more visible to us at the distance of a century. Wooglin was in some way the first chapter house of Beta, but it was also the universal chapter house, shared by all the chapters. Separated though they are by many miles, the chapter houses of our day are only rooms in some invisible Wooglin clubhouse...

Chapter Government Like the General Fraternity, chapters have a government consisting of a written law, officers, and periodic meetings for legislation and other business. While chap­ ters have always been placed under the control of the Code of the fraternity, they have also always had complete autonomy in most local affairs. This accomplishes one of the goals of such an organization: self-government teaches responsibility and self-discipline.

Chapter By-Laws The first constitution of Beta Theta Pi covered the important points of the essence of the fraternity. However, it barely hinted at the basics of chapter activities, except for the “Anniversary,” which we shall discuss shortly. The second constitution went further, specifying the duties of certain chapter offices, but it was inadequate. Clearly the six chapters then existing realized the difficulty in making specific requirem ents —the schools were different, and the members of the chapters 248

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

were diverse. So the constitution provided that chapters could select any additional officers which “each chapter may from time to time deem proper for itself.” But the chapters knew that some things had to be put down as “rules of the chap­ ter.” This was common practice in the literary societies, of which many early Betas were members. Perhaps the earliest published record of such chapter by-laws appears in Beta Letters. These were sent as a model from Jefferson [not yet united with Washington] to Michigan. They are here presented as an exhibit of the con­ cerns of chapters in Beta’s first decade. Article I De Capito (On the Chapter) §.1 T h is C h a p t e r s h all h o ld its r e g u la r m e e tin g s o n c e e v e ry th r e e w e e k s in te rm tim e , a t su ch an h o u r a n d p la c e a s th e R e c o r d e r m a y d e s ig n a te , th e first m e e tin g o f e a c h te rm b e in g h e ld o n th e first T u e s d a y e v en in g . §.2 T h e R e c o r d e r m a y c o n v e n e s p ec ia l m e e tin g s. §.3 E a c h m e m b e r s h all p r e s e n t a t th e first m e e tin g o f e a c h C o lle g ia te y e a r, o r if a d m itte d in th e in te rim , a t th e m e e tin g s u b s e q u e n t to h is a d m is s io n , th e n a m e o f th e d e p a r tm e n t f o r e ssa y w ritin g , w hich s h all b e r e c o rd e d in th e m in u te s . §.4 N o m e m b e r s h all w rite a n e ss a y o u t o f h is d e p a r tm e n t, e x c e p t b y p e rm is s io n o f th e P r e s id e n t. §.5 T h e a n n iv e rs a ry o f th is C h a p t e r s h a ll b e h e ld o n th e th ir d T u e s d a y o f O c to b e r , a t 6 o ’c lo c k P .M . T h e e x e rc ise s to b e d e te rm in e d b y th e C h a p te r . § .6 T h e e x p e n s e s o f th is C h a p te r sh all b e d e fra y e d b y d ire c t ta x a tio n .

Article II De Sociis (On the Society) §.1 T h e d e p o r tm e n t o f m e m b e rs d u rin g th e s e s sio n s h a ll b e th a t o f g e n tle m e n in th e so cia l c ircle. §.2 N o m e m b e r sh all b e e x e m p t fro m a n y o f th e lite r a r y d u tie s w h ile a m e m b e r o f C o lle g e u n le ss p re v io u s ly e x cu se d . §.3 T h e p e n a lty f o r fa ilu re in a tte n d a n c e a t r e g u la r m e e tin g s s h a ll b e a fin e o f fifty c e n ts. §.4 F o r fa ilu r e in th e p e r f o r m a n c e o f lite ra ry d u tie s th e fin e s h a ll b e o n e d o lla r. §.5 N o m e m b e r c an d isso lv e h is c o n n e c tio n w ith th e s o c ie ty e x c e p t b y e x p u lsio n w h ic h s h all r e q u ir e a v o te o f tw o -th ird s o f th e a c tin g m e m b e rs . § .6 W h e n a n in d iv id u a l re c e iv e s a n a p p o in tm e n t to m e m b e rs h ip in th is C h a p te r b u t a c c e p ts n o t, th e v o te o f th e c h a p t e r sh all n o t b e re c o rd e d .

Article III De Officiis (On the Officers) §.1 T h e o ffic e rs o f th is c h a p t e r s h a ll b e c h o s e n a t th e firs t r e g u la r m e e tin g in J a n u a r y a n d J u ly o f e a c h y e a r.

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THE FAITHFUL HOHE OF THE THREE STAKS

§ . 2 T h e o ffic e rs o f th is c h a p te r sh all b e a p re s id e n t, a v ic e -p re s id e n t, r e c o rd e r, a n d m a rs h a l. §.3 It sh all b e th e d u ty o f th e v ic e -p re s id e n t to fill th e p o s t o f p re s id e n t, in th e a b s e n c e o f th a t o ffice r. §.4 It s h a ll b e th e d u ty o f th e m a rs h a l to p re s e r v e o r d e r , k e e p th e d o o r, n o te d e ­ lin q u e n c ie s , a n d r e p o r t th e s a m e a t th e n e x t m e e tin g , a n d u p o n th e in tr o d u c tio n o f n e w m e m b e rs , w ait o n a n d c o n d u c t th e m to th e p la c e o f m e e tin g . §.5 T h e r e c o r d e r s h all re a d le tte r s o f c o r re s p o n d e n c e a n d all a n o n y m o u s p r o d u c ­ tio n s p r e s e n te d th ro u g h h im p ro v id e d th e y b e n e ith e r s c a n d a lo u s n o r in v e c tiv e, & c, & c.

Article IV De negotiis (On Business) §.1 W h e n th e p e rs o n to b e in itia te d is fo rm a lly in tr o d u c e d b y th e M a rs h a l, th e m e m b e rs s h all rise, a n d th e P r e s id e n t sh all p u t th e fo llo w in g q u e s tio n s : 1st. D o y o u w ish to b e c o m e a m e m b e r o f th e B e ta T h e ta P i S o c ie ty ? 2 n d . D o y o u p le d g e th e c o u rte s y o f a g e n tle m a n , a n d y o u r h o n o r to p re s e rv e in v io la b ly s e c re t all th a t y o u m a y k n o w b e fo re sig n in g th e c o n s titu tio n ? (I f th e s e q u e s tio n s a re a n s w e re d in th e a ffirm a tiv e th e C o n s titu tio n s h all b e re a d a n d s ig n ed , a n d th e P r e s id e n t sh all say - “ In b e h a lf o f th e B e ta T h e ta P i S o c ie ty I te n d e r y o u m o s t c o rd ia lly th e c o n g ra tu la tio n s o f its m e m b e rs , th e w e lc o m e o f frie n d s h ip a n d th e p riv ile g e s o f o u r b r o th e r h o o d .” ) §.2 T h e lite ra ry e x e rc ise s o f th e C h a p te r in a d d itio n to th e a n o n y m o u s p ro d u c ­ tio n s re a d b y th e R e c o rd e r, sh all c o n sist o f E ssay s & R eview s. T w o e ssa y s b e in g re a d e a c h r e g u la r m e e tin g b y th e m e m b e rs in A lp h a b e tic a l O r d e r a n d a t th e su c ­ c e e d in g m e e tin g tw o re v ie w s o f th e a fo re s a id E ssay s, th e e ss a y ist b e in g a n ­ n o u n c e d a n d th e re v ie w e rs a p p o in te d b y th e p re s id e n t, a t th e m e e tin g p re c e d in g th e p e r f o r m a n c e o f th e ir se v e ra l d u tie s . §.3 A ll e le c tio n s sh all b e c o n d u c te d b y b a llo t a n d a m a jo rity e le cts. §.4 T h e fo llo w in g s h all b e th e re g u la r o r d e r o f b u sin e ss: F irst, S econd, T h ird ,

P ra y e r. A d m is s io n o f m e m b e rs . R ev iew s re a d .

F o u r th , F ifth , S ix th , S e v e n th ,

E s s a y s re a d . C o rre s p o n d e n c e & c., re a d M is c e lla n e o u s b u s in e s s . A d jo u rn m e n t.

Article V De Legibus (On the Laws) §.1 It s h all r e q u ir e a v o te o f tw o -th ird s o f th e a c tin g m e m b e rs to a lte r o r a m e n d th e s e B y -L aw s. § .2 T h e B y -L aw s o r a n y p a r t o f th e m m a y b e s u s p e n d e d f o r a n y tim e n o t e x c e e d in g o n e e v en in g .

250

ittE fAlTHEUT H u n t UF THE THREE STARS

Note the attention paid to the conducting of the “business” —this refers to the literary exercises. The very simple rite of initiation is also suggestive.

The Chapter Anniversary Everybody likes to celebrate birthdays —especially someone else’s. That’s all a chapter anniversary was. In the early years, they were a big event for a literary society, and the excitement was carried over into Beta —the constitution specified little in the way of chapter activities, but the anniversary celebration was a must. A chapter’s celebration of her anniversary was usually a fun event, with speeches and other literary exercises (like poems). Other chapters were invited, and alumni would come for the event. Many schools now have homecoming events of various forms, at which similar things occur. But when an “important” anniversary comes around, one can see a close resemblance to the ancient formula of the literary societies. Sometimes they even have cake.

Ceremonial Arrangements A chapter performs nearly all the rituals of the fraternity except for those of the convention, chief among these are the chapter meeting (itself somewhat ritualistic), the induction of pledges, and the initiation ceremony. The Code requires that all ceremonies be performed in the chapter house or hall, unless exceptions are ap­ proved by the District Chief. In many cases, the chapter has secure arrangements for performing their rituals. Two chapters have a special place for this purpose: Beta Alpha at Kenyon and Beta Zeta at St. Lawrence have “temples” or separate build­ ings used for chapter ceremonies; both of elegant architectural design.

Chapter Officers One of the key phrases in the ritual which details this part of Beta government is the following: W e h a v e n o d e g re e s , n o o fficial p riv ileg e s. A s a m a tte r o f so c ia l e c o n o m y , o ffic e rs a r e o f c o u rs e n e c e s sa ry , b u t th e s e p o s itio n s a re o p e n to all.

For various reasons, all deriving from the fundamental rule of government re­ quiring things to have a “head,” each chapter has a president, a secretary, a treas­ urer, and various other officers. A large number of these are found at nearly every school; some have other unique positions deriving from local needs or traditions. Beta considers her chapter offices to be important positions. They are a means of developing leadership as well as fellowship, and they are an instance of service by authority, rather than an authority which is served. Certain positions are so critical to the functioning of the chapter that their duties are specified in the Code of the fraternity. Beta also provides a short ritual for the installation of chapter officers. Most of the chapter offices are similar throughout Beta’s Broad Domain. Several of these are required by the Code of the fraternity, others are obvious necessities for ordering and propagation of the chapter. Others, of course, are specific to the needs of the particular school - for example, if a chapter has a meal 251

THE FAI THFUL HUME UF THE I t l K t t , S i A K b

plan, there is probably an office of Steward (or “Food M aster” or some such title), but this office would not be needed at a chapter which uses a university dining hall. Some chapters have by-laws restricting certain offices to (perhaps) a particular class or to those having residence in the chapter house, or other such requirements. Some of these rules are quite old: a common one forbids seniors from certain positions so that they would not leave school with important papers or having left important matters unfinished. The offices required by the Code are: President Recorder Secretary Alumni Secretary Treasurer Librarian Scholarship Chairman For more details, the interested reader is referred to the Code appearing in the back of this book. Some common chapter offices Vice-President: Rush Chairman: Pledge Master: Steward: House Manager: Social Chairman: Intramural Manager: Historian: Archivist: Publications Secretary: Chorister: Ritual Chairman:

not required by the Code are: acts in the absence of the President directs chapter activities to gain new members instructs pledges in Beta lore manages the chapter’s meal plan directs care of the chapter’s physical structure handles chapter social events and parties manages intramural sorts teams and events records chapter history manages chapter files of documents and letters handles production of chapter newsletter leads chapter singing, teaches new songs directs practices, coordinates & organizes rituals

These may be known by other names depending on local chapter usage. Every chapter is constitutionally permitted to specify any additional officers its local cir­ cumstances may require. Now chapters, as a rule, tend to be as diverse as their members are, and some chapters have especially unique offices. H ere are just a few of the more exotic ones. The reader might like to guess the duties of these officers... BUT in the hope of inducing more chapter interactions, we are not going to tell you which chapter has which officer(s). The first brother to determine all twelve will get a special prize!

252

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Some of the exotic chapter officers are: Keeper of the White Room M cGruff Crime Reporter Publicity Chairman House Bard Canine Chairman Secrecy Chairman

House Critic Pool Chairman Jolly Beta Chief Justice Buggy Chairman Beta Bout Chairman

At one chapter, the Secrecy Chairman has an additional duty: he is in charge of handling the soda for the chapter. At least three other chapters have an officer appointed just for this important task. Indeed. Might this be a growing trend in chapter tastes? Seth Brooks said that as far as he had observed during his travels as General Secretary and President, the Beta Beverage was MILK. He noted: “ ...Milk consumption at meals in Beta houses was astronomical. Milk by the gallon was drunk.” Strange — I thought it would be something else... [See In Beta’s Broad Domain, pages 104-105]

The Convention Delegate These is one other position which is held by a member of a chapter - that of chapter delegate to the convention. Most of the time, the president serves in this capacity, though the choice is up to the individual chapter - it may select any of its active members to be its delegate. The chapter delegate (or his certified alternate) casts the vote of the chapter in matters which come before the convention.

Rights, Duties and Privileges of a Chapter First and foremost, a chapter is permitted to initiate neophytes into brother­ hood in the fraternity. It is the site, not only of germination, but of birth (hence suggesting the feminine pronoun) into Beta. Initiation provides the self-propaga­ tion of the chapter. The active brothers of the chapter carry on the duties required of every initiated Beta, but in a special way since they are undergraduates, and actually in attendance at the school where the chapter is located... Second, a chapter is a part of a greater whole. A chapter has certain responsi­ bilities to her sister chapters, to communicate with them, help them, carry on the work of the fraternity in cooperation with them. A chapter may cast one vote in the General Convention, and may send as large a delegation to it as desired. A chapter informs other Betas of its local news, and takes interest in the doings of other chapters. In these ways, its active participation in the life of the General Fraternity maintains its place as a living part of Beta. Besides self-propagation and maintenance, the chapter is required to conduct itself as an association of college men. This results in two particular requirements: First, as each mem ber is a student enrolled at a college or university, each one is expected to have intellectual development as his primary purpose - completely in harmony with the constitutionally specified objective of “cultivation of the intel253

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

lect.” Second, every member of the chapter must live within the authority of the school. Again this is consistent with the ritual obligation to be “urbane in deport­ m ent” and “courteous in expression.” The one small exception is that Beta’s rules on membership take precedence over local laws. All of this is detailed in the Code, to which the reader is referred. Life in a Beta chapter is so much fun, so interesting, and so unique an experience that it can only be called a privilege. But there are certain special activities which only undergraduate chapters can perform. One of these is initiation - another is the sponsoring of a colony to become a chapter. And how to judge the thought of having alumni? Stop and think: how many alumni go back to their old dorm rooms expect­ ing to see hallmates? Ha! But at a Beta Homecoming, or Fraternal Fifties party, you will meet those who graduated last year, 5 years, 50 years, or maybe 65 years ago and are in YOUR chapter. Alumni are a privilege to have: they built your chapter house, and you owe your brotherhood, YOUR CHAPTER OWES HER CHAPTERHOO D to them. What, then, is the chief duty of a chapter? Let us call it a “working gratitude”: respect and thankfulness which are carried out in the ordinary affairs of a student, and in those Beta activities which maintain and propagate your chapter. Remember, my undergraduate brothers, you are the alumni of the future, and you must “build for others as others have built for you.”

Chapter Interactions A month after the founding of the second chapter, at the meeting of the Alpha chapter on May 14, 1840, a committee was appointed to “report on a system of correspondence between the different chapters of the Beta Theta Pi.” Though not formally devised until 1842, strong and coherent bonds were planned from the earliest days of the fraternity. Beta’s constitution states as the first major objective that the fraternity is to es­ tablish “confidence and friendly relations among the colleges and universities of the United States and Canada.” This can only be accomplished if there is a significant means of communication available to the students - and not just the telephone. Our fraternity provides common unifying experiences and thoughts. Our chapters are the immediate outlets or “terminal facilities,” of which there are presently over 120. Yet, though the chapters are separated from each other by varying distances and dramatic differences in character, they have a great degree of closeness. Some of the interactions are readily apparent and on-going: for example, Beta’s pioneer action of requiring annual reports. Others are rare, even unique. They happen but once, perhaps, in a chapter lifetime. Sometimes they are so incidental they are not re­ ported, nor even recorded in any historical fashion. But the epitome of chapter interaction must always be the founding, or recolonizing, of a chapter. For there to be communication, there must be a means of contact between chapters. There are two major contact points: the chapter letters in The Beta Theta Pi, and the annual Convention. Less frequent are the regional meetings known as “leadership workshops” or “mini-conventions.” Some districts hold district con­ 254

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

claves annually or so. Certainly there is a great difference between reading about the activities of another chapter and talking to brothers of that chapter. Hence the importance of annual Conventions and periodic regional meetings. But ahead of any of these ranks the occasional, chance meeting... A carload of brothers come to see a neighboring chapter’s initiation. Perhaps a chapters invites several others to compete in a Beta basketball tournament. O r a joint community service project is devised with an entire district taking part... The formal meeting of several chapters is great fun, at conventions, workshops, or conclaves. Occasional chance meetings are great too, but sometimes a little plan­ ning helps. If you are impatient for the next regular meeting, you may want to arrange one for yourself and some chapter mates. Spending a weekend or even just a night at another chapter will reveal the truc general character of the fraternity, as well as introducing you to another facet of Beta life. Of course it is both fraternal and courteous to ask if a visit is appropriate, since academic schedules differ from school to school. But it is even easier since the telephone numbers of the chapters are published in the Beta magazine. Perhaps you may find it more suitable to act as hosts - make up a schedule, or plan a weekend of nothing to do - then invite a chapter or two to visit. Speaking of courtesy when visiting another chapter, be aware that local customs may differ in little things you take for granted. One of the notable variations is the wearing of Beta insignia, including the pledge pin. Another easily forgotten precept is to use care in discussing sensitive topics if pledges or non-Betas may be present. Both of these ideas also apply if you are acting as a host.

The Future of Chapter Interaction In the past, chapters invited other chapters to their anniversary celebrations or to other festivities. Of course there were no telephones then, and they didn’t have a nearly physical aversion to writing a letter. Now we have telephones, but their medium is transitory - there will never be a future Baird to publish Beta Phone Calls. Nevertheless, a welcome tradition is the frequent telephone contact between chap­ ters, for invitations to banquets or other events, or just to talk. An interesting proposal by the California chapter in 1890 would be an aid towards closer chapter ties. They desired to exchange pictures of their chapter with all the other chapters. With the widespread use of chapter composites, this would certainly be a possibility, at least within a district. Someday, however, Beta must enhance her “network” of chapter “terminals.” The opportunities sponsored by the General Fraternity for chapter interactions are directed mainly towards the specifics of Beta government, which is as it should be. But a wider interpretation of the constitutionally specified first object would require some time for discussion of college issues, comparison of course work, teaching techniques, and even (perhaps!) consideration of purely academic and pertinent issues - as once was done in the literary societies of old. Beta, as usual, will probably be the pioneer, the first to try it.

255

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Chapter Information Tables The following tables provide a quick reference for various chapter data as of 1989. The first table includes the school name, Greek letter designation, (original) founding date, undergraduate size, number of (inter-)national fraternities and sororities and the percent of the eligible students who are members of these societies. The second table gives the Greek motto and its English translation for each chapter. The third table specifies the active life of each chapter. The fourth table shows the school for a given Greek letter name. The fifth table shows the chronological changes to the chapter roll. The data in the last four columns of the first table - undergraduate size, number of fraternities/sororities, and percent eligible members of Greek societies - were transcribed from Peterson’s Guide to Four-Year Colleges Nineteenth Edition Andrea E. Lehman, editor; Eric A. Suber, data editor Copyright 1988 by Peterson’s Guides, Princeton, NJ

The reader’s attention is called to the following names which might be found ambiguous, as the same Greek name has been applied to more than one school. The first school is the one more recently known as that chapter. The Greek name of the second school is usually written with a prime. There are several other chapters which have had duplicate names, but the following are the ones which have remained ambiguous. Name E Z H 0 S T X

fi AA AT

Current school

Previous school

Centre Williams North Carolina Ohio Wesleyan Stevens Boston Beloit California Columbia Nebraska

Transylvania H ampden-Sydney Harvard Princeton Illinois College South Carolina Oglethorpe U.S. Naval Academy Monmouth William and Mary

257

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Table I Chapter Reference School Alabama Amherst Arizona Arizona State Auburn Ball State Baylor Beloit Bethany Boston Bowdoin Bowling Green British Columbia Brown Butler California California (Chico) California (Irvine) California (L A .) California Poly Tech Carnegie Mellon Case Central Michigan Centre Chicago Cincinnati Clemson Colgate Colorado Colorado College Colorado Mines Colorado State U. Columbia Cornell Cumberland Dartmouth Davidson De Pauw Denison

Chapter A9 BI AB AT AZ AI Atf X T BE AA ro K Atf Q El AS TN EA n

AK Er E AP BN AN B0 BT TA m EK AA BA M An riA A AH

Founded Jan Oct Nov Jan Nov Nov Nov Oct Oct Nov Oct Nov Oct May Mar Mar Nov Mar Dec Oct May Feb Nov May Sep Apr Nov Dec Oct Sep Sep Dec Oct Oct Oct Aug Jan Apr Dec 258

9 12 15 14 19 13 22 28 9 6 12 2 23 8 28 18 14 9 30 18 15 22 10 27 8 7 10 14 26 17 10 14 9 20 13 8 23 23

1964 1883 1959 1977 1964 1965 1980 1860 1860 1876 1900 1962 1936 1848 1878 1879 1987 1975 1926 1986 1920 1905 1985 1848 1868 1840 1970 1880 1900 1914 1908 1988 1881 1879 1854 1889 1858 1845 1868

UG Size 14041 1587 23543 31910 17432 16120 10243 1103 835 14449 1350 15301 21469 5561 2475 22774 13610 12369 23501 14973 4273 2948 15301 882 3200 15550 10970 2716 20990 1922 1649 16042 18254 12684 707 32082 1376 2348 2100

# F #S %G 28 0 22 22 30 19 11 5 6 8 6 17

18 0 13 13 17 13 10 ? 4 8 ? 12

25 0 12 15 21 11 15 20 60 9 28 16

?

?

?

10 7 ?

1 7 ? 4 9 16 4 5 3 13 4 0 13 11 2 12 4 2 11 2 16 ? 8 0 10 7

8 9 27 8 12 16 14 6 5 23 19 8 16 5 7 17 17 47 9

15 7 12 9

13 33 7 9

9 26 4 20 36 7 70 17 11 15 55 16 33 15 13 13 37 ? 66 60 75 62

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

School Denver Dickinson Duke East Carolina Eastern Kentucky Emory Florida Florida State G.M.I. George Mason U. Georgia Georgia Tech Guelph Hampden-Sydney Hanover Harvard Houston Howard Idaho Illinois Illinois College Indiana Iowa Iowa State Iowa Wesleyan Jefferson Johns Hopkins Kansas Kansas State Kenyon Knox Lawrence Lehigh Louisville M.I.T. M.T.S.U. Maine Maryland McGill Miami Michigan Michigan State

Chapter AZ AS TP EA AH

ft

rs AA AH EM EE FH EZ Z I H' AT AM

rr SP S'

n AB TS AE

r AX AN TE BA

77 rn

BX

An BT E0 BH

AC EN A A

Ft

Founded Feb May Dec Jan Nov Nov Dec Nov Nov Apr Feb Jan Nov Apr May Sep Jan Jun Sep Feb Sep Aug May Nov Apr Jun Nov Jan Oct Apr Apr Dec Oct Nov Sep Jan Oct Oct Mar Aug Nov Jan 259

28 15 6 22 7 23 12 16 7 1 6 6 1 24 19 5 17 19 28 27 18 25 1 30 8 17 8 19 1 6 27 30 9 30 18 8 13 5

1889 1874 1939 1983 1971 1948 1930 1969 1964 1989 1987 1917 1986 1850 1853 1843 1977 1872 1914 1902 1856 1845 1866 1905 1868 1842 1877 1873 1914 1879 1855 1936 1891 1971 1913 1988 1879 1982 1989 1839 1845 1950

U G Size 3221 1971 5824 12411 11227 4971 26790 18195 2790 12575 20659 9105 11766 870 1058 6597 18515

# F # S %G 9 10 21 17 17 15 30

6 5 14 12 11 10 20

? ?

14 6 5 6 25 21 31 7

? ?

12 0 5 4 0 0 17 10 (school closed) 6303 18 9 27065 53 26 803 0 0 22448 33 23 20882 29 20 21741 32 16 652 2 3 1190 10 3 2670 9 4 19602 28 18 14505 25 12 1553 7 2 1029 5 3 1145 6 3 32 8 4680 14 10 15788 4377 27 2 14 8 10850 9780 15 8 38058 28 21 23618 9 4 27 23 14305 7 ? 889 34147 30 19

21 52 40 6 5 51 30 25 45

?

7 26

? 9

62 0

?

22 23 0 20 15 9 12 53 30 18 21 55 49 45 53 2 41 15 18 9

?

33 14 8

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

School Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Missouri (K.C.) Monmouth Nebraska North Carolina North Dakota Northwestern Oglethorpe Ohio Ohio State Ohio Wesleyan Oklahoma Oklahoma State Oregon Oregon State Penn State Pennsylvania Princeton Puget Sound Purdue Randolph-Macon Richmond Rutgers San Diego State South Carolina South Dakota U. Southern California Southern Methodist St. Lawrence Stanford Stevens Syracuse Tennessee Texas Texas (Arlington) Texas A&M Texas Tech Toronto Transylvania Trinity (Texas)

Chapter Bn BB z$ EA AA' AT H TK P X' BK 0A 0 r$ TA BP TM AT $ 0' AE BM AH AK Br EB T' TA FT rn BZ AS S BE AK BO AP EH AM 0Z E' AO

Founded Nov Jun Oct Apr Dec Sep Apr Nov Jul Jun Nov Dec Apr Oct Jan Dec Dec Oct Sep Nov Feb Sep Apr Dec Oct Feb Jan Oct Oct Jan Oct Jul Oct Jan Nov May Nov Mar Feb Nov Jan Jun 260

29 5 6 8 16 13 28 17 3 9 11 17 18 6 4 8 4 1 7 17 26 23 9 5 31 5 26 5 9 26 9 10 4 18 20 7 21 9 31

1889 1879 1890 1989 1865 1888 1852 1922 1873 1859 1841 1885 1853 1907 1923 1909 1923 1888 1880 1843 1962 1903 1873 1871 1879 1984 1858 1912 1947 1951 1879 1892 1879 1889 1967 1886 1971 1987 1970 1906 1842 1873

UG Size 4300 7589 16942 7026 684 19304 15251 9563 6919 899 12500 40482 1719 16375 16185 13454 12511 30454 9175 4516 2841 27741 1053 2777 47719 29168 15011 4402 15175 5245 2263 6571 1404 11963 19639 36195 19298 31962 19652 42062 973 2380

# F #S %G 27 20 32 8 5 27 28 12 31 4 17 37 11 26 24 16 26 53 28 0 6 47 9 11 28 16 20 9 28 14 7 18 10 26 27 ?

14 13 16 5 3 15 15 7 15 2 14 21 5 15 14 11 14 20 7 0 6 22 3 6 11 11 12 5 15 12 4 8 2 14 16 9

15 9 26 14 24 14 20 7 4 4 0 0

? 36 20 5 50 22 20 ? 40 30 20 7 55 21 16 18 25 14 20 0 27 20 60 55 15 2 14 22 25 40 48 10 35 ? 8 15 10 6 12 ? 65 0

m iin r u L

School Tulane U. of the South U.S. Naval Academy Union Utah V.M.I. Vanderbilt Virginia Virginia Tech Wabash Washington (Pa.) Washington (Seattle) Washington (St. Louis) Washington State Washington and Lee W eber State Wesleyan West Virginia W estern Michigan W estern Ontario W estern Reserve W estminster Whitman Wichita Willamette William and Mary Williams Wisconsin Wittenberg Wooster Wright State Yale

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Founded Nov Dec May May Oct Apr Jan Apr Mar Jul Feb Dec Apr Jan Feb Nov May Sep Nov Oct Aug Mar Mar Nov Jan Mar Feb Jun Jan May Nov Feb

261

27 2 2 13 25 19 24 10 22 10 20 1 17 12 22 17 15 5 12 9 5 29 15 4 11 5 6 18 18 19 19

1908 1949 1863 1881 1913 1869 1882 1855 1877 1846 1855 1901 1869 1920 1856 1971 1890 1900 1978 1952 1841 1868 1916 1959 1947 1876 1847 1873 1867 1872 1977 1892

d l/ iiO

UG Size 7170 1080 4500 2047 20325 1310 5264 11249 18521 25219 1190 24447 4702 13245 1552 12002 2662 12800 17551 24683 2948 639 1236 13341 1520 5106 2071 29777 2225 1890 13355 5165

# F #S %G 18 11 0 18 11 0 15 37 30 9 10 31 13 25 17 2 6 21 18 13 16 7 4 13 6 12 0 27 8 0 6 0

8 6 0 4 8 0 12 19 15 0 3 19 7 14 ? 1 2 11 10 4 3 2 4 7 3 11 0 10 8 0 6 0

40 67 0 48 5 0 37 36 13 75 53 9 31 16 58 5 8 19 7 6 36 85 49 6 36 35 0 5 42 0 2 0

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Table II Chapter Mottoes and Their Meaning A la b a m a

Avi'apLL<; Q e u o v

P o w e r o f th e d iv in e

A m h e rst

Ba&r/v le v a L

L e t us g o fo rw a rd s te a d ily

A riz o n a

J u s tic e re ig n s

B o w lin g G re e n

Ai r/ a L o oi / r ) B qctu X e v e u A i a n o u o v ^ i e u T v p o v v r e <; A v i ' a ^ i t s Zei8o>po<; Ae u n p a r t e lv r r ) i / I 8 e a v A laoLooov ’i vK.riu X p r / a r orr)<; tyvxiKoc ‘Tipi B e / f a i o c T,otf>ia Avua^xe l A v ^ ^ o v p , e u o l

B ritis h C o lu m b ia

TeLTOi/e<; 0 iaK ouo^iou

N e ig h b o rs o f p ilo ts S ta u n c h

A riz o n a S ta te A u b u rn B all S ta te B a y lo r B e lo it B e th a n y B o s to n B o w d o in

S tr e n g th th ro u g h fru itfu ln e s s T h e id e a l m u s t b e p u t in to a c tio n S av e y o u r so u l U p rig h tn e s s T h in g s o f th e s p irit O n high S te a d fa s t in w isd o m P e a c e th ro u g h p o w e r

B ro w n

Kapr

C a lifo rn ia

Q/ceat/ uur}

D a u g h te r o f th e o c e a n

C a lifo rn ia ( L A .)

I Vw/ j r??

S h rin e o f w isd o m

C a lifo rn ia (C h ic o )

E\Xafj,irofj.euo<; I o x v e u A e v u e Y,o<f>o l E8uo<; Av uar o<;

C a lifo rn ia (Irv in e ) C al. P o ly T e c h

e po<;

W e se rv e b y w a tc h in g o v e r

Nao?

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G a in in g g lo ry in k n o w le d g e C o m e , w ise o n e s A s tro n g c o m p a n y o f m e n

C a r n e g ie M e llo n

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264

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

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These mottoes were chosen by John Calvin Hanna (with help from George Chandler), then by Seth R. Brooks, and in 1989, by Joseph H. Lane. Note that the Zeta motto Ze v \ 8 e v r e ? meaning “bound together” was ini­ tially chosen for the Hampden-Sydney chapter, then switched to Williams. Also note that the merged Case-Western Reserve chapter uses a combination of both mottoes: A u9 oo<j>ai, pa Koa^io<; — BeAr l o t o u which means “the round earth is an ordered creation - the best.” When North Carolina was the Eta Beta chapter, it had the motto ‘Hpw? Bporo<; which means “the hero is mortal.” It is the only chapter to have had two mottoes. The following chapters have not been active since 1909 when Greek mottoes began to be chosen, and so they do not have Greek mottoes. A't M H' AM S' AA' X' 9' AH AA T E' AO Q' A0 AT'

Butler Cumberland Harvard Howard Illinois College Monmouth Oglethorpe Princeton Randolph-Macon Richmond South Carolina Transylvania Trinity (Texas) U.S. Naval Academy V.M.I. William and Mary

Note: due to technical difficulties beyond our control, the required accents have been omitted on the actual Greek words. 265

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Table III Chapter Life-times (A â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; + â&#x20AC;&#x2122; at the end of the line signifies that the chapter was inactive in 1988) Alabama Amherst Arizona Arizona State Auburn Ball State Baylor Beloit Bethany Boston Bowdoin Bowling Green British Columbia Brown Butler California California (Chico) California (Irvine) California Poly Tech Carnegie Mellon Case Central Michigan Centre Chicago Cincinnati Clemson Colgate Colorado Colorado College Colorado Mines Colorado State U. Columbia Cornell Cumberland Dartmouth Davidson De Pauw Denison Denver Dickinson

Delta Theta Beta Iota Delta Beta Delta Tau Delta Zeta Delta Iota Delta Psi Chi Psi Upsilon Beta Sigma Delta Delta Gamma Omicron Kappa Alpha Psi Omega Epsilon Iota Delta Sigma Epsilon Delta Gamma Iota Lambda Kappa Epsilon Gamma Epsilon Lambda Rho Beta Nu Delta Nu Beta Theta Beta Tau Gamma Delta Beta Phi Epsilon Kappa Alpha Alpha Beta Delta Mu Alpha Omega Phi Alpha Delta Alpha Eta Alpha Zeta Alpha Sigma 266

1964 1883-1966 1959-1969 1977 1964 1965 1980-1988 1860-1865 1860-1865 1876-1915 1900 1962 1936 1849-1851 1878-1881 1879 1987 1975 1986 1920 1905 1985 1848-1862 1868-1872 1840-1843 1970 1880 1900-1971 1914 1908 1988 1881 1879 1854-1861 1889 1859-1861 1845 1868 1889 1874

+ +

1872-1987 1871

1880-1973

1870 1894-1969 1890

1978

1865-1872 1866-1868

+ +

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Duke East Carolina Eastern Kentucky Emory Florida Florida State G.M.I. George Mason U. Georgia Georgia Tech Guelph Hampden-Sydney Hanover Harvard Houston Howard Idaho Illinois Illinois College Indiana Iowa Iowa State Iowa Wesleyan Jefferson Johns Hopkins Kansas Kansas State Kenyon Knox Lawrence Lehigh Louisville M.I.T. M.T.S.U. Maine Maryland McGill Miami Michigan Michigan State Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Missouri (K. C.)

Gamma Rho Epsilon Alpha Delta Xi Gamma Upsilon Gamma Xi Delta Lambda Delta Eta Epsilon Mu Epsilon Epsilon Gamma Eta Epsilon Zeta Zeta Prime Iota Eta Prime Delta Upsilon Alpha Mu Gamma Gamma Sigma Rho Sigma Prime Pi Alpha Beta Tau Sigma Alpha Epsilon Gamma Alpha Chi Alpha Nu Gamma Epsilon Beta Alpha Xi Gamma Pi Beta Chi Delta Pi Beta Upsilon Epsilon Theta Beta Eta Delta Omega Epsilon Nu Alpha Lambda Gamma Psi Beta Pi Beta Beta Zeta Phi Epsilon Lambda 267

1939 1983 1971 1948 1930 1969 1964 1988 1986 1917 1986 1850-1861 1853 1843-1844 1977 1872-1879 1914 1902 1856-1866 1845-1849 1866-1872 1905 1868-1915 1842 1877-1978 1873 1914 1879-1891 1855-1874 1936 1891 1971 1913 1987 1879 1982 1988 1839-1848 1845-1851 1950 1889 1879-1901 1890 1988

1866-1912 +

1880-1901

+

+ 1855 1880 + +

1893 1888

1852-1872 1854

1928

1886

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

M onmouth Nebraska North Carolina North Dakota Northwestern Oglethorpe Ohio Ohio State Ohio Wesleyan Oklahoma Oklahoma State Oregon Oregon State Penn State Pennsylvania Princeton Puget Sound Purdue Randolph-Macon Richmond Rutgers San Diego State South Carolina South Dakota Southern Methodist St. Lawrence Stanford Stevens Syracuse Tennessee Texas Texas (Arlington) Texas A&M Texas Tech Toronto Transylvania Trinity (Texas) Tulane U. of the South U.C.LA. U.S. Naval Academy U.S.C. Union Utah

Alpha Alpha Prime Alpha Tau Eta Gamma Kappa Rho Chi Prime Beta Kappa Theta Delta Theta Gamma Phi Gamma Lambda Beta Rho Gamma Mu Alpha Upsilon Phi Theta Prime Delta Epsilon Beta Mu Alpha Xi Alpha Kappa Beta Gamma Epsilon Beta Upsilon Prime Gamma Alpha Gamma Omega Beta Zeta Lambda Sigma Sigma Beta Epsilon Delta Kappa Beta Omicron Delta Rho Epsilon Eta Delta Mu Theta Zeta Epsilon Prime Alpha Omicron Beta Xi Gamma Chi Gamma Nu Omega Prime Gamma Tau Nu Gamma Beta 268

1865-1878 1887 1852-1861 1922 1873 1859-1861 1841-1847 1885 1853 1907 1923 1909 1923 1888 1880-1891 1843-1846 1962 1903 1873-1893 1871-1896 1879-1887 1984 1858-1861 1912 1951 1879 1894 1879 1889-1956 1967 1886 1971 1987 1970 1906 1842-1847 1873-1881 1908 1949 1926 1863-1865 1947 1881 1913

1889

1854

1895-1968

1891

1960

1977

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

V.M.I. Vanderbilt Virginia Virginia Tech Wabash Washington (Pa.) Washington (Seattle) Washington (St. L.) Washington State Washington and Lee Weber State Wesleyan West Virginia Western Michigan W estern Ontario W estern Reserve Westminster Whitman Wichita Willamette William and Mary Williams Wisconsin Wittenberg Wooster Wright State Yale

Alpha Theta Beta Lambda Omicron Alpha Phi Tau Gamma Beta Omega Alpha Iota Gamma Theta Alpha Rho Delta Omicron Mu Epsilon Beta Psi Delta Chi Delta Alpha Beta Alpha Delta Gamma Zeta Delta Gamma Gamma Sigma Alpha Tau Prime Zeta Alpha Pi Alpha Gamma Alpha Lambda Delta Phi Phi Chi

269

1869-1880 1884 1855-1861 1877-1880 1846-1849 1855-1865 1901 1869-1879 1920 1856-1861 1971 1890 1900 1978-1987 1952 1841-1868 1868 1916 1959 1947 1876-1877 1847-1851 1873 1867 1872-1913 1977 1892-1966

1865-1973 1972 1856

1901 1865-1880

1881-1979

1914-1963

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Table IV G reek Names of the Chapters in 1989 A B r A E' E Z Z' H' H 0' 0 I K A M N H 0 n p S' s T T' T $ X' X <Ir O' Q

Miami W estern Reserve Washington & Jefferson De Pauw Transylvania Centre Williams Hampden-Sydney Harvard North Carolina Princeton Ohio Wesleyan Hanover Brown Michigan Cumberland Union Knox Virginia Indiana Northwestern Illinois College Stevens Wabash South Carolina Boston Pennsylvania Oglethorpe Beloit Bethany U.S. Naval Academy California

270

AA' AA AB Ar AA AE AZ AH A0 AI AK AA AM AN AH AO An AP AS AT' AT AT A$ AX k'V AQ

Monmouth Columbia Iowa Wittenberg W estminster Iowa Wesleyan Denver Denison V.M.I. Washington (Mo.) Richmond Wooster Howard Kansas Randolph-Macon Trinity (Texas) Wisconsin Washington and Lee Dickinson William and Mary Nebraska Penn State Virginia Tech Johns Hopkins Butler Dartmouth

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

BA BB Br BA BE BZ BH B0 BI BK BA BM BN BH BO Bn BP BS BT BT B$ BX B$ Bft

Kenyon Mississippi Rutgers Cornell Syracuse St. Lawrence Maine Colgate Amherst Ohio Vanderbilt Purdue Cincinnati Tulane Texas Minnesota Oregon Bowdoin Colorado M.I.T. Colorado Mines Lehigh West Virginia Washington (Seattle)

EA EB Er EA EE EZ EH E0 El EK EA EM EN

East Carolina San Diego State Central Michigan California Poly Tech Georgia Guelph Texas A&M M.T.S.U. California (Chico) Colorado State U. Missouri (Kansas City) George Mason U. McGill

TA TB

rr TA TE

rz TH T0

n TK TA TM TN FH

ro rn rp rs

ft rT r$ rx T’l' TQ

South Dakota Utah Idaho Colorado College Kansas State Whitman Georgia Tech Washington State Carnegie Mellon North Dakota Oklahoma State Oregon State U.C.L.A. Florida British Columbia Lawrence Duke Willamette U.S.C. Emory Oklahoma U. of the South Michigan State S. M. U. Z<£ 0A 0Z AK AP AS ME $A SP TS $>X

AA AB AT AA AE AZ AH A0 AI AK AA AM AN AH AO An AP AS AT AT A$> AX Atf AQ

W estern Ontario Arizona Wichita Bowling Green Puget Sound Auburn G.M.I. Alabama Ball State Tennessee Florida State Texas Tech Clemson Eastern Kentucky W eber State Louisville Texas (Arlington) California (Irvine) Arizona State Houston Wright State W estern Michigan Baylor Maryland

Missouri Ohio State Toronto Case Chicago Stanford Wesleyan Davidson Illinois Iowa State Yale

There is also the three-letter chapter, AKB at Case-Western Reserve.

271

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Table V Chapter Chronology ( T h e G r e e k n a m e sh o w n is th e o n e giv en a t th e tim e o f e s ta b lis h m e n t.)

Chapters Inactivated:

Chapters Established: 1839 Miami A 1840 Cincinnati B 1841 W estern Reserve T Ohio A 1842 Transylvania E Jefferson Z 1843 Harvard H Princeton 0 1844 1845 De Pauw I Indiana K Michigan A 1846 Wabash M 1847 Williams N

Cincinnati Harvard

Princeton Ohio Transylvania

In 1847, the chapter list was rearranged to the following: Miami W estern Reserve Transylvania Jefferson Princeton De Pauw Indiana Michigan Wabash Williams

A B T A E Z H 0 I K

The convention was not aware that both Transylvania and Princeton had actually become inactive.

272

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1848 Centre A

in n

inrv.c,r, JittK O

Miami

In 1848, the chapter list was rearranged to the following: Miami Western Reserve Jefferson De Pauw Indiana Michigan Wabash Williams Centre

A

B r A E

z H

0 I

Miami, although inactive, maintained her place as Alpha. 1849 Brown K

Indiana Wabash

1850 Hampden-Sydney A 1851

Michigan Williams Brown

In 1851, the names were not formally rearranged, but the new chapters were named as if they had been changed to the following: Miami Western Reserve Jefferson De Pauw Centre Hampden-Sydney

A B

r A

E Z

1852 Miami A North Carolina H 1853 Ohio Wesleyan 0 Hanover I 1854 Ohio K Michigan A

273

inn

r / i i i n r u L nunr. u r

inn

m is.n n

The convention of 1854 rearranged the chapter list: Miami W estern Reserve Jefferson De Pauw Centre Hampden-Sydney North Carolina Ohio Wesleyan Hanover Ohio Michigan

A B

r A E Z H 0 I K A

Cumberland M (added after the convention) 1855 Washington (Pa.) N Knox H Virginia 0 Indiana II 1856 Washington [and Lee] P Illinois College S Wabash T 1858 South Carolina T 1859 Davidson $ Oglethorpe X 1860 Beloit X Bethany 'I' 1861 Hampden-Sydney North Carolina Cumberland Virginia Washington and Lee South Carolina Davidson Oglethorpe 1862 Centre 1863 U.S. Naval Academy Q 1865 Cumberland M Beloit Bethany Virginia 0 Washington and Lee P U.S. Naval Academy M onmouth AA This year, Washington ..) merged with Jefferson, eventually named F

274

inc, r d i i n r u L

nurm ur

inn

itiKim biAKb

1866 Hampden-Sydney Z Illinois College Davidson $ Iowa BB 1867 W ittenberg IT 1868 W estminster AA Western Reserve Iowa Wesleyan EE Davidson Chicago (“colonized” but not named) Nashville Alumni ZZ Denison HH 1869 V.M.I. 00 Washington (St. Louis) I I 1870 Centre E 1871 Bethany $ Richmond KK Chicago AA changed to ZZ when Nashville alumni was renamed. 1872 Beloit X Miami W ooster AA Cumberland Howard MM Iowa Chicago In this year, double-letter chapters Monmouth Iowa Wittenberg Westminster Iowa Wesleyan Chicago Denison V.M.I. Washington (St. Louis) Richmond Wooster Howard

had their first letter changed to Alpha. AA AB Ar AA AE AZ AH A0 AI AK AA AM

1873 Kansas AN Randolph-M acon AH Trinity (Texas) AO Wisconsin All Northwestern AP 1874 Dickinson AS 1876 William and Mary AT Boston AT

Knox

275

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in n

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1877 Virginia Tech A$ Johns Hopkins AX

William and Mary

1878 Butler Atf

Monmouth

1879 California AQ Kenyon BA Mississippi BB

Washington (St. Louis) Howard

The Alpha Sigma Chi alliance: Rutgers B r Cornell BA Stevens BE St. Lawrence BZ Maine BH 1880 Harvard H Brown K Cumberland M Iowa AB Pennsylvania $ Colgate B0

Washington and Lee V.M.I. Virginia Tech

In 1880, the roll was again changed:

Miami Ohio W. & J. Harvard De Pauw Indiana Michigan Wabash Centre Brown Hampden-Sydney Ohio Wesleyan Hanover Cumberland Virginia

A B r H A n A T E K Z 0 I M 0

Beloit Bethany Iowa Wittenberg W estm inster Iowa Wesleyan Denison Richmond Wooster Kansas Randolph-Macon Trinity (Texas) Wisconsin Northwestern Dickinson

276

X $ AB AT AA AE AH AK AA AN 77 AO An p AE

Boston Johns Hopkins B utler California Kenyon M ississippi Rutgers Cornell Stevens St. Lawrence Maine Pennsylvania Colgate

T AX A * Q BA BB BT BA S BZ BH $ B0

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1881 W estern Reserve BK Trinity (Texas) Union N Butler Columbia AA The Ohio chapter was renamed BK, and W estern Reserve again became B. 1883 Am herst BI 1884 Vanderbilt BA 1885 Ohio State 0A 1886 Miami A Texas BO 1887 Nebraska AT Rutgers 1888 Knox AH Penn State AT T h e m e r g e r w ith th e M y stic S e v e n s tr e n g th e n e d V irg in ia , re -e s ta b lis h e d N o rth C a r o lin a a n d D a v id s o n , w a s b e h in d th e s ta r tin g o f S y ra c u se a n d W e s le y a n , a n d e v e n tu a lly le d to c h a p te r s a t E m o ry a n d G e o rg ia . T h e M y stic T e m p le s a t C u m b e rla n d a n d C e n te n a r y C o lle g e in L o u is ia n a h a v e n o t y et b e e n re s ta r te d .

1889 North Carolina HB (Mystic Seven) Syracuse BE (Mystic Seven) Denver AZ Dartm outh AC Minnesota BII 1890 Cincinnati BN Davidson $A (Mystic Seven) Wesleyan ME (Mystic Seven) Missouri Z$> 1891 Rutgers B r Lehigh BX 1892 Yale $>X 1893 Kenyon BA 1894 Chicago AP Stanford AE 1895 Pennsylvania $ 1896 1899 1900 West Virginia B^ Bowdoin BE Colorado BT 1901 Washington (St. Louis) AI Washington (Seattle) BO 1902 Illinois SP 1903 Purdue BM 1905 Case AK Iowa State TE 277

Kenyon Pennsylvania Randolph-Macon

Richmond Cumberland

Harvard Mississippi

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1906 Toronto 0Z 1907 Oklahoma r ^ 1 1908 Colorado Mines B$ Tulane BE 1909 Oregon BP 1911 Knox was given back its old name of 2 Hampden-Sydney 1912 South Dakota TA Wooster 1913 M.I.T. BT U tah TB 1914 Williams Z Idaho rr Colorado College FA Kansas State FE Iowa Wesleyan 1915 Boston 1916 Whitman TZ 1917 Washington and Lee AP Georgia Tech TH 1920 Washington State T0 Carnegie Mellon F I 1922 North Dakota TK 1923 Oklahoma State FA Oregon State TM 1926 U.C.L.A. TN 1928 Mississippi BB North Carolina was given back its old name of H 1930 Florida FH 1936 British Columbia TO Lawrence H I 1939 Duke TP 1947 Willamette TE U. Southern California FT 1948 Emory TT (Mystic Seven) 1949 U. of the South TX 1950 Michigan State Tty 1951 Southern Methodist TO 1952 W estern Ontario AA 1956 Syracuse 1959 Arizona AB Wichita AT 1960 Syracuse BE 1962 Bowling Green AA Puget Sound AE 1963 Williams 278

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1964 Auburn AZ G.M.I. AH Alabama A0 1965 Ball State AI 1966

Amherst Yale

1967 Tennessee AK 1968 1969 Florida State AA

Pennsylvania Davidson Chicago Arizona

1970 Texas Tech AM Clemson AN 1971 Eastern Kentucky AH W eber State AO Louisville All Texas (Arlington) AP 1972 Virginia Tech A$> 1973

Colorado

Brown Virginia

1975 California (Irvine) AS 1977 Pennsylvania $ Arizona State AT Houston AT Wright State A$ Johns Hopkins 1978 Colorado BT W estern Michigan AX 1979 W estern Reserve merged with Case 1980 Virginia 0 Baylor A t 1982 Maryland AQ 1983 East Carolina EA 1984 San Diego State EB 1985 Central Michigan E r 1986 California Poly Tech EA Georgia EE (Mystic Seven) Guelph EZ Beloit 1987 Texas A&M EH W estern Michigan M.T.S.U. E0 California (Chico) E l Baylor 1988 Colorado State U. EK Missouri (Kansas City) EA George Mason U. EM McGill EN 279

THE SISSON AWARD The S isso n Aw ard will be given an nually to outstanding chap ters of Beta Theta Pi. To receive the aw ard a chapter m ust c o m p ly with the follow ing criteria. However, if there are sp e cia l circ u m ­ sta n ce s w hy a chapter cannot c o m p ly with any of the criteria, an explanation sh ould be included when ap p lyin g fo rthe award. There is no lim it to the num ber of chap ters that can receive this award each year. The chapter must: (1) Have a chapter m em be rsh ip large enough to m aintain financial stability for a continuity of m e m b e rsh ip and not le ss than the average fraternity on cam pus. (2) Initiate at least 75% of all m en form ally pledg ed. P le d g e s held for a continued pledg e period will not be counted as part of their o riginal ple d g e class. (3) Receive an excellent financial rating. (4) Have a chapter G P A not less than 2.5. (5) Have an ap pointed scholarship chairm an with duties m ode led on those su ggested b y the General Fraternity. (6) H old at least one function during the year sp e cifica lly for alum ni. (7) Have a program where, if ap plicab le, Fraternal Fifty c ard s are presented. (8) Have a chapter alum ni affairs officer. (9) Pub lish at least one issue of an a lu m n i/ch a p te r new sletter (include three copies). (10) S u b m it chapter articles for The Beta Theta Pi for all appropriate issues. (11) Perform one sig nifican t c o m m u n ity involvem ent project annually, (date, fu n ds raised, property im proved). (12) Adhere to the General Fraternity's p o licy against hazing. (13) Follow all rituals including initiation cerem onies, officer installations, and chapter m eetings - co m p lia n c e certified by the District Chief. (14) Prepare and su bm it annual chapter g o a ls to the adviser and District C hief no later than D e cem ber 31. (15) Prepare an annual report of chapter activities and su bm it to advisers, the District C hief and the Adm inistrative O ffice of the General Fraternity. R eports sh ould include inform ation on alum ni, athletics, aca de m ics, pledg e education, rush, social, rituals, c o m m u n ity involvem ent, ca m p u s involvem ent, financial, housing, and lead ership (include a copy). (16) Have an involved chapter counselor and alu m nus financial a d v ise r-c o m p lia n c e certified by the District Chief. (17) C o m p le te the General Fraternityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual questionnaire. (18) Review during a chapter m eeting, the ch ap te râ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s constitution and bylaws.

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SECTION 23 Recognizing Achievement Beta Theta Pi has always urged her members to devote themselves to develop­ ment of their talents, both as individuals and as chapters. Betas are constitutionally required to build up a fraternity which recognizes certain objectives as worthy of the highest aim and purpose of associated effort. In order to indicate to her members which individual and chapter efforts aid in the attainment of her objectives, Beta has set up various tokens of recognition to be granted. These awards are not an end in themselves. Like the laurel wreath of the Greek games, they signify an accomplish­ ment itself worth more than the trophy.

Chapter Awards In order to stimulate the chapters to greater efforts, both internally and exter­ nally, Beta has set up awards for chapter achievement in various areas. The awards are made annually, and the winners are announced at each convention. Some of these awards were set up by individual chapters; others were formulated by the General Fraternity. Typically they are a plaque or a trophy, or sometimes a trav­ elling trophy, which is displayed by the winning chapter for the year.

The Sisson Award The Sisson award was initially devised by Francis H. Sisson. In 1917 he pre­ sented the fraternity with an attractive silver Tiffany cup, to be “awarded annually to that one of the chapters deemed to have best illustrated during the year the principles and the ideals of Beta Theta Pi.” This determination was to be made by the trustees and the district chiefs in conference. After three years of consideration, it was decided not to award the cup, because of “so large a num ber of chapters in institutions of such differing character,” a just decision could not be made. At the convention of 1949, Seth Brooks was the chairman of a committee to re­ consider and award two Sisson cups. Kansas and Ohio State received the cups at that convention, but a discussion followed, since the committee reported “the great difficulty of comparing chapters... when confronted with many intangible and nebu­ lous factors.” After study by the Board of Trustees, the awards were made again in 1950. This time Bethany and Willamette were recognized. However, the convention was still dissatisfied with the criteria used in the judges’ decision, and the award was ordered to be discontinued until further study was done. Finally the convention of 1981 reformulated the criteria of the Sisson award. ANY number of chapters could win it - BUT now, to receive the award a chapter must comply with 18 criteria, including size, percentage initiated of those pledged, finance, chapter grade point average, various officers, alumni interaction (including Fraternal Fifties), chapter newsletter, magazine articles, community service, proper performance of rituals, adherence to Beta’s non-hazing policy, preparation of

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chapter goals, and review of chapter constitution. It’s a lot of work, but every chapter can and should be a Sisson chapter... The new Sisson award has been made annually since 1982. The award itself is a certificate signed by the President and General Secretary. In 1988 there were 25 winners of the chapters, nearly one fifth of all Beta chapters. Some of these have won the Sisson four or more times.

The Whitman Choral Cup The Whitman C hapter’s chorus is well-known. They were the official chorus at the centennial in 1939 (and the story of their road trip from the Northwest is told elsewhere in this book). In 1981, the Whitman chapter proposed an award to be recognize outstanding chapter singing. The chapter donated a travelling trophy of two dragons carrying the eight-sided shield. Since 1982, it has been presented to the chapter with the best group singing, as submitted to the General Fraternity on cassette tape. [One of these years they will probably have an award for the best Beta video!] A panel of three knowledgeable musicians judge the tapes. Various rules govern the songs and size of the singing group.

The North Dakota Awards At the convention of 1932, the North Dakota chapter expressed its desire to offer an award for outstanding journalism shown in chapter publications. This was approved, and in 1933, the first North Dakota award went to The Crucible of the Colorado Mines chapter. Since then, these award plaques have been presented annually to the chapter with the outstanding chapter publications in each of two categories: newspaper form and magazine form. Only those publications produced by a chapter may be entered - those produced commercially are not eligible, nor are those merely typed and duplicated.

The Virginia Tech Scholarship Awards The Virginia Tech chapter was founded in 1877 and lasted only three years. Ninety-five years after its founding, it was rechartered. It quickly became one of the well-known active chapters in the fraternity, when, in 1975, it offered to sponsor an award for outstanding scholarship. The idea was heartily approved by the Board of Trustees. Since 1975, these awards are presented to the chapter with the highest grade point average in each of in 8 geographic regions. There is also an award to the chapter with the highest overall grade point average, and the one with the most improved grade point average. These regions divide the chapters evenly, but are known by geographical locations. This has resulted in some oddities, such as the observation by Loyd Mahan, Whitman 1951, former Vice-President and M aster of Ceremonies at one awards banquet: “I’m from Oregon, and I never knew that Kansas is in the Northwest” - when that chapter won the Northwest regional award.

The Beta Theta Pi Service Awards These awards were begun in 1973 by action of the Board of Trustees. They rec­ 282

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ognize the outstanding community or public service project done by a chapter. There are 2 categories: projects which are a one-time event and those which are on­ going. Each has a winner and an honorable mention.

Can M Y Chapter Win? A better question is “why hasn’t your chapter tried to win?” Yes, your chapter can win any of these awards, if everyone in it is willing to put forth his own best effort. May Wooglin smile on your endeavours! For information on applying, and further details on any of these awards, contact the Administrative Office.

Awards made to individual members Since Beta, derived from a literary society, has the constitutionally specified ob­ jective of “devotion to the cultivation of the intellect,” it is fitting that she act to stimulate and acknowledge intellectual advancement. Beta has developed several awards for individual members. There are awards for undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni. The service of district chiefs and chapter counsellors is also recognized.

Undergraduate Scholarships Every year, the General Fraternity awards a portion of the interest from the Founders Fund to those undergraduate Betas who have applied and met various criteria. Although the Founders Fund was created in 1920 with the object of further­ ing scholarship, the principal was not sufficient until 1949; most of it had been on loan for the construction of chapter houses. In 1949, the Founders Fund stood at just over $140,000, and 18 scholarships were awarded, totalling $5,250. By 1988, the Founders Fund had grown to over $1.1 million, and 44 scholarships totalling $44,000 were awarded. All undergraduate Betas are encouraged to apply for these prizes, which are awarded on the basis of scholastic achievement, need, and chapter service. It was reported to the convention of 1985 that recent tax law rulings had permit­ ted the creation of scholarship funds within the Founders Fund for the benefit of specific chapters. For details on applying for a scholarship or on donating to a chapter fund, write to the Administrative Office.

Tutor-in-Residence Award Envisioned as early as 1920 when the Founders Fund was established,the Tutorin-Residence program was actually begun in 1974. In that year, General Secretary Shoop explained that it was aimed at strengthening internal chapter operations: eight Betas attending graduate schools would be matched with the chapters at those schools. The chapter would provide room and board, a grant from the Founders Fund would assist with tuition expense, and the graduate brother would provide m ature guidance and assistance in chapter affairs and to individual brothers. Typi­ cally, the chapter must request a TIR, which request is then published in The Beta Theta Pi. Applicants must have the proper qualifications and attend a graduate school at the chapter requesting assistance. In 1988, eight TIR awards of $2000 each 283

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284

sxa k s

in n r a iin r u L

nunc, u r

ititi THKtt, b'i'AKS

were made from the Founders Fund.

The Oxford Cup The fraternity awards the Oxford Cup in recognition of achievement of the highest order by a Beta. It was developed in 1984 by President Van de W ater and General Secretary Morris, who also wrote the award ceremony for its presentation, and designed the cup itself, which is a smaller version of the Pater Knox Loving Cup. The Betas who have been honored by the Oxford Cup include: Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922 - Beta Legend, minister, writer Joseph P. Allen IV, De Pauw 1959 - Space shuttle astronaut John Sherman Cooper, Centre 1922 - U. S. Senator, ambassador John N. Turner, British Columbia 1949 - Canadian Prime Minister Arch A. Moore, West Virginia 1951 - U. S. Representative, Governor Y. C. Jam es Yen, Yale 1918 - World-reknowned teacher A rthur S. Torrey, St. Lawrence 1924 - Canadian investment executive John R. Wooden, Purdue 1932 - Basketball coach Carl A. Kroch, Cornell 1935 - Proprietor of nation’s largest independently owned chain of bookstores Stephen D. Bechtel, Sr., California 1923 - Engineer and construction expert J. J. Robinette, Toronto 1924 - Canadian lawyer

District Chief of the Year and Counsellor of the Year The unsung (but singing) heros of the fraternity are the district chiefs and the chapter counsellors. Chapters which know their Beta lore understand that these brothers are there for them . The district chief represents the General Fraternity and over 120 chapters; the chapter counsellor represents thousands of alumni, and decades of interest. Some have served in an outstanding manner, or have accom­ plished extraordinary tasks. Since 1984, the General Fraternity has annually recog­ nized the work of the two brothers selected as the “District Chief of the Y ear” and “Chapter Counsellor of the Year.” The recognition of these men should awaken a sense of gratitude for the others who serve in these positions. Sharing in the Honor Beta Theta Pi does not recognize accomplishments of a particular brother unless he is truly worthy of honor, both subjectively and objectively. Urbanity, courtesy, and friendliness, as well as intellectual prowess, must be visibly demon­ strated in order to be recognized. Therefore, awards which are given to individual Betas bring honor to the entire fraternity, in keeping with the words of the song: Thus honor shall come to the badge that we wear, And every true Beta that honor shall share.

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BENEDICTION Hail noble bandof youthful men, Who formthe mystic tie, The Secret Order numb’riog ten, Of Beta, Theta, PI! Oncommonground to-night we meet. Let joy light every eye; With songoff cheer, let eacl\one greet His Beta, Theta, Pi. At Friendship’s pure, and holy shrine Let all dissensions die. Andmutual confidence entwine Our Beta, Theta, Pi. In“’FriendshipHull,** *midsocial glee. Let «rifWith trust rely, Andjoin each heart in harmony With Beta, Tbeta, Pi. Let Virtue, Truth, andMerit .stand With us escutcheoried high Upon the shieldwhichguards our band, Of Beta, Theta, Pi. Let invocations here findbirth— Perchance they’ll reach the sky, And blessiDgs soon mayshower down On Beta, Theta, Pi. Le|.i>rdersit enthroned to-night, As-order reigns on high, Andeach renewhi* socred plight To Beta, Thetn Pi.

Let “ Nature’ssweet restorer sleep,” Soonwrap us inher strongembrace, AndguardianAngels, vigils keep— And wilt Thou shieldUs, Godof Grace? INITIATORY ODE TO THE CHAPTER

Brothers, again we’ve met totale the pledge. Where heartsto kindred heartsreply; Let **Friendship and Fidelity,” inhedge Our sacredBeta, Theta, Pi. Here oft we congregate with tmstinghearts, Affectionstrougiand Friendshipnfgh; Let each, and all, act well theirdifferent parts, Thus honor Beta, Theta, Pi. Once more upon our Order's lenzh’faing chiun. Another link, this night we tie; Let time, nordistance, rend in ih’ain One heart fromBeta, Theta, Pi. And now, when each renews hii sacred pledge. Let heart andhand with joy Comply, Let Friendship shieldfromHI,our little hand Of noble Betrt, Thets, Pi. Whileeach,in order, gives his willing hand. Let never Friendshiponec deny The slightest tribute ot the openshrine, Of hallow’dBeta, Theta, Pi. And last of all, let sweetest concord reign Round Friendship’s altar, pure and high, “ Withall whowear the badge, or bear the name,” Which ’tokens Beta, Theta, Pi.

TO THE INITI ATED

CLOSING ODE Come, let each Beta join his voice. Andbidour Lodge goodbye ; While, fromitscourts, act out through choice Our Beta, Theta, Pi. Whene’er wemingl*. with Iheworld. Let action* showour die ; Like pennant to the breeze unfurled. Of Beta, Theta, Pi. We S I wouldJeave our “ FriendshipHall,” Andspeak so soongood-bye; But time and couqhto each dothcall. ••Vale, 8*ta, Theta, PL” Hail all of high and lowdegree. Who formifremystic tie; Farewell to each, farewell to thee. MyBeta, Theta, Pi.

Stranger, here oft we’re met, a little hand. To cultivate each friendly tie; To ) oil, we nowextend the cordial hand, Which shields our Bets, Theta, Pi. Wc greet thee, as a Brother, in.it* pole. In noble actions let us vie, With words of kindness let us aver hail Our worthyBeta, Theta, Pi. To Friendship’s noble call, when broUier speaks, Return a kindandprompt reply, Yes, give the pass, or watchword which he seeks, And withit. Beta, Theta, Pi. And nowaccept this humble tribute, doe, Frombrothers of the mystic tiq; We trust you—0! prove ever true. To tv—to Beta, Theta, Pi.

The First Beta Songs Included in a letter dated December 28, 1847 from Collins of Wabash to Munger of Miami 286

SECTION 24 Songs Cano anna que virum —“I sing arms and the m an” wrote Virgil just a few decades before the birth of Christ. Virgil’s works and those of other ancient Greek and Latin poets have echoed around the world for millennia. Few now read these great works in the original, and scholars can only guess at the musical format which may have aided in their memorization. Alas, the classical languages are not valued by society in the present time. But this very year, nearly seven thousand college men, studying everything from quantum mechanics to microeconomics, are singing in Latin. The song is not as ancient as Virgil - it was written by an undergraduate who studied the classical languages about 1870. This song, “Gemma Nostra,” is one of the perhaps twenty songs known by most Betas. This may sound unbelievable, but it’s true. After all, there are over sixty songs in the Beta songbook, and Beta’s nickname is “the singing fraternity.” The Beta spirit seems aptly expressed in song, as the human race has expressed the deepest emotions from the most ancient times. Some five thousand years ago, a nation was led out of slavery, and they paused in their escape to sing a song of thanksgiving and praise, recorded in Exodus, chapter 15. Throughout time, peoples have gathered in worship to sing - the book of Psalms are the words to 150 songs of Israel. Songs expressed the spiritual objectives of praise, thanksgiving, sorrow, or pleading; songs stimulated patriotism, enlivened boring labor, or aided in learning. Besides these “practical” uses of songs, they have been used to express the entire range of human emotion; certainly each of these human activities has been enriched by speaking musically. In early America, beginning with “ Yankee Doodle,” songs took on patriotic in­ tensity. Religion was a major part of life for Americans in the pre-television era, and except for a very few sects, singing was a big part of worship. The college men of the 1830’s and 1840’s were both patriotic and spiritual - recall that church attendance was mandatory at Miami - so the Founders and other early Betas had frequent contact with singing. It was only a matter of time before some Beta expressed his feelings for the fraternity in song. Indeed, just eight years after the founding, there was already a selection of five Beta “odes.”

The First Beta Odes The first Beta songs were included in a letter from Varnum D. Collins, Wabash 1850, to Edward H. Munger, Miami 1848, dated December 28,1847. Collins wrote: A lth o u g h th e y p o s s e s s b u t little re a l p o e tic a l m e rit (b e in g th e o ff s p rin g o f a few id le h o u rs ), y e t w h e n s u n g w ith skill a n d fe e lin g , o r m o re p ro p e rly , “w ith th e s p irit a n d th e u n d e r s ta n d in g ,” th e y a d d m u c h to th e in te r e s t o f th e m e e tin g .

Munger left Miami after the Snow Rebellion and founded the Centre chapter, later becoming a judge, and Collins became a Presbyterian minister. These “odes” are reproduced on the facing page. Karl Fischer noted that both songs in the left-hand column use the melody for “Auld Lang Syne,” and the “Benediction” uses the same tune as the Beta Doxology; the other melodies are unknown. 287

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The minutes of the convention of 1848 record that “after some appropriate music the Convention listened to a fine oration...” The Wabash odes were available, but it is not known if the “appropriate music” refers to them. The next few conven­ tions were busy with constitutional amendments, publishing a catalog, and estab­ lishing (or resuscitating) chapters, and no further mention was made of music until the convention of 1856, which sent a note of thanks to Mrs. Kate H unter for “The Beta Waltz.” [She was the wife of Alexander Hunter, Hanover 1854.]

Western Reserve’s Collection Then the Civil War darkened the fraternity. Some chapters closed when the students went off to war. But the Western Reserve chapter was keeping the idea of Beta songs alive. On October 23, 1860, John Pierce, W estern Reserve 1850, com­ posed an “Initiation Song.” Two other songs by other writers followed, and the interest continued to grow. Songs from other chapters were collected, but they seemed indifferent to any permanent collection of the songs. However, the enthu­ siasm for a songbook at W estern Reserve “had reached such a dangerous tension that, unless it should be realized by a fait accompli, there would be one of the most terrific cloudbursts on record.” So stated William H. Gaylord, W estern Reserve 1864, and so “we resolved that we would not only edit but write a songbook.” The minutes for November 3, 1863 record that each brother was to hand in an original song, and five did, which was more than half the chapter. Then, the War convention of 1864 appointed W estern Reserve to publish a collection of songs. The five handed in and seven other songs were put together with a list of the membership of the chapter, and published in 1865. O f the twelve songs in this, Beta’s first song book, three still appear in the present song book: “Beta Theta Pi” (H e who on self relies) by an unknown author “Our Founders” (When we meet to sing) by Samuel Williamson, 1864 “Beta’s Emblems” (On Beta’s night) by Martin Brooks, 1864 The last two were among the five “handed in” on November 3,1863, and so they are now over 125 years old.

The Civil War Meanwhile, around “the watchfires of a hundred circling camps,” the boys in blue and gray were singing. It was a critical time for the music of the United States. In the introduction to his Songs o f the Civil War, Irwin Silber (a non-Beta) states: T h e C ivil W a r, w ith its m ilita ry a n d p o litic a l u rg e n c ie s, w ith its g ra n d m ix in g o f b a c k g r o u n d s a n d c u ltu re s , w ith its n e e d f o r s o n g s o f in s p ira tio n a n d s o rro w a n d la u g h te r, a n d w ith its fo c u s o n th e in n e r m e a n in g o f t h e A m e ric a n U n io n , a c te d a s a c a ta ly s t in th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f o u r m u sic, a n d th e h ith e r to slo w p ro c e s s o f A m e ric a n iz a tio n w as s u d d e n ly s q u e e z e d in to a few s h o r t y e a rs. A s th e C ivil W a r lib e r a te d th e N e g ro slav e , it a ls o lib e ra te d A m e ric a n m u sic fr o m its h id e -b o u n d , a lie n tra d itio n .^

These changes eventually resulted in jazz and certain elements of rock-and-roll. However, these Civil War songs would soon have their impact on Beta: “The Bonnie 1

Songs o f the Civil War, p a g e

3

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Blue Flag” sung by the boys of the sunny Southland, the “Battle Cry of Freedom,” sung by the Northerners, and “Tenting on the Old Campground” which expressed their common desire “to see the dawn of peace.” Finally came Appomattox, and the nation began bind up its wounds. At Beta’s first convention after the war, the session on May 2,1866, was opened with a Beta song. It was reported that the southern chapters were beginning to revive. More songs were heard that day, and after the banquet and speeches that night, the minutes record that “after singing ‘Our Founders’ as only Betas can sing, the con­ vention adjourned [from the banquet hall] to the parlours to transact some unfin­ ished business.” This is the first mention of a particular song used at a convention. The circulation of the first songbook by W estern Reserve was limited, and in 1868, the convention requested Western Reserve to prepare a new songbook. But the forces of darkness were at work that year; the chapter deserted her altar and betrayed the trust of her sisters, abandoning Beta in favor of Delta Kappa Epsilon. Knox, the presiding chapter, reassigned the work of the songbook to De Pauw, and the next convention (1869) added Indiana and Wabash to the songbook committee. Still nothing was done, so the convention of 1870 appointed the two year old Denison chapter to work on it. The order of business for the convention of 1871 specified a report from the songbook committee, but nothing appears in the minutes for it. However, they must have been hard at work, for it was ready in 1872.

Seaman's 1872 Songbook Why the dramatic results? At Denison a certain undergraduate became the editor of the song book: Charles J. Seaman, Denison 1871. H e wrote two songs himself: “The Alumni’s R eturn” which was sung to the tune of “Tenting Tonight,” and “The Banquet Song.” The tune for the latter song is the Germ an “Tannenbaum ”, or “Oh Christmas Tree,” and is used for the Latin college song, “Lauriger Horatius,” and also “Maryland, My Maryland.” Betas know this tune as the one for Beta’s Latin song, “Gemma Nostra.” Seaman got one of his chapter m ates1 to write a couple of songs as well: Joseph S. Tunison, Denison 1873. Tunison wrote the aforementioned “Gemma Nostra,” though this version was called “Nostra Insignia ” and had only two verses. Also included was another song by Tunison, the “Beta Doxology,” possibly the most frequently sung Beta song today. It is sung to the tune of “America” (My Country ’Tis Of Thee). This tune was used by another songwriter of that time: Stanley Coulter, Hanover 1871. He was a new initiate, only 15 years old, when he wrote “As Betas Now We M eet”. This songbook had neither music nor the names of the writers. It was published at the cost of $272.80, and it had the words for these 41 songs: so n g : 'N o s t r a In s ig n ia H y m n fo r O p e n in g C h a p t e r H a il! B e ta T h e ta Pi O u r M o tto

tu n e : L a u rig e r H o r a tiu s (G e m m a N o s tr a ) A m e ric a J o h n B ro w n E P lu r ib u s U n u m

• O u r F o u n d e rs

C o c a -c h e -lu n k

1 A lm o s t lo o k s lik e a p le d g e p ro je c t, b u t th e r e w a sn ’t p le d g in g y et.

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B e t a ’s B o n d s O u r E m b le m s S m ile A ro u n d ‘ T h e r e ’s a S c e n e R e - U n io n S o n g S o n g o f G r e e tin g G re e k Song

A n n ie L a u rie A u ld L a n g S y n e J a im e ’s o n th e S to rm y S e a T ram p , T ram p , T ra m p B enny H avens A m e ric a (A s B e ta s N o w W e M e e t) T o m M o o re

B e ta B oys •S e re n a d e Song

M y M a ry la n d M y G o n d o la is W a itin g B elo w , L ove

’ B anquet Song T h e B e t a ’s S e re n a d e T h e B e t a ’s W e lc o m e T o E p ith a la m io n P le d g e A n e w M e m e n to A m a re • B e ta T h e ta Pi •V iv e I a B e ta • W o o g lin P r a is e to o u r O r d e r • B e t a ’s E m b le m s T h e B r o th e r ’s F a re w e ll B e ta O u r B rid e T h e In itia tio n

I ^ u r i g e r H o ra tiu s T h o u a rt g o n e fro m m y gaze

• T h e B e ta G rip D e a r B e ta • T h e J o lly G re e k s

V iv e I,a C o m p a g n ie ( L e t A ll S ta n d T o g e th e r ) I lo m e , S w eet I Io n ie

F u n e ra l H y m n S o F a re w e ll • T h e A lu m n i’s R e tu rn C h a p t e r P a rtin g S o n g P a rtin g P le d g e W o o g lin ’s D o g F a re w e ll S o n g W o o g lin ’s C h ris tm a s S o n g • P a r tin g S o n g • D o x o lo g y

B e n n y I Ia v e n s C o -c a -c h e lu n k C a s tle s in th e A ir T h e L a st C ig a r A m e ric a B o n n ie B lu e F lag W h e n Y o u a n d I W e r e Y o u n g , M ag g ie ( T h e r e ’s a I-e g e n d ) F a ir a s th e M o rn in g S p a rk lin g a n d B rig h t T o m M o o re E lle n B ay n e T w a s o ff th e B lu e C a n a r ie s /A u ld l.a n g Syne

I.ito ria O ld H u n d re d th T h e M o u n ta in e e r ’s F a re w e ll T e n tin g o n th e O ld C a m p g ro u n d A u ld I,a n g S y n e G o o d -B y e B e n n y I Iav en s Y o u r M issio n B o n n ie B lu e F lag A u ld L a n g S y n e G o d S av e th e Q u e e n

(a * in d ic a te s th a t th e s o n g still a p p e a r s in th e c u r r e n t s o n g b o o k )

Perhaps it will be clear what would be happening to those alumni returning to their chapters or conventions: they would be hearing over and over the Beta songs set to tunes which meant very much to them. Indeed, Beta preserves part of A m er­ ica’s musical heritage in these songs. The contact between Beta and the songs of the Civil War worked in both directions: in the collection of Civil War songs quoted above, there is a Civil War song by one of the Beta songwriters of 1872: John H. Lozier, De Pauw 1857, wrote the words for “The Old Union Wagon.” It is “a striking presentation of some of the outstanding issues of the Civil War. and a notable defence of the Emancipation Proclamation.” 1 Of these 41 songs, seven are still in frequent use; it is truly possible that the “Doxology” is sung daily, often used as a “Grace” before meals by many chapters. But Beta’s hymnology had only begun its development. The next songbook was 1 Songs

o f the Civil War, p a g e

170

290

1Hfc hAlTHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

presented to the convention of 1884. It was edited by William H. January, Centre 1880, and contained 56 songs on 105 pages. Both words and music were included, as well as indications of the authorship where known. An edition was made in 1886 (54 songs on 79 pages), followed by a second printing in 1888, and a new edition in 1891 with 63 songs on 105 pages; they were edited by Frank M. Joyce, De Pauw 1882, and Frank W. Burgoyne, Wooster 1886. Joyce edited another in 1894, with 135 pages, and 72 songs, together with 17 college songs. In this year, the son of song­ writer John H. Lozier graduated from the University of Chicago. He had become a Beta there, and proceeded to write some new songs.

Lozier and the Loving Cup Horace Lozier edited the 1902 edition of the Beta songbook. In it was a song called “The Beta Dragon” - the words by Francis H. Sisson and music by George Fitch. It also included five of Lozier’s new songs. Four of them are still among the most popular songs in the fraternity: “The Beta Postscript”, “In The Old Porch Chairs” (for which he wrote an original melody), and “Wooglin to the Pledge,” sung to the South’s “Bonnie Blue Flag.” The fourth is a very special song, known even outside the Greek world: Horace Lozier’s masterpiece, “The Loving Cup.” The sequence of events in the development of the “Loving Cup” appears to be the following: The chapters presented Pater Knox and his wife with a large threehandled loving cup on the occasion of their fiftieth wedding anniversary in 1895. Prior to the publication of the 1902 edition of the songbook, Lozier wrote two verses of a new song, to be sung to the tunc of “Bring the Wagon H om e.” At the convention of 1903, the two verses were “sung to death.” He reworked it, and later lengthened it for use in what is now Beta’s main non-secret ritual. [See the sections on symbols and rituals for more details.] Horace Lozier intended this song to be accompanied on piano, and suggested that the pianist improvise on the melody between the singing of the second and third verses to avoid many repetitions. A funny thing about the tune is its original words: “ O h , b rin g th e w a g o n h o m e , J o h n , it w ill n o t h o ld u s all. W e u s e d to rid e a r o u n d in it w h e n y o u a n d I w e re sm all. O h , b rin g th e w a g o n h o m e , J o h n , it will n o t h o ld u s all. W e u s e d to rid e a r o u n d in it w h e n y o u a n d I w e re s m a ll.”

Very inspirational. But these words had come from a different musical setting of increasing popularity, which was another influence upon Beta’s singing.

Barbershop Quartets In his hit musical The Music Man, Meredith Willson (a non-Beta) showed the forging of an unbreakable bond between four mutual enemies when they are intro­ duced to the delights of four-part harmony: “You’ll never see one of them without the other three,” states Professor Harold Hill. While part-singing has been in use for centuries (as in some religious music), it became a significant part of popular music in the 1890’s. Four men, two with higher voices (tenors) and two with lower (basses), would sing four different melodies at once, resulting in beautiful harmony. Unaccompanied. Authentic barbershop quartets do not use instruments.

291

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Not all of Beta’s songs belong to this period, but several did result from the growing popularity of barbershop music around the turn of the century. Barbershop tunes like “Oh, Bring the Wagon Hom e” had new words concocted; they also influenced the writing songs like “In the Old Porch Chairs.” Barbershop also caused the substitution of the more difficult “How Can I Leave Thee” as the tune for Stanley Coulter’s “As Betas Now We M eet,” rather than “America,” as he intended. While it takes some getting used to, four-part singing is fun, and (as Professor Hill noted), it increases the friendship of the singers. This kind of singing has not been heard recently at conventions, though it certainly continues at some chapters. It is nearly as ancient in Beta as the Beta songs themselves: a quartet of Beta singers formed the first W estern Reserve Glee Club in 1850; another group sang at Michi­ gan in 1881: they were barbershop quartets in all but name. One of the curious coincidences in the borrowings of melodies was evident at a Toronto banquet during World War I. The brothers, having toasted “His Majesty, the King, and his Excellency, the President,” proceeded to sing “God Save the King,” then “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” and finally “The Beta Doxology,” all to the same melody. It is this sharing in our common heritage, reinforced by Beta tradi­ tions, which has strengthened the Beta bonds, not only between the North and South, but also between Canada and the United States.

Marching Along with Kenneth Rogers In 1917, Kenneth W. Rogers, the second great Beta songwriter graduated from Syracuse. He outshone Horace Lozier in that more of his tunes were original, and not borrowed melodies. H e wrote and composed new melodies to such favorites as “The Beta Stars” (When stars are hiding), “The Beta Chorus” and “Sons of the Dragon,” and also the famous marching song, “Marching Along in Beta Theta Pi.” Shepardson recorded that “it magnifies a fine thought suggested to the author by the famous Yale phrase, ‘mother of men’. Its chorus is lively and catching, and its melody, by a quick change from minor key to major, suggests the transformation of spirit of the novitiate when finally admitted into the charmed circle of brotherhood.” This song is now commonly used during the “marching line” of conventions, instal­ lations, and other Beta gatherings. In his short life, Rogers also wrote a song for Alpha Chi Rho and one for his alma mater. He died in 1925 while on a western trip; just before leaving he had sent the words to a new song, “My Beta Girl,” which appears on in the section on Beta poetry. (Unfortunately he never wrote a melody for this lovely work.) Both Shepardson and Brooks bemoaned the early loss of this talented Beta. But neither the singing nor the writing of Beta songs faltered.

Recent Developments By 1942 the Beta songbook was in its 20th edition. It had 202 pages and 101 songs, of which 30 were chapter songs. These were not in any particular order - later editions had the songs in alphabetical order, and the chapter songs were separated from those of the General Fraternity. The most recent edition, the 25th, was pub­ lished in 1978: it had 222 pages, and 95 songs, including “Beta Day” by Col. Richard

292

1Hfc FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

R. Shoop, Denison 1941. This song was introduced at the convention of 1971; thus a Denison Beta appropriately marked the centennial of the musical work of Charles J. Seaman, another Denison Beta. The song uses the tune for the famous Civil War song, “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” also mirroring Seaman’s choice of “Tenting Tonight.” Both songs also have similar convocational qualities. The newest “chapter” in Beta singing, aptly enough, is being written by one of Beta’s newest chapters. One of the charter members of the Middle Tennessee State chapter has already begun adding songs to Beta’s collection: H erb Blair, MTSU 1988. H e won the award for the best new Beta song in 1987 and 1988. It is good to see both undergraduates and alumni working on new Beta songs - even General Secretary Morris has added three new songs recently. It is an ongoing effort which, like Beta singing itself, proves the lasting impact Beta makes on her members.

The Beta Songbooks The songs in the Beta songbooks are dignified, and many are of very respectable age. The editors have been careful not to add songs of poor taste or nonsense character. Another inviolable rule is that no song will ever appear which mentions another Greek organization. The songs of Beta Theta Pi have been written by Betas for Betas. Therefore, every precaution has been taken to guarantee that the sentiment and appreciation of the fraternity as expressed in our songs will not be cheapened by popularizing our songs for general use. All Beta songs are copyrighted by the fraternity, and the tunes also, when they are original melodies. Normally, permission is never granted for non-Beta use of the songs, since they are private to the fraternity. After all, we aren’t an organization of song-writers, and we don’t need people critiqueing our expres­ sion of fraternal feelings. The recent songbooks have about 75 (general) songs, representing 50 writers from 25 chapters. Nearly half of the songs use original melodies. Also, four chapters (Denison, De Pauw, Syracuse, Chicago) account for about half the songs. About 30 chapter songs for 25 different chapters are also included in the songbook. William R. (Billy) Mills, Syracuse 1918, was the editor of the last five editions. We have already commented on the origin of the first few songbooks; the editions in the last fifty years or so have been relatively uniform, and have been edited at the direction of the Board of Trustees. Following is a summary of the dates, size and editors of the various editions of the songbook. The early editions were not numbered; it seems that several reprints of the 1880’s and 1890’s were counted as separate editions, and thus the 13th edition was assigned to the 1912 songbook. E d itio n

Y ear

P ages

Songs

E d i to r

1847

1

5

1865 1872 1884 1886 1891

36 56

12

41

W a b a s h C h a p te r W e s te rn R e s e rv e C h a p te r C h a r le s J. S e a m a n

105 79 105

56 54 63

W illia m H . J a n u a r y F r a n k M . J o y c e & F r a n k W . B u rg o y n e F r a n k M . J o y c e & F r a n k W . B u rg o y n e

293

THE FAITHFUL H U M t U M H t 1 H

1894 1902

135 124

72 64

165 165 165 172 188

K

t t

H o ra c e G . L o z ie r H o ra c e G . L o z ie r H o ra c e G . L o z ie r

211 202

101

23 24

1935 1942 1957 1965 1969 1974

219 219 219 219

91 91 91 91

S h e p a rd s o n , E b e rs o le , G a v in S h e p a rd s o n , G a v in , B ailey S h e p a rd s o n , G a v in , B ailey H o ra c e G . L o z ie r W illia m R. M ills W illia m R . M ills W illia m R . M ills W illia m R . M ills

25

1978

222

95

W illia m R . M ills

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

183 206

k s

F r a n k M . Jo y ce

92 92 91 98 104 97 107 113

1907 1912 1917 1922 1925 1927 1932

5 1/ \

H o ra c e G . L o z ie r S h e p a rd s o n , E b e rs o le , G a v in S h e p a rd s o n , E b e rs o le , G a v in

The following is a list of most of the songs in the recent Beta songbooks. Song

W o rd s b y

M elo d y :

T h e r e ’s a S c e n e T h e A lu m n i’s R e tu rn W e G a th e r A g a in

J. G . S tillso n

“T r a m p , T r a m p , T r a m p ” “T e n tin g T o n i g h t” “ W h e n Y o u a n d 1 W e re Y o u n g , M a g g ie ”

G e m m a N o s tra B e h o ld th e M y stic S y m b o l

J. S. T u n is o n J. H . L o z ie r

T h e B e ta S h rin e D ra w th e M y stic C irc le A s B e ta s N o w W e M e e t P a r tin g S o n g B e ta D o x o lo g y

J. T . H a tfie ld C. J. S e a m a n S. C o u lte r C. H . A d a m s J. S. T u n is o n

B e ta D a y

R ic h a rd R. S h o o p

T h e B a n q u e t H a ll

H . G . Ix>zier

(o rig in a l m e lo d y )

T h e B e ta C h o ru s B e ta D a y s

K. W . R o g e rs M . E . B y rd

(o rig in a l m e lo d y ) D . G a n ie r d

F. H . S isso n E . 11. E v e rs z W . II. H y d e F. H . S c o tt H . G . L o z ie r J. H . L o z ie r K . W . R o g e rs F. R . W a r n e r J. B. W illia m s (u n k n o w n )

G . H . F itch “ In P r a is e o f O ld D e P a u w ” (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) “ M a rse illa is e H y m n ” “ T av ern in th e T o w n ” II. G . L o z ie r (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) “A m e r ic a ” o r G . W e a v e r

M . L. B ro o k s E . E . E d w a rd s S. M erw in C. S. S p ra g u e H . G . L o z ie r

“ S p a rk lin g a n d B r ig h t”

T h e B e ta D ra g o n T h e B e ta G rip B e ta L u lla b y T h e B e ta M a rse illa is e T h e B e ta P o s ts c rip t B e ta S o n s a n d B e ta S ire s T h e B e ta S ta rs B e ta S w e e th e a rt B e ta S w e e th e a rt S o n g B e ta T h e ta Pi [H e W h o o n S e lf R elies] B e t a ’s E m b le m s B e ta s o f L o n g A g o T h e B o y s o f T h irty -N in e T h e C h a p t e r M e e tin g C la n W o o g lin M a r c h e s

C . J. S e a m a n J. H . L o z ie r

“ I.a u r ig e r H o r a tiu s ” “ O ld 1 0 0 th ” (P ra is e G o d fro m W h o m A ll B le ss in g s F lo w ) “ W h e n I ’m N o M o re D rin k in g ” “ L a u rig e r H o r a tiu s ” “ H o w C a n I L e a v e T h e e ” o r “A m e r ic a ” “ A u ld L a n g S y n e ” “A m e ric a ” (M y C o u n try T is o f T h e e ) o r o rig in a l m e lo d y b y H o ra c e G . L o z ie r “ B a ttle H y m n o f th e R e p u b lic ”

“ S in g , B r o th e r , S in g ” (? ) “ C h a p e l S te p s ” (o r ig in a l m e lo d y )

294

i H t, FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

T h e C ro w S o n g

R . P. S m ith

“ W h e n J o h n n y C o m e s M a r c h in g H o n

F a th e r s T o S o n s

H . S. B ab c o c k

F ir e s o f T r u e F r ie n d s h ip

F. S o w e r (u n k n o w n )

(?) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (u n k n o w n )

F ir s t M a n P a t e r K n o x F r o m C la ssic H a lls G o o d B e ta s S in g F o r e v e r

W . B. N o rto n S. W . F o ss

In a n O ld -F a s h io n e d G a r d e n

P. C. C h ris tm a n

In B e ta T h e ta Pi

w ritte n fo r th e M ic h ig a n c h a p t e r b y E u p h e m ia G . H o ld e n “ E to n B o a tin g S o n g ” H . G . L o z ie r (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) S. L. W a rd “ L ito r ia ” D . H . M o o re “ V iv e L a C o m p a g n ie ” H . G . L o z ie r “ B rin g th e W a g o n H o m e ” K. W . R o g ers (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) F . W . S h e p a rd s o n W . C. E b a u g h R . E . G a b e le J. C. E d g a r R ic h a rd C. L ew is (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) K. W . R o g e rs (o rig in a l m e lo d y )

In th e O ld P o rc h C h a irs T h e J o lly G r e e k s L e t A ll S ta n d T o g e th e r T h e L o v in g C u p M a r c h in g A lo n g M y B e ta D a d a n d I M y B e ta G irl M y W o n d e r fu l B e ta G irl O ld B e t a ’s P ra is e T h e O ld C h a p t e r H a ll O u r F o u n d e rs T h e P a r tin g P le d g e

“ D ie W a c h t a m R h e in ” R. W . D u n n (o rig in a l m e lo d y )

O . C. H o o p e r S. E. W illia m so n

C. R a g a n “ S a d ie R a y ”

P le d g e to B e ta T h e ta Pi S e re n a d e S o n g S h e W e a rs M y B e ta P in S o n s o f th e S ta rs T h e S o n s o f th e D ra g o n S w e e th e a rt in th e Sky T h r e e B e ta S ta rs T h e T h r e e S ta rs T h r o u g h th e C e n tu rie s T o a s t to B e ta T o th e P le d g e W e ’ll A lw a y s H a n g T o g e th e r W e ’ll T o a s t th e S ilv e r G re y s

D . H . M o o re (u n k n o w n ) (u n k n o w n ) H . G . L o z ie r F. W . S h e p a rd s o n K. W . R o g e rs K. W . R o g e rs J a m e s G . M a rtin J. T . H a tfie ld C. R a g a n A . R. K irk h a m K. W . R o g e rs A . L. H u g h e s J. H . L o z ie r

“T w a s O ff th e B lu e C a n a ry Is le s ” “ R a in U p o n th e R o o f ’ “ M y G o n d o la is W a itin g B elo w , L o v e “T h a t L ittle O ld R e d S h a w l” G . F . S tric k lin g (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (m u s ic b y S ir J o h n S ta in e r - a n o n -B e i C. B e e c h e r (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) “ F ill th e F lo w in g B o w l” II. G . L o z ie r

W o o g lin F o r e v e r

W . C. R ansom

“ B a ttle C ry o f F r e e d o m ”

W o o g lin to th e P le d g e W o o g lin ’s O d e

H . G . L o z ie r R. W . D unn

“ B o n n ie B lu e F la g ” “ M u sic in th e A i r ”

T h e B e ta G o o d n ig h t A n d th e B e ta s S a n g

R. J o h n s o n H e n ry R o b e r ts

(o rig in a l m e lo d y ) “ I t's a S m a ll W o r ld ”

Chapter Songs The chapter has always been kept in a special place of honor. It was only a m atter of time until someone recalled the delights of his own chapter life with a Beta song. The first one appeared in the songbook of 3884, and was called “Omega’s Hymn,” written by C. S. Wheeler, California 1884. Many others have been written over the years, but only about 30 have been published in one or another edition of the songbook. This does not mean that only these chapters have songs. Many schools have their own chapter songs - sometimes several songs, but the General Fraternity can only publish those they know about. Also, a new chapter song may only last for a year or two, and not enter the chapter’s mainstream of traditions. It is wise for all chapter songwriters to submit copies to the Administrative Office, and furtherm ore to teach the new brothers their songs.

295

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THU 1H K t t

maks

One of the chapter songs deserves special mention, because it does not indicate the chapter it belongs to, and it has become a “common” fraternity song. This is the song entitled “For the Staunchest.” From the title one might expect it to belong to the Brown chapter, but it belongs to the Northwestern University chapter. This song uses the usual Cornell “Alma M ater” tune (the correct name of this tune is “Annie Lisle”), but the writer of the words is unknown. On the average, every other chapter song uses an original tune, frequently by the brother who wrote the words. Except for the Union song, written by a Beta Sweetheart, the words are by a member of the chapter. The Rutgers songs is notable in that the melody is by Horace G. Lozier, the above-mentioned writer of “The Loving Cup” and other Beta songs. There are also the “nonsense” or “fill in the blank with your chapter nam e” songs. The classic one of these is “The Froggie Song.” This song, in its “Theta D elta” form, appears in the section on poems. It was written by George Bellows, Ohio State 1905. Such songs, despite their popularity, are not considered sufficiently dignified to appear in the Beta songbook. The following chapter songs have appeared in recent editions of the songbook: M elo d y :

F o r c h a p t e r at:

W o rd s by

B e lo it

D . G . F ifie ld

1921

B e lo it B e th a n y C a lifo rn ia C ase C h ic a g o

R. E . Leach G . F e rg u s o n

1908 1943 1884 1910 1912 1907 1904 1907 1904 1944 1911

C o lg a te D a r tm o u th D e n is o n D enver D uke Id a h o Illin o is K enyon K enyon M ia m i M iam i M ich ig an M ic h ig a n N o rth w e s te r n

C. D. H. U. R.

S. W h e e le r J. V a r n e s R . S ta p p W . F o rd B. M o se le y

H . C ox S. E . B la k e s le e K . S. S h e p a rd F. Sow er C R agan R . C a h a ll R . C ah a ll H . B ra u n , J r. L. W . Sw an W . J. G re g o ry R. W. D unn (u n k n o w n )

(o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) “ H ow C an I L eave T h e e ” m e lo d y b y P . R . S a b in , 1909 (o rig in a l m e lo d y )

1902

“ B ille e T a y lo r ” (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) “ J o n a h a n d th e W h a le ” (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y )

1908 1908 1917

“ M a rc h o f th e M a g i” “ M e n o f H a r le c h ” (o rig in a l m e lo d y )

1907 1886 1895

“ L ast H o p e ” m e lo d y b y F. L. Y o rk , 1882 “ S u o n i la T r o m b a ” “ A n n ie L is le ”

1887

Penn R u tg e rs T o r o n to U n io n U ta h W abash W e s le y a n W h itm a n W isc o n s in Y a le

E . W . M u m fo rd W . N . M ac N e ill J . L. G . S tu a rt M a r y L a n d re th E . A . S m ith , J r. C. R agan R . W . K e e le r J. M . T e w in k e l J. F . A . P y re F . S. H a v e n s

1911 1901 1904 1923 1892 1896

“ B e lls o f S t. M a r y ’s ” m e lo d y b y H . G . L o z ie r, C h ic a g o 1894 “T h e O ld B rig a d e ” m e lo d y b y IL L. M e y e r, 1908 (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) (o rig in a l m e lo d y ) “ I n te g e r V ita e ” m e lo d y b y C a rl G e n s e l, 1923 “A H ig h b o rn L a d y ” “ S ta n d B y Y o u r G la s s e s ”

Y a le

A . E. B aker

1910

“ M e n o f H a r le c h ”

1908 1908

296

in c . r A i m r u L H U M t UK THE THREE STARS

Sweetheart Songs and Serenading God, the fraternity and the chapter are not the only objects of Beta songs. There isn’t really a song about the “country” - it would be difficult to handle our interna­ tional existence - unless one counts “Wooglin Forever”: W e a r e c o m in g fro m th e E a s t, b o y s, W e a r e c o m in g fro m th e W e st! S h o u tin g : “ O ld W o o g lin fo r e v e r!”

There is an old song called “My Beta M other” by George F. Strickling, North Dakota 1925, and of course Shep’s “My Beta Dad and I” or “Beta Sons and Beta Sires” by the Loziers, pere et fils. But there is also one other person who a Beta can never forget - his Beta girl, his Beta sweetheart. Perhaps she is his “steady” in college. Maybe he met her and married her as an alumnus. In whatever manner he has come to be acquainted with her, he holds her in a special esteem. Perhaps one might imagine that she personifies the fraternity itself, which, as we explained, is always feminine. Undoubtedly, he considers his Beta obligations to be “courteous in expression and steadfast in friendship” to be most fully applied to his relations with her. Hence, she has taken on a most unique place in our song-lore. The first sweetheart song, “Serenade Song,” appeared in the 1872 edition of the songbook. Others followed: “She Wears My Beta Pin,” by Horace Lozier, “My Beta Girl,” by Ralph E. Gabele and John C. Edgar of Denison (different from the unfinished Rogers song of the same title), “Beta Lullaby,” “Beta Sweetheart,” “The Beta Sweetheart Song,” “In an Old-Fashioned Garden,” “My Wonderful Beta Girl”, and “Sweetheart In the Sky.” At least nine of the perhaps ninety Beta songs are about our wonderful sweethearts and wives. At conventions, and even at local chapters, the above songs are used in “sere­ nading” gatherings of female friends of Betas. During the convention, a half-hour or so is set aside one evening during which all Beta girls in attendance are sung to by the gathered brothers. Candles are used to provide soft illumination. On campus, chapters visit sorority houses or dorms, giving short concerts below the windows of friends of the chapter. These serenades are always dignified and done in good taste; they may contain a few standard songs, chapter songs, or school songs where appro­ priate. Nonsense or “secular” songs are never used.

Singing Contests and the Whitman Cup Although Beta is called “the singing fraternity,” other fraternities also have their own songs. At some schools (and at various times in history), one of the common interfraternity events is the “Fraternity Sing,” in which groups of the various fraternities and sororities compete for an award. We do not have any figures available on the frequency of such contests, but our records indicate that our chap­ ters usually seem to be the winners. There is one particular Beta chapter which has been known for its outstanding chorus since the 1930’s. This is the Gamma Zeta chapter at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. The Whitman Chorus was honored to be the official chorus of the Centenary celebration in 1939. We shall shortly present the fascinating

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

account of the road trip which the Whitman chorus made on the way to Oxford as told by one of the drivers. But Whitman has also acted to stimulate her sister chapters to like achievements - if not in road trips, at least in singing. The Whitman chapter has presented a handsome “double dragon” brass trophy to the General Fraternity, to be annually presented to the winner of the Whitman Cup singing competition. This is a contest among the chapters of Beta: chapters enter a cassette tape of their group singing. Certain rules regarding size of the group, membership, simultaneous voices, and accompaniment must be adhered to. The award is pre­ sented each year at the convention.

Songs in the Rituals Without going into details, we would like to record that there are three songs in the pledge ceremony, and ten in the ritual of initiation, though not every verse of every song is used. They are each intrinsic parts of the action at the points where they appear. The public ritualistic use of “Marching Along,” “The Loving Cup” and “The Beta Doxology” is well-known.

The Beta Call In years past, the “College call” or yell was very important. These were similar to the football cheers or chants used by many schools. Several of the old convention minutes note their use, and the need for a purely Bela call arose during one of the Wooglin-on-Chautauqua conventions. It seems that a local team of non-Betas challenged the Sons of the Dragon to a game of baseball. With Beta spirit running high, its expression in a loud verbal manner was mandatory: PHI KAI PHI! BETA THETA PI! W-O-O-G-L-I-N! WOOGLIN! And it worked! We beat the “barbs” 8 to 4. For the baseball fans out there, the team statistics and the story of this “semi-centennial game” appear a little further on. It was a real exemplification of Beta spirit, considering that eight chapters were rep­ resented on Wooglin’s team. A more musical (and Grecian) call was devised, which also was in use at the Wooglin Clubhouse, according to Chandler. It is one of the few heirlooms of the Alpha Sigma Chi alliance, which fraternity itself inherited it when the “P.D.” Society became one of her chapters. The story was told by Dorothy Cleaveland Salisbury, St. Lawrence 1913, a member of Phi Beta Phi. She was the daughter of one of the first two initiates of P.D., Frank Nash Cleaveland, St. Lawrence 1877. P.D. was organized in the fall of 1873 at St. Lawrence. They held their meetings in a room on the top floor of the main college building (later known as Richardson Hall). Because of this lofty perch, they dubbed themselves “The Celestials.” Dr. Charles Kelsey Gaines, St. Lawrence 1876, translated this into Greek: ‘O b

O v p a v b o b

which is pronounced “Hoi Ouranioi,” and means “the celestials” or “the heavenly ones” [The branch of astronomy known as uranology is the study of the celestial bodies.] They shouted the Greek call at the beginning and end of their meetings, and at other times when they wanted to make noise. The next year (1874) Frederick

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Schiller Lee, St. Lawrence 1878, joined P.D., and set the call to music.

Then in 1875, P.D. became the Epsilon chapter of Alpha Sigma Chi; five years later it became the Beta Zeta chapter of Beta Theta Pi - but they still continued to use their call, and soon it spread across the land. It was adopted as the official fraternity call in 1907, but it has not made an appearance in recent years.

The Game Ok, sports fans, here is the story of the Semi-centennial “base ball” game as it appeared in The Beta Theta Pi convention issue of 1889... F r id a y a fte r n o o n , Ju ly 26, 1889, th e c o n v e n tio n a d jo u rn e d e a r ly a n d e v e ry ­ b o d y w e n t a c ro s s th e la k e to m e e t th e re d o u b ta b le S ta g g a n d h is in v in c ib le n in e in a g a m e o f b a ll. T h e W o o g lin n in e w as m o d e s t a n d e x p e c te d to b e u s e d to w ip e th e e a r th fo r t h e C h a u ta u q u a n s , a n d th e re s t w e n t t o ‘h o lle r.’T h e B e ta s w e re fro m e ig h t o r n in e d iff e r e n t c o lle g e s a n d h a d n 't p ra c tic e d m o re th a n h a lf a d a y . B u t, it w as a g lo rio u s v icto ry ! A n trim w as a s co o l a s ice, in th e p itc h e r ’s b ox. ( I ’v e w o rk e d o n th a t g e rm o f a p u n a b o u t a r e f r ig e r a to r till I ’m a lm o s t n o n c o m p o s . A n y fe llo w th a t s u c c e ss fu lly so lv es it w ill re c eiv e a c h ro m o o f P h e lp s ’ ‘b la z e r ’.) M u ss e y s e e m e d n o t to n e e d th e b a c k s to p . J o h n B ird 2 d is a m a n fro m M a in e - a n d if J o h n B ird 1st is a n y b e t t e r b a llp la y e r h e m u s t b e a g o o d ’n ’. B u t [J o h n W ] G e b h a r d t [M ia m i 1892] a n d h is w o n d e rfu l m a sc o t n e v e r fa ile d us, a n d w e w o n th e first g a m e th a t h a s b e e n w o n in tw o y e a rs fro m S ta g g ’s n in e . T h e p ro c e s s io n th ro u g h th e A s s e m b ly g ro u n d s w a s a b rillia n t s u c c e ss a n d r o u s e d all th e s tu d e n ts o f S a n s k rit, E a rly S p a n is h , q u a te rn io n s , a n d th e like fro m th e re c e s s e s o f th e ir c o tta g e s to c o m e fo r th a n d g a ze u p o n th a t fr a n tic y e llin g c re w o f b o y s a n d m e n a s th e y re n t th e c a n o p y a n d s h o o k th e ro c k s o f M t. H e r m o n w ith th e W o o g lin y ell. A c tu a lly th e d ig n ity o f th e p la c e w as s o u p s e t th a t th e y f o rg o t to c o lle c t o u r tic k e ts. I k n o w th e th in g w o n ’t c o m e o u t s tra ig h t, a n d I ’m c o n tin u a lly lo o k in g o v e r m y s h o u ld e r fo r a d e te c tiv e to c o lle ct th a t tic k e t. A n d - b u t I ’ll say n o m o re . R e a d th e s c o r e E ig h t to fo u r! W e h a d th e ir g o re . M o p p e d u p th e flo o r A n d h a d m o re fu n , a n d s p o rt g a lo re T h a n e ’e r v o u c h s a fe d to u s b e fo re . C a r ry th e n ew s fro m s h o re to s h o re ’T w ill m a k e th e G e n e r a l T r e a s u r e r r o a r, T o s e e C h a u ta u q u a w h ip p e d s o s o re . A n d y e t - to S ta g g - ’tw as q u ite a b o re .

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T H ii b A IiH M J L HUMC U r

inc. in R E c o in iv j

THE BASE BALL SCORE. Score of game between the Chatauqua nine and the Beta Theta Pi Convention nine, Friday, July 26,1889 at the 50th General Convention. WOOGLIN.

6 4 5 5 5 5 5 4 3

R 1 1 2 0 0 1 1 1 1

42

8

AB

3 4 2 4 4 4 3 2 4

R 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1

30

4

AB

Claire B. Bird, Wisconsin 1889, 2 b William O. Mussey, Cincinnati 1889, c Ernest I. Antrim, De Pauw 1889, p Howard W. Mitchell, Penn State 1890, 3 b Charles N. Zeublin, Northwestern 1887,1 b Alexander A. Patterson, Penn State 1889,1 f David J. Carlough, Wesleyan 1892, c f Dwight L. Pendleton, Bethany 1892, r f W alter F. Phelps, Stevens 1890, s s Totals

BH

PO

A

E

4 3 7 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 2

8 27 14

5

0 3 0 1 2 1 1 0 0

6 8 4 1 6 0 1 0 1

CHAUTAUQUA.

Stagg, c Brown, p Church, s s Phelps, 1 b Redington, 2 b Williams, c f Gill, r f Robeson, 1 f Miller, 3 b Totals

W o o g lin C h a u ta u q u a

1 0 1

2 0 0

3 1 1

4 0 0

5 0 2

6 2 0

7 0 0

8 5 0

9 0 0

BH

PO

A

E

0 14 2 1 0 20 0 2 0 0 6 1 0 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 1

2 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 2

3 27 27

9

8 4

S u m m a ry : E a r n e d ru n s - W o o g lin , 1. S tru c k o u t - B y B ro w n , 15; b y A n trim , 8. T w o -b a s e h it, Z e u b lin . B a s e o n b a lls - C h a u ta u q u a , 6; W o o g lin , 4. â&#x20AC;&#x2122;a s s e d b a lls - S tag g , 1; M u sse y , 1. U m p ire , C ald w ell. T h is w a s a n e x c e p tio n a l te a m . Z e u b lin w a s th e s e c re ta ry o f th e c o n v e n tio n . M u s s e y w a s in itia te d a t M ia m i, a n d w a s th e first o n C in c in n a tiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ro ll w h e n it w as re c o lo n iz e d in 1890. S im ilarly , C a r lo u g h w as in itia te d a t A m h e r s t a n d w as th e first o n th e W e s le y a n ro ll. B o th M itc h e ll a n d P a tte r s o n w e re c h a r te r m e m b e rs a t P e n n S ta te . N o te : th e o th e r te a m w as m a d e u p o f n o n -B e ta s fro m n e ig h b o rin g re s o rts .

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The Beta Whistle This little recognition sign dates back to the early years of this century. In a letter to Robert T. Howard (then editor of The Beta Theta Pi), Ovid R. Sellers, Chicago 1904, wrote that the whistle used in his undergraduate days was the melody of the phrase “Gemma nostra candeat," (the response, below). But Sellers said, “Horace Lozier, who was living in the chapter house, felt the need of something original. After a period of experimentation he came up with the notes” of the challenge shown below, which was in use in 1904. The whistle appears as two phrases in the 1942 edition of the songbook. The challenge bears the heading “T i s Ep x e r a i,” - Greek for “Who comes?” The response is simply “Frater,” Latin for “a brother.”

TIS EPXETA I! ( The Challenge: whistle schrilly.) Slow.

Fast.

Fp =| ------ J ------ ~

\(t t -

0— T -f-

FRATER. ( The Identification: w histle confidently.)

y

f t .a —

1 4 t

4

— —

1— « -•—

j — «

1

■ • —

—

...... '

* — -I

----------------- 1 ----------------------- I

An English translation for Gemma Nostra For the first fifty years (or so) of Beta’s life, nearly every Beta had a working knowledge of Latin and Greek, and they would have laughed at the need for this section. However, too many brothers in recent times have taken Lozier’s words far too seriously: “The only Greek you have to know is Beta Theta Pi.” But in 1871, Joseph S. Tunison, Denison 1873, had such a fluency with Latin, he could even write good poetry in it. When Gemma Nostra appeared in the songbook of 1872, every Beta knew what Tunison was saying. But for maybe the last fifty years, most Betas went around singing Tunison’s Latin poem without really knowing what it is. In 1942, John E. Dolibois, Miami 1942, did something about it. He approached the chairman of Miami’s Classics Department, Dr. Henry C. Montgomery (a member of Phi Delta Theta), with the suggestion that he provide a translation of Gemma Nostra. He supplied both a literal translation and an English version which can be sung to the same tune. These appeared in the January 1977 issue of The Beta Theta Pi, together with excerpts from a letter by Dolibois, in which he noted that Dr. Montgomery is “an outstanding fraternity man, and is particularly pleased with this little contribution.” H ere they are, together with Tunison’s original:

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T H E FAITHFUL HUMfc, U F I H t I H K t t M A K S

C & ^tr-t* - /

oS & ££& S

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; C L J2-^/C A -0 -$ -< 4 -------

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l i i u i n i i n r u b n u iv in u r

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i t l H K t t M AKS

Gemma Nostra Joseph C. Tunison, Denison 1873 I.

Gemma Nostra candeat, obscurata nunquam, Atque Sertus conserat, caritatis unquam.

Chorus-Sa/ve, Beta Theta Pi, tu regina pura; Cara tu meo cordi, cara, cara, cura. II. Stella quisque scintillet; sunt omnes aequales— Nunc adsint si quilibet - inter nos, sodales. III. Inter fratres veritas, honor, amicitia, Fides, virtus, jus et fas omnes sint notitia. A literal translation by Dr. Henry C. Montgomery, Phi Delta Theta I.

Let our jewel shine, never obscured And let Sertus1 bind (us), always with affection.

C horus-H ail, Beta Theta Pi, thou pure queen; Dear thou (art) to my heart, dear, dear, care. II.

Let each star flash, all are equal; Now let those attend who will - among us, comrades.

III. Among brothers, truth, honor, friendship; faith, valor, right (i.e. among men) and right (divine) all are known. An English version to the same melody, also by Dr. Montgomery: I.

Let our jewel brightly shine, never may it lose its gleam. And may Sertus1 us entwine, ever with a high esteem.

C horus-H ail thou, Beta Theta Pi, queen without compare; D ear thou art unto my heart, thou my constant care. II. Let each star in brilliance flash, equal are we all. Whosoever comrades are, gathered in this hall. III. Friendship, honor, truth are known, ever to the brothers; Valor, faith, and love of God; justice to all others.

1 S e e th e d is c u s s io n o f th e w re a th in th e s e c tio n o n s y m b o ls f o r c o m m e n ts o n th e w o rd “ S e r tu s ” .

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THE FAITHFUL HOME Ob THE I H K t t , M a k s

The Whitman Chorus The Centenary Convention - 1939 Rod Alexander, 1941 Vincent B. Amen, 1938 Howard R. Carroll, Jr., 1942 William H. Daily, 1940 Charles M. Ernst, 1939 Benjamin B. Flathers, 1939 R obert H. Hazen, 1941 Ivan L. Manning, 1939

1936 1937 1938 1939

Willard H. Matthews, 1941 Alan B. McRae, 1941 Edward R. McMillan, 1942 Herbert E. Nelson 1941 Gilbert C. Speir, 1939 E. Snelgrove Thomas, 1940 Robert White, 1940 Richard Zwicker, 19391

Directors: Elnora Campbell Maxey Dr. Waldo Ferguson Esther Sundquist Bowers Alice Fischer

This roster appears courtesy of Ben Flathers. 1 R ic h a r d

Z w ic k e r w a s k ille d in a c tio n d u rin g W o rld W a r

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II

i n c r / \ i m r u L M U M t Uh 1Hfc, THREE STARS

The Whitman Chorus - Road Trip to the Centenary1 There is an old saying in the fraternity that a “singing chapter is a good chapter.” If this is so, Gamm a Zeta, the Whitman Chapter, located at Walla Walla, Washing­ ton, must be one of the better outposts in Beta’s Dominion. It has long been their proud boast that they could and did sing every song in the book. Their record over the years in song competition (on a campus famous for singing, and its music school) is one triumph after another to mark the “Singing Betas.” But no group of singers from this famous singing chapter will ever achieve the place in Beta hearts won by the sixteen men who made up the 1939 chorus to represent the chapter at the Cen­ tenary celebration at Oxford. How they made the trip and the drive that put them on the road to Ohio is a Beta tale worth handing down to posterity. The road to Oxford was not an easy one. First they had to win against the fraternities on their own campus where the aim of all our rivals had been to upset the Betas and win away from them the campus trophy known as the “Pratt Award,” in honor of a longtime professor at Whitman. The Betas were fortunate in that they had as a coach a young professor, Dr. Ferguson (not a Beta), who had done his undergraduate work at St. Olaf College in Minnesota and had been a member of the famous choir at that institution. It was Dr. Ferguson who made the arrangements o f‘“The Beta Dragon” and “The Beta Chorus” (both by Kenneth Rogers), merging them into a single version - an arrangement that is probably in use by most chapters yet today. He also made an arrangement of the “Loving Cup” which brought praise from the one who had penned the lines, which we will relate later in this story. The men from Gamma Zeta prevailed on the home campus and the Pratt trophy returned to the mantel of the living room in the chapter house. Next the chapter went on to Portland, for one of the great Beta gatherings of the centenary year. In the Masonic temple of the Oregon metropolis nearly four hundred Betas from thirty-one chapters were gathered to celebrate one hundred years of Beta history, and to see and hear the song contest sponsored by the Portland Alumni Association. H ere were sixteen man song teams from Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Idaho, Washington State and Whitman. All had been training vigor­ ously for many weeks and knew of the prowess of the Whitman singers from the Northwest Sing of two years previous. In a spirited competition, the Whitman singers prevailed, and now they could claim not only the campus championship, but also the Beta championship of three states. Following the Portland event, the idea was brought forth that the Whitman chorus should be a part of the centenary celebration at Oxford. But there weep problems in raising the money necessary to send the group across the country, how to transport them to Ohio and back, and the ability of the men in the chorus to sacrifice summer jobs and give up their vacation time to the proposed journey. The main factor in assuring success of the venture was J. Howard Shubert, Whitman 1910, chapter advisor, who headed up the effort to raise the money and send the chorus on the way to Beta fame. “Shube” solicited Gamm a Zeta alumni, towns­ people and businessmen of the community, and the chapter aided in various and 1 T h is s to r y w a s w ritte n b y S ta n le y R . C h u rc h , W a s h in g to n S ta te 1931 - h e w a s th e re .

305

THE, E A I l H r U L

HUME, u r

inn, m i^ c E o in i\o

sundry ways to achieve the goal of the funds thought necessary to make the trip. In July of 1939 the sum of $1100.00 had been raised and the success of the trip was assured. Beta officials welcomed the appearance of the group for the planned program at the Centenary and the word was “On to Oxford!” It might be noted in these days of inflation, that perhaps $1100.00 would hardly move a body of twentytwo persons into the next county, but hopes were high and youthful spirits pre­ vailed... Soon all was in readiness for the start of the jaunt across the country. Four cars were to carry the group the better part of the way across the United States. Ben Flathers, Whitman 1939, was driving his parents’ car. Robert V. Turner, Whitman 1932, and his wife Nancy, provided another. Jam es K. Goss, Oregon State 1928, of Portland, Oregon made available a third, and Stanley R. Church, Washing­ ton State 1931, and his wife, Gladys, rounded out the vehicles. Dan Kienow, Jr., Washington State 1941, and Paul Webb, Whitman 1941, presidents of their respec­ tive chapters, joined the group for the start of the trip. All assembled in Walla Walla shortly after the first of August for the start to the Beta shrine. Plans had been set well in advance for the routing, meal stops and overnight accommodations. It was planned that the group would “caravan” and would meet in pre-arranged places to check on one another. The route from Walla Walla led down into Oregon, entering what was then a transcontinental highway designated as U.S. 30; it crossed the Snake River at Ontario, Oregon, and then proceeded on to Boise, Idaho, which had been designated as the first lunch stop. It was in the Idaho capitol, the first day on the trail, that brought one of the most heartwarming and emotional concerts of the entire tour. William Carpenter, Idaho 1923, had been struck down early in his career as an educator by a crippling arthritic condition. Since about 1926 he had been in and out of hospitals and was now confined to his home in Boise. His physical movements by this time (1939) were restricted to a slight movement of his hands by which he controlled a switchboard, giving access to a radio, the light switch in his room and a telephone with a pair of earphones attached to his bedside. Despite his difficulties Bill Carpenter refused to give up, and from his bed maintained a business of selling subscriptions to magazines. It was suggested to the Whitman songsters that this doughty Beta would enjoy an informal concert of Beta songs. So the entire group arrived at the Carpenter home in a residential section of Boise, and gathered in Bill’s bedroom for the rendition of several rousing Beta songs. Needless to say there were a few damp eyes in the audience who witnessed this outpouring of brotherhood; Bill and his wife expressed their profuse thanks for the attention they had received. Then it was on to Pocatello, Idaho, following the Old Oregon Trail and U.S. 30 for a night’s stop. Next morning the trek was resumed with only a lunch stop at Rock Springs, Wyoming - the objective of the next night was the University of Wyoming at Laramie. There is not a Beta chapter there (yet). To hold down costs of the trip, we had contacted the chapter advisor of the Phi Delta Theta chapter at Wyoming to learn if we might spend the night at that house on the Wyoming campus. Unfortunately, the house was closed for the summer, but the Phi Delt advisor, in the spirit of interfraternity harmony, kindly arranged for bed 306

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

and board at the Wyoming Student Union. This was a delightful interval and it is hard to believe that we had dinner and breakfast plus a good bed for $2.00 a person. The chorus tried to repay this hospitality with a concert in the lounge following dinner. There was an appreciative audience of summer school students and the tem ptation was present to get to know some of the Wyoming coeds, but the long haul of the trip was facing the party the next day, so it was early to bed in preparation for the jaunt over the rest of Wyoming, across Nebraska, and into Iowa. The start was made at dawn and ended long after dark at Ottumwa, Iowa; the reading on the odom eters showed we had covered better than 750 miles. This long day was pur­ posely planned, as we wished to make short hops the last few days in order to bring the chorus into Oxford in good physical condition. Our next objective was to cross Iowa and be in Peoria, Illinois by lunchtime. H ere we were back in Beta country, and a group of Peoria alumni had been as­ sembled to greet the songsters from the Far West. It was another triumph for the men from Gamma Zeta, and the assembled alums were duly impressed by the professional touch of these brothers. Following the meeting with the Illinois broth­ ers, we settled back into our cars and moved through Illinois and on into the real heartland of Beta where arrangements had been made to open the Tau chapter house at W abash to accommodate the brothers from Whitman. H ere we were joined by Harry Fisher, Wabash 1940, then president of Tau, who accompanied us on the rest of the journey. We regret to add that Brother Fisher was one of the casualties of World War II, looming just two short years in the future. Ben Zwickcr of the Whitman chorus group was another who failed to return from service. So now we were really back in the area of the country where Beta had pioneered in the fraternity world. Lunch next day was scheduled at the famous Canary Cottage, on the Circle in Indianapolis, where alumni of that area had gathered to greet our group. The Indiana Beta chapters consider themselves something special as singing groups of Beta songs, evidenced by the famous song contests held each year on Thanksgiving eve. But even the proud Indiana Betas admitted that these kids from way out west were really something special - the concert they gave on that occasion was greeted by tremendous applause and created new pride for Beta Theta Pi. The westerners had invaded a great Beta stronghold and won the hearts of their listeners. It was not planned this way, but the invitation was extended at the meeting in Indianapolis that the Whitman chorus spend the last night before journeying to Oxford at the famous Abe Martin Lodge in the state park of Brown County, Indiana. H ere a group of Indiana Betas and fraternity officials were to spend the night prior to the short move to Oxford the next morning. The invitation was gladly accepted and the chorus joined in this informal Beta occasion. Following dinner at the Lodge that night, Bob White, Whitman 1940, the student director of the chorus, called for a final rehearsal of some Beta songs assigned to them as a part of the centenary exercises. The closing song was the Whitman version of “The Loving Cup.” When the last chords had been sung, a slight, gray-haired man was introduced to the as­ sembled singers and they were made aware of the fact that among their audience was the author of this great Beta song. This, of course, was Horace G. Lozier, Chi­

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

cago 1894, who then told the Whitman boys that he had at last heard the “Loving Cup” sung exactly as he had envisioned it during the writing. H e then proceeded to sit down at the piano and play the accompaniment to his own great song while the Whitman chorus joined in with the words. It was an occasion never to be forgotten by the singers and those present, as the setting, the singers, the author, and the Beta spirit of the occasion was one to exist forever in the memory of those present. The next morning it was on to Oxford, only a short distance away. H ere the Whitman chorus was one of the highlights of the Centenary celebration. They sang their way into the hearts of Betas present, they were recorded for all time on the moving picture of the Centenary which has been shown on many Beta occasions over the fifty years since the making, they sang for the Vespers service and at the centen­ ary banquet. They sang anywhere and everywhere, if requested, and their triumph was complete when the cover of the Convention issue of the magazine showed the Whitman chorus in action. Their effort also produced a phonograph record which was widely distributed throughout the fraternity resulting in many chapters singing the Whitman arrangement of the songs recorded therein. Lastly, they established new traditions of excellence at Whitman and in Northwest chapters, and the trium ­ phant appearance of this group of songsters led to the offering of the Whitman Cup, given annually for the best song team within the Chapters of Beta Theta Pi. Yea, verily - So Say We All O f Us! The Whitman Chorus of 1939 will go down in history for making a great contribution to the lore of the fraternity and a tribute to the collective efforts of a chapter of Beta Theta Pi. The group which had “caravaned” east split on leaving Oxford and made various stops in the Midwest and East and then returned to their homes in W ash­ ington and Oregon. All returned safely after a journey of perhaps 5,000 miles and a triumphant appearance at the greatest Beta gathering of all time.

Singing chapters = Good chapters Why is a singing chapter a good chapter? Shep examined this question as the introduction to his section on singing. Certainly, Beta has always laid great stress upon its songs. Beta considers the sentiment in them to be of prime importance in binding the hearts of its members together. Hence, she has always recognized that chapters which cultivate and cherish the sentimental side of fraternity life are likely to be the ones for which other features of that life appear as worthwhile. The songs are perhaps a vestige of the “literary exercises” in which all members of each chapter participated. They function on the local level: wherever a group of Betas are found, singing causes fraternal bonds to develop and strengthen, just as the on-going communications in The Beta Theta Pi develops and strengthens the same bonds on a larger scale. Simply put, singing reminds the brotherhood of the sentiment within the objects of the fraternity. Let us then continue to sing Beta songs, echoing the insight which an unknown brother wrote in 1847: O n c o m m o n g ro u n d to n ig h t w e m e e t, L e t jo y lig h t e v e ry eye; W ith s o n g o f c h e e r, le t e a c h o n e g re e t H is B e ta , T h e ta , Pi.

308

T H E FAITHFUL HO M E O F T H E T H R E E STARS

A sampler of Beta Songs O u r F o u n d e rs

T h e B e ta D o x o lo g y

S. E . W illia m s o n , W e s te rn R e s e rv e 1864 to th e tu n e o f “ S a d ie R a y ”

J. S. T u n is o n , D e n is o n 1873 to th e tu n e o f “A m e r ic a ” (M y C o u n try ’T is o f T h e e )

I. W h e n w e m e e t to s in g th e p le a s u re s T h a t th e b o n d s o f B e ta y ield , L e t u s n o t fo rg e t o u r fo u n d e rs , T h o s e w h o ra is e d o u r n o b le sh ield . T ie s th e y gave th a t n a u g h t c a n sev e r, T ie s th a t s p e a k o u r m o tto 's w o rth ; T ie s th a t b in d us fa s t to g e th e r, T ie s a m o n g th e b e s t o f e a r th . N e v e r s h a ll o u r s h ie ld b e lo w e re d ; F r o m o u r s ta r s w e ’ll n e v e r sw erv e; W e w ill c h e ris h still o u r d ia m o n d ; A n d th e w r e a th w e ’ll s till d e se rv e . II. J o y s p e c u lia r , to o , th e y g av e us, J o y s th a t n o n e b u t G r e e k s c a n s h a re ; Jo y s th a t m e rit tr u e a ffo r d s us, Jo y s th a t d ro w n e a c h B e t a ’s c a re . T o th e f o u n d e rs o f o u r o r d e r J o y o u s s o n g s w e th e n s h all ra ise; T o th e ir n a m e s , f o r e v e r g lo rio u s, W e w ill e v e r give o u r p ra is e .

T h e A lu m n i’s R e tu r n C h a r le s J . S e a m a n , D e n is o n 1871 to th e tu n e o f “T e n tin g T o n i g h t”

B le ss n o w , O G o d o n high, B le ss B e ta T h e ta Pi. L e t n a u g h t o f w ro n g S u lly o u r m y stic g em , L e t n o t th e w re a th b e dim ; T h e n sh all p ra is e b e to H im T o w h o m o u r so n g .

B e ta S ta rs W o rd s a n d m u sic by K e n n e th W . R o g e rs, S y ra c u s e 1917 W h e n s ta r s a re h id in g , A n d th e m o o n is n o w h e re in th e sky; A n d c lo u d s a re rid in g , A n d th e r e 's n o lig h t to g u id e y o u by; I f y o u ’re a B e ta all a lo n g th e w ay, T h e B e ta s ta r s w ill m a k e y o u r d a rk n e s s day; F o r lig h t o r d a rk n e s s , S h in e th e s ta r s o f B e ta T h e ta Pi.

I. W e a r e s in g in g a g a in in th e d e a r o ld h all

B e ta S ire s a n d B e ta S o n s J o h n II. L o z ie r, D e P a u w 1857 to a n o rig in a l tu n e b y H o ra c e G . L o z ie r, C h ic a g o 1894

o f B e ta T h e ta Pi. W h e r e o ft w e m e t t o s in g th e s e so n g s In g o ld e n d a y s g o n e by.

I. T h e y a r e p a s s in g a w ay - th o s e c h e r is h e d s ire s W h o lig h te d o u r first f r a te r n a l fires;

S in g in g to n ig h t, w e a r e s in g in g to n ig h t

B u t m e m o ry p e o p le s o u r m y stic s h rin e W ith fa c e s w e k n e w in A u ld L a n d Syne

S in g in g in th e d e a r o ld h all. S in g in g to n ig h t, w e a r e s in g in g to n ig h t

A p ric e le s s h e rita g e re m a in s

S in g in g in th e d e a r o ld h all.

A n d B e ta s o n s o f B e ta s ire s A r e g u a rd in g fo r e v e r o u r a lta r fires, A r e g u a rd in g fo r e v e r o u r a lta r fires.

II. T h e a l t a r ’s lig h t b u rn s a s b rig h t to n ig h t A s e ’e r it b u r n e d o f y o re . A re fu g e fr o m life ’s b a ttle e d g e , A h o m e w h e n to il is o ’e r. III. A s w e s in g to n ig h t in th e m y stic lig h t O u r s o rro w s q u ic k ly fly; A n d e a c h b r o t h e r ’s h e a r t is b o u n d a n e w In B e ta T h e ta Pi.

O f B e ta b lo o d a n d B e ta b ra in s ;

II. O ld W o o g lin w a tc h e s w ith s le e p le s s eye E a c h m a n o f B e ta T h e ta Pi; A n d c h e e rily s m ile s o n all w h o a im T o k e e p t o th e fo r e o ld B e t a ’s n a m e . A n d th u s fro m c h e r is h e d s ire to so n T h e lin k s o f o u r b o n d f r a te r n a l ru n , W h ile B e ta s o n s o f B e ta s ire s A r e g u a rd in g fo r e v e r o u r a l t a r fires, A r e g u a rd in g fo r e v e r o u r a l t a r fires.

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

B e ta S w e e th e a rt W o r d s a n d m u s ic b y F . R . W a r n e r , B e lo it 1912 H o w w o u ld y o u lik e to b e a B e ta s w e e th e a r t? H o w w o u ld y o u lik e to w e a r a B e ta p in ? H o w w o u ld y o u lik e to g aze u p o n th e d ia m o n d , G e m o f g e m s th a t n e ’e r g ro w s d im ? H o w w o u ld y o u lik e to s h a r e a B e ta frie n d s h ip , F r ie n d s h ip th a t w ill la st th ro u g h life? H o w w o u ld y o u lik e to lo v e a B e ta alw ay s? A n d h o w w o u ld y o u lik e t o b e a B e ta w ife? B e ta S w e e th e a rt p a ro d y (u n k n o w n , p ro b a b ly a n o n y m o u s ) H o w w o u ld y o u lik e to d o a B e t a ’s w a sh in g ? H o w w o u ld y o u like to d a rn a B e ta ’s so ck s? H o w w o u ld y o u lik e to b a k e a B e ta 's b isc u its, B isc u its th a t a re a s h a rd a s ro c k s? II o w w o u ld y o u lik e to p a tc h a B e ta ’s tro u s e rs . P a tc h e s th a t w ill la st th ro u g h life? H o w w o u ld y o u lik e to n u rs e a B e ta b a b y ? A n d h o w w o u ld y o u lik e to b e a B e ta w ife?

T h e r e ’s a S c e n e J. O S tillso n , H a n o v e r 1871 to th e tu n e o f “T r a m p , T r a m p T r a m p ” I. T h e r e ’s a s c e n e w h e re b r o th e r s g re e t, W h e r e tr u e k in d re d h e a r ts d o m e e t A t a n a lta r s e n d in g lo v e ’s sw e e t in c e n se high; W h e r e is f o u n d w ith o u t a llo y P u r e s t s to r e o f e a r th ly jo y ’T is w ith in th e h a lls o f B e ta T h e ta Pi. C h e e r! c h e e r! c h e e r w ith h e a r ts re jo ic in g ! B rig h tly s p a r k le s e v e ry eye; A n d o u r b o s o m s feel th e glow N o n e b u t b r o t h e r s ’ h e a r ts m a y k n o w W h ile w e s in g th e s o n g s o f B e ta T h e ta Pi. II. F r ie n d s h ip g av e o u r o r d e r b irth , P u r e a n d la s tin g a s th e e a r th , S tr o n g d e v o tio n to o u r m o tto g iv e s 1 u s life. W ith th e h e lp o f b r o th e r s d e a r , A n d o f G o d w e ’v e n a u g h t to fe a r A s w e m in g le in th e d in o f e a r th ly s trife . III. M a n ’s a c r e a tu r e frail a s d u s t I f o n s e lf a lo n e h e tru s t; S tr e n g th is e v e r fo u n d in u n ity ’s firm tie; F a ith a n d H o p e to g e th e r s ta n d N e a r C h a r ity w ith o p e n h a n d ; S u c h a r e e v e r w o rth y B e ta T h e ta Pi.

IV . Y e s, a n d B e ta g irls th e r e a re , P u r e a n d lovely, p a s s in g fa ir, W h o w ith b r ig h te s t s m ile s e n liv e n all o u r w ay; M a y o u r b r o th e r s e v e r p ro v e W o rth y o f s u c h n o b le love L o n g a s tim e s h all la st o r e a r th s h a ll h av e a day.

B e ta D a y R ic h a rd R . “ M isty ” S h o o p D e n is o n 1941 to th e tu n e o f “ B a ttle H y m n o f th e R e p u b lic ” I. B e ta D a y is d a w n in g , Y o u c a n s e e it in th e sky, It is b u r s tin g fo r th w ith frie n d s h ip F o r all B e ta s , y ou a n d I; S in g fo r th m y B e ta b r o th e r s , L e t y o u r v o ic e s ra is e o n high, F o r B e ta T h e ta Pi! Y e s, o h yes, w e a re all B e ta s , Y e s, o h yes, w e a r e all B e ta s , Y e s w e a r e all loyal b e ta s , W e a r e lin k e d in P h i k ai P h i. II. W e s ta r te d o u t in O x fo rd , W h e r e th e y m e t b e n e a th th e e lm , T h r o u g h th e y e a rs w e ’v e p a s s e d th e c u p a ro u n d T o b u ild th e d r a g o n ’s re a lm . T h e k in d re d love a n d fr ie n d s h ip T h a t h a s g ro w n a lo n g th e w ay In s p ire s th is B e ta D ay . III. W e h a v e tr o d th e p o rc h a t M a c k in a c A n d W o o g lin o n th e L a k e , W e h a v e s u n g o u r s o n g s a t B igw in, S tr o n g fr a te rn a l b o n d s to m a k e , A n d n o w w e g a th e r o n c e a g ain , W ith a n d g rip p e d firm in h a n d , W e a re th e B e ta B an d . IV . T h e n g a th e r r o u n d m y b r o th e r s , O n th is g lo rio u s B e ta D ay , L ive a g a in o ld W o o g lin ’s k in s h ip s T h a t c an n e v e r fa d e aw ay, O h g re e t y o u r B e ta b r o th e r s , A n d re n e w th o s e B e ta tie s, S in g a g a in y o u r P h i k ai P his.

1 N o te : in th e o rig in a l th e w o rd is in th e p re s e n t: “ g iv e s,” th o u g h in m o re r e c e n t b o o k s , it is in th e p a s t, “ g a v e .”

310

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

T h e B e ta B r o th e r s B. H u m e M o rris II, C e n tre 1968 to th e tu n e o f “ S in k th e B is m a r k ” I. In A u g u s t 1839, th e B e ta s w e re a s o n e J o h n R e ily K n o x a n d B r o th e r s k n e w w h a t th e y h a d b e g u n ; T r u e B r o th e r s ’ lo v e w as s h in in g in e a c h a n d e v e ry ey e A ll fo r a n e w F r a te r n ity c alle d B e ta T h e ta Pi. B u ild u p a g re a t F r a te r n ity c alle d B e ta T h e ta Pi. L in k e v e ry o n e to g e th e r in b o n d s o f P h i K ai P hi; T h r o u g h o u t th e w h o le w id e c o u n try , p a ss th e L o v in g C u p a r o u n d , W e a r e th e B e ta B r o th e r s a n d y o u c a n n o t h o ld u s d o w n . II. T h e e a r ly y e a r s w e n t b y a s w e b la z e d a B e ta tra il W ith W o o g lin th e r e to g u id e u s, w e k n e w w e c o u ld n o t fail. T h e B e ta s ta r s ro s e h ig h e r, in th e N o rth a n d E a s t a n d W e st S o o n , th e p e o p le w e re all s ay in g th a t th e B e ta s w e re th e b e st. III. T h e C ivil W a r b e g a n a n d th e d ia m o n d ’s lig h t g re w d im . J o h n n y R e b a n d B illy Y a n k b o th w o re th e B e ta P in. B u t, w h e n th e s m o k e h a d c le a re d aw ay, th e c o u n tr y tu r n e d a r o u n d A n d f o u n d th a t B e ta B r o th e r h o o d h a d w o n a n o th e r ro u n d . IV . S o o n , “ W e w ill g o t o C a n a d a ” b e c a m e o u r b a ttle cry. J o in in g tw o g r e a t c o u n trie s in b o n d s o f P h i K ai P hi. It d id n ’t ta k e u s lo n g b e f o r e w e g re w fro m s e a to sea, S h o w in g e v e ry o n e th e p o w e r o f o u r F r a te rn ity . V . T w o W o rld W a r s d id n ’t s to p u s fro m g u a rd in g B e t a ’s fla m e . A n d all th e B e ta s o ld ie rs b r o u g h t fa m e to B e ta ’s n a m e . O n e h u n d r e d y e a rs o f B ro th e r h o o d in B e ta T h e ta Pi, A n d still w e fo rg e d a h e a d , h o ld in g o u r fa ir b a n n e r high. V I. N o w , w e a r e th o u s a n d s s tro n g a n d w ill b e fo r all tim e , A B e ta b a n d o f B r o th e r s in lo n g , illu s trio u s lin e . S o , lo o k u p o n th e s u n s e t; s e e o u r c o lo rs in th e sky, T h e y w ill s h in e a s lo n g a s w e k e e p b u ild in g B e ta T h e ta Pi.

B e ta O u r B rid e D . H . M o o re , O h io S ta te 1860 T o th e tu n e o f “ E lle n B a y n e ” I. O u r b r id e fo r e v e r T a k e w e to n ig h t; N o th in g s h all s e v e r F a ith w h ic h w e p lig h tS m ile s o f th e g u ile fu l, H a te o f th e b a se , S n e e r s o f th e s c o rn fu l, O ffe rs o f p la c e .

II. P ro u d o f th y b e a u ty , B e ta o u r b rid e , F in d we o u r d u ty C lo se to th y s id e . L ig h t o f th y d ia m o n d . E a s tw a rd o r w e st, S h o w s in o u r b o s o m s B e ta lo v 'd b e s t.

W o o g lin , th o u o u r n u p tia ls seal: B e ta 's o u r s f o r w o e o r w eal! B ells p ro c la im w ith m e rry p e a lB e ta o u r b rid e !

311

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

T h e L o v in g C u p H o r a c e G . L o z ie r to th e tu n e o f “ B rin g th e W a g o n H o m e ” I. O h , s ta r t th e lo v in g c u p a ro u n d , N o r p a s s a b r o t h e r by; W e all d rin k fro m th e s a m e c a n te e n In B e ta T h e ta Pi. O h , y o u a n d I c a n n e ’e r g ro w o ld W h e n th is f a ir c u p is nigh; H e r e ’s life a n d s tre n g th , H e r e ’s h e a lth a n d w e a lth , H e r e ’s all in P h i k ai P h i.

H a rk , th e C a m p a n ile is S o u n d in g w o rd s a n d m u sic b y H e r b e r t B la ir, M T S U 1988 I. R in g th e b e lls o f o ld M iam i H a il th e y e a r o f B e ta ’s b irth . S o u n d th e to n e s , s o ric h in m e m ’ry H a il th e th o u g h ts o f B e ta days: H a il th e b e lls o f B e ta , T h e ta , Pi a n d E ig h te e n T h irty -n in e ! N e ’e r fo r g e t th e to w e r’s s o u n d in g , M ay th e y rin g fo r e v e rm o r e . II. H e a r th e c h im e s! th e y n o w a r e rin g in g

II. O h , s t a r t th e lo v in g c u p a ro u n d , It s p e a k s o f o t h e r day s; W e s e e th e m ile s to n e s b a c k w a rd ru n W h e n o n th is c u p w e gaze. O u r g rip g ro w s s tro n g ,

B r o th e r s le n d y o u r v o ic e in so n g . P e a l o f b e lls th e ir tim b r e d e e p e n s ,

B o ld c o m e s o u r so n g , W h e n th is fa ir c u p w e ra ise; S o p a ss th e lo v in g c u p a ro u n d A n d d rin k in B e ta ’s p ra is e .

L iftin g h igh o u r loyal p ra is e . L e t e a c h b r o t h e r n e ’e r fo rg e t h e r, S o u n d in g a s th e b e lls n o w ring:

R in g s o f s tro n g fr a te rn a l love: III. M a y e a c h b r o t h e r jo in th e c h o ru s ,

III. O h , s ta r t th e lo v in g c u p a ro u n d , It h o ld s a s o m e th in g c le a r, ’T is b rim m in g w ith a p o tio n th a t W ill fill y o u w ith g o o d c h e e r, C o m e d r in k w ith m e a n d b id y o u r ills F o r th w ith to d is a p p e a r; W e ’ll n e v e r in th is w o rld le t fall T h e c u p w e all h o ld h e re

312

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Wardi and Marie

IN THE OLD PORCH CHAIRS.

HORACE LOZIER, i Rh», 1&94.

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

W ords and M usic

THE BETA STARS.

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KENNETH ROOERS B eta Epsilon, 1917

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i darknessday; For light or darkness, shine the stars of B e -ta T h e - ta Pi!

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

THE LOVING CUP

W o r d it HORACE LOZIER L am bda, Rho 18 94. Muiio-. COLLEGE SONQAiiri Bring- th e W ajfon Horn*

1. Oh, start the lov-lng cup a-round, nor pass ^broth-er by; We 2. Oh, start the lOT-ing cup a-round, it speaks of oth --er days; We 3. Oh, start the lov-ing cup a-round,- it holds a some thingcleai;’Tis

all drink from the same can-teen tn B e - ta The-ta Pi.. Oh, see the mile-stones back-wanl run when on this cup we..gaze. Our, brim-ming with a p o -tio n that will fill yon with good cheer, Come

you and I can ne’er grow old while this fair cup is nigh; H e r* grip grows stronghold comes our song when this fair cup we raise; So drink with me and bid your ills forti-with to dls-ap-pear; W^ll

life and strength, here's health Mid wealth,here's all in Phi kai Phi. pass the lov - ing cup &• round and drink in Be-ta’s praise, n e r . er in this world let fall the eup we a ll hold here.

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Beta Theta Pi. ______________ _______ “ A L E H E F L A Vo1- *■

A L E X J X D R U , VA., DECEMBER 15, 1872

HOPE. PAtTH, U f t .

-no. 1.

odical. Be (U t nM iiuixfivd. consolidated, Heta Theta Pt earnestly and honestly, aod c e n tra lity rtie groml strong heart o f B k ta will gladly devote his few hours of rcWa*SEUCTBO T tretA Fi will never again throb feebly, but tion to the n*chanical part of getting up each number, and the shaping of m atter not with glad firm beat make music In the ears requiring special thought. Brothers I help There u t three lessons I would write— of her loving sons. him with might and main. Three words, u with a burning pro. T!»opr(<cnt it inception to a In letters of eternal light. EPSILON C HAPTER AND T H S Upon the hearts o f men. Unn conviction o f the ttuth o f what we have MINUTES. just said. I t is a tentative one ; originates A letter from ErsiuoN C u a ? n i t , to tin Uav« H o r s ! Though clouds environ now, with a sinple member, but must not be left \n d gladness hides ncr facc with acorn. Corresponding Secretary o f aacithar Chapter, entirely in his hands. As the exponent of P ut thou the shadows from thy brow; complains th at the reference to them In th j the Fraternity ; the Fraternity will be held No night but hath iu nuxn. last m inutes gives them a bad |^ppewrar»ce responsible for it. If it gains honor. Beta Hav* F jlittt! W hene'er tby bark isdriven. ^rheta Pi wjll bo honored. I t it is unworthy to the Fraternity at large, and o«ayonder which they stand in a false poaitioc— S hat, rhe eahn’sdisport, the tem pcst's'm irth— Know this Ood rules the host o f Heaven. so nill she have shame brought upon her in fact, so far from paving been prompted of Uut it cannot prove unworthy, if the men of The inhabitant* o f earth. governed by improper motives, they w e n b n in s who have gathered around the altar only actuated Vy the sincereat regard"for the Have L o r i I Not lo te alone for o n e ;, o f Wooglin lend their hearK cooperation. Fraternity at large and Cor the honor of their S u l m an. m m an, th y b ro th e r ca ll This we trust they will do. and we ask help brother, in the action which they took. A nd sc a tte r lik e th e c ircling Sun, front each and e»ery one of them. Thy c h a ritie s on all. Now while we do not propose to enter In* W e have said th at a periodical would be to any discussion of the m atter, as tbis would Thus grave these le w o u on thy soul. of infinite advantage to u*. I t remain* for b« both contrary to the wishes of Epallon Uopt. Faith and Love, aod thou shall find. ustoshowhow. A p«*euliar characteristic of Strength, when life’s wildcat billows roll— our Fraternity i t the strong attachm ent Chapter aod our own— we deaiie to aay that Light, when thou f b e were blind. evinced to*nrdi it by those who arc no Epsilon's claim for p u ritj o f motive* through­ linger active members. To taster this spirit out the whole m atter both hefore and sine# At the 30th Annual Convention held in & a matter nf prime importance to us. How the Convention should be allowed. can it be better done than by the ejtablishIt was the fortune of the wriUer o f this Columbus. Ohio, in July. 1969. Mu C u ai *- nirnt o f a certain means of communication T in submitted a plan for the establishment among these our Alurtmi; enabling them article to be well rcqusinted with all the o f a Monthly Fraternity Magazine. Affcr to keep posted about friends nnd comrades, circumstances in this rase aa they oceurtd at discursing the plan, it was referred to a now that by th e cares and duties of life. Epsilon Chnpter, and also to be ptea««t at special committee of three, ^bo after cara- olh« r correspondence is tendered impo» .ible I the meetings of the Committee that dnJW l How can we better increase their interest in ful examination reported th at they deemed Fraternity affairs than hy making them the report presented to the Conreaiioo. The it unsdvisable to enter upon so Urge sn un­ familiar aith * h it is being done. This is central thought aimed at by the Committee dertaking In the then crippled state o f the whot we can do for them through a paper. was that no person has a right to pever his Southern Chspters—upon this recomraejiJa Now what can they do for us? Very naturally connection from a Chapter, or the Fratorotfr, we take pride in their auccess in life, and save by capulsion. tion the m atter was defcred. look to them as our eiatfiples. They must Since th a t Convention th e number of remember th is; that they are hound to u« No improper motives were attributed by Chapter* has been increucd by onc-half, and by peculiar ties, nnd have upon them the the Committee to Ejwitoo-—but there was a most of the Southern Chapters have re noblo responsibility of setti'ig us stich ex decided expression o f disapproval o f the gained their former prosperity. In the L it amples i t n>ay be worthy our imitation.— manner nd< pted fur reaching the end. three years Beta T u r r a Pi h u jn n J c giunt They must strive then, that the pages of our It is hard to place tL# u otter corrcctly paper may bear such a record of them as to Strides, her territory has been greatly en. innLe us e.v’er fur l.ke lives Not only this, before the reader, without recounting the larged, the tone of her Chspters has been wo will hei-il Iheir ndvire and hear their in. history o f the entire (ran;action, hut it i« more gladly than that o f Others.— proper to say that it wn.-t not the wi*k o f the elevated, and older and better men hase struct uided her. ’ More than all, there has been ! Here then in these pages let their words ©I lour mentioned in the l.ead note o f th* re­ \ great increase of interest among our Alum ^m uloni be given to us. port in the iui(Mitcf> lo sever their connection ni, as evidenced in the formationofAlute.nl I Now to ihcne ahi» ate si ill al College— aith Epsilon, and hence they feel that tbe ml ot advantage tun »' h«' loynu? much every Chapters, and the active port t^ken iu the j v»ny. U u cannot be educated men until censure of the Committee leaves a wrong Contentious of 18<*9«?0-71>?2. | you can wtitf if not ek-ijm-ntly, a t least impression, nnd aw odi'.im upon them which These things being so, we feel assured that elearly. This paper ojh-us a In Id for you they do m .t deserve. At presm t everything at Epsilon is traothe time has cnme when it Is not only juac- unlike others, a here your faults m lllio irealetl ticahlc to support a F raternity paper, but with a btiKlu r s tenderness. )« t phinted out «p»il. Ib e y have « fine Chapter <if ihirteeia with a brothers candor. ].et there be a absolutely necessary for our well being iliat -eiK-r.ius emulation among Chapters to send good. Steady working, wholc-AOulrd Brlaa, and pri'pose to efface any trac.> o f censure wc should have one. J f »c. having this oppor­ or tid e s with the tree ring. A word with regard t<» life carrying on of' that may Have rested upon them, by fteirg tunity. taka advantage of our present pros­ this paper , the present editor can make no the best'w orking Chapter in the Fratetidty. perity. and work faithfully and lovingly, we promises Had he the capacity, he is so C. must very so«n overtop all rivals in the gen­ harassed by numerous duties, that the com­ May abundant success attend her tffTorU—• erous strife for excellence. No one thing position of such articles us ought to gise can work roor* powerfully to bring about this tone to our paper would be practically Im- even had she U.en vtong. Iter sisters would, •onsummaisoo than a good Fraternity peri­ r-osibl*. (or thcer &aiu o f tim e—jo t be loses long ago have fffrcrotUn, and forgivco' — XJL

The first edition of The Beta Theta Pi published Decem ber 15, 1872 by Charles Duy Walker, V.M.I. 1869 316

SECTION 25 Writings David Linton, who had been previously appointed to prepare a suitable address for the occasion, discharged the duty devolving upon him in an essay upon the first word of the motto. Thomas B. Gordon was appointed to prepare an essay for the next meeting. In these words from the minutes of August 8,1839 can be seen the concern of Beta’s founders for the literary dimension of the fraternity. Just as it was natural for them to give speeches, it was natural for them to write essays on a selected topic. Few undergraduate Betas write essays now, except for homework, and fewer alumni occupy their free hours in writing about some topic of personal interest. But there have been some outstanding examples of Beta writings, and twice a year, an under­ graduate from each chapter writes a short report on his chapter’s activities. Further­ more, some Betas have become writers, or have written books in the course of their careers. We shall now examine the evidence of the cultivation of the intellect of many Betas over the years.

Beta Libraries W here can Beta books be found? You won’t see them in bookstores, and most are presently out of print. However, your own chapter probably has several of these books, and if you are a Beta, you are already getting the magazine. But if you want to examine all of the Beta books, there are two places where you can find them. The first is the John Reily Knox Library in the Administrative Office in Oxford. The other is the Baird Collection of fraternity books, which is housed in the New York Public Library. Access to either is essential to a detailed study of Beta history, and particularly Beta writing.

The Beta Theta Pi At the convention of 1842, A. W. Hamilton, Miami 1842, was appointed as a committee to consider “further definite objects of the Association.” In the morning of August 16,1842, he made the following report: 1st: Resolved, that the primary objects of this Association are the promotion of truth and the cultivation of love. 2nd: Resolved, that in order to attain these objects, some methods should be devised in order to bring the talents, attainments and pursuits of each member to bear upon the whole Association. 3rd: Resolved, that one of these methods should be the establish­ ment, whenever it shall be deemed practicable, of literary institu­ tions in Our Country. 4th: Resolved, that another of these methods should be the estab­ lishment as soon as practicable of a periodical with such objects as 317

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the Association may designate. 5th: Resolved, that for the attainment of these ends, provision should be made for the establishment of a society fund by annual contributions from its members. The minutes then succinctly state: “Report accepted and committee discharged.” However, the next action by the convention was to resolve “that on account of the youth and weakness of the Association, no immediate steps for the carrying into effect these resolutions would be expedient.” Yet the convention was unsettled on the issue - in the afternoon of the same day this timid resolution was reconsidered, and the following offered in its place: “That this Association establish a periodical to be published monthly... to be sustained by contributions of literary m atter from all its members.” Alas, but “after a very warm and animated discussion,” it was withdrawn. But Hamilton’s plans were not abandoned: the resolution was again reconsidered, and adopted after being amended to the following: “Resolved, that this Convention earnestly recommend to the different chapters and members to m ature and propose plans for the accomplishment of these objects.” Though the idea of a Beta periodical was proposed very early, it was shelved. At the same convention, an amendment to the constitution was made which acknowledged the literary tone of the fraternity, and boded well for its continuation, because it formulated a way of tying the several chapters together. This was the “chapter semi-annual reports” amendment. Each chapter was required to commu­ nicate twice each year with every other chapter, and report on the status and expec­ tations of Beta life there. This important unifying strategy was a unique plan among the existing fraternities, and served as the foundation on which (someday) would be built the long-desired Beta periodical. For the next thirty years, the idea continued to be considered by nearly every convention. Each one said nearly the same thing: the committee was “convinced of the present inexpediency, if not impracticability, of establishing and sustaining” a periodical, despite the knowledge that “the interests of the Association would be greatly furthered and its permanence secured by the publication of a periodical”, and were “fully impressed with the importance and utility of such a publication”. Regretfully, each one took no action, just passing it on to the next convention. Meanwhile there was a growing involvement of alumni. A young alumnus was elected secretary of the convention of 1872. The delegate from Hanover, E. J. Brown, Hanover 1873, recalled that this secretary’s “mind seemed a seed plot of ger­ mination of new devices for fraternity betterment. He was full of them and enthu­ siastic, practical and laborious withal. He had the idea of a fraternity paper or magazine whirling in his mind. It kept whirling through the Convention time. He was willing to start the enterprise himself.” The owner of that fertile brain Brown described was Charles D. Walker, V.M .1.1869. He became the first General Sec­ retary at that convention, and proceeded to carry out his idea. On December 15, 1872, he founded The Beta Theta Pi, the magazine of the fraternity. Baird’s Manual records that it is the first magazine of the fraternity world, and it has been published continuously since 1872.

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The expenses for the first year’s publication came to $480.00. The next conven­ tion approved the report of the committee on the paper, which recommended monthly publication during the school year, and a price of $1.50 per annual subscrip­ tion. The report furtherm ore urged “the importance of furnishing to the editor frequent reports of all matters of interest pertaining to the Fraternity. The paper has proved of great value to the Fraternity, so far, but not till all the chapters avail themselves of its columns as a means of communication will the paper attain its true position.” The expenses for Beta’s magazine now exceed $300,000; it is presently pub­ lished four times a year, and it is free for life upon payment of the Baird Fund membership fee, currently set at $30.00. Yet, the committee’s final comment has remained true. The Beta Theta Pi is important, not only because it provides a record of Beta history for much of her life, but because it continues to provide the chapters with a means of communication. Twice a year, letters written by undergraduates of every chapter are published in The Beta Theta Pi. These take the place of the “semi­ annual reports.” These reports were first mandated in 1842 as a means of maintaining contact among the several chapters: “It shall be the duty of each chapter, semi-annually, to make a list of its members, a statement of its conditions and prospects, and of such other matters as may seem advisable, and to transmit the same to every chapter of the Association”. The magazine implements this plan far more thoroughly, since now every mem ber receives a copy of the two chapter reports, and a third one: an annual evaluation of the chapter by the district chief. It is certain that nearly every alumnus, when he receives The Beta Theta Pi, turns to his chapter’s letter first. By this mechanism, then, our magazine accomplishes the original objective of uniting the fraternity both in her many scattered chapters and her even more dispersed in­ dividual members. This book is full of excerpts from the magazine. Nearly everything that hap­ pened after 1872 is recorded there, and was copied by Baird or Shepardson; this book often re-echoes their quotations. There have developed various features of the magazine: the foremost of these is “Inter Fratres,” written for many years by Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922. It is a short essay of an inspirational nature, and appears on the inside of the front cover of every issue, except for the convention issue. That, of course, is the annual record of the minutes, speeches, reports and lore of each convention, and does not contain the usual features, except for the directory of the fraternity. This lists the names and addresses of the members of the Board of T rustees, Fund T rustees, other General officers, members of the Advisory Council, District Chiefs, as well as chapter addresses, telephone numbers and the names of the chapter secretary, counselor, and financial advisor. O ther features appearing in non-convention issues are “Marching Along” or “Alumni Achievements,” a collec­ tion of short sketches of the careers of Betas; “T here’s Your Alma M ater,” the title of the chapter reports; “Memory and Our Mystic Shrine,” which gives obituary notices and short biographical sketches. It should be noted that the items which appear in the magazine are unsolicited.

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Brothers send in newspaper clippings about their brothers’ accomplishments, or write detailed biographies of deceased chapter mates. The physical appearance of the magazine has changed over the years. Origi­ nally, it looked like a small newspaper. For much of its existence, it was a small 7 by 10 inch magazine. In 1983, editor John R. McClung, Jr., Kansas State 1937, changed it to the present 8-1 /2 by 11 inch “standard magazine” format, and added 16 pages of color photography, winning accolades from the entire fraternity. Another variable of the magazine has been its publication rate. In the 1880’s it was published monthly during the school year, and the bound volumes exceeded 2 and even 3 inches! O f course the circulation was smaller then. Now, with the magazine being sent to over 86,000 Betas, it costs a lot more. But someday perhaps we will return to a more frequent publication rate. One of the important interfraternity events of history occurred in 1881 when the editors of The Beta Tlteta Pi sent a letter to the editors of the other existing fraternity magazines. Doubtlessly instigated by the father of the interfraternity movement, William R. Baird, it was dated January 13, 1881 and read in part: A suggestion made not long ago by a writer in the Chi Phi Quarterly, as to a meeting of fraternity editors, has met with very general favor. It has seemed to many that such a meeting might prove to be the best method of preparing the way for the widely discussed Pan-Hellenic Council, as well as to afford a means of arriving at an understanding upon many points of interest to the editors of fraternity papers and fraternities at large. Having waited in vain for some of its co-laborers in the field of Fraternity journalism to take the initiative in this movement, The Beta Theta Pi, by virtue rather of its seniority in age than of any other claim to leadership, ventures to submit the following propo­ sitions to the several fraternity organs: First, that a meeting of fraternity editors be held on Thursday, February 22,1883, at New York, Philadelphia, or Washington, as the majority of the papers may prefer. Second, That, inasmuch as the discussion of a plan for a PanHellenic Council will be one of the prominent objects of the meeting, invitations be sent to the several fraternities of the coun­ try to send representatives to the conference. The letter went on to discuss some logistics of the proposed meeting, and requested an immediate response from the various fraternities addressed. And so, on February 10,1883, a letter from the editors of The Beta Theta Pi went out to all the existing fraternities, inviting them to send representatives to the meeting. It was sent on behalf of the Star and Crescent of Alpha Delta Phi, the Chi Phi Quarterly, the Alpha Tau Omega Palm, the Crescent of Delta Tau Delta, the Sigma Chi, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Record, the Phi Gamma Delta, and the Scroll of Phi Delta Theta as well as The Beta Theta Pi. The meeting was actually held in Philadelphia. Thirteen editors attended. A

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resolution was passed to hold a Pan-Hellenic conference in New York City on July 4, 1884, provided at least ten fraternities pledged to participate - but not enough would commit themselves. However, the proposal was discussed in the various journals, which itself helped bring about many of the intended results of the pro­ posed meeting. It is a credit to our fraternity to note, therefore, that our magazine has not only stimulated brotherhood among our sisterhood of chapters, but indeed among the various orders of the Greek fraternity world! After Beta merged with the Mystic Seven in 1890, a subtitle was added to the magazine: “With which has been united the Mystic Messenger.” This was the title of the paper which had been published by the Mystics. In 1890, a secret periodical called The Mystic Messenger o f Beta Theta Pi was published by the General Secre­ tary, mailed only to the chapters and interested members; it contained private or relatively secret information, and was discontinued in 1892. In the 1980’s, General Secretary Hum e Morris once again began publishing the Mystic Messenger as a means of private communication with the chapters.

Chapter Publications As time went on and the magazine expanded, it became increasingly attractive to alumni, who turned to it for news of their chapter and their chapter-mates. The chapters were aware of this, and they soon began to emulate The Beta Theta Pi by putting out chapter periodicals. These contained news of the active chapter as well as the accomplishments or career changes of the chapter’s alumni. It appears that the first chapter publication was Sigma's Alum nus, published in February 1881. [Stevens was Baird’s chapter - it somehow figures it would be first.] Cornell’s The Beta Delta Chapter Chronicle was a close second in May 1881. Both of these were derived from the need of these former Alpha Sigma Chi chapters to bring their alumni into closer contact and harmony with Beta (the union with which had just been accomplished in 1879). How many chapters publish their own papers now? Nearly all of them. See the following page for a list of their titles. As the number of chapter publications rose, it seemed only fitting to honor outstanding effort. In 1932 the North Dakota chapter announced its intention to offer a prize to recognize outstanding journalistic work by a chapter publication. This award, in the form of a plaque, was first given to The Crucible of the Colorado chapter in 1933. Since then, the “North Dakota Award” has been granted annually for the outstanding chapter publication in both the “newspaper” and the “maga­ zine” formats; the winners are announced at the convention.

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Chapter Newsletters A la b a m a

T h e A la b a m a B e ta

M ississip p i

B e ta B e ta D a ta

A m h e rst A riz o n a A u b u rn

T h e B e ta Io ta D ra g o n B e ta B e ta S p irit T h e D e lta I o ta N e w s le tte r O ld P si N e w s le tte r

M iss o u ri N e b ra s k a N o rth C a r o lin a N o rth D a k o ta N o rth w e s te r n

T h e G avel T h e B e ta D ra g o n K a p p a S ta r / K a p p a K n ew s

O h io O h io S ta te O h io W e s le y a n

T h e D r a g o n ’s T a le T h e D r a g o n ’s T a le B e ta D a ta T h e G a m m a K a p p a A rr o w R h o ’s R h o m e r B e ta K a p p a H a p p e n in g s

O m e g a N ew s W o o g lin ’s U C E y e P e o p le , P e o p le L a m b d a K a p p a Ix>g B e ta S ta rs E p s ilo n P a ra g o n L a m b d a R h o N ew s

O k la h o m a O k la h o m a S ta te O re g o n O re g o n S ta te P e n n S ta te P e n n sy lv a n ia Puget Sound

B e ta N u s T h e D e lta N ew s

P u rd u e R u tg e rs S a n D ie g o S ta te

T h e ta D e lta D ra g o n T h e T h e ta B e ta B e ta T im e s B e ta T im e s B e ta R o se T h e G a m m a M u se T h e B e ta R ev iew T h e P h i D o rg T h e U .P .S . B e ta N e w s le tte r T h e B e ta M u L in k B e ta T h e ta Pi T h e P o s ts c rip ts

S o u th D a k o ta S .M .U .

T h e E x haust T h e B e ta C a m p u ss

S t. L a w re n c e S ta n fo r d S te v e n s S y rac u se

T h e P ie r L a m b d a S ig m a S ig m a S la n t M y stic M e s s e n g e r o f B e ta E p s ilo n T h e E y e o f W o o g lin B e ta S p irit B e ta T h e ta Pi T h e T h e ta Z e ta O w l T h e T u la n e O ra c le

B all S ta te B e th a n y B o w lin g G r e e n B ritis h C o lu m b ia B ro w n C a lifo rn ia C a lifo rn ia (I rv in e ) C a r n e g ie M e llo n C ase C a s e -W e s te rn C e n tre C h ic a g o C in c in n a ti C le m so n C o lg a te C o lo ra d o C o lle g e C o lo ra d o M in e s C o rn e ll D a r tm o u th

T h e A d e lp h ia n

D a v id so n D e Pauw D e n is o n

P h i A lp h a N e w s le tte r D e lta R e p o r te r A lp h a E t a ’s S h rin e T h e D r a g o n ’s T a le A lp h a S ig m a N ew s T h e D ia m o n d ’s R a y W a n d e rin g E y e o f W o o g lin

B e ta T h e ta Pi T h e B e ta C ru c ib le T h e B e ta D e lta N ew s T h e D a r tm o u th B e ta

T h e S w o rd

T exas T e x a s (A rlin g to n ) T exas T ech T o r o n to T u la n e

F lo rid a F lo r id a S ta te

W o o g ie ’s W ay T h e D r a g o n ’s T a le

U . o f th e S o u th U .C .L .A .

T h e L a n te rn D r a g o n ’s T a le

G .M .I. G e o rg ia T e c h

T h e L io n ’s R o a r T h e D r a g o n ’s T a le

U .S .C . U n io n

W o o g lin ’s W o rd N u N ew s

G u e lp h

B e ta V is io n

H anover H o u s to n Id ah o Illin o is In d ia n a Iow a Io w a S ta te K a n sa s K a n sa s S ta te K enyon K no x L a w re n c e L e h ig h M .I.T . M a in e M a ry la n d

T h e Io ta R o ck B e ta S c rip t

U ta h V a n d e r b ilt V irg in ia T e c h

G a m m a B ee B e ta L a m b d a U p d a te T h e A lp h a P h i

R o u n d R o b in S ig m a R h o B u lle tin T h e Pi B u lle tin A lp h a B e ta N ew s T h e D ra g o n A lp h a N u T h e S p h in x T h e B e ta A lp h a B u lle tin Xi T o rch T h e E y e o f G a m m a Pi T h e B e ta C h i N ew s T h e B ac k B ay B e ta M a in e B e ta B e ta S p irit A lp h a S la n ts T h e L a m b d a N ew s

W abash W a s h in g to n (P a .) W a s h in g to n S e a ttle W a s h in g to n S ta te W a s h in g to n & L ee W esle y a n W e s t V irg in ia W e s te rn O n ta r io W e s te rn R e s e rv e W e s tm in s te r W h itm a n W ic h ita

T a u ’s B a rk G a m m a N o s tra B e ta O m e g a N e w s le tte r G a m m a T h e ta N e w s T h e A lp h a R h o T h e B e ta B u lle tin T o p o f th e H ill D e lta A lp h a N e w s B e ta C r e s c e n t/B e ta S ta rs

T h e D r a g o n ’s W a g o n T h e B e ta P ip e r

W rig h t S ta te Y a le

D enver D ic k in so n D uke E a s t C a r o lin a E m o ry

M iam i M ic h ig a n M ic h ig a n S ta te M in n e s o ta

W illa m e tte W illia m s W isc o n sin W itte n b e r g

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A lp h a D e lta N ew s T h e T om ahaw k B e ta G a m m a S ig m a N e w s le tte r Z e ta N ew s T h e A lp h a P ilo t T h e D r a g o n ’s L a ir T h e D r a g o n ’s B re a th P h i C h i N ew s

1 HE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

The Beta Books William Raimond Baird, Stevens 1879: 1883 Fraternity Studies 1894 Fraternity Studies (second edition) 1907 The Handbook o f Beta Theta Pi 1914 Betas o f Achievement 1916 Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation 1918 A Decade o f Fraternity Reconstruction 1918 Beta Letters Note: Baird died before the last two books were finished. They were completed posthumously by Shepardson and Chandler at the direction of the Board of Trus­ tees, and published by the Fraternity. Francis W. Shepardson, Denison 1882: 1927 The Beta Book 1928 Beta Lore 1929 Beta Life 1930 The Beta Book (second edition) 1935 The Beta Book (third edition) 1936 Beta Bards A. J. Gustin Priest, Idaho 1918: 1956 The Great Ones K. W arren Fawcett, Minnesota 1926: 1961 Marching Along Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922: 1967 In Betaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Broad Domain 1987 Inter Fratres R obert T. Howard, De Pauw 1938: (in progress in 1989) Marching Along II These two are bound as one book: John Calvin Hanna, W ooster 1881: 1939 The First Fifty Years o f Beta Theta Pi George M. Chandler, Michigan 1898: 1939 The Second Fifty Years o f Beta Theta Pi

A ll o f th e s e b o o k s a r e c o p y rig h te d b y B e ta T h e ta P i. A v e r y lim ite d n u m b e r o f c o p ie s a r e a v a ila b le fro m th e A d m in is tra tiv e O ffice .

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The Beta Books One would expect a fraternity devoted to “the cultivation of the intellect” and based to some extent on the old literary societies to have generated a collection of literature during its existence. Ignoring more than one hundred volumes of the magazine, thirteen editions of the pledge manual Son o f the Stars, twenty-five edi­ tions of the songbook, ten catalogs or directories of the membership, and ten chap­ ter histories, there are fifteen volumes of history still to be considered. These may be classified into two categories: those which are historical or copies of historical documents, and those which are inspirational, or collections of speeches or writings of a spiritual character.

Beta Histories The office of historiographer was created in 1878, but did not produce any significant material until it was held by the remarkable William R. Baird. H e had already done substantial research to set up his Manual o f American College Frater­ nities, first published in 1879. Note that this is a general reference, and not specifi­ cally a Beta book. After he had written several articles entitled “Fraternity Studies” which appeared in the magazine, he reorganized them and published them under the same title in 1883. This was the first “history” of the fraternity, and it contained other interesting information on Beta’s government, insignia, and so forth. Frater­ nity SUidies proved to be quite popular, filling the place now occupied by Son o f the Stars - an introductory manual to Beta. Baird made a second edition in 1894. In 1907, it was issued again, but the title seemed too generic, so to avoid confusion with his interfraternity reference book, he retitled the third edition The Handbook o f Beta Theta Pi. Baird, a lawyer and engineer, used a carefully devised outline to examine every aspect of Beta. The book includes purely factual data, but also personal insights and quotes from Beta greats. The Handbook was Beta’s only history book until 1927, when Francis. W. Shep­ ardson updated and augmented it, publishing it under the title of The Beta Book. A second edition was made in 1930, and a third in 1935. Meanwhile, Shep had also edited Beta Lore (1928) and Beta Life (1929), which are perhaps on the borderline between history and inspiration. They contain articles from the magazine, excerpts from chapter records, copies of letters and speeches, and many other interesting things, but are less formally organized than The Beta Book. The Board of Trustees asked Shep to write a new comprehensive history, but his Beta Bards, which ap­ peared in 1936, was his last book for the General Fraternity. In 1940, the Board turned to George Chandler, but he was in the army at the time... Nearly twenty-five years went by. Then, in 1958, the Board asked K. W arren (“Spig”) Fawcett, Minnesota 1926, to work on a new history, covering from 1935 to 1960. This book, Marching Along, was published in 1961. It follows the historical sequence Shep used in The Beta Book, being mainly extracts from the magazine, with occasional comments or extracts from speeches and letters. Marching Along is an addendum to The Beta Book, rather than a complete Beta history book in itself. Thirty years later, as this book was being written, a second addendum was being

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prepared, covering the history up to Beta’s Sesquicentennial in 1989. Robert T. Howard, De Pauw 1937, was appointed historian in 1979. His volume, Marching A longII, follows a similar style of condensation from the pages of the magazine, and will bring to completion the written record of 150 years of Beta history.

Collections of Historical Documents William R. Baird contributed an immense amount to Beta history - not only by making it, but also by writing it. He collected three volumes of old documents which are absolutely essential to the knowledge and understanding of “pre-magazine” Beta: Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation, A Decade o f Fraternity Reconstruction, and Beta Letters. The first two are annotated minutes of the conventions of Beta’s first fifty years: Forty Years covers from 1842 to 1878 inclusive, and/4 Decade covers from 1879 to 1888 inclusive. Beta Letters reprints about 560 letters dating from 1840 to 1884, nearly all of them by the undergraduate secretaries of the chapters. Perhaps this book should be properly classed as inspirational, as it reveals the personalities of early Betas, all filled with Beta spirit and friendship. Many important facts are to be found in each of these books; they contain much greater detail than the other historical works.

The Inspirational Books On the inside front cover of nearly all recent issues of The Beta Theta Pi, appears a short essay entitled Inter Fratres - “Between Brothers.” Most of them were written by Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence 1922. These, and also the various convention speeches (these appear in the convention issue), are the chief inspirational writings known to Betas. There are also a few books which give an insight into the experience of Beta Theta Pi. O f course, it’s nearly impossible to write the history of a fraternity without recounting the thoughts of its founders and builders —none of the “histori­ cal” books are without it. Four books, however, were written with a different intent than the telling of dates and events. They are quite different from each other, representing three different classes of literature: poetry, oratory, and essay. Busy Francis W. Shepardson collected a large number of Beta poems spanning much of the life of the fraternity, publishing them under the title of Beta Bards in 1936. The words for many Beta songs were included, and the Convention poems (some nearly epic length) for thirteen years. The collection was intended as an expression of fraternal sentiment, not as an anthology of formal poetry. A nother president of the Fraternity, A. J. Gustin Priest, Idaho 1918, gave a series of speeches at ten conventions (1946-1955), desiring to “to recall to our younger leaders certain qualities possessed by the outstanding builders of this Fraternity.” The speeches were collected and published with the title, The Great Ones, in 1956. Various anecdotes of Pater Knox, Shep, Robb, Hanna, Baird, Sisson and Fitch, Ransom, Chandler, the songwriters and the humorists were told in enjoy­ able and expressive style. Seth Brooks often recommended The Great Ones as a source of real lore and inspiration. Speaking of Seth Brooks - an outstanding speaker at many conventions, an 325

essayist (as we already mentioned), and a Beta president as well - in 1967 the fra­ ternity published a book containing his personal thoughts and reminiscences, sev­ eral of his Inter Fratres essays, addresses and sermons. This book, In Beta’s Broad Domain, is a source of great insight and suggestion even to non-Betas. It is reported that a certain (non-Beta) university president often used it as an ideabook for his own speeches. Over the next twenty years, Dr. Brooks continued to write the Inter Fratres essays. In 1987, the Board published a selection of 132 of these essays, spanning about 36 years - it was entitled (what else?) Inter Fratres. Seth wasn’t the only writer of Inter Fratres. In earlier years, several guest writers gave their thoughts and inspirations to Beta, such as: J. M oreau Brown January, 1963 A. J. G. Priest May, 1963 Robert H. Kurz May, 1964 Joseph J. Rom oda January, 1966 Francis M. Rich March, 1967 Burton W. Folsom April, 1968 Robert L. Cottrell June, 1973 We have already mentioned Shepardson’s Beta Lore and Beta Life as both his­ torical and inspirational. There is one other book which could be judged to be more strongly inspirational than historical, though it is a collection of miniature biogra­ phies of Betas. This book is Baird's Betas o f Achievement. It was published in 1914, and contains paragraph-long sketches of the lives and accomplishments of 1,459 Betas, and a scattering of their photographs. They were selected not so much on the basis of their Beta activities, but rather their career or personal achievements. Incidentally, it represents about five percent of Beta’s total membership at that time. Now, an equivalent book would have over 6,500 names, and be four times larger.

The Pledge Manual For many years, The Handbook o f Beta Theta Pi was the primary reference book for all brothers and pledges. It was superseded by the updated information of The Beta Book in 1927. In 1939, G. H erbert Smith wrote a condensed version specifically designed for use by pledges rather than brothers. It was aptly named Son o f the Stars. Since then it has been reissued twelve times. Edition 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Year 1939 1942 1947 1952 1957 1962 1965 1969

Edited by: G. H erbert Smith G. H erbert Smith G. H erbert Smith G. H erbert Smith K. W arren Fawcett K. W arren Fawcett K. W arren Fawcett K. W arren Fawcett

Edition 9 10 11

Year 1971 1975 1979

12 1982 13 1987

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Edited by: K. W arren Fawcett K. W arren Fawcett H. Hiram Stephenson Jonathan J. Brant H. Hiram Stephenson Jonathan J. Brant B. Hum e Morris Thomas A. Beyer

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It has fluctuated in size with only minor changes in format until the most recent edition, which contains color photographs for the first time. Like some of the older editions, it also contains pictures of most of the chapter houses; a special feature is the several interesting stories from other Beta books. Son o f the Stars is the only one of the Beta books to give a glimpse into the preBeta world, containing a thumbnail sketch of the development of the Greek system. It also contains interesting discourses on the nature of pledgeship and on the im por­ tance of scholarship. Upon payment of the appropriate fee, every pledge receives a copy of Son o f the Stars. This accomplishes two of the goals specified in the long explanatory preface to the proposed open constitution of 1878: T o p la c e in th e h a n d s o f e a c h “ d e s ir a b le y o u n g m a n ” w h o o th e rw is e w o u ld b e “ lo s t to th e ra n k s o f B e ta T h e ta Pi... a n e a t c o p y o f o u r C o n s titu tio n , fro m w h ic h h e c o u ld g a in a g e n e r a l o u tlin e o f th e o rg a n iz a tio n , its s a lie n t f e a tu re s , a n d th e e n d s it s e e k s to a c c o m p lis h .” T o p l a c e “ in th e h a n d s o f e a c h m e m b e r o f th e F r a te r n ity a c o p y o f its o rg a n ic a c t.”

How are these highly desirable objects accomplished by Beta’s pledge manual? It contains a copy of the Code (the Constitution and Laws) of Beta Theta Pi, as amended by the most recent convention, and attested to by the General Secretary. Perhaps few pledges ever wade through much of the Constitution (though enough of them always seem to be curious as to the prohibition of fire in the cauldron scene!) but the Code is there in its entirety for pledges, faculty and parents to examine, and for brothers to be inspired by. The Code has been published since 1879. Before that, it existed only in carefully guarded handwritten copies. Until Shepardson’s The Beta Book, it was published as a separate document of 20-40 pages. Shep then placed an updated copy of the Code in The Beta Book, G. H erbert Smith also put it into Son o f the Stars, and this book contains it as well. The Code is also available as a separate document, updated every few years, as the annual conventions continue to amend it.

The Song Book Besides a copy of Son o f the Stars, every initiate receives a copy of the Beta songbook, the title of which is Songs o f Beta Theta Pi. The songbook contains up­ wards of fifty songs, including both lyrics and music. It is presently in its 25th edition. Its editors have included some of the outstanding Beta musicians and songwriters. M ore details on the songbook, its editors and contributors can be found in the section on the songs of the fraternity.

Catalogs and Directories Why are there two different terms used for a membership list? It is an artificial distinction, but there are two different kinds of information which each includes. The catalogs contain complete lists of brothers, with much more personal informa­ tion about them, whereas the directories are really only mailing lists (and telephone numbers) for living brothers. 327

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Beta’s catalogs are more important than lists of members. Especially the first three show the deep concern by the undergraduates for the entire brotherhood. Indeed, the chapters clearly thought of themselves as including all their initiates, whether in or out of school. Still, it was a tremendous amount of work for a chapter just to collect its own list of brothers, much less handle all of them - long ago, in those days before hard disks and laser printers... The catalogs dem onstrate a real pride in the chapter as a motive force in the fraternity. Furtherm ore, the catalogs were a showplace for lore and symbolism. The famous picture which was used as the frontispiece of the catalog, also known as the “Beta T emple,” is an allegorical representation of various ritualistic concepts. Each chapter also had its allegory, or “chapter cut,” again containing suggestive tokens or characters. Two of these have become virtually common property in Beta: the famous dragon from the Centre (Epsilon) cut, which appeared as a stained glass window in the Wooglin clubhouse, and the moving “Boy in the Window Seat” from Kenyon, sometimes called the “Son of the Stars.” The catalogs vary in accuracy. But considering that the names were written out longhand with a quill pen, rather than entered into a convenient data base, our brothers of long ago did a very good job. A student of cryptography would delight in examining the cyphers used in the early catalogs - these usually denoted the m em ber’s chapter affiliation, course of study, or occupation. They even used socalled noise symbols, which were ignored in reference. Maybe it was harder to use, but it was a lot more fun. The directories do not use cyphers of any form. How they were produced is only of interest to theoretical computer scientists, but the Admin­ istrative Office will tell you if you really want to know. So far, ten catalogs and two directories have been printed. The last catalog, that of 1933, is the most recent complete list of Beta’s membership. This is not a great difficulty if you have access to all the magazines since then, because names of all the new initiates are published in it each year. The last directory was released in 1984.

Catalogs year 1855 1859 1866 1870 1881

pages names 63 689 1142 93 84 1675 2194 115 402 4170

1899 1905

1244 985

11077 14341

1911 1917 1933

583 738 890

17664 22483 37725

Editor(s) the Miami chapter the Ohio chapter the Hanover chapter Roger Williams, Miami 1872 Charles J. Seaman, Denison 1872 William R. Baird, Stevens 1878 Edwin H. Terrell, De Pauw 1871 John C. Hanna, Wooster 1881 William R. Baird, Stevens 1878 James T. Brown, Cornell 1876 James T. Brown, Cornell 1876 James T. Brown, Cornell 1876 Francis W. Shepardson, Denison 1880 Norman P. Hall, Denison 1931 328

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Directories 1979 1984

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Administrative Office Administrative Office

These directories are copyrighted by the General Fraternity, and their use is re­ stricted to fraternal and personal contact. Any attem pt to use them for business or solicitation would be rude and un-fraternal; furthermore, abuse would be a violation of the copyright, and will be dealt with severely!

Other Directories The “Baird Fund Finding Lists” were mini-directories, containing lists of those Betas who had paid the Baird Fund membership fee. This membership was not mandatory when the Fund was started, and these lists were a way of recording and recognizing the donors. Through the years, various chapters have found it useful to publish directories of their members - these are quite widespread now, and vary in form too greatly for further elaboration. See your chapter’s alumni affairs officer for what is available.

Chapter Histories While quite a number of our chapters are over one hundred years old, there are not very many histories of them - not even centennial ones. In some ways, writing a chapter history is much harder than writing on the General Fraternity, since there are typically fewer existing records. However, one of the benefits and distinct pleas­ ures of chapter history is the author’s ability to be fully personal and even trivial with the data he presents. The existing chapter histories, while they can be impenetrable to an outsider of the chapter, provide unending delight to those chapter-mates who read them. They are full of fascination and suggestion to any Beta, regardless of chapter; in fact, when you read them, you almost wish you belonged to that chapter! author Chapter covers to Denison 1937 Francis W. Shepardson 1882 (his last book) Ohio Wesleyan 1915 Samuel R. Thornburg 1915 (as an undergraduate) Michigan Shelby B. Shurtz 1908 1928 Davidson 1940 Robert W. Ramsey 1942 and Albert Winn 1942 (as undergraduates) De Pauw 1945 Robert T. Howard 1937 Westminster 1948 Charles F. Lamkin (Phi Delta Theta) Oregon State 1964 David T. Doherty 1965 (as an undergraduate) Kansas Stephen R. Fox (a non-Beta) 1973 and Robert Swan 1964 A few chapters have published condensed histories for their centennials. These include Dickinson, Centre, Wabash, and Cincinnati, and perhaps others which have not sent copies of their work to the John Reily Knox Library. There is another special book which covers several chapters. This book, The Mystics and Beta Theta Pi, was written by former Assistant Historian Karl Fischer,

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Indiana 1925, and published by the fraternity in 1940. It examines the unique history of the Mystic Seven, its chapters, and its union with Beta in 1890. Fischer also wrote pamphlet-sized histories of Hampden-Sydney and South Carolina, which were printed in the magazine. There aren’t a lot of chapter histories... yet. Probably your chapter is not one of the few listed above. Well, you can get a taste by reading the old chapter letters in past issues of the Beta Theta Pi. If you like it, and want to be a part of your chapter’s new history, here’s what you do: If you are an undergraduate: Start keeping a “log book” (a sorority would call it a diary) in which you record things that happen during the semester. Collect witty sayings, or humorous events, or even problems (and, of course, their resolutions). Get your chapter-mates to write letters to their future brothers - this is especially good to do on anniversaries. Collect articles from the school or local newspaper which mention chapter members. Above all, take pictures - or even videos. Ask all visiting alumni to help you by telling you stories of their college experiences. Finally, send copies to Oxford. Don’t worry about being “professional.” None of Beta’s writers have been! But be as accurate and complete as possible, and try to keep careful references. If you are an alumnus: Record a cassette of your reminiscences of your college days and send it to the chapter (and a copy to Oxford). W rite down things you remember; the chapter officers, the room assignments, crazy things that happened. Always send a copy to Oxford and to the chapter. W rite to your chapter cronies, and get them to tell you about things they remem ber - or tape a gab session at your next homecoming: “remem ber when brother so-and-so did such-and-such...” The project need not consume your every non-working hour like some Beta writing does. The first thing you should do is make an outline. Just copy this one, which is generic enough for any chapter: Outline for a Chapter History 1. Beta Theta Pi (background on the fraternity) 2. Your school (local background) 3. Events leading to the granting of the charter, and the installation 4. Narrative history, divided as required by the amount of information available (or by time span to be covered) 5. Events of local interest 6. The house(s) of the chapter (with pictures) 7. Outlook for the future Appendices: a. Entire chapter roll, with biographical notes b. Chapter officers c. Outstanding alumni Fill it in with anything else which comes to mind. Then, collect your reference books (Shep’s and Baird’s), read them, and make notes. Interview older alumni, and check what the Administrative Office has on file for your chapter. Besides a collection of general correspondence, etc, they also may have old issues of your chapter newslet­ 330

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ter, and hard-to-fmd Beta books. Keep in mind it isn’t your writing skill, but your interest and devotion which will make your book useful. Does this course on chapter-history writing seem out of place? No! Maybe if Shep had told everyone this sixty years ago, there would be a few m ore chapters with histories. Even if your chapter has one, what about a sequel? By the way, perhaps someone from one (or more) of the Alpha Sigma Chi chapters should develop a vol­ ume similar to The Mystics...

Fraternity Books by Betas In the late 1870’s there was a young man who did not belong to Beta. He was worried about his fraternity - he doubted that it would last much longer. So he decided to look around and find a really strong one to join. H e researched all the fraternities then in existence, which was a pretty good trick, considering none of them had published their constitutions, and they were all more-or-less panicky about revealing anything about themselves. However, this guy was persistent, and after he had enough evidence, he proceeded to rush in reverse: he got all five chapters of his fraternity (and the alumni as well) into another large fraternity. His work in studying the problem led to his publishing the most famous inter-fraternity book ever written, of which editions are still being produced. Who was he? William Raimond Baird, the father of the inter-fraternity move­ ment, His book, A Manual o f American College Fraternities, was (at least indirectly) a result of his efforts to bring his fraternity, Alpha Sigma Chi, into membership in Beta Theta Pi. He produced seven more editions after the first one. Now in its 20th edition, Baird’s Manual is the primary reference for com prehen­ sive data on fraternities and sororities, active and inactive, social, professional, and honorary. Together with the Bible, the dictionary, the CRC Handbook, and the Beta books, it deserves a place in every chapter library. It is edifying to see the number of times Beta appears in the introductory section, as well as the names of great Betas who had a part in working on it after Baird’s death. There is another Beta author who wrote about fraternities. While he does not have the stature of Baird, he is vastly funnier. This is George Fitch, Knox 1897, who wrote stories of college life in the 1900’s, published in A t Good OldSiwash and Petey Sim mons at Siwash. These stories may seem archaic to some readers, but when you see the Alfalfa Delts, the Chi Yis, the Delta Flushes, the Sigma Numerous, the Sigh Woopsilons, the Moo Kow Moos, the Kappa Kap, Pajamas, and the ever-present Eta Bita Pis causing chaos on campus, the years will not seem all that remote. Indeed, you will probably be laughing too hard to really catch much variation from the campus life of today. There are two other books, not written by Betas, which shed a unique light on Beta’s founding, as well as that of Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. They are the histories of Miami University: The Miami Years, by Walter Havighurst, and A t Old Miami by Alfred T. Upham. If you want a glimpse of the literary societies of the 1830’s, the “Snow Rebellion,” and other Miami events which influenced or were due to Betas, these books will supply you. Both were used in the preparation of this book,

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but they are fascinating in their own right and both are very well written. Indeed, by reading them, one can feel the pull of friendship engendered by the literary societies from which Beta arose - a friendship which led the members of the Erodelphian Society (to which four of the founders had belonged) to place upon the tombs of their dead fellow students the epitaph: “Vale, m i fra ter” - Farewell, my brother.

Non-Beta Books by Betas Considering the quantity of Beta brothers over our first 150 years, and recalling that just about every one had a college degree, it is to be expected that a good percentage of them have written books. One of the unique sections of the Knox Library in the Administrative Office is the collection of over 200 books, written by Betas on non-Beta topics. Some of them are technical, or rather belong to the brother’s field of study or work. Others are personal, including some biographies. Still others are works of fiction. It would be fascinating to examine those which are non-technical, and seek evidence of each author’s Beta experiences, but there are far too many. There are certainly books by Betas not yet recorded in the Oxford library. While the list of books by Betas is too great to record here, we will give a quick glimpse into the Knox collection: The Miracle o f the Bells Time and Tide The Ends o f Power The Kicks That Count Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation The Circus from Rom e to Ringling History o f the U. S. Civil Service Books and People Not Quite So Simple The Arabs

Russell Janney Lyle A. Brookover H. R. Haldeman Dr. Hugh E. Stephenson, Jr. Dr. Hugh E. Stephenson, Jr. Earl Chapin May Paul P. Van Riper Malcolm Glenn Wyer Mark O. Hatfield David Lamb

It’s an interesting collection, which deserves to be even larger than it is already. So, should you ever write a book, whether it’s about Beta, boxing, bassoons, biology, or baking, be sure to send a copy to the Administrative Office! And if a chapter-mate has written (or writes) one, check to see if he has sent a copy as well.

Manuals and Other Incidental Publications In 1847, the secretary of the Jefferson chapter wrote to the Michigan chapter, giving a copy of his chapter’s by-laws (the laws which governed the local chapter). This was the first recorded instance of a real sharing of practical chapter manage­ ment. (O f course, much of the subject matter of the early letters dealt with this less formally.) Somewhat later, the Board of Trustees issued various pamphlets and instruction manuals for chapter officers. More recently, this task has been per­ formed by the Administrative Office. Not only are there manuals for several chapter 332

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officers, but also for tutors-in-residence, district chiefs, colonizers, and installation officers, as well as various scripts and formats for other Beta events. They have varied substantially over the years, and cannot be readily summarized. Nevertheless, these publications are one of the splendid ways in which Beta has carried out her principles, always trying to “build for you, as you, in turn, must build for others.”

The Future Books If the motto Alere Flammam, “to nourish the fire,” placed on the masthead of the first issue of the Beta magazine, is served by this book, then perhaps it would be reasonable to make several suggestions for future Beta writers to consider. Back in 1911, on July 3, the Board of Trustees met. They appointed Sisson, Robb, and Baird as a committee to develop a book specifically on Beta’s Founders. In 1912 they also added Shepardson. What a work this would have been! But there is not even a hint that anything was ever started on it. Certainly, both the Founders and the founding are of great interest to all Betas, being one of the largest parts of our common heritage. There is sufficient data available to write a nice book on the Eight “of ever honored memory.” At one point, Shepardson considered some possible titles - in one of his note­ books appears this very interesting list: The Children of the Handbook 1. Fraternity Poems 2. Book of Beta Fiction 3. Beta Lore 4. The Ritualism of Beta Theta Pi 5. The G reat Adventure 6. Fraternity Experiences It appears that these were titles of books which he proposed to write one day. W hatever his intentions of their content, he only completed two of them (Beta Lore and Beta Bards), though each of his books could be considered collections of ex­ cerpts from them. Seth Brooks referred to another unwritten book in \iis Inter Fratres for Fall 1978; its title was to be Guardians o f Our Altar Fires. He also suggested that one called The Beta Mosaic be written on “how all of Beta’s sons have brought their stones and placed them in the design of a great and good fraternity.” After examining the gigantic efforts already put forth in the pursuit of the Three Stars, it is not hard to envision a ten-volume set, covering the major sections of this book as well as extensions of Baird’s volumes of convention minutes, letters, and Beta achievers. Certainly it is about time that work begins on some of these projects: Betas o f Achievement only covers half our history, and his other books cover merely a third of our 150 years. Even Shop’s books only cover two-thirds. So, brothers, let’s get busy. You needn’t start with a large volume: Baird, Shepardson, and Brooks began by writing short articles for the magazine. Maybe your chapter’s newsletter could use a feature story. Why shouldn’t you do your part in feeding the Beta fire? 333

The famous â&#x20AC;&#x153;Epsilon Dragonâ&#x20AC;? This was the frontispiece for the Centre College chapter from the Catalog of 1881. It was painted by G. G. Finn (a non-Beta artist) at the request of Charles J. Seaman. There was a stained glass window of it in the Wooglin Clubhouse. 334

SECTION 26 Symbols The symbols of Beta Theta Pi are representations of our hidden, secret matters. Some of these m atters are hidden by design, since we do not reveal our “great secrets” to those who are not Betas. Others are mysterious in their very nature friendship, principled life, mental endeavour; how Man is to live and cooperate with others. Yet Beta has an open constitution, which sets forth our purpose and inner workings for everyone to see. Similarly, Beta's symbols speak of Beta’s hidden parts, but not explicitly. Unless you are a brother, some things will be obscure. Even if you are, there are unplumbed depths in the simplest of our symbols.

The Symbols Certain symbols stand for the essentials of Beta Theta Pi and are purely sym­ bolic forms, rather than physical insignia. They are often used in combination for ar­ tistic reasons. It is interesting to note the importance of light in them, rooted as Beta is in the academic life, the traditional symbol of which is the lighted lamp.

Beta, Theta, Pi The three Greek letters Beta, Theta, Pi, are the initial letters of the three Greek words of our secret motto. These words, or their English translation, are called the Three Great Principles. The three words were selected by the Founders. In his letter to E. B. Stevens in 1843, Pater Knox stated: “The selection of the name being considered an important matter, several combinations were canvassed. Greek it must be, of course, and while desiring that there should be significance in either the motto or the independent words adopted, we preferred that finally selected as being not only pleasant to the ear, but reasonably significant of the objects of the infant Society.” In Founder Marshall’s version of the founding, he said that “Beta was found first. Two days later, Theta was accepted and not for several days more was Pi added to complete the triad, although the last word was not entirely satisfactory at the time.” The reason for this is one of the most curious unresolved issues in the frater­ nity. Possibly it had to do with the rhythm of the Greek words. The letters (in and of themselves) remind us of the essence of our fraternity, which is specified by the three Greek words of the motto. In the early years, the letters frequently appeared with commas between them: Beta, Theta, Pi, as if to reinforce this triple-ness. The Three Great Principles are our foundation and complete specification, in a mystical or interior sense, rather than in the external or practical manner of the constitution. Certain Beta LoreMasters and students of ritual, notably Shepardson and Morris, have remarked that this appears to be a most unusual Beta “first”: the Founders’ choice of three distinct principles rather than a short phrase, such as that chosen by Phi Beta Kappa: “philosophy (love of wisdom) is the guide of life.” 335

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One of Beta's idiosyneraeies is the occasional use of the direct article preced­ ing the name, occurring (for example) in Pater Knox’s address on the first anniver­ sary: the history of the Beta Theta Pi.” This probably derives from the fact that Greek nouns always take an article. Rem em ber that we call them the three Great Principles. Thus, saying the Beta Theta Pi might be translated “the Beta principle, the Theta principle, the Pi principle.” Pater Knox was then mentally repeating the three Greek words, rather than just their initials, whenever he pronounced the name of the fraternity. Maybe this would be a good mannerism to take up once again. It is interesting to note that the letters Beta Theta Pi are related to the name “Alpha Delta Phi” in their rhythm, being two Greek letters of two syllables, then one letter of one syllable. Furtherm ore they are also related to the date of the founding: “the eighth day of the eighth month” is like B-eight-a (Beta) Th-eight-a (Theta). The letter Beta itself comes from the Hebrew letter “Beth” which means house (“Beth­ lehem” = “house of bread”). We shall shortly see that the Beta coat of arms contains a reference to the concept of house or home. One of the most drastic proposals ever made in all of our history was, as Founder Hardin wrote to Pater Knox, “to change the name and blessed sound of Beta Theta Pi into that ugly and crooked title, Pi Theta Kappa.” It was suggested by the Cincinnati chapter in January, 1841, and “though not urged warmly, it was most warmly rejected” by the Miami chapter. It’s a good thing, too, for songwriters, since nothing rhymes with Kappa. Shep quoted an article called “The Twilight of the Classics” in The New Repub­ lic for December 10,1924. It argued that the steadily waning influence of Latin and Greek in the life of the educational world was because “no one outside the classical profession —not even the other teachers - expects American youth to master the classical languages.” Right in the midst of the argument this is found: A c e r ta in n a tio n a l fr a te rn ity sin g s in all its c h a p te r h o u ses: “ A n d w h e n o u r s o n s to co llc g e go, c o lle g e go, W e ’ll lo o k th e m s q u a r e ly in th e ey e, in th e eye, A n d s a y to th e m th e o n ly G re e k y o u h a v e to k n o w ” is th r e e le tte r s o f th e G re e k a lp h a b e t.

Shepardson went on to state that the lines are not quite so expressive as those written by Horace Lozier in “The Beta Postscript,” and it is quite certain that he never dreamed that they would be used in an anti-classics article. The name of the fraternity often appears spelled out in Greek characters: Beta is Bryra, Theta is Qrjra, Pi is l i t . This spelling, Bryra © rjra l i t was used for many years on the cover of the fraternity magazine, resulting in occasional confusion among the employees of the Lfnited States Post Office, in handling changes of address. The most common translation is “ Bnta Ontalli.” Some of the other vari­ ations are “Mrs. Betty Pi,” “Mr. T. P. Beta,” and, more recently, “ Mr. Beta Theta Bigley,” addressed to Scott Bigley, Lehigh 1984. A unique occurrence of the three letters can be found in the “Beta Grace.” The Toronto chapter at times uses a Beta grace at its table, the Greek words being translated: “We wish, O God, our Father, to give Thee thanks for what Thou hast given us. Am en.” The Greek text is: 336

I H E r A l 1 Mr U L flU M E , U r 1 ME I M K t t S l A K b

BouAo/ie0a

0eo?

I l a rep

\ a p i u a o i S o v i / a t avd'uiu ‘ry/ii v K,exa P l a a l a v - April/.

The Stars The Founders chose three stars as the first symbol on the badge; these were to be the “heavenly representatives of the three words of the order.” The stars, like the letters, signify the attributes of the three words of the motto, rather than their essence. That is, the stars from ancient days were used as navigation aids, and even today are used for alignment of satellites and other navigating1. Hence they are guides to the right path. The Three Great Principles of Beta Theta Pi are a guide to the life of a brother, and so, like stars, “illumine henceforth all his pathways.” They have also been described as goals, as emblems of the ideals themselves, outlasting the merely human fabrications of life. Astronomically speaking, what stars are they? There are actually two possibili­ ties. On August 8,1839, at 9 P.M., the so-called “summer triangle” would be nearly overhead. But if, as some undergraduates believe, the founders were so delighted with their new invention that they stayed up to greet the dawn of August 9th, then, in the hour before the first glimmer of light broke over the horizon, they would have seen in the east three stars in a perfect line. To their right would have appeared a confused glowing patch of six stars (but historically called the “seven sisters”), and just on the edge of the horizon was Sirius the dog-star, that most brilliant follower of Orion the hunter. Certainly, Orion is one of the easiest constellations to identify; it has been called “the most beautiful constellation of the heavens.”2 Both of these patterns have significance. In the Summer Triangle, the triangle is comprised of the three brightest stars in three separate constellations: Aquila the Eagle, Lyra the Lyre, and Cygnus the Swan; suggesting power, music, and beauty, respectively. In the trio of constellations, we can see the diversity of the fraternity’s membership; the brilliance of the stars exemplifies the excellent qualities always sought after by our brotherhood. In the second pattern, we see a “family portrait” of Wooglin as a hunter, ever seeking new brothers, seeking the right path through life, bearing the triple emblem on his belt, accompanied by his faithful dog which wears the brightest of all gems on his collar. The seven sisters, intertwined as a wreath, aglow with a mystic significance, recall our entwining with the Alpha Sigma Chi and the Mystic Seven, as well as the ritual of the Mystic Circle.

The Diamond Carbon is the essential element of life. No other element forms as many differ­ ent compounds as does carbon. Simple elemental carbon is usually found as coal or graphite - formless, soft black lumps. However, under very special and extreme conditions, order is imposed on the many individual carbon atoms. Bonds are formed between them (known to chemists as 7r-bonds). The atoms come very close 1 T h e “ a n c ie n t a r t ” o f n a v ig a tin g b y th e s ta r s is still u s e d b y th e U . S. A ir F o rc e o n tr a n s c o n tin e n ta l flig h ts, a c c o rd in g to C a p ta in T h o m a s W . B ro w n , J r. L e h ig h 1984.

2 Navigation and Nautical Astronomy , p a g e 337

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to each other, resulting in a clear mineral of great hardness. It is so hard that it is the only material which can be used to cut or polish itself. From it a jeweler can produce a splendid gem of many facets, each flashing and refracting light. This gem, the diamond, is a very special Beta symbol. The diamond entered our symbols in 1841 when Alexander Paddack chose it together with the wreath to replace the crescent on the badge. It is rich in symbolic value, far above its monetary worth. Its unique shape, dispersing light of many hues from its numerous facets, reminds us of the idea of a university, which pursues the entire spectrum of knowledge, and sends it forth to disperse the shadows of the mind. As the diamond is comprised of many individual facets, yet one single gem, so the chapter is made up of different brothers, yet acting as one. Each of these facets meets others at various angles; thus the diamond produces a multitude of colored scintillations. So too in the chapter, as brother meets brother, friendships develop and deepen. Also, as the jeweler converts a dull, formless pebble into a precise geometrical luminary by grinding on a diamond wheel, the student is cut and pol­ ished by his college experiences and by his interactions with other students. Much more could be said about the other unusual properties of the diamond... In Beta Life (page 479) Shep recorded a unique and somewhat humorous ex­ pression of the importance of the diamond: In the spring of 1928 the St. Louis GlobeDemocrat carried a boxed advertisement praising its classified advertisement col­ umns. It was headed “The Diamond gives its material value, too”: N o w y o u ta k e th e a v e ra g e ru n o f th e c o lle g e f r a te rn ity p in s , a n d th e ir c h ie f v a lu e lie s in th e s e n tim e n t a tta c h e d to th e m (N a tu ra lly a f r a te r n ity m a n h a te s to lo se th e b a d g e w h ich s u g g e s ts su ch h a llo w e d a s s o c ia tio n s .) B u t th e r e is o n e fra te rn ity * w h o se p in h a s s p e c ia lly in trin sic v a lu e a s w ell. T h e r e ’s a d ia m o n d ju s t a b o v e th e c e n te r . W h e n o n e o f th e p in s is lo st, th e m a tte r b e c o m e s a lm o s t a n H e lle n ic tra g e d y . N a tu ra lly th e B e ta w h o lo st h is in S t. L o u is re c e n tly to o k it s e rio u s ly e n o u g h to p le d g e th e s u p p o r t o f a W a n t A d in S a tu rd a y ’s G lo b e -D e m o c r a t. (* B e ta T h e ta Pi. In o t h e r o r d e r s je w e le d p in s a re o p tio n a l.)

Phi Ka.L Phi This secret phrase indicates the idea of linking or binding, as can be seen in the song, Beta Day: “...we are linked in Phi /cat Phi.” The Latin motto of the Union Literary Society, Fimiam Consensus Facit, has the same initial sounds (f,k,f) and suggests a similar meaning: “Cooperation Makes Strength.” The triple repetition of the long “i” which rhymes with “Pi” makes for an effective yell or call: “And they all filled their lungs and cried: Phi /cat Phi.” Beta toasts are often made “in Phi /cat Phi” as in the song, “The Loving Cup.” In its more common form of - / c a t - , it appears as the closing form of signature in Beta letters. From this form has come “kai,” often used as the name of chapter dogs or other mascots. [Once when he was visiting a chapter as General Secretary, Seth Brooks saw a dog that was so big, he could ride on it! See In Beta's Broad Domain, page 38]. Finally, it is intrinsically related to the third word of the motto, therefore it can be said to be the force under­ lying the 7r-bonding of the fraternity - see our discussion of the diamond, above. Internal evidence suggests that it has been in use since the founding, and it certainly appears in several places by 1841. It can be seen at the end of Beta letters, 338

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u r

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such as Dr. Brooks’ Inter Fratres.

The Dragon Beta altered classical symbolism to its own use, choosing the dragon as a fitting guard of the secret lore of the fraternity. Unlike some images of the fantastic beast, it is alert, not dormant; it is calm, not threatening. The Beta dragon is much closer to the Oriental species than the European, as it represents the virtues of prudence, respect and courage, rather than being an embodiment of evil. The evil attached to it, if any, is a reminder of the consequences of neglecting the care of the inner fires of the fraternity. The ancient Greek legend of Cadmus and the dragon has entered our lore as well; Betas are called “the sons of the dragon” and have been appointed as the guardians of the fraternity. Beta’s heraldry expert, George Chandler, summarized the story of the selection of the dragon, giving equal credit to both John Hogarth Lozier and Charles J. Seaman. A letter from Chaplain Lozier stated that he had in mind the fabled monster as the guardian of the fraternity secrets (in the 1850’s, during his develop­ ment of the legend of Wooglin). Then, in 1874 an advertisement in the Beta Theta Pi of Beta note paper was illustrated with a griffin crest, which is similar to a dragon, but apparently both griffins and dragons were neglected for a few years. Lozier’s forgotten idea seems to have duplicated itself in the fertile brain of C. J. Seaman. The catalog published in 1881 was to be ornamented with chapter cuts or “lore pictures.” Seaman was responsible for the Centre (the Epsilon) chapter among others, and his choice for the Epsilon cut contained the dragon. He told the following story of its origin: T h e E p s ilo n c h a p te r c u t, in w h ich a d ra g o n s ta n d s g u a rd o v e r th e a lta r o f B e ta T h e ta Pi, h a s re a lly b e c o m e a re c o g n iz e d e m b le m o f th e fr a te rn ity . Its g ro w ­ in g u se fu r n is h e s a n illu s tra tio n o f th e re a d in e s s w ith w h ic h B e ta T h e ta P i a d o p ts a p p r o p r ia te a n d a ttra c tiv e sy m b o ls. N o t lo n g sin c e in a c o m p a n y o f B e ta s , a q u e s ­ tio n a ro s e a s to th e o rig in o f th e d ra g o n a s a sy m b o l o f o u r f r a te rn ity . T h e fa c ts s e e m to b e th e se : W h e n th e c a ta lo g o f 1881 w a s in p re s s , th e th o u g h t c a m e to a w ell k n o w n B e ta [w hich w as S e a m a n h im se lf] a s h e w as w a lk in g a lo n g th e s tr e e t, o f th e fa b le d d ra g o n th a t g u a rd e d th e a p p ro a c h to th e G a r d e n o f th e g o d s. W h y n o t e m b o d y th a t id e a in a n e n g ra v in g re p r e s e n tin g th e d ra g o n a s g u a rd in g th e a l­ ta r, th e a p p ro a c h to B e ta T h e ta P i? T h e p ic tu re w a s o u tlin e d to a C le v e la n d a rtis t, G . G . F in n , n o w d e a d , a n d w as e la b o r a te d b y h im , th e E p s ilo n c u t re s u ltin g . A s a w o rk o f a r t th is e n g ra v in g is a fin e o n e . W illa rd , a C le v e la n d a rtis t, s p e a k in g o f h is d e a d fr ie n d ’s w o rk , said , “ I re g a rd th a t d ra g o n c u t a s F in n ’s m a s te r p ie c e .” N o w , o n m a g a z in e co v er, s o n g b o o k , a n d f r a te r n ity p a p e r s g e n e ra lly , th e d ra g o n is a fix tu re . L e t its le ss o n n o t p a ss u n h e e d e d ; fo r, a s th e fa b le d m o n s te r o f o ld je a lo u s ly g u a rd e d th e e n tr a n c e to th a t s a c re d g a rd e n , s o n o w s h o u ld th e e n tr a n c e to B e ta T h e ta Pi b e p ro te c te d , if n o t b y a h o r r ib le d ra g o n , a t le a s t b y th e w a tc h fu l c a r e o f z e a lo u s B e ta h e a rts .

Chandler remarked that the depth to which the dragon impressed Beta is illus­ trated by the fact that besides the Centre chapter, the engravings of the Washing­ ton and Jefferson, Brown, and Iowa chapters also displayed the same animal. All of these dragons were faulty in that they bore feather wings. The cover of the fraternity magazine of 1883 bore a dragon with true bat wings but without any hind legs; this creature is called a wyvern. The song book of 1884 displayed the Centre dragon 339

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holding a Beta badge and this device was also used on the magazine cover of 1886. The coat of arms of 1897 displayed the dragon as the crest in his true form: seated, calmly defiant, defending his own. Also, it finally had the correct bat wings. An editorial discussing the magazine cover appeared in The Beta Theta Pi for November-December 1889, just before the preceding story was published. It stated: “With the modesty which is characteristic of the great and strong, the dragon last month took possession of all the front page of the magazine without any heralding of the act.” It went on to say that “The dragon’s first appearance on the magazine was in October, 1883, but the guise under which he was revealed was almost too realistic for the newly initiated. A reaction ensuing, the magazine appeared in Sep­ tem ber 1885 with a plain blue cover of simple elegance but without any of the characteristic features of a fraternity publication. In October 1886, the dragon reappeared under an old-English heading and occupying but half the page. This cover was retained through the existence of the quarterly [that is, until October 1889.] The dragon design in it... had already become popular as it well deserved.” While travelling in China, Chandler had his attention called to a poem of the Han dynasty (206 BC - 25 AD), translated in Beta Lore on page 416: W h e n th e d ra g o n c o m e s, o h! T h e w in d s tirs a n d sighs. W h e n th e d ra g o n g o e s, o h! T h e w in d a ls o is still.

The Wreath The wreath, together with the diamond, replaced the crescent of the early badge. It has two distinct underlying meanings. The first is denoted by the mysteri­ ous Latin word Sertus in the song Gemma Nostra, recalling serta meaning a wreath, and also the past participle of sero, serere - to join, connect, entwine. The second idea derives from the wreath as a reward for achievement. The an­ cient Greeks used a wreath of laurel to crown the victor in contests of many kinds. Beta is not an award; rather, as suggested by the song “Our Founders,” Betas strive to deserve the wreath by following in the path made by the founders. Beta brother­ hood is a commitment to life worthy of recognition, whether or not wreaths are forthcoming. Like Phi K.a i Phi, the wreath is a symbol of unity, moreover, it speaks of the means to attain unity.

The Bridge Nearly every brother enters Beta as a pledge. Perhaps the first taste of Beta lore encountered by the pledge is the pledge ceremony. There is a prescribed ritual for this brief ceremony, which gives an introduction to Beta, and stimulates a desire to learn more. The central element of the pledge ceremony is the following poem: T h e B rid g e B u ild e r A n o ld m a n , g o in g a lo n e highw ay, C a m e in th e e v e n in g , c o ld a n d gray, T o a c h a s m v a st, b o th d e e p a n d w id e.

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T h e o ld m a n c ro s s e d in th e tw ilig h t dim : T h e s w o llen s tr e a m w a s a s n a u g h t to him ; B u t h e s to p p e d w h e n safe o n th e f a r th e r sid e A n d b u ilt a b rid g e to s p a n th e tid e . “ O ld m a n ” s a id a fe llo w p ilg rim n e a r, “ Y o u ’re w a s tin g y o u r s tre n g th in la b o r h e re ; Y o u r j o u r n e y w ill e n d w ith th e c lo sin g day, Y o u n e v e r a g a in w ill p a ss th is way. Y o u ’v e c ro s s e d th e c h a sm d e e p a n d w id e W h y b u ild y o u th is b rid g e a t e v e n tid e ? ” T h e la b o r e r lifte d h is o ld g ra y h e a d . “ G o o d frie n d , in th e p a th I h av e c o m e ” h e said , T h e r e fo llo w e th a f te r m e to d a y A y o u th w h o se fe e t m u s t p a ss th is way. T h is c h a s m w h ich h a s b e e n n a u g h t to m e, T o th a t y o u n g m a n m a y a p itfa ll be. H e , to o m u s t p a s s in th e tw ilig h t d im . G o o d fr ie n d , I am b u ild in g th is b rid g e fo r h im .”

It was written by Miss Will Allen Dromgoole, author and writer for the Nash­ ville Banner. She died in 1934, but her connection (if any) with Beta is unknown. [See Grange’s Index to Poetry, page 996, and Who Was Who, volume 1] Obviously, the bridge is a link. It has all the suggestive power of the “7r-bonding” already referred to, as well as the underlying meaning of Phi /cat Phi. Some suspension bridges even resemble the Greek letter II. Another aspect of these par­ ticular bridges is that their strength comes from the combination of thousands upon thousands of individual cables bound together, each supporting the others, yet all resting upon the great towers rising up from the bridge’s foundation. The idea of a bridge as a link between separated things has always been a deep and mystical concept. In ancient Roman times, the chief priest was called Pontifex Maximus, the “greatest bridge-builder.” Even today the pope is called the Sovereign Pontiff. During the Middle Ages it was considered to be a great act of mercy to build a bridge. [Was there some hint of this in the “lost book” of knighthood which Pater Knox claimed as inspiring him?] Regardless of any of these suggestive thoughts, Beta strives to teach bridge-building to its initiates, proclaiming it from almost the first moment of the pledge’s journey to brotherhood. The reason for this is most singularly obvious to the initiated brother, being the first and second Great Prin­ ciples put into action. Any Betas who have been to conventions at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island have seen the five-mile-long bridge carrying Interstate 75 over the Straits of Mackinac. This bridge joins the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan. At the Mackinac convention of 1975, then President Ralph Fey made these comments: M y c o n v ic tio n is th a t m a in ta in in g c o n s is te n t b rid g e s b e tw e e n th e a g e s a n d b e ­ tw e e n th e a r e a s o f th e U n ite d S ta te s a n d C a n a d a a r e v ita l to B e ta T h e ta P i's fu tu r e h e a lth ... C o n s is te n t sin g in g o f th e so n g s, c o n s is te n t u s in g o f th e ritu a l, c o n s is te n t d o in g th in g s th e s a m e w ay fro m C a lifo rn ia to M a in e a n d th e o t h e r d ire c tio n b y B e ta s o f all a g e s - I u s e d to s ay lin k in g w ith lin k s o r w ith th r e a d s a n d s o fo r th , a n d I s a t u p h e r e la st n ig h t a n d lo o k e d o u t a t th a t M a c k in a c B rid g e a n d s a id , “T h a t's w h a t w e ’re d o in g , w e ’r e b rid g in g th e a g es, w e ’re b rid g in g th e a r e a s .” A n d th e n it re m in d e d m e o f th e p o e m a n d th e p le d g e c e re m o n y ... th e th in g s t h a t lin k us in th e

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s o n g s a n d in th e ritu a ls a r e v ita l, a n d if w e d e v ia te fro m th e m ju s t b e c a u s e s o m e ­ b o d y say s it o u g h t to b e d o n e th a t w ay, a n d if y o u a re n o t c o n s is te n t, y o u b re a k th e w h o le th in g d o w n . [The Bela Theta Pi, N o v e m b e r 1975, p a g e 147] In his Inter Fratres for April 1977, called “Needed: a Sequel,” Seth Brooks pointed out the incomplete nature of the poem. It was clear to him that “the old man is venerated. He is honored as a selfless person. His nobility shines out. Although his life is near its close, he wants to serve youth. The old man is the very symbol of the story of age unselfishly bestowing what it has earned upon youth on life’s thresh­ old.” What Dr. Brooks found troublesome was “why don’t we think about the youth for whom the old man built the bridge? What did the youth do on the other side of the chasm, having escaped the pitfall?” H e asked these questions: “Was the youth thankful for the bridge? Did he appreciate a path made ready for him? Did he rem em ber throughout his life what the old man did for him? Did he say, “Because I’ve known such kindness, I will be kind”? Did he realize that in his heritage he was an object of affection, sacrifice? How did he decide to spend his life, having been the recipient of a safe passage over such danger as he might have faced?” The bridge is not like the other symbols. There is an admonition to be observed: to be grateful for the bridges of our lives, such as our college or university, our fraternity, our friends, and even our religion and our country. We are called on to make proper use of these bridges which our forerunners have erected for our benefit; we are to live in a manner which shows that we understand the kindness we have received. But there is another requirement, We must learn the art of bridgebuilding, and then teach it to those who follow. If Beta Theta Pi is a bridge, the “old m en” who built it also left complete “build-it-yourself” blueprints to erect new bridges. Seth Brooks asked for a sequel - a true sequel cannot be written, since the bridge story is never-ending. The story is continued by each new Beta, who, having crossed the bridge, learns the builders’ secrets of beauty, integrity, and strength.

Wooglin and his dog The legend of Wooglin developed at the De Pauw chapter in John Hogarth Lozier’s undergraduate years (1852-1857), His chapter mate, Mark L. De M otte, De Pauw, 1853 formulated the “dorg.” Lozier developed the authoritative version and presented it to the convention of 1869. Because of this, he is called the “High Priest of Wooglin.” While the original legend is not available for publication, there are several apocryphal ones in Beta Bards. Who is Wooglin? What is his dog? Although the Greek motto (and its m ean­ ing) is our greatest secret, it is much easier to discuss the motto than the legend of Wooglin and his dog, Incidentally, please do not confuse the clubhouse known as “Wooglin-on-Chautauqua” with Wooglin himself! H ere is what the New York Eve­ ning Post for March, 1908 had to say (quoted in Beta Lore, page 305): S a tu rd a y n ig h t’s b a n q u e t will n o t b e c a lle d a ‘d in n e r ’, b y th o s e w h o s it d o w n , b u t a ‘d o r g ’, a c c o rd in g to B e ta c u sto m . C o lle g e tr a d itio n h a s it th a t F a th e r W o o g lin , th e p a tr o n s a in t o f th e f ra te rn ity , w a s a lw ays a c c o m p a n ie d u p o n h is tra v ­ e ls b y a r e m a rk a b le d o g . W h e n e v e r W o o g lin b e c a m e h u n g ry , h e s le w th e d o g , ta k in g c a r e h o w e v e r to sav e all th e b o n e s . B e f o re re tirin g , th e s e w e re c a re fu lly p la c e d to g e th e r, a n d th e n e x t m o rn in g th e d o g g a m b o lle d o n in a d v a n c e o f his

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m a s te r . H e n c e th e B e ta te rm ‘d o r g ’ f o r f r a te r n ity d in n e rs .

One issue has to be settled about the dog. W hether it is called a “dog dinner” or a “dorg” (the Beta spelling), an outsider would consider it to be a revolting form of hazing. In 1948, one of our chapters got into a lot of trouble for telling a pledge that he was going to have to eat the flesh of a dog. This is not the case - no part of our rituals involve a dog nor do they require eating at all! Eating at banquets follow­ ing the rituals is strictly up to the individual. But while our culture finds it disgust­ ing, dog meat is actually eaten in some parts of the world (the Philippines, for example). In Beta, however, “dorg” does not refer to animals of the canine variety, but to food in general or to a Beta banquet. Wooglin is another matter completely. Wooglin is not God, nor is he a god even though he is sometimes spoken of in that way. There is a hint of the spiritual, but Beta’s relation to Wooglin is neither blasphemous nor disrespectful in anyway. A good puzzle is to get your family word researcher to try to place the origin of the name “Wooglin,” in which much of the mystery is embedded. Incidentally, Wooglin is closely connected with the secret motto; he is given the peculiar title “Monarch of mind” in one of our songs.

The Altar and Its Fire The introduction to Baird’s Manual o f American College Fraternities states that “the altar has been called the most valuable asset of the college fraternity. Yet few definitions or explanations can be found... The meaning of the altar... is personal and the word cannot be objectively defined with real meaning in the sense that nearly any physical object can be. The altar is the place where the fraternity member looks to his Creator, vows to Him, and asks for strength for himself and also on behalf of his brothers.” What is the altar of Beta Theta Pi? Why is it important to us? The altar must be understood from its use in religion, although in the fraternity it is not a religious device, in the usual sense. In Beta Theta Pi, the brothers meet “at an altar sending love’s sweet incense high.” We are not worshipping there, but rather offering our­ selves. The fire burning on the altar is not the physical fire consuming the burnt offerings, but the mystic fire of devotion, of self-giving; it is a fire of selflessness. It is a fire of love. The fire represents the love of a brother for his chapter mates, and for his fraternity. Fire, of course, is light and heat: the warmth of friendship between brothers melts cold solitude, and the light of fidelity to the fraternity destroys the darkness of ignorance. W hen Shep admonished a wayward chapter, telling them to “get back to the altar,” he meant that the fire of their love was going out, and they should quickly attend to the stoking of their devotion to the fraternity. The image is at least as old as 1872, when Charles D. W alker placed the motto Alere Flammam below the heading of the first issue of the Beta Theta Pi magazine. This Latin phrase means “to nourish the fire.” Hence, Walker proposed that the magazine was to further the ideal of friendship within Beta Theta Pi by providing a channel for communication among the brothers. From the time when there was

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The Archives Room In the Administrative Office Oxford, Ohio In this fireproof room are displayed many of the valuable badges of famous Betas, including those of Founders Marshall and Ryan. Also stored here is a complete set of back issues of the fraternity magazine, and other important historical materials. 344

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more than one chapter, the relations between brothers at different colleges was a concern. Many early letters between chapters exist, telling of successes and failures, and bearing good wishes from one to another. This practice was continued in the chapter reports in the magazine, which are not so much a status report of a corporate subdivision but a kind of Christmas letter to the family, recounting the recent events in a chapter’s life. This practice continues even now, although few may recognize it as being the chief means of nourishing the Beta fire. The Loziers embedded the key to the explanation of this long heritage of the guardianship of the Beta fire in their song “Beta Sons and Beta Sires,” suggesting that there is paternal as well as fraternal forces at work in Beta. We have already hinted at some of this in our discussion of the bridge: it would seem that the “Beta Sire” teaches his “Beta Son” not only bridge building, but also fire-tending.

Insignia So far, we have considered only abstract or symbolic forms. There are other concrete or physical representations of Beta ideals and thoughts. These external symbols identify the brotherhood of Beta. They include the badge, the flag, and the coat of arms. They are used as marks of identification, as well as decoration of documents and chapter houses. Others are a visible sign of the brotherhood of the fraternity, like the Knox Loving Cup, or the Campanile, Nearly all of them have been enhanced by Beta’s heraldry expert, George Chandler. Through his (and others’) efforts, Beta has an interesting and inspiring collection of useful insignia.

The Badge The badge of Beta Theta Pi is the most complete and satisfactory of all the external symbols, and the one which is truly its sign of membership. It has gone through several revisions since Founder Marshall designed it in 1839, finally result­ ing in the standard badge, designed by George Chandler in 1909. Since 1984 the badge is given to each new initiate, the cost being included in the initiation fee. The present badge of Beta Theta Pi is an eight-sided Grecian shield; a rectangle with the longer side vertical, with the corners cut off. All of the sides are curved inwards. It is made of gold (or gold-plated base metal), and the front is covered with black enamel. On the front are the following symbols, reading from top to bottom: 1. three five-pointed gold stars in a horizontal line 2. a diamond, mounted in a wreath of greenish gold 3. the three Greek capital letters B0II in gold 4. the date 1839, in gold, written in the Greek notation:, ato’ Y 9' The back is engraved with: 1. the Greek name of the owner’s chapter 2. clasped hands 3. the owner’s name 4. the date of the owner’s initiation 5. (optionally) the roll number of the owner The badge is bordered in gold all around, optionally ornam ented with jewels.

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Since the badge dates to the very beginning of the frater­ nity, it would seem likely that the founders had a basis for choosing its form. Recall that Alpha Delta Phi was the only Greek organization in existence at Miami in 1839, and that the founders were familiar with them. Indeed, our badge, like our name, has its suggestion and form in that of Alpha Delta Phi. Their badge is a black enamel oblong with rounded corners, and bears a green star point downwards between the points of a white crescent, bearing the three Greek letters, AA$. Below this is their founding date, 1832, in gold. The back is engraved with a monument with crossed sword and spear, but probably the founders had no idea what was on the back of the Alpha badge. The original badge is said to be Founder Marshall’s idea, although it clearly is a modified Alpha badge. The corners of the oblong were altered and the black enamel was replaced with a gold stippled background, above which the border and other symbols would be raised in relief. The first symbol was the three stars, substi­ tuting for the single star of the Alphas. Apparently the founders had initially decided on clasped hands as the second symbol, but for some reason, when Marshall went to Cincinnati to get the badges, he had changed it to the crescent, though different from that of the Alpha badge. (Perhaps the jeweler balked at the work involved in forming clasped hands.) This crescent was either in a U-shape (with its points down­ wards, as in Ryan’s badge), or a form resembling the waning moon (with its points to the right, as in Marshall’s). In 1842, however, the crescent would be replaced with the diamond and wreath. The three Greek letters B0II were placed beneath the cres­ cent, rather than on it, as with the Alpha badge. The founding date was written as , aw ' Y 9 ' , the Greek notation for 1839. (See the discussion of the “Greek notation of digits” in the exhibits section of this book.) The omega and lambda have primes only on certain early badges. All others erroneously omit them, so that the date usually appears as , a w \ 0 ' . (It is interesting to note that the badges of both Phi Gamma Delta and Kappa Alpha Theta also use the Greek notation; other aspects strongly suggest their derivation from the Beta badge.) On the back of the badge was the owner’s name and a heart with an arrow through it.

The Marshall Badge

The Ryan Badge 346

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The fraternity possesses two badges of the Founders: those of Marshall and Ryan. M arshall’s badge was presented to the fraternity in 1946 by his youngest daughter, Mrs. M aud Marshall Hassall. Duplicates of this badge are presented to new members of the Advisory Council. Ryan’s badge was presented to the F rater­ nity in 1986 by B. Franklin Lehman, Ohio State 1932, who had been given it by his uncle Milton Sayler, Cincinnati 1898. Sayler had been willed it by Founder Ryan’s daughter, Mrs. Emma Ryan L’Hommedieu. As you can see from the photograph, the Marshall and Ryan badges are differ­ ent. There is good reason to believe that Ryan’s is authentic. Ryan’s badge has flat sides and flat corners, six-pointed stars, the moon has the points downwards, there is a dash between the Beta and the Theta, there are serifs in the middle of the Pi, and the date has all four letters with prim es:. aw ' A' 6' . This is identical to the Paddack badge, except for the crescent and corners, which were the items altered by Paddack. Furtherm ore, according to Beta Lore (page 154), sometime in the 1880’s, Marshall “mislaid it, and he had an exact duplicate made in Cincinnati which he seldom wears...” One wonders, was he aware of the small differences and therefore hesitant to wear it? The close agreement of the Ryan badge and the Paddack badge, together with Marshall’s loss and subsequent replacement, suggests that Ryan’s badge is the original 1839 badge, and the Marshall badge is only an T h e P a d d a c k B a d g e approximation to it, made long afterwards. The original badge is different from the Beta badge of today, although the only significant change was made in the days of the founders: the replacement of M arshall’s crescent with a diamond surrounded by a wreath of greenish gold. Chandler and Shepardson thought that the reason for the change was ridicule of the waning moon on the badge. While the Marshall badge has this form, the Ryan badge does not - the points are downwards. Shep says nothing on this issue, and Chandler actually suggested that both the Ryan and Paddack badges are spurious, indicating the six-pointed stars as evidence. In the Handbook, however, [page 310], Ransom stated that the early badges had six-pointed stars. This statement is supported by the fact that all United States coins had six-pointed stars through most of the 1800’s. Until one of the badges of the other six founders turns up, we cannot say for sure. An early letter from Founder Hardin to Pater Knox suggests a more fundamen­ tal objection to the crescent: the new members believed it had no inner meaning, and it looked too much like the Alpha badge. On January 17,1841, Hardin wrote that one article of the new constitution was still in debate, since “the crescent, three stars, and pair of hearts with a spear passed through them, mean nothing, and they should either be symbolical of the objects” of Beta or else they should be thrown away and others chosen. The proposition now is, that we should have symbols of some kind (not imitating the Alphas) and they should be representative of the very objects of our union; so that, at a single glance, we may be able to read on the face of the badge the honorable aspirations of our hearts and sworn fidelity.” Hardin thought that this was a good suggestion, but he was bothered that those who had already bought badges would have to pay for a new one. He asked Pater Knox for the meaning 347

i n n , r / \ i i n r u L nwivic.

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behind the badge’s symbols, saying “we know of nothing.” They would retain the symbols if there was a satisfactory reason, but they were against the symbols as such, mainly on the ground that it imitated the Alpha badge too closely. Knox wrote back; long afterwards this letter was found and published in The Beta Theta Pi for March 1960. It is a rather shocking reply to these changes: W h a t in th e n a m e o f c o m m o n s e n s e d o th o s e C in c in n a ti fr ie n d s in te n d to s u b s titu te - s o m e th in g y o u s a y w h ic h s h a ll p ro c la im to e v e ry o n e k in d e n o u g h to lo o k u p o n it, th e o b je c ts, o rig in a n d i n te r e s ts o f th e w e a r e r s a n d o f th e a ss o c ia tio n . T h e r e is to o m u c h m y s te ry f o r s o o th c o n n e c te d w ith th e p r e s e n t b a d g e - e v e r y o n e th a t lo o k s a t it c a n ’t u n d e r s ta n d it! H o w u n f o r tu n a te ! T h e y h a d b e t t e r h a v e a b r e a s tp la te s u b s titu te d , w ith th e c o n s titu tio n w ritte n u p o n it in full, a n d I h a v e n o d o u b t th a t it w o u ld h e lp to c le a r aw ay th e m y ste ry , if th e y w o u ld a d d to th a t th e d a te o f th e b irth , m a rria g e , a n d p rin c ip a l in c id e n ts in th e life o f th e p e r s o n w h o m th e b r e a s tp l a te w o u ld a d o r n - a n d d o n ’t y o u th in k , C h a rly , th a t it w o u ld a d d to th e g ra c e o f th e th in g , if th e y w o u ld b u t h a v e a rin g p u t in it, a n d h a v e it ta s te fu lly s u s p e n d e d to th e n o se; a f te r th e fa s h io n o f th e In d ia n s ? It w o u ld b e s o m u c h m o re a ttra c tiv e ... B u t w ith o u t a n y b a d in a g e , I re a lly th in k th e id e a p r e p o s te r o u s . T o th e m e m b e rs th e s ig h t o f th e p in is a s all s u ffic ie n t to g re e t th e b e a r e r a s a frie n d , a n d y o u w ill fin d th a t in y e a rs to c o m e , y o u r “ h e a r t w ill k in d le like a fire n e w s t i r r ’d ” w h e n y o u lo o k a t it u p o n th e b r e a s t o f a fello w m e m b e r - t o th e w o rld w h a t m a tte r is it w h e th e r it b e a r a n y m e a n in g o r n o t - it is n o t f o r th e m to k n o w it,

had.

even if it

[ O u r e m p h a sis ]

T h e s e , C h a rly , a r e m y s e n tim e n ts c ru d e a n d ill a rra n g e d , to b e s u re , a n d it m a y b e th a t if I c o u ld h e a r th e p ro p o s e d a lte ra tio n s , a d v o c a te d b y t h e ir fa c e s I s h o u ld fe e l m o re le n ie n t to w a rd th e m . I w o u ld h av e w ritte n m o re a t le n g th a n d m o re in te llig ib ly , C h a rly , b u t I h a v e b e e n sic k f o r s o m e d a y s p a st; sick e n o u g h ju s t to b e m a d a t m y self a n d th e ‘w h o le w o rld ’.

This unusual sarcasm, and its more kindly closing, then, clarify the issue. Knox had not assigned any particular meanings to most of the badge, and probably would have approved the modifications proposed - with the exception of the absurd change of name. He was perhaps a little irritated at the rejection at his and M arshall’s careful work. Just what changes were being proposed which might have incurred the sarcas­ tic wit of Pater Knox? Alexander Paddack, Miami 1840, (eleventh on the Miami roll) wrote to Thomas G. Mitchell, Cincinnati 1840 (fifth on the Cincinnati roll), discuss­ ing the badge, and proposing “to make but a single change, which is to take away the crescent and substitute therefor a small diamond, encircled with a wreath or chap­ let... this seems to me will remove the objection of correspondence to the Alpha Delta Phi which is urged against the present arrangement and at the same time will afford a rich and beautiful badge, much superior to anything of the kind I have seen.” He assigned meanings to them, adding that they “may possibly seem rather egotis­ tical, but I think them simple, natural, and not strained.” H e thought that the cost might be the biggest objection to the change. Well, by March 9,1841, the diamond and wreath were approved, but Founder Hardin wrote to Pater Knox that “all the old members are opposed to it, except for [Founder] Ryan and Witherby1... Notwithstanding, the old [badge] imitated the Al1 T h is w a s O liv e r S. W ith e rb y , M ia m i 1836, w h o h a d b e e n in itia te d in 1840.

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phas, I went for it in preference to the new. The fellows, however, did, I think, as they conceived to be the best.” Perhaps the old members were justly disturbed at the younger ones, given the proposal to change the name of the fraternity to “Pi Theta Kappa,” which was around the same time. Still, a founder was present when the diamond and wreath were adopted, and while the rejection of the proposed name change was wise, our lore and songs indicate that the diamond and wreath have been more significant to Beta than the crescent moon, no m atter what its shape really was. At the same time, the background was changed to black enamel, which would have matched the Alpha badge even more closely, had not the above change been made. Also, the heart (or hearts) on the back were replaced with clasped hands. In 1842, the chapter letter was placed on the back. Despite the many diverse badges kept in our archives, the few other changes made were remarkably trivial, and did not involve matters of symbolism. In 1847, Willis Ransom made the next major adjustment. Baird’s Handbook [page 310] quotes him as saying: “I made the shape more symmetrical, curved the longer sides inward, arranged the three stars with the middle one slightly higher than the other two, used five-pointed stars instead of six-pointed ones, as had been customary, and made the enameled front slightly convex instead of flat.” Baird here notes that the stars on Ryan’s badge had five points, then comments that “Ransom ’s memory was at fault” - but Ryan’s badge does have six pointed stars, as does the Paddack badge. Ransom ’s lead-filled gold badge was called the Kirby badge, as it was manufactured by Kirby in New Haven, Connecticut. At some point after the Civil War, the date of the founding of the owner’s chapter was replaced with the date of the owner’s initiation. As the constitution only specified the order and character of the symbols on the badge, there was a variety of forms, each by different jewelers. Sometimes the badges were enriched with jeweled borders. On the other hand, some old badges used cut glass to avoid the expense of a diamond. The fraternity found the many variations in badge form and quality to be undesirable. In 1907, the Convention appointed a committee to look into the matter. The final change to the badge came in 1909, when the General Convention adopted George Chandler’s standard badge specification. Nearly all badges since 1913 have been made to Chandler’s requirements, although jew­ eled borders and slightly larger versions are permitted. Since Chandler’s standardization, one small addition has been allowed: now, the m em­ ber’s roll number may also be engraved on the back. In the past, the badge has been worn in various places, even at the top of the necktie - however, the Ritual states that it is to be worn “over the heart, and under the coat.” The last requirement, symbolic of the early days of hidden badges and hid­ den existence, is often dispensed with in the more casual dress of the current day, but in any case, the Code still requires the badge to be worn “in a manner befitting the honor and dignity to which the badge is entitled.” A nother param eter of wear­ ing the badge is the angle at which it is inclined - the members of the Miami chap­ 349

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ter wear it at the so-called “Alpha slant.” Certain other old chapters have similar traditions, while the rest usually attempt to maintain a vertical alignment. However, there was once a proposal to fix the angle based on the location of the chapter relative to Miami, and special tables of inclinations were to be computed, but this was not taken very seriously. While it is generally accepted that a Beta may borrow another brother’s badge, no one except the mother, sister, wife, daughter, or sweetheart of a brother is allowed to wear it. Some chapters have pinning rituals, that is, a ceremony of pre­ engagement, wherein the sweetheart is serenaded, and then pinned with the hopeful brother’s badge. All the other symbols of the fraternity may be used at the pleasure of the indi­ vidual members or chapters in decoration, but the badge is reserved to its own unique purpose. The Code prohibits any representation of the badge, except for limited use when approved by the Board of Trustees. Several replicas of the badge exist in rather unlikely places: there are a few gravestones, such as that of John Young Craft, Centre 1881, Benjamin Franklin Stowell, Ohio 1866, and Harold M oore Burke, Washington (Seattle) 1906, a charter member of that chapter. There is also a stained-glass window in the Grace Episcopal Church in Galesburg, Illinois, which is a memorial to James Otis Fox, Knox 1904, and a very large and beautiful one in the Penn State chapter house, on the landing of the main staircase. One of the other small variations is the “guard.” This is a gold monogram of the Greek letter(s) of the m em ber’s chapter, attached to the badge by a golden chain. The guard was already in use in 1888. Chapter officers may append small gold sym­ bols of their office to the chain. Duplicates have been made of the Marshall badge. One of these is presented to each officer of the General Fraternity at the end of his term of office, at which time he becomes a member of the Advisory Council. The archives in Oxford have a large number of badges. The General Officers are loaned certain old badges from the archives, which are passed down from officer to officer, though they are not yet formally the “badge of office.” This has enabled many more brothers to see them. There are many, many interesting stories about the losing and finding of badges, and of the badge being a significant element in the life of brothers. The interested reader is directed to Beta Lore, pages 92 through 113, which provide an interesting collection of stories. But perhaps the most unusual badge story was recorded in a letter in The Beta Theta Pi for Fall, 1983: A f te r m a n y , m a n y y e a rs, I h a v e d e c id e d to te ll a t r u e s to ry a b o u t a h a p p e n in g w ith m y o rig in a l B e ta b a d g e w h ich is so in c re d ib le th a t I s h o u ld fin d it v e ry h a rd to b e lie v e if it h a d n o t a c tu a lly h a p p e n e d to m e. D u r in g m y 1920 s u m m e r v a c a tio n I s p e n t s o m e tim e in B iloxi, M iss. I lo v ed s a ilin g a n d e v e ry d a y e n jo y e d s h a r in g a fr ie n d ’s sm a ll s lo o p a r o u n d B ilo x i H a r b o r . A sm all riv e r e n te r s th e G u lf o f M ex ic o th ro u g h th a t h a r b o r a n d c r e a te s its d e e p w a te r c h a n n e l b y th e riv e r’s c u rre n t. O n e m o rn in g , w h ile sailin g , I b ru s h e d a g a in st t h e m a st, lo o k e d d o w n a n d saw m y B e ta b a d g e b o u n c e o v e rb o a rd fro m th e d e ck . T h e b a d g e h a d b e e n to r n fro m th e v e ry o ld s h irt I w as w e a rin g . W ell, th a t w a s th e e n d o f th a t b a d g e .

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Not so! S e v e n y e a rs la te r, h a v in g m o v e d fro m N e w O r le a n s to B a to n R o u g e , I g o t a l e t t e r fr o m a s a le s m a n in a s h o e s to r e in B ilo x i. H e a s k e d if I h a d lo s t a B e ta T h e ta P i p in , a n d , if so , h e h a d it. I m a d e a n a p p o in tm e n t to m e e t h im in B ilo x i th e fo llo w in g S u n d a y , a n d I th e n g o t m y B e ta b a d g e b a c k . T h e m a n to ld m e th a t h e w a s p la y in g g o lf o n th e B iloxi M u n ic ip a l C o u rs e , g o t in a s a n d tr a p , a n d w as a d d re s s in g h is b a ll w h e n h e sa w s o m e th in g g litte r in th e s u n s h in e . T h e g litte r w as fr o m th e d ia m o n d in m y b a d g e . H e w as th o u g h tf u l e n o u g h , a n d s m a r t e n o u g h to w rite t o th e A d m in is tra tiv e O ffice , g iv in g th e m th e in fo r m a tio n o n th e b a c k o f m y b a d g e , a n d a sk in g th e m fo r m y a d d re s s . B e c a u s e o f m y in te r e s t in th e B e ta m a g a z in e , I h a d k e p t th e o ffic e in fo r m e d o f m y c h a n g e s o f a d d re s s . I h a v e n e v e r c e a s e d to b e u tte r ly a m a z e d . T h e s a n d o n th a t g o lf c o u r s e h a d b e e n d re d g e d fr o m s o m e w h e re . J u s t w h e n it w a s d r e d g e d n o o n e k n o w s. T h a t p a r tic u la r s a n d w a s fin a lly u s e d o n th e g o lf c o u rs e in s te a d o f s o m e c o n s tr u c tio n jo b . T h e g o lf b a ll la n d e d in th a t s a n d t r a p n e a r th e b a d g e o n th e d a y th a t w in d a n d ra in e x p o s e d th e b a d g e . T h e b a d g e w a s ly in g fa c e u p so th a t th e d ia m o n d c o u ld c a tc h th e s u n ’s rays. L a stly , a n d b y n o m e a n s le a s t, th e g o lfe r w a s k in d a n d s m a r t e n o u g h t to lo c a te th e o w n e r a n d r e tu r n th e b a d g e . T h a t b a d g e w a s giv en to m y o ld e r d a u g h te r w h e n s h e w a s a te e n a g e r. S h e s e n t it to th e B e ta c h a p t e r a t G e o rg ia T e c h w h e n h e r s o n , C h r is to p h e r T . W o r m ­ w o o d , 1986, w a s in itia te d in to B e ta th e re . It w as p in n e d o n h im a t his in itia tio n . H e r e tu r n e d it to h is m o th e r, w h o lives in S t. P e te rs b u rg , F la ., a n d a s f a r a s I know , s h e s till h a s it. J u s t th in k o f th e v a rio u s , u n b e lie v e a b le c irc u m s ta n c e s w h ic h c o n tr ib u te d to th a t m o s t a m a z in g a n d a lm o s t in c re d ib le h a p p e n in g . J u n iu s W . C . W rig h t, J r. W a s h in g to n & L e e , 1920

In 1872, a secondary badge was authorized. It was designed by Charles Seaman and Charles T. Thompson, Denison 1873, and manufactured by Duhme and Co. of Cincinnati, to be sold at $8.00 each. Its form was a wreath of greenish gold,with three stars bearing the letters Beta, Theta, Pi, at 9 o’clock, 12 o’clock and 3 o’clock, respectively. On supports in the center of the wreath was a diamond, and at the bottom was a ribbon; on the ends of the ribbon was written the Greek notation for the founding date, and on the center was the Greek name of the m em ber’s chapter. This badge was intended for alumni (as opposed to undergraduates). As far as Shep knew, only nine were made, and worn by members of the Miami, Ohio Wesleyan, and Denison chapters. Others were made by Kirby and Co.; these were of similar appearance but heavier workmanship. The wreath was laurel as intended, rather than the wheat wreath of the Duhme version. As an unofficial badge, it was permis­ sible to vary the gem, reducing the cost for those who could not afford the diamond required in the official badge. A note in The Beta Theta Pi for 1873 stated “We heartily recommend those wishing to get this pin to purchase from the Messrs. Kirby, not only because their design is by far the prettier of the two, but because they have served us long and faithfully, and more than all, are helping to support our paper.” There are various other pin-type tokens of membership, such as monograms of the three letters, or small enamelled coats-of-arms, but none of these have any official status.

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THE hALTHbUL H U M t UF 1 h t 1 JrlKJtitl a 1AKJ

The Pledge Button As pledging is a comparatively recent development, an emblem for the prospective member was not developed until 1894. Before that, ribbons of the fraternity colors were occasionally used to des­ ignate a pledge to Beta. The first pledge button was an eight-sided shield of pink and blue enamels, with the three Greek letters in gold. In 1899 it was changed to its present form, which is the same shield, but with white enamel, and bearing three gold stars in a diagonal row. Both forms (and other experimental variations) were devised by George M. Chandler. Chapters have different rules for the wearing of the pledge button: at some, it is worn constantly, while at others it is worn only in less casual attire, usually on the left lapel of a sport coat. Both travelling pledges and hosting brothers should be aware of possible variations.

The Colors of the Fraternity The colors of the fraternity are “pink and blue, in delicate shades.” This is the only Beta symbol which Chandler neither devised nor altered, despite his violent op­ position to them. These colors had been in use for some time in the 1870’s by the Ohio Wesleyan and De Pauw chapters. The question of fraternity colors arose at the busy Convention of 1879; W. C. Ransom espoused the royal purple, but W alter E. Dennison, Ohio Wesleyan, 1877 and Paul Wilcox, De Pauw 1879, spoke “impas­ sioned speeches” for their chapters’ colors, and their choice was finally approved after a hot fight near the close of the convention. Dennison’s sweetheart (and eventual wife) prepared bows of the colors, which were sent to the chapters on October 6,1879, with the following letter which appears in Beta Letters on page 586: E n c lo s e d fin d th e c o lo rs o f B e ta T h e ta P i, a d o p te d b y th e fr a te r n ity a t its F o r ti­ e th A n n u a l C o n v e n tio n [1879]. T h a t u n ifo r m ity m a y b e s e c u re d , it is d e s ir e d th a t y o u s h o w th e m to all b r o th e r s n e a r y o u . T h e y a r e e m b le m a tic a l a n d m a y b e w o rn o n o c c a s io n s o f re jo ic in g a n d all o t h e r s u ita b le tim e s . In th e ir p u rity w e fin d sig­ n ifie d t h e h o ly p u r p o s e s o f o u r o r d e r a n d in t h e ir h a rm o n y w e s e e s y m b o liz e d th e p e r f e c t b le n d in g o f s o u ls u n d e r th e g e n ia l lig h t o f u n s u llie d fr ie n d s h ip . A s a s ta in w ill d e s tr o y th e ir p u rity , s o w ill u n w o rth y m o tiv e s ta r n is h th e e s c u tc h e o n o f h o n o r, a n d a s in d e e p e r c o n tr a s t th e ir g e n tle h a rm o n y is lo st, s o in d is c o rd th e b o n d s o f f r a te r n ity a r e b ro k e n . L e t B e ta T h e ta Pi b e e v e r tr u e to th e p u rity a n d h a rm o n y o f h e r c h o s e n e m b le m s.

Their choice was one of the several chivalrous actions made throughout the years by Betas in deference to the wishes of their Beta sweethearts —once the colors had been chosen by Beta girls, they were adopted by the brothers out of courtesy. Note that the significant thought behind the colors was their sensitivity to stain or alteration. This was to be indicative of the spirit of the fraternity, which was to remain pure and unsullied. It is suggestive to note that they have not been altered since their choice, despite frequent pressures to do so. Perhaps no other topic in all of our history has been debated so much, being brought up at (for example) the 1940,1952 and 1982 conventions. George Chandler 352

I H t, FAITHFUL HOME Oh THE THREE STARS

always strenuously opposed the colors, criticizing them on heraldic grounds, and usually pushing for red and white. Other proposals have been red and blue, or blue and white. However, the first is used by Chi Phi and the second is used by Phi Delta Theta. Beta actually makes more use of combinations of the “bold” red, white, and blue, as in the coat-of-arms, and the flag. While these might be considered our “use” colors, the tradition of Beta’s pink and blue has now lasted for over one hundred years, and it is not likely to change now. An interesting aspect of the Miami triad is that each has the color blue, together with another “sky” color: Beta Theta Pi blue and pink Phi Delta Theta blue and white Sigma Chi blue and gold Cleone H. Soule said that each had chosen the colors from the beautiful skies over Oxford, Ohio [The Beta Theta Pi, April 1974 page 410], He should know - he was of Miami’s class of 1910. These colors appear in a now-vanished Beta symbol. Did you ever hear of the Beta hat-band? Chapter 6, Section 73 of the Laws (as of 1935) stated: “The hat band of the fraternity shall be a band of black field with two stripes, one of blue above and one of pink below, not more than one-half inch apart.”

The Flower of the Fraternity The flower of the fraternity is the rose. It was adopted in 1889, at the Semi-cen­ tennial celebration of Alpha held in Oxford. (Note that this was the chapter’s anni­ versary celebration, not the semi-centennial convention.) Beta was the first frater­ nity to select a flower as an emblem, and we owe it to a very special Beta girl. Leila McKee, at that time the dean of the Western College in Oxford, and a Beta girl, daughter, sister, and sweetheart, selected the rose from a bush growing on the W estern College campus. These original flowers were of a deep shade of pink, and were of the “June rose” or “Queen of the Prairie” variety. Founders Knox and Marshall were present at the celebration, and they were ceremonially presented with these roses. The semicentennial convention, held at the Wooglin Clubhouse, formally adopted the rose as the fraternity flower, and noted that “this was eminently fitting. The rose is both beautiful and hardy. Its quality of beauty makes it the most generally favored of flowers. Its hardiness enables it to adapt itself to every climate. In beauty and purity it symbolizes our principles. Its hardihood reminds us of our adaptability to our environment, but chiefly of the universality of our moral aims.” It was also suggested that each chapter select a particular variety of rose as its own flower. By March of 1890, eight chapters had selected roses: Cornell Colgate North Carolina Vanderbilt

Jacqueminot Rose Jacqueminot Rose Tube Rose White Niphetos Rose

Wittenberg Michigan Beloit Denver

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La France Rose Bon Silene Rose Bon Silene Rose White Rose

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

The chapters were to obtain rose bushes to be planted at the Wooglin Club­ house, but it is doubtful whether this was done. The selection of chapter “species” of roses seems to have been dropped soon afterwards. The rose appears in the present Great Seal, and had been on the flags from 1890 until 1902. One of the important terms of early days of the fraternity was the sub rosa status of a chapter. This is Latin for “under the rose,” and is an ancient Rom an idiom meaning “secret.” A sub rosa chapter did not make its presence known on campus in any way.

The Flag After some dismal failures attempted with pink and blue, the first Beta flag was designed in 1890 by John I. Covington. It was a red rose on a blue field, and three white stars in an equilateral triangle around a red rose. Just within the edge of the blue, a rectangular border was placed. It was white, the color of the Mystic Seven, in honor of the recent alliance with that fraternity. This flag was flown for the first time over Old Main of Miami University on May 13,1890.

In 1902 the flag was revised by Chandler to its present form of three horizontal stripes colored blue, white, blue, with a red dragon “sejant” (seated) in the center and three white stars in an equilateral triangle around the dragon. As in the coat of arms, the dragon faces left, which is always towards the staff of the flag. (Recall that the star-field of the U. S. flag is always in the upper left-hand corner, next to the staff.)

A coat of arms is a stylized emblem, governed by certain rules. In other coun­ tries, its form and use are regulated by government, as the coat of arms indicates a family relationship, some having been inherited from many centuries ago. In the days of armor, it decorated the shield of the knight, hence it is often called the shield. The crest was another emblem, which was placed on the helmet, reminiscent of a car’s hood ornament; on a coat of arms, it appears above the shield. Below the shield might appear a banner or ribbon, bearing a phrase of some special significance - this was called the motto. All of these items are described using a special technical language which accurately specifies the color, position and shape of the objects.

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In 1869, the convention adopted this coat of arms, designed by John Covington. A rg e n t, in s in is te r c h ie f, a b o o k o r,

O n a s ilv e r b a c k g r o u n d : a g o ld b o o k in

b e a r in g c ro s s e d s w o rd s a n d key, p r o p e r ; a b e n d c o tis e d , a z u re , b e a r in g

th e u p p e r rig h t (a s o n e lo o k s a t th e s h ie ld ), w ith c ro s s e d s w o rd s a n d a k e y in u s u a l c o lo rs ; a b lu e b a n d s la n te d fro m u p p e r le ft to lo w e r rig h t w ith n a rro w b o r d e r s o n e ith e r s id e a n d th r e e g o ld s ta r s o n it; in th e lo w e r le ft, a w re a th , c la sp e d h a n d s a n d a b u r n in g h e a r t in u s u a l c o lo rs.

th r e e m u lle ts o r, a n d in d e x te r b a s e , a w r e a th s u r r o u n d in g c la sp e d h a n d s , s u p p o r tin g a h e a r t in fla m e d , all p ro p e r.

In 1897, a new coat was adopted, designed by George Chandler. The coat of arms of Beta Theta Pi has the following technical description: Quarterly argent and gules, a chevron azure bearing three mullets or. Crest: a dragon sejant or. Motto: —/cat —

This heraldic language can be translated into the following figure: Imagine a triangular or spade-shaped shield. Divide it into four quarters, the upper left and lower right are silver or white (called argent) and the lower left and upper right are red (gules). Put a blue (azure) v-shaped stripe, with the point upwards (the chevron, like the symbol of the Chevron gas station sign). On this put three gold (or) stars (mullets). That’s the shield. Above this is the crest; a gold dragon, facing left and seated on a “torse”, that is a ribbon, red on one side and silver on the other, which is twisted five times in a right-hand corkscrew so that both the silver and red show alternately. Underneath the shield is a strip of ribbon, usually white, but sometimes gold, red, or blue, on which is written -/c a t - . See the diagram for the actual appear­ ance of the coat of arms. When it is drawn in black and white, certain crosshatch­ ing is used to represent the heraldic colors. [Several of these details are from Chandler’s letter to William A. Hamilton dated M arch 30, 1904.] The colors and shapes of the shield need some elaboration. The torse is the standard way of keeping the crest from sitting directly on the shield. The arrange­ ment of colors is partly a requirement of heraldry and partly artistic: the gold stars

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THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

in the blue sky, with red and silver to provide an interesting background. They are also interpreted as representing the quadrants of the continent, all united by the blue chevron bearing the stars. Certainly the gold stars are those of the Beta badge. Per­ haps the red, white, and blue are from the flag of the United States, which was derived from the flag of Great Britain. Recall also that Chandler had always hoped to get the fraternity colors changed to the heraldic red and white. But a deeper inter­ pretation might also be formulated. In heraldic symbology, red indicates “eagerness to serve one’s country”; white denotes purity, wisdom, joy; blue represents fidelity. Chevron is French for “rafter” - it is the heraldic representation of the rafters of a house. The chevron bearing the three stars, might then be interpreted as “the home of the three stars.” One could then translate the entire thing: “ W ise a n d jo y fu l p a tr io ts , T h e fa ith fu l h o m e o f th e th r e e s ta r s .”

Perhaps the coat of arms is merely an artistic design, but some of its deeper aspects have not yet been explored.

Chapter Arms Chapter arms are derived from the arms of the fraternity in a simple fashion. A special symbol called the chapter’s “device” or “mark of difference” is placed in the upper left corner of the shield, and the motto is replaced by the chapter’s own motto. The rules of heraldry specify such devices, known as the marks of cadency, for up to nine sons. Miami, the Alpha chapter, uses the arms unchanged (but with her own motto). The next nine chapters are handled by the heraldic devices. All the other chapters have had marks of difference chosen from something significant to the chapter, such as the college or state arms, or those of its founder. The chapter motto is a Greek word or phrase, beginning with the letters which are the name of the chapter. These have been selected with great care and effort.

The Great Seal and the Chapter Seal The Great Seal is an actual seal used in marking official documents of the fraternity. It is in the keeping of the General Secretary. The first one was the Great Seal of 1879, designed by John Covington. However, it was unsatisfactory from the heraldic point of view, since it used several symbols not related to the fraternity. The Greek phrase Me7 «Ar; T,(j>payi<; on it means “great seal.”

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The chapter seal was first authorized in 1842, and readopted in 1881. It is a circle around an equilateral tri­ angle, enclosing three stars, clasped hands, and the chapter letters. Before the Civil War, the seals were used to seal cor­ respondence with wax. Currently, it appears on the shingle of membership. Another old seal, used to emboss paper, was the Beta badge with the chapter letter above or below it.

The Shingle The shingle is a kind of certificate of membership. A proposal for something like it was made by the Hanover chapter on May 4,1865, but it never got anywhere. The idea again surfaced more than thirty years later. A form was devised by M or­ ris R. Ebersole, Cincinnati 1898, at the time a chemistry instructor at Cornell. His design specified the coat of arms at the top; the m em ber’s name across the center; a red seal in the lower left with an impression of the badge, and surrounded by the name of the owner’s chapter. This was recommended to the Convention of 1900, which took no official action, leaving the m atter up to each individual chapter. The standard shingle was designed by Chandler and approved by the Conven­ tion of 1913. It is a plain white card, six by eight inches, engraved in black with the coat of arms in the upper center; the owner’s full name in Old English across the middle; below this, his date of initiation in smaller, similar characters. In the lower left is the chapter seal in red wax.

Fraternal Fifties Insignia A Fraternity Fifty is one who has been a Beta for fifty years. The Board of Trustees recommended that a form of recognizing such an achievement be adopted, and the suggestion of George W. Switzer, De Pauw 1881, was approved by the Con­ vention of 1927. It is a wallet-size card, bearing three stars, the roll number of the owner, his name, the name of his chapter, his initiation date, the signatures of the General Secretary and President, and finally, an engraving of the Great Seal. This card is presented in a short ceremony, usually at an alumni banquet or other hom e­ coming. The member also receives a gold seal, which is to be affixed to his shingle, this being the idea of Stanley R. Church, Washington State 1931. A Fraternal Fifties pin was approved by the Convention of 1981. It consists of the dragon seated on the torse, above a scroll bearing the words “50 YEARS”.

The Campanile The Beta Campanile is a free-standing bell tower. It is the largest emblem of the fraternity, being made of brick, 128 feet, seven and seven-eighths inches tall, 13 feet, 8 inches square, and containing four bells. It stands on a pleasant grassy area of Miami’s campus, on the south side of East High Street in Oxford, Ohio, just two blocks east of the Alpha chapter house and the Administrative Office, and a short distance east of new Harrison Hall (located on the former site of Old Main, the building in which Beta was founded). Sometimes called the “Beta Bell Tower,” it was given to Miami University as a gift for Beta’s Centennial. 357

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Its cornerstone was laid with ceremony on November 10, 1940, and it was dedicated on May 17,1941. The total cost was $31,428.57, of which all but $6000 was donated by brothers. It was designed by Charles F. Cellarius, Yale 1913, whose name appears on a brick-size plaque on its south wall. There are also three large bronze plaques: the one on the east wall presents the tower to Miami from Beta. The large plaque on the south wall below a small window commemorates Beta’s 125th anniversary, while the one on the west wall dedicates the bells to the service of Miami. In case you were wondering, the north side contains the door giving access to the bells and ringing mechanism. The bells ring the W estminister peal on the quarter hour. They were made by the Meneeley Bell Company of Troy, New York,and have the following data: Name B r/ra ©rjra El 1839-1939

Pitch E-flat A-flat B-flat C

Weight (pounds)i Size 3000 pounds 53 x 43 inches 1200 pounds 39 x 33 inches 800 pounds 34 x 28 inches 600 pounds 31 x 25 inches

One of the often-asked questions is “how should the word ‘campanile’ be pronounced?” Dr. Alfred H. Upham, a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon, was the president of Miami University when the tower was dedicated. Aware of the prob­ lem, he read the following poem, which only seemed to make matters worse: I g lim p s e d a s I w as p a s s in g b y A to w e r p o in tin g to w a rd th e sky. S o m e n a tiv e s w h e re I s to p p e d a w h ile C a lle d it th e “ B e ta C a m p a n ile .” B u t o n e b r o k e in, “ Y o u g uys a re silly; T h a t th in g is n a m e d a C a m p a n illy !" A n o th e r le a n e d a c r o s s m y w h e el A n d q u e rie d , “ W h y n o t C a m p a n e e l? ” D is tu r b e d w e all to g e th e r w e n t A n d p u t it to th e p re s id e n t. H e s m ile d a n d th e n r e m a rk e d , “ W h y re a lly In W e b s te r i t ’s a C a m p a n e e ly .” T h e b e lls p e a le d g aily a g a in st th e s k y B e ta a n d T h e ta a n d little Pi.

H e disclaimed knowledge of the author, but was not very convincing. Of course, as he says, in Webster, it really is Campaneely.

The Loving Cup While the loving cup is a song, a ritual, and a symbol, there is one particular loving cup which is special to all of Beta: the “Pater Knox” loving cup. Most chap­ ters have their own loving cup. But the Pater Knox cup is their archetype, and the fraternity’s own. It was presented by the chapters to Pater and Mrs. Knox on Novem­ ber 27,1895 - their fiftieth wedding anniversary. On that occasion, Pater Knox said 358

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that the gift was “beautiful and significant... Its ample size proves that there is noth­ ing small about Beta... Old Wooglin himself could not exhaust its contents at one sitting.” H e was still flabbergasted, as were all the founders, that the little band of eight had grown to tens of thousands of brothers. At the initiation of M orris E ber­ sole in the mid-1890’s, Knox stated: “I never dreamed it would grow so large.” Apparently he had forgotten he had predicted this growth in his speech on August 13, 1840: “And when our numbers are scattered throughout the whole country...” The cup was presented to the fraternity in 1947 by Otto E. Lane, Miami 1901. H e had received it and other memorabilia of Pater Knox from Mrs. Madge Miller Landsdowne of Cincinnati, Ohio, the widow of John Knox Landsdowne, the last grandson of Pater Knox. Lane and Landsdowne were classmates, and initiated on October 10,1896, in the presence of Pater Knox. Although the cup was placed in the custody of the Alpha chapter, they don’t see it much of the year; it is probably the most travelled possession of the fraternity, as it is shipped around for chapter installations, anniversaries, and conventions. Most chapters have their own loving cups. Some have two handles, and others have three, though technically all should have three handles. Many are memorials of deceased brothers, and have great sentiment attached to their use. There is no “official” specification for a loving cup, but it must be able to contain liquid, if it is to be used in the ritual. Chandler noted that it should be deep, in order to avoid spillage.

Why are there Beta Symbols? If no one ever told you that a red light means “stop”, and a green light means “go”, how would you have guessed it? Similarly, the symbols of Beta must be ex­ plained, discussed and commented on. They must be understood if they are to have any meaning to the brotherhood. Our symbols are simple, for the most part. Only a few are composite, such as the badge, but even the badge is a simple collection of more elementary symbols, not an overwhelming complexity of detail. This simplicity should not deceive the student of Beta: our simplest symbols carry the greatest meaning. Each of the symbols have their place in the lore, song and poetry of Beta - they do not stand apart. Each contributes to a greater unity of conceptualization of the great ideals of Fraternity - friendship, devotion, honor, trust. Our existing symbols must continue to be used, enjoyed, and contemplated; but let us not consider the collection complete, since nothing prevents the development of new ones. In each age, Man chooses certain forms to represent great concepts. What will the Betas of the future choose to express the concepts they observe in the light of the Three Stars of Beta Theta Pi?

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Pater Knox's “Spiral Valentine” to his future wife, Isabel Briggs B eliev e w e a s o u r F a th e r s say, B ird s c h o o s e th e ir c o n s ta n t m a te s to d a y , A n d still d o e s th ro u g h th e c o m in g y e ar, T h e ir fa ith a n d tr u t h a n d lo v e a p p e a r. N o w lik e th e b ird , I ’ve c h o se a m a te , T o c h e e r m e in m y lo n e ly s ta te ; W ith h e r to love, a n d la u g h , a n d play, A n d p a ss th e m e rry h o u rs aw ay, O f w in te r ’s e v e, a n d s u m m e r ’s d ay, T is th o u , sw e e t g irl, h a s t w ro u g h t th e sp ell, A n d I ’m th y c ap tiv e, Is a b e lle . A s I a m tr u e to th e e a n d th in e , A n d a s I k e e p th is v o w o f m in e , S o h e lp m e g o o d S t. V a le n tin e . T o Is a b e l fro m R eily.

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SECTION 27 Poetry by Stanley R. Church, Washington State 1931 In the foreword to Beta Bards, a collection of poems published by the fraternity in 1936, Dr. Shepardson made the following statement: Sentiment has played a notable part in the life of Beta Theta Pi, during the nearly one hundred years since the “Boys of ’39” founded the fraternity “ ‘neath the elms at old Miami.” The use of poetry to express the sentiment of Beta’s fraternal association has been evident from the very beginnings. To describe this friendship in his speech at the first formal meeting in August of 1839, Founder David Linton quoted the following from “England’s choicest bard”: Every virtue of the soul Must constitute the charming whole All shining in their places. True, this was not a Beta poem but it served to illustrate the closeness of the friendship and feeling of brotherhood which had been already established in the infant group of associates. Pater Knox also resorted to poetic expression in his address when he returned to Miami on the second Thursday of August, 1840 to address the brothers on the occasion of the first anniversary of the founding. Near the close of his remarks, he attributes the following lines to a Dr. Young: “Love and love only is the loan for love, Lorenzo, pride repress, nor hope to find a friend but what has found a friend in thee.” Pater Knox continues: “H ere then is the secret. Nor hope to find a friend but what has found a friend in thee. Let only the members of the Beta Theta Pi repose in each other confidence unlimited...” Thus two of the immortal eight expressed in prose and poetry the sentiment of the fraternity. As we look back on a century and a half, the fire they kindled on that August day of 1839 has not been allowed to turn to ashes, and thousands of Betas all over North America have expressed their love for their fraternity and their brothers in rhyme, song, and story. And who shall say that the stirring prose of such as Robb, Hanna, Baird, Shepardson, Priest, Brooks, and others is not poetry? Perhaps not in the strict sense of rhyme or meter but certainly poetry in prose to express the deep emotions inherent in the Beta spirit. Selection of examples of Beta poems for inclusion herein was not easy. No doubt no two persons would have chosen the same examples to express the scope and breadth of the realm of Beta poetry. These verses finally chosen contain a mixture of thoughts and devotion to the Beta ideals as widely varied as the outposts of Beta’s Broad Dominion. Early in the selection it was determined to use the outline of Dr. Shepardson in Beta Bards as the guidelines best exemplifying the wide scope of fraternity feeling (to which the insatiable reader is referred). We should 361

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

here reiterate Shep’s warning that the poems are intimate expressions of brothers, and not to be judged by critical literary standards.

To Beta Theta Pi This poem is addressed to the persona of Beta, always thought of as a female - hence the “regina pura” (pure queen) in Gemma Nostra. Fair, Fair Beta From scenes of life’s conflicts we turn Again on the altar of Beta to burn The incense of love, and our pledges renew, To honor old Wooglin whatever we do. Thou art fairer, dear Beta, than earth knows beside, For thee, and thee only, life’s journey we ride; The trophies we’ve won at thy feet we now lay, And our triumph complete by thy favor today. Fair, fair, O! so fair! Thou art fairer, dear Beta, than earth knows beside. David Hastings Moore, Ohio 1860 Beta’s secret handshake is more than gesture. It is a unbreakable and lasting bond between brothers, wherever they are. The Beta Grip Whatever lot in life is yoursWhatever luck is mineWe now are friends and Betas true, And shall be for all time. The Beta grip shall never slip, Nor Beta love grow cold; T here’ll always be for you and me The Beta grip of old. Then all for each and each for all Advance and ne’er retreat! Together win life’s prizes fair To lay at Wooglin’s feet. Ernest H. Eversz, Northwestern 1895

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It will be noted that the Beta poems just cited were written by Betas of the 1800’s. T o our great misfortune, few stories of the origin of such works have been preserved. For a m ore modern tribute to Beta we turn to a western chapter and cite “A Toast to Beta” by A rthur R. Kirkham, Oregon State 1923. We are fortunate in being able to recount how this expression of affection came about, as Edward N. Rauch, Oregon State 1923 recorded it in his booklet of reminiscings of the first fifty years of Gam m a Mu [Oregon State], published in 1973, the chapter’s 50th anniversary. B rother Rauch tells the following story: Art Kirkham came to us in mid-year. The fall pledge class had been initiated, so Art experienced the ritual as a “single.” We were roommates in that large third floor room and I found myself as his pre-initiation mentor [no doubt what is called a “big brother” by some chapters]. One requirement to qualify for the Kappa Theta Rho ritual [the local fraternity at Oregon State which became the Gamm a Mu chapter] was that the neophyte be blindfolded, take a long country ride and return home afoot, during which he was to make his final decision about the whole m atter and express his elation by writing a song about it. Well, A rt had his song ready prior to the long walk. H e tried out the score and verses up there in that top floor room in order to get it just right. Needless to say, there’d been some dandies but A rt’s alone made the Beta Song Book: “Neath the Wide, Wide Sky” is on pages 125-126 in the 1942 edition. So here is A rt’s work: A Toast to Beta Neath the wide, wide sky T here’s one fraternity, Beta Theta Pi We give our hearts to thee. Thine ideals so true Our inspiration be; Beta to you We pledge fidelity. So here’s to Beta, The finest and the best, As far as north winds blow to south O r east wind blows to west; Then here’s to Beta In her we all are blest; 363

TH E FAITHFUL H U M t U F I H t THREE, S l A K i

H ere’s a toast to Beta, boys! For Beta is the best. A rthur R. Kirkham, Oregon State 1923 Art Kirkham left Oregon State where he had been a star in campus musicals and dramatic productions, to enter the radio business in Portland, Oregon. For many years he was a leading figure in radio and television in the Rose City. A Beta Bard of earlier times recalls his chapter days, in a time when Betas did not live in chapter houses, but met in a “hall.” My Beta Days My Beta days can I forget? To this I answer, never, H er ties once formed shall never break For they endure forever. They bear me back to days of youth, In glamour, and its beauty, When I, before the “Sage of Truth,” Sought wisdom for life’s duty. W hen friendship wove her garlands bright And poured them on our altar Sweet incense, that will ever rise, O f love, that ne’er can falter. Though I’ve become a silver gray, My heart keeps time and measure With the boys of Beta Theta Pi To find my highest pleasure. So down the path of life we’ll go, Close knit in ties fraternal, And proudly wear the badge, my lads, That glows with light eternal. Samuel L. Wilson, Hanover 1872

Brothers in the Bond A significant phrase came early into the writings of Beta Theta Pi. It clearly states the sentiment and love for the fraternity in the words: “Once a Beta, always a Beta, everywhere a Beta.” And with each college year we welcome another band 364

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of brothers to our Mystic Circle to share in the light from our altar. It has been expressed thus in: The Initiate’s Greeting Sing ye sons of Beta, let’s be gay tonight, For a brother comes within the fold; See! each brother greets him and their hands unite, Pledging each their honor to uphold. Glory! Glory! Let each brother sing; Glory! Glory! Let the echoes ring; To our noble order, Beta Theta Pi Let us ever raise our voices high. Sing, ye sons of Beta! let’s be gay tonight, For the brother now is filled with joy Yes, a barb was ransomed by our diamond bright, And is born this eve a Beta boy. Sing, ye sons of Beta! spread the feast tonight, Brothers, swell the glad triumphant strain! Shout the happy tidings! shout them with delight, For a Beta child is born again. H erbert Floyd Kerr, De Pauw 1877 Thus, as brothers in the Bond, we’ll go “Marching Along” and “With the Hand Upon the Shoulder in a Beta Sort of Way” as we rejoice in completing our first 150 years, and face the future with confident hearts, anticipating the celebration of our second hundred years.

Beta Insignia Very early in our traditions and sentiment there appeared the expression: “wear the badge and bear the name of Beta Theta Pi” [first used by Founder David Linton in his speech of August 8,1839.] What initiate has not felt a real thrill of ac­ complishment and pride when the diamond and the stars were pinned to his chest, bearing the name of Beta brother for all time to come? Throughout his life his Beta pin would be the tangible link to his chapter and the fraternity. It would reveal and express to the world his love and affection for Beta and his Beta brothers. Many have expressed their feelings for the badge, and here is an example:

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The Badge Black like the eerie solemn night, Which knowest many things, Yet through the years that come and go Keeps all its secrets hidden low Neath pinions black bedightSoft folded wings. In even line three stars shine out, Three stars of golden light; Three stars of hope and faith and love Brighter than stars in heaven above; Three stars fair-shining out Through the dark night. A jewel with heart of flame, A symbol rich and rare; And mystic letters all of gold, Glowing with mysteries untold— And, blazing out, a nam eAh, passing fair! And over all and under all, And back of all the rest, True hearts and grips of stalwart hands, A welcome sure in many lands; Brothers and faithful all— And that is best. Robert Francis Allen, Boston 1905 And one of Beta’s “Great Ones” wrote this to express our devotion to our colors: The Colors The diamond and three stars and that delight Of those who sense a flawless flower’s grace Have all known eulogy; have been bedight With glowing phrases, and now hold a place Upon Olympian heights in Beta’s realm. Though none may say that this is not their due, I wonder often why those at the helm O f Betadom have stressed no broader view 366

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In their discourse upon the lambent lights That form the symbols of brave Wooglin’s band. A re there no other emblematic rights? W here may the fulgent Beta colors stand? What of the melting tints of sunset’s hue That are enshrined as Beta’s pink and blue. A. J. Gustin Priest, Idaho 1918

The Sires and Sons and Daughters To which should be added the tribute to Beta mothers as expressed by the verse included here. Sentiment for those within the Beta family has always been strong and devoted as noted in song and story as we sang of “When our sons to college go” and called forth on a serenade asking: “How’d you like to be a Beta Sweetheart?” The call to Beta sons was expressed thus: To Beta Sons Go, Beta sons, and seek the shrine Your fathers sought in early youth! And dedicate your powers divine To serve the right to love the truth Float Beta’s banner in the blue! Grave Beta’s motto on your heart! To Beta’s principles be true And act in life a manly part. Sons of brave sires, be loyal sons To Beta as your fathers were! With courage high the base to shun, And strength to shield all those who err. Harm on Seeley Babcock, Brown 1874 From a chapter in the Pacific Northwest came this tribute to: Beta Mothers Though the cares have printed deep and bolden On my m other’s brow the light of falling years, And the grey is creeping into hair once golden; Still she fosters no regret nor tears, For her heart is happy with the sunshine

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Of a life with all its sacrifices done; She will sit and smile and tell you in the gloaming O f the man who is her Beta son. So here’s a song to every Beta mother, Who has given us of her great soul All the gifts possessed by not another, Though the tide of life and progress roll. I send a kiss across the prairie To bear to her a heart that’s folded in For the girl my father chose to marry, Who wears upon her breast my Beta pin. Chester Anders Fee, Oregon 1916 Feeling for the fraternity has ever run strong in the Fee family. James Alger Fee, Whitman 1910, has the honor of being number one on the roll of that chapter. A prominent Oregon lawyer, he served as Federal District Judge in Portland. Later, at the time of his passing, he was a J ustice of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. When his brother Chester Anders Fee passed away in Portland, at Judge Fee’s request all pallbearers were chapter mates from college days at Oregon. Kenneth Whitney Rogers, Syracuse 1917, was one of the great bards of the fraternity, and gave us deathless songs to enrich our musical heritage. He died young while on a trip to the West, but he had forwarded the preliminary drafts of same songs he had been planning. Beta has had some great songs to the Beta girls and sweethearts, but we have selected this unfinished tribute to those chosen by Betas from the mind and heart of Ken Rogers: My Beta Girl We turn to the east for the dawn of hope In the morning twilight hour, And the sun’s full rays at noon of day Is the symbol of might and power; But we turn our hearts at the close of day To the miracle of the west, Where the sun’s last beams transport out dreams Beyond the horizon’s crest. There is pink and blue in the sunset glow As I gaze at the western sky; That twilight glow tells of love, I know, And of the days that before me lie; For the girl I love wears the pink and the blue,

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She’s a Beta girl, you see, And that sunset glow is a love rainbow For my Beta girl and me. Kenneth Whitney Rogers, Syracuse 1917 H e had intended to write a second verse (and provide music) but death inter­ vened. This was one of his final efforts for the fraternity. Today we are grateful for this expression of sentiment and love which will serve to further honor the memory of this great Beta who gave us such great and inspiring songs. W e’ve all joined in at the chapter hall or at a Beta convention with “T here’s a scene where brothers greet,” but how often do we sing the last verse from the pen of a poet from Hanover? Yes, and Beta girls there are, Pure and lovely, passing fair, Who with brightest smiles enlighten all our way; May our brothers ever prove Worthy of such noble love Long as time shall last or earth shall have a day. Joseph Osgood Stillson, Hanover 1871 This is as good a place as any to mention that there are a lot of verses to songs which are not sung any more. Indeed, there are a lot of songs that don’t get sung at all. Surely this is an oversight which should be corrected.

The Dear Old Hall Few areas of fraternity feeling can evoke such sentiment for days spent in the circle of the brothers in the chapter house. The remark was once made that Beta songs are sad songs. To this we would reply in the negative. Sad? No. Nostalgic? Yes, for they speak of carefree days of youth and of friends and brothers, the true friendship and fidelity derived from vows that are never broken. At the Beta House H ere again we meet pleasure H ere we feel the hearty grip; Following thoughts in rapid measure Lightly pass from lip to lip. We can add all our gladness If we sing a Beta song, For we know there is no sadness369

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W hen in song “We March Along”. In this crucible of friendship, We have cast each selfish thought; The gleam we caught of Beta stars Can never be forgot. Ere time shall mock this pleasure, And youth’s golden hours are sped, We would leave this house a message For the living, not the dead. From the bosom of true friendship, With a love that cannot die, We would breathe a future blessing On old Beta Theta Pi. Forrest Hunter Kirkpatrick, Bethany 1927 Another Beta of long ago caught the spirit of the chapter meeting: The Chapter Meeting Sweet is the time when gathered here, While hearts from care are free. We meet to sing the songs so dear, Our Beta, songs to thee; And side by side in joy and pride, As brothers tried and true, The altar fires our hearts inspire While we our vows renew. Old chapter hall! where thoughts of days Now past so quickly throng, Thou shalt soon know our last farewell And hear our parting song; Still, hope burns and life shall last, Our thoughts shall linger yet. Within these walls and sacred halls That we can ne’er forget. Charles Silvey Page, Denison 1886 In the shadow of the Blue Mountains of Oregon and southeast Washington, an undergraduate of Whitman penned these lines in tribute to his alma m ater and 370

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Gamma Z eta chapter: Out where the western skies are blue And western fields of golden hue, Our alma mater, Whitman dear, To each Beta heart grows near. We hear the babbling college brook And see again each shady nook. Gamma Z eta’s calling me, W here western hills are blue, Whitman with its fountains fair Looms ever in my view Beta men are beckoning me By the firelight’s glow; Take me back to chapter days, That’s the place where I long to go. Beneath the flag of Beta’s might, With pledge of faith and love of right, Each brother true who bears the name Strives to add to Wooglin’s fame. And thus on forum, track or field, The sons of Beta never yield. Far from the din of college days, When we have joined the silver grays, We fondly turn in memory’s eye, We stand again in Beta’s ring And join the brothers while they sing. Joseph Marshall Tewinkel, Whitman 1923 Joe Tewinkel confessed, later in life, that he was strictly a “lyrics m an” and did not possess the talent to set his words to music. But a chapter mate was standing by and Carl O. Gensel, Whitman 1922, an accomplished pianist and organist, provided the necessary sharps and flats to keep the men of Gamma Z eta singing “Out where western skies are blue.” Brother Tewinkel served the fraternity faithfully for all the remainder of his days, serving as District Chief and Convention Secretary. The spirit of fraternity was strong in his family - his sister, Ruth Suppes, served Alpha Chi Omega as National President in the mid 1950’s.

The Beta Rock of Hanover Perhaps there are few chapter sentiments and traditions stronger than those associated with the Beta Rock of the Hanover chapter. In the old sub rosa days at Iota, with a hostile faculty and student body, it was necessary to hold meetings of the chapter in out-of-the-way places, and in the dark of night. The chosen spot was

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adjacent to the campus in a wooded area, and here the Sons of Wooglin met for their midnight trysts. To this day the letters of Beta Theta Pi are carved deep into the surface of the rock, and often special chapter celebrations are held there. A Hanover Beta of long ago expressed the regard of his chapter for this cher­ ished spot in the following poem: The Beta Rock Old Iota chapter Peers down through yonder gorge; T here’s Beta Rock to thrill her And hero souls to forge. Old Iota chapter Recalls the day of yore W hen ban was her altar Within the household door. Old Iota chapter Took out to the wood When the night did shroud her By the rock she stood. Old Iota chapter Renewed her vigils good Renewed the truth within her As by the Rock she stood. Edward John Brown, Hanover 1873

The “Froggie Song” Shep put the following poem in the category of “nonsense songs.” But nonsense or not, it expresses the chapter sentiment of one who was to become famous in later life. To understand the theme it is well to know that “Force” was a popular breakfast food of the 1890’s, with certain laxative qualities. [Theta Delta is the Ohio State chapter.] A Theta Delta Man Jim Dumps he led a sorry life, sorry life. H e had the meanest kind of wife, kind of wife, The babies they would always get the croup And they would yell like billy whoop372

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The babies they would always get the croup And they would yell like billy whoop. A t last, all driven to despair, to despair, Jim Dumps got up and tore his hair, and tore his hair; A t last his wife brought home some Force to him And Force has made him Sunny JimA t last his wife brought home some Force to him And Force has made him Sunny Jim. A little frog sat on a well, on a well. And sang with fire in his eye, in his eye Sang he, I am a Theta Delta man, A dear old Beta Theta Pi, Said he, I am a Theta Delta man, A dear old Beta Theta Pi. George Wesley Bellows, Ohio State 1905 George Bellows (1882-1905) became one of the best known of American paint­ ers. His work is yet today exhibited in leading museums throughout the United States. Who can forget the realism of “Stag at Sharkey’s” or the action in “Polo Gam e”? Tradition has it that some of his work, painted while he was at Ohio State, hangs on the wall of the Ohio State chapter house. This poem, or rather song, is used by many chapters as their unofficial chapter song. The words vary considerably, also. It has been hinted that the “well” of this song was the one behind the Wooglin Clubhouse - though brother Bellows would have been too young to have ever seen it, the idea may have been passed down. In every chapter of Beta’s Broad Domain there are written tokens of fond memories of days in one’s own chapter. Perhaps no greater outpouring of sentiment exists in Beta hearts. It is deeply regretted that more space cannot be devoted to this outpouring of fidelity and friendship among the brothers.

The Boy in The Window Seat One of the most moving of all Beta pictures is the “Boy in the Window Seat.” The story of this picture, the “chapter cut” for Kenyon in the catalog of 1881, was told by Grove D. Curtis, Kenyon 1880, and number one on the Kenyon rolls. It was he who wrote the poem associated with the painting. Charles J. Seaman was working on the catalog of 1881, in which he had planned to have a frontispiece picture or engraving for every chapter. As the Kenyon chapter had just been founded in 1879, this was the first catalog in which Beta Alpha would appear, and the selection was of considerable importance. While still an under­ graduate, Curtis had recently become intimately acquainted with Seaman, and one day they discussed the chapter picture. Curtis recalled the sequence of events:

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H e [S e a m a n ] a s k e d m e to a c c o m p a n y h im to th e s tu d io o f M r. A . M . W illa rd , th e a r tis t w h o a fte rw a rd b e c a m e fa m o u s a s th e p a in te r o f “ Y a n k e e D o o d le ” o r “T h e S p irit o f ’76 .” [H e w a s n o t a B e ta .] D u r in g o u r in te rv ie w , w e g av e M r. W illa rd s o m e id e a o f th e p e c u lia r a r c h ite c tu r e o f O ld K e n y o n , a n d I a ls o c a lle d h is a t t e n ­ tio n to s o m e o f th e f e a tu r e s o f m y B e ta p in . M r. W illa rd p r o m is e d to m a k e s e v e ra l s k e tc h e s w h ic h B r o th e r S e a m a n w a s to s e n d to us, a n d fr o m w h ic h w e w e re to m a k e o u r s e le c tio n . T h e s k e tc h e s re a c h e d th e c h a p te r a s h o r t tim e b e f o r e m y g ra d u a tio n a t th e c o m m e n c e m e n t o f 1880. A c h a p t e r m e e tin g w as h e ld , a n d th e m e rits o f th e re s p e c tiv e s k e tc h e s w e re d is c u s s e d p r o a n d co n . S o m e w h a t to m y s u rp ris e , a n d m u c h to m y re g re t, th e m a jo rity o f o u r b o y s d id n o t a p p ro v e o f th e s k e tc h w hich I h a v e c alle d “ T h e B o y in th e W in d o w S e a t.” I le ft th e c o lle g e s h o rtly a fte r, th e u n d e r s ta n d in g b e in g th a t th e c h a p t e r w o u ld fo rw a rd th e s k e tc h e s to B r o th e r S e a m a n , d e s ig n a tin g th e o n e o f th e ir c h o ic e . P r e s u m in g th a t th e c h a p te r h a d s e le c te d o n e o f th e s k e tc h e s fa v o re d b y th e m a jo rity , I g a v e t h e m a tte r little f u r th e r th o u g h t. W h e n th e c a ta lo g fin a lly re a c h e d m e , a n d I tu r n e d to th e re c o rd o f o u r c h a p te r , y o u c a n h a rd ly im a g in e m y s u rp ris e a n d m y p le a s u re a t b e in g c o n fro n te d w ith “T h e B o y in th e W in d o w S e a t.” O u r b o y s h a d re c o n s id e re d th e ir o rig in a l d e c isio n a n d sw u n g b a c k to m y c h o ic e , a f te r all. I h a v e alw ay s fe lt g ra te fu l to m y fe llo w -m e m b e rs o f t h a t tim e f o r re v e rs in g th e ir d e c isio n , f o r I re g a rd th e d e sig n s e le c te d a s fa r s u p e r io r to a n y o t h e r e n g ra v ­ in g in th e b o o k . T h e w in d o w s e a t, th e th r e e s ta r s o n th e d a rk b a c k g r o u n d o f th e sky, th e o p e n b o o k , th e p e n siv e , d re a m y a ttitu d e o f th e b o y , all to u c h th e s p rin g s o f s e n tim e n t, a n d s tro n g ly a p p e a l to th e im a g in a tio n . S e v e ra l y e a rs a f te r m y g r a d u a tio n I o b ta in e d fo r th e c h a p te r an e n la rg e d c o p y o f th e p ic tu re , w h ic h c o p y n o w h a n g s in th e c h a p te r lib ra ry o f L e o n a rd H a ll. In o r d e r th a t th is s k e tc h b e h is to ric a lly c o m p le te , I m u s t a c k n o w le d g e w ith s o m e re lu c ta n c e th a t th e lin e s a c c o m p a n y in g th is e n la rg e d c o p y a r e m in e.

The Boy in The Window Seat W o o g lin ’s s o n , in v isio n , s e e m in g P o n d e rin g , w o n d e rin g , m u sin g , d re a m in g , H e a v e n w a rd lifts h is r a p tu r e d g a ze W h e r e , w ith d a z z lin g s p le n d o r g le a m in g , F a r a n d w id e th e ir ra d ia n c e s tre a m in g , B e ta ’s s ta r s f o r e v e r b la z e. T h e r e , ‘m id K e n y o n ’s ivy tw ining, D r e a m in g h a lf, a n d h a lf div in in g , S e e s h e all th a t lies b e f o r e S e e s th o s e s ta r s in b e a u ty s h in in g , S e e s o u r h e a r ts w ith love e n s h r in in g B e ta A lp h a , e v e rm o re .

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As we contemplate this picture more than 100 years later, we can each have our interpretation of the far-away look in the eyes of the college boy. Surely he is a mem ber of the year-old Kenyon chapter - a lad who had caught the vision of the diamond and the Stars... Indeed a marvelous work, considering the artist was working only from vague ideas, and moreover was not a Beta. Its sentiment has endured, and Shep used the picture to illustrate his poem, “Son of the Stars.”

Wooglin The various tales of our patron saint fill many pages of Beta Bards. These stories in verse came from the pens of Betas from the 1860’s and 1870’s to several written up to the date of publication in 1936. Wooglin’s Soul The soul of Wooglin is sterling and steady, In faith to encounter what fortunes befall; For tasks yet untried, in him we stand ready, His courage of life girds its strength round us all. Harold Jam es Bailey, Amherst 1908 The author of the above was “Bing” Baily, who gave to Beta a lifetime of devotion, serving as General Secretary and attending many conventions. H ere’s one more tribute in a lighter vein, by one with a great Beta heart. You may sing along to the music of “Old Man River”: Ol’ Man Wooglin Freshm en all work till they’re tired and weary Freshmen all work while de Sophomores play Cleanin’ de house till it shines like sunrise Gittin’ no rest till de judgment day D on’t look up and don’t look down, You don’t dast make de Senior frown Bend yo’ knees and bow yo’ head Yo’ goin’ to get the paddle until you’re red — Freshman he say he’ll get on de job All dat he wants is to jine de Betas Wants to get away from de howling mob. Ol’ man Wooglin - dat ol’ man Wooglin H e must know sump-in, but don’t say nothin’ H e just keeps ooglin’, he keeps ooglin’ along. H e don’t like Fi Delts, he don’t like Zetas

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But all he likes is de darn fine Betas. And oP man Wooglin, he just keeps smilin’ along. You and me, we sweat and strain Studying and work-ing it gives us pain Hit dat book - grub and grind The paddle is a-waiting if you git behind I am willin’, and keep on trying, I’ll keep on going, till I am dying If ol’ man Wooglin, he jes’ keeps smilin’ along. Morris Rogers Ebersole, Cincinnati 1898 M orrie Ebersole was one of the fun-filled, gentle hearts of Beta for many years. He was at the forefront of conventions as a song leader and did much to bring into being our chapters in Southern California. From among the charter members of the Idaho chapter came this expression of devotion to Wooglin: Fires of True Friendship G ather together ye most noble Greeks, While dear old Wooglin, our oracle speaks, O f honor and loyalty treasured of yore, Which binds us as Betas, steadfast evermore. Oh, Beta, dear Beta, you shall ever be Enshrined and revered in our fond memory; ‘Round fires of true friendship we meet once again, To forge the strong links of fraternity’s chain. Soft o’er our circle the diamond’s bright rays Shed their pure light as we sing Beta’s praise; Love’s glow from the altar reflects in each heart, To cheer and uphold us when brothers must part. Forrest Lindsay Sower, Idaho 1911

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Can We Forget The following song appeared in the songbook of 1872. It is quoted in the ritual for the dead during the convention. Though sad, it remains joyful and grateful. Betas of Long Ago Can we forget the friends of long ago? Can we forget, can we forget? The love that thrilled our hearts with joy? Ah, no! It liveth yet, it liveth yet. Then sing oh brothers of the Mystic Tie, The days gone by, the days gone by. The love and faith of Beta Theta Pi Can never die, can never die. They rest, they sleep, they sleep the dreamless sleep While cycles move, while cycles move. But in our hearts fraternally we keep Their faith and love, their faith and love. Come, friends and brothers of the Mystic Tie, Who bear the name, the honored name And wear the badge of Beta Theta Pi And sing their fame, and sing their fame. Elijah Evan Edwards, De Pauw 1853 Like the above, many of the selections in this section of Beta Bards are touching tributes to departed brothers written by surviving chapter mates. All are expressive of the brotherly love and affection stemming from their close association in chapter days. It would not be fair to cite one such personal tribute without setting forth all of these testimonials of the lasting friendships engendered by the Beta spirit.

At The Banquet Table H ere’s a puzzler for you - we would seek the answer to the name of the author. The Beta Banquet “The banquet hall of fame”, Some olden poet wrote, And yet somehow tonight I hear the same gold note. There is glory here, O f fame in banquet hall,

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And every man of us Can hear the Beta call. It’s filling all the air As stars light all the sky, And makes the night most dear To Beta Theta Pi. Edna Denham Raymond Who was the poetess who thus spoke out in praise of Beta? Beta wife, Beta girl, Beta sister? Surely one of these who had caught the Beta vision from a source in her own family. Dr. Shepardson failed to identify the writer of these sentimental lyrics, so we will honor her memory and give belated thanks for her contribution to Beta. Kenneth Whitney Rogers, Syracuse 1917, the Beta who contributed so much to the songbook of the fraternity, was never satisfied with the old familiar cry, “W hat’s the m atter with...” when one of the brothers was to be honored with the old war cry of acclamation in some area [see the Convention section of this book on “incidental rituals”] He proposed the following substitute: A Toast H ere’s a health to you, B ro th er________ Wooglin smiles on a son like you; For you’re fair and square And your heart’s right there; You’re a regular friend, true blue. W hether or not this suggested tribute ever came into general use among the chapters is not known. [Like many other such incidental forms, it seems to have been forgotten.] But it truly gives voice to the elation of a brother’s triumph as he has brought honor to Beta’s name. Perhaps this anonymous poem explains one of Beta’s main concerns: Juggle the letters in B-E-T-A - and you get b-E-A-T Juggle the letters in T-H-E-T-A - and you get t-h-E-A-T And that’s what we’re going to do: EAT.

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The Silver Grays Charles Duy Walker, V.M.I. 1869, must have been one of Beta’s rare souls. He founded the Beta magazine, served as the first General Secretary under the presid­ ing chapter system, and was a leading light at Beta conventions of his time - all of this coming in the short period between his college days of the late 1860’s and his untimely death in 1877. He also left us the following warming winter message, which can be sung to the tune used for “Wooglin to the Pledge.” The melody, also known as “The Bonnie Blue Flag,” was greatly moving to the Betas of “Sunny Southland.” Wooglin’s Christmas Song The night is dark and wild without The wind blows fierce and cold, And eddying snowflakes softly fall Down on the frozen mould; But round our brightly blazing fire The moments swiftly fly As glad we sing our deep dear love For Beta Theta Pi. Hurrah! Hurrah! for Beta Theta Pi! W e’ll proudly bear her name through life W e’ll love her till we die. Old Wooglin’s face in cloud enwrapped Beams on our happy throng, A joyous smile enwreathes his lips, He joins us in our song; And as the joyful notes go up And wake the echoes strong We pause a while in silence deep To hear old Wooglin’s song: “Alpha, Omega, Lambda, Theta, How short the time does seem! The years have wrought a mighty change, It’s almost like a dream; A little band of eight true souls Met ‘round my altar then; Now thousands proudly claim the name O f Beta T heta’s men. Knox, Marshall, Linton, Hardin, Smith, Each one you ought to know, 379

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Duncan and Ryan, Gordon, too, To them your name you owe, Raise loud hurrahs, a joyous three! While laurel wreaths you twine, And ne’er forget the debt you owe Those Boys of Thirty Nine.” Charles Duy Walker, V.M.I. 1869 One can always count on a good laugh from anything written by the following Beta. His name is first on the list of Beta humorists. His stories of college life in the early 1900’s appear in A t Good OldSiwash, the heroes of which are members of the Eta Bita Pie fraternity. Sound familiar? They are the ones who sing: “Oh, you must be a Eta Bita Pie, O r you won’t get a scarehead when you die!” Of course we are talking about George Fitch, Knox 1897. This poem by Fitch was read by Historian Robert T. Howard, De Pauw 1937 during the Committee of the Whole at the convention of 1982, evoking quite a “facial ripple” from the brothers. Watching the Silver Grays I love to watch the silver grays They have such sober solemn ways. “T ’would never do,” they cry, “To go, To go to bed at five o’clock or so Such deeds the public would appall We will not go to bed at all.” The silver grays are careful of The freshmen whom they dearly love. “T’would never do,” they cry, “to think Of letting those dear freshmen drink. This beer would lay them on the shelf. We’ll have to drink it up ourself.” Oh yes, I love the silver grays. Their wisdom fills us with amaze. They give us cash and counsel and Their language it is something grand. And we’d be happy, all we boys, If we could match them making noise.

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Other Poems in Beta Bards The remaining sections of Beta Bards are mainly devoted to convention poems. Literary exercises were a routine part of any Beta gathering from the very beginning in 1839. Included are those poetic offerings from the conventions of 1878 through 1897. How we admire these versifiers of long ago as we read their loving phrases that continue on and on for several pages of single-spaced type. We also admire their devotion and contributions to the literature of Beta Theta Pi. Space does not permit us to quote from these gems. It should be noted that the convention of 1908 went on record with this summation:â&#x20AC;&#x153;The provision for an orator and poet at the convention was abandoned, after several years of growing feeling that this feature was no longer important to the success of the annual gathering.â&#x20AC;? After eighty years we can only guess what fostered and brought about this decision to cut short a long established custom. Was it that the business of the fraternity had grown to the point where the elimination of some long cherished features must be dropped? Was it due to the trend in college life that no longer placed emphasis on the classical education of the preceding century? We shall never know now, but many elder Betas perhaps felt we had lost a part of our heritage. A few younger Betas also feel the same way!

Recent Works Comparatively few poems have been written in the last fifty years. This seems to have been due to a change in style rather than a lessening in sentiment. There are occasional interesting poems in The Beta Theta Pi. Others can be found in the files of the Administrative Office. Here is one of these, a prose poem, written by one of the founders of the Ball State chapter.

Luster of Beta

Last night I lay awake under the stars restless from want of sleep.

As I lay there gazing into the illuminated sky, I did my best to find and imagine how it would have felt some 128 years ago to be the first to gaze upon the Three Stars that were to guide and enlighten the lives of many youths.

Eagerly, I searched to find the radiant Three chosen long ago. I was sure that the Stars I seeked were to be the most brilliant and the

381

THE FAITHFUL HUMfc, UF I H t I H K t t 5.1 AKS

largest in the universe. Gradually, my hopes dwindled, for I could find but one large enough to be a possibility. As I studied it, I thought to myself that surely this could not be one of the Three, for it was much too big and its radiance far too bright to have any beauty.

Perplexed and saddened somewhat, I continued searching until I saw before me Three tiny Stars that shone of a luster less bright than the larger, yet whose radiance was far richer and more distinct. A quivering suddenly entered my body, and my whole form quickened with rejoice, for I knew then that I, too, had seen those same Three Stars of years ago and had discovered why those Three had been chosen.

The smallness of size, the distinct richness and brilliance of luster, did indeed hold together their true meaning of which is revealed in our guarded ritual. I felt ashamed, for being one who proudly wears the Badge, I should have realized that the Beauty which is Beta Theta Pi could only shine in those tiny humble Stars. A peaceful sleep came.

#12, Delta Iota March, 1967 (Kris Leonakis, Ball State 1967)

The Centennial Poems Two unique verses are found in Marching Along. The first of these verses was heard at the Centenary celebration, held â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;neath the elms at old Miami on August 8, 1939. The lines were written by William Henry Crawshaw, Colgate 1887, and read by H. Walton Mitchell, Pennsylvania State 1890. In this stirring ode, the writer challenges the future with the boundless faith of the preceding one hundred years and looks to the second century with confidence in the diamond and the stars.

382

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

The Centenary Ode Come what may come, we bid the future hail, With faith that looks beyond our vision’s scope By all we love and all we hope By all we have of mankind’s might, Setting our trust above, In that great Captain of the fight Whose banner over us is love. So Beta, we whose days too swiftly fly, Salute thee! While with hearts uplifted high We bid them hail, who shall behold thy face M ore beautiful when thou has run thy race, Another hundred years. Immediately following the reading of these lines came one of the great events of the celebration: the presentation of the Memorial Bells to Miami University by Beta’s President Clarence Newton. The bells rang out from the tower of “Old Main” where Beta Theta Pi had its birth one hundred years before, and began to count the hours on Miami campus as a reminder that Beta honored the institution as its birthplace, dedicating the beautiful pealing of the chimes to the service of the fraternity, the university and the Oxford community. The cornerstone of the campanile was laid on November 10,1940, and with the necessary funds acquired, the imposing shaft was completed, the bells properly hung, and ready for the dedication on May 17, 1941. After the completion of the impressive ceremonies by fraternity officials, the following was read: From the Campanile Lifts here a tower a stately height From where to gain a broader view Across a hundred written years, O f how they wrought from whence they drew Their light, their faith, those chosen few The Founders of a Brotherhood. A nother century was young When first they searched the western skies To find in that new firmament Three stars - which in their youthful eyes, Outshone all else in brilliancy. They sought and understood These pioneers of brotherhood. Three stars they found. To their amaze

383

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

No darkening doubt of destiny Could dim such light - whose beckoning rays Bade them press on in paths unblazed By sharing strength of mind and faith They held their way —nor faltering stood — Those Frontiersmen of Brotherhood. And thus a century is told:— A broader sharing of the light That shines out from our trinity; A fairer judgment of the right To whom shall come Fraternity; A higher lifting of the sight; A hundred years of brotherhood. Now give we here this belfryed tower To generations yet untold And, march the hours and years away We hear the bells - the bells are bold To call from out a forward day The worthier deed to be enscrolled:— Democracy and brotherhood. Horace G. Lozier, Chicago 1894 O f course, this was none other than the man who gave the fraternity “The Loving Cup” and other great Beta songs. On that August day of 1939, and the later date in 1941, these Beta bards passed on the great traditions and sentiment to generations of Betas yet unborn. They, and thousands like them, truly express the deep feeling for Beta proposed in the opening lines of that great Beta hymn: Oh, Beta thou are ever glorious, Thy bonds are sweet, thy service joy. The brightness of thy radiant image Years shall not dim nor time destroy.

384

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

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SECTION 28 Humor One of the most delightful but unfortunately all too rare aspects of our fraternity is humor. In our past one hundred and fifty years, there has been much written on serious topics - after all, brotherhood and intellectual efforts are serious business, and these are our primary objectives. But there’s more to life than formality, and in Beta Theta Pi, we have always been conscious of the innate humor of human association even while remaining deeply committed to our principles. Indeed, A. J. G. Priest considered it such an important part of the complete picture of our fraternity that he based one of his ten speeches in Tfxe Great Ones on humor. W hen did humor begin in the fraternity? In some way, the founding itself has its funny side. One could imagine Knox telling Marshall: “Those Alpha Delts think they can run the campus by controlling the literary societies. Well, after we get together with Linton and Duncan, we will be running the show.” But there is no need to dream up nonsense - there is real evidence that the founders were not lacking in humor. Marshall said that Linton was called the “laughing philosopher.” In common conversation, he seldom dem urred or contradicted his opponent, but an­ swered with a laugh; “we all knew that when he listened and laughed, he did not agree with the speaker.” Furthermore, Knox had to endure ribbing from Linton about his Beta sweetheart, the red-headed Isabel Briggs. Ryan used the typically American exaggeration when he wrote to Knox about his experiences in Cincinnati: “Business is very brisk in town now. You might stand on the public square any hour of the day and you would not see a single wagon.” Much later, at the semi-centennial, M arshall went around introducing his wife as “my Aunt Betsy,” and when Pater Knox told of the rosa days at Miami, Marshall said that meant “behind the barn.” Priest quotes several other stories. One, he said, was told by M ajor Hezekiah Staunton, who said that he had been a member of the old South Carolina chapter, though his name is not in our scanty records. This story, in a much condensed form, dealt with Staunton’s recounting of his experience in the Civil War: “ Y e s, m y fr ie n d s ,” s a id h e , “ th e M e n in B lu e f o r m e d o n th e n o r th e r n s id e o f th e rid g e . T h e y w o re h a n d s o m e , new , w h o le u n ifo rm s ; th e y c a r rie d th e b e s t M o d e l 1861 rifle s; th e y h a d e a te n th r e e m e a ls th e d a y b e f o r e a n d I w o u ld h a v e y o u k n o w th a t th e y all h a d sh o e s . A rra y e d o n th e s o u th e r n s id e o f th e rid g e w e re th e e m b a ttle d fo rc e s o f t h e C o n fe d e ra c y . O u r u n ifo r m s w e re in ta tte r s , o u r w e a p o n s w e re a n c ie n t p e rc u s s io n m u s k e ts; e v e ry m a n o f u s w a s h u n g ry a n d o u r fe e t w e re b o u n d in ra g s. Y e t s o fire d a n d in s p ire d w e re w e b y o u r z e a l f o r o u r g re a t a n d r ig h te o u s c a u s e t h a t w e m o v e d fo rw a rd a n d w e s w e p t th e m Y a n k e e s b e f o r e u s lik e c h aff, s u h .” T h e n th e q u e ru lo u s v o ic e o f A b e l H o ffm a n s p o k e u p fro m a n o t h e r c o r n e r o f th e ro o m . “ B u t M a jo r ,” h e d e c la r e d , “ th a t ju s t a in ’t rig h t. I fit th e B a ttle o f S a n d R id g e to o . I fit n o t te n fe e t fro m y o u . A n d th e m d a m n Y a n k e e s w a s t o o m a n y f o r u s th a t d a y . T h e y ra n u s d o w n th e v a lle y a b o u t te n m ile s !” T h e M a jo r c h o k e d , th e n e x p e c to r a te d h a rs h ly . “ H u h ,” h e s a id , “ a n o th e r p e rfe c tly g o o d s to ry ru in e d b y a d a m n e d e y e w itn e s s !”

387

THE F A IT H FU L HOME OF THE THRFF STARS

Priest’s speech poked fun at James L. Gavin, De Pauw 1896, who served as treasurer of Beta Theta Pi for forty-two years. At each convention Gavin was able amazingly to report, “All accounts collected, all bills paid.” H e was both a successful lawyer and an outstanding business man and he had a deep, warm outgoing affection for the fraternity. Jim had been a top-flight tackle at De Pauw and he was a BIG man from any point of view. At one of the Bigwin Inn conventions in the 1920’s, mention was made of the establishment’s rotunda, and John A. Blair, Wabash 1893 rose to observe, “Boys, if you want to know what a rotunda is, just take a look at Jim Gavin.” A. J. himself was subjected to a similar treatment, when, as a young red-haired District Chief, he commented on the receding hair of the General Secretary, George Howard Bruce, Centre 1899: “Brother Bruce, I guess you just weren’t around when St. Peter was handing out the hair, were you?” George looked him over sternly and a little sadly before he replied, “Ah, yes A. J., my boy, I was there. But all he had left was red hair.” Our songs and writings have had a share of the ridiculous. The great fraternity student and Beta book writer, William R. Baird, always said that his work would not be complete until he had written a book to be called Betas I Know In Jail A n d Betas I Know Who Ought To Be In Jail. This unusual volume was never written, but the song called “Beta Bingo” was, and you can find it a few pages on. There is another song which starts, “A little frog sat on a well...” (in the poetry section) and also one about patching a Beta’s trousers, which is part of a parody on “How would you like to be a Beta Sweetheart?” in the songs section. Then, too, some brothers find our century-old colors to be humorous, but the author does NOT. In its ancient, non-hazardous form, hazing was a kind of humor inflicted on the unsuspecting “greenie” or freshman, the newcomer on campus: upperclassmen went to great lengths explaining to them various absurd rules, such as the one forbidding the wearing of matching socks, or the one requiring them to carry the upperclassmen’s books. Another practice of the past was the campus prank, of which the famous “Snow Rebellion” at Miami is the chief example. A charter mem ber of the Beloit chapter, Lathrop Ezra Smith, Beloit 1862, recalled one such event at his campus: “Once the college bell kept up such an unusual irregular and prolonged ringing, on a specially dark night, that faculty, students and citizens became alarmed and made an investigation. Finally they found, in a secluded part of the campus, a horse eating oats from a low box, and every time he moved his head up or down, the rope connected with the bell rope made the bell ring.” Hum or has sometimes been an unexpected result of inter-fraternity incidents. One of those noted by Shepardson was a story in the Phi Gamma Delta for March 1913, telling of the Class Day exercises of the University of California. It seems that Beta Theta Pi and Delta Kappa Epsilon had monopolized the university Glee Club that year. The Fijis, having put a pig in a barrel, had a prominent Beta member of the Glee Club called to the stage. He was given a hold on a cord emerging from the barrel, and told to pull. The resultant squealing from within the barrel demonstrated the point of the “Pi-biters” pull in the glee club, the little black pig parodying the Beta influence in the organization. 388

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In more recent times, one of Beta’s outstanding speakers, Jam es G. Martin, Davidson 1957, welcomed the Convention of 1987: I a m d e lig h te d to b e h e re . M y jo b is to w e lc o m e all o f y o u to N o r th C a ro lin a a n d I w ill b e b r ie f n o m a tte r h o w lo n g it ta k e s! C a n y o u im a g in e w h a t a th rill it is to b e h e re th is e v e n in g a s G o v e r n o r o f th is s ta te a n d a s a fo r m e r p r e s id e n t o f th is f r a te r n ity to b e a b le to w e lc o m e B e ta T h e ta P i b a c k to N o r th C a ro lin a . I am d e lig h te d a n d th rille d to h a v e th is o p p o rtu n ity . F r o m tim e to tim e in y o u r w is d o m a t c o n v e n tio n s y o u h a v e c h o s e n G ro v e P a rk In n f o r f u tu r e c o n v e n tio n s a n d w e a r e d e lig h te d to h a v e y o u b a c k , to w e lc o m e y o u , a n d to b e y o u r h o s t f o r th is 148th G e n e r a l C o n v e n tio n . I w ill s a y to y o u , w ith s o m a n y p o litic ia n s a n d s ta te s m e n a n d g o v e rn o rs a r o u n d , th a t th e p la c e is th ic k w ith s e c u rity , so h a v e a c a re a n d g o v e rn y o u rs e lv e s a cc o rd in g ly .

One of the other “politicians and statesmen and governors” was the Beta governor of West Virginia, Arch A. Moore, West Virginia 1951, who was then one of the vice presidents of the fraternity. The political and legal profession has been a strong one in our fraternity. Except for Founder Jam es George Smith (who died young), the other seven founders went on to become lawyers, and Hardin became governor of Missouri. Perhaps our political and legal brothers will enjoy the story told by William Edgar Borah, Kansas 1889, who had been chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: A n o u ts ta n d in g p e rs o n a l fe u d o n th e D e m o c r a tic s id e o f th e S e n a te w a s th a t b e tw e e n J o h n S h a r p W illia m s o f M ississip p i a n d F u r n ifo ld S im m o n s o f N o rth C a r o lin a , w h o h a te d e a c h o t h e r w ith all th e p a s s io n a te e n th u s ia s m o f t h e ir a r d e n t n a tu re s . O n e d a y S e n a to r S im m o n s w as m a k in g a s p e e c h o n th e S e n a te f lo o r w h e n J o h n S h a rp c a m e re e lin g d o w n th e a isle to w a rd h is d e sk . S im m o n s fo rg o t th a t liq u o r u n h in g e d J o h n S h a r p 's k n e e s lo n g b e f o r e it a ffe c te d h is k e e n b ra in a n d h e sa id ta rtly , “ I w o u ld like to o b s e rv e , M r. P r e s id e n t, th a t w h e n e v e r I a d d re s s th e S e n a te o f th e U n ite d S ta te s , I a m alw ay s in full p o s s e s s io n o f m y fa c u ltie s .” J o h n S h a rp w as q u ite d e a f a n d h e in q u ir e d , “W h a t’s th a t? ” “ I w o u ld like to r e p e a t, su h , f o r y o u r p a r tic u la r b e n e f it, s u h ,” S im m o n s re p lie d , “ th a t w h e n e v e r I a d d re s s th e S e n a te o f th e U n ite d S ta te s , I a m alw ay s in full p o s s e s s io n o f m y fa c u ltie s !” S e n a to r W illia m s s n o r te d c o n te m p tu o u s ly . “ H u h ! " h e said , “w h a t g o o d d o e s th a t do you?”

Regardless of an individual’s profession, it is true that Beta Theta Pi has kept a sane view on life by maintaining humor as a part of her activities. But humor can be an ephemeral thing, and many great but extemporaneous stories have been lost. It is urged on the reader that he can render great service to the fraternity by capturing the elusive fraternal pun for posterity. Even better would be something like the humorous books of George H. Fitch, on which we have commented elsewhere. However, humor in any form is a vastly more difficult form than technical or historical or even fictional writing, but someday, perhaps, someone will make an attem pt at writing Beta Humor. Q. How many Betas does it take to build a campanile? A. Just one, if the chapter has a large pledge class. Q. Why did the Founders cross the road? A. To * * * to the other * * *. 389

THE FA IT H FU L HUME UF THE IHKtLt, b lf tK b

Frats fl Us “ For all your secret society needs” 7 Om ega Road Alpha, New Jersey May 20, 1839 Dear Mr. Knox: In reply to your request for information about starting a secret Greek society, we enclose one (1) FratFounder’s Kit ®which should be com pletely satisfactory in every particular. It has already been used with su ccess at several schools in New York; our non-Greek model has had somewhat less appeal, though, we understand, it too has been used successfully. Your FratFounder’s Kit ® is ready to use, and consists of the following items: 1. G reek nam e selection device. S im p ly spin the pointer three tim e s and note the Greek letters indicated. This will be the nam e of your fraternity. If you find it unsatisfactory, m erely re-spin. Caution: if the nam e you ch o o se h appens to m atch an existing fraternity, we assu m e no liability for d am ages. 2. Greek Lexicon. It is custom ary, though not essential, to select three Greek w ords w hich start with the letters you have chosen. W e su gge st nouns as op p ose d to a d v e rb so r prepositions w hich have m inim al sy m b o lic value. 3. Beard and co stum e kit for achieving a “ pe rio d " appearance. Use is optional, as you m ay find your own ap pearance satisfactory. 4. S a m p le s of various pastel sh ad e s for selection of socie ty colors. 5. Three ch e m ic a lly ag ed and nearly unreadable letters dating to the late 1700's. 6. D etails for several history-enhancing c a m p u s pranks, including "C o w in the C h a p e l,” “ H ide the C o lle g e Bell," and the ever-popular “ Snow R ebellion." 7. A collection of h e ra ldic beasts, fish and insects from w hich to select a crest. 8. A prototype constitution and ritual, with a selection of grips and other sig n s of recognition.

Your FratFounder’s Kit ® has been factory tested and is warranted for ten years or 500 initiates, whichever com es first. However, we are not liable for mal­ functions or faculty action of any kind, nor retailation by other secret societies. Secretively yours,

Walter O scar O ’glin, President T h e a u th o r is in d e b te d to P e te r M e s s ik o m e r, L e h ig h 1990, a n d J a m e s A . K elly, L e h ig h 1990, w h o fo u n d th is re m a r k a b le l e tte r in a p a c k a g e o f o ld c a lc u lu s p ro b le m s m a rk e d “ C. L. T h o r n b e r g , fin a l e x am 1894.” T h e a u th o r m a k e s n o c la im s f o r its a u th e n tic ity .

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W e a r e th e p e o p le , w e a r e th e p e o p le , W e a r e th e p e o p le so th e y say,

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W e ’ll lo v e h e r till w e d ie , d rin k it d o w n , d r in k it d o w n , d r in k it d o w n , d o w n , d o w n .

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B a lm o f G ile a d , G ile a d , B a lm o f G ile a d , G ile a d , B a lm o f G ile a d , w a y d o w n o n th e B in g o fa rm . W e w o n ’t g o h o m e a n y m o re , W e w o n ’t g o h o m e a n y m o re ,

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d ia m o n d , w e w e a r th e d ia m o n d , d ia m o n d a n d th r e e s ta r s , d ia m o n d , w e w e a r th e d ia m o n d , d ia m o n d a n d th r e e s ta rs .

[R e p e a t a d in fin itu m .]

W e w o n ’t g o h o m e a n y m o re , W a y d o w n o n th e B in g o fa rm .

These two unusual songs appeared in the Songbook of 1894, entitled “C arm inaB eta.”

B in g o , B in g o , B in g o , B in g o , B in g o , B in g o ,

Both are anonymous.

W a y d o w n o n th e B in g o fa rm . P h i! K ai! Phi! B e ta ! T h e ta ! Pi! W -o -o -g -l-i-n , W o o g -lin , W o o g lin .

There’s a Beta in the House The Magazine o f Sigma Chi fo r A u g u s t, 1950 ( Q u o te d in The Beta Theta Pi fo r D e c e m b e r, 1950)

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J o h n N e a l C a m p b e ll’s re c e n t l e tte r c irc u la te d to b r o th e r s w h o h a d n o t p a id t h e ir 1950 d u e s b r o u g h t th is rep ly . “ A s o n e w h o b e a r s th e n a m e a n d w e a rs th e b a d g e o f B e ta T h e ta P i ( o r c o u ld w e a r th e b a d g e h a d it n o t d is a p p e a r e d in a n u n s c r u p u lo u s la u n d ry c irc a 1915), I a m d e e p ly s h o c k e d a n d d is tre s s e d to le a rn fro m y o u r l e tte r d a te d F e b r u a r y 6 ,1 9 5 0 a n d re c e iv e d b y m y s e lf o n J u n e 5 ,1 9 5 0 , th a t I o w e th e S ig m a C h i F r a te r n ity five d o lla rs . “T h e r e is a n im p lie d th r e a t i n y o u r l e t t e r t h a t if I d o n ’t p a y th e $5 th e G ra n d C h a p t e r w ill ta k e a s e r io u s v ie w o f it a t C o lu m b u s , J u n e 1 2,13, a n d 14. W ell, w h a t th e h e ll, B r o th e r C a m p b e ll? M y b ir th d a y is J u n e 11. A f te r th a t, I d o n ’t c a re . “ I m u s t a d m it th a t it is p a in fu l to le a rn th a t th e S ig m a C h is a r e n o w a sk in g u s B e ta s f o r m o n e y . B r o th e r C a m p b e ll, if y o u ’ve b e e n in fo r m e d th a t th e B e ta s d o n ’t a sk B e ta s f o r m o n e y , y o u ’v e b e e n m isle d ... “ L iste n , B r o th e r C a m p b e ll. P le a s e try o n c e m o re t o g e t th a t $5 fro m a S ig m a C h i in s te a d o f a B e ta . It o u g h t to b e e a s ie r... Y o u r s in th e b o n d o f D e lta s o m e th in g , J o h n S. ‘J a c k ’ B a rro w s ." [C o lo ra d o 1911] T h e W o o g lin a u th o r th e n w r o te th r e e p o s ts c rip ts e x p la in in g h o w h e h a d b e e n c o n fu s e d w ith a S ig m a C h i J a c k S. B a rro w s o n n u m e ro u s o t h e r o c c a s io n s, in c lu d in g re c e ip t o f a b ill f o r $341.96 f o r m o v in g th e S ig s’ f u r n itu re . O u r G r a n d C o n s u l’s re p ly o p e n e d w ith th is c o m m e n t: “ Y o u r l e t t e r o f J u n e 8 w ith its v a rio u s p o s ts c rip ts w a s a h ig h lig h t o f a n o th e rw is e te d io u s a n d d e m a n d in g d ay . It g av e m e s o m u c h p le a s u r e th a t I a lm o s t s e n t $5 to th e B e ta s to jo in th e m ! ” ( E d i t o r ’s n o te : W e s till h a v e n ’t lo c a te d B r o th e r B a rro w s, w h o is a m e m b e r o f a g o o d C o lo ra d o A . & M . S ig m a C h i fa m ily .)

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SECTION 29 Rituals by Stanley R. Church, Washington State 1931 It is evident from their own accounts that John Reily Knox and Samuel Taylor Marshall had devoted many hours of their spare time in the spring and early summer of 1839 in drawing up plans for a fraternal organization which would embody the good features of mutual associations and eliminate what they thought to be objec­ tionable. They had little to guide them in this search. Knox was not quite nineteen at the outset of their studies, while Marshall was twenty-seven. There were in existence at this time five other fraternities, all located in “Eastern” schools, with only Alpha Delta Phi established on the frontier campus of Miami University. Current statistics indicate the student body totalled but 149 students. The two founders readily admit in their stories of the founding days that they had little knowledge on which to proceed. Knox tells of coming across an “old book” with stories of some of the secret organizations of the Middle Ages with a recitation of their vows and curious sketches of their inside workings. Surely this book, and other information then available, influenced greatly the thinking of these two young col­ lege men in perfecting the association which had come to their minds. In Tlie Beta Book we find that Shep discusses this phase of their study and shows that the first obligations were a modification of the vows of an organization known as the “Thrice Illustrious Knights of the Cross,” some of the vows appropriated being the exact words of the earlier organization. And no doubt these originators of the fraternity we know today had seen or had access to, some of the widely circulated books that came about of the so-called “Morgan Episode” of Freemasonry in 1826. Briefly stated, one Morgan had disappeared after allegedly exposing the secrets of Freem a­ sonry. A hue and cry arose across the nation as the result of this episode, and resulted in the formation of a political party known as the “Anti-Masonic,” which group wielded some influence for a number of years. There are those who are familiar with fraternity rituals who have found that many of the words, phrases and inner workings of Freemasonry are included in many college societies as parts of their ritualistic work. No doubt the founders of these fraternities read some of the Morgan exposes or had personal knowledge of Masonic rituals. The founders spent many hours in working and reworking the constitution and obligations. The first step in the procedure had been to provide a name symbolic of their conception of the organization they had in mind. So they referred at some length to a Greek lexicon for a name which would express the intent of the objects they had in mind, and at the same time, provide a combination pleasant to the ear. They early settled on Beta and Theta. They admit to some difficulty with the third Greek connotation but finally settled on Pi. All of these, Knox related in 1873, were the fundamental objects he thus expressed: “Mutual support and assistance, abso­ lute faith and confidence in each other, and progress in knowledge and scholarship, were the fundamental ideas on which we built.” With the name, constitution, motto 393

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and fundamental objects perfected it was time for the first initiation. Accounts vary between Knox and Marshall regarding this first ceremony. Certainly it was held sometime prior to August 8th. In a letter to Alpha chapter in 1843 Knox makes this statement after telling of the early studies and perfecting the infant organization: “The next question was, Whom shall we connect with us in this m atter? Charles Hardin roomed next to Marshall, so we called him in, and I initiated him and Taylor Marshall.” In a paper prepared for the convention of 1873, Knox adds to the story as follows: “The members present at the first meeting were Broth­ ers Marshall, Linton, Smith, J. G. (poor Leb, as good a fellow as ever lived; he died young), and myself. Soon after this first meeting Charlie Hardin, John Duncan and M. C. Ryan, good and true fellows, were added to the faithful band, and many a pleasant and profitable meeting we had in the early spring and on into the summer of that year of grace, 1839...” Pater Knox adds another aside to his story of the first meeting: “At that meeting I administered the obligation to the members present,but by inadvertence, no one qualified me in turn, so that I am scarce able to say, though my name has been borne on the catalog, that I am entitled to the privileges of those who wear the badge and bear the name of Beta Theta Pi.” M arshall’s account varies with the story told by Knox. In an account three years prior to his death in 1895, he magnifies his own part in the early proceedings: “On July 2nd or 3rd Marshall spoke to John Reily Knox, with whom he was very intimate, and showed the latter his manuscript with which Knox was greatly pleased. By mutual consent of Marshall and Knox, James G. Smith was taken into their confi­ dence. These made the three necessary to form a chapter, and all were pleased at the provision that no visible badge should be worn. Some changes were made in the ritual after consultation together, and on July 4,1839, everything was com pleted and as it remained for at least several years. Marshall obligated the others in turn... The meetings at this time all occurred in Marshall’s room in the west wing of the main college building.” Shep puts the priority of the founders at rest when he states: “Knox is consid­ ered to be the founder. His contemporaries so regarded him. His name takes precedence in records, although not first in alphabetical arrangement. Letters to him from Miami, written within the first four years of the fraternity’s existence, hail him as the founder and give him the loving title “Patriarch.” From the above details of the initiations it is plain that the formalities of bring­ ing a man into the fraternity were informal and simple. There were no chapter halls and the ceremonies, if one could call them that, were held in the rooms of the various members or one of the literary society halls - such facilities served as the Beta chapter room. In the case of those colleges with a hostile student body or faculty, sometimes it was necessary to hold meetings in the woods adjacent to the campus. There is even the story (with a basis in fact: see the section on the prefounding events) that meetings of the Alpha chapter were held in what was known locally as a haunted house. In many cases the entire procedure of admitting a new member took place within a m atter of hours. The prospect would be invited to the meeting and asked if he desired to become a member of Beta Theta Pi. If he answered in the

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affirmative, the Constitution was read to him, which included the obligations and explanation of the motto. If he wished to affiliate with the organization which was thus revealed to him he was asked to sign the constitution. H e was then a full-fledged member of the fraternity and took his place as one of the brotherhood. This type of initiation continued in much this form until the convention of 1879 when all the secrets of the fraternity were removed from the constitution and the revised non­ secret document was published to the world. But by this period of history some efforts had resulted in the introduction of a standard form of ritual.

The Pledge Ceremony So far there was no such thing in the fraternity world as a pledge. In most cases there was no interfraternity council on the campus and all rushing was on a catchas-catch-can basis. The object was to pin your colors on the prospective mem ber and then hold him tight to be sure one of your rivals didn’t “lift” him - for it was con­ sidered quite an acceptable practice to try to steal members from one another if the prospective member could be convinced that he was bettering his position and in­ creasing his campus influence. In his delightful stories of the mythical college known as “Old Siwash,” George Fitch, Knox 1897, tells of the rushing season on the Siwash campus. H ere the Eta Bita Pies competed with others such as the Fli Gams, the Shi Delts, Chi Yi Sighs, and Sigma Numerous. The big prize, in one instance, was the big Swede, Ole Skjarsen, a one-man football team. After spirited competition Ole wound up at the Eta Bita Pie house and pinned to his clothing were ribbons of pink and blue... Fitch offers no disclaimers as to the real identity of the fraternal groups, but it is easy for one to hazard a guess (at this late date) as to the victorious fraternity at Old Siwash. There is nothing in the early literature of the fraternity that has reference to “pledges” or “pledging.” We might suspect that this custom came into being with the advent of the chapter house in the 1890’s, when members might want to take a closer look at someone who was to join their close-knit band in day-to-day living. There was no such thing as a pledge pin until such was introduced in 1894. This was in the shape of the Badge, an eight-sided Grecian shield of pink and blue enamels, displaying the Greek capital letters B0II. The use of this design continued until 1899 when the present button was adopted. In modern times all chapters have required their prospective members to acquire some knowledge of Beta history and lore as a part of their pledge training. At first this appears to have been a hit-or-miss affair, with each chapter setting forth its course of study and the curricula handed down from one pledge trainer to the next. All of this was changed in 1939 with the introduction and printing of Son o f the Stars, which might be term ed a textbook for use of Beta pledges. The author was a great Beta, Dr. G. H erbert Smith, De Pauw 1927, who served the fraternity in many ways, including General Secretary and President. The volume provided an educa­ tionally sound course of study of the history, organization, and administration of the affairs of the fraternity. Each pledge receives his personal copy for use during the pledge training period and beyond. Son o f the Stars is currently in the 13th edition,

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the latest volume being edited by General Secretary B. Hum e Morris, Centre 1968, and Thomas A. Beyer, Nebraska 1980, Administrative Secretary. During this course of instruction, extending through the period of pledgeship, the prospective member is constantly reminded that he will be required to pass a rigorous examination based on Son of the Stars as well as local history and traditions. H e also comes to realize that this knowledge is important for life, and that he becomes part of an organization that takes pride in noting that our members are “Once a Beta, Always a Beta, Every­ where a Beta.” Until sometime around 1939 there was no formal ceremony to introduce the new pledge to the inner meanings and objects of the fraternity. The man went through “rush” and accepted (the offer of membership) and was given a pledge pin. Then followed a course of instruction, as set forth above, and finally was brought into the fraternity with the formal ceremony of initiation. In 1939, A. J. G. Priest, Idaho 1918, an acknowledged master of the usage of the English language, was directed to attem pt to fill the need for a proper form of ceremony to introduce the new pledge to the meaning of Beta and his new environment. His work was accepted and ordered printed, and the convention of 1939 further refined this effort through a commission of three Beta experts, namely: George M. Chandler, Michigan 1898, John Allen Blair, Wabash 1893, and Karl W. Fischer, Indiana 1925. The basic outline of the work of Priest was unchanged; the only changes recommended were some polishing of diction and direction. The pledge ceremony then adopted and in use now for nearly fifty years, is the first introduction of the new pledge to the serious side of the fraternity by which he has been chosen. It comes shortly after the “rush” period when glad-handing and the lighter side of college life have been emphasized. Up to now his record in prep or high school has been the principal criteria on which his potential in college has been judged. In the pledge ceremony, he gets the first glimpse of the objects of the fraternity and learns of the seriousness with which we view our interest in him and his future course in his college work. He grasps that this is an international organi­ zation with certain stated and fixed objects, and is given a pledge grip which will identify him to Betas everywhere. He is given to understand that Beta will expect certain excellence of performance in relation to the chapter and his academic rec­ ord; all pointing to the goal of wearing the badge and bearing the name. He also learns that Beta Theta Pi is a singing fraternity and that the songs are which are part of the ceremony more strongly emphasize the meanings which are presented to him at this time. The entire ceremony stresses to the pledge that this marks a new phase of his life and that he will be judged, not on the accomplishments of his past performance, but on what lies before him in his new role of a college man who has chosen Beta and has been chosen by Beta. At all times he is assured of the cooperation of the chapter in attaining goals he may set for himself and the chapter welcomes him to share in the good life of Beta Theta Pi. Lastly, it holds out that at some time in the future, the necessary goals being achieved, he will be worthy to wear the badge and bear the name of Beta Theta Pi.

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Pre-initiation Ceremonies The laws of the fraternity regarding the pre-initiation practices are specifically set forth in Chapter Eight of the Laws. Such practices shall be limited to: (1) an examination on fraternity history and lore, (2) the prescribed and printed ritual of the fraternity including the Wooglin ceremony, the Dragon ceremony and the ini­ tiation ceremony. This section of the Laws goes on to set forth the conditions under which these ceremonies shall be presented and specifically outlaws all so-called hell week activities. Penalties are provided for those who flaunt these provisions of the fundamental law of the fraternity. The Laws also now provide that a man must be pledged for a period of at least sixty days before being eligible for initiation. This provision assures compatibility with his chapter mates and the aims and objects of Beta Theta Pi. The pledge period usually extends into the end of the quarter or semester system to allow a dem onstra­ tion of “devotion to the cultivation of the intellect” and assurance that the pledge has made his transition to collegiate life by “making his grades” in the competitive atmosphere of the scene of higher education. If all these hurdles have been cleared and approval for his admission has been indicated by vote of the chapter, he is nearly ready to assume the obligations contained in the ritual and become a full-fledged member. But there are still certain necessary steps, prescribed by the Laws, before he is taken into the fold. The examination on the history and lore of the fraternity comes (usually) just before the time for initiation and at the end of the course of study outlines in Son o f the Stars. This may be given in written or oral form, or both, and the oral segment is usually given before the entire chapter. Many chapters here introduce the District Chief, or some well-known alumnus of the fraternity, to administer the test. The subject matter covered includes that material found within the covers of Son o f the Stars and may be implemented with additional queries stemming from local lore and tradition. A passing score, determined by the chapter, must be obtained if the pledge is to continue on in his quest for membership in the fraternity. Obviously, when we review the early history of Beta, there was no need for pre­ initiation practices and ceremonies. But as the pledgeship period was extended and group living in a chapter house became a part of fraternity life, there arose a need for some standard form of pre-initiation practices to govern the conduct of the individual chapters of the fraternity and make uniform the experiences of those about to be admitted into our circle. With the more intimate day-by-day contact between members and pledges in the chapter house, all fraternities were often accused (and sometimes rightly so) of objectionable practices that fell under the general title of “hazing.” Despite efforts of national ruling bodies to outlaw such practices they persisted in one form or another with the bad publicity resulting from the ill treatm ent of prospective members. Most of these practices were ingrained in local traditions which had grown up over the years and nearly every chapter had adopted and condoned certain forms of tests and trials preceding the formal cere­ mony of initiation. Such local traditions die hard, and year after year, the chapters and the convention jealously hung on to the theory that some autonomy should be 397

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granted to the chapters to govern their own versions for the indoctrination of the new members. These local traditions built up over the years until it would be difficult to distinguish one Beta chapter from another if one were to observe what went for ceremonies prior to initiation. But this very autonomy was building up a heavy head of steam and the safety valve broke loose in the school year of 1948-1949. An unfortunate incident cast Beta Theta Pi into world-wide headlines, condemning not only our own fraternity, but the Greek world in general, for condoning objectionable treatm ent of other human beings who had been pledged to a brotherhood which proclaimed it stood for all the better things in life. All agreed that something must be done to standardize pre-initiation practices and wipe out for all time the objec­ tionable features which had fixed themselves on the fraternity world as a cancerous growth. The convention of 1949 took action by asking George Chandler to prepare a suitable form of standard pre-initiation ceremony. He had been a constant advisor to the fraternity since his college days, and was an acknowledged authority on the heraldry, symbolism and rituals of the fraternity. Chandler labored throughout the school year of 1949-1950 to produce a suggested ceremony which would meet the approval of the chapters and the next convention. But again, local tradition over­ came the obvious need for such a ceremony and the Chandler version failed to win the approval of the assembled delegates. The convention expressed its thanks to Major Chandler for his efforts, but again asserted that the local chapter was to be the best judge of pre-initiation practices and ceremonies. However, this same convention determined there was a need for further study of the problems concerned with the introduction of new members, and directed then General Secretary Seth Brooks to appoint a committee of undergraduates and alumni to make a thorough study of the problem during the next school year and then to make an effort to come up with suggested ceremonies to be presented to the 1951 convention. To head up this study and to make an effort to prepare some form of ceremony, or ceremonies, which would meet with the approval of the chapters, Brother Brooks called on Stanley R. Church, Washington State 1931, to serve as Chairman, and named undergraduate and alumni Betas from widely diverse parts of the United States and Canada to assist in this important study. The work of the committee began in the fall of 1950 with a thorough-going study of pre-initiation practices directed to all chapters. This was an effort to learn of the good as well as the objectionable practices in order that the former could be retained and the latter eliminated. The results of this survey revealed what was already known: there was no uniformity in this area of fraternity experience, and the entire procedure of greeting our members-to-be was badly in need of a complete overhaul and renovation. The results of the survey were carefully considered and the study then began to connect up some historical background which might be suitable to weave into the Beta story for the prospective member. Of great help at this stage of the study was Karl Fischer, a great student of Beta history, who lent material from

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his own library pertaining to the Mystic Seven, and many of the old ceremonies and rituals drawn from the early days of the fraternity. From the latter sources and others, came many of the forms, legends and symbols which were incorporated into the finished ceremonies.

The Wooglin Ceremony1 The first of the ritualistic endeavors which came about from the work of the 1950-51 committee is now known as the “Wooglin Ceremony.” The tale of Wooglin has been a part of the Beta story almost from the very beginning. It would appear from historical reference that it began in the De Pauw chapter in the mid-1850’s. Credit is given to Mark L. De Motte, De Pauw 1853, as the originator of the legend. But his name is only known in the record books, for the name of John Hogarth Lozier, De Pauw 1857, is now recognized as the one who brought about this tale of the “patron saint” of the fraternity. In later life Lozier was to be affectionately term ed “the High Priest of Wooglin.” The name of Lozier was to be known as one of the great father and son combinations as we recall that John’s son, Horace G. Lozier, Chicago 1894, was to pen the lines of great Beta songs; among these were the ritualistic “Loving Cup” and “Wooglin to the Pledge.” It would seem that the Legend of Wooglin had been in use at De Pauw well through the 1850’s and 1860’s. The record shows that Ohio Wesleyan had borrowed the story from their neighbors, and were using it as early as 1860. A presentation of the Legend was made to the convention of 1869, and apparently stirred some interest among the delegates. At this same convention, Lozier was one of a committee of three named to prepare a standardized form of ritual and from this was to come the first effort to achieve some uniformity of initiation practices. The convention of 1871 showed further interest in the field of rituals when that body asked Lozier to prepare a Legend of Wooglin for application to chapter life. Apparently from this beginning the Legend became a part and parcel of Beta Theta Pi and set the historical background found in the present story which is related to the prospective Beta as he readies for the formal ceremony of initiation. But this was not to come about without some trials and tribulations over the span of nearly a century. During these years there grew up a body of local traditions which corrupted the idealism and objects of the original Wooglin story. In many cases objectionable practices had been assimilated into it. One chapter passed along to its neighbor some of these ideas and the result was a varied mix of official fraternity function and local additions which lent little dignity to the period just before initiation. The 1950-51 committee relied on the original Legend of Wooglin as the base of the ceremony they presented to the convention, and asked approval. In an effort to eliminate some of the objectionable practices which had grown up over the years, some new parts of the story were added to the original Lozier version, but these 1 It s h o u ld b e h e re n o te d th a t b o th th e W o o g lin a n d D ra g o n c e r e m o n ie s p r e s e n tly in u se w e re p rim a r ily th e w o rk o f S ta n le y R . C h u rc h , th e w r ite r o f th is s e c tio n . P J F

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Stanley Richard Church Washington State 1931 Number 217 on the Gamma Theta rolls Author of the Wooglin and Dragon Ceremonies 400

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additions were an attem pt to keep the entire ceremony historically correct and to add to the effectiveness of the ceremony as an introduction to Beta without being either objectionable or meaningless. Here, also, the new mem ber learns of the significance of the pledge grip which had been entrusted to him in the Pledge Ceremony. H e learns the story of the “patron saint” who guards the secrets of the fraternity, and he is reminded of the close affection one Beta holds for another, all the while being drawn closer to the chapter and those in his pledge class with whom he is sharing this experience. He is given an opportunity to consider the goal which he and the others seek in the Beta pin with its diamond and stars. H e has progressed one more step toward the goal when he will proudly “wear the badge and bear the name of Beta Theta Pi.”

The Dragon Ceremony The Beta dragon is distinctive in the fraternity world as no other collegiate organization utilizes this reptilian animal as a symbol. The first use of this distinctive unit of our heraldry came about with the preparations for the catalog of 1881. In this volume it was planned that each chapter would have a frontispiece to identify their part of the directory of that year. Epsilon chapter at Centre College hit on the idea of a dragon standing guard over the altar of Beta Theta Pi. The preliminary thoughts of the illustration were outlined to a Cleveland, Ohio artist (who was not a Beta). The work was elaborated by him, and the Centre cut of 1881 was the result. That he did his work well is evidenced by the fact that the cover of the latest directory of the fraternity (published in 1984) bears a similar illustration as pictured in the 1881 volume. True, the dragon thus depicted and the symbol which surmounts our coat of arms have undergone artistic changes over the years. But the basic idea of the dragon guarding our altar fires has only been refined and embellished with the passage of the years. While the catalog of 1881 was being prepared the thought came to Charles J. Seaman, Denison 1871, that a fabled dragon guarded the approach of the garden of the gods. So why not a dragon guarding the altar, the approach to Beta Theta Pi? He passed along his reasons for the symbol in these words: “Let its lesson not pass unheeded, for, as the fabled monster of old jealously guarded the entrance to that fabled garden, so now the entrance to Beta Theta Pi will be protected, if not by a horrible dragon, at least by the watchful care of Beta hearts.” The fraternity was quick to adopt the dragon as a part of its symbolism and heraldry. In various issues of the magazine in the 1880’s the front covers carried various depictions of this new-found guardian of fraternity affairs. Slowly, year by year, the dragon became an integral part of the lore and legends of the fraternity. Sometime later, perhaps in the early 1900’s the sentiment about the dragon received fresh stimulus from a song written by former General Secretary, General Treasurer and President, Francis H. Sisson, Knox 1892, together with the famed author of the “Old Siwash” stories, George H. Fitch, Knox 1897. Credit Sisson with the words and Fitch with the music - here is their contribution to the songbook and the story of the Beta dragon: 401

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T h e B e ta D ra g o n In d a y s o f y o re o n a G re c ia n s h o re A d ra g o n o n c e ru le d th e y say, W ith a m a il-c la d fra m e a n d a b r e a th o f fla m e , T h e r e h e r u le d in a d r a g o n ’s o w n w ay. T ill d e a t h w as h is lo t o n a fe rtile s p o t W h e r e th e y s e a le d u p th e d r a g o n ’s d e n ; In th e so il b e n e a th th e y so w e d h is te e th . A n d th e h a rv e s t w as fu ll-a rm e d m en . O h d a r in g a n d s h re w d a re th e d r a g o n ’s b ro o d , F u ll a rm e d f o r th e b a ttle o f life; E v e r e a g e r to fig h t fo r th e w e a k o r th e rig h t, T h e y a r e m a s te r s in p e a c e o r in strife ; F e a rle s s a n d b o ld a s th e ir s ire s o f o ld , F a s t flow s th e ir b lo o d a n d w a rm ; T h is is th e ir tr u s t - to b e g e n tle a n d ju s t, A n d th is is th e ir s a f e g u a rd fro m h a rm . O h , th is is th e ta le o f th e d ra g o n b o ld , A n d w e a r e h is s o n s to d a y , L e t th is b e o u r a im th a t w e c h e ris h h is n a m e A n d b o w to th e d r a g o n ’s sway; L o y a l a n d tr u e a s th e s k ies o f b lu e B ra v e a s h is o w n b lo o d re d ; W ith s o u ls a s b rig h t a s th e sn o w y w h ite O n th e s a n d s w h e re h is b lo o d w as sh e d .

This appears to be the first use of the term that Betas are the “Sons of the Dragon.” But apparently the use of the words caused a spark in the mind of famed Beta song-writer, Kenneth W. Rogers, Syracuse 1917, who incorporated the same words into a Beta song which is one of the all-time favorites of chapters everywhere. He told of the legend in a different version of the Sisson-Fitch dragon story, and emphasized the relationship of the symbol to Beta Theta Pi: T h e S o n s o f th e D ra g o n T h e d ra g o n is lo rd o f th e b e a s ts o f th e w o ld A n d th e r u le r o f b ird s o f th e air; A n d W o o g lin o f o ld fo u n d h im d a u n tle s s a n d b o ld A s th e g u a rd o f h is s e c re t lair. O u r p r id e a n d o u r d re a m is to k e e p h im s u p re m e , A n d w e p le d g e h im w ith h a n d s ra is e d high: “ W e 'r e th e s o n s o f th e d ra g o n a n d f o r e v e rm o r e W e a r e g u a rd in g B e ta T h e ta P i!” T h e s o n s o f th e d ra g o n a re v a lia n t a n d b ra v e , E v e r re a d y t o e n te r th e fray; O h , w h a t c a n a ssa il o r w h a t c an p re v a il ‘G a in s t th e s tr e n g th o f th e d r a g o n ’s sw ay? A n d s tro n g in o u r m ig h t w e g o fo rw a rd to fig h t W ith th e s h o u t o f o u r b a ttle cry: “ W e ’re th e s o n s o f th e d ra g o n a n d f o r e v e rm o r e W e a re g u a rd in g B e ta T h e ta P i!”

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As has been related, the Legend of Wooglin had been handed down as a part of Beta lore since the 1860’s. The dragon had come into the frontispiece of the catalogs starting in 1881, but remained only a symbol in the early years of its pictorial existence. The chapters, and the fraternity, were quick to seize on this emblem and soon engravings of the Washington and Jefferson, Brown, and Iowa chapters dis­ played the same emblem. All of these dragons were faulted in that they bore feather wings. The cover of the magazine in 1883 bore a dragon with true bat wings but without any hind legs; this creature is called a wyvern. The songbook of 1884 dis­ played the Centre dragon holding a Beta badge and this device was also used on the magazine cover of 1886. But it was not until the present coat of arms was developed and adopted in 1897 that the dragon was finally displayed as the crest in his true form: seated, calmly defiant, defending his own. Still there was no reference to “Sons of the Dragon” and the mythical creature remained only a symbol and a part of the coat of arms. Then sometime in the early part of the 20th century a pair of great Beta hearts combined to write the song set out above. Sisson and Fitch related the dragon to the mythology of ancient Greece and the term “Sons of the Dragon” came into the folklore of the fraternity. Ken Rogers added his words and music to the legend and Betas everywhere were singing of the ruler of birds of the air and beasts of the wold. But the story of the dragon was still a half-century or more from becoming a part of the Beta story. The Beta dragon was sixty-nine years old in 1950 when the songs of Sisson-Fit ch and Rogers were the inspiration for the basic work of the pre-initiation ceremonies committee in 1950-1951. The theme of this Grecian legend kept recurring and it surfaced when it was coupled with authentic mythology drawn from the Greeks to result in the Dragon ceremony which we know today. In this ceremony the pledge learns how the present dragon fulfills the thoughts of Charles J. Seaman in 1881 as the guardian of the secrets of the fraternity and emphasizes that each of us shares the secret signs and symbols which are made known only to the select band of brothers in Beta Theta Pi. Once more the unity of the pledges and chapter is stressed, and this unity is further extended to Betas everywhere. The pledge has progressed one more step toward acceptance as a Beta and has arrived as a “Son of the Dragon.” The Wooglin and Dragon ceremonies were presented for the approval of the delegates of the 1951 convention in a special nighttime session. In the following days there was a thorough discussion of the ceremonies in committee, followed by a spirited discussion on the convention floor. The convention action praised the hard work of the committee which had produced the ceremonies, but rejected the accep­ tance of the ceremonies as a part of Beta’s ritualistic work. Like many conventions of previous years the underlying theme of the rejection was based on the theory that local usage and tradition should prevail and that each chapter should be the best judge of what went as pre-initiation ceremonies. But the convention ordered the ceremonies printed and sent to the chapters for trial usage. So for the next thirty-three years the chapters went their own ways in their tra­ 403

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ditional ceremonies and the “trial” ordered in 1951 continued until the convention of 1984. A show of hands of the delegates revealed the fact that perhaps two thirds to three fourths of the chapters were using the “trial” ceremonies. In a special evening session, a team of District Chiefs gave a model rendition of the Wooglin and Dragon ceremonies. A thorough discussion was the order of business of the committee to which the m atter of the proposed addition to the ritual was assigned. The result was a favorable report to the delegates, recommending that the conven­ tion order the printing of the Wooglin and Dragon ceremonies as part of the ritual, and added to the Laws as a part of the initiatory procedure of the fraternity. It was so ordered. After 145 years Beta Theta Pi had now standardized the preliminary ceremonies of initiation.

The Initiation Ceremony For the first thirty years of its existence, the fraternity had no formal initiation ceremony. As has been related, the prospect was invited to a meeting. If he assented that he desired to affiliate, the Constitution was read to him, he signed it, and was then a full member of Beta Theta Pi, and took his place as one of the brothers. The Constitution then contained all the obligations, gave the motto, and described the badge. This was to continue until 1879 when the open constitution was adopted and the secret parts of the workings of the fraternity were removed. There was no such thing as a “pledge” or “pledging” and the whole procedure was probably concluded in a m atter of hours. Student bodies were small and close-knit. Chapters were normally made up of from five to ten members. All of this resulted in a careful selection process that was thorough and painstaking in evaluating all of the desirable traits in the youthful candidates. There is no doubt that this choosing of the select members of the student body resulted in such a remarkable alumni body of the leaders of the community, state, and nation that marked the early history of Beta. But even in those early days there were stirrings among the chapters toward some form of ritual for the admittance of new members. An old record book of the Western Reserve chapter put down in writing some speeches and directions for members and officers. This ceremony apparently used one member denoted as the Marshal and outlines the obligations to be administered by the President. But there is no indication that this informal procedure progressed beyond the usage at West­ ern Reserve. The format simply follows the procedure outlined above as to the reading of the Constitution and the signing of the same. And at this point it is well to rem em ber that the motto, grip and obligation that we take as Betas today remain the same as those of the founders and others who swore their allegiance to Beta Theta Pi long years ago. For more than the next twenty years the progress toward a standard form of initiation procedure might well be described as moving from one committee to another. Recognizing that this is a standard procedure of organized society when faced with a troublesome problem, it was probably a necessary move from one convention to another that finally brought about the desired result. The first of this long string of committees was appointed by the convention of 1848 and was ordered 404

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to “draft a general form of initiation for the Association.” There were four members appointed to the committee and they made their report the same day. They recom ­ mended that the problem be passed along to another committee, this to be com­ posed of one member from each active chapter, to draft a form of initiation and report to the chairman within three months. There is no record of any sort of accomplishment and the view has been expressed that this may have been due to a general feeling of opposition to rituals, a feeling which has been noted in contem ­ porary fraternity literature. The subject was again brought before a convention, that of 1851, and another committee appointed. This group pondered the question and reported there was no need to adopt a general form of initiation, as varied circumstances within each chapter might render it desirable to modify such ceremonies as needed to suit the local circumstances. But this same convention recommended that each chapter adopt a suitable form of initiation to be modified as their particular case required. In this report we see the first appearance of the feeling by the chapters that local autonomy should govern in the case of initiations, and this attitude toward the right of the chapter to so choose and select their own procedure was to continue for the next 133 years. In 1854 the subject of a ritual was again brought before the convention and again a committee was appointed: “to prepare three several forms of initiation cere­ monies with a view toward adoption of a general form of initiation ceremony to be used by all chapters.” A group of distinguished scholars and public figures were ap­ pointed to this committee, including Schuyler Colfax, De Pauw 1854 (later Vice President of the United States), and George Hoadly, Western Reserve 1844 (later to be Governor of O hio). There is a strange twist of Beta history in the fact that none of those named to this committee were actually present at the convention and the Secretary was instructed to inform them of their appointment and the task to which they had been assigned. There is no record of the ultimate result of this action but we do know that no ritual or other ceremony came about as the result of anything done by the committee. The convention of 1856 again appointed a committee. Their assignment was to “draw up a suitable mode of initiation.” This committee reported the next day that they had determined there were objections against prescribing any form of cere­ mony at all in addition to what the Constitution already contained. The m atter was then referred to the Committee on Constitution, which group made no report beyond a recommendation that the Constitution be amended “for the purpose of recognition between members, the Association shall have a grip and passwords and these shall in no case be committed to paper.” The initiation procedures came before the convention of 1866 and again a committee was appointed. This panel only made the contribution of asking for more time and proposed to enter their findings in the minutes of the convention. There is no record that this was ever done. It might be noted that throughout these years of indecision and the fruitless work of the committees that convention after convention had constantly tinkered 405

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with certain parts of the Constitution and made alterations in the grip and other features of what might be termed the secret work of the fraternity. W e digress from the history of the ceremony of initiation for the moment to bring into historical perspective the Beta Temple and the Allegory which was writ­ ten to explain the figures contained in the scene finally depicted. In November 1847, Alonzo P. Carpenter, Williams 1849, later to be a Justice of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire, proposed that a catalog be printed with a steel engraving as a frontispiece. This was to be one “par excellence” considering the diamond, three stars and the wreath. Carpenter had been a delegate to the convention of 1848 and following this session he went to an engraving company in Boston with his ideas. A preliminary estimate was given of $200.00 but this amount was deemed too large by the western chapters and the plan was dropped. The convention of 1854 made provision for the publication of a catalog with the first feature to be a steel engraving of the form earlier suggested by Carpenter. The design for the title page, or frontispiece, of the Beta Temple was prepared by a group of Alpha chapter undergraduates during their active chapter life in 1854 and 1855. The original engraving appeared in the first Beta catalog of 1855, and also in the one of 1859. This plate was lost in a fire as were several later engravings which served in various editions published since 1903 and it forms the frontispiece as originally intended to be its rightful place in the latest directory of 1984. Accompanying the illustration in the ritual of the fraternity is the “Allegory of the Beta Temple,” this interpretation being written by Ulysses T. Curran, Miami 1856. The Allegory is an optional feature of the formal procedure of initiation which is used in many chapters to further explain the aims and objects contained in the lore of the fraternity. The Cumberland chapter was the Presiding Chapter when the convention of 1868 met to consider the state of the fraternity. Cumberland called attention to the need of adopting a uniform manner of initiation. It was pointed out that each chapter arranges its own and that no two chapters had the same form of initiation. They expressed the thought that all well-organized and well-regulated fraternities have the same form of initiation in all chapters (though how they could be sure of this cannot be imagined), and they expressed the hope that this subject would not be overlooked by this convention. There seems to have been no action taken as a result of this plea for standardization, but apparently the issue was coming to the front as a m atter of fraternity interest, and the chapters were thinking in terms of some form of uniform and standard procedure of initiation of new members. The convention of 1869 met and appointed a Committee on Initiatory C ere­ mony, which group comprised both alumni and undergraduates. At last a convention committee to draft a ceremony came up with a suggested procedure, and the result was a ceremonial now known as the “Old Ritual.” We mark the date of its acceptance as July 8,1869. It was at this convention that John Hogarth Lozier presented the Legend of Wooglin as it had been worked out in his De Pauw chapter, the story since having been adapted for use in the pre-initiation ceremony we now call the Wooglin C ere­ mony. Beta readers are referred to page 65 of the 1963 edition of the R itual for

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Lozier’s explanation of the reasons for the Wooglin legend as part of the lore and usage of the fraternity. The convention of 1870 instructed the Presiding Chapter to “send each chapter a copy of the ritual adopted by the last convention.” It should be noted that the secret work of the fraternity remained a part of the Constitution, the reading of which was a necessary feature of this ceremony. The fraternity was apparently satisfied with the progress which had been made with the approval of the “Old Ritual” for the m atter of adopting some further form of ceremony does not appear in convention minutes until seven years later: the convention of 1877 resolved that the Constitution be revised and a “ceremonial for initiation and other work to be used uniformly by all chapters.” It has been noted by historians that the word “work” as used in this resolution reflected the influence on Beta Theta Pi of organizations “incident to the outside world.” It is a common phrase often used to describe the initiatory procedure of Freemasonry. Another committee was appointed but there appears to be no further progress until the convening of the convention of 1878 when another committee was appointed “to prepare and submit to the next convention a form of initiation and other ceremonies to be adopted for uniform use among the chapters, with instructions to incorporate in the same such portions of the Constitution now in force as may be adapted for the purpose and desirable to be perpetuated.” Some names, later to be revered in Beta history, were appointed to the committee to carry out the instructions, namely: Major Wyllys C. Ransom, Michigan 1848, Willis O. Robb, Ohio Wesleyan 1879, and A. N. Grant, De Pauw 1874. Now came the epoch-making convention of 1879 which adopted the revised Constitution from which all secret work was eliminated. This same history-making convention strengthened the internal government of the fraternity by doing away with the cumbrous and inefficient Presiding Chapter plan and supplanted this parttime school boy system of administration by enacting legislation which put the affairs of the fraternity into the hands of elected alumni who would henceforth manage the day-to-day activities of the chapters and administer the affairs of the association subject only to direction from the annual conventions. The “Old Ritual” which had been used in all initiations from 1869 down to 1880 had not been printed. It was at the convention of 1879 that the second ritual, prepared by Major W. C. Ransom, Michigan 1848, was adopted and which quickly became known as the “XYZ” ritual because part of it was printed in cypher. It was sent to the chapters after being bound in soft cloth and most adopted it and used it for seven or eight years. This newest effort was a beautiful ceremony, but, for its time, was too marked an advance over the simplicity of the “Old Ritual” and re­ quired letter-perfect memorization of the various parts to make it effective. But it was a marked advance, and to Major Ransom must go much credit for his orderly arrangement of initiation features, by short speeches emphasizing the basic ideals of Beta Theta Pi. Many of his carefully formed sentences have been preserved by later editors of the ritual and continue to stir the hearts of initiates and listeners. So now the fraternity had two rituals and some chapters chose to use the “Old

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Ritual” while others preferred the “XYZ.” This confused state of affairs continued until the convention of 1886 and a movement for a new ritual caused that convention to appoint a new committee to which Prof. W. H. Crawshaw, Colgate 1887, was named chairman. The assigned task was to prepare what was later called the “Improved Ritual.” This committee reported to the 1887 convention and their of­ fering was sent to the chapters for trial. At this point of fraternity history we find that the “XY Z” ritual had provided for a certain amount of rough handling of the prospective members, but the “Ritual of 1887” carried this to extremes. It intro­ duced such props as a coffin, a simulated hanging, and like features. Some chapters used it and others were dissatisfied with its tableaus. So now there were three proposed rituals which had all undergone trial by the chapters. Various modifications had been made bringing forth local features and the result was that there was no standard. As a result the chapters went far afield, after being left to their own devices, and the greatest variety and general deteriora­ tion in the initiation ceremonies was the result. Most had forgotten the “Old Ritual” and alumni who had been initiated prior to the 1880’s found themselves in strange surroundings when they attended an initiation being surprised, disappointed, and sometimes disgusted with innovations which destroyed dignity and earnestness in the initiation ceremonies. The convention of 1888, one of the annual meetings held at Wooglin-onChautauqua, took steps to bring some order out of the chaotic conditions found in the initiatory practices of the various rituals. Of course another committee was appointed, but this group was instructed to prepare instructions to the convention for the guidance of the Committee on Ritual. Their findings were summarized in the following salient points: 1. Prepare a uniform ritual 2. Simple in form and language, with dignity, seriousness, strength and tender­ ness, to the exclusion of all suggestive of revelry 3. Instructions as to what should be included as essentials of initiation 4. All chapters to be required to use it for all initiations. 5. Chapters might add special features of their own but these must be separate and apart from the regular ritual and contain nothing inconsistent with the dignity and spirit of the fraternity. The report also included some instructions concerning the secret details of the fraternity. Professor Crawshaw was still chairman of the Committee on Rituals and prepared a report which was never printed. Owing to an accident the report was never presented to the convention of 1889 but that session requested Dr. Crawshaw, with the General Secretary, to prepare a “trial ritual” which should be sent to all chapters and then to be finally acted on by the convention of 1890. This resulted in a ritual published during the year 1889-1890, and since called the “Trial Ritual.” It was largely the work of Dickson L. Moore, Wooster 1895, and was practically a return to the “Old Ritual” of 1869. But it embodied some of the best features of the “X Y Z” and eliminated all of the rough-house features which had brought such disfavor on that effort. It utilized the Legend of Wooglin and the Allegory of the Beta

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Temple. But the record shows that no very thorough report of this “Trial Ritual” was received from the chapters. When the convention of 1890 convened, the union with the Mystic Seven had been consummated, and the delegates were much interested in the ritual of the Mystics. The result was a motion by William Raimond Baird that a committee consisting of Willis O. Robb and John Calvin Hanna be appointed to draft a ritual embodying some of the features of the Mystic ceremonies. Though these great Beta names carried on some correspondence and collected some materials, neither found time to prepare a new ritual and the m atter drifted on through the years with the question still unsettled as more committees were appointed. A partial report was made in 1892 and a ritual was presented which embodied some of the Mystic ceremonies, but this effort by J. K. Peebles, Virginia 1888, had not been revised and edited by the remainder of the committee appointed in the previous year, and the whole m atter was referred back to the committee appointed by the convention of 1891 and that body was instructed to report to the convention of 1893. Amidst all this confusion and indecision was a pressing need for some sort of ceremony among the chapters, and the executive committee of the Board of Trus­ tees in December, 1892, decided to publish a reprint of the “Old Ritual,” which was done in the spring of 1893. Another, and a new committee, came into being with the convention of 1893, with Professor Charles Gaines, St. Lawrence 1876, as chairman and naming the St. Lawrence chapter as cooperating members. This committee reported to the convention of 1895 but its suggestions were so radically different from the timehonored traditions that copies which had been printed and sent to the chapters were not favorably received and the effort was deemed a failure. In March, 1896, another edition of the “Old Ritual” was printed and this was used until 1904. At the annual gathering in 1898 another committee on ritual had been named, but this group made no formal report, and was merely continued through several convention years. Each year General Secretary Francis H. Sisson, Knox 1892, called attention to the importance of the problem and urged early action. Finally, at the convention of 1902 he recommended that the m atter be referred to the Board of Trustees, with power to act. Thus ended the long and frustrating experience of taking the m atter of ritualistic practices under consideration at annual conventions; referral to members of a committee, and then continuing the confusion and lack of direction to the chapters which came about as the result of various “trial” cerem o­ nies being submitted. Most of these had proved unsatisfactory and failed to express the fundamental objects of the fraternity. The crying need for some standard cere­ mony was never more clearly apparent than when the Board took over the task of settling the problem once and for all time. The Board of Trustees took the m atter firmly in hand and appointed three Beta experts to a ritual committee. These names, now legendary in Beta Theta Pi, were Francis W. Shepardson, Denison 1882, Francis H. Sisson, Knox 1892, and George M. Chandler, Michigan 1898. Perhaps no stronger trio of Beta minds could have been appointed: Shepardson, with his unique and compelling command of the

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English language and one who was steeped in Beta lore. Chandler, a recognized authority on heraldry and traditions of the age of chivalry, also with an intensive study of religious ritualism and military ceremonies to guide him in his writings. Sisson, the General Secretary and one who was to serve as President of the frater­ nity. All three were dedicated Betas and set to work to produce a ceremony of dignity and symbolism that would serve the needs of the fraternity for all time. Their report was presented to the convention of 1903 for approval and we may mark the date of July 18, 1903 when approval of their work was favorably accepted by the convention. In the next school year it was printed and submitted to the chapters with the belief that it would prove satisfactory in actual presentations. This proved to be so, and a second edition was printed in 1906 with some slight modifications in wording. This edition was used until 1916. Shepardson and Chandler were appointed by the Board to edit a third edition in 1916, and the two subjected the ritual to intense scrutiny, carefully studying every word in order that treasured phrases might be faithfully transmitted. They were aided in this study by J. Cal Hanna, a fine classical scholar. Few changes were made in the basic ceremony, these changes mainly being to add significance to certain words and phrases and to put the entire ceremony into better literary form. With these minor changes the edition of 1926 was sent to the printer and then on to be used by the chapters. With exhaustion of copies of the 1926 edition, the opportunity was given for a further study for possible revisions. Again the text was examined word for word, the various scenes and historical references were once again scrutinized for accuracy and significance, all with the objective of making the ritual as perfect as possible. The new edition with several minor changes resulted in the edition of 1930. The story and history of the Beta ritual from 1930 is a succession of studies over the years to seek improvements, if such might be needed, to the basic document. A study in 1935 ordered few changes. It was reviewed in the Centenary year, 1939, but few suggestions for change were recommended. There was another thorough study in 1955 but there were few changes except some minor alterations in directions and there was little tinkering with words and phrases which had endured for the better than half century the ceremony had been used by the chapters. This 1955 edition was finally reviewed by the entire Board of Trustees who carefully checked the work of the committee. The last review effort was conducted in 1963 by a Commission on Ritual, which body suggested some minor changes in directions and a few word changes to clarify certain more archaic forms. After all, the language itself had been changing, and some individual words shifted in their connotations.

The Changeless Parts This review of the history of the ritualistic practices of Beta would not be complete without taking note of the invariants, those aspects which have not changed throughout the many years of our history. Every Beta since 1839 has subscribed to the very same Principles expressed by the same three Greek words originally chosen by the Founders. The same â&#x20AC;&#x153;oathâ&#x20AC;? has been used by all Betas;

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though one provision was dropped before the end of the first year, and two others were added in later years, the changes were in harmony with the unchanged core. Furtherm ore, the same pass word and essentially the same grip have been used continuously. But perhaps the biggest unchanging part of the ritual is singing. Indeed, the very first set of songs were expressly written for use either in the initiation ceremony or in the chapter meeting. Those who are familiar with the rituals of other fraternities tell us that we are the only Greek-letter fraternity which uses its songs to forcefully convey to the initiates the lessons which the ritual seeks to impart to those who seek the Beta stars. These songs are not picked at random from the songbook, but have been carefully chosen from the Beta collection of hymnology to lend purity and meaning to the ceremony. Many of these songs go back to the early beginnings of the fraternity when the college boys of those pioneer days expressed their love for Beta with joyous songs. So the initiates of modern days can join with those Silver Grays of bygone days in thrilling to the words of “Gemma Nostra,” “As Betas Now We M eet,” and are blessed in the final scene of their introduction to the fraternity with the “Beta Doxology” - these songs have been in use since the early 1870’s! In fact, eight of the ten ritual songs appear in the songbook of 1872. Nowhere else in the symbolism of Beta Theta Pi is the sentiment of the fraternity so well expressed as in the songs of joy and welcome which accompany the words of our ritual. Francis W. Shepardson sums up the history and traditions of the ritual in these words: “After observation of initiations for many years, noting the exemplification of the ritual by undergraduates and alumni both, and listening to the comments from those who have experienced marked satisfaction with the work, the committee believes that the admission of new members to Beta Theta Pi is now attended by a ritualistic ceremony of notable dignity and beauty, in every way worthy of our great fraternity.” So Say We All Of Us!

The Chapter Meeting For early day Betas, those of the first fifty years of the fraternity’s existence, perhaps the most cherished memories of their college days revolved around the chapter meeting. In those days of small student bodies and a close knit few within the embrace of the fraternity, there was little day-to-day contact as they attended classes and participated in the varied activities of the life of the institution. Main outside activities seemed to center around the various campus literary societies with an opportunity only to show off their skills as debaters or orators. There was no such thing as a chapter house and rooms were sometimes provided in college dormitories with meals taken at Commons which was patronized by all students living on the campus. If there were no college living facilities, students took room and board with townspeople or made other rooming arrangements while attending the institution. As we read their letters it is evident that chapter meetings were held each week and it was in these sessions that brother met brother without interference from those outside the circle. There were no chapter houses until the latter years of the 19th century so meetings were held wherever and whenever such gatherings could be 411

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conveniently arranged. Most, if not all, were held at night as there was little time between busy class schedules to meetings in daylight hours. Letters tell of meeting in m em ber’s rooms, in the halls of the literary societies, and homes of local alumni. If the chapter faces a hostile faculty or student body sometimes it was necessary to meet in a wooded area adjacent to the campus amid great secrecy lest the presence of the chapter become known and risk banishment from the college community. Perhaps due to the influence of the literary societies many of these early meetings featured some sort of essay, or other work, by one of the members. These were usually assigned some time in advance of the date to be presented and formed the principal topic of discussion when read by the authors; criticism and discussion being freely entered into by the entire chapter. From this custom grew the round table discussion and a lot of self-help was generated as the merits and demerits of the brothers were freely discussed without rancor or hard feelings. This phase of the early chapter meetings has been carried over into modern usage with the same constructive criticism being offered from one brother to another to aid and assist him in becoming a well-rounded individual in his future life. Our early day Betas often expressed their fond memories for their days in chapter meetings in songs which have been handed down to those of us today as we meet in the chapter hall or the General Convention. As we open a convention we join in singing a song by J. O. Stillson, Hanover 1871: “T here’s a scene where brothers greet, where true kindred hearts do meet At an altar sending love’s sweet incense high; W here is found without alloy purest store of earthly joy - ’Tis within the halls of Beta Theta Pi.” And M. L. Brooks, Western Reserve 1864, expressed it thusly in “ Beta’s Emblems,” one of Beta’s oldest songs: “On Beta’s night every heart is light, Banished is care and sorrow; W e’ll hear no sigh till the morn’s grey eye Fresh care for itself doth borrow.” C. S. Sprague, Denison 1886, expressed his love of the gatherings in the song he titled “The Chapter Meeting”: “Sweet is the time when gathered here; while hearts from care are free... we meet to sing the songs so dear, our Beta, songs to thee... And side by side in joy and pride, as brothers tried and true, The altar fires our hearts inspire while we our vows renew.” O f the nocturnal meetings of those days this song entitled “Pledge to Beta Theta Pi” came out of the W estern Reserve chapter, possibly in 1847: “When the earth is wrapped in slumber, and the stars shine brightly down, Then we leave our toil and studies, and our cares in Beta drown. Then with joy we meet our brother, and with them raise voices high. And again in hearty friendship pledge to Beta Theta Pi.” So sang the Beta Bards of a century or more ago of their fond memories of college days and their love of Beta brothers and the chapter meeting. With the appearance of the chapter house on most college scenes in the 1890’s, or around the turn of the century, there was an opportunity for day-to-day contact with the brothers and the need to gather in the weekly meeting for fellowship was no longer paramount. But these same changes in the mode of college living also brought about a new need for regular meetings to assure stable management of the house and property. For with the chapter house added to the fraternal picture there was now the job of running a building which provided a place to study, eat and sleep 412

i n c r A i i t i r u L H U M t u r 1n u lH K t t M A K S

for those who chose to live in this environment. The fraternity seeks to continue to make an effort to structure the chapter meeting in such a way to make it a memorable part of the undergraduate life of each Beta. For chapter use there is both a long form, intended for the first meeting of each month, and a short form is made available for other occasions. In both ceremonies the use of appropriate Beta songs are made parts of the ceremony and, in all cases, an effort is made to carry out the theme that Beta Theta Pi is an international association and that certain standards should be maintained by all chapters to uphold the objects and ideals to which we have all subscribed. It has been said of the chapter meeting that it should be the most cherished of all the associations of the fraternity. Only an exceptional emergency should keep a Beta away from it. Its memories should linger while life lasts. Its functions are many. It is the place where chapter traditions are magnified and where chapter history is made. It is the place where chapter and individual relationship to the larger frater­ nity are emphasized. It is the place where chapter activities are worked out, through sharp discussions at times, and with frank and divergence of view, into harmonious agreement. It is the place where the administrative secrets of the chapter are laid bare, and where brother learns to judge brother for ability or inefficiency in execu­ tive capacities. It is the place where fellow students are discussed with searching analysis of their strength or weakness as possible members of the fraternity. It is the place where personal feelings are frankly considered, where individual faults find correction through severe but friendly criticism of brothers. It is the place where life’s joys or sorrows are shared with delight or with sympathy. It is the place where fraternity songs of sentiment have greatest power of gripping the heart. It is, in fine, the sacred shrine of noble youth. No wonder that memories come fast when alumni return; forms no stranger eye can see commune with them as they hear and sing the familiar words: W e a r e s in g in g a g a in in th e d e a r o ld h all O f B e ta T h e ta Pi. W h e r e o ft w e m e t to s in g th e s e so n g s In g o ld e n d a y s g o n e by.

Convention Rituals The Ritual of the fraternity also contains the formal ceremonies in connection with the opening, closing and conducting the business of the annual convention. The General Secretary, as the operating head of the fraternity, has most of the speaking parts which relate to the calling together of the delegates and assembled brothers, that the business and formalities of the annual gathering may be held in proper sequence and with due regard for the traditions and standards of Beta Theta Pi. As in all Beta ceremonies, the use of traditional songs form an important part of these rites, emphasizing that the use of Beta songs has ever been a part of our ceremonies as expressing our love and affection for the fraternity. A part of the ceremonies designed for the annual convention is contained in a separate section which has been designated as the “Service for the Dead.” Obvi­ ously, with a vast membership which we now count, it would be impossible to honor 413

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each Beta who has passed away in a given year between conventions. The ritual provides the wording for the services and suggests the General Secretary or Presi­ dent to include the roll call of the deceased as a part of his remarks. This has been changed in recent years and the Service for the Dead is now usually assigned to an older Beta who conducts the entire part of this ceremony. The list of the deceased always includes the eight founders “of ever honored memory.” A select list of Betas who have passed on in the past year has been prepared and the names of these brothers is added to the list of the founders. This listing is a mixture of Betas of all ages and usually represents the geographical spread of the fraternity. Convention goers have found it an impressive ceremony to honor those who have been builders of Beta Theta Pi in their lifetime.

Other Incidental Rituals To this point in the telling of the ritual story of the fraternity we have dealt only with those ceremonies contained within the covers of the official ritual. There are certain other symbolic routines which have been open to those persons not mem­ bers of the fraternity. We often sing the “Beta Doxology” in public; many chapters using this version with music from an old air as a means of asking grace at meals in the chapter house or at banquets. This is just our way of offering a prayer of thanks and asking future blessings on our fraternity. This offering of thanks has also been known to have been sung at funerals of deceased members or around an open grave. The words are by J. S. Tunison, Denison 1873, who also gave us “Gemma Nostra.” H e must have been a fine classical scholar, as the original version of Gemma Nostra is always repro­ duced in his handwriting with each new edition of the songbook. The music for the Doxology is our own national air, “America” and Beta lore tells of a banquet during World War I under auspices of the Toronto chapter. It was pointed out that the singing of three songs not only emphasized our long-standing friendship with Canada, but also showed the common bond of Beta Theta Pi stretching across the unguarded border. On this occasion Betas sang “America,” “God Save the King,” and the “Beta Doxology,” all to the same tune. For many years the fraternity has sought to honor those member who complete fifty years since their initiation. This honor to these “silver grays” has been given even greater emphasis in recent years. Each Beta so honored now receives an attractive card listing him as a “Fraternal Fifty”; he also receives a gold seal1 to affix to his shingle which he received at the time of his initiation. This gold seal matches the original red seal and are respectively to the right and left as one faces the shingle. To date there has been no ceremony developed which would make uniform the presentation of these fifty year awards, but there have been several suggestions that such a ceremony be developed. In the interim every effort is made to induce the chapter to invite the alumni to be honored back to the campus where the card and seal can be presented in due form and the proper Beta setting. As this practice gains in favor with the chapters it is hoped that some ceremony could be developed which 1 th is b e in g th e s u g g e s tio n o f S ta n C h u rc h h im se lf! P J F

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will suitably honor those who have served the fraternity long and well and proudly carried the Beta name through half a century.

The Loving Cup O f all the public ceremonies of Beta Theta Pi the one best known and best loved is the passing of the Loving Cup. The ceremony is of uncertain origin and there are some gray areas surrounding how and why it entered our lore and symbolism. So perhaps a bit of history is in order that we may better bring into focus this most impressive ceremony which puts our love and affection for our fraternity on public display. We find the words “Loving Cup” defined as follows: “a large drinking cup of silver, etc., with two or more handles by which it was passed from guest to guest at banquets.” So, as Betas, as we join in passing the Loving Cup we are indulging in a definable symbolic gesture. But we take the liberty of changing the words in the definition to fit our unique passing of the cup. We drop the word “formerly” and substitute “brothers” for “guests.” So now our definition for Beta purposes reads as follows: “a large drinking cup of silver, etc., with two or more handles by which it is passed from brother to brother at banquets.” How did the Loving Cup become a symbolic part of Beta Lore and tradition? Nothing which would note such a cup as part of our legends appears in early letters, songs or stories. A best guess, at this late date, is that this token of fraternity was first noted in 1895. In that year John Reily Knox and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Wishing to honor the occasion with a suitable gift, the chapters of Beta Theta Pi presented the couple with a silver loving cup, suitably engraved, as a token of their esteem and appreciation. The cup, of classic design, remained in the hands of the Knox family for the next fifty-one years, when, in 1946, the widow of Pater Knox’s grandson, John Knox Landsdowne, Miami 1900, presented the cup to Alpha chapter to be added to the archives. It was at the convention of 1946 that it was used in a convention Loving Cup ceremony for the first time. Today it is dis­ played along with other Beta treasures in the Archives Room at the Administrative Headquarters in Oxford. That is, it is displayed there when it is not traveling to some Beta event in some nearby or far-flung outpost of our broad domain. Since 1946 it has been from border to border in both countries and coast to coast in both nations where Beta is represented. The Knox Loving Cup has truly become a symbol of fraternity and perhaps symbolizes in its physical presence the Loving Cup in our great Beta song. So we mark the date 1895 as the first appearance in Beta hands of the Knox Loving Cup. But about this same time another event was shaping the future of Beta and a musical legend was about to enter the ranks of Wooglin’s legions. Shep tells the story in Beta Lore as follows: O n e d a y in 1893, a s I w as lo o k in g o v e r th e list o f s tu d e n ts e n ro lle d in th e U n iv e r­ s ity o f C h ic a g o , m y e y e m e t a lin e , “ H o r a c e G ille tte L o z ie r - M t. V e r n o n , Io w a .” T h a t h a d a g e n u in e B e ta s o u n d a s I re a d it a lo u d to m y self. T h e id e a c a m e q u ic k a s a fla sh , “ if th a t is th e s o n o f t h e ‘h ig h p r ie s t o f W o o g lin ,’ w e m u s t h a v e h im in th e C h ic a g o c h a p t e r .” F o r in d e e d , it w o u ld h a v e b e e n a n u n p a r d o n a b le o ff e n s e to

415

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h a v e a llo w e d th e s o n o f th e a u th o r o f th e le g e n d o f W o o g lin to live u n in itia te d in th e p re s e n c e o f a B e ta c h a p te r . T h e s p ik in g [ru sh ] c o m m itte e w a s s o o n o n h is tra c k , a n d it w a s n o t lo n g u n til th e f a th e r w a s m a d e g la d b y th e n e w s th a t h is so n w a s a m e m b e r o f h is lo v e d fr a te rn ity .

Horace G. Lozier was to be a member of the class of 1894 at the Chicago chapter. But his service to the fraternity had only begun with his undergraduate years. W hen only out of college a short seven years he was edition the Beta songbook of 1901-1902. This edition introduced to Beta and the fraternity world his great Beta song of brotherhood, the “Loving Cup.” But this is only one of his contributions to the musical heritage of the fraternity. The songbook also lists the following as his work which will enrich Beta for all time: Beta Sons and Beta Sires (he wrote the music; his father wrote the words) In the Old Porch Chairs Marching Song (now called “Clan Wooglin M arches”) She W ears My Beta Pin The Banquet Hall Beta Postscript W e’ll Toast the Silver Grays The Response (to the previous song) Wooglin to the Pledge Perhaps his last contribution to the Beta writings was his poem delivered at the dedication of the Beta Bell Tower at Oxford in 1941 when he read his original composition “From the Campanile” as a part of the dedication ceremonies. [This poem appears in the poetry section of this book.] “The Loving Cup” quickly caught on and was recognized as one of the great college and fraternity songs. Numerous requests have been received from compilers of college song books seeking permission to include this song within the covers. From time to time it has become apparent that other college fraternities have adapted their own words to the music, the latter being a folk melody originally called “Bring the Wagon Hom e.” Nowhere in Beta records do we find that the Knox Loving Cup was the inspi­ ration for Lozier’s songs. But his entry into the fraternity and the presentation of the cup to Pater Knox are nearly contemporaneous and we would like to believe there is a true connection between Lozier and the Knox cup. The introduction of the Loving Cup ceremony in which we pass the cup from one Beta to another while are arms are linked in bonds fraternal is somewhat of a mystery. As we sip from the cup we might ask where, when and how this lovely ceremony was devised. For now we not only sing of passing the Loving Cup, but we actually drink from the vessel as it passes around the circle. The answer is not found in any Beta publication and we pose the question in the hope that someone, some­ where may recall when the custom came into being as a part and parcel of our ritualistic ceremonies. There are a few clues, however. There is some indication that the ceremony was done in the very first conven­ tion following its appearance in the songbook, but this has not been verified. It is noted as being performed at the convention of 1946, when the Knox Cup was 416

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returned to the fraternity. Letters from as early as the 1950’s indicate the problem with passing the cup in large circles of brothers - at that time there were only two verses. Lozier then added what now stands as the second verse, and requested that piano accompaniment improvise on the melody between verses, so that the song would not be “sung to death” as it had been in the past. It seems clear, however, that this was a ceremony used by numerous chapters, though not all, and it was not typical of conventions or certain other Beta gatherings - perhaps a ritualistic privacy had been in force. But whether or not we know the origin of the custom of passing the Loving Cup from one brother to another, to “drink from the same canteen,” it is a beautiful and touching ceremony that makes strong the bonds of fraternal love and affection. No doubt countless generations of Betas in future years will continue to pass the Loving Cup around and find H e r e ’s life a n d s tre n g th , H e r e ’s h e a lth a n d w e a lth , H e r e ’s all in P hi kai P hi.

417

The Beta Temple An allegorical picture used as the frontispiece of several catalogs and directories.

418

SECTION 30 Historical Exhibits This section contains several important and interesting documents relating to Beta Theta Pi. Most of them have already appeared in The Beta Theta Pi or in other publications of the fraternity. Contents The Greek Alphabet The Greek Notation of Numerals Believe It or Not The Founding Speech The First Anniversary Speech The Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Initiation Speech On the Founding and Early Days of Beta Recollections of 1839

David Linton John Reily Knox Charles Henry Hardin John Reily Knox John Reily Knox

R eport to the Convention of 1878 Seventy-five Years of Beta Life What is a Good Chapter? Mutual Assistance GriPs Candidate

Wyllys C. Ransom William R. Baird Francis W. Shepardson Francis W. Shepardson Willis O. Robb

Freedom With Why a GOO D Fraternity? A W ord about the Convention Cementing the Nation The Beta of the Future

Seth R. Brooks Seth R. Brooks John Reily Knox Albert S. Berry Willis O. Robb

A Beta Theta Pi Banquet in France The Beta Goals 2000 Report

Charles S. Hill Beta Goals 2000 Committee

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The Greek Alphabet A a BP r 7 A 5 E e Z r H V 0 9

Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Epsilon Zeta Eta Theta

I L KK AA M p. Nv se 0 o

n 7r

Iota Kappa Lambda Mu Nu Xi Omicron Pi

P p 2 a s T T T v $ <j> x* $ v> Ow

Rho Sigma Tau Upsilon Phi Chi Psi Omega

The Greek Notation of Numerals The Greeks used the letters of their alphabet to represent numbers, somewhat similar to the Roman numeral method. An accent mark or prime was used to distinguish a number from the table below: thus, /J' stood for 2. When the prime was was below the letter, that value was multiplied by one thousand, so that 2000 is represented by ,/3. To write a number, the separate characters were placed together, each with the appropriate markings of primes, so that 39 would be written as X ' 6' or 30 + 9. The Founders wrote 1839 as , au > ' X ' 8' representing 1000 + 800 + 30 + 9. The primes on the inner two digits were erroneously omitted on all but the earliest badges. Since this notation needs 27 â&#x20AC;&#x153;digitsâ&#x20AC;? but there are only 24 Greek letters, both forms of sigma (a and s) are used. Two other symbols were only used as digits: the ij or koph , and the 71)' or sampi, which the Greeks inherited from a more ancient alphabet. a' P' l' S' e' s' r v' 9'

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

i' K' X' m' l>' r o' TX'

s'

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

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100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900

l n r , r f t l l t l f U L n u n c , UE THE THREE STARS

Believe It Or Not1 The following extract from an old letter found among the papers of a deceased Southern brother is interesting, though the narrative partakes somewhat of the improbable. The manuscript is considerably mutilated; but what remains of the context indicates that the writer had been dwelling upon the secret history of the order as he had heard it from various sources: A n d n o w c o m e s o n e w h o h a s tra v e le d in fo re ig n la n d s fo r m a n y y e a rs, a n d w h ile s o jo u rn in g in A th e n s le a r n e d m a n y th in g s c o n c e rn in g b o th a n c ie n t a n d m o d e r n G re e c e . H e d e c la r e s th a t th e o r d e r o f B e ta T h e ta P i is in fact a b r o t h e r ­ h o o d w h o se o rig in is lo st in th e a n tiq u ity o f G re c ia n e s o te ric h is to ry . It h a s a lm o s t e n tire ly d ie d o u t in G re e c e , a n d w h a t re m a in s o f it is k n o w n b y a n o th e r n a m e . T h e o r d e r w a s v e ry p o w e rfu l a t o n e tim e , b u t, b e c a u s e o f its e s s e n tia l p rin c ip le s , its e x iste n c e w a s sc a rc e ly k n o w n o u ts id e th e m y stic c ircle. A t a n e a r ly p e rio d e x ile s fro m v a rio u s p a r ts o f G re e c e p e n e t r a te d in to th e c o u n tr ie s o f th e N o r th a n d in tr o d u c e d th e p rin c ip le s o f th e o r d e r a m o n g th e p e o p le o f o n e o f th e b a r b a r o u s ra c e s o n th e N o r th e r n C o a s t. T h e n a m e o f th e p a r ­ tic u la r trib e is u n k n o w n . A t a la te r p e rio d , d u r in g th e tr a n s m ig ra tio n s o f th e N o r th e r n trib e s , th e N o r th e r n a n d G re c ia n e le m e n ts w e re b r o u g h t to g e th e r , a n d fo r a tim e th e o r d e r rev iv ed a n d flo u rish e d . T h e tw o e le m e n ts b e c a m e c o n m in g le d , h o w e v e r, a n d th e b r o th e r h o o d lo st its p e c u lia r G re c ia n c h a r a c te r a n d p a r to o k o f th e id e a s a n d in tr o d u c e d s o m e o f th e n a m e s a n d le g e n d s o f th e N o rth . T h e g e n tle m a n w h o im p a rts th is a lm o s t in c re d ib le in fo r m a tio n s ta te s f u r th e r th a t th e r e w e re a t le a st t h r e e m e m b e rs o f th e fo re ig n o r d e r in th is c o u n try p r io r to its f o u n d a tio n h e r e a s a n A m e ric a n c o lle g e f r a te rn ity , th a t o n e o f th e s e w a s th e g r a n d f a th e r o f J o h n R eily K n o x o n h is m o th e r 's sid e. It w as f o r a lo n g tim e a m a tte r o f s e r io u s d is c u s s io n a m o n g th e s e m e n h o w th e p rin c ip le s o f th e O r d e r s h o u ld b e p e r p e tu a te d . T h e id e a o f a c o lle g e a s s o c ia tio n w as d e te r m in e d o n a n d th e g ra n d s o n , th e n a sm a ll bo y , w as c h o s e n a s th e in s tru m e n t fo r e ffe c tin g th e p u r p o s e o f th e G re e k s . T h e p la n d e c id e d o n w as in a c c o rd a n c e w ith th e po licy a n c ie n tly fo llo w e d , w h e re b y th e y o u th o f th e b e s t fa m ilie s o f G r e e c e w e re im b u e d a t a n e a r ly a g e w ith th e p rin c ip le s o f th e o r d e r a n d th u s p r e p a r e d f o r z e a lo u s w o rk a t a la te r p e rio d in life. It is h a rd ly n e c e s sa ry to say th a t th e A m e ric a n B e ta T h e ta P i h a s w id e ly d e p a r te d in its c h a r a c te r a n d w o rk in g s fro m th e fr a te r n ity o f th e a n c ie n t G re e k s , th o u g h it is h e ld th a t m a n y o f its p rin c ip le s a n d s o cia l f e a tu r e s a re id e n tic a l. H e re w o u ld b e a m in e fo r s o m e o f o u r m y th o lo g is ts to in v e stig a te . I a m in c lin e d to re c eiv e th e s ta te m e n ts w ith s o m e h e s ita tio n , th o u g h its s o u rc e is g o o d , a n d I w o u ld n o t e n tire ly d is c r e d it th e n a rra tiv e u n til a fu lle r in v e s tig a tio n o f th e m a tte r h a s b een m ade.

This calls to mind the intimation once made that two or three of our grey­ headed brothers know some things about the order of Beta Theta Pi which they have, for some reasons, not disclosed to the fraternity in general. If such is the case, we cannot conceive why any such matters should longer be withheld.

1 F ro m

Tile Beta Theta Pi f o r J u n e

1881, p a g e 7 q u o te d in

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The Founding Speech1 In addressing you on this, the first anniversary of our beloved association, I should be blind to circumstances were I not to feel the responsibility of the station resting heavily upon me. W hen I look around me and consider the character of those whom I address and the cause which incites us; when I look forward to our future prospects, to the talent and attainment that must be arrayed under our banner if we prove faithful to ourselves, to the tremendous influence, the concentrated power which their concentrated efforts must wield; in the full view of all these circum­ stances I should shrink from the undertaking were I not confident that your kind and partial indulgence, which alone can shield this hasty and futile effort, will be extended to me and afford broad and ample protection. With this view of my present condition I shall direct your attention for a few moments to the sentiments embodied in the first and last words of our motto; for I feel that they lie at the foundation of all our hopes, that they constitute the sure anchor of our future prosperity, the main pillars upon which the temple of our glory is to rest. In reference to friendship as well as every other virtue, there have been two classes of men who have entertained different opinions. The one adheres to what has been called the selfish system, the other to the benevolent and disinterested. The selfish contend men love not friendship for its own sake, or, if they do, it is the most foolish impulse of the heart. [They claim friendship should be determined] by wisdom, that all our associations are for the advancement of some hidden and interested design. With them it is the highest wisdom to use their partners in toil and danger, in joys and high hopes, as the mechanic uses his tools, for the accomplish­ ment of some ulterior purpase, their own private ends. For my own honor I hope that such sentiments may never exist in my breast. For the honor and prosperity of our beloved society I hope and trust they may never be entertained by any who wears the badge and bears the name o f Beta Theta Pi.2 Our own observation and experience have taught us that the natural disposition of man is to confide, the prattling infant in his anxious mother, the cheerful boy in his playful mate, the daring youth in his bold companion. We also know that candor and sincerity mark the character of man in the main in the springtime of life; and that these are the halcyon days of his existance, when the dew of innocence has not been drunk by the thirst of ambition, the golden age of the poets when truth and virtue remained enshrined in the heart. Though the sun of life shall have ascended far toward the meridian, though the mind of man be engaged in the hot pursuit of fortune, fame and power, or whatever else the heart may desire; still, ever anxious, the mind looks around for another whose artless countenance beams with respect, whose bosom swells with tender 1 T h e m in u te s o f th e M ia m i c h a p te r fo r th e first r e g u la r m e e tin g s ta te : D a v id L in to n , w h o h a d b e e n p re v io u s ly a p p o in te d to p r e p a r e a s u ita b le a d d r e s s f o r th e o c c a s io n , d is c h a rg e d th e d u ty d e v o lv in g u p o n h im in a n e ss a y u p o n th e first, a n d a n ex te m p o r e a d d r e s s u p o n th e la st, w o rd s o f th e m o tto . T h o u g h th e s e c o n d p a r t is ( n o d o u b t) lo s t fo re v e r, th is is th e e ss a y r e c o r d e d in th e A lp h a re c o rd b o o k , w h ic h a p p e a r s in

Beta Lore, p a g e

32.

2 T h is is th e first u s e o f th e s e fa m o u s w o rd s in B e ta lite ra tu re .

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regard, and whose sympathy may soothe its aching troubles. A nd does it look thus in vain? Do we gaze on the fellow being, old and intimate companion it may be, whose very form is lovliness, whose very tones seem kindness, and is there no such thing as the rich, the joyous function of friendship? Has the mildew of the soul corrupted the fountains of the heart? And are the enjoyments which are not compassed about by this frail tenement of clay, to be turned into sorrows and into heart-achings? Are not the frank expressions, the cordial greetings, and the artless smiles, of those with whom we have daily intercourse, so many outward manifesta­ tions of the kind sentiments cherished within? O r must we believe them the wiles of duplicity, the base subterfuge of ulterior designs? Or to say the most of it, can we harbor the thought that friendship is to vanish like the morning cloud before the orb of glory, or like the beautiful yet fragile flower, is to be blasted by the simoon of avarice; or is it yet like the slender bark on ocean wave to be engulfed in the maelstrom of all absorbing selfishness? If it be so, why this anxiety, this longing for another in whose candor we can confide, whose sympathy may pillow our misfor­ tunes? Does not every heart respond? There is a chord in the breast of man which vibrates in unison with his fellow, a feeling in kindred spirits which links them in heavenly unison, a joyous junction in the wedlock of souls which tells on the actions of men. Yet if truth be not on the tongue, if virtue be not enshrined in the heart, if rectitude mark not the footsteps of men, then indeed this unison of souls can never take place. The chalice of pleasure proffered by the hand of friendship is turned into gall and bitterness. As no man of sense ever trusts the gossip with his secrets or the spendthrift with his money, so no man of prudence or discernment ever confides in the vicious or selfish. No one is worthy of your confidence whose actions have not been characterized by candor, generosity and justice. For without these there can be no lasting attachment, no enduring friendship. An assassin or conspirator may have an accomplice, the powerful may have courtiers, the instructed associates, the voluptuous companions, but the generous, the disinterested, the virtuous alone can have any rational hope of enjoying the rich fruition of friendship. I say the generous, for who does not condemn the parsimonious and mean; the disinterested, for it is magnanimous - it speaks the nobleness of our nature, and, I will add, it is the consummation of wisdom; and finally, the virtuous, for it shines in the sentiment expressed by England’s choicest bard, when speaking of the essential requisite of a friend, that “ E v e ry v irtu e o f th e so u l M u s t c o n s titu te th e c h a rm in g w h o le A ll s h in in g in th e ir p la c e s .”

The history of our race amply sustains these positions1. If you turn to the venerable chronicler of the past, he will tell you that Cethegus was the accomplice of Cataline, that Maecenas was the courtier of Augustus, but that it took a Tully to be the friend of Atticus, the patriotism of a Brutus to recommend him to Cato. Let us go to the venerable man, drink inspiration, copious draughts from his wisdom 1 T h e F o u n d e r s w e re q u ite fa m ilia r w ith th e c la ssic al r e fe re n c e s o f th is p a r a g r a p h , h a v in g s tu d ie d G r e e k h is to r y in th e o rig in a l la n g u a g e .

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learned from experience, consult his pages, for there we may trace causes to their effects, deeds to their consequences. From these let us learn a lesson. As a single instance mark the rewards attendant upon the virtue, the patriotism and the friendship of Epaminondas and Pelapidas, invincible in the field, firm and unswerv­ ing in their attachments. Mainly through this influence the dull Boeotian burst asunder the chains of his bondage, and the city of Cadmus swayed the destinies of G reece1. A glorious immortality rests upon their names, and the world does homage to their goodness. From these and numerous other examples you may learn that the virtuous qualities though indispensible are not sufficient to win the wise m an’s confidence. It is not the part of the philosopher to confide in the stupid and ignorant however good their intentions, however much they may desire his welfare. While it is his to admire the cheerful sincerity of virtue, the invincible power of truth, and the mountain’s majesty of worth, to know them from their effects, and to love them for their own sake, he equally admires that strength of mind which is necessary to distinguish between virtue and vice, truth and error, generosity and prodigality, that energy of soul which knows how to appreciate and adhere to the former, to despise and resist the allurements of the latter. H e looks upon his fellow men with the eye of discernment, but not of suspicion as beings having excellence, yet through the influence of ignorance prone to err, loving goodness, yet tossed on the tempest of passion, or borne rapidly on by the swift current of the desires, liable to be engulfed in vice and misery. Imitate his example, for prudence and warmth of feeling are not incompatible. Rem em ber that ’tis virtue and wisdom that give vitality to friendship, and that without them there can be no lasting bond of union. Then study that you may be wise and cherish every virtue of the soul that you may be worthy of a brother’s confidence. Sow the seed of innocence that you may reap a peaceful and joyous harvest. Aspire after excellence, for it is manly, noble, God-like. Before I dismiss this part of my subject, let me exhort you to cultivate friendship for its own sake, for it has an intrinsic value uncomputed, incomputable. Let none say, what care I for my brother’s esteem? What is all this worth? How will it advance my interests, subserve my private ends? This is the language of delusion and folly, the breathing of a narrow soul, the effervescence of base selfishness. But let all of us ask ourselves those other questions of wisdom and of honor. What shall I do to render myself worthy of a brother’s esteem? How shall I promote his interests or win his confidence? And what exertions shall I make to prove to all that I am not a mere cipher in the association to which I belong? Let each one of us ask ourselves these questions, and answer them by our actions, for they are the bodyings forth of our nobler nature, the language of a generous spirit.

1 P e la p id a s , th e fr ie n d o f E p a m in o n d a s , w a s th e le a d e r in th e lib e ra tio n o f T h e b e s fro m S p a rta n ty rra n y .

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The First Anniversary Speech1 by Pater John Reily Knox, Miami 1839 This is a day for congratulation. This is an hour of honest pride, and this, too, is a time well fitted for the indulgence of proud and glowing hopes, of bright and beaming anticipations. Twelve months ago was held the first meeting of the Beta Theta Pi. On that occasion, what were the feelings of the few who there assembled in all the brightness, and all the fervor and constancy of the heart, young and fresh feelings to erect and consecrate an altar set apart for the holy offerings of friendship! The writings inscribed by hope on the tablets of the heart were, it is true, ominous of good. The first faint glimmerings of the dawn heralded a bright morning. The bark was launched on a sunny sea, the strong tide of perseverance carried it onward, and the favoring gales of youthful determination already filled its flowing sails. And, although the budding anticipations of the youthful heart are often blasted; although the siren songs of hope are even more deceitful than the promises of the sunny dawn; although the bark is ofttimes foundered ere it is yet clear of the harbor, yet prosperity has attended our every effort, our utmost expectations have been more than realized, and every additional day has only tended to draw closer, to clasp firmer the silver link, the silken tie that binds all loving hearts together. One year of our existence as a society has passed away. The sailor, when he has left the shore and struck out boldly into the unknown deep, seeks every opportunity of taking his bearings and of ascertaining his latitude and departure. Let us at this time imitate his prudence and look for a few moments at our present position. It is a favorable one. The Rubicon is passed. We are steering on the ocean of experiment. The wide sea of the future is before us. A rocky coast is in our front whose havens we know not and whose ports are not on our charts, without a friendly light house on its headland or a beacon to warn us of its hidden shoals. The history of the Beta Theta Pi is but a part of the history of similar institutions. By reference to their annals we may discover the causes of our past prosperity and gather wisdom for our future guidance. Combinations of individuals for mutual instruction, for mutual assistance, and for the cultivation of the friendly feelings are as old as the wants of man and coeval with the growth of literature. Traces of them may be found in the annals of almost every nation. Of this kind were the priesthood of Egypt and the Magi of Persia, the Jewish Santi2 and the British Druids. Even during the darkest and most gloomy periods of the Middle Ages traces of them may be observed, and it was through them that the literature of the ancient world was preserved. Chivalry had its origin in an association of individuals secretly combined to assist each other, and to befriend everyone who knew and acknowledged the secrets of their order. And when the institution of chivalry had spread itself throughout the whole of Europe, and its 1 T h is s p e e c h w a s giv en b y P a te r K n o x o n A u g u s t 1 3 ,1 8 4 0 - B e ta 's first a n n iv e rs a ry . W h ile it c o n ta in s s o m e in a c c u ra c ie s a n d m is in te rp re ta tio n s , it w a s n o t m e a n t to d is c u s s g e n e r a l h is to ry b u t B e ta T h e ta Pi. It a p p e a r s in

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devotees had become so numerous that the original objects were forgotten, minor associations were formed who acted in secret and who were bound to each other by the strongest cords of faith and fellowship. Holy men (misguided in their faith, it is true) bound themselves together by vows which were never broken and pursued the great objects of their associations with an energy that never tired, with a zeal that knew not self, and with a devotedness that never counted gold. The lamp which burned in secret burned even on that account the m ore brightly. And when the curtain of ignorance and superstition was withdrawn, the light which burst on the eyes of the bewildered beholders startled all Europe with its brilliancy, and men learned to revere the character of those men who had opened the hitherto sealed book of Nature and read to them the contents of these mysterious pages. With the history and names of many of these we are all familiar. Among the most remarkable was the order of Jesuits. The energy with which they pursued all the objects, the devotedness with which they sacrificed property, talents, life itself, everything which man holds most dear, to the great ends of their institution raised them from obscurity to be the scourge of kings and the dread of Europe. But their pride and ambition at length worked their downfall. Nations became jealous of their power, and by united efforts they were put down. Their fall was probably merited, but they died hard, fighting it out to the last.1 But probably the most celebrated of this species of association is the well known far famed society of Free Masons. The origin of this association is unknown. Their own account, tracing it back to the building of Solomon’s temple, was, of course, fabulous. In all probability it was very obscure. But however that be, it grew with time and spread with civilization until its members were found in every country and of every clime. Men were found in its lodges from all ranks of life, and of all varieties of talent and attainment. Kings have been its Grand Masters and beggars have attained to its highest honors. W hether it has ever been of great and general benefit may be doubted. It has been, no doubt, perverted to evil, but it has been more uniformly productive of good. The necessity of its existence in this country is very questionable. The effect which may be produced upon the community by the united action of so large and miscellaneous a body of men might, if improperly exerted, be very injurious. As a natural consequence of the number of its members some will be admitted, bad and reckless men, who, when separate from each other, will individu­ ally be impotent to the accomplishment of any great evil, but there are few things which a united body of desperate and energetic men cannot accomplish. Its decline cannot, therefore, under existing circumstances be a m atter of regret.2 The great ends of those secret societies which have in one way or other had their influence on the destiny of nations have been accomplished in ways as various as their objects were different. They have been composed, some of them, of soldiers who fought only for the aggrandizement of their order; sometimes of monks who labored day after day and year after year, “from morn till night, from youth to hoary 1 K n o x is m is ta k e n in c la ss in g th e J e s u its a s a s e c re t o r d e r . H e a lso w a s u n a w a re th a t th o u g h th e o r d e r w a s s u s p e n d e d in 1773, it w a s r e s ta r te d in 1814. 2 “ D e c lin e ” h e re re f e r s to th e a n ti-M a s o n ic p u b lic s e n tim e n t fo llo w in g th e r e c e n t M o rg a n e p is o d e (s e e th e s e c tio n o n h is to ric a l b a c k g r o u n d ).

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age,” in one cause and for one object. Again, we find statesmen bound together by an oath of secrecy to bend all their exertions upon one point and never slack in their ardor until that object was attained. Revolutions have been accomplished and despots dethroned by the more energetic action of a small but daring association. The great secret of their success consisted not in numbers, but in union, not in great strength, but in active, well directed and simultaneous exertions; not in the power and dignity of their members, but in the single-heartedness of their zeal and the untiring ardor of their devotion. They knew that what a few men united in heart and hand willed to do could be done. In the vocabulary of their order there was no such word as “fail.” They recognized the principle of the Corsican’s [Napoleon Bona­ parte] success. “Impossible” was a word to them unknown. It may, however, be doubted whether secret associations having a political object are consistent with our liberal institutions. The father of his country, George Washington, in his farewell address to the American people, thus warns his countrymen against such societies: “However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”1 The wisdom of these obser­ vations has never been doubted by the patriotic statesmen of our country. And in one instance the American people have shown themselves true to the advice of Washington. The secret combination of Burr and other distinguished individuals brought about his political death. They, the people, asked not “W ere his designs traitorous?” but “W ere the means which he used dangerous to the liberties of his country?” They were, and his political doom was sealed. Though we may lament the loss of his great talents and political sagacity in the administration of government, yet the doom which the people pronounced against the political course of Aaron Burr was not an unjust one, and his fate stands upon record a solemn warning to intriguing and designing men. The time was, indeed, when in the estimation of the people of America the name of “Arnold,” the apostate, was the only one which exceeded that of “B urr” in infamy.2 Let us now see, my friends, wherein consists the difference between those as­ sociations to which I have alluded and the Beta Theta Pi. In the first place, the great objection urged to secret combinations by Washington is in no way applicable to us. We have no political objects in view. Nothing can be more the reverse. Next to the cultivation of the friendly feelings, the advancement of science3 and literature is the mainspring of our exertions. As citizens, we go forth in the common cause of our 1 H o w e v e r, W a s h in g to n w as a M a s o n - K n o x m a y n o t h a v e k n o w n th is. 2 T h is r e fe re n c e to th e s o -c a lle d “ B u r r C o n s p ira c y ” is in te r e s tin g a s s h o w in g th e s c h o o l o f p o litic a l th o u g h t in w h ich P a te r K n o x w a s tra in e d . T h e m o d e rn in te r p r e ta tio n o f A a r o n B u r r ’s s o m e w h a t m ys­ te rio u s w e s te rn e x p e d itio n is b y n o m e a n s s o u n fa v o ra b le to h is m e m o ry . B u t J e f f e r s o n ’s fr ie n d s h a te d B u r r b e c a u s e o f th e o u tc o m e o f th e p re s id e n tia l e le c tio n o f 1800 a n d H a m ilto n ’s fr ie n d s h a te d him b e c a u s e o f th e r e s u lt o f th e d u e l b e tw e e n th e tw o N e w Y o r k p o litic a l le a d e rs . ( S h e p ’s fo o tn o te ) 3 S c ie n c e h e r e m e a n s k n o w le d g e a s su c h , r a th e r th a n p h y sics, c h e m istry , etc.

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country, every man to the polls to forward inasmuch as seems to him fit, the success of his own candidate. That is between him and his country, his conscience and his God. With that, as a society, we must, we can have nothing to do. But when we come together as members of the Beta Theta Pi, all political differences are dropped - all our political feelings are forgotten. We are no longer politicians, but friends; no longer candidates, but brothers, and we are ready to give the “All Hail” of welcome, the open hand of friendship, to all who wear the badge and bear the name of Beta Theta Pi. Our limited num ber1 1 conceive to be another distinction, and a very important one, between our own and other, in some respects similar, associations. The objection which has been urged to the Masonic and other similar institutions, that the greatness of their numbers rendered them, when well united, too powerful a body to exist separate and distinct in the bosom of a community is one that can never apply to us. It was, on the part of the monarchs of Europe, the fear of this power that influenced them to overthrow the order of Jesuits. And in this country, but a short time ago, on occasion of the abduction of Morgan, the whole country was alarmed, and for a time to be a “Free Mason” was, in the estimation of many, to be little better than a m urderer. The necessity of this fear had in all probability no existence save in the excited imaginations of the people. Yet it served to show in startling colors the jealousy of the popular feeling on this subject. This fear can only be engendered in the minds of the mass when they discover a great body existing in their midst, linked together by uncommon ties in the pursuit of objects which they conceive to be calculated to produce effects injurious to the public safety or encroaching on popular liberty. On this subject, then, is the Beta Theta Pi in no way liable to censure. In connection, however, with this subject suffer me to advert to another advantage connected with our limited number. Our numbers, as they can never be numerous, may be much more select. No one should be admitted within our pale whose character we know not, or whose principles are such as should render him an unsafe companion. By pursuing this course, the great objects of our association will be carried out, and we may be assured that the advantages which it affords will never be perverted to evil. Having thus, my friends, endeavored to show in what respects the Beta Theta Pi is less liable to censure than other, in some respects similar, associations, permit me for a few moments to advert to a most pleasing theme - the advantages connected with such institutions as ours. Friendship has been a theme of eulogy with poets, and a subject of skepticism among metaphysicians for centuries. The sad and gloomy misanthrope is ever ready to repeat the expression of Goldsmith’s Hermit: “A h ! w h a t is fr ie n d s h ip b u t a n a m e ; A c h a r m th a t lu lls to slee p ; A s h a d e th a t fo llo w s w e a lth o r fam e, A n d le a v e s th e w re tc h to w e e p .”

While the bright and glowing heart of youth is ready with the author of the “Night 1 K n o x re fe rs to th e m e m b e rs h ip r e q u ir e m e n ts o f th e first C o n s titu tio n - n o m o re th a n n in e , n o less th a n th r e e - b u t th is w a s c h a n g e d in th e v e ry n e x t y ear.

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Thoughts” to speak of it as the “wine of life,” or with the imaginative Greek to erect altars and sacrifice to it as to a god, the ardent and affectionate Pollok speaks of the friends with whom he had “T a lk e d th e s p e e c h a n d a te th e fo o d o f H e a v e n , C o m p a n io n s o f h is y o u n g d e s ire s J o y in h is g rie f, h is s e c o n d b liss in jo y .”

in the warmest terms with which fancy can robe words. Coleridge, that curious mixture of imagination and metaphysics, in speaking of those now enemies “W h o h a d b e e n fr ie n d s in y o u th ,”

tells us that “ W h is p e rin g to n g u e s c an p o is o n tru th ; A n d c o n s ta n c y lives in re a lm s a b o v e; A n d life is th o rn y , a n d y o u th is v ain ; A n d to b e w ro th w ith o n e w e love D o th w o rk lik e m a d n e s s in th e b r a in .”

Many miscalled philosophers of the selfish school have even doubted the reality of such a sentiment. To which shall we attach the most credence? Which shall we rather credit, the stamp of the metaphysician, or the imaginative ardor of the poet? Shall we members of the Beta Theta Pi doubt the existence of such a feeling? Shall we, many of whom have spent years with each other, reciprocating every feeling, whose hearts have beat in unison, and whose tastes have run in the same channel, shall we doubt the existence of such friendship of the purest and most disinterested kind in the mind of him, the almost brother, with whom we have for years grown together side by side like two plants by a river, drawing life from the same fountain and strength from the same sun, who has smoothed our couch in sickness, stood by our side in the hour of danger, walked with us the paths of learning, trod with us the heights of knowledge, shared our gladness, alleviated our melancholy, and who stands ready to lay down his life for ours, shall we doubt his friendship, shall we turn upon him and say, with the cold skepticism of the epicurean, “It is naught but selfishness which has prompted thee to all this?” What heart would not spurn such a thought! Rather than have such a one for a friend, rather than take to my bosom so cold and selfish a companion, though he could ascend in thought to the noblest works of God, though he had followed the sun in his track, or could trace the burning and eccentric course of the comet through the wide fields of illimitable space, though he had followed the stars as they walked in their nightly procession through the halls of the sky, though he “T o th e m u sic o f th e ro llin g s p h e r e s In te llig e n tly lis te n e d ; a n d g a z e d f a r b a ck I n to th e aw fu l d e p th s o f D e ity ,”

Yet would I rather for my friend choose him who “T h e w o rd p h ilo s o p h y h a d n e v e r h e a r d W h o th o u g h t th e s ilv e r m o o n T h a t n ig h tly o ’e r h im le d h e r v irg in h o s t N o b r o a d e r th a n h is f a th e r ’s s h ie ld ,”

1 A ll th e s e q u o te s a r c n o d o u b t fro m b o o k s K n o x re a d , p e r h a p s in th e lib r a r y o f U n io n L it. T h is c o n s ta n t a llu s io n to o t h e r w o rk s w as th e sty le o f th e lite ra ry s o c ie ty w o rk s. S e e a ls o L in to n ’s s p e e c h .

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so only his heart could appreciate that “flower of heavenly seed.” How, then, are we to obtain this, earth’s most Hyblaean bliss? Dr. Young tells. “ L o v e a n d lo v e o n ly is th e lo a n f o r love L o r e n z o , p r id e re p re s s , n o r h o p e to fin d A fr ie n d b u t w h a t h a s fo u n d a fr ie n d in th e e .”

Here, then, is the secret, “Nor hope to find a friend but what has found a friend in thee.” Let only the members of the Beta Theta Pi repose in each other confidence unlimited (in accordance with the vows which we have taken) and I, for my part, ask no other security. This is a confidence which gold cannot buy, and without which a monarch must be miserable except his heart be castin that iron mould that seeks not for sympathy and asks not for love. Let each member be as ready to assist as he would wish the brother to be of whom in the hour of need he would ask assistance. Thus one may be to the other as a brother and the name of Beta Theta Pi become the shibboleth of love.1 How apt in this place is the advice of old Polonius to his son, “The friend thou hast and his adoption tried, grapple him to thy soul with hoops of steel.2 This, I said, is a day for congratulation. This is the first anniversary of the foundation of our institution. Already are some of our members scattered abroad. A sister3 association, or rather our own society, another self, is found in the Queen City of the Glorious West4. Soon another band of classmates will leave their Alma M ater for the exciting scenes and conflicting interests of men. Among them will go a few who wear the badge and bear the name of Beta Theta Pi. They will bear our principles, our motto and our badge to the utmost bounds of our great republic. And proud I am to think that they will bear them honorably and nobly. Neither can I resist the conviction that the world will yet learn the names of some, even of this small band. Let this day, then, ever be remembered as one of rejoicing. And when our numbers are scattered throughout the whole country, on this day, from the North to the South, from the East to the West, from the Gulf to the Lakes, from ocean to ocean, wherever one of us is found, wherever our members may be scattered, on this day will they assemble together and keep it as a day of hallowed recollections, a day sacred to the past, a day memorable in the future, a day for the outpouring and conmingling of their generous and friendly hearts, a day of pleasure to themselves, a day of honor to the Beta Theta Pi.

1 S e e K n o x ’s in a u g u ra l s p e e c h to U n io n L it, in th e s e c tio n o n p re -f o u n d in g e v e n ts. 2 See

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The Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Initiation Speech1 Gentlemen: You have heard our Constitution and nodded assent to each binding obligation, thereby accepting badge and membership in the Beta Theta Pi2; but before you witness it with your hand, it becomes me to make a few remarks explanatory of its foundations and objects. If we look into the processes and constitution of civil society, we find that its foundations and moral prosperity are based on a few natural and definite principles of divine origin. Upon these and no other can this moral fabric of man be erected. They are every way adapted to the capabilities of heart and reason; and so long as they are made the governing landmarks of civil action, so long will civil society preserve its wonted purity; so long will virtue and mental exercise sustain man in the ethereal walks of his intellectual being. Such, then is the foundation and origin of the Beta Theta Pi. In its existence, moral truth is wholly and fully applied, and, like civil society, its objects are few, plain and simple, everyway adapted to the sympathies of the heart and the faculties of the mind. The great principle, then, that runs through this Constitution, and to which is shaped all the civil procedure of this Association, is drawn alone from the unvarying logic of morals and has precedent in the practical communion of every moral and intellectual people. The beauty, elegance and permanency of all civil society depends wholly upon the integrity of its social union and mental cultivation. Here then we assume for the basis of our own secret Association the vital principle upon which hangs the progress and intellectual greatness of the human race; the mutual fidelity of hearts, the mutual assistance of mind. These or similar thoughts filled the minds of those who gave us the charter of our Association. They had lived long enough to experience, that though society could continue happy and prosperous, bound together by a few ligaments of social union and enlightened by a high degree of mental cultivation, yet all these blessings did not secure to each individual that moral being and intellectual pleasure which the God of nature seems to have given him the capacity to sustain. They had passed a few short years within the shade of college and, mingling freely with its inmates, found that youth, though noble, generous and honorable, were more susceptible of faction and other corrupt and selfish principles of human nature than they were of virtue and mental acquisition. They found that young men of every intensity of feeling, of every various talent, of every scale of improvement, were without any common tie, and mutual confi­ dence of fidelity, without any private, combined effort to promote one virtue of the heart or one special object of the mind. Being in such a state, and going forth into the world without some moral restraint, they would soon catch the weakness of human society and their feelings and magnanimities would become lost amid the confusion of men. 1 T h is is a s p e e c h g iv en t o th e n e w in itia te s o f th e A lp h a c h a p t e r o n J a n u a ry 31,1841 b y F o u n d e r C h a rle s H e n ry H a rd in , th e n P r e s id e n t o f th e M iam i c h a p te r . It a p p e a r s in 2 N o te th e u s e o f th e a rtic le :

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Experience became a teacher of moral lessons and, fearing the general prostituting influence of the world, Knox, Linton, Gordon and others modeled our Constitution upon the vital principle, that private, refined friendship and mutual illumination of mind far better ennobled the aspirations of heart and elevated the expanding powers of reason. Their social exchange of feeling and sentiment was found good and they called to the same bond of union others with ourselves, and, as it were, bequeathed to us this form, soul and sensation. With that same love of other hearts and other minds, we invite you to a par-excellence with ourselves; we invite you to subscribe to this charter of our brotherhood and welcomely to gather around our fond altar of fidelity and friendship. In the dismal solitude of a distant isle of the sea, Juan Fernandez bemoaned his unhappy exile, and, feeling the want of man’s social countenance, he cried in the gloom of his soul, “O tell me I have a friend.” This seemed to be the sacred request of his despairing heart, the longing, longing information of his fast pining frame. Then, when you shall go forth upon ths sea of life, breathing amidst uncertainties and acting amid dangers, if the solemn expres­ sion should arise, “Have I a friend?” be assured, upon the candor of my soul, you have. Should despondency and despair, those flesh-cankering diseases, afflict you or should you when wrecked upon the horrid shoals of death, with hasty breathing inquire, “Have I a friend?” remember and rely upon the honest accents of my voice, you have. With these remarks, and knowing, gentlemen, that you are every way worthy and every way qualified to the noble discharge of those duties herein prescribed, in behalf of these and other friends, I welcome you to all the rights and privileges of the Beta Theta Pi.

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On the Founding and Early Days of Beta1 Greenville, O. April 14,1843 I suppose, my dear fellow, that long ere this you have given me up as a correspondent, and set me down in your list as “faithless.” I am in truth an inveterate procrastinator, and though no one can take greater pleasure in receiving letters than I do, yet no one can be more dilatory in his answers. But as you, of course, have a right to expect a quid pro quo [this for that], I must desert my Castle of Indolence and do something to call you out. So I have concluded to have done with this putting off - this eternal “tomorrow - and tomorrow - and tomorrow.” Let me say this much, however, that your letter would have been answered immediately, had I not expected to go to Oxford soon after I received it, in which case I would have answered it face to face, which, to a person of my lazy habits, would have been much the more agreeable way of the two. But in this, I was disappointed, and the consequence is, that your letter has been lying in my drawer unanswered. It was a sad thing for my poor conscience to look into that drawer, for there the letter was, staring like “Baitquo’s, ghost,” and would not down. You say that you would like to hear from me on the subject of the first movements of the Beta Theta Pi. I have endeavoured for some time to make a little record of the early days of the Society for my own satisfaction, as much as anything, but I have never succeeded in getting started - like many of my other dreams, “ ’twas all a dream .” Many of the circumstances have escaped my recollection in the course of my peregrinations for the last four years. I can but give you an imperfect sketch, therefore, and you must accordingly take the will for the deed. To begin with the beginning, it was during the winter session of ’38-9 that the idea of forming a secret association first suggested itself to my mind. I saw that there were many advantages in such an association, which could not otherwise be enjoyed. Such combinations of individuals are as old as the wants of man, and coeval with the growth of literature. The motto of our own Society, Fimiam consensus facit [Cooperation makes strength], is but an embodiment of the experience of a man in all ages and nations. The history of many of these secret associations had always possessed a charm for me. There was an interest about the actions of men who bound themselves together by vows which were never broken, and who pursued the great objects of their association with an energy that never tired, with a zeal that knew not self, and with a devotedness that never counted gold. Men have been found among them who labored “from morn till night, from youth to hoary age,” in one cause and for one object. Revolutions have been accomplished and despots dethroned by the united action of small but daring associations. The great secret of their success consisted not in numbers, but union; not in great strength, but in well directed and simulta­ neous exertions. What a few men united in object and effort will to do, can be done, and more than that, such associations teach us in their records how far human 1 T h is is a l e tte r fro m J o h n R e ily K n o x , M ia m i 1839 to E . B . S te v e n s, M ia m i 1843. It a p p e a r s in

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friendship can carry us from the shrine of the idol “se lf’... [obliterated due to a fold in the paper.] In some of these societies, however, were to be found many objectionable features which rendered them liable to be used as engines of evil, as well as instruments of good. Some of these were to be found in the Alpha Delta Phi Society as it was organized at Miami University, and I imagined that an association might be formed which would embrace the good without the ingredient of evil. My attention was drawn more forcibly to this by the dissension then existing in the Union Hall, which I conceived originated in the Alpha Society. In some of our con­ versations on the subject, Taylor Marshall suggested the idea of building up a Society which might unite the benefits without the disadvantages of the Alphas. I told him I had thought of it, but was afraid that we could not succeed. But if you know Marshall, I need not tell you that he is one of the most sanguine men in existence. The idea once started, he would not give it up until I set to work. In the first place I got the Greek Lexicon and turned it over several times in search of a name. The present one was finally selected. Then came the badge. This was m ore difficult than the other. You have seen the first pins that were struck. In place of the Crescent we first agreed on “clasped hands” - but this Taylor had altered when he went to the city to procure the pins. However, the badge has been changed —for the better, I hope. I have never seen the new one. We then went to work on the Constitution. You have seen the draught as it was originally presented. On that I spent my leisure time for a week or more - and many were the long consultations which Taylor and I held over that - night after night up in “the old wing” we revised and re-revised, until we got it to our satisfaction, though necessarily imperfect, for it was altogether an experiment with me, as I had nothing to go by but imagination, and I believe Taylor was equally inexperienced. The next question was, who shall we connect with us in this m atter? Chas. Hardin roomed next door to Marshall, so we called him in, and I initiated him and Taylor Marshall... [more words obliterated by fold] A circumstance occurred at this time that came near breaking up the whole affair. Taylor had foolishly enough mentioned something of the affair to a chap whom no doubt you know by reputation —Grimke Swan —an insufferable bore, and a man that I cordially disliked. He found out entirely too much about our proceedings, and was determined to be initiated or expose us. He also knew that pins had been sent for, and T. had told him that Linton and Hardin were members. To take him would be to bring a perfect incubus on the Society. I doubt indeed, if we could have procured another member had he been brought in; and on the other hand, were he to expose us, that, also, at that time, would have been certain death. Accordingly, Linton, Hardin, Marshall and myself met in Charley’s room, and concluded to give him a mock initiation, let him pay for a pin, and have nothing more to do with him. Taylor went and brought him in, and I got up and administered an oath to him with all the solemnity of an owl. I told him then that the Society of which he was a mem ber had no written Constitution - that we were to have no m ore meetings, and 435

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take no more members, &c., &c. I then gave him some advice about wearing his pin, &c., all of which he took as law and gospel. H e left at the close of the session, and what became of him is more than I know.1 After we were fairly rid of him, we proceeded in the selection of members. J. H. Duncan, M. C. Ryan, Tom Gordon and H. H. Johnson were then initiated at successive meetings of the Society, until we got our complement2 (9), when we met in general conclave, and proceeded to the election of officers. The rest of the acts of the Beta Theta Pi, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of that Society? Esto perpetiia. [May it last forever!] I have thus endeavored, my dear Stevens, to give you a sketch of the early days of our association; it is imperfect, but correct as far as it goes. 1had many other things which I wished to write about, but I find myself rather short of paper - so that I must wait till a future occasion. J. Reily Knox.

RECOLLECTIONS OF 18391 I am asked for some reminiscences of the early days, the prehistoric time of the Beta Theta Pi, the meetings of which no record was kept, and which live only in the recollections of two or three, who are now getting to be oldish men with grizzled beards and whitened hair, what there is of it; and have been earnestly pressed by some of the younger brethern to tell the story of its origin. To this 1 might well say, “Story! God bless you, I have none to tell,” but I can give you some recollections of 1839 and of those who were present at and took a part in the organization of the Brotherhood. It was, then, in January, 1839, when I was in my senior year at Miami University, that the idea first occurred to me of the organization of our Society. Circumstances had made me somewhat prominent in a rather bitter fight in the Literary Associa­ tion, of which I was a member, against the Society of the Alpha Delta Phi, and in which, though successful, I had learned to admire the compact organization and the esprit de corps of its members. About the same time, too, I came across an old book, no copy of which I have seen since, and the name of which I have forgotten, giving an account of some of the secret organizations of the Middle Ages. Their knightly vows and pledges were given, with some curious sketches of their inside working and their secret history; and I was, I might almost say, of course, very much interested in these ancient Brotherhoods. Being, as I have said, already impressed with the force that lies in compact organization, an idea that had been a subject of conversation between two or three of us grew on me, and I went to sketching out a plan, the constitution and obligations for a new Society. While engaged in doing this, I had repeated conferences with the 1He

was a

m e m b e r o f A lp h a D e lta P h i, a n d h a d d ie d in 1840 - a c c o rd in g to M ia m i’s A lu m n i C a ta lo g .

2 T h e first c o n s titu tio n sp e c ifie d n in e a s th e m a x im u m n u m b e r o f m e m b e rs in a c h a p te r. 3 T h is w a s w ritte n b y P a te r J o h n R eily K n o x f o r th e C o n v e n tio n o f 1873. I t a p p e a r s in a n d a ls o in

Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation. 436

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gentleman whose name stands second on the roll, S. T. Marshall, now of Iowa. He was considerably my senior, anxious that something of the kind should be got up, and urged on the enterprise. The selection of the name being considered an important matter, several combinations were canvassed. Greek, it must be, of course, and while desiring the independent words adopted, we preferred that finally selected as being not only pleasant to the ear, but reasonably significant of the objects of the infant Society. The leading motive of uniting a few choice spirits in closer bonds for improvement in literary exercises and the cultivation of social life, but chiefly the latter, was probably the principal raison d ’etre of the new organization. Mutual support and assistance, absolute faith and confidence in each other, and progress in knowledge and scholarship were the fundamental ideas on which we built. With a view to the cultivation of intimate social relations it was, for instance, originally provided that no more than nine members should at one time be in attendance at the same college; and, as an illustration of the closeness of the tie which was to bind us, the original obligation taken by the neophyte pledged him to his brothers in the Order, that “their friends should be his friends, and their enemies his enemies.” But at a very early day the introduction of a more Christian element into the Organiza­ tion led to a modification of this rather heathenish provision. The number, nine, too, was soon dropped, leaving the order free to select good fellows wherever, and in whatever number, it might find them - and the three stars were no longer indicative of the limited membership (as the root of the mysterious nine) but simply remained as the heavenly representatives of the three words of the order. Other changes have been made in our Constitution, and I have no doubt they are all improvements, for have we not among us some very admirable Constitution makers, lights of the Con. Con.?1but these were all the changes made during my active connection with Alpha Chapter. The brothers present at the first meeting of the O rder were Brothers Marshall, Linton, Smith J. G. (poor Leb, as good a fellow as ever lived, he died young), and myself. The meeting was held in a room occupied at the time by Taylor Marshall, in that part of the College buildings at Oxford, known as “the old wing”. The venerable pile was abated as a nuisance and reduced to its original elements a few years ago, under the active supervision of that chief of the Goths and Vandals, Bro. John W. Herron [Miami 1845] in his capacity of Chairman of the Committee on public grounds and buildings of the Board of Trustees of Miami University. At that meeting I administered the obligation to the members present, but by inadvertence no one qualified me in turn, so that I am scarce able to say, though my name has always been borne on the Catalogue, that I am entitled to the privileges of those who wear the badge and bear the name of Beta Theta Pi. Soon after this first meeting Charlie Hardin, John Duncan and M. C. Ryan good and true fellows, were added to the faithful band, and many a pleasant and profitable meeting we had in the early spring and on into the summer of that year of grace, ’39;

1 J. C al H a n n a s u g g e s ts th a t th is re f e r s to th e C o n s titu tio n a l C o n v e n tio n o f O h io , in s e s s io n in 1873.

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our commencement at that time being in August, either the first or second Thursday, I am not sure which1. At what time Brothers Johnson and Gordon were added to make up the full number, I do not now recollect. I have been under the impression, too, that Bro. O.C. Weatherby, then of Hamilton, but now, if living, of San Diego, California, was one of the first nine; but in this I am probably mistaken, as his name stands the thirteenth on the Catalogue. But all these matters, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the Order? I have thus, Brethren, very briefly and in a gossipy way given you some of my recollections of the early days of the Beta Theta Pi. Like reminiscences generally, they are somewhat egotistic, or seem so at any rate. My only excuse is that I have been writing of things with which I was personally connected, magna pars fu i [I was the big part], and so could not well avoid the use of the personal pronoun. Though somewhat intimately connected, as has been said, with the early days of our Order, that has gone on so prosperously for thirty-five years, half the period of m an’s allotted time on earth, yet since then I have had practically but little connection with it —and thus, though largely responsible for its start in life, I can claim no credit for the magnificent growth it has made. It was only with its small beginnings that I had anything to do. But it is needless to say that I take pride in the prosperity of Beta, and have faith in her future. Greatly as her membership has extended, I have what the Frenchman calls the grand confidence in them all. They may say what they please of Colfax and the Credit Mobilier2, but I know better. They may call Dan Voorhees [De Pauw 1849] a copperhead, and may tell hard stories of M orton’s devotion to the better half of humanity, and may even charge that the gallant Dodds voted for the Salary Grab, but that is for outsiders, the ‘o i n o W o i (rather bad looking Greek, that, as I recollect it), for the ignorant and unthinking multitude. Credat Judaeus Apollo. Are they not all Betas? The initiated know them, and know of them, and their faith is strong. And so you all say, gentlemen. O f the earlier members of the Order who are referred to by name in this hurried sketch, all but two are still living. Col. Ryan was gathered to his fathers in the early days of the rebellion; and J. G. Smith (Jimmy George, as his friends loved to call him) passed from earth soon after his graduation. I don’t know that any of the others have particularly distinguished themselves in life; but then it is some consolation that they have never disgraced themselves or done any decidedly mean things, so far as the world knows, at any rate. We were a pleasant company, pleasant to each other at least, and I should greatly like to meet the survivors again. None of them will be at your festival, brethren. Pray remem ber them when you drink to the absent. Jno. Reily Knox.

1 In 1839, A u g u s t 8 w a s th e “ s e c o n d T h u r s d a y ” - th e d a y o f B e ta 's firs t fo rm a l m e e tin g . 2 T h e C r e d it M o b ilie r w a s a m a jo r fin a n c ia l s c a n d a l in th e e a r ly 1870’s in v o lv in g V ic e P r e s id e n t S c h u y le r C o lfax , D e P a u w 1844. P a te r K n o x a ls o r e fe rs to o t h e r s c a n d a ls w h ic h m ig h t h a v e a p p e a r e d in B a ird 's u n w ritte n b o o k : “ B e ta s I k n o w w h o a r e in ja il a n d B e ta s I k n o w w h o o u g h t to b e in ja il” .

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Ransomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Report to the Convention of 1878 1 A t th e th ir ty -e ig h th a n n u a l c o n v e n tio n o f B e ta T h e ta Pi, h e ld in D e tr o it, M ic h ig a n , in A u g u s t, 1877, th e fo llo w in g re s o lu tio n w as o f f e r e d b y W yllys C. R a n s o m a n d w a s a d o p te d b y th e d e le g a te s :

Resolved, That a committee be appointed which shall take into consideration the policy of entirely separating from the provisions of our constitution everything in anyway pertaining to the secret or internal work of the Association, leaving that instrument purely an organic act, declaratory of the organization and purposes of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. If arriving at the conclusion that such a change would be for the permanent good and prosperity of the order, then to frame such a revision of the constitution as shall carry into effect the plan suggested above, and report it for the consideration of the next convention. Also, to draw up and report a system for the internal working of the Association, which shall embrace such portions of the constitution already in force as are vital to the name and traditions of the Association, a ceremonial for initiation and other work, to be used uniformly by all the chapters, together with such other limited but needful safeguards as may be necessary for the protection and unity of the fraternity. And, after the report shall have been made and adopted by the constitutional number of chapters, then all injunctions to the publicity of the constitution of Beta Theta Pi will be removed, thus leaving the Association in its organization and objects free to command for itself the commendation of educational authorities throughout the land. T h e c o m m itte e a p p o in te d to c a rry o u t th is re s o lu tio n w as c o m p o s e d o f M a jo r W y lly s C . R a n s o m , A m a n d u s N . G r a n t a n d O lin R . B ro u s e . T h is c o m m itte e h e ld a m e e tin g a n d im p o r ta n t s u g g e s tio n s w e re m a d e , n o d o u b t, b o th b y G r a n t a n d B ro u s e w h o w e re d e v o te d B e ta s a ctiv ely c o n n e c te d w ith th e f r a te r n ity a d m in is tr a ­ tio n a t tim e s a n d fe rtile in id e a s. B u t th e r e p o r t w h ich fo llo w s b e a r s in te rn a l e v id e n c e th a t, in th e m a in , it is th e w o rk o f M a jo r R a n s o m . U n q u e s tio n a b ly it is th e m o s t im p o r ta n t a d m in is tra tiv e r e p o r t m a d e to B e ta T h e ta Pi u p to 1878, a n d , p ro b a b ly , in v ie w o f th e tre m e n d o u s r e v o lu tio n in th e f r a te r n ity w h ic h fo llo w e d it, m u s t b e c o n s id e re d th e g r e a te s t d o c u m e n t in th e e n tir e h is to ry o f th e A ss o c ia tio n .

To the Honorable Convention of Beta Theta Pi: The undersigned, your committee to whom the Convention of 1877 referred the m atter of a revision of your Constitution looking to the elimination therefrom of all provisions appertaining to the secret work and organization of the Association, so that its organic act and a declaration of its objects could be published and submitted to the consideration and approval or disapproval of all the world, beg leave, respectfully, to report: that they met in the City of Port Huron, Michigan, in the month of March last, and entered upon the discharge of the duties assigned them. Fully appreciating the importance of the proposed change in the policy of the society, the subject was discussed by your committee in all its bearings, and, as a result, it arrived at the conclusion that the time had been reached when the permanency and welfare of the fraternity demanded a revision of its constitution, whereby its internal work and policies could be entirely separated from the 1 T h is a p p e a r s in

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provisions enacted for its general organization, government and administrative control. Looking to this end, your committee agreed upon the draft of a Constitution which they submit herewith and though fully conscious of the fact that it is not the best that could be devised, nor perhaps all that is needed to secure thoroughness of organization and the strongest vitality for our beloved society, yet they believe that it is a step in advance, and in the right direction, and will, if nothing more, afford a basis upon which the Convention can in its wisdom build such a structure of government as will give the Beta Theta Pi increased power, prosperity and permanency for all time. Your committee are aware that, among the younger and perhaps more enthusiastic members of the fraternity, a movement of this kind is regarded with distrust, born of the idea that it will tend to dispel the charm of secrecy and remove from before profane eyes the veil of mystery that hides the inner courts of Father Wooglinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s temple. It is not strange, perhaps, that this view of the matter should be taken by our younger brethren, unused to regard the affairs of life from the more practical standpoint reached by those of us who have come farther along its rugged pathway. But, if it can be demonstrated that the proposed changes will conduce to the welfare and strength of the society, by inspiring increased confidence in its usefulness; by securing the withdrawal of the hostility that has hitherto existed to it and all others of its class in the minds of many of the best men and in the senates of num ber of the most prominent and influential institutions of the country; by giving it an organic law fully up to its needs, commensurate with its fast increasing number of chapters and consequent increase of membership; providing new and more extensive objects of good for its accomplishment in the interest of those who enter its halls, and roof under its sacred obligations, by improving its business methods in nearly every detail of its internal management; and finally, by building up an institution that all our alumni will continue to have in their special keeping, and will delight to patronize with their presence and their purse to the latest hour of their lives, and all this without, in fact, disturbing the measure of secrecy essential to the character and attractiveness of our society - why shall we not take the step that is to naturalize the fraternity and make it an acknowledged co-worker with the honored institutions where its altars shall be raised? It has been thirty-nine years the present Autumn since Knox and Linton, and Hardin, Marshall, Ryan, and the other honored founders met in their room in old Miami University and organized the society of Beta Theta Pi. It is more than doubtful if those old fraters ever, in their most enthusiastic mood, dreamed of the future in store for the Association they were then establishing in the midst of so many obstacles and difficulties. And it is not strange that Duncan, a sentinel somewhere on the distant outposts of Texas, when, after the lapse of more than thirty-five years he was looked up and asked for his photograph from which to make an engraving for our forthcoming catalog, should have asked in unfeigned astonish­ ment, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Do you really mean to say that the little society organized by Reily Knox and 440

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Dave Linton at Miami University in 1839 has really become the society of over thirty chapters and 5,000 members which you claim for it?”' That was an early day in the history, not only of Greek Fraternities, but of educational institutions as well. Of the former, Sigma Phi, Psi Upsilon, and Alpha Delta Phi were the only ones that had much claim to position or influence; while of the latter, only a few colleges and universities on the Atlantic slope, of anteRevolutionary establishment, could really lay claim to exceptional importance and advantages. Miami University, as the most promising of Western institutions, had attracted the attention of the Alpha Delta Phi (then as now among the more powerful of college societies) and a chapter of that fraternity located there had taken into its membership the larger number of students whose qualifications made them desirable for chapter material, and the light of their oriental bearings shone through Miami’s halls with unobstructed rays. The traditions of old Alpha inform us that nearly all of those engaged in the foundations of Beta Theta Pi were at one time or another tendered the honor of an election in Alpha Delta Phi, but inspired by that pluck characteristic of the Western student, it was declined, and the determination arrived at to organize a rival fraternity that should contest with the followers of crescent and star every inch of the W estern and Southern territory. And so the first Constitution of our society was adopted and the fires set to burning upon the altar of our paternal saint, the traditional Wooglin. That document, nearly as it came from the hands of the original founders, was our organic law when the author of this report was a Beta some thirty years ago1, and we regarded it as nearly a model plan of organization as human skill could devise, and the simple reading of that instrument, and assent to the important obligations which its provisions imposed, constituted the sole form of initiation to membership in the society. In the mutations incident to the passing years, nothing is left of that old Constitution, save the “immortal pream ble” —as our younger members are de­ lighted to call it - the provisions declaratory of the name and objects of the society, the insignia by which its measures are designated, and the impressive obligations which constitute the crowning strength and glory of our beloved society. That instrument, although most ample in its provisions for conducting the business of the Association, nevertheless in no essential degree anticipated the requirem ents for successful administration of the affairs of an organization as extensive as ours has become. Our illustrious founders were probably content with the idea of an Association which, in numbers and influence, should equal any other of their day, and did not dream that during the lifetime of most of them it would come to have chapters scattered from the Atlantic to the Pacific and from Massachusetts Bay to the Rio Grande. For such a system, the plan devised by them was all-sufficient, and until its extent and the complications incident to its increasing numbers placed it beyond the provisions adopted for its administration, the society more than anticipated the hopes of its founders. 1 T h is is th e “ in te r n a l e v id e n c e ” S h e p m e n tio n e d a s in d ic a tin g R a n s o m 's a u th o r s h ip

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But as we review the history of the Association, we can see that the omission to supply for it a central executive head was from the first a serious defect in its organization. As from time to time members from the parent chapter drifted away to other institutions, inspired with the idea of extending the scope of the newly formed fraternity, chapters were established, probably upon weak foundations and without much reference their promise for success in the future. These dragged out a feeble existence for a time and then expired, leaving their records and archives to be scattered ad libitum, and the few members initiated to forget their relations to Beta Theta Pi in the obligations assumed to other fraternities. It is not strange, under these circumstances, that our constitution soon became no longer a sealed document but as familiar to our rivals as ourselves. Other chapters, such as Princeton, Williams and Brown, instituted under the most promising auspices and thriving for a time with signs of most brilliant futures, isolated as they were from the main body of our chapters, and lacking the encouragement and sympathy so essentially necessary to their success, and surrounded by the rivalry of old estab­ lished fraternities of earlier origin, finally languished and then expired, carrying with few exceptions their membership to other societies, and leaving their failure as a reproach to Beta Theta Pi, and their records, let us hope, in the ashes to which a proper sense of honor and manhood would consign them. Another long list of defunct chapters is the result, not so much perhaps of the need of proper support, as the lack of proper care and system in their establishment. From the first until now the mode of procedure in the institution of new chapters has been so little fortified by those safeguards which ordinary prudence and the importance of the issue would seem to demand that the wonder is, not that we have so formidable an array of departed shades pointing at us with their wan fingers, but that there is not a still larger number of dead or weakly chapters encumbering the rolls of the Association. As our society has increased in extent and popularity, of course applications for its privileges have multiplied in like proportion, and the difficulties in the way of having each new proposition thoroughly considered by the chapters before giving it approval have become so formidable that it may well be questioned whether of late years a single new chapter has been granted where the chapters have been thoroughly informed as to the considerations involved in the concession of the important privileges they were about to make. It is needless to say that such a condition of affairs cannot prove otherwise than an element of weakness in such constitutional limitations as the danger of the case evidently demands. In the draft submitted, your committee have suggested a feasible plan by which the formation of new chapters will be hedged in with such provisions as will secure for the Association protection against haste in procedure or lack of information as to the character of the institution and applicants who seek the honor and privileges of Beta Theta Pi. O ur Association, throughout its entire career, has suffered greatly from the hostility of college authorities to the establishment of secret fraternities at the institutions which they control. In our earlier history, the strong chapters at Princeton, Crawfordsville [Indiana], and the University of Michigan were crushed 442

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out by the official warfare made upon them; while in later years our chapters at Denison University, Beloit College, Monmouth and the University of Iowa have all been brought under the rod, and have either ceased to exist or have all been so restricted in their operations by the extreme secrecy necessary to their existence that but slight advantage in satisfaction has been realized by those chapters from their connection with the fraternity. This feeling of antagonism, it is believed, has not, as a general rule, sprung from hostility to secret societies upon general principles, but from the mistaken idea that college secret societies were in m atter of fact but little better than juntas or cabals organized among the students for the purpose either of elevating the “Ancient Henry,” [slang for raising the devil] of regulating college politics and appointments in personal interest, or of affording organized interfer­ ence with the proper enforcement of senate discipline and rules. Entirely in the dark as to the objects and purposes of such organizations, it is, perhaps, not strange that they should have regarded them with suspicion or as of doubtful utility - especially in those instances where the character of the members was not entirely sans peur et sans reproche [without fear, without reproach]. Nor has the experience of years served other than to intensify this feeling, and if we interpret indications aright the time is close at hand when a general movement will be made to suppress the Greek Letter Societies, whose names have come to be legion in the educational institutions of the country. And it will be only those who fortify themselves against the threatened attack who will be able to outlive the energy with which it will be made. It is apparent that the simplest mode of averting the danger, so far as our own beloved Association is concerned, is by placing it in a position where it ceases to be obnoxious to the charges made against the entire class. The object and purposes for which Beta Theta Pi was instituted are pure and worthy, and we can in no way prejudice its interest or prosperity if they, with the plan of organization by which it is proposed to promote those ends, are published and thrown open to the criticism of the entire world. Satisfied that an organization can challenge admiration for the dignity and manliness of its proceedings, the correctness of its purposes, and the purity of its morals, it may be relied upon that those charged with the administration of educational institutions will care but little about the particular form or cerem o­ nies adopted for the initiation of its members, or the details of the cabala by which the fraternity protects itself against those not entitled to its privileges. Your committee cannot but believe that reasoning to be specious which argues against the making public the general plan of our organization for the reason that it would not satisfy those who would still insist that we had secrets not open to the eye of the million. It is probably true that now and then we should find a carping bigot who would refuse the dumpling because he could not see how Goody put the apple in; but it is believed that in a large majority of cases the presentation of our organic law to a governing body of liberal-minded m en1 would promptly secure for the society the unqualified recognition to which its merits so justly entitle it. There is one other feature connected with this branch of the subject to which your committee should perhaps briefly allude as of importance to the society. There 1 In 1878, “ lib e ra l” m e a n t s o m e th in g v e ry d iff e r e n t th a n it d o e s to d a y .

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has, undoubtedly, many a desirable young man been lost to the ranks of Beta Theta Pi for the simple reason that, upon being solicited to become one of its members, no intelligible statement of its objects could be presented for his consideration, and many others from the fact that home influence was against a connection with an organization whose aims and ends were shrouded in darkness more mysterious than that which enveloped the Sibylline paper. In such cases, who can measure the influence of the quiet placing in his hands of a neat copy of our Constitution, from which he could gain a general outline of the organization, its salient features, and the ends it sought to accomplish? There is many a quiet, thoughtful young men, just the one to worthily wear the badge and bear the name of Beta Theta Pi, with whom such an argument would have far more effect than weeks of the small talk and strategy usually relied upon to secure desirable men to the ranks of the rival fraternities. Your committee believe that it is desirable, if possible, to inspire our alumni with continued zeal in behalf of the fraternity after their active connection with the college chapters shall have ceased. And it has hitherto been a source of congratu­ lation that the fraternity spirit has shown a greater vitality among the alumni of the Beta Theta Pi than of any other college society; and the number of “old boys” that annually come together around the altar of Wooglin indicates that the fraternity does not pride itself falsely in that particular. But our young friends, now inspired with enthusiasm over matters that enlisted our sympathies and interest a score of years ago, must not forget that time and circumstances change the aspirations of men, and those things which challenged our interest as boys, although embalmed in the fondest recollections of a happy past, have ceased to enlist our active sympathies as men. Our alumni chapters, formidable as they appear in our society roster, are hardly more, it is supposed in most instances, than mediums whereby the now staid and sober Greeks, happily neighbors to each other, harassed with the cares and worn with the demands of practical life upon them, can occasionally come together and, over a slice of spiced dog, bring back to mind the reminiscences of the “long ago.” But there should be work for the alumni to do which will perpetuate to their latest hour their practical interest in our beloved society, an interest to be mani­ fested in what they shall do with their hands, and what they shall bequeath from the plenty that Fortune, in a pleasant mood, has laid in their laps. And, although suggestions in that direction may seem Utopian, what more noble monument to usefulness could a fraternity seek than the founding and maintaining o f a technologi­ cal institute, where its members could have post-graduate courses in such specialties as best fitted their inclinations, or the establishment o f a library with art gallery attached where art studies could be pursued by those who would wander in the ideal world? [Emphasis added] But a thorough and complete organization of the business departm ent of our Association is indispensable to the accomplishment of results to which we should aspire. And an organization not only complete and perfect in its details, but one made permanent and perpetual through the medium of corporate rights and privileges, is what we especially need. Your committee believe that through no other medium can your affairs be so well administered. In view of the already large and 444

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rapidly increasing number of chapters, for the purpose of securing a durable means of inter-communication among them, a fraternity paper should be placed upon a permanent and certain basis. You have a history to perpetuate and the collections and preservation of society archives to provide for. You have your necrological record to be kept in reliable form. You have your catalog and other official publication to be prepared, printed, and circulated, and, above all, the time has arrived when your financial budget must be provided for upon some reliable system; and all of these things can be provided only through the medium of well-defined business methods, enforced by responsible and permanent officers. Our interests have become too diffused and our field of activities too extended to leave the management of society business to officers in position only for the uncertain tenure of membership in a college class. And to insure the perfect working of any system that may be adopted, it is absolutely necessary that officers and members of the chapters should be thoroughly familiar with its provisions and requirements and so prepared to comply with them in every particular. This last end can be secured but in one way: that of placing in the hands of each m ember of the fraternity a copy of its organic act. It is evident that this could not be done without the constant danger - nay the entire probability - of its falling into the hands of the outside world every day of the week. But, with all provisions eliminated from our Constitution which pertain to the internal work of the fraternity, no possible harm could come from such a result, but we should rather have a pride in bringing to the notice of the uninitiated the plan upon which the Beta temple has been erected. It is not practicable, were it desirable, to successfully blend provisions for business administration with formulae belonging exclusively to the esoterica of the organization. The latter should be carefully merged into a dignified and simple form, preserving the secret symbolism, obligations and traditions of the society in such ritual as would impress the neophyte with its purity and beauty, and this be communicated in cipher for uniform use among the chapters. And then let no other forms of ceremonies be interpolated on those authorized by the law of the fraternity. Hoping to inspire some genius of our society with an impulse to present something worthy of consideration in this latter direction, your committee offered a premium for the best form of initiation to be sent in before this present session of your Convention. We regret to say our invitation has thus far met with no response; but, nevertheless, our faith is in no wise weakened in the certainty that we have among us many a brother who, if once he nerved himself for the effort, could give us a form of ceremonies suitable to our needs, and that would prove of general acceptance to the fraternity. Your committee has thus endeavored to present to your honorable body some of the considerations that have influenced them in arriving at the conclusion sought to be enforced in the draft of a Constitution herewith submitted for the action of this Convention. It is, perhaps, obnoxious to the fault of too much complexity and detail; but it is difficult otherwise - unless by statute regulations - to provide for needs so many and so varied as those of our Association have come to be. General 445

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regulations, enforcing constitutional requirements, unless published and brought directly to the notice of the chapter and the individual members thereof, fail of enforcement, leaving affairs in a most unsatisfactory condition of looseness and confusion. For proof of which, witness the evident failure of our district organiza­ tion, and the regulations for institution of new chapters, under our present Constitution. The expense and trouble incident to a plan of government based upon laws to be passed from time to time, and then amended or repealed by subsequent conventions, are insuperable obstacles in the way of its successful administration. R ather let the machinery of government (and that as simple as the exigencies of the case will admit) be provided for in one enactment so conservative in its provisions as to shield it from the evil effects of too hasty or too frequent legislation, and you will then have the plan for the administration of your affairs which the genius and character of the Beta Brotherhood eminently requires. If we have failed to present this subject to your consideration as clearly and as forcibly as we could have wished, in support of the conclusions we have reached, it has not been from want of thought or indifference to the great importance of the results involved. But, after years of unfaltering devotion and love for our noble society, we cannot but believe that the change in its constitutional provisions suggested in the resolution referred to us by your past convention would place it a step in advance of all other American college fraternities, would attract the attention and win the approval of college governments hitherto inimical to our existence, and secure for us the sympathy and cooperation of many ever before indifferent to the fate or fortune of the Beta Theta Pi. If such indeed is to be the outcome of the action recommended in this report, what brother can for a moment question its expediency or desirableness, or cherish a lingering doubt that its adoption would place our society among the recognized and permanent institutions of the land, beyond the reach of successful attack or the inroads of wasting decay?

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Seventy-Five Years of Beta Life1 William Raimond Baird There was a fraternity organized at the University of California during the year 1913-1914 upon the basis of a previously existing association which did not have a Greek-letter name. The intention in organizing it, it was announced, was to charter other chapters at different colleges for the purpose of building up a national fraternity. It met the approval of the college officials in the university and some of them attended its initial banquet. It was somewhat widely stated that this was the first time in the history of American college fraternities that a fraternity had been founded with the avowed intention of becoming a national organization. The statement was not true. In recent times Sigma Phi Epsilon was organized with the express purpose of becoming a national organization, and so was Sigma Pi; in earlier days Delta Psi was organized not only for the purpose of becoming a national organization, but its first two chapters were established simultaneously. Alpha Sigma Chi, now inactive, was organized in a similar way in 1874. But so far as I know, Beta Theta Pi was the only one of the older group of fraternities organized with this avowed intention. I had the good fortune to become well acquainted with John Reily Knox while he was a trustee of the fraternity and while its conventions were held at Wooglin. While his memory of the circumstances surrounding the foundation of the fraternity was not as clear as it might have been, because he disagreed in his remembrances of circumstances with statements made concerning such circumstances at or near the time when they occurred, yet his memory was clear and abundantly substanti­ ated concerning two purposes or objects of the association existing from the beginning. One was that the association and its members should be as close as ties of relationship and religion and diversity of upbringing and environment would permit; and the second was that the association should establish chapters not only in every good college in the United States but also at centers of population affording a supply of cultured, educated young men. Indeed, the first outside chapter was established in Cincinnati without being connected with any college. Its members were drawn from Kenyon, Miami, Ohio University, and Woodward College, and it was intended to perpetuate it by the accession of young men suitably intellectually equipped. Although the progress of the fraternity has been halting and intermittent and although it suffered the vicissitudes of war and the treachery of some of its members in the earlier days, yet the impetus and energy imparted to it by John Reily Knox and his associates, based as this energy was upon true friendship, enabled it to survive the shock of the Civil War and the mortification of treachery and desertion and to grow into the splendid envied association of today pre-eminent in the college world. I was requested twenty-five years ago to address this association and outline its 1 T h is e ssa y , w hich B a ird w ro te f o r th e c o n v e n tio n o f 1914, a p p e a r s in

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history and achievements up to that time. My reply to that request was in effect a refusal because I said then that I believed that the history and achievements of this fraternity were in the future and not in the past; that I believed it was on the eve of an era of expansion and improvement which would so far cast into the shade what had theretofore been accomplished that the accomplishments of previous years would scarcely be worth talking about. The then officers of the fraternity politely accepted my refusal to address it and just as politely refused to accept my prediction which has come true in the meantime. During the first twenty-five years of its existence, this fraternity had no government worthy of the name, no literature except one meager catalog, no means of communication between the chapters except infrequent letters, no administrative system, and I might add no information about itself or any similar organization. Its efforts at its infrequent conventions were directed towards rearranging the nomen­ clature of its chapter roll and altering its organic law in order to meet the ever changing conditions about which its information was meager and insufficient. It was a boys’ organization run by boys in a boyish way with all the enthusiasm and energy of youth but with all the immaturity of judgement and assurance which belong to that period of life. If it had not been for the fact that the fraternity was based upon a principle of associated friendship, as sound as any principle in ethics, and that such principle had been consciously or unconsciously adhered to - it would undoubtedly have gone down as other associations have gone down without the guidance of such a rule of conduct. During the period from 1839 to 1859, the fraternity had no money and no treasury. Probably it would not have known what to have done with money. It was also not the first of the college fraternities in rank or importance in the estimate of the general public. It had in 1859 twenty-two chapters, three of which were possibly inactive. Delta Kappa Epsilon had thirty chapters, for or five of which were then weak, while the other fraternities had from seven to fifteen chapters each, all struggling for a place and most of them as yet lacking in adequate means of administration and support. With a seven years’ start, Alpha Delta Phi had a vastly superior chapter roll of twenty chapters, a much more compact and homogeneous membership and, I suppose injustice to it we ought to say, a better reputation among college men; but, on this point I am a little bit in doubt, because, twenty years later, when I first came into contact with Beta Theta Pi, I found its reputation was to be envied. The decade from 1859 to 1869 was one to which we can scarcely point with pride. The agitation and unrest throughout the country during the years immediately preceding the Civil War affected the colleges, as it did everything else, and the fraternity suffered accordingly. At the outbreak of the war it had chapters at Miami, W estern Reserve, Ohio, Jefferson, De Pauw, Indiana, Michigan, Wabash, Centre, Hampden-Sydney, North Carolina, Ohio Wesleyan, Hanover, Cumberland, W ash­ ington (Pennsylvania), Knox, Virginia, Washington (Virginia), Illinois College, South Carolina, Davidson, Oglethorpe, and Bethany, twenty-three in all, and each was in good condition considered from the then prevailing standard of success, 448

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except the chapter at North Carolina. When the war broke out the chapters at Centre, Hampden-Sydney, North Carolina, Cumberland, Virginia, Washington (Virginia), South Carolina, Davidson, and Oglethorpe ceased to exist; those at Western Reserve, Jefferson, Ohio, Indiana, Wabash, Hanover and Bethany were crippled, and the fraternity was seriously weakened, there being left to it practically only seven chapters in normal condition. But the boys of that time did not lose their courage. They did not falter for a moment, but with the philosophic optimism of youth, went on with the organization which they had, and kept up their correspon­ dence and conducted their boyish affairs as they had always done. During the period from 1861 to 1865 while the war lasted, chapters were established at Beloit and the United States Naval Academy; the former lived two years and the latter almost two months. In 1865 the Michigan chapter, the strongest in point of numbers, deserted the fraternity and at the opening of the college year, 1865-66, the only chapters in existence where those at Miami, Western Reserve, Jefferson, Ohio Wesleyan, Ohio, Wabash, Knox, Indiana, and Illinois, nine in all, and the chapters at Illinois and Miami were not strong. From 1865 to 1869, chapters were established at Monmouth, University of Iowa, Wittenberg, Westminster, Iowa Wesleyan, the old University of Chicago, Denison, the Virginia Military Institute and Washington University (St. Louis), and the chapters at Washington College, Virginia (which had been re-christened W ash­ ington and Lee University), the University of Virginia, Cumberland, Davidson, Hampden-Sydney, were re-established. But the Western Reserve chapter deserted, and the Davidson and Illinois chapters became inactive, so that at the opening of the college year 1869-1870 there were twenty-two chapters, and the fraternity was numerically weaker as to chapters than it had been in 1859. It was also located in colleges of lesser reputation and smaller attendance and but for the indomitable spirit of some of its members it might have descended to a second rate position. But during these dark days, the reputation of the fraternity as an organization of earnest young men of high character and worth stood it in good stead. The Beta badge in the territory where it yet remained was an emblem to conjure with and to become a Beta rather than to become a member of another Greek-letter society was the ambition of many fine fellows going to college. It will be noticed perhaps that I have heretofore dwelt largely upon the size of the chapter roll and the location of the chapters of the fraternity as the criterion of its success and position. There was no other. It was still a college secret society, an association of lodges, governed by college boys, regarded by all but a few enthusiasts as merely a boyish organization. It practically had no ritual. Its system of govern­ ment was yet a boyish one. It was not intelligently expanded or contracted and its affairs were not efficiently administered. The chapters seemed to have devoted their efforts to boyish pranks, to the acquisition of members, and to a desultory correspondence. During the period from 1869 to 1879, several features of fraternity administra­ 449

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tion were adopted which mark a considerable advance in fraternity efficiency, and in which the fraternity was the pioneer. The first and most important of these was the election of two general officers, a general secretary and a general treasurer, the former to be the chief administrative officer of the fraternity and the latter to have charge of its funds. So far as I know, this fraternity was the first to provide a real executive to administer its affairs. The second of these was the institution and publication of a fraternity journal, the work of Charles Duy Walker of the Virginia Military Institute chapter. Originally the journal was intended to supplant the system of correspondence then obtaining between the chapters and to lessen the work of the general secretary in his administration of the affairs of the fraternity, and particularly to lessen the amount of correspondence which he was then obliged to carry on. Singular to say, the first two or three volumes of the magazine contained very few chapter letters and scarcely any communications from the general secretary, but its usefulness was found to reside in other fields, particularly in exposition of the government of the fraternity, the principles upon which the conduct of its members was supposed to be based, and information concerning other similar organizations. The journal was called The Beta Theta Pi, without adding to it any descriptive word, such as “magazine,” “journal,” “quarterly,” “monthly,” or the like, and this method of naming the fraternity periodical has been copied by a number of the fraternities. This was the periodical of the kind issued by any college fraternity. After it had become firmly established and the fraternity had received a certain measure of reputation by reason of its primary institution of this feature of fraternity admini­ stration, other fraternities dug out from their records ephemeral publications not of the same general character, but bearing fraternity names and antedating The Beta Theta Pi, and have endeavored to claim for themselves the reputation due to this fraternity. A third feature of administration referred to is the scheme of dividing the fraternity into districts for purposes of administration, and providing an executive head for each district, namely an assistant to the general secretary, whose designa­ tion promptly and naturally became that of “district chief.” This scheme was entirely unauthorized by any kind of legislation and simply grew naturally out of the exigencies of the situation. Indeed, it was such a natural development of administra­ tive efficiency due to the increase in the number of the chapters, that the fraternity at large never even thought of claiming credit for it, until several other fraternities began to boast that they had each devised this simple and efficient means of promoting their efficiency. A fourth advance made by the fraternity during this decade was the removal from its constitution of all esoteric features, and the publication of the organic law to everybody interested in knowing what it might be. Down to that time, all of the American college fraternities except Delta Upsilon, which from the date of its foundation until 1882 had been an avowedly non-secret society, had kept their constitutions secret. We believe that this was principally because in each constitution the Greek or secret name of the fraternity was embodied and it was not 450

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deemed desireable that such name should be disclosed. Prior to 1861, there was the most curious notion prevalent among the members of the college fraternities - it might almost be called a superstition - to the effect that if the secret name of a fraternity was disclosed, such fraternity would from that reason alone, immediately cease to exist. It is curious beyond m easure to read intimations of this belief in the old letters passing between our chapters and sometimes between our chapters and those of other fraternities concerning a common rival. The result of this belief or superstition was that strenuous efforts were made from time to time by different fraternities to possess themselves of the constitution of their rivals in order that they might disclose such secret names, so that in effect the secret names and mottoes of most of the fraternities became common property and yet the expected fraternity cataclysm did not materialize. Nevertheless, enough of this sentiment remained, to create an opposition in Beta Theta Pi to the suggestion that its constitution should be published, but common sense finally prevailed and the constitution was published and has since been open to everybody. To summarize, down to 1869 or during the first thirty years of the fraternityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existence, its energies had been devoted almost entirely to extending its ranks without any particular study of the field available for that purpose, and without any particular wisdom being shown in occupying such field, while the energies of the fraternity during the decade from 1869 to 1879 had been devoted chiefly to originating, perfecting, and putting into operation the improvements in administra­ tive features just mentioned. The extension of the fraternity had not been neglected during the decade from 1869 to 1879 and several movements for chapters during this period were of value and have resulted in the establishment of chapters which have been an honor to the fraternity, but on the whole, the extension during this period was not wisely conducted and did not result in the establishment of chapters at places where it was to the permanent benefit of the fraternity to maintain them. This is in somewhat marked contrast to the wisdom exhibited since that time in establishing chapters, because no chapter established since 1879 is now inactive, and the few which have not fulfilled in toto the promises of success made at the time of their establishment have not failed but merely have not progressed quite as rapidly as the others. The period from 1879 to 1889 marked an almost revolutionary advance in the condition of the fraternity. A new system of government was inaugurated in the fall of 1879 and provided for administration of the fraternity through trustees or directors, a form of organization and government usual to corporations. The fraternity was wise enough, however, to retain the general secretary as its chief administrative officer, and to keep the other features of administration which had proven successful in practice. During this period an adequate catalog was published for the first time, giving the brief essential biographical details of each member, a songbook worthy of the fraternity was issued, and an attempt was made by the fraternity to institute a Panhellenic conference similar to the one now in existence (and which was not 451

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brought into activity until many years afterwards) but the particular material advance made by the fraternity was its conversion from a sectional fraternity, confining itself practically to the central western states and a small area in the south, into a real national organization. This was accomplished by the absorption of the existing chapters of an eastern society called Alpha Sigma Chi, the last chapters of two fraternities at Mississippi and Brown, and the rapid extension of the fraternity into certain eastern colleges, such as Columbia, Colgate, Union, Amherst, Syracuse, Dartmouth, Pennsylvania State, and the establishment of strong southern chapters at Vanderbilt and Texas. It was the first of the so-called western fraternities to enter the colleges of New England and the middle states and develop any strength in those localities, and it reaped its reward in that it secured a position in those regions of the country of power and influence far in advance in point of time of other fraternities of western origin and far in advance in point of achievement of any fraternities of any origin. This decade also witnessed the beginning of the establishment of chapter houses. The credit for instituting the scheme of a chapter house in which members of a college fraternity chapter should live a united life as a family, as far as I have been able to learn, belongs to Kappa Alpha, to which fraternity is due, as you well know, the credit of the origin of the modern fraternity system. In respect to this feature of fraternity life, which has come to be so extremely important and has had consequences much more far-reaching than those who originated it ever conceived, the honor of originating this plan of living has been claimed by other organizations. Chi Psi at the University of Michigan in the late [eighteen-] forties took possession of a shanty or cabin in the outskirts of Ann A rbor and Delta Kappa Epsilon a little later occupied a somewhat similar structure in the neighborhood of Gambier, Ohio, where its Kenyon chapter was located, but these were in no sense chapter houses. They were merely meeting places, conveniently obscured from general view, were not intended to be used as residences and had none of the attributes or conveniences of a dwelling except four walls and a roof and the latter element, we believe, became lacking in the house or cabin of Delta Kappa Epsilon. It was in 1883 that the Amherst chapter provided the first chapter house in the fraternity. So far as I have been able to learn, at that time there were but thirty-four such houses owned or rented by the fraternities. Three local societies had houses. Alpha Delta Phi, Delta Kappa Epsilon, and Psi Upsilon each had five, Chi Psi, Delta Psi, Sigma Phi, and Zeta Psi each three, and Beta Theta Pi, Delta Upsilon, Kappa Alpha, and Phi Kappa Psi each one. The fraternity was slow to enter upon this phase of college and fraternity existence but as I will show later, as soon as its advantages were reajized, it became foremost in securing for its chapters a proper position in this respect. The decade from 1889 to 1899 was marked by an intense conservatism. During this period chapters were established at Syracuse, Dartmouth, Minnesota, Cincin­ nati, Missouri, Lehigh, Yale, and Leland Stanford, and the inactive chapters at Kenyon and Rutgers were re-established. Very many applications for charters were rejected. The system of government was improved and made more efficient, an 452

impartial scheme of taxation providing an adequate revenue for the use of the fraternity was placed in operation and the annual reports of the chapters theretofore sent in a desultory, inefficient manner to the alumni, when sent at all, were gathered together as a confidential number of the magazine, properly edited and printed, and sent to all of the alumni. The chief advance made by the fraternity during this decade, however, was an intangible improvement in the quality of the undergraduate membership. The rise of athleticism among the colleges promoted intercollegiate intercourse and made the chapters better acquainted. They criticized each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standards of m em ber­ ship and improved in every direction. The fraternity, too, was no longer a boyish organization. It had come under the control of earnest, active, enthusiastic, competent men who saw the good it was capable of doing and who gave freely of their time, money and service to preserve and promote such results. Men high in position and power, the justices of the supreme court, the governors of states, senators, and college presidents, became proud of their membership in the frater­ nity and by their influence and position increased its prestige and power. The time from 1899 to the present has marked a quiet advance; chapters have been established at strategic points; the administration has become efficient; chapter houses have been built and rebuilt; publications have been issued as occasion required; and the fraternity has won for itself an enviable place in the college world. What, then, has the fraternity accomplished during its seventy-five years of life outside of the perpetuation in a marked way of the principle of friendship among associated men of intellectual achievement? In the first place, to look at the matter from a collegiate standpoint, the fraternity has established seventy-five existing prosperous chapters in practically the leading institutions in the United States and Canada, drawing to its ranks in those colleges a fair proportion of the brightest intellects and most striking personalities and potentially successful men among the students, in each chapter welding such men into a continuous body of competent, patriotic, well-educated, well-intending citizens. That of itself may be said to be an achievement worth all of the effort which it has cost on the part of the men not now in college. But it is a form of achievement which the fraternity necessarily shares with its chief rivals. W herein have we succeeded and achieve where others have not succeeded and have not achieved? On the material side we have placed all but four of our chapters in houses, developing among them a sane, wholesome community life, controlling their boyish enthusiasms by their regard, both individually and collectively, for the reputation of the fraternity which has been entrusted to them, and learning under conditions of such intimate contact, lessons, of self-control, unselfishness and the ability to do team work at the sacrifice of individual preference; a spirit which cannot be developed under any other circumstances or in any other way. O f these houses, fifty-four are owned by the chapters or by associations of their alumni and the value of their holdings as real estate exceeds one million of dollars 453

and their furnishings exceed one quarter of a million dollars, all representing hundreds of thousands of petty sacrifices of comfort and convenience and repre­ senting a loyalty finding its expression in this financial way which everyone can understand. To accumulate these properties it has taken the savings of ministers, lawyers and doctors, accumulated dollar by dollar, each gift being made with an appreciation of the good that it was doing and would do and the benefit resulting being multiplied to the use of many on-coming college generations. We have prepared for the use of the fraternity an absolutely unrivalled set of publications giving to outsiders full details of our fraternity and its organization. Our catalog is accurate, and while no catalog of a shifting American population is ever up to date, it is as nearly perfect and complete as painstaking care and unremitting labor can make it. W chavc'm Betas o f Achievement an inspiring list of our successful men in every walk in life. We have an admirable code of laws and rules. The Handbook gives our history in brief. Our Song Book is the envy of our rivals and our magazine keeps all who desire to know informed concerning our condition and progress. No other fraternity has anything like such a complete set of publications. In addition, the slip-shod business methods prevalent among college men of the antebellum period and continuing into the late [eighteen-] eighties have given way to business-like methods and promptitude of action which men of my age, conver­ sant with the conditions theretofore obtaining, believed to be impossible although they were considered to be worth striving for. Our general treasurer reports that the chapters pay their dues promptly as contrasted with not paying them at all or only after protracted delays only twenty years ago. Our magazine management reports our chapters complying with all sorts of requests for information by return mail, fully and intelligently complying with such requests in a way that is little short of astounding to the man who dealt with college boys thirty years ago. In addition, the fraternity man whose chief aim in life was to wear fashionable clothes, call frequently upon the girls, attend as many dancing parties as possible, get on the edge of athletics, and terminate his time in college with a degree representing the least possible effort to secure it, has practically disappeared from our ranks and his place has been taken by the all-round college man who engages sanely in college activities, belongs to debating clubs, indulges in athletic sports, appears in an occasional drama and helps conduct his college papers, while at the same time almost in the majority of cases, securing the coveted key of Phi Beta Kappa or its equivalent. The fraternity has secured a position of dignity and power which has won the respect, admiration, and cordial co-operation of the executive officers of the different colleges. As long ago as 1879, Beta Theta Pi announced as a principle that it would co-operate with college faculties to improve the conditions as to scholarship or otherwise of its members or of the colleges in which they were located. It announced also as a principle that everywhere and always, Betas were to be loyal to their college first and to their fraternity secondarily, that they were to keep out of political combinations among the students even to their own detriment and were to do everything and anything to improve the conditions and prospects of the colleges 454

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at which they were in attendance. These principles have been slowly finding acceptance among other college fraternities, but this one was the leader and pioneer in that attitude and has reaped its reward richly in the unrivalled position which it now occupies among similar organizations, and of which it is frequently said by members of college faculties that it is truly and in every sense primus inter pares. The fraternity has been rarely fortunate in one respect. It has never been cursed with the evil of internal politics. Its affairs have been managed by high minded men who have won the admiration, respect, and thorough confidence of the undergradu­ ates and alumni members, and although at its conventions the forms of elections have been gone through with, it is a notable fact upon which the fraternity is to be sincerely congratulated, that, with one or two minor exceptions, offices in Beta Theta Pi have always sought the man, and not the man the offices. No man can spend his undergraduate life in a Beta chapter and after leaving college continue even the faintest relation with his fraternity without being a better scholar and a better citizen by reason of such contact. And when we reflect that these ennobling, molding influences are being quietly and persistingly exerted in seventyfive colleges and among hundreds of picked young men, can we not justly say that what Beta Theta Pi has achieved in seventy-five years has been well worth while?

What is a Good Chapter?1 A good chapter of Beta Theta Pi: 1 - Recognizes that it is not a local organization, but a branch of a long established national fraternity having definite aims and purposes; and that its own charter was granted primarily to give added strength to the parent body. 2 - Recognizes that the aims and purposes of The Fraternity have precedence over any purely local customs or desires, and that loyalty to The Fraternity is the first prerequisite to enduring Chapter development and success. 3 - Strives through its individual members to exalt those aims and to fulfill those purposes, magnifying constantly the importance of individual accomplishment as a necessary accompaniment to group achievement. 4 - Cherishes the sentiment of The Fraternity through its songs and through faithful adherence to its ritual interpreted with dignity on occasion of initiation. 5 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Seeks to encourage its members in everyway in unity of spirit and endeavor, tries to elevate standards of scholarship, aims to develop strong ties of human friendship among its members, manifests loyalty to the institution in which it is located, and 1 T h is is a p a r t o f F ra n c is W . S h e p a r d s o n â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s r e p o r t a s G e n e r a l S e c re ta ry in 1916 w h ic h a p p e a r s in

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gives hearty support to the faculty in measures which look toward the improvement of individual character. 6 - Tries through its local administration to respond promptly and efficiently to the demands made upon it by the officials of The Fraternity, insisting upon efficiency in such administration. 7 - Bars intoxicating liquor and gambling from its Chapter house and does not tolerate, on the part of its individual members, open violation of the laws of The Fraternity or plain transgressions of the spirit of Beta Theta Pi. 8 - Keeps its Chapter house and grounds in good condition, regulates life in the house by such sensible laws as to make it as nearly as possible a real college home, and trains its members to respect the rights of one another as well as the obligations toward neighbors in a college community. 9 - Pays its debts promptly and trains its members to regular and systematic habits in personal financial matters as a fundamental factor in Chapter prosperity. 10 —Joins in every movement for better relationships among fraternity men in its institution, championing the local inter-fraternity conference as a desirable help toward comity and wider college friendship, always putting the larger interests of the institution ahead of the narrow and selfish demands of temporary Chapter advan­ tage. 11 - Rem em bers that it is an institution designed to exist for many years and whose future success will be largely due to the reputation and character it sustains at any one time. 12 - Teaches its individual members to understand that each has distinct responsi­ bility and that each must maintain his character as one of its worthy members.

MUTUAL ASSISTANCE1 To the Cincinnati convention of 1873 John Reily Knox sent a letter of personal reminiscence. He had been asked to write out his recollections of 1839. In this letter he indicated January of that now-historic year as the time when the idea occurred to him of the organization of what became Beta Theta Pi. In what he described as “a rather bitter fight” in the Union Literary society during the college year 1838-1839, Knox became the leader of a party which was arrayed against those members who belonged to Alpha Delta Phi or who were aligned with it. The Knox faction won out, and, on June 7,1839, he was inaugurated president of the society. In 1873, he paid tribute to the “Alphas,” as they were called: 1 T h is e ss a y b y F ra n c is W . S h e p a rd s o n a p p e a r e d in th e F e b r u a r y 1937 is su e o f The Beta Theta Pi. 456

THE F A IT H FU L HOME OF THE THREE STARS

I h a d le a rn e d to a d m ire th e c o m p a c t o rg a n iz a tio n a n d th e

esprit de Corps o f its

m e m b e rs .

Stopping for a moment to consider that French expression, long since incorpo­ rated into our language, it may be noted that the dictionary defines it: C o m m o n d e v o tio n o f m e m b e rs to a n o rg a n iz a tio n .

In the Cincinnati convention letter there was a paragraph describing the objects proposed for the new brotherhood. One sentence stated: M u tu a l s u p p o r t a n d a ss is ta n c e , a b s o lu te fa ith a n d c o n fid e n c e in e a c h o th e r , a n d p ro g r e s s in k n o w le d g e a n d s c h o la rs h ip w e re th e f u n d a m e n ta l id e a s o n w hich w e b u ilt.

The order in which the three basic ideas are mentioned is worth noting. The first thing was “mutual.” Knox told of frequent conferences with Marshall. He always credited the latter with persistence in pushing him in the direction of a society to be a competitor with the “Alphas.” When, in later years, Marshall dictated his recollections, his memory gave him the position of primacy in the organization days, rather than Knox. He declared that it was he who studied the Greek lexicon a long time to find the right words to express his conceptions, and stated, B e ta w a s fo u n d first. T w o d a y s la te r, T h e ta w as a c c e p te d ; a n d n o t fo r s e v e ra l d ays m o re w as Pi a d d e d to c o m p le te th e tria d , a lth o u g h th e la st w o rd w a s n o t e n tire ly s a tis fa c to ry a t th e tim e .

Whoever was first in the planning, it is interesting that each had the same thought regarding the first object to be sought. The dictionary has two shades of meaning for “mutual.” Each is suggestive to a member of Beta Theta Pi. Taken together, they probably express the complete ideal which the founding fathers had in mind: 1. 2.

P e rta in in g re c ip ro c a lly to b o th o f tw o; re c ip ro c a lly re la te d o r b o u n d ; re c ip ro c a l in a c tio n o r e ffo rt. S h a re d o r e x p e rie n c e d alik e; c o m m o n .

A pretty good notion that: that a Beta has something to give and something to receive; that he is obligated to himself and to others; as a good Beta he cannot live alone or seek his own advantage alone. In advance of the first meeting of Beta Theta Pi on August 8, 1839, Founder David Linton was appointed to deliver the keynote address before the new fraternity. The text of his speech, happily, has been transmitted to us1, and from it, it is evident that, to him as well as to Knox and to Marshall, the “m utual” feature of Beta Theta Pi was the most important and valuable. H e recalled that In r e fe re n c e to fr ie n d s h ip a s w ell a s to e v e ry o t h e r v irtu e , th e r e h a v e b e e n tw o c la ss e s o f m e n w h o h a v e e n te r ta in e d d iff e r e n t o p in io n s . T h e o n e a d h e r e s to w h a t h a s b e e n c a lle d th e s elfish sy ste m , th e o th e r to th e b e n e v o le n t a n d d is in te re s te d .

H e described and discussed these two types of men, and indicated clearly that, in Beta Theta Pi, the self-seeker was to have no place. H e first expressed the hope that the “what is there in it for me” thought might never exist in his own breast; and then, using on that first night a phrasing which always has been dear to Betas, and quoting it at that - probably from Knox2 - he hoped that “for the honor and 1 In d e e d , it a p p e a r s j u s t a few p a g e s e a r lie r in th is b o o k . 2 I t is a p a r a p h r a s e o f K n o x ’s in a u g u ra l a d d re s s to U n io n L it, w h ic h a p p e a r s in th e p re - f o u n d in g s to ry .

457

THE FA IT H FU L HUME UF THE THREE STARS

prosperity of our beloved society,” such a thought might “never be entertained by any ‘who wears the badge and bears the name of Beta Theta Pi.’ ” [Emphasis added] With many citations from ancient history, Linton discussed the theme. H e made a strong plea for friendship for its own sake, declaring that it has “an intrinsic value, uncomputed, uncomputable. Then he added: L e t n o n e say, w h a t c a re I fo r m y b r o t h e r ’s e s te e m ? W h a t is all th is w o rth ? H o w w ill it a d v a n c e m y in te re s ts , s u b s e rv e m y p riv a te e n d s ? T h is is th e la n g u a g e o f d e lu s io n a n d folly, th e b r e a th in g o f a n a rro w s o u l, th e e ffe rv e s c e n c e o f b a se s e lfish n e s s.

Alas! Brothers. Knox, Marshall, and Linton; despite your lofty pleas for “noble natures” and “generous spirits,” there have been selfish souls in Beta Theta Pi; those who sought its membership purely for their own personal gain; those who had no further use for it after such interest had been satisfied. On the other hand, thousands have been inspired by your high idealism and have tried to measure up to your standard of worthiness for him “who wears the badge and bears the name.” It was an interesting phase of the development of the Beta ideal, that one obligation originally selected for our fraternity, was soon cast aside as diametrically opposed to that relationship between men which the founders phrased in the words “mutual assistance.” As Pater Knox himself recorded it, “At a very early date the in­ troduction of a more Christian element into the organization led to a modification of this rather heathenish provision.” The rejected obligation, referring to the close relationship between a new brother and his companions, declared: I s w e a r to lo o k u p o n h is e n e m ie s a s m y e n e m ie s , his fr ie n d s a s m y frie n d s , a n d s ta n d fo r th to m e te o u t te n d e r k in d n e s s o r v e n g e a n c e acc o rd in g ly .

As to this, perhaps it should be stated, that this obligation never originated in the minds or hearts of “the Boys of Thirty-nine,” but was one of the several borrowed from the ritual of “The Holy and Thrice Illustrious Order of the Cross,” the Crusader organization whose vows held such fascination for Knox and his companions. There was another factor in the “mutual” feature which our founders may have had in mind. It was brought out some years ago by former president John Calvin Hanna, a thoughtful student of words, as the mottoes on the chapter coats of arms so strikingly show. It was, that the Greek word the founders used had in its root meaning something of an “S.O.S.” quality - an idea of a loud cry for help and an obligation on the part of the individual member to respond immediately. That is a not-unfamiliar ritualistic suggestion among fraternal organizations of the world; but to those college boys of long ago, it may have made a powerful appeal. Whence came this thought of brotherhood as expressed in a fraternity like Beta Theta Pi? It would be interesting to know when, for the first time, moving forward from the cave man days, one individual spoke to another with human friendship in his heart, declaring “I am thy brother,” and indicating a desire to be helpful in time of loneliness, distress or need. One may read far in the stary of primitive secret societies without finding a suggestion of anything meaning “brother,” as that word translates itself into modern social thought. “I am thy brother.” That is a potent sentence. It may have a triple meaning. It may refer to blood relationship, indicating people of the same parentage. It m aybe used by one mem ber of a fraternal society 458

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to a fellow in the bond. With the thought of a wider brotherhood of man, it may be used to express an interest on the part of one individual in the interest of another. In any one of the three uses the word “brother” carries with it a meaning which, relatively speaking, is modern in the development of human society. Such interpretation does not apply to the familiar story of Cain and Abel or to that of Jacob and Esau; and they perhaps are among the oldest narratives about brothers. Joseph, in a dramatic scene, used the identical words, “I am thy brother,” and the context seems to indicate that he, at least, then had a real fraternal feeling as that expression is understood today. Abraham showed a trace of it in dealing with his nephew Lot. David and Jonathan appear to have caught a glimpse of the ideal in a fine friendship which had real understanding connected with it. Damon and Pythias, in old Syracuse, apparently experienced the true affection of man for man which required no tie of blood to make it strong. Centuries were to pass before a master of men was to announce a strange policy, difficult to introduce, and expressed in the words, “A new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another.” Again and again, as the little group which rallied around his standard sought to extend the influence of his teachings, “Love the brotherhood” became both an instruction and a cherished ideal. It was the relatively-new Christian conception of life's obligations that was the basis of “mutual assistance.” W hether they recognized it or not the founders of Beta Theta Pi caught the spirit. On an earth which is supposed to have been in existance for eons, eighteen hundred and thirty-nine years made a period hardly noticeable; but in that period a new notion had found expression, culminating perhaps in that sublime declaration, “G reater love hath no man than this; that a man lay down his life for his friends.” It was this larger vision of life which found expression in Beta Theta Pi. “ F r ie n d s h ip g av e o u r o r d e r b irth — P u r e a n d la s tin g a s th e e a r th ; S tr o n g d e v o tio n to o u r m o tto g ave us life. W ith th e h e lp o f b r o th e r s d e a r , A n d o f G o d , w e ’v e n a u g h t to fe a r A s w e m in g le in th e d in o f e a r th ly s trife .”

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THE FAITHFUL HUME UF THE THREE STARS

Grif s Candidate1 When Grif Ormsby took the floor in chapter-meeting, the presiding officer having announced that the next order of business was “proposals for membership” not one af the sixteen other Betas present could have guessed what he was going to say. The year was half gone; there hadn’t been a new name proposed for half-adozen meetings; the boys had been rather more successful than usual in the fall campaign, and the chapter membership was already pretty large, according to the Beth-peor standard; above all, not one of them cauld call up a single name in college that he would care to have added to the list; they had certainly canvassed all the possibilities long ago. But it would be like Grif to propose Black George, the janitor of Terry Hall, or Joey Bates, the town fool, and follow up the proposal with a speech of recommendation that would be fun alive. So the chairs began to tilt back against the wall, and their occupants to choose positions that would offer as little hindrance to mirthfulness as possible. For Grif never failed of a hearing in fraternity meeting, though he was only a sophomore, and not at the head of his class, either. This time, however, he disappointed the back-tilted chairs. It wasn’t a funny speech after all. But it took the house by surprise more completely than the most unexpected joke could have done. “Mr. President and brothers,” he began in the formal way the chapter always taught its members to address the meeting. “I rise to propose for membership in our beloved chapter and fraternity, Mr. Karl Welling of the Sophomore class.” Several of the chairs dropped upon their front legs again, especially such as had only got half-way back. Somebody emitted a plaintive though aspirated whistle, which was responded to from the opposite side of the room by a gasp that narrowly missed being a groan. Only two or three, and those of the older members, looked serious and held their peace. Meanwhile Grif was going steadily on with his speech. “I know that most of you have never even thought of Welling as a possible Beta; I never did until lately. But I have been studying the fellow a good deal and am convinced that he has in him the making of a first-class fraternity man. I have been with him in all his classes for a year and a half, and know his style pretty well. H e’s an even, clear-headed fellow, who does about as well in all his studies as he does in any one, which is saying a good deal, and works one day as well as another. He is well read, too. He floored old Durham the other day on a point about Henry VI, or some other medieval moke, and did it easy. O f course you all think he’s an unsocial kind of bird - ” “Why, Grif,” broke in Roy Carter, “he’s a wooden man! H e’s the worst mucker in all Beth-peor. I’d as soon fraternize with a fall rain as with Karl Welling!” And Roy’s face expressed the disgust he left unspoken. “No,” said Grif, “he’s nobody’s wooden man, either. If I thought he were, I’d keep still. I don’t care to have the chapter go into the lumber business any more than you do, I suppose: am not just that kind of folks, myself. But you’re wrong about s to ry b y W illis O . R o b b , O h io W e s le y a n 1879, p u b lis h e d in th e N o v e m b e r 1884 issu e o f

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e d i t o r a t th e tim e , W illia m R . B a ird , n o te d th a t “ S o fa r a s is k n o w n to th e e d ito r, th is

w as th e first fic titio u s s to ry d e a lin g w ith a f r a te rn ity s u b je c t e v e r w r itte n .”

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Welling. It is true, of course, that he has made but very few friends in college, and that his own apparent lack of congeniality is the reason for it. Still, I stick to my first statement, that he has in him the making of an A -l fraternity man. The whole trouble with him is just like this - he’s a fellow who has never learned the value of friendship. I don’t know anything about his home life; he doesn’t come from my part of the state. But I’ll bet the oysters for the chapter to a package of cigarettes that he had never had an intimate friend in his life, and that personal confidences and displays of affection are not the rule in his father’s family. I feel sure that Welling would like to be as social and companionable as other fellows, if he only knew how; but he doesn’t know how, and is conscious of it, and chooses to exaggerate his natural offishness rather than display any clumsiness in accepting or responding to the advances that otherwise might be made to him. Once fairly broken in to live on intimate term s with other people, he would be one of the best fellows going. I don’t often make a set speech in chapter-meeting, boys, but I have taken a great deal of interest in studying Welling’s case lately and I believe I have got the right diagnosis of it. And it seems to me it would be a good thing if our chapter were to take hold of Welling, and give him an education in the affections, so to speak; it would pay us, and be the making of him. O f course I know that no action on his name can or ought to be taken right away. But I wish the boys would take the trouble to study up the facts of the case in a quiet way, and see if I’m not right. We can afford to do that much, at least, and Welling need be little the wiser for our passing him in review before us.” And Grif sat down in a silence that was not altogether a protest. His little speech had clearly had its effect. Pretty soon Walter Bennett, one of the seniors, arose and said, cordially: “ 1 think this is about the best speech Grif has made us. I confess Welling has never seemed to me a very attractive fellow, but I am not at all sure the account we have just heard of his case is not the true one, and that we could not make out of him a Beta of the real Beth-peor stamp. At any rate I suggest that we give GriPs candidate a chance, and that each of us make it his business to arrive at a more definite and careful judgement in the matter, with the purpose of reporting upon the same at a future meeting.” And they did. And it is surprising how swiftly and accurately a group of fraternity men can take the measure of a fellow when once they set about it; surprising, also, how many new traits in a man’s character seem to be developed by the simple operation of holding him steadily in view for a while. However, the boys took their time to the Welling investigation; and the new light they obtained did not come all at once. Starting, as we have seen, with the almost universal feeling that the man was a stick, and quite lacking in the first and most indispensable requisite of a fraternity man, it was some time before they began rightly to appreciate the justice of G rif Ormsby’s shrewd bit of philosophy, and to see in “GriPs candidate” the qualities his sponsor had discerned before them. Meanwhile, as Grif had foreseen, Welling himself was quite ignorant of the inspection he was undergoing. The boys were expert in the art of reconnoissance, and though the object of their fixed regard must have been dimly conscious that 461

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rather more wearers of a certain fraternity badge crossed his path, in a casual manner, than he had been used to meet with, the circumstance did not draw a theory in its train. It was customary in the Beth-peor chapter never to take a formal ballot on a candidate until every member of the chapter had expressed his readiness to vote; for it was a chapter by-law that no name, once black-balled, could be proposed again during the same college year; and the desire to give all nominations a fair chance prom pted to deliberation in recording the final verdict. Accordingly some weeks passed by before the name of Karl Welling came up for action. One by one the boys had been coming around to GriPs way of thinking, and making up their minds, with more or less of curious expectancy in the make-up product, that the experiment he proposed was worth trying. And when at last the decisive vote was taken, and the sergeant-at-arms drew the slide in the ballot box to show the result to the presiding officer, there were only white balls in the box. The election was formally declared, and Grif Ormsby appointed as a committee of one to notify the candidate. Grif protested, with a vigor that was half comic and half desperate, his unfitness for the task. But the chapter would not have it otherwise, and he had to accept the commission, though he felt sure, so he said, that he would prove just clumsy enough to flush the bird instead of bagging it. In sober truth, GriPs reluctance was by no means all assumed. Though still convinced that he had been right in proposing Welling’s election, and thoroughly glad the chapter had come at last to his position, it now appeared to him, upon closer view, that the task of fairly presenting the case to Welling himself was likely to be one of uncommon difficulty - an “awkward business,” to use his own inward description of its aspect. But Grif never put off a duty very long because of its difficulty - and the evening of the day following his appointment found him standing in the hall outside the door of Karl Welling’s room in Frankenburg Street, wandering whim­ sically, as he tapped on it, whether it was likely he should ever become a familiar visitor there. “Come,” and he opened the door and went in. Karl was at his study table, in dressing gown and reading-visor, but rose at once when his visitor entered. “Oh, it is you, Ormsby? Come in. I’m glad to see you!” It was not quite the first time Grif had been in his room, and he had a real admiration for his bright-faced quick-witted classmate - as indeed, all had who knew him; for Grif was undeniably popular. “You were at Plautus1, weren’t you?” said Grif, after they had talked a minute, and glancing at the book on the table. “Well, I shouldn’t mind trying a whirl at that gifted heathen, myself. Suppose we go on together.” So they sat down side by side, and spent a quarter of an hour over The Captives, getting more and more friendly as they read, and laughing together every now and then at GriPs running commentary on the play. Grif felt that there was a slight thaw in the weather, and determined not to lose time in taking advantage of it. “Welling,” he said, as they closed the book and pushed back their chairs, and 1 P la u tu s w as a R o m a n d r a m a tis t o f th e 3 rd a n d 2 n d c e n tu rie s B .C .

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the final laugh subsided, “I’ve something rather particular to say to you tonight, and I may as well say it while it’s fresh in my mind. You were last evening elected, by a unanimous vote, to membership in our fraternity, and I was appointed to notify you of the fact. I hope, with all my heart, that you will accept the election, and make one of our number.” And he spoke with a hearty frankness which warmed his words as they went. To say that Karl was astonished, both by the words and m anner of this brief speech, would be to use a very simple term to describe a very complex sensation. In after days, he himself often laughed and abandoned the attem pt when he tried to explain his feelings at this sudden and bewildering turn of affairs. He sat now, quite still, his face slowly changing color, his hands fumbling for something on the table, and his voice quite failing to do its duty. “Why, Ormsby,” he said at last, “I - I - you astonish me; I hardly understand - that - is - 1 don’t know what to say,” as he clearly didn’t - nor had he a very good tongue to say it with, just then, if he had known. “Well,” said Grif quietly, “there isn’t any great hurry, you know; you have all the evening before you, and my time is cheap. I’ll wait.” Karl laughed, in a nervous, excited way, then growing sober again rose and walked slowly to the mantel, where he stood looking into the open grate for several minutes, with his hands in his pockets and the firelight playing on his half-averted face. Grif who was watching him closely, was surprised at the change wrought in his usual plain and quiet appearance. After a while - a good long while, it seemed to his guess - Karl began speaking, without taking his eyes from the fire, and in a voice that he was clearly trying to force into its ordinary tone, but that had to be allowed to stop from time to time as he went on: “I think,” he said slowly, “that your fraternity has made a mistake. You have taken me so by surprise that maybe I shan’t be able to make it quite clear as it seems to me, but I’ll try. Please understand that - that I am very grateful to you all, and that I do not undervalue the honor you have offered me; the standing of the men in your fraternity here in college is certainly a very high one, and there is no student in Bethpeor who might not be proud to be associated with them. But I don’t in the least understand why they should have thought of me in the light of a fellow fraternity man. I have never been very well acquainted with the men of your crowd; I know you better that any of the rest, and yet even we have not been thrown together much. And it seems to me I am not the sort of man for a fraternity-member, anyhow to tell the truth. I am not very social by nature, I think, and have never been used to living on very confidential terms with other fellows.” (Grif smiled a little, to himself, as Karl used almost his own words to the boys, that first night in chapter meeting.) “Not that I really dislike companionship; you know better than that. But it has just never been my way to have much of it. And I truly believe that I never miss it, in the way many people would. This has become to me ‘the natural way of living’, you see.” “No,” said Grif, interrupting for the first time, though there had been several pauses in Welling’s speech before, “no; it isn’t the natural way of living, at all, not 463

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even for you. It is true, perhaps, that you have never known any other way, but that makes no difference; you have simply missed something that you ought not to have missed, and that no one ever ought to miss. Now listen to me for a while.” And Grif went on, in earnest way, to tell what his fraternity friendships had been, and were, in his own life —how they made a sacred inner court in it, that seemed a center of all sweet and strong influences —how the arms of brotherly friendship seemed always to be about him, making all delights dearer and all ills easier to bear. As he talked, there came, all unconsciously, a mist into his eyes, and a tenderness into his voice that affected his listener more powerfully than any logic into which mere words can be shaped could possibly have done. It was not an argument, but a revelation. And Welling began to feel that his whole nature was being made over in the presence of it. He was bewildered by the change yet he could not but wish it might go on, so acute and thrilling was the pleasure of it. It was after midnight when they separated at last; and the long talk had brought them very close together indeed. To one of them it was the beginning of a new era. For Karl had given his word to the fraternity, and it had been accepted with a handclasp that made him feel the new relation was already begun. Grif never made any very detailed report of his mission to the chapter; the truth was, he couldn’t recall just what had been said, and he answered all inquiries for particulars in a more or less unsatisfactory manner. When Roy Carter pressed him for some of the points of his talk with Karl, Grif only smiled, and said, in a most grandfatherly and soothing voice, “There, now! Don’t you sprain that agile intellect of yours trying to probe into the deeper mysteries.” The initiation came off the next Saturday night, and everybody said it was the best of the year. And before the “little spread” that followed had been disposed of, all doubt of the wisdom of their step had been banished from every mind. Yet, not even the bright and joyous aspect of his initiation night, dear as it always remained to his memory, did so much to complete and ratify for Karl the work GriPs talk had begun as did a little incident that happened a week or two later. It was hardly an incident, either; at least, Karl never felt certain that any particular thing had happened so much as that something had become. He had dropped in, one evening, after study hours, at W alter Bennett’s room - for it surprised everyone, himself most of all, to see how quickly he had acquired and come to enjoy that same “dropping-in” habit - and found there two or three of the boys already engaged in conversation. His entrance was but a momentary inter­ ruption, and soon the talk went on in its own channels, with Karl, at first, a silent but deeply interested listener. It was such a talk as, perhaps, only college-men have. It moved from one topic to another, but slowly, gravely, and half in reverie. What struck Karl at once was that the speakers seemed almost to bare their very souls to each other; the odd fancies and vagaries, the half-formed thoughts and shadows of thoughts; the deep inward musings that all men, especially all young men, have, and yet that many a man supposes none but himself to know anything about —all these were spoken out quite freely and simply, as though it were a m atter of course that they should be. 464

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Did it mean this then - the fraternity bond he had entered into? Did it mean that men came to know each other, not merely in their ordinary traits of character, but in the very innermost recesses of their souls, where only their dreams abide? He had not supposed such things could be. It was as if a new world had suddenly been unveiled in void mid-air. Little by little he felt himself drawn into the current of the talk, timidly at first, as a voyager on an unknown stream, but with more and more of freedom and earnestness as the new, strange force took possession of him. And when he went to his room at last he knew right well that his real entrance into fraternity life had been made. Men who have had one such talk together will never be strange to each other again in all the world. Grif Ormsby and Roy Carter had been working until late one night in the chapter-hall, decorating it for the annual reception, to be given the next day. This work had made them hungry, and they got a can of oysters and had a private stew all to themselves in the “chapter kitchen.” As they ate their soup, Roy suddenly said, in his impulsive way: “Grif, do you know you deserve a monument for that Welling business —a monument higher than the chapel spire?” “Thanks for the hint,” said Grif, tranquilly, “But I don’t seem to feel that I’ve got around to monuments yet. If you will just pass the pickles instead, we’ll save the monuments for the next course.”

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Freedom With1 Freedom is the cry and demand which rings throughout the world. Everybody wants freedom. It is a passionate desire for men to be free from all kinds of real and imaginary bonds. Some men know it is not just freedom from which humanity needs, but freedom for. We ought to be free for service to mankind, out Nation, our home, our church, and those things which build society and character. If freedom is coupled with being free from and being free/or, it cannot exist long without freedom with. Freedom was bom a twin. Just as Liberty was born a twin with eternal vigilance, freedom was born a twin and history knows freedom cannot long exist without its twin. Freedom was born a twin with responsibility. A free nation can survive only if free people accept responsibility to maintain laws, whether they like them or not, until such laws are changed by legal processes coming through a free democratic electorate. There is a responsibility to maintain order and not create disorder, and there is responsibility to preserve civil peace because all people live within a civil structure. Education as it prompts freedom can create anarchy unless those it educates show responsibility in the realms of both ideas and actions. Freedom was born a twin with discipline. The self-disciplined person is the free person. The disciplined person understands the bounds and limits in which he can move for his own good and for the good of all others. Freedom is the first casualty of undisciplined persons and society. Shouters, rioters, libertines, and unthinking passionate fools without discipline wreck and ruin. Freedom was born a twin with common sense. Common sense dictates that persons do not go too far. It is restraint in making impossible demands and always being aggrieved, injured, and the object of unfair treatment. The trouble with all our dreams of Utopia is that throughout history there have never been enough people who would voluntarily pay the rent to live in Utopia. Common sense is awareness of the blessings we have received through freedom, and the desire, through reasonable means, to extend these blessings to all others. Common sense tells one that freedom must be deserved, earned, and maintained through good, hard, honest effort. Freedom was born a twin with gentleness. The revolutionary forces of mankind have not understood this. They overlook the fact that violence breeds violence. Violence destroys. Violence is self-defeating. Freedom is not established through punitive methods. Freedom is not rushed roughshod into being. It is extended, spread and established through leaders and ordinary persons who have the patience and kindness to show gentleness. Freedom was born a twin with purpose. What do we want freedom for? What will we do with our freedom? The purpose of freedom is to grant all persons movement, growth, latitude, a chance for development and reach. The purpose of freedom is to give persons room to find the fullest and most complete form of existence for them. Freedom for the person has the purpose of making that person IThis Inter Fratres w as w ritte n b y S e th B ro o k s a n d a p p e a r e d in th e F e b r u a r y 1966 is s u e o f The Beta Theta Pi. T h e F r e e d o m s F o u n d a tio n a w a r d e d h im th e G e o rg e W a s h in g to n M e d a l f o r it. 467

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free for the largest opportunity in the largest spheres of dedication. The purpose of freedom is to give man freedom for his body, mind, and soul, but at the same time to bind him to those services, duties and toils into which the free man knows he must enter. The world today is disordered and disturbed. These are sad and difficult times. As Carlyle said in his day, “The is a time of despair, but a time of hope.” We can say that in our commitment to freedom we believe it was born a fww. There must be freedom with responsibility. There must be freedom with discipline. There must be freedom with common sense. There must be freedom with gentleness. There must be freedom with purpose.

Why a GOOD Fraternity?1 A letter contains the following: “Please reflect for a moment on our ‘good fraternity’ as you refer to it. You seem to take great care and pride in referring to it as such. I would like to know why Good seems as though it can weather more turbulence than Excellence?” I will “with great care and pride.” By way of preface, I did not like all things in my chapter as an undergraduate. Equally, I have not liked all things in schools I have attended, clubs I joined, in my community or in my nation. However, I did like much and never expected Paradise on earth. To the Fraternity and the matter of good: 1. For nearly a century and a half it has upheld ideals. Every initiate has been given these ideals. These ideals are ever emphasized. They live and continue to be foundation stones and guiding stars. 2. The Fraternity has brought its members to a relationship with more than 100 other colleges and universities. It has built bonds between Canada and the United States. 3. It has written an outstanding library and gave some of the rarest publications to the New York Public Library for its permanent collection. 4. It has given hundreds of thousands of dollars in undergraduate scholarships. 5. Annual Conventions have brought together undergraduates for training, inspir­ ation and fellowship. 6. Through the Fraternity, young men have met the families of their fellow members —parents, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters - no end of them good persons. 7. Many of our members have done much good in the world beyond the campus. 8. The Fraternity has been served by volunteers who without money or price, gave their time and energy. Good moves the volunteer. 9. It is good because it has had good men who upheld good and deplored what was not good. There always has been the emphasis on scholarship, mutual assist­ ance, friendship. It has taught the good to its individual members and to each chapter. Inter Fratres p u b lis h e d The Beta Theta Pi.

1 T h is is th e la st of

b e f o r e D r. B ro o k s d ie d . It a p p e a r e d in th e F a ll 1987 issu e

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10. The test is has it made better men? It has. Thousands will testify to that in their own experience. One regrets anything that has not been good in our history. Nevertheless, we say “with great care and pride” ours is a good Fraternity. It has taught what is good, upheld the good, done good. It can point with honor to the good men who have been its members and to the good it will ever keep as its aim. As ever in -/c a t -

Seth R. Brooks St. Lawrence 1922

A Word About the Convention1 There is no doubt of one thing, that the fifty-first convention of Beta Theta Pi was a success. Everybody who was present said so, and all felt great sympathy for the Betas who failed to get there. The weather was not strictly first-class, it is true. That was the fault of the fiftieth convention in the selection of the time. They made no mistake in the selection of the place. Wooglin-on-Chautauqua is the right spot for the boys to get together. In many respects the location is the prettiest on that lovely lake. The house, too, the Beta club-house, is large and airy, the doors always open to the fraternity, and all felt at home and comfortable. The fact is, the house ought to belong to the fraternity, so that all brothers coming there could fell that it was indeed their own house and home. But that is a m atter for future consideration. I am not sure, indeed, but the subject was referred to one of the standing committees, to look into and report to some future convention. The delegates, the young men who represented the active chapters, were bright, and, the ladies said, good-looking. As long as the life-blood of the brotherhood flows in such veins, as long as its business is managed by such hands and its banner carried by such strong and willing arms, there is no danger of the future for our order. Some of the older brothers were in the convention, too, and one or two of the ancients. Of the former, John I. Covington, primus inter pares, without whom no convention would be regular, was there. Then the two wheel-horses, Prof. Gordon and Cal. Hanna, with Dr. Thornburg, the irrepressible Warwick, the Bairds, W.R. and Chambers, and Willis O. Robb, for leaders, made a team that would carry any convention through successfully. Of the ancients, Prof. Hepburn, of Miami Univer­ sity, Judge Rich, of Chicago, and the writer, looked on admiringly, and said an occasional word for the good cause. It was a m atter of regret to all that the editor of the magazine was unable to take an active part in the doings of the convention, 1 T h is a rtic le b y P a t e r K n o x a p p e a r e d in th e O c to b e r 1890 issu e o f th e m a g a z in e .

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the banquet and the hop1, in consequence of illness. But he got to the club-house, and the way the Beta mothers and the Beta girls looked after him made his condition rather enviable after all. One of the features of the convention, to be long and pleasantly remembered by those who were present, was the moonlight excursion on the lake to beautiful Greenhurst, and the banquet there, which was a banquet. Covington presided, and as toast-master of the evening, in many apt and happy ways called out the speakers for the expected responses, and saw to it that they did not take too long. When we got back to Wooglin at 4 o’clock in the morning, sober as judges and happy as larks, all felt that it was good for us to go to the banqueting house, and realize that Beta’s banner over us was indeed love. As for myself, the two weeks spent at Wooglin were very pleasant indeed. I took my three meals a day with wonderful regularity and promptness. I think if I could spend a month at Lake Chautauqua and take my meals at the club-house I could climb up to be a two-hundred-pounder. I met many old friends and acquaintances and made new ones, men whom I met for the first time, and yet it seems now as though I had known them all my life. I would like to name them here and now, but it might seem invidious, as all were kind and considerate. Place and honors were given me that I felt were undeserved, and could only be accounted for by the fact that I was with Beta at the beginning. I hope to attend yet other conventions and meet the bright eyes that were around me at the fifty-first. But who can tell? Time rushes on and no one knows what a day may bring forth. I left Wooglin before the convention adjourned, and so took no share in the closing ceremonies. A word of parting was due from me to the convention which had honored me with its presidency; a hand-shake and a farewell to the friends, the brothers whom I may not meet again. And yet it is probably better so. Let the farewells slide “ S a y n o t g o o d n ig h t, b u t in s o m e b r ig h te r clim e B id m e g o o d m o rn in g .”

John Reily Knox

Cementing the Nation2 A lb e r t S e a to n B e rry , M iam i 1856, w a s a c a p ta in in th e F ifth K e n tu c k y In f a n tr y , C o n fe d e r a te S ta te s A rm y , d u rin g th e C ivil W a r. H e w a s a n u n u s u a lly ta ll m a n , p h y sically , s ta n d in g six fe e t, five a n d a h a lf in c h e s. H is b a n q u e t s p e e c h a t th e f o r tie th a n n u a l c o n v e n tio n o f th e fr a te rn ity , h e ld in C in c in n a ti in 1879, is n o ta b le a s o n e o f th e e v id e n c e s o f th e w o rk d o n e b y B e ta T h e ta Pi in re c e m e n tin g th e b o n d s o f u n io n a f te r th e w a r b e tw e e n th e s ta te s . I li s h e ig h t w as r e f e r r e d to b y D r. R e a m y , th e to a s tm a s te r, w h e n h e w as in tr o d u c e d . C a p ta in B e r ry said :

Our presiding officer has a very happy faculty of introducing speakers; at least he succeeds in exciting the risibilities of his audience. I have been called a “son of Anak,” the typical Kentuckian, “the tall poplar of the Licking,” but never before “the largest Greek of modern times.” 1 Y e s, o n e o f th e r e g u la r c o n v e n tio n e v e n ts in th o s e d a y s w as a “ h o p ” o r d a n c e .

2 F r o m Beta Life, p a g e s

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When, unexpectedly, the toast was handed me to which I am called to respond, “Our Fraternity Knows no Party, No Creed, No Section,” I was somewhat puzzled to know what would be appropriate. Looking over this elegant assemblage of intel­ ligent men and beautiful women, the former bearing allegiance and the latter, in sympathy lending the encouragement of their smiling presence to prom ote the laudable ends of our association, I rejoiced at being a Beta. This convocation is largely from the great Northwest, and, possibly, the sentiment expressed in the toast was assigned to me because I had been a rebellious Kentuckian, though now thoroughly reconstructed. It was my pleasure to have been a member of the Alpha chapter of the Beta Theta Pi, of which one of the patriarchs on my left [Honorable John W. Herron] has spoken so eloquently. The unfortunate fratricidal conflict of 1861 to some extent alienated my feeling form my Alma Mater, Miami University, which, I trust, may yet develop into a new life, though the cheerful tread and jolly laugh of the students has not rung through her halls for many years.11 cordially strike hands with one who has done her honor in a resolution to restore her to her ancient and merited prestige. This is the first opportunity in nearly twenty years that I have had to renew my associations and review pleasant reminiscences with a fraternity in whose proceed­ ings I once experienced so much delight. If I understand the spirit of Betaism, it is to strengthen and elevate the moral, social, and intellectual standing of its members, truly a noble and praiseworthy design. H ere we recognize no creed, no party, no section, in an atmosphere of fraternal love: We extol American citizenship. The five thousand members of this fraternity, occupied in the many avocations of life, scattered over a broad territory, will everyone bear cheerful testimony to its salutary effects on their collegiate lives, as they weighed the anchor that bound them to home and family and sought, in the many seats of learning with which our country is blest, intellectual development. Cherishing as we do a common country, of which we may feel justly proud, allow me to suggest to you as part of the grand army whose services should be dedicated to the best welfare of mankind, that education disseminated among every class of the American people is the hope of perpetuating the institutions of this republic. Let us emulate the example of such men as Thomas Jefferson, who, in the evening of his life, said, “Inscribe upon my tombstone, not that I was President of the United States, but that I was the author of the Declaration of Independence, the draftsman of the bill for religious freedom in Virginia, and the founder of the University of Virginia.” Such aspirations would be worthy of any Beta and consonant with the principles of this fraternity. When we enter its portals we leave dogmas and political tenets at the threshold, forget the river along whose banks we played, the mountains we climbed and the valleys in which we roamed in childhood, and rem em ber only that we have a common nationality, uncircumscribed except by the broad oceans upon either side. We meet here tonight, and around this gay and festive board are men who led the hosts of the Union under the starry flag of the Nation, as also others who cast 1 F r o m 1874 to 1886 M ia m i U n iv e rs ity w as c lo se d d u e to a d m in is tra tiv e d iffic u ltie s.

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their fortunes beneath the blazing cross of the South, each feeling that they were right. These differences are forgotten in the fact that we are Betas. Let us, as we draw the veil of forgetfulness over the sad events in our history, remem ber the great truth expressed in the Declaration of Independence, that American government is founded on the consent of the governed, and the influences of this growing, strengthening, fraternity may contribute largely to make intelli­ gence in this land as universal as suffrage, and thus aid in extending its blessings for generations to come. Republican government is in more jeopardy from ignorance than from any other cause. You can work for no nobler or better purpose than to improve the intellectual status of the people wherever destiny may cast your fortune. May all sectional differences be forgotten by the American people in rejoicing over its unparalleled advancement. May the principles that control our association as Beta become the sentiment of American citizens toward each other. And let us, whatever our religion, our section, or our party, be ever true to principle and true to ourselves, and we will surely reflect credit upon our fraternity.

THE BETA OF THE FUTURE 1 In peering into the future to discover the outlines of the typical, but not ideal Beta supposed to dwell therein, we shall certainly be on solid and wholly unsenti­ mental ground if we take for our guide Patrick Henry’s trite saying about judging of the future only by the past. Or, to amplify that saying a little, may we not lay down these three propositions: First, what has been steadily true of the typical Beta from the beginning of our history, and remains true of him to this day, is very likely to continue to characterize the Beta of the future; second, whatever constant tendency toward change or modification in a given direction has heretofore been in the development of the typical Beta of the past and the present, is likely also to keep on showing itself in the Beta of the future; and, third, those tastes and activities and mannerisms which throughout our fraternity history and up to the present time have been transitory and capricious in their appearances and disappearances, as attrib­ utes of the typical Beta - moving in cycles or zigzags, not in straight lines or curves —are not likely to put their permanent mark on the Beta of the future, however much he may, at intervals, show their effects. In other words, the line that runs straight from our far past to our immediate present is likely to run on, a straight line still, through all our future; the line that has been a constantly changing curve, deflecting at the same rate in the same direction, is likely to curve on, subject to the same law of constant change, hereafter as heretofore; while the line that has been a series of irregular zigzags, or of alternating reverse curves, or of cycles and epicycles - well, the only safe prophecy about the future of such a line is that it will probably continue to wobble. Now, take an illustration or two of each of these rules for prophecy-made-easy; and, to reverse the foregoing order of enumeration, let us take first an example or two of the temporary, the fluctuating, the zigzag, in the development and equipment 1 A b a n q u e t s p e e c h in N ew Y o rk , M a rc h 24, 1905 b y W illis O . R o b b , O h io W e s le y a n 1879; it a p p e a r s in

Beta Lore

p a g e s 46-49. T h is s p e e c h c o n ta in s th e v e ry fa m o u s “ B e ta S p ir it” p a ra g ra p h .

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of the typical Beta. I think at once of two rather conspicuous characteristics of the modern college man, and therefore of the modern Beta as a typical modern college man, that seem to me to be distinctly of this class - characteristics that will not permanently characterize. One is over-devotion to athletics, and the other, indiffer­ ence to and lack of appreciation of the best literature. I shall not discuss either of these portentous manifestations. I merely name them to call attention to their present dominance and to declare my belief in their essentially transitory character. College sport is too strenuous to be clean, college reading too frivolous to be quickening. But I am perfectly sure, in the light of our own past and that of all other peoples, that reactions from both these conditions will and must attend the inevitable and not remote swinging back of the pendulum, in our national and social and educational life, from the present extreme of physical and material preoccupa­ tion to the more inward and essential existence without frequent recurrence to which neither men nor civilizations can long survive. Speed the day! Two other developments, however, indicative of permanent changes in our Beta type - changes that can be expected to be progressively characteristic of our fraternity future as confidently as one can predict the further sweep of an already determined curve. One of them is the trend away from first-hand acquaintance with the ancient languages and their literatures - especially Greek - and the other, the substitution of colony life in chapter-homes for the dormitory or boarding-house existence peculiar to earlier college and therefore earlier fraternity history. I am not sure that either of these changes is an unmixed good, or even that the good in either of them clearly outweighs the evil; but I do feel sure that both of them are permanent and progressive changes in our fraternity environment, and that their growing influence must be taken into account in any picture we may try to make for ourselves of the Beta of the future. The days - not so far back in our past they are, either when no one was eligible for initiation into Beta Theta Pi who had not at least begun the study of Greek - the days when the chapter-hall or meeting-room, as a development of the still older boarding-house or dormitory gathering of the faithful, embodied the highest ideal of community life for a Beta chapter - those days are gone, I think, forever. Our men of today are following all manner of newly opened educational paths, few of which go through the groves of Academe, and nearly all of which lead not even to Rome; and they live their college life in college homes that combine the features of a medieval monastery, a modern club, and a commercial joint-stock company. Their college study is thus more intimately connected with their future practical careers, and their college way of life more closely assimilated to their future social activities, than was at all true of their predecessors of, say, forty years ago. W hether they do in this way really get either a better education or a better social training for the work they must do and the lives they must live after graduation, I do not here consider, nor do I think the answer to that question at all an easy one. Just now I am content to note merely that these two conspicuous changes in the educational equipment and environment of the Beta of the present sharply distinguish him from the Beta of the past, and are likely still more strongly to mark and characterize the Beta of the future. 473

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Again, the Beta of the future will be distinguishable and distinguished from all other kinds of fraternity men whatsoever by just a little warmer and stronger, just a little tenderer and more enduring fraternity feeling than any of them can attain to. For it was always so. I do not in the least know how it happened, nor why it persisted after it happened, but a long time ago there came into Beta Theta Pi a fraternity spirit that was, and is, and apparently will continue to be, unique. We know it, who are inside, and they see and record it who are outside the Beta pale. Whether young or old, in college or out, from the small school or the great university, we are conscious of a heritage of genuine fraternalism that has not been vouchsafed in like measure —I say it deliberately—to any other of the great college fraternities. And we cannot doubt that in this, as in other respects, our “future will copy fair our past,” and that in the world of fifty years from now, as in that of fifty years ago - as in that that lies around us today - the first mark of a Beta will be his Beta spirit. And finally, though this is but viewing together, perhaps, the two characteristics we have just been considering separately, the Beta of the future will be the most democratic of all fraternity men. He always has been; he is now. I have long cherished the belief that fraternities like ours, by the peculiar bond they establish and maintain among college-bred men of all geographical sections of the country, contribute appreciably to the maintenance of our federal union, and of our national homogeneity and solidarity. Certainly the district and national conven­ tions of Beta Theta Pi and the numerous city alumni reunions of her membership, do tend to strengthen the very social and political fabric of the nation. But more than that, they and the great fraternal system of which they are the expression tend to establish other bonds the enduring strength whereof may well help to save this nation from a threatened form of dissolution more dreadful than any mere dismemberment could be. Sectional or geographical separation and disintegration, indeed, the United States of America have not needed seriously to fear - since forty years ago. But the possibility of a fierce strife of class with class - of the horizontal splitting of our whole social mass into hostile strata - that dreadful possibility is never wholly absent from the thoughts and fears of the students of American life and its phenomena. No need now to dwell on the forces that make for that disastrous outcome of our great national experiment. Rather let us remember the reasons for hoping that they cannot prevail. And well may we be thankful that those reasons are so numerous and weighty - that so many sweet but strong interclass ties are being everywhere established and strengthened - that philanthropy and sociology and religion, and all the forces they create and wield, unite to keep joined together those personal and class elements of our national life that the forces of disruption are ceaselessly striving to put asunder. And among these unifying forces I cannot but give an important place to such a great national democratic fraternity as Beta Theta Pi. H er undergraduate membership averages 1,300 year by year, her living graduates number perhaps 10,000; and they represent almost every social, commercial, and political class in the Republic. Her chapters, each usually made up of many sorts and conditions of men, are planted in 474

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sixty-seven colleges, scattered throughout twenty-seven states, from the great university drawing students from the whole country, to the rural college supported almost entirely by local farmers and their sons. There are chapters of Beta Theta Pi of which almost the entire active membership is drawn from wealthy homes and from what are called “old” families; there are others, three-fourths of whose undergraduate members are earning their own way, in whole or in part, through college. And as to our out-of-college Betas, their lines are gone out into all the earth, and their work and daily lives are helping to make the world over. Under such circumstances, the action and reaction of brother on brother, of chapter on chapter, of graduate on undergraduate, in the warm atmosphere of the fraternity relation, cannot but make powerfully for the upbuilding of that conserva­ tive but democratic spirit that is the hope of our national existence, the pledge and token of our national immortality. And it is in this soil that is springing up, it is in this atmosphere that is being nurtured, the Beta of the future. How can he be otherwise than warm-nurtured, clear-eyed, and big-hearted - fraternal, forward-looking, and democratic? ... These, then, and such as these, are the marks by which the Beta of the future will be distinguished. They may not, indeed, prove him to be the ideal Beta with whose picture we began the evening, but well will it be for Beta Theta Pi, and for the world of the future in which her mission lies, when they have come to mark, everywhere and always, the real Beta! H ere’s looking toward him!

A Beta Theta Pi Banquet in France1 France, January 21, 1919 Above the roar of the wind and ceaseless splash of the [rain], strange noises were heard in certain parts of Bretagne, France, during the early days of January, 1919. Many there were that gave no thought to these peculiar songs and only cursed m ore loudly the weather. However, there were a few of the chosen band that heard and realized that it was only OLD WOOGLIN calling for his yearly feast of DOG. And being true sons they acted. The sacred few that could be gathered were called in conclave and it was immediately voted to put on a feast of DOG for Father Wooglin that would be one in a thousand. Col. R. M. Blanchard, Cincinnati 1898 Maj. C. B. Gutelius, Indiana 1905 Capt. J. M. Jenkins, Case 1915 Lieut. R. W. Hahn, Nebraska 1914 Lieut. C. B. Carter, Iowa 1916

Lieut. Lieut. Lieut. Lieut.

B. B. Wallace, Colorado 1917 H. A. Elson, Ohio 1912 J. G. White, Dickinson 1917 C. S. Hill, Wabash 1916

These officers with the exception of Colonel Blanchard and Major Gutelius, are all with the Seventh Field Artillery Brigade, Seventh Division, stationed at Camp de Meuson, near Vannes, Morbihan, France. The Colonel and Major are respectively Commanding Officer and Adjutant of the American Hospital Center located in Vannes. 1 T h is u n iq u e re c o rd w as fo u n d in th e A rc h iv e s; it w as w ritte n b y C h a r le s S. H ill, W a b a s h 1916

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Together the nine of us founded the Temporary Morbihan Alumni Chapter of Beta Theta Pi, and the ruling sentiment was that the more temporary it was the better BETAS we thought we could be. No officers were elected, and it was decided that rank didn’t count in our organization. Tuesday night January 21st, was chosen as our first meeting night and a banquet was declared in order. On that night two motor cars carries the brothers to Rochefort-en-Terre some twenty-five miles east of Vannes where the hospitable owner of the Hotel Lescarde had prepared a feast of DOG for us. The Hotel is one of the most unique places of its kind in France. Until a score of years ago it was a village inn when it was purchased by an American artist, now Captain K lautzof the American Red Cross. He remodeled and renovated the place without destroying its quaintness. In the years that followed he and his wife maintained there more or less of an open house until the place today impresses one at first as being an art gallery rather than a hotel. Old china, pewter, and copper are also in abundance; and of such a nature as to give any collector that envious feeling. In one of the rooms is a fireplace and settle [?] capable of housing a General and his staff. Space does not permit a description of any length be given of this rare old place, but if anyone ever has the opportunity to visit any vicinity in France near Rocheforten-Terre, they will make a mistake in missing the pleasure of seeing the Hotel Lescarde. To say nothing of eating there. The feast there that we had that night the gods might have well enjoyed. To even try to describe it is impossible; but needless to say we did full and free justice. And for the sake of Mother, Wives and Sweethearts at home I will inclose the MENU: Potage Veloute Oeufs Sauce Soubise Delicieuse au Fromage Tournedos Pommes Duchesse Poulet Pettits Pois Galantine a la Gelee Salade Russe Entrem ets Sabagon Gateau Bucha de Noel Between courses we made that quaint old inn ring with good old Beta songs. It sure seemed like old times and everybody told stories of his own chapter. In fact during that brief hour we all got back to undergraduate days again. And being in France we naturally did as the French do. So between food, song, and stories we did our bit toward lessening the world’s supply of “demon rum.” Only it wasn’t rum, it was rare old French wine. All in all we had a wonderful time and one that will not be forgotten in years to come. “And when our sons to college go,” we can look them in the eye and say “You may have some pretty good times and you may attend some pretty fair banquets, but my son, you’ll never eat DOG and drink to the health of dear old BETA as I did years ago in the wilds of Bretagne just after we had whipped HELL out of the Kaiser.”

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T HE OCNEMAL S C C A C T A R r

0 . HUMC M O R R I S U

TO ALL BETAS: The r e p o r t w hich f o l l o w s may v e r y w e l l be t h e most i m p o r t a n t a t t e m p t a t lo n g r a n g e p l a n n i n g e v e r u n d e r t a k e n by t h e G eneral F r a t e r n i t y . The r e p o r t , w r i t t e n by u n d e r g r a d u a t e s , has b een u n a n im o u s l y e n d o r s e d by t h e Board o f T r u s t e e s and t h e g o a l s c o n t a i n e d t h e r e i n p a s s e d by t h e G e n e r a l C o n v e n t i o n . I m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f t h e g o a l s h a s a l r e a d y be g u n . I u r g e e v e r y B eta t o r e a d t h i s r e p o r t i n d e t a i l . Our s u c c e s s i n r e a c h i n g o u r g o a l s d ep en d i n l a r g e m e a s u re on t h e w i l l i n g n e s s o f e v e r y member t o e n t h u s i a s t i c a l l y s u p p o r t t h e s e g o a ls. We a r e what we a r e t o d a y b e c a u s e o f t h e w i l l i n g n e s s o f t h o s e who h a v e gone b e f o r e us t o commit t o i n s u r i n g o u r f u t u r e s u c c e s s even t h o u g h t h e y w ould n o t be t h e r e t o s e e i t . We owe i t t o th em , t o o u r s e l v e s , and t o f u t u r e g e n e r a t i o n s o f B e t a s t o i n s u r e t h a t o u r F r a t e r n i t y r e m a i n s " t h e b e s t and t h e b rig h te st"! B eta 2000 l e a d s t h e way. The p a t h w i l l n o t be an e a s y o n e , b u t u n i t e d b e h i n d t h e s e g o a l s , we w i l l s u c c e e d w i t h t h e f o n d hope t h a t in t h e y e a r 2 0 0 0 , and l a t e r , men who a r e now o n ly as o ld a s th r e e y e a r s , o r even y e t u n b o rn , w i l l look a t w ha t we d i d and s a y , " S e e ! T h i s o u r f a t h e r s d i d f o r u s " ! Yours i n ____ k a i ____ ,

B. Hume M o r r i s , I I G eneral S e c re ta ry BHM:slk

The above letter and the following document appeared in the W inter 1986 issue of The Beta Theta Pi. 477

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The BETA GOALS 2000 Report BETA 2000 COM M ITTEE John J. Rhodes, Kansas State 1938 B. Hume Morris II, Centre 1968 Thomas A. Beyer, Nebraska 1980 Edward M. Brown, Miami 1931 Robert T. Howard, De Pauw 1937 Michael D. Bloom, Georgia Tech 1968 Bruce M, Lloyd, Brown 1969/Pennsylvania 1977 George B. Dealey II, Houston 1984 Michael D. Gates, Western Ontario 1985 James A. Mcrcadante, Pennsylvania 1983/Columbia 1983 Erik B. Nordstrom, Washington 1985 John F. Schallcr, Ball State 1985

MISSION: To assure that Beta Theta Pi remains the best college social fraternity in North America through the year 2000 and beyond. The diverse goals established by the Beta 2000 committee emanate a single mission: to assure that Beta Theta Pi remains the best college social fraternity in North America. The boldness of this mission should not surprise any Beta. At his initiation, each brother is instructed that our fraternity must shine with a brilliance which surpasses all rivals. Pursuit of the Beta 2000 Goals will generate the light and warmth necessary for our Three Stars to burn ever brighter. Three words in the mission statement warrant explanation; the committee wants to make absolutely clear the purposes of Beta 2000. The word “best” does not refer only to a Beta’s opinion of his fraternity; it refers primarily to an objective observer’s opinion when measuring Beta Theta Pi against other college social fraternities. When any person compares (a) the spirit; (b) the moral and intellectual achievements; (c) the housing; (d) the financial and organizational stability; and (e) the archives and Administrative Headquarters of North American fraternities, the conclusion should be that Beta Theta Pi has no peer. The word “remains” implies that objective observers currently regard Beta Theta Pi as the best college social fraternity. [Independent sources such as “The Fraternity Insider”] do rank Beta first among its rivals. The Beta 2000 Goals guard against complacency; the fraternity must consider today’s successes as the founda­ tion for greater achievements tomorrow. Finally, the word “assure” suggests that the fraternity must preserve its preem ­ inence through action. The Committee is not just hoping or trying to keep Beta as 478

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the best fraternity; the word “assure” demands that all Betas make whatever sacrifices and commitments are necessary to maintain and widen the gap between our fraternity and its closest challengers. To fulfill the Beta 2000 Mission, the fraternity must draw upon its present strengths and anticipate its requirements for the future. Therefore, the goals advocate both continuity and innovation. Unless Beta actively pursues expansion, other fraternities will dwarf Beta in terms of physical resources and national presence; hence Goal one mandates a 35 percent increase in the number of chapters over the next 15 years. Goals two and three provide that chapters new and old be held to loftier standards than ever before; higher quality chapters, rather than a decline in quality, will accompany the overall growth of the fraternity. Goal four recognizes that much of the fraternity’s spirit originates from the selfsacrificing example of its District Chiefs and G eneral Officers. Beta Theta Pi must always be led by men motivated by loving dedication rather than by financial reward or prestige. Goals five and six express pride for the surroundings in which Betas live and conduct their business. The fraternity will not tolerate inadequate, run-down housing for its undergraduates. Beta chapter houses need not be the largest or fanciest on campus, but should be show places which radiate the tradition of the chapters and the undergraduates’ love for their chapters. Similarly, the fraternity should house its administrative staff, library, and archives in a building which reflects the fraternity’s history of achievement. Goal seven seeks primarily to guarantee that projects initiated pursuant to the other Goals (especially Goals five and six) will not fail due to inadequate financial support. Goal eight recalls that Beta has become the best because of its spirit and devotion to principles. As the fraternity acts to advance its material position in the next twenty years, it must act with equal vigor to fan and fuel those powerful sentiments which have inspired the fraternity for one hundred and forty-six years. 1. To Establish and Maintain 150 Chapters The goal of growth is very important to maintaining our position as first among the fraternity world. The means and direction that this goal can be successful is best exemplified by J. Cal Hanna, Wooster 1881, “Under H anna’s administration, our program of expansion was deliberately and intelligently planned, rather than haphazard and fortuitous, as it had been in earlier years. J. Cal had remarkable exact knowledge of the worth and standing of American colleges and universities and, in his planning, he gave careful consideration to all the factors which seem relevant to use these many years later, including geographical location, educational standards, character of faculty and student body, financial strength and support of Beta alumni in the area. In the technique of colonization through a dispensation to the nearest Beta chapter, the very method to which we have returned to successfully in the past decade.” Historically, our fraternity saw rapid expansion from 1840 to 1890. In 1880, Beta 479

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Theta Pi was the largest fraternity by numbers of chapters in the United States. Beta Theta Pi’s growth saw a dramatic decrease in comparison to some of our peers. W hen Beta Theta Pi is ranked by numbers of chapters on college campuses, we are 13th out of 57 in size and ninth by numbers of initiates. Seven fraternities currently initiate roughly twice as many members as Beta Theta Pi. In reviewing the historical events of the fraternity, if Beta Theta Pi does not take this opportunity for expansion, a period of stagnation might occur which has been the plight of other national fraternities. As earlier stated, the expansion should be deliberately and intelligently planned. Goals two and three restate the commitment of quality Beta Theta Pi demands from its new and old chapters. The task of increasing the chapter size by 35 percent in 15 years is quite a challenge, but for Beta Theta Pi to “assure” its position in the fraternity world, now is the time for action. An expansion giving careful consideration to geographical location, educational standards, character of faculty and student body, financial strength and support of Beta alumni in the area will be the key to successful growth for Beta Theta Pi. 2. To Qualify Every Chapter of Beta to Receive the Sisson Award by the Year 2000 One of the most important issues that becomes evident in an expansionary period is the quality of new chapters, colonies, and the status of established chapters. For Beta Theta Pi to keep its high quality we expect, one of the ways would be for every chapter to achieve a set standard. If Beta Theta Pi sets this high standard for chapters to receive, we can insure quality chapters by not accepting anything less than the finest. In order for a chapter to receive the Sisson Award, a commitment must be made by each brother to accomplish this task. The entire chapter is considered when this award is given and it is based on its overall performance. In addition, it allows advice and input from (a) chapter and faculty advisors; (b) housing Corporations; (c) district chiefs and; (d) the administrative office support staff. The standards and criteria for the Sisson Award are easily definable and are the guidelines for a high quality chapter. With each chapter receiving quality guidance, the achievement of every chapter receiving the Sisson Award would be a true statem ent of the quality Beta Theta Pi demands. This achievement would insure to the fraternity world that Beta Theta Pi is the very best of all fraternities. 3. To Maintain the Position of Leadership in Scholarship in the Fraternity World Through the Year 2000 and Beyond Since our enactment of legislation requiring all chapters to maintain a 2.5 average, we have stated Beta Theta Pi’s intentions for scholastic leadership. Our devotion to scholastic development will cause our fraternity to shine with a brilliance that will never fade. A. J. G. Priest once said that, “Dr. Shepardson was immensely proud of Beta Theta Pi’s uniformly high scholarship. He believed, I am sure, that the Beta stars are equal, but he had made devotion to the cultivation of the intellect a personal ideal 480

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and he urged that ideal upon our chapters with all his great powers of admonition and persuasion.” This kind of pride can be proven with the enforcement of current legislation and the creation of scholastic standards of the high quality we have been pioneers in. 4. To Maintain Our System of Volunteer Officers Assisted by a Dedicated Corps of Administrative Support Staff Beta Theta Pi is unique in its construction of its governmental structure, every other fraternity in the United States is run by a paid executive director. The Beta 2000 committee recommends that the position of Chief Executive Officer remain a volunteer position. The idea that Beta Theta Pi is led by a group of men motivated by their love for the fraternity and not financial reward is the foundation of our fraternity’s government. This ideal is one that should always remain “volunteer” so that these men are guided by their fraternal devotion and not by monetary reward. 5. To Assutre the Future of Beta Theta Pi in the 21st Century by Securing for Our Chapters the Best Fraternity Housing in North America by the Year 2000 To insure that Beta Theta Pi remains the quality fraternity that it is, a close look at chapter housing will disclose that almost half of our chapters have substandard housing. The financial commitment that Beta Theta Pi needs to make to restore and renovate these chapter houses would cost at least $50,000 each. In some cases, of course, particularly in those of younger chapters, the chapter has no house. To bring Beta Theta Pi to a standard level would require an immediate expenditure of at least $3,000,000. The fraternity will not tolerate chapter houses that are run-down an d /o r are inadequate. Beta chapter houses do not need to be mansions or the fanciest on campus, but they should be show places which reflect the quality of Beta Theta Pi. This commitment of the state for which our fraternity should be housed will allow chapters to fix up their houses so undergraduates and alumni can take pride in their chapter homes. There is an intangible spirit in chapter houses which cannot be duplicated by any other living environment on campus. This environment can only lead to the development of a strong and high quality chapter in Beta Theta Pi. 6. To Secure for Beta Theta Pi by the Sesquicentennial the Finest International Administrative Office and Museum in North America In our fraternity’s decision to implement an Administrative Office at the 109th General Convention, little did we know the ever increasing work load we would be demanding on our administrative staff and the structure itself. In 1964, improvements were made upon our Administrative Office to make the daily operations more efficient. Over two decades have passed and the need for expansion and services to Betas and their chapters have multiplied. In order for our office to continue its fine service, the need for growth is evident. Specifically, our archives room is beautiful, but a museum with a sole purpose of displaying Beta 481

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memorabilia is needed. Allowing a museum to exist for this purpose would allow chapters a safe place to house their own memorabilia. The Administrative Office is the capitol of Beta Theta Pi and the structure itself should be the monument to our great fraternity. A facility of this design and quality would draw brothers from all over the world to see it. 7. To Become the Best Endowed Fraternity in North America by the Year 2000, Recognizing to Achieve this Goal and All Other Goals Our Needs Will Exceed Ten Million Dollars The founders of Beta Theta Pi probably had little occasion to discuss fraternity finances. Today, however, long after the development of the magazine, chapter houses, and the Administrative Office, no one can deny that the fraternity must raise, invest and spend money wisely. Thus a financial goal is an integral component of Beta 2000. Goal 7 provides a foundation for achieving the other goals. Obviously, Beta does not seek to become the best endowed fraternity in North America simply to accumulate funds; rather, the fraternity must raise money because it needs dollars to accomplish its Goals and fulfill its mission. The growth and construction advocated by Beta 2000 require the fraternity to build an endowment of at least 8.7 million dollars. It is estimated that the General Fraternity will loan 2.9 million dollars in loans for the renovation of older houses. Finally, construction of a new Administrative Headquarters will cost 3 million dollars. In addition, the operating expense of the General Fraternity will increase. For instance, the growth of the fraternity will raise the cost of Administrative Office salaries, General Conventions, and Leadership Workshops. To complete the tasks entrusted to it under the Goals while maintaining or improving current services, Beta Theta Pi must augment its endowment by at least ten million dollars. The General Fraternity has gathered funds primarily by means of (a) pledging and initiation fees; (b) investment income; and (c) donations. Because (a) and (b) cannot be expanded dramatically, the Beta 2000 Goals depend upon an unprece­ dented increase in donations to the fraternity. The Committee expects that individ­ ual Betas will meet the financial challenge posed by Beta 2000. Ours is a fraternity built upon giving. Most frequently brothers give their time and energy; but the Beta spirit has extended to financial giving as well. Brothers responded eagerly to the Toronto Chapter Fund appeal. Men have donated large sums to build and restore their undergraduate chapter houses. The Beta Leadership Fund thrives upon voluntary contributions. Simply stated, Beta brothers have never failed the fraternity when it faced a clear need for funds. If the Mission and Goals of Beta 2000 are expounded clearly and persuasively to the entire brotherhood, the Committee believes that abundant support will be attained if solicited in a profes­ sional manner.

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8. To Demonstrate that the Beta Spirit and the Fraternity’s Devotion to its Three Great Principles are Ever Increasing in Intensity, Especially by Strengthening Bonds among Chapters and Brothers Old and Young, and by Cultivating New Songs, Histories and Lore Amidst plans for the building of new chapters, the renovation of old houses, and the raising of millions of dollars, one might conclude that a spiritual goal is, by comparison, trivial. However, this conclusion betrays a lack of understanding of our fraternity. The Committee places its spiritual Goal last, not because it is the least important Goal, but because it is the foundation upon which the other Beta 2000 Goals build. One hundred and forty-six years ago, our founders built the foundation for a great and good fraternity. For their building materials, they selected nothing more than a simple construction and three principles: principles which, because of their lasting relevance and wisdom, we today call “great.” Devotion to these Three Great Principles sparked a Beta spirit warmer, tenderer, and more enduring than is found in other fraternities. Beta’s ideals and the spirit which flows from them have compelled our brothers to “build up” the best college social fraternity in North America. No Goal of Beta 2000 can succeed unless grounded in the Three Great Principles. The fraternity will be unable to establish new chapters unless alumni and older chapters respond to calls for mutual assistance. Similarly, chapters must assist one another, and alumni must assist their chapters, if every chapter is to qualify for the Sisson Award. Unless every chapter deepens its devotion to the cultivation of the intellect, Beta cannot maintain the leading position in scholarship in the fraternity world. Unless men are moved by commitment to unsullied friendship, Beta will be unable to maintain its corps of volunteer leaders. And unless Betas of all ages are prepared to dem onstrate their unfaltering fidelity to fellow Betas, the fraternity will be unable to build the endowment necessary to furnish all chapters with quality housing, and all Betas with a superb Administrative Office. Even if the fraternity could execute Beta 2000 programs without deepening its commitment to the Three Great Principles, accomplishment of the material Goals would mean little without corresponding spiritual achievements. Recognizing that spiritual advances are most difficult to detect and evaluate, the Committee has incorporated into the Goal several activities to enhance Beta spirit in readily apparent ways. First, the committee challenges the fraternity to dem onstrate ever stronger spirit through strengthening of all fraternal bonds. The committee expects more contact among (a) alumni of different chapters; (b) alumni of the same chapter; (c) alumni and undergraduates of the same chapter; and (d) undergraduates of different chapters. To tighten such links, the General Fraternity, the alumni organizations, and the undergraduate chapters must develop new programs and enervate old ones. Some ties can be strengthened in simple ways. For example, one hundred years ago chapters separated by a journey of many days corresponded with one another 483

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for friendship’s sake. Today, modern transportation brings all chapters within several hours of one another; but perhaps airplanes and cars serve only to move our chapters farther apart. How often do chapters correspond with one another today? Second, the Committee challenges Beta of all ages to engage in a “renaissance” of Beta writing. Our fraternity boasts one of the great collections of songs, histories, and lore of any fraternity; but aside from the works of Dr. Seth R. Brooks St. Lawrence 1922, the majority of contributions to the fraternity’s libraries were completed prior to 1937. One of the most creative eras in the history of the fraternity was the period of its expansion during the 1870’s and 1880’s. It seems appropriate that the fraternity should actively encourage a new creative era as it embarks into a new period of expansion. The General Fraternity can play a major role in cultivating Beta writers and Beta artists of all ages through events such as conven­ tion contests. CONCLUSION: With the implementation of the Beta 2000 goals we can best follow the words of John Ruskin, “Therefore, when we build, let us think that we b u ild ... forever. Let it not be for present delight, nor for present use alone; let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for, and let us think as we lay stone upon stone, that a time is to come when those stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and the wrought substance of them, ‘See! This our fathers did for us!’ ”

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The Code of Beta Theta Pi Being TH E CONSTITUTION and TH E LAWS O F TH E FRATERNITY

Edited by B. Hume Morris II General Secretary Twenty-second Edition 1987

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FOREWORD The 22nd edition of the Code of Regulations of Beta Theta Pi is based on the 21st edition published in 1981, including all amendments subsequent thereto. This new edition represents another step forward in the development of the Code, initially given to us by its framers in 1878. The original Code was the first non-secret document of its kind among social fraternities, and the present edition follows in this tradition. The Code represents the authority for the governing of our association. It brings every member under its rules and regulations. This edition has been corrected to include changes authorized by the 147th General Convention in 1986.

CERTIFICATE I hereby certify that the Code of Regulations consisting of the Constitution and the Laws as herein presented are accurate in all details and form the basis for the government of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.

B. Hume Morris II General Secretary Louisville, Kentucky May 1, 1989

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BETA THETA PI Incorporated under the Laws o f Ohio ARTICLES OF INCORPORA TION* FIRST: The name of the corporation is BETA THETA PI. SECOND: The place in the State of Ohio where its principal office is located is the City of Oxford, Butler County. THIRD: Said corporation is formed for the purpose of the promotion of the moral and social culture of its members; the establishment of confidence and friendly relations between students of various colleges and universities; and the perpetu­ ation of a fraternity that recognizes mutual assistance in the honorable labors and aspirations of life, unsullied friendship, unfaltering fidelity and the cultivation of intellect, as objects worthy of the highest aim and purposes of associated efforts; and the holding and control of such real and personal property as the foregoing objects may render expedient. FOURTH: The members of the corporation shall be the individual members in good standing of all active chapters of Beta Theta Pi and the individual alumni who have been initiated by any chapter and have not died, resigned or been dropped or expelled. FIFTH: All the rights and privileges of members at an annual meeting shall be exercised by the delegates to a General Convention elected as provided in the Code of Regulations, when assembled as directed in the Code of Regulations. Only those members selected in accordance with the Code of Regulations as delegates to a General Convention or other meeting of members shall be entitled to a vote; each such delegate shall have a single vote unless otherwise provided by the Code of Regulations. SIXTH: The corporate powers, property and affairs of the corporation shall be exercised, conducted and controlled by the Board of Trustees, each of whom shall be a member of the corporation. SEVENTH: No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall ever inure to the benefit of any private individual or member and in no event shall any assets of the Fraternity be distributed to or for the benefit of any private individual or member, and in the event of the termination, liquidation, or dissolution of the corporation its assets shall be distributed to an educational or other charitable organization or expended for educational or charitable purposes. *As last amended September 23,1949 and filed January 14, 1950

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THE CONSTITUTION OF BETA THETA PI (Articles of Association) PREAMBLE For the better accomplishment of the objects and designs of Beta Theta Pi, a fraternity established by John Reily Knox, Samuel Taylor Marshall, David Linton, Jam es George Smith, Charles Henry Hardin, John Holt Duncan, Michael Clark­ son Ryan, and Thomas Boston Gordon, of ever-honored memory, at Miami University in the State of Ohio, in the month of August, 1839, and now organized as a corporation not for profit under the laws of the State of Ohio, the General Convention of Beta Theta Pi assembled at the Poland Spring House, Poland Spring, Maine, on the 28th day of August, 1957, adopts the following Constitution and Laws, which shall be and are the Code of Regulations of Beta Theta Pi: ARTICLE I NAME AND OBJECTS SECTION 1. Name: The nam e o f this fraternity is BETA T h e t a Pi. SECTION 2. Objects: It shall be constituted as hereinafter provided and shall have for its objects the promotion of the moral and social culture of its members, the establishment of confidence and friendly relations among the universities and colleges of the United States and Canada, in securing unity of action and sympa­ thy in m atters of common interest among them, and the building up of a frater­ nity that recognizes mutual assistance in the honorable labors and aspirations of life, devotion to the cultivation of the intellect, unsullied friendship, and unfalter­ ing fidelity as objects worthy of the highest aim and purpose of associated effort. (Xref. L. Ch, XI, Sections 1, 7 & 8) ARTICLE II M EM BERSHIP SECTION I. General: The fraternity shall consist of the individual members in good standing of all active chapters of Beta Theta Pi and the individual alumni who have been initiated by any chapters and have not died, resigned or been dropped or expelled. (Ref. Art. “Fourth” Articles of Incorporation. See also C. Art. II Sec. 2.) SECTION 2. Qualifications: Any regularly enrolled male student, graduate or undergraduate of a college or university for which there is an established chapter or colony of Beta Theta Pi may become a member of the fraternity provided:

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i a) He is not a member of any similar fraternity or association except a local fraternity or association seeking charter as a chapter of Beta Theta Pi; b) He is pledged for a period of not less than sixty (60) days by the chapter proposing to initiate him, unless the period of pledgeship is waived or shortened by written approval of the General Secretary; c) The chapter to which his name is proposed shall express confidence in his character and qualifications, including those set forth in Chapter XII of the Laws concerning the scholarship requirement by electing him at a meeting duly called, by vote of its active members upon such vote as its active members shall determine with complete autonomy; d) He is formally initiated by the chapter so electing him. (Ref. Ch. XII Sec. 1) SECTION 3. Colonization and Initiation in Special Instances: The Board of Trustees may in special instances upon authority given by two-thirds vote of a General Convention, designate and authorize a chapter to initiate regularly en­ rolled students, undergraduate or graduate, in an institution at which there is no chapter of Beta Theta Pi. These students so initiated at such institutions shall constitute a colony of Beta Theta Pi. A group of students at an institution at which there is no chapter of Beta Theta Pi, upon application to and approval of the Board of Trustees and prior to authorization by a General Convention, shall constitute a provisional colony of Beta Theta Pi. SECTION 4. Equality o f Members: All active members in good standing shall have equal rights in their respective chapters. SECTION 5. Reinstatement o f Former Members: No person who shall have been expelled, or who shall have resigned from the fraternity, may be reinstated to membership except by a majority vote of the General Convention. SECTION 6. Maintenance o f Active Membership: No member of the fraternity may relinquish his active membership in any chapter of the fraternity while he continues a student in the institution for which said chapter was established, and still retain his membership in the fraternity at large, except by special authority from the Board of Trustees. Such provision as to active membership shall be op­ tional with the member in case he is exclusively enrolled in any of the professional or graduate schools of the institution or has completed his requirements for a col­ lege degree. SECTION 7. Membership in Similar Organizations: Any mem ber who becomes a mem ber of any other similar college fraternity shall be dropped from the rolls of Beta Theta Pi.

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i SECTION 8. Initiation o f Members o f a Local Fraternity or Society to which Charter has been granted: Active and alumni members of a local fraternity or society (asso­ ciation) to which a charter has been granted, or alumni of a local fraternity or society whose active members have become initiated members of Beta Theta Pi (as a colony) to which a charter has been granted, may be initiated and admitted to membership at the same time as the charter is conferred. Thereafter such alumni may be initiated only upon request of the chapter so chartered and ap­ proval of the Board of Trustees has first been obtained. SECTION 9. Initiation o f certain non-students: Any male deemed worthy by his contributions and continued interest in a chapter of Beta Theta Pi may be initiated to become a member of the fraternity provided: a) H e meets the qualifications set out in subsections (a) through (d) of Sec­ tion 2 of Article II of the Constitution; b) His qualifications have been presented in the written form of a recom­ mendation from the chapter to the District Chief; c) The concurrence of the Board of Trustees, on the recommendation of the District Chief, is first had and obtained; d) No more than two persons are initiated under such authority by any chap­ ter in any school year. ARTICLE III CHAPTERS AND ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS SECTION 1. General: The fraternity organization shall consist of the chapters and alumni associations already established, and such chapters and alumni associa­ tions as may hereafter be established. All chapters and alumni associations in good standing shall, except as provided otherwise, have equal rights in the frater­ nity. (Xref. Art. Incorp. “Fourth” and “Fifth”) SECTION 2. Normal Establishment o f Chapters: Chapters of Beta Theta Pi shall be established only for students enrolled in universities and colleges of good standing and repute upon the petition in writing of not less than five undergradu­ ates of such regularly established university or college. The character and qualifi­ cations of such petitioners must be vouched for by at least two members of the fraternity. The establishment of a chapter for students at the university or college named in the petition must be recommended by at least two of the three chapters situated nearest the location of the proposed new chapter. Such petition, with such information regarding the character and standing of the applicants and the reputation and resources of the institution for students of which it is proposed to establish a chapter as may be required by the General Secretary shall be filed with that officer, who shall transmit the same to the Board 490

The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i of Trustees. The Board of Trustees shall make such investigation of the facts and circum­ stances as it deems advisable, and after a majority of the m embers of the Board of Trustees shall have voted in favor of granting the charter, the petition shall be submitted to the next General Convention for its action therein; and if such con­ vention by a three-fourths vote of all the chapters represented therein, shall so direct, a charter shall issue to the petitioners named in the application, by author­ ity of which they shall be constituted a chapter of Beta Theta Pi. The General Secretary shall notify all the chapters, in writing, of the proposed submission of any application for a new chapter at least three months previous to the date of meeting of the convention which is to take action there on. (Xref. L. Ch. Ill Sec. 11) SECTION 3. Emergency Establishment o f Chapters: During the recess of the G en­ eral Convention if, in the judgment of the Board of Trustees, in the light of its knowledge of the facts, special and extraordinary reasons exist for the establish­ ment of a chapter prior to the next meeting of the General Convention, the G en­ eral Secretary shall submit the application therefor, to be made in all particulars as provided in Section 2 hereof, for the consideration of the chapters, together with a full statement of such special and extraordinary reasons and of such facts and arguments (both favorable and unfavorable to the granting of the charter) as have been presented to him, and if, upon such submission, three-fourths of the chapters shall vote by ballot, signed by the President and Secretary of the chapter in favor of granting such application, then a charter shall issue, and the new chap­ ter may be duly established and organized under the direction of the General Secretary. SECTION 4. Conferring o f Charters: Each charter shall be transm itted by the General Secretary to some discreet and suitable member (to be selected by the President), who shall be authorized to initiate the petitioners, give them the neces­ sary instructions for the proper execution of the work of the fraternity, open and establish the proposed new chapter and place such charter in its keeping. SECTION 5. Suspension o f Charters by the Board o f Trustees: The charter of any chapter may be suspended by the Board of Trustees for such cause and in such manner as may be provided by the laws. (See L. Ch XI Sec. 8) SECTION 6. Revocation o f Charter: The General Convention may with or without recommendation of the Board of Trustees, by three-fourths vote of all the chap­ ters represented therein suspend or revoke or provide for the suspension or revo­ cation of the charter of any chapter; provided, however, that the General Conven­ tion shall not so suspend or revoke or provide for the suspension or revocation of any charter upon the recommendation of the Board of Trustees unless written no­ 491

The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i tice of the intention of the Board of Trustees so to recommend shall have been given to such chapter. SECTION 7. Form o f Charters: Charters shall be signed by the President and General Secretary of the fraternity and shall have affixed thereto the Great Seal of the fraternity. SECTION 8. Chapter Names and Designations: Chapters shall be known and des­ ignated by such names as their charters prescribe. Chapters hereafter established shall be named in Greek alphabetical sequence. Should a chapter become inac­ tive, its designation and its position on the roll of chapters shall remain intact, and its charter, records and archives shall be transmitted to the General Secretary. SECTION 9. Jurisdiction and Powers o f the Chapters: Each chapter shall have ju­ risdiction over all members of the fraternity enrolled in the institution for the stu­ dents of which it is established whether they be members initiated by such chapter or not, provided, however, such jurisdiction shall not exclude the jurisdiction of the Convention (Article IV, Section 6) and of the Board of Trustees (Article V); each chapter may make such regulations and adopt such order of business as it may deem expedient, provided they be not inconsistent with this Constitution and the Laws of the fraternity. The transfer of active members from one Chapter to another may be regulated by the Laws of the fraternity. SECTION 10. Closed Meetings: Ordinary meetings of the chapter shall be held with closed doors, but such restriction may be removed by vote of the chapter for anniversaries or celebrations. SECTION 11. Jurisdiction o f College or University Authorities: Chapters must observe the rules and regulations of the institution in which their members are en­ rolled and must demand strict loyalty and obedience on the part of their members to the university or college authorities, provided, however, that the jurisdiction of college or university authorities and rules and regulations promulgated by them may not alter, amend or contravene the requirements stated in Article II, Section 1 and Section 2 including sub-sections thereof, governing membership in the fra­ ternity. SECTION 12. Alum ni Associations: Alumni associations of the fraternity may be authorized and may continue to exist under such regulations and at such places as may be provided by the laws of the fraternity.

ARTICLE IV TH E G EN ER A L CONVENTION SECTION I. Authority: The supreme legislative authority of the fraternity shall be 492

The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i vested in a General Convention. (Xref. Art. Incorp. “Fifth”) SECTION 2. The General Convention: Delegates selected by the several chapters in good standing and by the several alumni associations shall constitute the G en­ eral Convention. (Xref. Art. Incorp. “Fifth”) SECTION 3. Delegates: Delegates shall at the time of their selections be active members of the chapters in good standing or members of the alumni associations they represent. (Xref. Art. Incorp. “Fifth”) SECTION 4. Sessions o f Convention: The General Convention shall hold its ses­ sions annually except in period of national emergency when by two thirds vote of the Board of Trustees the annual convention may be omitted and the powers of the convention exercised by the Board of Trustees, with the exception of the right to grant charters and amend this Constitution. When a majority of the chapters, by written requests filed with the General Secretary request the Board of Trustees to so do, they shall call a convention to convene within eight months after the last request necessary for a majority shall have been filed, provided, however, that such majority is obtained within three months after the first request is filed. Such requests may be in the form of a joint petition or in the form of letters, or both, but they shall be signed by the President and Secretary of the chapter. In the event of the omission of the annual convention under this section, the Board of Trustees shall cause to be transmitted to each chapter an annual report of its proceedings and the report of the General Treasurer for the preceding fiscal year. SECTION 5. Voting: Each chapter and each alumni association in good standing and represented shall be entitled to one vote in the convention in all matters ex­ cept the granting and revoking of charters and the election of General Officers and Trustees of the fraternity, on which only delegates of chapters shall be eligible to vote. No chapter delegate may vote on any question involving the revocation, suspension or discipline of the chapter represented by him. In determining ques­ tions by the convention, any delegate entitled to vote on the question may demand a roll call vote. SECTION 6. Jurisdiction o f Convention: The General Convention shall have ex­ clusive jurisdiction in all matters not specifically reserved to the chapters by the provisions of this Constitution, subject to disapproval, however, as hereinafter provided. It shall also have jurisdiction over the conduct of all members of the

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i fraternity, both active and alumni, while they are in attendance at a General Con­ vention, with power to apply any discipline short of expulsion from the fraternity. It may pass laws for the governing of the fraternity, its chapters and alumni asso­ ciations. It may establish such offices not herein provided for as may be found expedient. SECTION 7. Publication o f Proceedings: The proceedings of the General Conven­ tion shall be published and sent to the chapters as soon as possible after adjourn­ ment. SECTION 8. Chapter Disapproval o f Convention Actions: Actions of the General Convention shall be in full force and effect from the date of the adjournment of the Convention; provided, however, that if within three months after the publica­ tion of the proceedings of the Convention, one-half or more of the chapters shall have filed with the General Secretary notice of their disapproval of any actions, or any part thereof, the action so disapproved shall be inoperative and void. This proviso shall not apply to: 1. Granting of charters; 2. Revocation or suspension of charters; 3. Election of General Officers and Trustees; 4. Amendments to this Constitution.

ARTICLE V BOARD OF TRUSTEES SECTION 1. Powers: The powers, business, and property of the fraternity shall be exercised, conducted, and controlled by the Board of Trustees, subject to the Laws of the fraternity and the orders of the General Convention. (Xref.Art. Incorp, “Sixth”) SECTION 2. Number and Election: The number of members of the Board of Trustees shall be six. They shall be elected for the term and in the manner pre­ scribed by Article VI, Section 1 hereof. SECTION 3. Qualifications: Trustees must be members of the fraternity in good standing. (Ref. Ohio Code) SECTION 4. Vacancies: The Board shall select persons to fill vacancies on the Board or to fill offices made vacant until the meeting of the next General Conven­ tion at which time the remainder of any unexpired terms shall be filled by election by the convention.

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i SECTION 5. Meetings: The Board shall hold stated meetings at such times and places as it may determine. Special meetings may be held upon call of the Presi­ dent. H e shall call a meeting upon the request of any two members of the Board. SECTION 6. Report o f Proceedings: The Board shall cause to be transmitted to each General Convention: 1) A Board of Trustees’ report reporting all activities and actions of the Board since its last such report; 2) The reports required of Offi­ cers by the Constitution or Laws. SECTION 7. Reports and Investigations: The Board may at any time require a report from any officer, chapter or alumni association or cause an investigation to be made of any situation involving the fraternity, its officers, members, chapters or alumni associations. (Xref. C. Art. Ill Sec. 9; L. Ch. XI Sec. 7) SECTION 8. Canvass o f Votes: The Board shall canvass and cause to be published the votes of the chapters upon amendments to the Constitution. (Xref. C. Art. XIII) SECTION 9. Removal o f officers: If any officer or Trustee of the fraternity be guilty of any conduct prejudicial to the interests of the fraternity, he may be re­ moved by the Board of Trustees upon due notice. SECTION 10. Resignations o f Members o f Fraternity: The Board shall approve or reject resignations of members of the fraternity and shall report any such action to the next General Convention. SECTION 11. Discipline: The Board shall have original jurisdiction in all cases of discipline of members no longer in college and in all other cases of discipline not provided for in the Laws. (Xref. L. Ch. XI) SECTION 12. Expulsions: The Board may for good cause shown report to the convention the name of any member to be stricken from the roll of the fraternity. SECTION 13. Appeals: The Board shall hear and determine appeals from the decision of any chapter or officer of the fraternity and in the case of an appeal from its own decision, shall transmit the entire record and report of the case in­ cluding all decisions rendered therein to the next General Convention. SECTION 14. Advisory Council: Form er members of the Board of Trustees shall constitute an Advisory Council, with the privilege of attendance at regular m eet­ ings of the Board of Trustees without vote. They may perform such other duties as

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i may be designated by the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE VI G EN ER A L OFFICERS AND T H E IR DUTIES SECTION 1. General Officers: The General Officers of the fraternity shall be a President, a General Secretary, a General Treasurer and three Vice Presidents, each of whom shall be a member of the Board of Trustees and their respective term s of office as such officers shall coincide with their term s of office as trustees. Two of said general officers shall be elected each year by the General Convention, and each shall hold office for a term of three years and until his successor is elected and qualified. SECTION 2. Duties o f President: The President of the fraternity shall preside at the meetings of the Board of Trustees. He shall sign all charters and designate discreet persons to install new chapters. He shall sign all documents required to be executed by or on behalf of the fraternity. SECTION 3. Duties o f Vice President: The three Vice Presidents of the fraternity shall have such duties as shall be assigned to them, respectively by the Board of Trustees. SECTION 4. Duties o f General Secretary: The General Secretary, subject to the authority of the Board of Trustees, shall have supervision of the chapters and alumni associations, with all that pertains to them, and the entire charge of the correspondence, records, reports, and publications of the fraternity, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the fraternity, and of the official roll of the chap­ ters. Upon the amendment of the Constitution by the General Convention, he shall upon the publication thereof poll the chapters for their concurrence therein. H e shall perform such other duties as shall be provided by such laws. He shall make a report to the General Convention on the affairs of his department. SECTION S. Duties o f General Treasurer: The General Treasurer shall collect and hold the funds of the fraternity and pay out same under appropriations by the General Convention. He shall present an annual report, properly audited by certi­ fied public accountants, together with his books and vouchers, to the Board of Trustees. Before entering upon his duties he shall give bond in a sum and with security to be approved by the Board of Trustees.

ARTICLE VII FINANCES SECTION 1. General: The General Convention shall have power to raise money by 1) the levy of fees and assessments upon the chapters; 2) by the sale, lease,

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i pledging, mortgaging or disposing of any property owned by the fraternity. SECTION 2. Chapter in Arrears: No chapter in arrears for fees or assessments shall be entitled to representation at the General Convention. SECTION 3. Fiscal Year: The fiscal year shall close with the month of June. SECTION 4. Distribution o f Funds: No part of the net earnings of the fraternity shall ever inure to the benefit of any private individual or member, as such, and in no event shall any assets of the fraternity be distributed to or for the benefit of any private individual or member, as such, and in the event of the termination, liquida­ tion, or dissolution of the fraternity its assets shall be distributed to an educational or some other form of charitable organization or expended for educational or other charitable purposes. (See also Art. Incorp. “Seventh”) SECTION 5. Establishment o f Funds: The General Convention shall have power to establish endowment, building, or other permanent funds or foundations, and to provide for the investment and reinvestment thereof, the use of the income aris­ ing therefrom and for periodic accountings. SECTION 6. Indemnification: The Fraternity may, to the full extent permitted by the Ohio Non-profit Corporation law, indemnify all persons whom it may indem­ nify pursuant thereto.

ARTICLE VIII AMENDM ENTS SECTION 1. General: Except as limited by Section 2 hereof this Constitution may be amended or repealed by a two-thirds vote of any General Convention; pro­ vided that such amendment or repeal be concurred in within three months after publication of the proceedings of such General Convention or the mailing of the complete text of the amendment to the chapters, which ever is the earlier, by the votes, deposited with the General Secretary, of two-thirds of the chapters. SECTION 2. Restriction on Amendments: No amendment to this Constitution may alter or change Section 4 of Article VII hereof and if this Constitution is re­ pealed in the manner provided in Section 1 of this Article, the action authorizing such repeal shall provide for carrying out the terms of said Section 4 of Article VII or for the incorporation of a similar provision in a new Constitution. (Xref. Art. Incorp. “Seventh”)

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THE LAWS CH APTER I TH E G EN ER A L CONVENTION SECTION 1. General; Time o f Convention: The General Convention, hereinafter in these Laws called the Convention, shall be constituted as provided in Article IV of the Constitution and shall meet annually, except in periods of national em er­ gency, at such time and place as may be determined by the Board of Trustees. (See L. Ch. II Sec. 2) SECTION 2. Denial o f Representation; Arrears in Dues, etc.: No chapter or alumni association shall be entitled to representation in any General Convention unless it is in good standing and all fees and assessments levied against it or for which it may be responsible, pursuant to Chapter X hereof have been paid prior to the end of the fiscal year of the General Fraternity during which such fees and assessments were due. SECTION 3. Selection o f Delegates: On or before May first of each year, each chapter then in good standing shall select its delegate to the Convention, and one or more alternates. The chapter secretary shall send to the General Treasurer and Administrative Secretary official notice of such selection and shall give them the names and addresses of the delegate and the alternates so selected. In case such delegate or his address is changed before the time set for the Convention, the chapter secretary shall send the General Treasurer and Administrative Secretary prompt notification thereof. Each duly authorized alumni association desiring representation in the General Convention shall, prior to the convening of the General Convention, select its delegates and alternates, if any. An officer of the alumni association shall furnish to its delegate a written statement of their selec­ tion; said statement shall be presented to and filed with the General Convention Committee on Credentials and Registration. Any chapter Delegate or his duly authorized representative who fails to attend each and every session of the Con­ vention, shall be held up for censure by the General Convention, prior to adjourning sine die. SECTION 4. Delegates Expense: The delegate for the chapter, whose fees and as­ sessments have been paid, shall be entitled to receive a minimum allowance equal to six cents per mile for transportation from his home in the continental United States or Canada (as shown on the records of the General Fraternity) to the place of the Convention and return. The mileage rate to be paid delegates to each con­ vention shall be determined by the Board of Trustees prior to May 1, of the year in which the convention is held.

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SECTION 5. Credentials for Delegates: The Administrative Secretary shall pre­ pare a form of credentials for the use of the chapters in accrediting delegates to the Convention, and this, together with the receipt or certification of the General Treasurer showing that all fees and assessments as required by Chapter X have been paid, shall constitute complete credentials of said delegates. A chapter delinquent in scholarship reporting, upon certification by the Scholarship Commissioner removing such delinquency, shall be entitled to cre­ dentials, if otherwise in good standing. SECTION 6. Proxies; Alternates: Any regularly selected delegate may, in case of inability to attend the Convention or any session thereof, give his proxy to another active member of the same chapter or alumni association if said proxy shall be a regularly selected alternate; provided, however, where in cases of emergency a proxy is given to a member not an alternate of the same chapter or alumni associa­ tion such proxy representation shall be subject to approval of the Committee on Credentials and Registration; and provided, further, that any chapter, if notified that its delegate is unable to attend the convention, may select another of its active members in the place of such delegate. SECTION 7. Call to Order: The Convention, having met pursuant to the provi­ sions of the Constitution, shall be called to order by the General Secretary, if that officer be present, or if not, then by the delegate of the oldest chapter represented. SECTION 8. Opening o f the Convention: The proceedings of the Convention shall be opened in the manner prescribed in the Ritual. SECTION 9. Temporary Officers: After the opening ceremony has been com­ pleted, a temporary chairman and a temporary secretary shall then be selected by the convention, to serve until a permanent organization is effected. SECTION 10. Committees on Permanent Organization and Credentials: As pre­ liminary to permanent organization, the temporary chairman shall, unless the General secretary shall have appointed the same as hereinafter in the Laws pro­ vided, appoint 1) a committee on Permanent organization, to consist, so far as practicable, of a chairman and one member from each district, 2) a Committee on Credentials, to consist of a chairman and not less than three members. SECTION 11. Nomination and election o f Convention officers: The Committee on Perm anent Organization shall nominate the following officers of the Convention: President, one or more Vice Presidents, a Secretary, one or m ore Assistant Secre­ taries, a Marshal, one or more Assistant Marshals, a Chorister and such other

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i Convention officers as said committee may deem appropriate, and report the same to the Convention. After its report, other nominations may be made from the floor before said officers are elected. SECTION 12. Roll Call: The roll shall be called at least once during each session at the order of the President. The absentees shall be noted and their names shall be published in the minutes of the Convention. SECTION 13. Quorum: Delegates in attendance from at least sixty percent of the chapters shall be required to form a quorum for the transaction of business; but a smaller number may meet, organize and adjourn the Convention from day to day. SECTION 14. Ditties o f Convention officers: The President, the Vice Presidents, and the Secretaries shall perform the duties usually devolving upon such officers, subject to the orders of the Convention and the requirements of the Constitution and Laws. SECTION 15. Duties o f Marshals: The Marshals shall have charge of the ap足 proaches to the Convention while in session; shall preserve order under the direc足 tion of the presiding officer; shall have a care that none not duly qualified enter or without permission retire; shall make and publish all official proclamations; form and conduct all necessary procession and generally have supervision over the con足 duct of all members in attendance and shall report to the Convention any miscon足 duct or members. (See Constitution, Art. IV Sec. 6) SECTION 16. Duties o f Chorister: The Chorister shall lead the singing of the Convention. SECTION 17. Standing Committees o f the Convention: The standing Committees of the Convention shall be: 1) Committee on Permanent Organization, to consist, so far as practicable, of a chairman and one member from each district. 2) Committee on Credentials and Registration, to consist of a chairman and not less than three members. 3) Committee on Charters, to consist of a chairman and one member from each district. 4) Committee on Chapters, to consist of a chairman and one mem ber from each district. 5) Committee on General Fraternity Finance, to consist of a chairman and not less than three members. 6) Committee on Constitution and Jurisprudence, to consist of a chairman

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i and not less than five members. 7) The Committee on Review of Nominations of General Officers, to con­ sist of a chairman and not fewer than five members. 8) Committee on Miscellaneous Affairs, to consist of a chairman and not less than five members. 9) Committee on Alumni Affairs, to consist of a chairman and not less than five members. 10) Committee on Press, to consist of a chairman and not less than three members. 11) Committee on Magazine, to consist of a chairman and not less than three members. The President of the Convention shall appoint all standing committees and such other committees as are necessary, the membership of which has not been designated by the General Secretary as provided for in Chapter III hereof; he shall also fill any vacancies which there may be in the composition of any of them at the time of or after the convening of the Convention. SECTION 18. Special Committees: Special committees may be appointed by the presiding officer at the pleasure of the Convention. SECTION 19. Reports and Resolutions in Writing: Unless otherwise ordered by the President of the Convention, all committee reports, resolutions or proposals intended for consideration by the Convention must be in writing and duly signed, and filed with the Convention Secretary before action can be had thereon. All such reports, resolutions or proposals shall be incorporated in the minutes of the Convention. SECTION 20. Reference o f Resolutions, Reports or Proposals: All resolutions, re­ ports other than committee reports, or proposals shall be referred to the appro­ priate committee for consideration and report unless the Convention shall, by a two-thirds vote , waive said requirement, in which case the same be acted upon directly and without reference. SECTION 21. Proposals for Legislative Enactments by the Convention; Require­ ments: Every proposal to change, alter, amend or add to the Constitution and the Laws of the Fraternity shall have a brief title showing its object and by whom it is proposed, and shall begin with the words, “Be it enacted by the ... General Con­ vention of Beta Theta Pi.” Each provision of every such proposal shall be drawn in a distinct paragraph. SECTION 22. Election o f General Officers and Trustees by the Convention: The first order of business on the third day of the Convention shall be the election of General Officers and Trustees of the Fraternity. The term of office of any General

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i Officer or Trustee so elected shall not commence until the Convention shall have adjourned sine die. Elections of General Officers and Trustees shall be by ballot, under the supervision of tellers appointed by the presiding officer. Each chapter represented shall be entitled to one vote. A majority of the ballots cast shall be necessary to an election. SECTION 23. Committee o f the Whole: While in committee of the whole upon the condition of the fraternity, the presiding officer shall call a member of the Con­ vention to the chair. Any member present whether a delegate or not, shall have the privilege of speaking upon the subjects under consideration. The motion to rise and report will always be in order, provided the mover gives reasonable notice thereof to the chair; but the previous question, or any other privileged motion, shall not be entertained. SECTION 24. Rules o f Order: Parliamentary rules, as contained in R obert’s Rules of Order, shall govern the proceedings of the Convention, except in cases where such rules are in conflict with the Constitution or Laws of the fraternity. SECTION 25. Preparation o f Proceedings: The Secretary shall prepare the pro­ ceedings for publication in the fraternity magazine. Immediately after adjourn­ ment of the Convention, a complete certified transcript of its proceedings shall be transmitted by the Secretary to the General Secretary and a second copy thereof to the magazine editor for publication. SECTION 26. Order o f Business: The following shall be the order of proceedings at each session of the Convention: Reading and approval of minutes of previous session. Reports from the Board of Trustees and the general officers. Reports of standing committees, in order. Reports of special committees. Petitions and Communications. Motions and resolutions. Miscellaneous business. Roll call. Recess or adjournment. SECTION 21. Adjournment Sine Die: The Convention shall adjourn sine die, only in the manner set forth in the ritual. SECTION 28. Suspension o f By-Laws: Any of the sections of this chapter except Section 13 may be suspended for a particular Convention by a two-thirds vote of the delegates.

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CH APTER II BOARD OF TRUSTEES SECTION 1. Fixing Time and Place o f Convention: On or before the first day of April in each year, the Board of Trustees shall select the time and place for the General Convention; and shall send official notification of such selection to each active chapter and alumni association not later than the fifteenth day of April fol­ lowing. (Xref. C. Art. IV Sec. 4; L. Ch. I Sec. 1) SECTION 2. Powers as to Magazine: The Board of Trustees shall choose annually an editor and publisher for the magazine. The editor and publisher and the publi­ cation of the magazine shall be under the direction and control of the Board of Trustees. SECTION 3. Chapter Charter in Keeping o f Board: The charter of any chapter which has been, by direction of any General Convention, suspended or placed in the keeping of the Board of Trustees may be used under the direction, control and supervision of the Board of Trustees subject, however, to such limitations or di­ rections, if any, placed on such use by the Convention. No chapter whose charter has been suspended or placed in the keeping of the Board shall be considered a chapter in good standing unless the action of suspension or placement of the char­ ter with the Board provides specifically to the contrary. (Ref. C. Art. Ill Sec. 5, Ch. XIII Sec. 2, L. Ch. XI Sec. 8) SECTION 4. Disapproval o f Board o f Tmstees: The Board of Trustees, a majority of all the members thereof concurring, may, within one month after the publica­ tion of the proceedings of any General Convention, declare and publish in the magazine or notify each chapter by mail of its disapproval of any Law, O rder or Resolution or any part thereof, passed by such Convention, except those granting or revoking charters or pertaining to actions taken pursuant to Chapter XI of the Laws, and such law, order or resolution, or part thereof so disapproved, shall be of no force and effect unless repassed by the next succeeding General Convention by a vote of a majority of all chapters of the fraternity. After passage by such succeed­ ing Convention, said Board of Trustees shall have no further power of disapproval as to such law, order or resolution or any part thereof.

CH APTER III T H E G EN ER A L SECRETARY SECTION 1. Districts: The General Secretary, with the approval of the Board of

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i Trustees, shall from time to time divide or regroup the General Fraternity into such territorial districts as he may deem advisable for effective administration. SECTION 2. District Chiefs: The General Secretary, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, shall appoint for each District a District Chief, to be known also as an Assistant General Secretary, who shall have supervision of all chapters within his District, subject, however, to the authority of the General Secretary except as may be otherwise provided for in the Laws of the Fraternity; and, with the same approval, shall have authority to provide such additional assistants as may be necessary for the proper performance of his duties. SECTION 3. Reports by District Chiefs: Each District Chief shall make such re­ ports as may be called for by the General Secretary. SECTION 4. Administrative Office: The General Secretary, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, shall have authority over the administrative office of the fraternity located in Oxford, Ohio. SECTION 5. Administrative Secretary: The General Secretary, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, shall appoint an Administrative Secretary, and authorize the employment of the administrative office staff. SECTION 6. Scholarship Commissioner: The General Secretary, with the ap­ proval of the Board of Trustees, may appoint a Scholarship Commissioner. SECTION 7. Keeping o f the Rolls: The official roll of each chapter shall be kept at the administrative office under the direction of the General Secretary. No names shall be put upon the roll save those officially reported upon the forms prescribed; and the name of no new member shall be entered upon the roll until after official certification, by the General Treasurer, that the fees required from each initiate, pursuant to Chapter X hereof, have been paid. SECTION 8. Cancellation o f Names from the Roll: The General Secretary shall direct the cancellation in red ink upon the roll of names of all persons of whose expulsion or resignation he may receive official notice, without striking out the number assigned, which thereafter shall remain void, succeeding numbers not being changed; there shall be written after such names the words “expelled” or “resigned” with the date. SECTION 9. Special Roll o f Fortner Members: The General Secretary shall cause to be kept a special roll, not for publication, of all persons who have ceased to be members of the fraternity by resignation or expulsion, or who for any reason have been dropped from the roll, with a concise statement of the facts in each case.

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SECTION 10. Annual Report: The annual report of the chapters together with such other matter as may be deemed of interest, edited under the supervision of the General Secretary shall be published with the minutes of the Convention. SECTION 11. Preparation o f Petitions: A petition presented to the fraternity from a local organization seeking a charter for a chapter shall be prepared under the supervision of the General Secretary. In each instance the expense of such print­ ing shall be borne by the petitioning body. (Xref. C. Art. Ill Sec. 2) SECTION 12. Advance Selection o f Convention Committees: Prior to the conven­ ing of any G eneral Convention, the General Secretary may select or designate the composition of standing committees and such other committees as he shall have determined to be necessary. Such designation or selection may be made in whole or in part by chapter delegate designation. The selection so made shall be for­ warded promptly to all chapters. SECTION 13. Chapter Counselors and Advisers: Chapter Counselors and Advis­ ers, other than Chapter Financial Advisers shall be appointed by the General Sec­ retary on the advice of the District Chief. The appointing officers shall prescribe their duties and functions and shall have and retain general supervision of all said counselors and advisers who nevertheless shall, except as the appointing officers may direct, perform their duties and functions under the supervision of the appro­ priate District Chief.

CH APTER IV TH E G EN ER A L TR EA SU R ER SECTION 1. Funds o f the Fraternity: The General Treasurer shall cause the funds of the fraternity to be deposited to the account of the fraternity in a bank or banks selected by himself subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees. All funds so deposited shall be withdrawn by check signed by the General Treasurer or such others as the Board of Trustees may by resolution authorize. SECTION 2. Trustee o f Baird and Founders Funds: The General Treasurer shall be, ex officio, a Trustee (a) of the Baird Fund of Beta Theta Pi and (b) of the Founders Fund of Beta Theta Pi. SECTION 3. Assistant General Treasurer: The General Treasurer may, by and with the consent of the Board of Trustees, appoint an Assistant General Treasurer-Chapter Finance and designate his duties, functions and responsibilities. Chapter financial advisers shall be appointed by the Assistant General Treasurer-

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i Chapter Finance on the advice of the District Chief. SECTION 4. Reports on Chapter Finances: The General Treasurer shall from rec­ ords available cause the following reports to be made to the Board of Trustees and the Convention: a) The fees and assessments of the chapters paid and unpaid. b) The financial standing and condition of each chapter. c) The ownership and financial condition of chapter houses including alumni associations or corporations owning, leasing or operating chapter houses. Said reports shall be prepared in such form as the Board of Trustees shall approve and direct. SECTION 5. The Budget: The General Treasurer shall each year and prior to the convening of the Convention submit to the Board of Trustees a proposed budget for the ensuing year. SECTION 6. Expenses o f Convention Delegates: The General Treasurer, at least two weeks before the General Convention, shall cause to be sent to the delegate designed by each chapter which paid all its fees or assessments when due pursuant to Chapter X hereof, a check for a minimum of six cents per mile for his transpor­ tation from his home in the continental United States or Canada (as shown on the records of the General Fraternity) to the place of the Convention and return. If the proceeds of any check referred to in this section are not used for all the pur­ pose of transportation to the General Convention, such check shall be returned to the General Treasurer. (See also L. Ch. I Sections 2 & 4) SECTION 7. Expenses o f Officers: The General Treasurer shall pay the expenses of officers of the fraternity incurred in the transaction of fraternity business and of any other member of the fraternity deputized by the Board of Trustees or the General Convention to do special work for the fraternity.

CHAPTER V FRATERNITY M AGAZINE SECTION 1. Name: The fraternity shall publish a magazine or periodical under the name The Beta Theta Pi, which title may be printed in Greek letters. SECTION 2. Copies for Active Members: Each active member of the fraternity shall be entitled to receive either at his chapter house or at his home a copy of each issue of the magazine.

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i SECTION 3. Life Subscriptions: Every member of the fraternity who is a member of the Baird Fund shall be entitled to receive the magazine for life. Every member of the fraternity not a member of the Baird Fund may become a member of the Baird Fund by paying to the General Treasurer the Baird Fund fee prescribed in Section 4, Chapter X of the Laws. (See L. Ch. X Sec. 1 and Sec. 4) SECTION 4. Directory: A full directory of the general and other officers of the fraternity, as well as a complete list of active chapters and alumni associations, with names and addresses of their secretaries, shall be published in at least two of the regular issues of each volume of the magazine and in each special issue of the magazine. SECTION 5. Convention Minutes; Year Book: The Minutes of the Convention and the annual report shall be published as a special number of the magazine.

CH APTER VI TH E CHAPTERS SECTION 1. Chapter Name: The full name of each chapter shall be in the follow­ ing form: the Miami chapter, the Alpha of Beta Theta Pi; the University of Michi­ gan chapter, the Lambda of Beta Theta Pi; the St. Lawrence chapter, the Beta Zeta of Beta Theta Pi. SECTION 2. Officers: The officers of each chapter shall be initiated members of the fraternity in good standing and regularly enrolled in the college or university at which the chapter is located, consisting of a president, a recorder, a secretary, an alumni secretary, a treasurer, a librarian, and such other officials as the respective chapters may require. SECTION 3. Duties o f officers: The president and other officers of each chapter shall perform the usual duties of such officers, together with such other duties as the chapter may require of them. The president of each chapter shall be charged with the responsibility of the safekeeping of all property of the General Fraternity loaned to his respective chapter. SECTION 4. Treasurer; Accounting System: The treasurer shall promptly collect all dues and assessments levied by the chapter or by the Convention. He shall keep accurate account thereof in accordance with the uniform accounting system of the fraternity; provided, however, the Board of Trustees may give permission for the use of any other accounting system which it shall approve. The treasurer, as the appropriate officer of the chapter, shall be responsible

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i for the collection and immediate payment of General Fraternity fees upon receipt from the newly pledged or initiated members, as set forth in Chapter X, Section 1. SECTION 5. Books; Inspection and Audit: The books of the chapter treasurer or those of other chapter officers handling money shall at all times be open to the inspection and audit of the General Treasurer, the District Chief, or other prop足 erly accredited fraternity official, or the General Convention. SECTION 6. Recorder; records to be kept: The recorder of the chapter shall keep a faithful record of all meetings and proceedings of the chapter and preserve, in order and for reference, all records, reports, and other documents of importance. SECTION 7. Inspection o f Records: the permanent records of the chapter shall be kept in a record book which shall be open to the inspection of the members of the chapter, the general officers, the District Chief, and the General Convention. SECTION 8. Chapter Roll: Each chapter shall keep a roll, in the uniform official roll book of the fraternity, with entries in the order of initiation or transfer, begin足 ning with the charter members. A number once assigned to a member shall not thereafter be changed. SECTION 9. Secretary; Duties: The secretary of the chapter shall promptly con足 duct the official correspondence, with the help of such assistants as the chapter may appoint. It shall be the duty of the secretary: a) As soon as selected, to notify the General Secretary of his selection, and also to furnish promptly to the General Secretary the names of all officers of the chapter as soon as selected; b) To send to the General Treasurer within ten days after initiation, the notice of admission of each initiate, and within ten days of date of affiliation, the notice of admission of each affiliate; c) On receipt of special instructions from the General Secretary to send to that officer a chapter report prepared according to such instructions; d) Promptly to make out and forward to their destinations such other re足 ports, statements, and notices as may be called for by the General Secretary or by the District Chief; e) To familiarize himself with the directory published in the fraternity magazine, and with the constitution and laws of the fraternity; to follow carefully

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i and promptly all instructions from the General Secretary, the Board of Trustees and the District Chief; to keep careful watch of the chapter’s roll of members; to report to the General Secretary each suspension, expulsion, or proposed resigna­ tion from the fraternity; and to do such work of a general character as may be required of him by the chapter or by the General Secretary; and f) To send promptly to the editor of the fraternity magazine all items of in­ terest relating to the welfare, progress, and contemporary history of his chapter, and to see that all letters sent to him by the editor are answered promptly. SECTION 10. A lum ni Secretary; Duties: It shall be the duty of the alumni secretary to keep a careful record of the names and addresses of the alumni of the chapter. H e shall carry on all correspondence necessary to keep the alumni informed re­ garding conditions in the chapter. He shall have as special duties the editing of the chapter letter to the alumni and the correction and completion of the individual alumni records in the official roll book. SECTION 11 .Librarian; Duties: The librarian shall be the custodian of all books, pamphlets, periodicals, and other documents of a permanent character, including the filed correspondence and records belonging to the chapter. He shall see to it that all records, correspondence, books, and such documents as require it are bound and properly cared for.

CHAPTER VII TRANSFERS SECTION 1. Certificate o f Good Standing: When a member of a chapter who is in good standing leaves the institution where the chapter is situated, the secretary shall, at his request, give him a certificate in the following form: Oxford, Ohio, August 8,1839 This is to certify that JOHN REILY KNOX is a member in good standing of the Miami chapter, the Alpha of Beta Theta Pi, hav­ ing been initiated on the eighth day of August, 1839, and having been assigned number 1 on the official roll of the chapter JO H N HOLT DUNCAN, President JAMES G E O R G E SMITH, Secretary SECTION 2. Requirements for Transfer: When such a mem ber matriculates and registers in another institution in which there is a chapter of the fraternity, he may become an active member of such chapter, provided that the chapter shall have expressed its confidence in his character and qualifications by electing him by unanimous vote of its active members; and provided he has received and delivered

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i to said chapter a transfer certificate issued in due form by his chapter of initiation or of previous adoption; and provided that the chapter to which he is transferring confirms with the Administrative Office that he is officially enrolled in the frater­ nity. SECTION 3. Report o f Transfer: It shall be the duty of the secretary of the chapter to which a member is transferred to record, in the official roll book of the chapter, his admission to active membership as in the case of admission by initiation, and also to report such admission upon the regular form for notice of admission.

CHAPTER VIII RITUAL SECTION 1. Pre-Initiation Practices: Initiation and pre-initiation ceremonies in the fraternity shall be limited by the respective chapters to (1) an examination on fraternity history and lore, (2) the prescribed and printed Ritual of the fraternity including the Wooglin Ceremony, the Dragon Ceremony and the Initiation Cere­ mony. None of the above shall be given outside the chapter house or hall, unless prior permission has been obtained from the District Chief. The District Chief is authorized to grant permission to the chapters to hold the requested ceremonies outside the chapter house only when, in his discretion and judgment, such activities can properly and safely be performed outside the chapter house. Request for such permission must be submitted in writing to the District Chief at least thirty (30) days prior to the proposed period. The decision of the District Chief may be appealed to the Board of Trustees. So-called hell-week and hell-week activities, including, but not limited to, physical punishment, public embarrassment, and distasteful practices generally, are abso­ lutely forbidden. For any violation of this section, the Board of Trustees is empowered to levy such penalties against the chapter as the Board, in its discretion, shall impose, includ­ ing, but not limited to, the imposing of probationary status, temporary suspension of pledging and initiation privileges, or recommendation to the General Conven­ tion for recall or revocation of its charter. SECTION 2. The Bound Ritual o f the Fraternity shall include all of the following: The Pledge Ceremony, the Wooglin Ceremony, the Dragon Ceremony, the Ritual of Initiation, the Allegory of the Beta Temple, the Installation of General Frater­ nity Officers, the Installation of Chapter Officers, the Ritual for Opening and Closing the Chapter Meeting (short and long form), the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Convention, the Memorial Service for the Dead, the Public

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i Funeral Service, and the History of the Ritual. SECTION 3. Cauldron Scene: The use of fire and inflammable chemicals in the Cauldron Scene is prohibited.

CHAPTER IX ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS SECTION 1. Organization: Associations of alumni members of the fraternity may be organized with the approval of the Board of Trustees pursuant to such regula­ tions as the Board of Trustees may prescribe. SECTION 2. Representation at Conventions: Alumni associations shall be entitled to representation in the General Convention.

CHAPTER X FEES SECTION 1. General Fraternity Fee: Each chapter shall be responsible for and immediately pay to the General Treasurer the following fees (United States Funds or equivalent); (a) A General Fraternity membership fee of one hundred ninety-five dollars ($195.00) payable forty dollars ($40.00) upon pledging any student eligible for membership, which sum shall not be refundable, and one hundred fifty-five dol­ lars ($155.00) payable upon initiation of such student. Provided, however: If pay­ ment of the initiation fee is not made within thirty (30) calendar days following the act of initiation (or June 30, whichever is earlier), the unpaid fee shall be forty dollars ($40.00) upon pledging and one hundred eighty-five dollars ($185.00) pay­ able upon initiation of such student. These increases in fees may be waived by the Board of Trustees at its discretion upon a showing of good cause. The postmark on the transmittal envelope forwarding the fees shall be conclusive as the payment date. In the event of a question regarding the date of initiation, the determination of the District Chief shall be conclusive. (b) A Baird Fund membership fee of thirty dollars ($30.00) is included in the membership fee set out in subparagraph (a). Each chapter shall receive membership fees as the collecting agent for the G en­ eral Fraternity and may be deposited to an account of a chapter only for the pur­ pose of facilitating payment thereof to the General Fraternity.

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i SECTION 2. Transfers: Upon the admission of any mem ber to a chapter by trans­ fer as provided for by Chapter VII, the chapter so admitting such member shall forthwith report such admission and pay to the General Treasurer: 1. The difference, if any, between the Baird Fund membership fee theretofore paid by or on account of said member and the Baird Fund membership fee stated in Section 4 hereof. SECTION 3. Failure to Pay Fees: Any chapter failing to forthwith when due the fees provided for in Sections 1 and 2 hereof for each of its initiates, shall report the cause of such failure to the General Secretary. The General Secretary shall make such investigation of the facts as to him seem appropriate and report the same to the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees shall report the case with or without recommendations to the next General Convention. Thereupon the Convention shall take such disciplinary action as it may see fit, and if said deficit is not satisfac­ torily provided for, the charter of the chapter may be suspended, revoked or with­ drawn. SECTION 4. Baird Fund Fees: Any member not a member of the Baird Fund may become such a member by the payment of thirty dollars ($30.00). All Baird Fund membership fees shall be allocated to such Fund, unless during any fiscal year of the Fraternity the Board of Trustees determines that all or any part of the fees received during such year be applied for other Fraternity purposes. SECTION 5. Shingle: Upon the payment of the fees prescribed in Section 1 hereof the newly initiated member will be furnished by the General Fraternity with a standard gold-plated zircon center mem ber’s badge, standard shingle and a song book. SECTION 6. Initiation Fee for Alum ni o f local petitioning group; Special circum­ stances: The Board of Trustees may, at its discretion, upon such term s and condi­ tions as it may prescribe, reduce the General Fraternity membership fee provided for in this chapter, when a substantial number of the alumni of a local fraternity or society to whom a charter has been granted agree to present themselves for initia­ tion at the time the said charter is conferred and the petitioners are initiated, pro­ vided that the said alumni shall have satisfied the Board of Trustees that they will organize an d /o r further an Alumni Association of the Fraternity in the locale of said chapter to be installed, open to all members of the Fraternity but devoted primarily to the furtherance of the chapter aforesaid.

CHAPTER X DISCIPLINE

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A. MEMBERS: SECTION 1. General: Penalties for conduct inconsistent with the character of a worthy m em ber of the fraternity may extend to suspension from its privileges or to expulsion from the fraternity. Penalties appealed, as herein provided for, shall not take effect until the final determination thereof. (See C. Art. V Sec. 13) SECTION 2. Jurisdiction o f Board o f Trustees; Rights o f Accused: The Board of Trustees shall have jurisdiction in the following cases: (a) Removal of officers of the fraternity; (b) All cases of discipline of members no longer enrolled in a college or uni­ versity for the student of which an active chapter is established; (c) Discipline of active or inactive members while enrolled in a college or university for the students of which an active chapter is established where charges are filed against such member by a general officer of the fraternity or by a m em­ ber especially delegated by the Board of Trustees to investigate the conduct of such member; (See C. Art. V Sec. 7, 9,11; L. Ch. XI Secs. 7, 8). (d) All cases of discipline primarily reserved to the chapters in which the chapter fails, neglects or refuses, upon request of the General Secretary or a m a­ jority of the Board, to institute and carry disciplinary action forward promptly to conclusion; and (e) All other cases not herein provided for. In all cases tried originally before the Board of Trustees, the accused shall have all the rights of defense that he has in a trial before an active chapter, as set forth in Section 4 hereof, and shall have the right to appeal to the General Convention. SECTION 3. Jurisdiction o f the Chapter: Each active chapter shall have jurisdic­ tion over all of its active and inactive members, and over all undergraduate and graduate school members of the fraternity enrolled in the college or university for the students of which such chapter is established. SECTION 4. Trial by Board o f Trustees; Procedure: In any disciplinary proceed­ ings by the Board of Trustees where the penalty imposed as a result thereof is to be suspension or expulsion, the following procedure shall be observed: (a) Charges; How Preferred: All charges shall be preferred in writing and be signed by the General Secretary, who shall act as Prosecutor of the charges. Such charges shall be clearly drawn and, if for acts committed, shall be followed by specifications succinctly setting forth the time and place of such acts. (b) Filing and Service of Charges: Such charges and specifications shall be filed

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i with the Administrative Secretary; they shall be spread upon the records and the time and place of hearing fixed; a copy thereof, duly certified, together with notice of time and place of hearing, shall be served upon the accused not less than twenty days previous to the date of hearing, by registered mail, by the brother making the service; provided, however, in the event the accused should refuse to acknowledge such service, the affidavit of the brother making such service shall be accepted in lieu of such acknowledgement. (c) Notification should be sent to the District Chief. (d) Right of Defense; Testimony may be in Written Form: the accused shall have all necessary opportunity for the presentation of testimony in his defense. If the accused shall so request in writing no later than ten days prior to the hearing, all exceptions made by him to any testimony presented shall be entered upon the record and all testimony shall be reduced to writing by the Administrative Secre足 tary in the presence of the witnesses, and at its close shall be signed by them. (e) Accused may be present: At such meeting and during all the proceedings thereof except during the balloting hereinafter provided for, the accused, with counsel if desired, who shall be a member of the fraternity, shall be permitted to be present. (f) Vote upon Verdict; upon Penalty: After all the evidence and arguments shall have been heard, the Board of Trustees, except the General Secretary shall pro足 ceed to a ballot to determine its finding. If the accused is found guilty, the Board of Trustees shall proceed to ballot further to determine the penalty. If a ballot be taken upon the penalty of expulsion from the privileges of the fraternity, a threefourths affirmative vole of all the Board of Trustees present shall be required to expel. If a ballot be taken upon the penalty of suspension from the privileges of the fraternity, a majority vote of all the members present shall be required to suspend. The accused shall not be entitled to vote or cast as herein provided for or be pres足 ent at the time of the balloting. He shall, however, be formally notified of the deci足 sion so reached by the Administrative Secretary. (g) Definition of Penalties: A suspension shall be for a definitely stated period not exceeding one year. Expulsion shall remove the name of the member from the chapter roll from the date of the vote of expulsion by the Board of Trustees, but shall not remove his name from the roll of the General Fraternity until the close of the session of the annual convention next succeeding the trial of the member, when, if no appeal has been taken from the decision of the Board of Trustees, such expulsion shall become final and absolute, and his name shall be removed from the roll of the General Fraternity.

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i (h) Transcript of Record: At the close of the trial, as hereinbefore provided, it shall be the duty of the Administrative Secretary at once to make a transcript of the record of the case (including the original charges and all motions or written statements, as well as the evidence, if reduced to writing), and shall transmit such transcript to the General Secretary, to be filed with the Board of Trustees for the use of the General Convention, in case an appeal is perfected. SECTION 5. Trial by Chapter; Procedure: In any disciplinary proceedings by a chapter where the penalty imposed as a result thereof is to be suspension or expul­ sion, the following procedure shall be observed: (a) Charges; How Preferred: All charges shall be preferred in writing and be signed by a member of the chapter to whose jurisdiction the accused shall, for the time being, be subject. Such charges shall be clearly drawn and, it for acts commit­ ted, shall be followed by specifications succinctly setting forth the time and place of such acts. (b) Filing and Service of Charges: Such charges and specifications shall be filed with the recorder of the chapter, who shall present them thereto at its first regular meeting thereafter, and if the chapter, by a majority vote, shall agree to entertain the same, they shall be spread upon the records and the time and place of hearing fixed; a copy thereof, duly certified, together with notice of time and place of hear­ ing, shall be served upon the accused not less than five days previous to the date of hearing, and acknowledgement of service signed by him on the original charges shall be required by the brother making the service; provided, however, in the event the accused should refuse to acknowledge such service, the affidavit of the brother making such service shall be accepted in lieu of such acknowledgement. (c) Notice to District Chief: A duly certified copy of such charges shall at once be furnished to the District Chief of the district in which the chapter is located, who shall also be notified of the time for the trial as soon as the same shall be fixed. (d) Notice of Special meeting of Chapter: Each active member of the chapter shall be notified of the date fixed upon, and of the purpose for which the meeting is to be held; and at such meeting, a quorum being present, no other business shall be transacted than that for which it is specifically called. The accused shall not be counted for quorum purposes. (e) Right of Defense; Testimony may be in written form: The accused shall have all necessary opportunity for the presentation of testimony in his defense. If the accused shall so request in writing, all exceptions made by him to any testimony presented shall be entered upon the record and all testimony shall be reduced to writing in the presence of the witnesses, and at its close shall be signed by them.

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i (f) Accused may be present: At such meeting and during all the proceedings thereof except during the balloting hereinafter provided for, the accused, with counsel, who shall be a member of the fraternity, shall be permitted to be present. (g) Vote upon Verdict, upon Penalty: After all the evidence and arguments shall have been heard, the chapter shall proceed to a ballot to determine its finding. If the accused is found guilty, the chapter shall proceed to ballot further to deter­ mine the penalty. If a ballot be taken upon the penalty of expulsion from the privi­ leges of the fraternity, a three-fourths affirmative vote of all the members present shall be required to expel. If a ballot be taken upon the penalty of suspension from the privileges of the fraternity, a majority vote of all the members present shall be required to suspend. The accused shall not be entitled to vote or cast any ballot as herein provided for or be present at the time of the balloting. He shall, however, be formally notified of the decision so reached. (h) Definition of Penalties: A suspension shall be for a definitely stated period not exceeding one year. Expulsion shall remove the name of the member from the chapter roll from the date on the vote of expulsion by the chapter, but shall not remove his name from the roll of the General Fraternity until the close of the ses­ sion of the annual convention next succeeding the trial of the member, when, if no appeal has been taken from the decision of the chapter, such expulsion shall be­ come final and absolute, and his name shall be removed from the roll of the G en­ eral Fraternity. (i) Transcript of Record: At the close of the trial, as hereinbefore provided, it shall be the duty of the secretary of the chapter at once to make a transcript of the rec­ ord of the case (including the original charges and all motions or written state­ ments, as well as the evidence, if reduced to writing), and shall transmit such tran­ script to the General Secretary, to be filed with the Board of Trustees for the use of the Trustees and the General Convention, in case an appeal is perfected. SECTION 6. Trial of M ember of Another Chapter: Whenever a chapter shall deem it wise and necessary for the honor and welfare of the fraternity to exercise the powers conferred by Section 9 of Article III of the Constitution, for the disci­ pline of a member of the fraternity within the jurisdiction of such chapter, but a member of another chapter, such chapter shall first transmit to the member and to the secretary of the chapter to which such member belongs a certified copy of charges against him and a notification of the time and place, when and where the hearing upon the charges will be had. At the close of the proceedings a transcript of the result shall be certified to the chapter to which the offending member be­ longs. Upon receipt of such transcript, such chapter shall cause it to be entered on its records.

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The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i

SECTION 1. Appeals to the Board Procedure: Appeals to the Board of Trustees from a decision of a chapter shall be governed by the following procedure: (a) Appeal from the Decision of a chapter: An appeal by any member from the decision of his chapter must be in writing, specifically stating the grounds of such appeal, and three (3) signed copies thereof must be filed with the chapter recorder of such chapter within thirty (30) days after such mem ber shall have been notified of such decision. (b) Notice to General Secretary: The chapter secretary shall at once transmit two (2) of the copies of the notice of such appeal together with a complete transcript of the charges and findings to the General Secretary for the use of the Board of Trustees and for the permanent files and records of the fraternity; and the Board of Trustees shall thereupon proceed to consider and determ ine such appeal in such manner as it may deem best. (c) Written argument in support of appeal: If the appellant desires to file a brief written argument, he may do so provided it is filed with and in the same number of copies as the notice of appeal. Provided, that for good cause shown the General Secretary may prior to the expiration of the time for appeal, grant an extension of time for the filing of briefs but in no event shall such extension be for more than ninety (90) days. (d) Additional information - When: The Board of Trustees or any member thereof may after an appeal has been perfected and before final decision is reached, request from the appellant or the chapter from whose decision an appeal is taken, 1) additional information by way of explanation of the facts; 2) further argument; 3) rebuttal argument or; 4) such other information as may appear or be deemed pertinent to the issue in the case from which an appeal is being taken. (e) Decision of the Board: The Board of Trustees may affirm, modify or reverse. The decision on any appeal shall be in writing. A majority of the Board must con­ cur. In the event of a tie, the decision appealed from shall stand. (f) Finality of Decision: Decisions of the Board unless appealed from become fi­ nal when filed with the General Secretary. A copy thereof shall be forwarded the appellant. (g) Form of Appeal from Decision of Board: An appeal by any mem ber from a decision of the Board of Trustees must be in writing, specifically stating the grounds of appeal, and must be filed with the General Secretary within thirty days after the notice to the accused of such decision. Upon taking of such appeal, the

517

The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i Board of Trustees shall transmit the entire record in the case to the next General Convention. B. CHAPTERS: SECTION 8. By the General Secretary or Board o f Trustees'. Whenever the G en足 eral Secretary or the Board of Trustees shall, 1) deem it wise and necessary in the best interests of the fraternity to exercise the authority reserved to it by Section 9 of Article III of the Constitution or to take action to carry out or enforce any provision of the Constitution and Laws of the fraternity relating to chapter; or 2) have knowledge or be advised that any chapter has failed, neglected or refused to comply with the Constitution and Laws of the fraternity or any order or direc足 tive or direction of the General Convention, the following procedure shall govern: a) A statement or complaint in writing signed by the General Secretary shall be mailed to the offending chapter. Said statement or complaint shall clearly set forth the basis for the complaint. b) A reasonable time shall be given to answer or defend. c) The Board may provide for either formal or informal hearings. d) The Board shall furnish to the chapter charged, in writing, its conclusions, decisions or recommendations. e) All decisions or recommendations, except for the revocation of a charter, shall unless appealed become final when filed with the General Secretary. f) Any recommendations or decision of the Board that a charter be revoked shall be submitted to the next General Convention. The Board shall in each such in足 stance deliver to the Convention all its files and records pertaining thereto. SECTION 9. Complaints against Chapters or Disputes between Chapters: Any criti足 cism or complaint directed against any chapter for any act done or any action contemplated which may be detrimental to the General Fraternity or any of the chapters, or any matter in dispute between chapters regarding the conduct of any chapter or any of its members, shall at once be referred to the General Secretary. The General Secretary shall give such advice or make such orders as he may deem advisable which orders shall be complied with until the Board of Trustees or the General Convention shall act in connection with said matters. Any violation of the orders of the General Secretary may be deemed sufficient reason for suspension or expulsion of an offending member or for the suspension, or for recommending

518

The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i the revocation of the charter, of the offending chapter. Within five years after the date of the revocation of the charter of any chapter, a report shall be made to the General Convention, reviewing the reasons for the revocation, and exploring the feasibility of recolonizing the chapter. C. APPEALS TO THE GENERAL CONVENTION: SECTION 10. Form o f Appeal from Decision o f Board: An appeal by chapter or member from a decision or recommendation of the Board of Trustees must be in writing, specifically stating the grounds of appeal, and must be filed with the G en­ eral Secretary within thirty days after the notice to the accused of such decision. Upon taking of such appeal, the Board of Trustees shall transmit the entire record in the case to the next General Convention. SECTION 11. Procedure by General Convention: Appeals to the General Conven­ tion and recommendations by the Board to revoke a charter shall be heard by the General Convention in accordance with such rules of procedure as may be from time to time prescribed; provided, however, (1) no delegate of the chapter whose case is being heard shall be counted for quorum purposes nor shall he or any member whose appeal is being heard be entitled to vote thereon, and (2) each chapter or member, as the case may be shall be afforded all opportunity of de­ fense and representation. The verdict of the convention shall be by roll call unless a written ballot be re­ quested. Such verdict shall not be subject to appeal or reconsideration after ad­ journm ent sine die.

CHAPTER XII SCHOLARSHIP SECTION 1. Scholastic Requirement for Initiation: Every candidate for initiation into Beta Theta Pi must obtain, for the quarter or semester immediately prior to his initiation, a grade point average of not less than the minimum average grades required for graduation by the school or college in which such candidate is en­ rolled; provided, however, that this requirement be waived or modified by the Board of Trustees upon a showing of undue hardship to the chapter involved. SECTION 2. Minimum Chapter Academic Standards and Assisting Procedures: (1) Minimum chapter academic standard: Each chapter shall be required to main­ tain an academic average for the chapter, consisting of all the grade point averages of all the pledges and all the active members, of no less than a 2.5 on a four point grading scale or its equivalent;

519

The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i

(2) Reporting Chapter Grade Point Average: The chapter shall report at the end of an annual academic period, but no later than May 1, the overall chapter GPA to the General Fraternity of the total membership (pledges and actives) for each grading period of the academic year on the forms provided by the General F rater­ nity. (3) Failure to report, when due, the information requested in (2) above will re­ quire the Scholarship Commissioner to declare the chapter subject to suspension of charter; (4) The Scholarship Commissioner shall declare chapter subject to suspension of charter and notify the chapter in writing when the chapter fails to maintain the scholarship requirements for good standing; provided however that a chapter may appeal such declaration within thirty (30) days of the receipt of notice of such declaration. In considering such an appeal, the Scholarship Commissioner shall reexamine his declaration in light of the chapter’s academic standing at the local institution and the chapter’s grade average. The Scholarship Commissioner shall rule on such appeal within thirty (30) days of receipt of the appeal and shall notify promptly the chapter of his ruling in writing; (5) The Scholarship Commissioner shall notify the General Convention each year of those subject to suspension of charter; (6) W hen a chapter is declared to be subject to suspension of charter and such declaration stands, upon appeal, assisting procedures will be instituted. Assisting procedures will consist of the following: (a) During the first year a chapter is “Subject to Suspension of C harter”, a schol­ arship program shall be developed by the Chapter Scholarship Chairman, the Chapter Counselor, Faculty Advisor and the District Chief and approved by the Scholarship Commissioner; (b) If any chapter is “Subject to Suspension of C harter” for two consecutive years the Scholarship Commissioner shall refer such status to the General Secretary for disciplinary action, including the suspension of the charter of said chapter. Assisting procedures should be directed toward the individual as the one respon­ sible for academic performance and the chapter be encouraged to assist the indi­ vidual members and develop necessary procedures ranging from counseling to membership restrictions e.g. voting or social restrictions. Failure of a chapter to submit the report described in paragraph (1) above when due will constitute failure to meet the minimum academic standards described in 520

The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i this section. A chapter failing to submit a scholarship report on time for three con­ secutive years shall not be entitled to representation at the General Convention.

CHAPTER XIII MISCELLANEOUS SECTION 1. Membership in Certain Societies Forbidden: No active mem ber of any chapter shall accept or retain membership in any such intercollegiate and inter­ fraternity society. The Board of Trustees, on presentation of satisfactory proof thereof, shall authorize the General Secretary to drop the name of such member from roll of the fraternity. (Xref. C. Art. II Sec. 7) SECTION 2. Combinations: Chapters, as chapters, shall conform to the rules at their respective institutions concerning the formation of combinations with chap­ ters of other fraternities for the purpose of effecting elections to honors or offices. SECTION 3. Purchase, Building, Alteration or Enlargement o f Chapter House: No chapter or alumni organization of Beta Theta Pi shall enter into or proceed with the purchasing or building of a chapter house or the major alteration or enlarge­ ment of an existing chapter house until it shall have submitted to the Board of Trustees of the Fraternity the following information: (1) The general plans and specifications of the proposed chapter house; (2) an accurate estimate of all cost thereof; (3) a complete report of the financial status of the chapter and alumni organiza­ tion at the time of submitting the plans; and (4) a detailed plan for financing such chapter house and the extent to which such plan has been considered and approved by the chapter and its alumni.

CHAPTER XIV SEALS AND EMBLEMS SECTION 1. General: A standard badge, flag, coat of arms, great seal, colors, pledge button, and shingle shall be adopted by the General Convention. SECTION 2. Badge, How worn and Used: The Badge of the fraternity shall be an eight-sided shield, with concavely curved sides. The face shall be of black enamel, bearing, first, three five-pointed stars of gold, placed in a horizontal line; second, a brilliant diamond, encircled by a laurel wreath of greenish gold; third, the Greek capitals B9II, of gold; and fourth, the date of the foundation of the fraternity in the Greek notation, of gold, Alpha Omega Lambda Theta. On the reverse side shall be engraved the letter or letters of the owner’s chapter, clasped hands, the owner’s 521

The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i name and the date of his initiation. Each man will receive a standard gold plated badge upon payment of his initiation fees. The use of the official badge of the fra­ ternity shall be limited to the pin, the same to be worn over the heart and in a m anner befitting the honor and dignity to which the badge is entitled. A member of the fraternity shall permit none but his mother, wife, daughter, sister, or sweet­ heart to wear the official badge. SECTION 3. Flag: The flag shall consist of three equal horizontal stripes of blue, white, and blue, the upper stripe bearing a single white five-pointed star, and the lower blue stripe two similar stars, the three stars forming an equilateral triangle about a red dragon sejant, the fraternity crest. SECTION 4. Coat o f Anns: The coat of arms of the fraternity shall be: Quarterly argent and gules; a chevron azure bearing three mullets or. Crest: a dragon sejant or. Motto: -Kai (Note: The coat of arms is a development of Beta symbols on the lines of heraldry, and was adopted by the Convention of 1897. For the benefit of any who may find it inconvenient to look them up, an explanation is given of the heraldic terms: A coat of arms is regularly upon a spade-shaped or triangular shield. The surface of the shield is divided vertically and horizontally into four quarters, the colors of which are these: First quarter silver or white (argent); second, red (gules); third, silver or white; fourth, red. The chevron is V-shaped, point upward, and is frequently seen on heraldic shields and on the sleeves of military uniforms. This is “azure,” i.e. blue. Upon this are three stars (mullets) in gold (or). The crest or piece above the shield is a dragon in gold, seated and with wings raised. The motto needs no expla­ nation.) SECTION 5. Great Seal: The Great Seal of the fraternity shall be the coat of arms with the crest and motto, upon two rose sprigs, within a circular band, on which shall be the legend, “T H E GREAT SEAL OF BETA THETA PI - 1839”. SECTION 6. Chapter Coat o f Anns; Chapter Seal: Each active chapter with ap­ proval of the Board of Trustees, shall adopt a coat of arms and a chapter seal. The chapter coat of arms shall consist of the fraternity crest, the fraternity shield with the following changes - for the parent chapter, the shield without change; for each of the next nine chapters in order of establishment, the fraternity shield dif­ ferenced by the heraldic mark of cadency; for each of the remaining chapters, the fraternity shield charged in the first quarter with a device to indicate the chapter and the motto, which in each case shall consist of Greek words whose initials are the Greek name of the chapter. The chapter seal shall consist of an equilateral 522

The CODE o f B e t a T h e t a P i triangle enclosing three stars, clasped hands, and the Greek letter or letters desig­ nating the chapter name, all within a circle, and the chapter name in the following form: Miami University, Alpha of Beta Theta Pi. SECTION 7. Shingle: The shingle of the fraternity shall be a plain white card, six inches in width and eight inches from top to bottom, displaying in the center of the upper portion the coat of arms of the fraternity engraved in black. Across the middle shall be shown the member’s full name in Old English letters, with the date of his initiation in similar but smaller character just under the name. The chapter seal shall be affixed in red wax in the lower left-hand corner. SECTION 8. Pledge Button: The pledge button of the fraternity shall be a shield of white enamel, of the same shape as the badge, bearing three five-pointed stars of gold arranged in a line running from the upper left-hand corner to the lower righthand corner as one faces the pledge button. SECTION 9. Colors: The colors of the fraternity shall be pink and blue, in delicate shades. SECTION 10. Use o f Emblems: (a) The use of all emblems of the fraternity (except the badge) shall be per­ mitted on jewelry, stationery, novelties, and wearing apparel. (b) No reproduction of the badge shall be used for any purpose except that the Board of Trustees may, upon written application to it, approve specific and limited uses of such a reproduction.

CHAPTER XV AMENDMENTS SECTION 1. Voting: These laws may be amended or repealed at any General Convention by a vote of a majority of delegates of the Convention. *

*

*

523

SECTION 32 A Beta Theta Pi Composite 1839 - 1989 Following are pictures of some of the major figures in the first 150 years of Beta Theta Pi. The Founders are shown first, then follow the others, arranged in alpha­ betical order. [The selection was somewhat arbitrary, and it could readily be enlarged.] The pictures on the first four pages show the Founders as they would have appeared when they founded the fraternity - these were painted by Robert Cloyd (a non-Beta) - an artist known for his re-creation of younger pictures from older ones. The portraits were given to Beta Theta Pi in 1988 by Gupton A. Vogt, W est­ minster 1931, vice president of the fraternity. Despite great efforts, no picture of Founder James George Smith, Miami 1840, has ever been found. It was reporteed that a letter from Smith’s brother in the 1870’s indicated that no picture had ever been made, Smith having died at the age of thirty.

The following abbreviations are used to indicate the offices held: G /P G /S G /T V /P

President of the General Fraternity General Secretary General Treasurer Vice President (or member of the Board of Trustees)

B /D

member of the Board of Directors

A /S

Administrative Secretary

524

TH E FAITHFUL H U M E OF T H E I H R h t STARS

John Reily Knox Miami 1839 Born in Butler County, Ohio on May 20, 1820; Secretary and President of the Union Literary Society. First in his graduating class. Admitted to Darke County, Ohio Bar in 1843. M arried Isabel S. Briggs in November, 1845. Father of four, including Elizabeth, (Mrs. Jam es M. Lansdowne), mother of John Knox Lansdowne and Harry M oreton Lansdowne, both Miami Betas. Presidential Elector in 1860. Stockholder in the Beta Theta Pi Alumni Club, which owned the Wooglin Clubhouse. M em ber of the Board of Directors, 1884-1894, and its President, 1893-1894. Died February 7,1898, in Greenville, Ohio.

Samuel Taylor Marshall Miami 1840 Born February 26, 1812 in Butler County, Ohio. M em ber of the Union Literary Society. Shared a room in the west wing of Old Main with J. G. Smith. Obtained the first badges from Carley of Cincinnati. Fought in Cana­ dian Rebellion as lieutenant colonel; captured and sentenced, but later re­ leased. Began practice of law in D e­ cember of 1842 in Lee County, Iowa. M arried Louisa Patterson. Father of ten children. Interviews with him in the late 1880’s were published in the magazine, including his short charac­ terizations of the founders. Died June 13,1895, in Keokuk, Iowa. O f Ever Honored Memory 525

I H t FAITHFUL HOML UF I H t THREE STARS

David Linton Miami 1839 Born January 30,1815 in Wilmington, Ohio. A member of the Erodelphian Literary Society. Graduated from the Cincinnati Law School in 1840. Prac­ ticed law in Wilmington, Ohio; was prosecuting attorney of Clinton County 1845-47; State Senator 185355. Moved to Kansas in 1865, raising thoroughbred cattle. Probate Judge of Linn County, Kansas 1867-69. M ar­ ried Ann Thomas. Father of nine chil­ dren. Died August 10, 1889, in Pleas­ anton, Linn County, Kansas.

James George Smith Miami 1840

Smith’s home — a farm six miles east of Lebanon, Ohio. To our knowledge, no pic­ ture had ever been taken of him.

“Leb” was born August 20, 1819. Member of the Union Literary Soci­ ety. First secretary of Alpha. Died September 16, 1849 of a “fever” (smallpox?) a few days after his mother. Knox said, “Poor Leb! as good a fellow as ever lived, he died young.” His roommate Marshall said, “He was a pale, studious, quiet fellow in delicate health. I never saw such an eater in my life and he never took physical exercise. Whatever lesson he prepared he understood and could parse to the last single letter and word. He never forgot to be a gentle­ man, but took no pride in dress, al­ though well-off financially.”

O f Ever Honored Memory

526

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Charles Henry Hardin Miami 1841 Born July 15, 1820 on a farm in the northern part of Trimble County, Kentucky, but spent his childhood in Columbia, Missouri. In 1837 he rode horseback to Indiana University, transferring to Miami in March, 1839. A member of the Union Literary So­ ciety. Admitted to the bar in Colum­ bia, Mo. on March 11,1843, and prac­ ticed law there for 18 years, then moved to Mexico, Mo., where he lived for the rest of his life. Circuit attorney, State Representative & Senator. Mis­ souri Governor, 1875-77. Founder of Hardin Female College. Married Mary Barr Jenkins on May 16, 1844. He died at home, July 29, 1892.

John Holt Duncan Miami 1840 Born July 7,1820 in Harrison County, Kentucky. M ember of the Erodel­ phian Literary Society. He lived “offcampus” with “the venerable Judge Collins of Oxford.” First president of Alpha. After graduating, he studied and practiced law in Houston, Texas. Chief Justice of Bexar County, Texas 1857-62. Artillery Captain in C.S.A., lost his leg (see story in Civil War section). District justice 1864-65; city attorney for Houston, 1877-79. He spent everything he had caring for the family which had befriended him and nursed him in the war. Died May 27, 1896, in the Confederate Old Soldiers Home, Austin, Texas. O f Ever Honored Memory

527

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Michael Clarkson Ryan Miami 1839 Born April 23, 1820 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. M ember of the Erodel­ phian Literary Society. Admitted to the bar in Butler County, Ohio; prose­ cuting attorney 1848-1852; clerk of courts 1852-58. H e m arried Emily Lefflar in 1845, and had three chil­ dren. Delegate to the National D em o­ cratic Convention of 1856 in Cincin­ nati. H e helped organize and recruit the Fiftieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry regiment, and its colonel, but he died October 23,1861, in Hamilton, Ohio, before he had a chance for service in the field.

Thomas Boston Gordon Miami 1840 Born February 4,1816 near Hartwell, Georgia. M ember of the Erodelphian Literary Society. Taught school in Decatur, Georgia, 1841-42. Admitted to the bar at Forsythe, Georgia in 1842. Received M aster of Arts from Miami in 1845. M arried Frances M. G reer on June 11,1845; living in F or­ sythe until 1848 when they moved to a farm in Bath County, Kentucky. Fa­ ther of six children. H e had a confi­ dential position with Johnson’s bri­ gade, C.SA. Lost everything in the war; returned to his farm and re­ sumed teaching. Died January 25, 1901 in Lexington, Kentucky, while visiting his son there. O f Ever Honored Memory

528

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

John Reily Knox Miami 1839

Charles Henry Hardin Miami 1841

Founder B /D 1884-1894

Founder

Samuel Taylor Marshall Miami 1840

John Holt Duncan Miami 1840

Founder

Founder

KNOX

MARSHALL

DUNCAN David Linton Miami 1839

Michael Clarkson Ryan Miami 1839

Founder

Founder

LINTON

RYAN James George Smith Miami 1840

Thomas Boston Gordon Miami 1840

Founder

Founder

( n o p ic tu re e v e r fo u n d )

J. G. SMITH

GORDON O f Ever Honored Memory 529

1 h it, FAITHFUL H U M t UF 1h i t I H K t t M'AKS

William Raimond Baird Stevens 1879, Columbia 1881

Olin R. Brouse

Editor 1880-1883 1885,1892-1915

G /T 1877-1879

De Pauw 1866

Author

BAIRD

BROUSE Bertram W. Bennett Knox 1920

Jam es T. Brown Cornell 1876

G /P 1954-1957 Keeper of Rolls 1906-1928

BENNETT

J. T. BROWN Sherwood M. Bonney

Edward Bruce Chandler

Dickinson 1931

Michigan 1858

G /P 1957-1960 G /T 1952-1955

B /D 1894-1896

BONNEY

E. B. CHANDLER Seth R. Brooks

George M. Chandler

St. Lawrence 1922

Michigan 1898 V /P 1912-1918

G /S 1950-1960 G /P 1960-1966 Author

BROOKS

Heraldry expert

G. M. CHANDLER

530

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

John I. Covington

Ralph N. Fey

Miami 1870

Miami 1940

B /D 1879-1894 first G /T 1872-1873

First A /S 1947-1958 G /T 1961-1964 G /P 1972-1975

William W. Dawson

Karl W. Fischer

Ohio Wesleyan 1914

Indiana 1925

COVINGTON

Asst. Historian G /P 1940-1946 Author

DAWSON

FISCHER Morris R. Ebersole

Burton W. Folsom

Cincinnati 1898

Nebraska 1949

V /P 1920-1923

G /P 1987G /S 1967-1971 G /T 1964-1967

EBERSOLE

ENSIGN

FOLSOM Frank G. Ensign

Jam es L. Gavin

Beloit 1900

De Pauw 1896

first asst. G /T 1927-1945 V /P 1924-1927

G /T 1904-1945

GAVIN

531

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

Amandus N. Grant

William A. Hamilton

De Pauw 1874

Northwestern 1879

G /S 1873-1874 B /D 1897 G /P 1897-1900, 1906-1912

HAMILTON

A. N. GRANT Clifford C. Gregg

John Calvin Hanna

Cincinnati 1917

W ooster 1881

G /S 1947-1950

G /S 1884-1899 G /P 1900-1903

HANNA

GREGG Peter F. Greiner

John W. Herron

Minnesota 1951

Miami 1845

G /P 1969-1972

B /D 1879-1894

GREINER

HERRON Charles B. Gutelius

Henry Hunter Johnson

Indiana 1905

Miami 1840 Ninth on the Alpha roll

Acting G /P 1937 V /P 1931-1937

GUTELIUS

H. H. JOHNSON

532

I H t FAI 1 H f U L M U M t U r I M t 1 M K H E S 1 A K 5

John Hogarth Lozier

Clarence L. Newton

De Pauw 1857

Wesleyan 1902

“High Priest” of Wooglin

G /P 1937-1940

Song writer

J. H. LOZIER Horace Gillette Lozier

A. J. G. Priest

Michigan 1894

Idaho 1918

Songwriter

G /P 1951-1954

H. G. LOZIER

PRIEST James G. Martin

Wyllys C. Ransom

Davidson 1957

Michigan 1848

G /P 1975-1978

B /D 1879-1884, 1894-1896

RANSOM

MARTIN B. Hume Morris II

John J. Rhodes

Centre 1968

Kansas State 1938

G /S 1983G /P 1984-1987 V /P 1984

MORRIS

RHODES

533

IM C m ilM rU L M U M tlU f IH t lH K ttS lA K !)

Francis M. Rich

Charles J. Seaman

Illinois 1925

Denison 1871

G /P 1966-1969

Songbook, Catalog editor; devised Wooglin Clubhouse B /D 1886-1888

SEAMAN

RICH Willis O. Robb

Francis W. Shepardson

Ohio Wesleyan 1879

Denison 1882, Brown 1883

G /P 1903-1906

G /S 1907-1918 G /P 1918-1937

ROBB

SHEPARDSON Kenneth W. Rogers

John R. Simpson

Syracuse 1917

Miami 1899

Song writer ■

Director of ™ Centenary I f V /P 1919-1924

ROGERS

J. H. RYAN

J. Harold Ryan

Francis H. Sisson

Yale 1908

Knox 1892

V /P 1917-1920

G /P G /S G /T V /P

SISSON

534

1912-1918 1899-1907 1898-1899 1918-1919

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

G. Herbert Smith

Charles L. Thornburg

De Pauw 1927

Vanderbilt 1881

G /P 1946-1951 G /S 1935-1946

B /D 1893 G /T 1892-1898

THORNBURG Gordon S. Smyth

Peter E. Van de W ater

Pennsylvania 1918

St. Lawrence 1958

Editor V /P 1929-1932

G /P 1981-1984

VAN de WATER

SMYTH Hugh E. Stephenson, Jr.

Charles Duy Walker

Missouri 1943

V. M. 1 .1869

G /P 1978-1981

first G /S 1872-1873 started magazine

STEPHENSON

WALKER

Edward Bruce Stevens

Eugene Wambaugh

Miami 1843

Ohio Wesleyan 1875

H ardinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s roommate

STEVENS

B /D 1889,1892 G /S 1881-1884

WAMBAUGH

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Behold the Mystic Symbol John Hogarth Lozier, De Pauw 1857

Thus heart to heart and hand to hand, Each other’s joy and grief to share Behold how Beta brothers stand, And read our mystic symbol there. Haste thee, oh T heta’s golden age Of cultured thought and lettered brain, Hail bloodless conqueror and sage, Monarch of mind, forever reign. Behold, at last the symbol mete That binds our hearts with mystic tie, Thus Wooglin’s legend stands complete, Beta to Theta linked with Pi. 536

SECTION 33 CONCLUSION Trying to summarize 150 years of Beta history is nearly impossible - this book is far too short, even if it were three times bigger. Moreover, a satisfying summary of the ideals of the fraternity could only be made in Greek. But somehow we must manage to end our discussion without ending the story... The Beta arms was the inspiration for the title of this book. It could be a good focus on which to conclude the study of our first 150 years. But perhaps some readers are wondering, why does Beta have a coat of arms? Is it strictly a decorative em ­ blem? Maybe that’s all it is for some fraternities, or even for many of the families of European countries to whom they are formally granted. But many of them are missing the point which (I hope) Beta has not missed. The clue is contained in Rogers’ song, “Marching Along”: Strong in the might of our bond fraternal, Friend of the right and the foe of the wrong! Friend of the right, foe of the wrong. Beta has declared herself to be in favor of some things, and opposed to others - then Beta must then be a military order, a fighting order. Not that Beta is belligerent - but from the moment when Knox and Marshall cooperated in selecting the Three Great Principles, Beta was committed to work against the forces of evil and darkness: particularly apathy, ignorance and selfish­ ness. This is worth careful consideration. Beta is an army - it is disciplined, it has its various orderly divisions, it bears weapons and armor. To be disciplined means to follow an orderly plan, as does a student - Pater Knox would have told you that discipulus means student in Latin. Both internally and externally, individually and corporately, Beta strives to follow an orderly plan. Chapters and conventions follow the Code; brothers from new initiate to alumnus, from roommates to rooms-full, all abide by the solemn obligations of the Ritual. Towards what is Beta’s battle plan ordered? To friendship, to intellectual en­ deavour, to courtesy and urbanity towards everyone. Beta studentship has academ­ ics as an objective, but Betas are urged to a wider field of study which isn’t only found in the classroom. Beta has subdivisions which are ordered into a mutually cooperating entity. Bound together by mystic ties, instructed in subjects which unify and which en­ lighten, Betas continuously maintain these bonds. Alumni and undergraduates, chapter to chapter, each finds the other ready to assist in the discipline symbolized by the Three Stars. In the days when knights wore armor, the shield portion of the coat of arms appears (as you might expect) on the shield. The crest appeared on the helmet, so that one could tell who was inside. Other parts of the armor were also marked, with at least the primary colors of the shield. The horses, servants, and page boys would be decorated with the colors or important elements of the shield, though, of course, only the one to whom the arms had been granted could bear them - not even his son could use the exact same arms.

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Now, Beta bears real weapons, not merely a symbolic coat of arms. However, these weapons are not physical, and so they cannot be marked with the silver and red or the starry chevron of the Beta arms. Instead, Beta inverts the technique: our arms bears a representation of our weapons. The red and white shield suggests a shield of virtues: wisdom and patriotism, neither sullen nor pedantic, but joyful and active. The chevron recalls the sword of truth, as well as the fortress home where our weaponry is kept sharp and shining. The blue sky is the rafters above Beta’s Broad Domain, and there we can always see the Three Stars shining. These three are our main weapons —secret weapons, but nonetheless in constant public use. Perhaps an observer could not identify them, but their potency cannot be questioned. Some readers might not think there is a war going on. Maybe they’re on the other side - ignorance and apathy grow quickly when the mind and heart are inactive. Do not give in to the dark and dismal thoughts! Stay active in the great war to which Beta brings forth wonderful weapons of great power and delight.

NOT the end. Note: this was written before I had encountered a most interesting speech by Pater Knox. He addressed the graduates of the Miami Union Literary Society at Commencement on August 9,1843, just a day after Beta’s fourth birthday. There is no record of his visit to Alpha chapter on this occasion, though E. B. Stevens, Miami 1843, was surely in the audience as a graduate and a member of the Miami Union. While it is quite long, I will only quote the “Valedictory”, the Farewell speech he made on that occasion. It certainly would appear that Pater Knox had a somewhat similar idea, even though he was speaking with regard to the Miami Union Society. I do not know how many of the Miami Union students at that time were Betas. There were certainly a few - but I almost wonder. Perhaps Knox got carried away, or perhaps the ties of friendship in Miami Union were as strong for him as those of Beta... But enough comments. Here are Pater Knox’s farewell words:

Valedictory Fellow Graduates: In selecting for your O rator on this occasion one whose years have not outnum ­ bered those of some of your own band, in preference to many elder and worthier sons of your society, the choice does indeed appear flattering. The selection however may not appear so strange when we revert to the object which you had in view. Had you desired to listen to the teachings of the mighty Sage Experience, you would have chosen one whose steps had for many years been familiar with the crooked ways of men, and whose eyes by long watchings had become acquainted with the unceasing changes of “That restless thing - the human heart.” Had you longed to hear of the disappointments, the deceit and treachery, the cold­ ness and cruelty of the world into which you are going, you would have selected one whose youthful hopes had been blasted by disappointment, whose young aspirations

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had been chilled by age and misfortune, and who had learned many a bitter lesson of scorn from the world that had trampled on a heart too nicely strung to endure its “cold humanities.” But, Gentlemen, you wanted not such lessons, richly fraught though this maybe with all the treasures of the human intellect. All you desired as you entered upon the active scenes of the world was for some one to meet you on its threshold and welcome you to a participation in the varied yet all-manly toils of a life of action, and to assist in buckling on the armor wherewith you are to do your devoir [duty] as good knights and faithful gentlemen. When you left the homes of your youth and the companions of your boyhood to come up to this seat of learning, you had high objects and lofty purposes in view. You came prepared to listen to words of advice from the lips of teachers whose minds by long study, and unwearied toils in the great fields of intellectual labors had been deeply imbued with the wisdom of the ancient sages. You came for the purpose of winning treasures from the great store houses of the past, and enriching your­ selves from the wealth accumulated by former laborers in the mines of Knowledge. You came determined that the lore of the times gone by you would make your own, and you resolved that by constant exercise in the gymnasium of intellectual strife you would train your minds to encounter all the difficulties that might be in store to try your prowess. These were your resolutions, and the testimony of your teachers and the appro­ bation of your comrades which they are so proud to exhibit on this occasion show how well you have kept your vows. These objects attained, you are now about to leave these well-remembered scenes, the paths in which you have wandered, the fine old Hall in which you have so often met for the “friendly debate,” and the rooms in which you have earnestly and deeply studied and where, when your toils were done, you have indulged in those bright dreams of the future which it is the sweet privilege of youth alone to frame - all these you are about leaving to go hence, to meet under the same circumstances no more. Well may you look round upon all these familiar spots which have witnessed perhaps so many of your happiest hours, and sigh as you say “farewell” - for with these will be your home no longer. Now may you grasp each other’s hands and look sadly upon your classmates faces when you bid them all “farewell and God speed you” - for as constant com­ panions, partaking the same pleasures and sharing the same toils you will never again meet. These things, however, must be. These places and these friends must be abandoned for new scenes and untried associates. You have long been lingering over the sepulcher of the dead - for books are but the memorials of thought that once lived, acted, and is no more; you are now to leave their voiceless conversation, turn contemplation into action, and come forth to the world of busy, living men, for here henceforward is to be your abode, and I have come up to meet you and bid you “welcome home.” In the name of that great world where you must play your part in the name of the American People among whom you are to act, and whose destiny you, each of you in your degree, will influence - in the name of the friends whom you have yet to know, and the multitudes who will be your companions in your pilgrim­

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age I bid you “Welcome Hom e.” In the name of this assembly who have come up to hail your arrival among them - in the name of your fathers and your mothers, and the numerous friends who have hitherto watched over your career and rejoiced in your prosperity, and who have formed bright anticipation of your future usefulness - I bid you “W ELCOM E H O M E.” Welcome to the bustle of the world - welcome to the excitement of a life of action - welcome to the hopes which an honest ambition may cherish - welcome to the rewards and favors which a generous people bestow upon a faithful servant - welcome to the conflict of mind with mind, the splintering of the spears of intellect, “the earthquake shout of victory, the rapture of the strife” - welcome to the pleasures that arises from a consciousness of doing good to your fellows - welcome to the labor and repose, the turbulent joys and the quiet pleas­ ures, the fierce contest and the warm embrace, welcome even to the disappoint­ ments, the fears and vexations that await you among men and that will ever and anon through life, breathe upon you with the withering breath of the simoon, for even these may be wrested to your good, and finally when old age finds you engaged in the cause of virtue, welcome to the content and quiet that follows a life of usefulness. Welcome to all these, for these are to be your portion in the world into which you are going. May you enjoy its smiles without its frowns, its pleasures without its alloys of bitterness. You enter upon the world at a busy period of its eventful history. He who looks calmly upon its heaving billows will see that everything is rife with change. In the oldest governments of the world there appears to be a spirit moving in the mass that defies even Despotism’s armor of war. The great deep of ancient prejudices and long-established customs seems to be in agitation. The waves of Revolution appear about to roll over some of the oldest dominions of the globe. The next half-century will without doubt witness greater changes in the civil government and moral con­ dition of our race than ages before us have witnessed. In our own country there is also an unquiet spirit abroad. It shows itself in a thousand forms - in the various political and religious and anti-religious quackeries of the age - and in the legion of new “isms” constantly springing up, full armed and perfect, in our midst. This spirit may sometimes be an angel of light, but in such a government as ours, it is far more apt to be an agent of evil. While this is the prevalent feeling of the day, Gentlemen, it is with this that you have to grapple. When its objects are good, it will be your duty to follow its direction, and go with it in its advance. When it is striking at the foundation of law and order, it will be your high prerogative to stand before i t , and like a true knight, to lead the war in opposition to its assaults, even though you should be crushed under the wheels of its car of Juggernaut - for if you fall it will be the enviable fall of the martyr, and in the end your cause must triumph, for “Truth crushed to earth will rise again.” Before entering upon the career of Knighthood, the Neophyte was required to practice for years with the armor that he was to battle with during life, and when his probation was accomplished the armor that he had learned to use was buckled on him in presence of Reverend men and fair ladies. This, Gentlemen, is such a scene - this has been your probation. As members of the Miami Union Literary Society 540

THE FAITHFUL HOME OF THE THREE STARS

you have been acquiring the knowledge of arms that you must wield hereafter in the great battle field of life. Our beloved Society has commissioned me to present to each of you this token of her esteem. This is not a part of your armor; that you have already won, piece by piece, you have proved it and you have braced it on, till the whole panoply is at length complete. This, that she now gives you, is but the plume for the helmet; it merely shows your place in the field, and points out your person in the battle. W ithout the armor that should accompany it, the feather is worse than useless, “The plume exposes, It is the helmet saves.” Your honor is bound to preserve it spotless and unstained. Keep then your armor bright and polished by constant service, and the plume that your Society has this day bestowed upon you will then be tossed gaily in the breeze on many a field where Fame waits to bestow upon the conqueror the victor’s laurel wreath. With this charge she now takes leave of you. Go on then, Brothers, in the career which you have so gloriously begun. One goal, one prize is won - but a more crowded field and a brighter prize awaits your future efforts. The Great Race Course of life is before you: Cleared is the track, and bright the sun, To win, to seize, ye’ve but to run, For N ature’s God his part has done, To do the rest is yours.

* * *

T H E END * * *

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The John Reily Knox Library in the Administrative Office Oxford, Ohio 542

SECTION 34 REFERENCES (and suggestions for further reading)

General topics Brubacher, John S. A History o f the Problems o f Education 2nd Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1966 Brubacher, John S., and Rudy, Willis. Higher Education in Transition 3rd Edition. H arper & Row, New York, 1976 Chesterton, Gilbert Keith. The Collected Poems o f G. K. Chesterton Dodd, Mead, & Co., New York, 1932 Poem, “For Four Guilds: II. The Bridge Builders” used by permission of Xanadu Press, Ltd., London, England Chesterton, Gilbert Keith. Orthodoxy Doubleday & Co., Inc., Garden City, New York Copyright 1936 by Dodd, Mead & Co. Deightan, Lee C., editor. Encyclopedia o f Education Macmillan & Co. New York, 1971 Dutton, Commander Benjamin. Navigation and Nautical Astronomy United States Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland, 1943 Fitch, George. A t Good Old Siwash Little, Brown & Co. Boston 1911 Fitch, George. Petey Simmons at Siwash Peter Smith, New York 1936 Copyright Little, Brown & Co. Boston 1916 Forcucci, Samuel L. A Folk Song History o f America Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1984 Fox-Davies, Arthur C. A Complete Guide to Heraldry Dodge Publishing Co., New York, 1909 reprinted by Bonanza Books, New York, 1978 Geiger, Louis G. Higher Education in a Maturing Democracy University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1963 543

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Hurlbut, Cornelius S., Jr. Dana’s Manual o f Mineralogy 18th Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1971 Kaegi, Adolf., tr. by Jam es Kleist. A Short Grammar o f Classical Greek B. H erder Book Co., St. Louis, Missouri, 1936 Menzel, Donald H. A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1964 Musgrave, Wayne M. College Fraternities The Interfraternity Conference, New York, 1923 Newbecker, Ottfried. A Guide to Heraldry McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1979 Newman, John Henry Cardinal. The Idea o f a University Doubleday & Co., Inc., Garden City, New York, 1959 Newman, John Henry, Cardinal. University Sketches Alba House, Staten Island, New York Paulsen, Friedrich. The German Universities and University Study tr. by Frank Thilly and William W. Elwang Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1906 Robson, John, editor. Baird’s Manual o f American College Fraternities 19th Edition. Baird’s Manual Foundation, Menasha, Wisconsin, 1977 Schmidt, Alvin J. Fraternal Organizations Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut, 1980 Silber, Irwin, compiler and editor. Songs o f the Civil War Columbia University Press, New York, 1960 Spaeth, Sigmund. Barber Shop Ballads Prentice-Hall, Inc. New York, 1940 Todd, Lewis Paul, and Curti, Merle. America’s History Harcourt, Brace and Co., New York, 1950 Whalen, William J. Christianity and American Freemasonry Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Huntington IN 1987 Copyright 1958 by Bruce Publishing Co.

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Miami University History Bartlow, B.S., Editor. A lum ni Catalogue o f Miami University Miami University, Oxford Ohio, 1909 Havighurst, W alter E. The Miami Years 1809-1984 G. P. Putnam ’s Sons, New York, 1984 Upham, Alfred H. Old Miami The Miami University Alumni Association, Oxford, Ohio copyright 1909 by Alfred H. Upham Davis, Virgil. The Literary Societies o f Old Miami M asters’ Thesis, 1950

Ancient Documents in the Special Collection of King Library, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio Minutes of the Erodelphian Literary Society Minutes of the Union Literary Society Minutes of the Miami Union Literary Society Minutes of the Miami Alumni Association Faculty Minutes Memoirs of Alumni, Volume I Joseph Brady’s Student Journal: A Journal Kept at Miami University

Publications of Beta Theta Pi Baird, William R. 1918 Beta Letters 1914 Betas o f Achievement 1918 A Decade o f Fraternity Reconstruction 1916 Forty Years o f Fraternity Legislation 1907 The Handbook o f Bela Theta Pi Brooks, Dr. Seth R. 1967 In Beta’s Broad Domain 1987 Inter Fratres 545

i nn. r /\i i n r u L h u m c u r iM t l H K t t s i a k s

Fawcett, K. W. 1961 Marching Along Fischer, Karl. 1940 The Mystics and Beta Theta Pi Hanna, J. C., and Chandler, G. M. 1939 The History o f Beta Theta Pi Priest, A. J. G. 1956 The Great Ones Shepardson, Francis W. 1936 Beta Bards 1935 The Beta Book (3rd edition) 1929 Beta Life 1928 Beta Lore Whitten, John C. Digest o f Convention Minutes: Eighty-first through One Hundredth Conventions

Other Beta Books Son o f the Stars Several editions, by various editors Songs o f Beta Theta Pi Editions 1 through 25, by various editors The Beta Theta Pi nearly every volume from 1872 to the present

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Acknowledgements I wish to thank the following people who assisted me in various ways: First, the people of the Administrative Office at Oxford: Administrative Secretaries John Schaller and Tom Beyer, Andy Prentice and the other assistants, Historian Bob Howard, Archivist Hi Stephenson, Mickey and H erb Preston, Carolyn, Sue, Cindy and the other ladies. Mike Kearney, who helped with the master outline. Mrs. Helen Ball and Mrs. Frances McClure, of the Special Collections at King Library at Miami, who showed me their ancient documents. Jim Mercadante, who helped with the difficult and critical parts of the essence and the membership. Joe Lane, who helped with Greek and Latin, and provided insight into the classical academic world of 1839. Brent Mays, who loaned his printer for scanning purposes. My co-author, Stan Church, who wrote many helpful letters containing both encouragement and facts. General Secretary Hume Morris, who instigated the project, and spent much time editing and advising me. My brothers of the Lehigh Chapter, the Beta Chi of Beta Theta Pi, who provided their library, their references, and entertainment; several brothers and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Centennial Seniorsâ&#x20AC;? pledges proof-read much of the book. Ray Medina and Don Schildt, co-owners of I2MS, who gave permission to use their desktop publishing system, and helped in other ways; and also Charles Blouch at I2MS, who helped with the graphics and other parts of the book. My brothers and sisters, particularly Rita and Catherine, and Patrick who made the frontispiece. And especially my parents, who were the first to teach me about wealth in books.

Peter J. Floriani

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For Four Guilds: II. The Bridge-Builders G. K. Chesterton In the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s whitest morning As hoary with hope, The Builder of Bridges Was priest and was pope: And the mitre of mystery And the canopy his, Who darkened the chasms And doomed the abyss.

But he bade us, who fashion The road that can fly, That we build not too heavy And build not too high; Seeing always that under The dark archâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bend Shine death and white daylight Unchanged to the end.

To eastward and westward Spread wings at his word The arch with the key-stone That stoops like a bird; That rides the wild air And the daylight cast under; The highway of danger, The gateway of wonder.

Who walk on his mercy Walk light, as he saith, Seeing that our life Is a bridge above death; And the world and its gardens And hills, as ye heard, Are born above space On the wings of a bird.

Of his throne were the thunders That rivet and fix Wild weddings of strangers, That meet and not mix; The town and the cornland; The bride and the groom; In the breaking of bridges Is treason and doom.

Not high and not heavy Is building of his, When ye seal up the flood And forget the abyss, When your towers are uplifted, Your banners unfurled, In the breaking of bridges Is the end of the world.

Poem used by permission of Xanadu Publications Ltd. London, England 548