Category Archives: Men’s Fraternities

Cheers and Tears in Bloomington for the World’s Greatest College Weekend

Bloomington, Indiana, is a college town, with a large, old state university. Herman B Wells, a Sigma Nu, was the 11th President of Indiana University leading the University from 1938-62. David Starr Jordan, Delta Upsilon, served as IU’s President from 1885, … Continue reading

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Alpha Kappa Lambda and Its Connection to Trader Joe’s

Yesterday was Alpha Kappa Lambda’s 101st anniversary. It was founded at the University of California, Berkeley on April 22, 1914. It was the first fraternity to be founded west of the Rockies (there were chapters of other fraternities on California campuses including … Continue reading

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A Red Carnation on Theta Chi’s Founding Day

One does not often think of military colleges and fraternities. They seem mutually exclusive. I always find it interesting that several fraternities were founded at military colleges. On April 10, 1856, Theta Chi was founded at Norwich University, in Norwich, Vermont. … Continue reading

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2:15 p.m., April 9, 2015 – Bells Across the Land

On April 9, 1865, at 2:08 p.m. General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant met at the Appomattox Court House. The two agreed to end the hostilities which had gripped the nation for four years. Today, 150 years … Continue reading

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A ΦΓΔ and an AΦ Meet at Syracuse – Ruth and Norman Vincent Peale

From the “Did I know about this?” file. One of the readers of this blog sent me an e-mail: I was watching Turner Class Movies last night and stumbled onto “One Man’s Way”, a biopic about Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. … Continue reading

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Who Was Thomas Arkle Clark, Dean of Men?

I just spent two days of research in my very favorite place to research, the Student Life and Culture Archives at the University of Illinois. I was on a specific quest, so I didn’t have time to just open books … Continue reading

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From the “Where Do We Go To Get Our Character Back?” File

Yesterday I read John Shertzer’s  Fraternal Thoughts blog post titled It’s Not Working. http://fraternalthoughts.blogspot.com/2015/03/its-not-working.html#.VRBJccLdhYo.twitter  I have felt the same way at times, more so very recently.   Yesterday, the Charlottesville, Virginia, Police Department issued a statement stating that the allegations … Continue reading

Posted in Fran Favorite, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Kappa Tau, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, University of Virginia | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on From the “Where Do We Go To Get Our Character Back?” File

Pi Lambda Phi’s Connection to Broadway and More

Today is Pi Lambda Phi’s Founders’ Day. Pi Lambda Phi was founded in 1895 at Yale University by a group of men who were denied membership in the other Yale fraternities because of their religious and racial backgrounds. Frederick Manfred Werner, Louis Samter … Continue reading

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Delta Phi Epsilon and Phi Kappa Tau on St. Patrick’s Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! March 17 is the birthday of two Greek-letter organizations founded 11 years apart. Phi Kappa Tau was founded in 1906 as a non-fraternity; Delta Phi Epsilon was founded in 1917 by young women studying law. On March 17, … Continue reading

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“He Wanted the Moon” – Mimi Baird Discovers a Father She Never Really Knew

I subscribe to News from the Notch, an on-line newsletter from the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation. A recent edition offered this congratulatory message, “Coolidge Foundation Trustee Emerita Mimi Baird has just released her book He Wanted the Moon about her father. … Continue reading

Posted in Alpha Tau Omega, Fran Favorite, Pi Beta Phi, Southern Methodist University, University of Texas, University of Vermont | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on “He Wanted the Moon” – Mimi Baird Discovers a Father She Never Really Knew