I chuckle when people say they want to return to the “good old days.” As one who looks at old newspapers on a regular basis, it’s evident that bad things happened in the “good old days.” One of these events took place in 1928, another in the spring of 1952, the third happened in the fall of 1952, and the most recent one in 2015. The only noticeable difference is in what was stolen.
A burglary occurred Saturday, Aug. 22 at a residence (fraternity house)…Officers responded Monday, Aug.24 after receiving a call that a backpack that contained over $1,500 worth of electronic devices was stolen.
“Three Houses Report Thefts” was the headline in a student newspaper. The subhead was “Two Fraternities, One Sorority Looted By Robbers Over Week End.” The article which appeared in the Daily Illini on November 23, 1926, continued:
Two fraternity houses and one sorority house were robbed during the week-end activities following the Ohio game last Saturday afternoon. As yet no trace of the thieves has been found….In the Phi Kappa Psi House two gold watches and a silk scarf were taken by the thieves early Sunday morning. The loot stolen from the Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity house consisted of three wrist watches, two gold watches, and 20 dollars in cash. It was thought that the thieves entered this house some time between the hours of 4 and 6 o’clock. A raccoon skin coat which belonged to Albert Mohr, a graduate of the University, was reported stolen from the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority house Saturday night. Along with the coat, two silk scarfs were taken. This is the third series of thefts reported this year.
Another headline, this one from October 28, 1952, tells of another burglary on the University of Illinois campus, “3 Fraternities Burglarized of $880 Cash, Valuables Early Monday.” The article continued:
A warning to fraternities to keep your doors locked and a man on watch at all times was issued by George H. Bargh, dean of fraternity men, at Monday s Interfraternity Council meeting….The warning was issued, on the heels of disclosure that three fraternities had been burglarized of at least $350 in cash and an estimated $530 in valuables before dawn Monday….A fourth fraternity, Alpha Chi Rho, 311 E . Armory Ave., was burglarized of approximately $35 in cash Wednesday or Thursday…The house hit Monday and their losses were Phi Kappa Tau, 310 Gregory Dr., $237 in bills and six watches valued at $450; Psi Upsilon, 313 E. Armory Ave., $70 in cash and three watches valued at $60; and Phi Kappa Psi, 911 S. 4th St., $46 in cash. Dick Edwards, Phi Kappa Tau president, said the thief must have entered his house between 2 and 4 a.m . He speculated that entrance was gained through a French door, and that the thief left through , the main door. Representatives at Psi Upsilon placed the time of the burglary at their house at between 3 and 5:30 a.m. Psi Upsilon was burglarized, of $150 and three watches last May.
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From the twitter and facebook feeds….
Simpson College SAE@IowaSigma
Check out this spotlight on brother @CortDaddyFresh and the great work he does for our community. #TrueGentleman
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Thank you ASU Fraternity & Sorority Life staff for coming out to volunteer with Phoenix Panhellenic Association and support critical funding for scholarships for Arizona sorority women! Phoenix Panhellenic has raised of $750,000, since 1975, volunteering for The Thunderbirds at Waste Management Phoenix Open. #phxpan # #shine #npcwomen#greenestshow #wmpo
The Phoenix Alumnae Panhellenic with the Arizona State University Fraternity and Sorority Life staff working the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
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Amanda Rosner, a Delta Zeta at Northwestern University, will appear today on Jeopardy’s College Championship. Gus Woythaler, who will appear tomorrow, February 4, is a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi at Stanford University.
Alex Trebek and Amanda Rosner on Jeopardy’s College Championship.
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2016. All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed this post, please sign up for updates. Also follow me on twitter @GLOHistory and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/glohistory/
