Kudos, Condolences, and a New View of the Moon Walk

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

I spent the past few days with Pi Phis at our first College Weekend. It’s an off convention year. A Leadership Academy for chapter officers took place in February and an Alumnae Leadership Summit was held last month. The College Weekend was an opportunity for young leaders to be immersed in one of four “college” learning tracks, each devoted to a topic – finances, recruitment, risk management and new member development. Shawn Eagleburger, a member of FarmHouse, serves as Pi Phi’s Member Services and Programming Director. He and his staff did a marvelous job!

Among the things I learned is the fact the some of today’s college women aren’t well versed in history. One young woman looked puzzled when I mentioned Carrie Chapman Catt; I flat out asked with a smile, “You don’t have a clue who Carrie Chapman Catt is, do you?” She sheepishly nodded and then she heard the short version of Catt’s life, whether she wanted to or not.

Later, I was talking to one of the headquarters employees, a Sigma Delta Tau, I mentioned Dr. Joyce Brothers, another Sigma Delta Tau. Again, I saw that quizzical look. A woman who parlayed an appearance on a 1950s quiz show into a life-long career and fame is one smart cookie. It’s a story every Sigma Delta Tau should be proud to tell. 

***

Congratulations are also in order for three of my fellow GLO historians/archivists. Each was honored at their respective conventions this summer. Bob McCully, Sigma Nu, was named to the Sigma Nu Hall of Honor. Mike McCoy, Phi Kappa Psi, was given its highest award, the Medal of Honor. Zeta Tau Alpha Patti Cords Levitte left convention with a piece of jewelry she did not have when she arrived, an honor ring. 

I know all too well the work involved in making an organization’s history come alive to its members. I applaud your efforts and I am grateful that we are kindred spirits trying to get today’s members of our respective organizations to understand that it was a different time and place when our organizations were founded. A hearty round of applause for my GLO friends, please.

***

I offer my sincere condolences to the women of Zeta Tau Alpha on the loss of their beloved Executive Director Deb Ensor. The outpouring of love from the other Greek groups was evident on Friday’s twitter feed (#DebStrong).

***

This weekend also marks the 45th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon. I didn’t know that his Phi Delta Theta badge made the journey with him, too. Armstrong was an initiate of the Purdue University chapter. Here’s a link to a wonderful article about Armstrong’s Phi Delta Theta connection http://bit.ly/1nZJUDv.

moon

© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. 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/

 

Posted in Carrie Chapman Catt, Fran Favorite, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Psi, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Delta Tau, Sigma Nu, Women's Fraternity History, Zeta Tau Alpha | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Kudos, Condolences, and a New View of the Moon Walk

A Plaque, a Monument, and an Historic Meeting

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

A small article in the Southern Illinoisan newspaper prompted me to write a post for the Pi Phi blog. It was about a national historic designation being given to the site of a 1956 crash of two planes over the Grand Canyon. There were four Pi Phis killed in that crash. They were on the way home from the 1956 Pasadena convention. Not many Pi Phis know the story, so it seemed like a good time to tell it. That accident lead to the creation of the Federal Aviation Administration.

One of the comments to that post (on the Pi Phi Facebook page) touched my heart, “My mother, a Montana Alpha, was proud to be able to attend this meeting. She was supposed to be on one of the flights but at the last moment she decided to fly north to visit her cousins that she had not seen in years. My father, at home with my three elder siblings, was initially panicked because he heard about the crash before Mom was able to connect with him to let him know her change of plans. Years later, thinking and talking about this would bring tears to Mom’s eyes. We were blessed that tragic day. Mom would have been pleased by this memorial to her Pi Phi friends.”

You can read the post at: http://bit.ly/Wck84s.

PiPhiFlowersblog

***

Congratulations to Phi Beta Sigma as it celebrates its Centennial at a convention in Washington, D.C. A monument at Howard University, where the fraternity was founded, will be unveiled tomorrow, it is dedicated to the fraternity’s  three founders.

Today’s events include a Sigma-Zeta Reaffirmation Ceremony. Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta are the only constitutionally bound Greek-letter brother and sister organization. Zeta Phi Beta is also convening in Washington, D.C. at its 2014 Grand Boule’.

***

One of the first attempts at inter-fraternalism between the Greek-letter organizations took place July 19 and 20, 1893 in Chicago.

1893 - 10002

1893 - 2

You can read more at:  http://wp.me/p20I1i-WY.

© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. 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/

 

 

Posted in Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, Fran Favorite, Fraternity History, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, Phi Beta Sigma, Pi Beta Phi, Zeta Phi Beta | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on A Plaque, a Monument, and an Historic Meeting

The ABCs of NPC History

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

A – Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Theta Phi Alpha was founded.

Theta Phi Alpha Founders

Theta Phi Alpha Founders

B – Boston University, where Delta Delta Delta was founded.

(Sarah) Ida Shaw Martin, Delta Delta Delta Founder

(Sarah) Ida Shaw Martin, Delta Delta Delta Founder

C – Colby College, where Sigma Kappa was founded.

Sigma Kappa Founders

Sigma Kappa Founders

D – DePauw University, where Kappa Alpha Theta and Alpha Chi Omega were founded.

kat sign

E – Edgewater Beach Hotel, site of the 1917 National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) meeting.

EBMap_Big

F – Farmville Four – Kappa Delta, Zeta Tau Alpha, Sigma Sigma Sigma, and Alpha Sigma Alpha – were all founded at Longwood College (now Longwood University) in Farmville, Virginia.

Gift of the Farmville Four to Longwood University. Each side of the clock has the letters of one of the four NPC groups founded there.

Gift of the Farmville Four to Longwood University. Each side of the clock has the letters of one of the four NPC groups founded there.

 

G – Gamma Phi Beta’s flower is the pink carnation.

pink carnation

H – Hera Day is celebrated each March 1 by Alpha Chi Omega members.

AXO

I – Ithaca, New York, home to Cornell University, where Sigma Delta Tau was founded.

Sigma Delta Tau Founders and Ritualist

Sigma Delta Tau Founders and Ritualist

J – Jobelle Holcombe, Chi Omega Founder, served as Chairman of the 1907 NPC meeting.

cropped6thNPC

K – Knox College, where now resides the cornerstone of the home Alpha Xi Delta’s Alpha chapter occupied until Lombard College closed.

The cornerstone from the Alpha Xi Delta chapter house at Lombard College is next to this tower from Lombard College. They are located on the Knox College campus. Lombard did not merge with Knox, although many Lombard students finished their degrees at Knox and Knox welcomed the Lombard alumni as their own.

The cornerstone from the Alpha Xi Delta chapter house at Lombard College is next to this tower from Lombard College. They are located on the Knox College campus. Lombard did not merge with Knox, although many Lombard students finished their degrees at Knox and Knox welcomed the Lombard alumni as their own.

L – L. Pearle Green, Kappa Alpha Theta, served as Chairman of NPC in 1909 and 1949.

L. Pearle Green, Kappa Alpha Theta

L. Pearle Green, Kappa Alpha Theta

M – Monmouth College, where the Monmouth Duo – Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma – were founded. 

Vintage Monmouth College logo

Vintage Monmouth College logo

N – New York City, where Delta Phi Epsilon, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Omicron Pi and Phi Sigma Sigma were founded. Three institutions were involved – Barnard, Hunter, and NYU School of Law.

images

O – Oxford, Mississippi, where Delta Gamma was founded and Oxford, Ohio, where Delta Zeta was founded.

images

P – Panhellenic House, the hotel in New York City which was built for NPC women by NPC women. The building, today known as Silver Suites Residences at Beekman Tower and previously known as the Beekman Tower Hotel, still stands.

beekman 1931 new yorker

Q – Quill of Alpha Xi Delta is the name of the organization’s magazine.

images

R – R. Louise Fitch, Delta Delta Delta, was first Chairman of the NPC Editors’ group.

R. Louise Fitch

R. Louise Fitch

S – Syracuse Triad is comprised of Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, and Alpha Gamma Delta, the three NPC organizations founded at Syracuse University.

The Hall of Languages, Syracuse University, 2010

The Hall of Languages, Syracuse University, 2010

T – Theta Phi Alpha’s flower is the white rose.

rose

U – University of Arkansas is the campus at which Chi Omega was founded.

The Chi Omega Amphitheater at the University of Arkansas

The Chi Omega Greek Theater at the University of Arkansas

V – Violets, albeit different varieties, are the flower of four NPC groups – Alpha Delta Pi, Sigma Kappa, Sigma Sigma Sigma, and Zeta Tau Alpha.

Violets from my yard.

Violets from my yard.

W – Wesleyan College, Macon, Georgia, is the founding site of the “Macon Magnolias,” Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu.

Alpha Delta Pi Fountain at Wesleyan College

Alpha Delta Pi Fountain at Wesleyan College

X – Xi appears in only one NPC group’s name, Alpha Xi Delta.

azd

Y – Ypsilanti, Michigan, is home of Eastern Michigan University, where Alpha Sigma Tau was founded.

AST badge

Z – Zeta Tau Alpha’s colors are turquoise blue and steel gray.

ZTA2

© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. 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/

Posted in Fran Favorite, GLO, Greek-letter Organization, National Panhellenic Conference, Sorority History | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The ABCs of NPC History

“Official Organ of” Meaning GLO Journals and Magazines

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

When I was at the Fraternity and Sorority Archives conference last month, a few of us had a discussion about the “official organs” of our organizations. The first issues of many of the fraternity and sorority magazines state “official organ of” in a prominent position. Was it due to mailing regulations or was it just accepted practice back then, from the late 1800s until the early 1900s?

And why the word “organ”? Some felt it was an odd word, even if it was a correct usage. According to the Merriam Webster Learner’s Dictionary, an organ is  a “newspaper, magazine, etc., that is published by a particular group and that gives the news and opinions of that group.”

A Kappa Kappa Gamma friend sent me this message which I think explains the use of the word, “When I studied journalism in college, ‘organs’ were clearly distinguished from other publications because they were naturally biased in favor of the publisher.  The term ‘organ’ was used for a distinct category of publication.”

The first fraternity magazine made its debut on December 15, 1872. It was published by Beta Theta Pi.  The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta has been published continuously since 1875, making it the second oldest fraternity magazine.

beta mag

In the Alpha Sigma Phi listing in the 20th edition of Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities (1991), it is noted “The Tomahawk is the Fraternity’s quarterly national magazine and it is the oldest fraternity publication still in existence today since its founding in 1847.”  The publication which debuted in 1845 was The Yale Tomahawk, the forerunner of Alpha Sigma Phi’s fraternity magazine. Alpha Sigma Phi was founded in 1845 at Yale. The Tomahawk was the chapter newsletter, published in part, to fuel a rivalry with Kappa Sigma Theta’s The Yale Banger.  In 1852, The Tomahawk editors were expelled after violating faculty orders to cease publication. Volume 6 of The Tomahawk was published in 1909-10 and publication began anew.  

chi phi

The Key of Kappa Kappa Gamma was the first women’s fraternity magazine published. Its existence was authorized by Kappa’s 1881 convention. The first issue appeared in May 1882 and was titled The Golden Key. The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Alpha Theta both debuted in 1885. Perhaps the creation of these two magazines came in response to the publication produced by the Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter. The Pi Beta Phi and the Kappa Alpha Theta women on the University of Kansas campus likely heard of or saw The Golden Key. The magazines of the other NPC organization quickly came into existence. In fact, Delta Gamma’s magazine, The Anchora,  was the second NPC magazine to be published but it wasn’t created at the University of Kansas.

kappa lucy allen smart

The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi began publishing in 1885. The first issue states “the official organ of Pi Beta Phi.” Pi Beta Phi was the motto of I.C. Sorosis, a women’s fraternity founded at Monmouth College in 1867. Some chapters began using the Greek letters prior to the official change of name which took place at the 1888 convention. The chapter at Kansas University, the first women’s fraternity on that campus, published the first issue of the Arrow and it was also one of the first chapters to use the Greek letters of the motto. By 1888, when the chapter at the University of Iowa took over the responsibility of publishing the magazine, the words “organ of” were gone. In the 1910s, the words “a publication of” were included on the masthead.

photo (37)

© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. 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/

Posted in Beta Theta Pi, Chi Psi, Delta Gamma, Fran Favorite, Fraternity History, Fraternity Magazines, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Delta Theta, Pi Beta Phi | Tagged , , | Comments Off on “Official Organ of” Meaning GLO Journals and Magazines

#FF Friday Follows – the Twitter Feed

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

I favorite a goodly number of twitter posts because they have info or pictures of interest. Here are a few of my favorite tweets from the last few days.

***

The first is about a fellow Pi Phi, but I would have used it whether or not we shared the arrow badge. Barbie is a wonderful and engaging speaker, and is equally gifted when writing speeches for others. In this TEDx presentation, she tells how to write an effect speech. It is worth watching. In the past couple of weeks, I used one of Barbie’s poems in a post. If you are interested, the post is at http://wp.me/p20I1i-1G9.

 · Jul 7

Check out the TEDx presentation by Order of Omega Board Member Barbie Tootle.

Play

***

“The sun did not shine…” Apparently the cat in the hat stepped in when Theodor Geisel was in the room.  Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was a Sigma Phi Epsilon. There is a post about him, along with another of my favorite pictures of him, at http://wp.me/p20I1i-bh.

 · Jul 9

Great photo of SigEp brother ! “: “: Dr. Seuss ” ”

***

Phi Kappa Psi’s Grand Arch Council is meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. A special guest at the meeting is the great-grandson of Phi Psi Co-Founder William Henry Letterman.

 · 16h

Gordon Letterman great grandson of Co-Founder William Henry Letterman enlightening the History Committee.

***

I am including two tweets from Tri Delta. A wonderful gift to St. Jude’s was announced at Tri Delta’s recent convention. What an ambitious goal (which I absolutely positive will be reached) and a worthy cause. My hat is off to the Tri Deltas. Sarah Ida Shaw is smiling down on your good works.

 · Jul 4

Were ready! has committed to raising $60 million for St Jude in 10 years

And because I think the world of Eve Riley, former President of Tri Delta and NPC Chairman, I’m including this tweet.

 · Jul 5

Eve Riley is the winner of the diamond Life Loyal badge because sometimes life is entirely too accurate.

***

I wrote a post about this one (scroll day a few posts) but I could not pass up the opportunity to use this picture of the bobblehead!

 · Jul 4

Celebrating 75 years since Brother Gehrig’s farewell speech. Proud supporter of finding a cure for ALS.

***

There’s also a post about Louis Zamperini’s death, but I like this picture of him speaking to Kappa Sigmas, so I am including it.

 · Jul 3

We were privileged to call Louis Zamperini a Brother for 68 years. He will be missed.

***

Gamma Phi Beta is meeting in Seattle and her is a picture of an earlier Gamma Phi Beta convention in Seattle.

 · Jul 3

This photo was taken at a banquet during Convention 1906 in Seattle, Washington!

*** 
And one last picture. It’s from the Alpha Gamma Delta convention.
 · 1h

RT: 700 women in white, with the same values, celebrating each other. Magical!

© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. 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/
Posted in Alpha Gamma Delta, Delta Delta Delta, Fran Favorite, Gamma Phi Beta, Ida Shaw Martin, Kappa Sigma, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Psi, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Phi Epsilon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #FF Friday Follows – the Twitter Feed

The Carnation, Fleur-de-lis, and the End of Ladies’ Home Journal Monthly Magazine

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

Ladies’ Home Journal began in 1883. The July/August 2014 issue was the last monthly issue of the magazine and the last one that was sent to subscribers. For two years, the magazine was a quarterly, newsstand-only publication and it ceased publication in 2016.

When I was working on my dissertation, my adviser sent me on a wild goose chase. I spent hours and hours in SIUC’s Morris Library, flipping through bound issues of women’s magazines from the late 1800s. I no longer even remember why I was doing that, other than being a doctoral student meant going on a few wild goose chases.

Magazine page announcing, "After 131 incredible years, this is the last monthly issue of Ladies' Home Journal."

Magazine page announcing, “After 131 incredible years, this is the last monthly issue of Ladies’ Home Journal.”

Reading the announcement in the July/August 2014 issue reminded me of the time spent going through those old magazines. One of the discoveries I made has intrigued me for years.

As I was flipping through the March 1896 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal, I came upon a two-page spread. Both articles were by Nancy Mann Waddle. The one on the left-hand page was about carnations. The one on the right-hand side was about fleur-de-lis ( iris). My mind immediately thought “Monmouth Duo.” Both Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma were founded as women’s fraternities at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, in 1867 and 1870, respectively. Pi Phi’s flower is the wine carnation, Kappa’s flower is the fleur-de-lis.

Was Nancy Mann Waddle a Pi Phi or Kappa? I could find no record of her being a member of either organization. I am not sure she even attended college. Was there a fraternity woman involved in the placement of these two articles or was it just mere coincidence that they ended up in the same two-page spread? Unfortunately, I think it’s one of those questions to which we’ll never have an answer. It’s more a mystery left to the ages.

According to encyclopedia.com, Nancy Mann Waddle was born in 1866 in Chillicothe, Ohio. She later changed the spelling of Waddle to Waddel. On August 4, 1897, she married James Wilson Woodrow, a cousin of Woodrow Wilson. Some of the other names she used as by-lines were Jane Wade and Mrs. Wilson Woodrow. According to the website, she was a “Prolific contributor of short stories and articles to magazines such as McClure’s, Cosmopolitan, Life, Harper’s, American, and Good Housekeeping, wrote in a masculine voice, leading many editors to believe she was male using a female pseudonym; her style set her apart from sentimental female novelists and earnest feminists of the day; wrote 1 play and 13 novels, including The New Missioner (1907), The Silver Butterfly (1908), and The Black Pearl (1912); published series of satires of popular novels in Life (1905–06).”

LHJ flower carn

 

LHJ flower

© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. 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/

Posted in Fran Favorite, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Monmouth College, Pi Beta Phi | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Carnation, Fleur-de-lis, and the End of Ladies’ Home Journal Monthly Magazine

Ruing Recruitment Ruses – Those Specious Fraternity Claims

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

This poster entitled “The truth about Greek life” is disingenuous. I was reading some Fraternity Insider newsletters written by Wilson Heller in the 1970s and he was railing about the “all but 2 U.S. Presidents” stat touted on the poster below. Heller was calling the statistic inaccurate in the 1970s and he was correct then. The statistic hasn’t been valid since the 1960s, and, even then, Heller took offense because some of those Presidents were honorary members. More than 40 years later, that stat is still being touted as true, when it is patently false. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know it’s one of my pet peeves. (See http://wp.me/p20I1i-Vb and http://wp.me/p20I1i-11G)

Another untruth used on recruitment tools is  “Both female U.S. Supreme Court Justices are Greek.” News flash, folks, it’s 2014 and four women have served on the U.S. Supreme Court. Only one, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Alpha Epsilon Phi, is a member of a National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) organization. Although there are rumors to the contrary, Sandra Day O’Connor is not a sorority woman. She attended Stanford University when there were no NPC chapters on campus. (Edited 10/27/2020 – Amy Coney Barrett is an initiate of the Kappa Delta chapter at Rhodes College.)

Another incorrect “fact” is that the first woman in space was a sorority woman. Sally Ride was not, but there have been many others who are. See http://wp.me/p20I1i-le  for that list.

Fraternity and sorority life has so much to offer and I consider myself a cheerleader for the experience (and if you doubt me, read the other 400+ posts on here), but I cringe when I see these claims. The truth is much more effective and compelling than these outdated, specious statistics.

It really should be called the "No So True Guide" See the NIC and NPC facts below.

It really should be called the “Not So True Guide.” See the NIC and NPC facts below.

Facts from the North American Interfraternity Conference website for the fraternities which belong to that organization:

(*) Compiled from Member Fraternities in the NIC Standards Compliance Report for the 2012-2013 Academic Year

The 2012-2013 National Panhellenic Conference statistics for the 26 women’s fraternities and sororities belonging to that organization:

College Panhellenics
(460 of 569 reporting)
• 569 College Panhellenics
• 850,411 hours donated to community service efforts
• $5,276,728 raised for philanthropies
Alumnae Panhellenics
(108 of 197 reporting)
• 197 Alumnae Panhellenics
• 53,394 hours donated to community service
• $438,757 raised for scholarships
• 412 scholarships awarded
• $82,247 raised for philanthropies

There are also fraternities and sororities which belong to other umbrella organizations including the National Pan-Hellenic Council, National Multicultural Greek Council, and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations for which I could not find the statistical information, but each organization adds to the philanthropy service hours and funds raised.

This poster recently came across my twitter feed and I love it! It states the facts about Greek life opportunities at Indiana University. It doesn’t infer cozy relationships between being a member of a Greek organization and becoming President, a member of Congress, the first person to do something spectacular or connections to any famous people.

And in keeping with Murphy’s Law, the second I hit “publish” I saw another poster similar to this is on my twitter feed.

indiana

This poster appeared on my twitter feed from @UMD_GreekTerps the University of Maryland Department of Fraternity & Sorority Life. I believe they are producing them for the Big 10 Universities. Terrific job Terps!

un of iowa

© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. 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/

Posted in Fran Favorite, Indiana University | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Ruing Recruitment Ruses – Those Specious Fraternity Claims

On the 4th of July – Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse, ΦΔΘ, and Silent Cal, ΦΓΔ

Posted on July 4, 2014 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

July 4, 1939 was “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” at Yankee Stadium. On that day, baseball great Lou Gehrig, Phi Delta Theta, became the first major league baseball player to have his number retired. There are still people who were at Yankee Stadium that day, but those who would remember his words are in their 80s and 90s. Gehrig’s nickname, the Iron Horse, came from his prowess on the field. He played in 2130 consecutive games, a record which took decades to break.

In the last half of the 1938 season, things seemed a bit off for him. He collapsed at spring training in 1939, and at his wife’s urging he found himself at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. After six days of testing, on his 36th birthday, June 19, he received the grim diagnosis. He had Amyotrophic Lateral  Sclerosis (ALS), a disease where motor function slowly fades away while the mind remains sharp. He died June 2, 1941. Today, ALS is better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Phi Delta Theta has a partnership with the ALS Association. Chapters raise funds for the Association and each chapter is encouraged to connect with the local ALS Association chapters to assist area residents suffering from the disease.

Lou_Gehrig_fundraiser247

Each year since 1955, the fraternity presents the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award to the MLB player who exemplifies Gehrig’s spirit and character. The plaque is located at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY.

Seventy-five years ago today, in front of a packed house at Yankee Stadium, Gehrig gave his farewell speech. He did it without notes and spoke from the heart. You can see parts of his speech and all the MLB first-basemen reciting it with him. It’s at http://foxs.pt/1lCkcPG. If you prefer to read the words, here they are.

For the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

When you look around, wouldn’t you it consider it a privilege to associate yourself with such as fine looking a man as is standing in uniform today.

Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day?

Sure, I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert; also the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow; to have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow Miller Huggins; then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology—the best manager in baseball today—Joe McCarthy! Sure I am lucky.

When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift— that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies—that’s something.

When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter, that’s something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so that you can have an education and build your body, it’s a blessing! When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed, that’s the finest I know.

So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break; but I have an awful lot to live for!”

columbi

  ***

John Calvin Coolidge, Jr., the 30th President of the United States, was born on July 4, 1872 in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. He attended Amherst College in Massachusetts where he became a member of Phi Gamma Delta.

After graduation, while working as a lawyer in nearby Northampton, he met Grace Goodhue, a Pi Beta Phi who had recently graduated from the University of Vermont. She was working at the Clarke School for the Deaf. They married in the Goodhue family home in Burlington, Vermont. Although they spent their married life living in Massachusetts with a side trip to Washington, D.C. , Vermont seemed to be always in their hearts.

Festivities are planned for today, July 4, 2014 at the Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth Notch, Vermont.

The postcard reads

The postcard reads “For Phi Gamma Delta With best wishes Calvin Coolidge”

To read more about President Coolidge’s life as a FIJI member, please visit this earlier post: http://wp.me/p20I1i-2L and http://wp.me/p20I1i-gf

© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. 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/

Posted in Amherst College, Calvin Coolidge, Columbia University, Fran Favorite, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Gamma Delta, Presidents | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on On the 4th of July – Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse, ΦΔΘ, and Silent Cal, ΦΓΔ

Rest in Peace Louis Zamperini, Kappa Sigma, Olympian, and World War II Hero

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

I have World War II on my mind. I have been researching the sorority women who enlisted during World War II, including Helen Marlowe, Zeta Tau Alpha at the University of Southern California, who is the subject of the previous post. This morning I read of Louus Zamperini’s death. I automatically wanted to know if he was a fraternity man.

Zamperini was born January 26, 1917, in upstate New York to Italian immigrants. In 1919, the family, which included an older brother, Pete, and  two younger sisters moved to California. At Torrance High School , Pete got Louis involved in the school track team. In 1934, Louis set a world interscholastic record for the mile – 04:21.2. He won a scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he became a member of Kappa Sigma. Today’s post is courtesy of Kappa Sigma.

WWII Hero, Olympian and Kappa Sigma Golden Heart Recipient Zamperini Joins Chapter Celestial

From the Kappa Sigma Blog, July 3, 2014, , by Derald Dryman, used with permission

Brother Louis S. Zamperini (Delta-Eta, University of Southern California, ’46) joined the Chapter Celestial on Wednesday, July 2, 2014, at age 97.  While attending the University of Southern California, Brother Zamperini proudly represented the U.S. in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Prior to graduating, he went on to set a national collegiate record for the mile, which he held for 15 years. Following his graduation from USC, he planned on continuing his athletics and competing in the 1940 Olympic Games, where he was favored to win, but instead chose to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Forces to serve his country in World War II.

While on a reconnaissance mission, Brother Zamperini’s aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean where he and others spent 47 days adrift on an inflatable raft before being captured by the Japanese Navy when they reached the Marshall Islands. Brother Zamperini was a prisoner of war for more than two years, during which time he was beaten and tortured in prison camps. In 1998 Brother Zamperini returned to Japan to run a leg of the Olympic Torch relay at the Winter Olympics.

Kappa Sigma awarded the Golden Heart Award to Brother Zamperini at the 68th Grand Conclave in 2011 for courage and bravery throughout life. Brother Zamperini was the 15th recipient of the award and addressed the Brothers and guests in attendance.

Brother Zamperini was the inspiration for  Lauren Hillenbrand’s book, “Unbroken,” which has been adapted into a film and was directed by Angelina Jolie. The movie is set for release in the U.S. on December 25, 2014. Brother Zamperini was also set to be the Grand Marshall for the 2015 Rose Parade.

Brother Zamperini was a proud Kappa Sigma for 68 years, and Kappa Sigma was privileged to call him a Brother.

zamp 1939

To see other pictures, including one of him with his chapter during a 2013 visit, see the Kappa Sigma blog post http://kappasigma.org/wwii-hero-olympian-and-kappa-sigma-golden-heart-recipient-zamperini-joins-chapter-celestial/

Posted in Fran Favorite | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Rest in Peace Louis Zamperini, Kappa Sigma, Olympian, and World War II Hero

Happy Canada Day, My Canadian GLO Friends!

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Fran Becque, Ph.D.

O Canada and the Star Spangled Banner are sung at the opening of each Pi Beta Phi convention. My educated guess is that it is sung at the start of the conventions of most other Greek-letter Organizations GLOs).

Many GLO conventions have taken place in Canada. The Bigwin Inn, Lake of Bays, Ontario was the site of many fraternity and sorority conventions: Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1925; Phi Kappa Tau in 1927; Zeta Tau Alpha, Alpha Xi Delta, and Delta Zeta’s Silver Anniversary convention in 1928; and Sigma Phi Epsilon in 1930, to name a few.  Some of the other Canadian convention locations include: the Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia; Lake Louise, Alberta; and Jasper Park, Alberta. Zeta Psi’s 2014 convention in August will take place in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

GLOs have been a part of Canadian higher education since 1879. Zeta Psi became the first fraternity in Canada when its chapter at the University of Toronto was chartered on March 27, 1879. Zeta Psi’s Grand Chapter met in 1877 and it was agreed that the fraternity should venture into Canada. The Xi Chapter at the University of Michigan was given the task of founding a chapter at the University of Toronto. It was a challenging task given what travel and communications were like in the 1870s, but the Michigan Zeta Psi’s were successful. The chapter designation, Theta Xi, honored the efforts of the Michigan chapter by incorporating the “Xi” into its name.

The chapter remained the sole fraternity on the University of Toronto campus until the 1890s when they were joined by Kappa Alpha Society, Alpha Delta Phi, Phi Kappa Sigma, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Delta Upsilon, and Delta Chi. The first National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) women’s organization at the University of Toronto was Kappa Alpha Theta. According to Theta’s 1956 history, We Who Wear Kites,  “A letter from M.R Robertson of the University of Toronto explained that ‘one of the Zetas’ had given the seven girls of a local group ‘information about society matters and also your address.’ After favorable action by the Convention in 1887, Anna Louis Benham of Iota (Cornell University) was sent to Toronto to initiate the seven.”

The Sigma Chapter was chartered in 1887 giving Theta the distinction of being the first women’s fraternity in Canada. The faculty had a strong feeling against the Greek-letter organizations and the seven women who were initiated kept their membership a secret. By 1899, the chapter became dormant.  In 1905, Sigma Chapter was revived. It was was soon followed by Alpha Phi in 1906 and Pi Beta Phi in 1908.

In 1883, McGill University’s fraternity system came to life when Zeta Psi chartered a second Canadian chapter.  Again, as in the case of the University of Toronto, Zeta Psi was the only sole fraternity there in the 1880s. In the 1890s, it was joined by Alpha Phi Delta, Delta Upsilon, and Kappa Alpha Society. In 1922, Delta Phi Epsilon became the first NPC group to establish a chapter at McGill.

Today, there have been more than 150 chapters of North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) men’s fraternities and more than 75 NPC organization chapters at Canadian institutions. About three-quarters of those chapters are currently active. There are also many local fraternities and sororities.

url © Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2014. All Rights Reserved.

Posted in Fran Favorite | Comments Off on Happy Canada Day, My Canadian GLO Friends!