GIFT or "U- ^^M^^u^ CHI PHI Year Book Published for the Fraternity by the Council Boston, 1902 Q^ \Q^MxluD U^h^ Stanbope press F. H. GILSON COMPANY BOSTON, U.S. A. CONTENTS PAGB The Psi Chapter i History of the Chakett 71 The Ideal Fraternity Man 75 Chi Phi at Dartmouth 78 Chi Phi in the South 92 Chi Phi a Social Order 98 The New President of Wofford loi The New President of Emory 105 If Brothers Meet, A Sonnet 107 The Seventy-Seventh Annual Congress . . . 108 Officers of the Fraternity iii Chapter Addresses 112 Chapter Histories : Alpha 115 Beta 119 Gamma 120 Delta i . 124 Epsilon 128 Zeta 132 Eta 136 Theta 139 Iota 141 Lambda 145 Mu 147 Nu 151 XI 153 Omicron 157 Rho 159 Sigma 163 Phi 165 Psi 169 PAGE Obituaries : Charles Whiti'Ier Asper, Xi, '74 171 WiNGFIELD S. ARTER, Xi, '96 1 71 Howard S. Avery, Lambda, '98 172 Robert Brooke Finch, Xi, '78 172 William Elliott Huger, Jr., Alpha, '93 . . 172 George Albert Hutchinson, Omicron, '93 . . 173 William Leaman, Zeta, '57 173 Henry C. G. Reber, Zeta, '66 173 Ralph Strickland, Jr., Delta, '87 .... 174 George Covington Preat, Alpha, '70 . . . 174 James Thurlow Weed, Xi, '04 174 John Adam Werner Hetrick, Zeta, '72 . . 175 Chapter Roll : Active Membership : Alpha 179 Beta 179 Gamma 180 Delta 180 Epsilon 181 Zeta 182 Eta 182 Theta 183 Iota 183 Lambda 184 Mu 185 Nu 185 Xi 186 Omicron 186 Rho 187 Sigma 188 Phi 188 Chi 189 Psi 190 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE Briarfield, the Psi Chapter House . . Frontispiece George Cole Haldeman, Founder of Psi ... 3 William Marshall Rees, Psi, '74 4 William Arthur Lathrop, Psi, '75 7 Eustace Barron Rogers, Psi, '76 8 William Percival Rice, Psi, '76 13 Joseph Paxton Lance, Psi, '77 14 Thomas Frederick Carter, Psi, '77 17 John Hubbard, Psi, '78 18 BouDiNOT Keith, Psi, '80 21 John Tinsley Jeter, Psi, '80 22 Lewis Stockton, Psi, '81 25 Nathaniel Oliver Goldsmith, Psi, '83 ... . 26 George Cowen Hood, Psi, '83 29 M. A. DeWolfe Howe, Psi, '86 30 George Rodney Booth, Psi, '86 . ■ T^-ii Jacob Shotwell Robeson, Psi, '86 34 Henry Stevens Haines, Psi, '87 37 George Harrison Neilson, Psi, '87 38 Albert Brodhead, Psi, '88 41 Wyndham H. Stokes, Psi, '88 42 William Bradford, Psi, '88 47 Herbert Alexander Bonzano, Psi, '88 ... . 48 James Stewart, Psl '89 51 Charles Miner Dodson, Psi, '90 52 Hartley Howard, Psi, '93 55 Robert C. Chetwood, Psi, '94 56 John James Gibson, Psi, '95 . 61 Godwin Hall Powel, Psi, '96 62 Gavin Hogg Dortch, Psi, '02 65 Dartmouth Hall 79 College Buildings in 1790 (Dartmouth) ... 80 PAGE The College Yard (Dartmouth) ....... 87 Chi Chapter 88 Henry Nelson wSnyder, Pi, '83 103 James Edward Dickey, Gamma, '91 104 Chapter Photographs : Alpha 117 Beta 118 Gamma 121 Delta 125 Epsilon 129 Zeta 133 Eta 137 Theta 138 Iota 143 Lambda 144 Mu 149 Nu 130 X^ 155 Omicron 156 Rho 161 Sigma 162 Phi 167 Psi 168 THE PSI CHAPTER THE Psi Chapter of the Chi Phi Fraternity was established at Lehigh University on Thursday, February 22, 1872, with the following charter members : Julius Peter Meyer, '74, of Fond du Lac, Wis. ; George Cole Haldeman, '74, of Chickies, Pa. ; William Marshall Rees, '74, of Stroudsburg, Pa. ; Wil- liam Wallace Cross, '74, of Milford, Pa. ; Smith Van- valzah Wilson, '74, of Clearfield, Pa. ; and Frank Augusta Watkins, '75, of Philadelphia, Pa. The founder of the chapter was George Cole Halde- man, '74, a freshman at Lehigh University, who in March, 1871, was, at the instance of Frank Mehaffey (Theta, '70), initiated by the Zeta Chapter for the express purpose of founding a chapter of Chi Phi at that young and vigorous institution, then about to commence its seventh session. The idea of founding a chapter at Lehigh originated with Brother Mehaffey, and he impressed upon Halde- man the necessity of going to work at once to form a chapter. Lehigh in the fall of 1871 enrolled 72 students ; and the only Fraternity represented was the Phi Kappa Sigma, whose chapter, the Sigma, founded in 1869, was com- posed of excellent men. An effort had been made earlier in the year to establish Zeta Psi at Lehigh ; but although several upper classmen were initiated by the chapter of that Fraternity at the University of Pennsyl- vania, the scheme came to naught. On entering college in the fall of 1871, Haldeman entered at once on the work of forming a chapter, and soon pledged the five charter members, Mej^er, Scott, Wilson, Watkins, and Rees. He then visited the Beta Chapter at Muhlenberg College, six miles away, and enlisted the services of its members in his under- taking. The members of Beta, who up to this time had known nothing of the movement on foot, approved warmly of Haldeman's plans, and rendered him and his associates valuable and continuous assistance. The petition for a chapter was forwarded to the fraternity authorities, and it was expected that a favorable response would be received at once. At the time this petition was presented (the fall of 187 1 ), the Fraternity was composed of nine chapters, viz. : Zeta at Franklin and Marshall, Delta at Rutgers, Xi at Cornell, and Sigma at Wofford, which four chap- ters are still active ; and Upsilon at Hobart, Theta at Pennsylvania College, Omega at Dickinson, and Beta at Muhlenburg, which chapters are now extinct. The chapters which at that period dominated the Fraternity, and declared its policy, were Xi, Delta, and Beta. Xi was the leading chapter; but Delta, though small in numbers, was noted for her tenacity and aggressiveness and her members were convinced that the great danger to the Fraternity lay in the predominating influence of the Pennsylvania chapters, as four of the then existing chapters were located in that state. Firm in this belief, Delta cast her vote against granting a c4iarter to the petitioners at Lehigh. This action, entirely unexpected, came upon the peti- tioners like a bolt from a clear sky ; but fortunately Xi was in favor of the proposed new chapter, and the members of Beta were enthusiastic in their advocacy of its establishment. Under these joint influences, the then Grand Alpha, William Sutphen, went to New Bruns- wick and having made a personal appeal to Delta, its negative vote was, on January 22, 1872, reluctantly changed to one in the affirmative. The action of Delta in changing her vote was a sur- GEORGE COLE HALDEMAN, '7^ FOUNDER OF PSI M/ILLIAM MARSHALL REESE, '74 prise. There had- been little expectation that that chapter could be induced to reconsider its action, and the delays incident to procuring this result nearly ren- dered the project abortive. The petitioners had been bitterly disappointed in not receiving, in the first instance, the charter their Chi Phi sponsors had so confidently promised them. Halde^nan had been taken sick, and did not return after Christmas ; and being thus deprived of direct communication with the Fraternity, and unable to understand the cause of the delay that ensued, the others had come to the conclusion that the question was foreclosed, and that the charter would not be granted. Accordingly, having lost all interest in the matter, many oi their pledged men joined Phi Kappa Sigma. The petitioners promptly recovered their enthusiasm, however, when Brother Meyer went to Bethlehem from AUentown about the middle of February to notify them that their petition had b^en favorably acted upon, and that the inauguration of the chapter would take place on the following Thursday night, Washington's Birthday. The ceremonies incident to initiating the petitioners and inaugurating the new chapter were conducted by Brother Millard F. Thomson of Omega, assisted by members of the Beta, Zeta, and Omega Chapters, and were held in a hall on the northwest corner of Second and New Streets in South Bethlehem. All of the char- ter members (except Scott, who was sick at the time) were initiated on the date indicated. The name "Psi" was selected by the members and the chapter was for some time known in the Fraternity as the " Psi Deu- teron " to distingui,sh it from the Psi at Kenyon, but the " Deuteron " was never officially a part of its name. An organization was immediately effected by the elec- tion of these officers : Meyer, Alpha ; Wilson, Beta : Rees, Gamma ; Cross, Delta, and Watkins, Epsilon and Zeta; and composed as it was of excellent men who were both enthusiastic and loyal, the Psi Chapter was launched upon its adve-nturous career with the brightest prospects. It continued to occupy the rooms at Second and New Streets until March 14, when it moved into rooms on Third Street, for which a monthly rental of ^10.00 was paid. In these rooms, on March 15, George Charles Scott, '74, the remaining charter member, and Cleveland Stewart Stilwell, '74, were initiated. At the same meet- ing Cross and Rees were elected delegates and Scott and Meyer alternates, to the convention of 1872, which was to meet with the Xi Chapter on June 20, following. It was subsequently decided, however, not to send dele- gates to this convention, owing to the depletion of the chapter treasury; but when the delegates of the Zeta and Omega Chapters passed through Bethlehem on their way to Ithaca, the chapter gave them, as well as the members of Beta, a banquet at the Eagle Hotel. This banquet took place on June 18, and followed the initia- tion of Brother James Bingham Coryell, '75, on the evening of that day. The chapter had hardly been born when it was dis- covered that, for various reasons, none of its members except Wilson would return the following year ; and it seemed inevitable that the college term which had marked the chapter's birth would also witness its death. Con- trary to all expectations, however, Rees returned to Lehigh, and aided by Wilson he undertook the well-nigh hopeless task of building up the chapter. Two better men for the work could not have been selected, and they were favored in two respects. First, chapters at Lehigh being very small at that epoch in the life of the col- lege, lack of members was not so serious as it would have been later ; second, the class of '76 was an ex- cellent one. Accordingly, after a short, sharp campaign, WILLIAM ARTHUR LATHROP, y^ EUSTACE BARRON ROGERS, '76 these two aggressive men, with the assistance of the members of the Beta Chapter, on October i6, 1872, initiated Harry Rose Schoolcraft Eastman, Samuel Laird Bigler, Isaac Stockton Keith Reeves, and James- Booth Rogers, who were the flower of the class of 1876, and nearly every one of whom had received invitations to join the powerful and flourishing Chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma. Later in the year William Arthur Lath- rop, '75, Eustace Barron Rogers, Charles Newcomb Lauman, Frank Kirkbride Bacon, Edward Royal Ellison, and Harry Morehead Van Zandt, '76, were admitted. The last named, as well as Walter Percival Rice, '76, and William George McMillan, '75 (who were initiated the following yectr), were members of Iota Alpha Kappa, a fraternity established at Lehigh in 1872 and now long since defunct. The only buildings upon the Lehigh campus in 1872 were Christmas Hall, the original college building, and Packer Hall ; the upper floor of the latter being used as a dormitory. In 1873 Saucon Hall was completed, and the students moved into it, vacating the sleeping-rooms in Packer Hall. The chapter occupied rooms in Bethlehem, over Walp's Furniture Store, during the year 1872; but the next year it took two rooms on the third floor of the building opposite the Eagle Hotel in Bethlehem, which it retained until it moved, in the spring of 1875, to the Anthracite Building in South Bethlehem. Blue curtains charged with the Fraternity monogram in gold shaded with scarlet, and visible from afar, were fitted to the windows of the hall, and the members of the chapter thought they had made a great advance. On Decoration Day, 1873, the chapter, at the invita- tion of John R. Taylor Post No. 182, G. A. R., turned out in a body, and participated in the decoration of the soldiers' graves. While several of the members had left at the end of the college year t 872-73, a goodly number returned in the fall, and initiated into the Fraternity John M. Leicht, '76, Joseph Paxton Lance, '77, Alfred Fiske Hanna, '76, John Francis Milnor, '76, James Bloodgood Camp, '76, Walter Percival Rice, '76, and William George Mc- Millan, '75, making the number of members in the chapter, during the greater part of the year, fifteen. The chapter flourished exceedingly during the years 1872-74, and it is doubtful if the Fraternity has ever had a more thoroughly united and homogenous chapter than was Psi at that period. The men were all popular, and stood well in college, but neither sought nor cared for friend- ships outside of their own number. Rees and Wilson were particularly fitted to guide the destinies of the chapter which prospered greatly under their leadership, and initiated men who have done much for the Fraternity. While Bigler was the most active fraternity man, East- man was the most popular man, both inside and outside of the chapter. Having a fine bass voice, he was in great demand for singing ; and, as he was a fine athlete, he led in college sports. He was elected Alpha of the chapter when a freshman and when he had been a member of the Fraternity scarcely three months. Lauman, in the fall of 1873, founded the Lehigh Journal, the first student pub- lication at Lehigh. In the conduct of this Journal he was succeeded by Bacon and later by Rice. The Annual Conferium of the Pennsylvania Chapters over which Brother M. F. Thomson of Omega, presided, was held with Psi on Thanksgiving Day, 1873 5 ^^'^ the banquet, at which the members of Zeta, Beta, Omega, and Psi were present, took place at the Eagle Hotel. The conferium was not well attended, and the affair was greatly saddened by the sudden death the day previous of Brother H. M. Grubb, of Beta. Neither Psi nor Rho was represented at the Conferium of 1874, which was 10 held with Omega, and the Rho Chapter having refused the use of its lodge-room to the Conferium of 1875, which was to have been held with it, the custom of hold- ing these annual gatherings ceased. The convention of 1873, which was held with Omega, was attended by Rees and Wilson as delegates from Psi ; and Reeves and Wil- son were delegates to and attended the special conven- tion held at Washington, D.C., on October 9 of the same year. Upon the dissolution of the chapter of the Iota Alpha Kappa Fraternity, at Lehigh, three of its members, as has been stated, joined Chi Phi ; and when on the disso- lution of Iota Alpha Kappa in 1873, its chapter at La- fayette was seeking some fraternity which its members might join as a body, that chapter, largely owing to the efforts of Psi, became the Rho Chapter of Chi Phi, and as such was inaugurated on January 30, 1874, by a com- mittee of which Wilson and Rees were members. During the spring of 1874 an incident occurred which nearly cost Psi its charter. Shrack of Zeta, then Grand Alpha, was anxious to establish chapters at the larger colleges, especially at Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania, at both of which institutions there were exceptional opportunities for founding Chi Phi Chapters. At his instigation, and with this end in view, on May 7, 1874, Psi initiated John Evans Crew, ''']6^ Robert Coburn. Brodie, '"]']^ and William Church Henderson, '77, who were students at the University of Pennsylvania. These in- itiates were exceptionally good men ; but the Delta Chap- ter, with the spectre of a Pennsylvania coalition before her eyes, became almost frantic, demanded that Psi's charter be revoked, and that Shrack be expelled. The matter quieted down in time ; and in consequence of the union of the Northern and Southern orders and the gradual loss of influence by Beta in the Fraternity coun- sels, the anti-Pennsylvania feeling died out ; but because II of it a golden opportunity to found a chapter at Phila- delphia had been lost to Chi Phi. The three brothers initiated as above described are dead. The loss of Wilson and Rees, who left college in June, 1874, was greatly felt by the chapter; nevertheless, the years 1874- 1876 were in many respects the most brilliant and pros- perous in its history, and had not the quality of the men in college deteriorated, and their number decreased, the chapter would have continued to prosper in spite of the neglect by its members of their studies. Although an under classman, the loss of Eustace Rogers, '76, who left at this time, was also a serious affliction. An active fraternity man and a loyal Chi Phi, he had exerted a great influence on the chapter in bringing home to its members a realization of their duties to it and to the Fraternity. Later he interested himself in unraveling the threads of Chi Phi's early history, and was thus the first member of the Fraternity to search into its past and dissolve the darkness which had shrouded its early days. After leaving Lehigh he, together with the Ostrander brothers of Xi, in 1875 founded the Lambda Chapter at the University of California; and in 1879 he was honored by being elected to the newly created office of Grand Zeta. He was the first member of Psi to hold a fra- ternity office. The initiates of the years 1874-1876 were John Hub- bard, '78, Charles Thomas Field, '78, John Guier Forsyth, '77, Presley Thornton Jenkins, '78, Clarence Cole Lance, '78, Jacob Christian Alexander Fox, '76, Howard Kirk Lyon, '78, John Miner Greene, '78, Thomas Frederick Carter, '77, Michael Joseph Nowlan, '76, Francis Weiss, '77, Isaiah Thropp Wells, '79, John Tinsley Jeter, '80, and John Walker Eckert, '78. Arthur Percival Hamer, '78, a member of Delta Tau Delta at Lehigh, who had joined Chi Phi at Cornell, returned, and in February 1875, affiliated with the chapter. 12 IV ALTER PERCiyAL RICE, 'yd '^^^^f^^^*??™*^'^^^ JOSEPH PAXTON, LANCE, '77 Some of these men, notably Rice, Lathrop, Hubbard, and Eckert, were good students ; but as a rule little atten- tion was paid to college duties. Rice, Hubbard, Carter, Lance, Jenkins, Hamer, and Field were the leaders ; but all were loyal fraternity men, and took great interest in the chapter. They stood very high socially ; nearly all of them had plenty of money and spent it freely. They kept open house at Bethlehem, and were ever ready and willing to entertain visitors. A great intimacy grew up between Psi and Rho, and Chi Phi visitors from La- fayette were numerous. Owing to the proximity of the chapters and the cir- cumstances surrounding the founding of Psi, a warm friendship had always existed between the members of Psi and Beta; but the bright future prophesied for Muh- lenburg College at its foundation did not materialize ; and about 1874 both the number and the quality of its stu- dents deteriorated, and Beta suffered with the college. In fact, during the fall of 1874 the chapter was so run down that it was rumored that it had surrendered its charter ; but while this rumor proved to be unfounded, the old intimacy between the two chapters was never re- sumed, nor did Beta regain that authority in the Fra- ternity counsels which it had once possessed. As if to emphasize the change which had taken place in the relations between Psi and Beta, Beta met with Zeta and Omega at Carlisle, at the Conferium on Thanks- giving Day, 1874, while Psi entertained Rho with a ban- quet at the American Hotel in Bethlehem on the same day. The rooms opposite the Eagle Hotel appeared small and insignificant to the large and extravagant Psi Chap- ter of that day ; and during the spring of 1875, the entire third floor of the Anthracite Building, in South Beth- lehem was rented and gorgeously furnished for occu- pancy. This floor included a large room, used both as a 15 club and lodge-room ; the room was covered with pearl wall-paper, and the walls were handsomely decorated with fraternity emblems. Some of the smaller rooms were used as ante-rooms, and others were fitted up as bedrooms, and occupied by members, a rule being adopted that one of the members must be in the lodge- room both night and day. All the rooms of the suite were very expensively furnished. The free and reckless life led by most of the members of the chapter soon began to have its effect ; few of them returned to college in September, 1875 ; and in March, 1876, the chapter, heavily in debt, was reduced to Rice, Lance, Nowlan, Eckert, Jeter, Lyon, and Wells, and vacated the gorgeous rooms in the Anthracite Build- ing, moving its effects into a house on Fountain Hill be- longing to the father of Brother Jeter, who generously offered it to them rent free. This generosity afforded a lodge-room, when one was needed, until the chapter in 1879 again became strong. It would not be fair to attrib- ute all the troubles and the apparently hopeless condi- tion of the chapter at the beginning of the college year 1876-77 to the careless life and the extravagance of the members of the preceding years, although these causes in most instances led many men to leave college, either at the instance of parents or of the college authorities. Had this been the only cause of trouble, the prestige of the chapter would doubtless have enabled it to overcome its difficulties in time, and to settle down into more rational ways of life, but the fundamental trouble was with the college. The institution had not prospered, nor did it prosper until the advent of a new president and a more liberal policy in 1879. The number and quality of the students diminished ; and the members of the chapter, holding the memory of their former glorious triumphs and adhering to their aristocratic standard for admission, wisely refused to 16 THOMAS FREDERICK CARTER, '-jj JOHN HUBBARD, 'j8 sacrifice their traditions in order to secure members. At the opening of the fall term of 1876 the end seemed at hand ; for there were in active college residence only Lyon, '78, Jeter, '80, and Eckert, '78, who, taking the last year of a course in chemistry, and living in Allentown, and never an enthusiastic fraternity man, took little part in the life of the chapter, being rarely seen out of college hours. The prospects of the chapter at this time, therefore, could hardly be called brilliant; but when it was at its lowest ebb, it initiated Boudinot Keith, '80, whose im- pression on the chapter has been greater than that of any other man initiated by it, and whose influence upon the whole Fraternity is apparent to-day. He was initi- ated on September 9, 1876, together with John Lambert Jones, '77, and later John Henry Holbert, '80, was added to the membership. Jones did not attend college for any length of time, so that the number of members was then but five, and when Holbert and Lyon left at Christmas the number was further reduced practically to two. Of course the idea of a regular meeting-place in connection with a chapter composed of two men would be an absurdity ; but whatever necessary business, including initiations, was to be transacted took place in the Jeter house, where the furniture of the chapter was still stored. The succeeding years contain few events of general interest, witnessing as they did a monotonous struggle to save the chapter from extinction ; but they comprise a period during which was exercised a most powerful influence upon the subsequent career of the chapter, and from which it emerged, stripped of its vices, and strengthened and purified by the trials through which it had passed, wiHi truer and better ideals of frater- nity life and duty. But the fight was a long and dis- couraging one ; for although the unselfish devotion and 19 untiring energies of Keith and Jeter triumphed in the end, they cannot be said to have been greatly favored by fortune. Haldeman, '8i, entered at the beginning of the spring term, 1877, ^s a member of the class of '80, and had been initiated on February 13, but he was obliged to leave college almost immediately on account of ill health ; and although he promised to return in September, and it was felt that the existence of the chapter depended upon his doing so, his return was hardly expected by the remaining members, who had begun to speak despondently of the discouraging events as they occurred in rapid succession as " Chi Phi luck." Psi had not been heard of in fraternity circles for so long that its members feared the convention of 1877, which was held at Greenbrier, W. Va., August 8, would come to the conclusion that the chapter was dead, and would revoke its charter. It was of course out of the question to send a delegate ; but an address was prepared which was intended to supply this omission, and which set forth the facts of the chapter's condition as well as its members' hopes and expectations, and which con- tained a statement of their willingness to surrender their charter if the convention thought best. This address was sent to Brother Zweizig of Beta for submis- sion to the convention. The address stated it was believed that the future of the chapter was wrapped up in the incoming class of '81, and if it contained suitable material the chapter stood a good prospect of a success- ful career. While on the surface the prospects looked dark for Psi, the situation was in reality one of great promise. Of the two Fraternities rival to Chi Phi, Phi Kappa Sigma was much the more worthy, all of its members being of good social standing, and among them were some very excellent men ; but while Phi Kappa Sigma had always thrived at Lehigh, its men had never been 20 BQUDINOT KEITH, '80 • JOHN riNSLEY JETER, '80 aggressive, and had contented themselves with taking in only such members as they knew well, and who were thoroughly respectable socially. The changed condi- tions swept this chapter off its feet ; and when the class of '78, in which its strength lay, graduated, although it struggled on with one or two men until 1880, Phi Kappa Sigma practically died. Delta Tau Delta, the other Fraternity referred to, and which was founded in 1874,, had a large but decidedly heterogeneous crowd. Its chapter had a few excellent men, but was cursed with one or two black sheep, and apparently could not afford to be exclusive. It only remained for Chi Phi to profit by the mistakes of its rivals, avoid errors of judgment, and with a fixed purpose to succeed in the end, to trust to time and energy to accomplish that result. This situation was canvassed at the time the address to the convention of 1877 was decided upon. When the term opened, in the fall of 1877, the class appeared to be a very disappointing one. Haldeman, however, did return, and was elected president of 1881 ; and the prominence this gave him, assisted by his own powerful personality, enabled him to have a good deal of influence with the members of his class. It was long, however, before the characteristics of the new men were sufficiently developed to warrant Psi in gathering them into the fold, and Abraham Bruner, '80, was the sole in- itiate of the year. During the year 1878 matters im- proved and Samuel Wagner Russell, '81, John Julius Zimmele, '81, William Butler, '81, Francis Reber Musser, '82, and Edwin Ransom Leavitt, '82, the last a son of the President of the University, were initiated, and with these additions the chapter became infused with new energy. Regular meetings were held ; and on January 31, and May 10, 1879, respectively, Lewis Stockton, '81, and Fitz William Sargent, '79, were added to the member- ship. 23 The entrance of the class of '83, in the fall of 1879, marked the dawn of a new era for Lehigh and the beginning of a new epoch for Psi. The classes began to increase in size, class-organizations to form, and college customs to crystallize; while the college in a feeble and tentative way began to indulge in intercollegiate athletics. The chapter at the beginning of the fall term, 1879, was composed of Sargent, '79, Jeter, '80, Bruner, '80, Haldeman, '81, Zimmele, '81, Stockton, '81, and Lea- vitt, '82. While Keith had left college, he still resided in Bethlehem, where he was studying law, and directed the affairs of the chapter until 1881, when he removed to New York. Taking advantage of its position and prestige, the chapter went energetically to work, and on September 27, 1879, initiated Charles Weed Gray, '81, Charles Loomis Rogers, '83, Nathaniel Oliver Goldsmith, '83, Wyle Thompson Wilson, 'S^, George Gowen Hood, ^8;^, and later in the year Robert Stinson and Allen Ames, both of ^8}, making the number of members fourteen. The long and discouraging struggle was ended ; victory had justified the policy adopted, and the future of the chapter was secure. The delegation from '83 was one of the strongest ever initiated into the chapter ; and in a very short time after their initiation, Chi Phi became easily the first Fraternity at Lehigh, while Phi Kappa Sigma ceased to exist. Delta Tau Delta continued to prosper in her own way, and during this year a chapter of the now defunct Fraternity, Delta Beta Phi, appeared at Lehigh. Strong in numbers, Psi adopted a conservative policy ; and returning to the traditions of its founders, its mem- bers sought no intimates outside of its membership, but bent their energies towards strengthening and building up the chapter. Although during the year its meetings 24 LEfVIS STOCKTON, '8i NATHANIEL OLIVER GOLDSMITH, '83 were held in the house of Mr. Jeter, at the beginning of the college year, 1 880-81, rooms were rented in the build- ing of Mrs. Hunsecker, on Main Street in Bethlehem ; and later in the year the chapter moved to the third floor of the building in which Schwartz's Shoe Store was located, where it remained until the fall of 1881, when rooms were secured on the second floor of the Moravian Book Store, and the chapter continued in them until it leased a house in the fall of 1883. The convention of 1880 was held at Allentown with the Beta Chapter, and while Haldeman and Stockton were delegates, nearly the whole chapter attended. Wil- son, '74, was the principal orator at the banquet ; and the members of Psi, after the convention adjourned, enter- tained in Bethlehem the members of the Omicron, Theta, Phi, Kappa, and Pi Chapters, who had attended the convention and who stopped over on the way home. At the banquet incident to this convention. Brother Eustace B. Rogers, '76, who was on shore leave, re- sponded to the toast, "Scarlet and Blue." This conven- tion marked the time of the third visit of Brother Rogers to the chapter since he had left college in 1874. His first visit occurred in the spring of 1876, and he was present as a visitor in September, 1876. He again spent nearly all of his shore leave in Bethlehem, in 1883 and 1884, in order to be in touch with the chapter; and to this loyal and intelligent alumnus who has aided the chapter, not only with his counsel, but with his means, Psi is under many obligations. The chapter life of the years i88o-'8i-'83 was un- eventful except for one or two incidents which seriously affected it. One of these was the difficulty with Pro- fessor Henry C. Johnson, who had been suspended by his own chapter, the Xi, and had subsequently joined Psi Upsilon ; and although no action of expulsion had been taken with regard to him, it was generally under- 27 stood that he had severed his connection with Chi Phi. On coming to Lehigh, however, he endeavored to affili- ate with the Psi Chapter, whose members, ignorant of his past history, welcomed him as a Chi Phi until it became evident that he was co-operating with another member of the faculty to form a Chapter of Psi Upsilon. This brought matters to a head ; charges were preferred against him, and in spite of the efforts of the then Grand Alpha, George R. Van de Water, Xi, to save him, he was ex- pelled by the convention of 1881; and as a result, the initiation obligation was changed to the form in which it existed up to the revision of the ritual in 1902. The state of affairs at Muhlenburg during the previous few years had not improved ; and the existence of the Beta Chapter at that institution (only six miles distant from Bethlehem) was found to be detrimental to Psi as Le- high grew, it being a favorite argument with the other Fraternities, that Beta represented the regular standard of Chi Phi, and that Psi was but a shining exception. The state of affairs soon came to be intolerable to Psi ; and as early as the fall of 188 1 measures were discussed to get rid of Beta, and an effort was made to interest the New England chapters in the matter through Brother Lester Paige Breckenridge of Omicron, who, in 1882, came to Lehigh as an instructor. Deeply as the matter affected the welfare of the Fraternity, none of the other chapters, not even Rho, although its interests were almost as vitally concerned as those of Psi itself, would give any assistance in the controversy ; and it was after a single- handed fight against great odds, that Psi finally se- cured the revocation of Beta's charter in 1884. In 1881 Keith left Bethlehem, and went to New York to reside permanently, and a letter expressing the thanks of the chapter to him for his interest in it was sent him. Although he left Bethlehem, his interest in Psi did not cease and he continued to exercise a great influence 28 GEORGE GOIVEN HOOD, 8^ M. A. DEIVOLFE HOIVE, '86 for good upon the life and policy of the chapter. The members of the chapter were all good students, and stood well in college. At the Commencement of 1881 Haldeman was salutatorian, and Stockton, valedictorian of the class. Goldsmith was first business manager, and later, in 1883, managing editor of the Burr, the successor to Lauman's JotiniaL During this period, the chapter initiated Jesse Wil- ford Reno, ""^t^ ; James McKinley Graeff, Murray Stewart, Robert Donald Stewart, James Warner Kellogg, and Charles Owens Haines, all of '84 ; and James Lorraine McLenegan, Eben Miltimore Morgan, and Mark Antony De Wolfe Howe, Jr., of 1885. In the spring of 1882 a violent epidemic of sm.all-pox broke out in Bethlehem ; and when a member of the class of '84 was taken with it, all students promptly left town and recitations were suspended from March 20 until May 11. Neither Morgan nor McLenegan re- turned to college that year; but the former returned at the beginning of the next term in the class of 1886, in which class he was joined by Howe, who had been forced to leave college on account of a nearly fatal attack of typhoid fever during the preceding term. The chapter was strengthened by Stockton, who remained in Bethle- hem as an instructor at Ulrich's preparatory school, and was a constant attendant at the meetings. Psi was united and harmonious, and its finances were maintained in an excellent condition. During the year 1882-83 an event took place which had a marked effect upon fraternity life at Lehigh and upon the policy of Psi. A local organization, known as Phi Theta Psi, was founded by Professors Williams and Johnson, for the purpose of securing a chapter of Psi Upsilon; and Professor Williams, an enthusiastic member of that Fraternity, fitted up a handsome house on Market Street, and installed the organization therein. A chapter house had been discussed by the members of Psi for some time ; and in June, 1882, a sinking-fund to which all the members, active and alumni, were to pay ^5.00 per year, had been formed, and the subscriptions pledged ; but the action of Professor Williams brought about a speedy change of plan, and in June, 1883, the Adams house on Fountain Hill was leased for occu- pancy at the commencement of the fall term, at an an- nual rental of ^800.00. Alpha Tau Omega entered college in the fall of '82, and the whole scheme of fra- ternity life was altered. During the year Edward Eckert Stetson, ^86, William Prince Moore of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, and John Montgomery Baldy of the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania, were initiated. The last two were initiated to aid in the establishment of the Mu and Nu Chapters at Stevens Institute and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively; and in June, 1883, George Harrison Neilson, entering Princeton in the class of ^$7^ was initiated under a dispensation. The chapter had many visitors during the year. Eus- tace Rogers had come to Bethlehem during the spring term, and was a constant and welcome visitor at the chapter meetings ; Carter, ^77, was also a visitor during the year, and an informal banquet of welcome to him was indulged in ; and later in the year, George Cole Haldeman, '74, returned to visit the chapter he had founded. The class of '87, which entered in the fall of 1883, con- tained good fraternity material; but although Reno, '83, Haines, '84, Kellogg, '84, M. Stewart, '84, Morgan, '86, Howe, '86, and Stetson, 86, returned when college opened, and R. Stewart, '85, a few weeks later, the chapter did not exhibit the enthusiasm and aggressive- ness it had shown in former years. The graduation of 32 GEORGE RODNEY BOOTH, '86 JACOB SHOTIVELL ROBESON, '86 the class of '83, taking with it Hood, Goldsmith, Rogers, and Stinson, had depressed those who remained. The '83 delegation had been such a strong one, and had been so identified with the life of the chapter, that without it the members of the chapter felt a loss. Then, too, the acquisition of the house entailed new responsibilities; and in spite of the assurances given when it was leased, Howe, iMorgan, and Stetson were the only men who occupied rooms in it, in addition to Reno, 83, who had returned for a post-graduate course, and Rogers, ^8^, who had remained in Bethlehem. None of the members of the class of '84 lived in the house nor were any members of that class then in col- lege particularly enthusiastic fraternity men ; and they never had much influence in fraternity matters. The only thing remaining to be done was for the class of '86 to take charge, which they eventually did, but at this time hesitated to do ; and the men living in the house being very much discouraged by the heavy load they had to carry, felt almost ready to give up. In addition to their other troubles, the Phi Theta Psi Fraternity, taking advantage of the proximity of their house to the hotel, and the glamor produced upon the freshmen, safe in the security afforded them by the membership of two members of the faculty, persuaded a number of the most eligible freshmen to pledge themselves to join no fraternity except Phi Theta Psi without the consent of that society ; and when a release was asked for, it was either refused or delayed upon the ground that the pledge had been made to the organization, and it alone could grant it. All rushing at Lehigh had been theretofore fair and above board ; but this new method of securing men took other fraternities by surprise, and put them at a disadvantage ; nor was it until, upon the advice of prominent members of other fraternities, Knorr, '87, one of the men thus pledged to Phi Theta Psi, notified Phi 35 Theta Psi, that, unless he was released from the pledge by a certain day, he would refuse any longer to abide by it, and join Chi Phi, that the scheme was broken up. Hood and Keith, hearing discouraging news as to the chapter's condition, came to Bethlehem to assist in the work of rushing ; and cheered and encouraged by their assistance, and that of Eustace Rogers, Charles Rogers, and Zimmele, the chapter soon pulled itself together, and proceeded to initiate, on September 22, Henry Ste- vens Haines, Jr., Frederic Hayes Knorr, and Matthew Parker Moore, all of the class of '87. On October 5 it initiated Alexander Provost Shaw, '86, and Wyndham Stokes, '87 ; on October 10, William Bradford, '87 ; on November 16, Jacob Shotwell Robeson; and on Jan- uary 19, 1884, George Rodney Booth, '86. Knorr, Stokes, Bradford, and Robeson promptly moved into the house ; and R. Stewart returning shortly after, the expenses, although large, were reduced to living point, and the spirits of the occupants revived. In the fall of 1883 the annual convention was held at Albany, and at it the influence of Psi became conspicu- ous and its members assumed the prominence in the counsels of the fraternity they have since maintained. Keith was the poet of the convention, and with Reno represented Psi. The convention granted the charter of the Mu Chapter at Stevens, whose establishment was due largely to the influence of Psi and hard work of Keith. It was able to secure the membership with which it started, only because Beard, '87, one of the charter members, had worked in the shops at Bethlehem during the summer of 1883, and while there had become intimate with Rogers, '83, and had learned of the great prestige of Psi. This conven- tion also witnessed the practical termination of the long- continued fight Psi had waged against Beta for so many years; for it adopted resolutions forbidding the latter 36 HEhJRY STEl/EhlS HAINES, JR., '87 GEORGE HARRISON NEILSON, '87 chapter to initiate any more members. This roundabout mode of accomplishing the extinction, of the chapter was adopted on account of constitutional difficulties involved in the direct procedure, and the unwillingness of the other chapters to strike a direct blow. The trouble with Beta was that the number of men at Muhlenburg (only about ninety) did not justify the maintenance of a chapter of a first-class fraternity; nor did the quality of the men, which was not up to the standard of the early days of the chapter; and its life had become a menace to the ex- istence of Psi and to the prosperity of the rest of the Fraternity. The chapter had in a large measure devel- oped into a social organization of Allentown, and the resident alumni did not on this account wish to see the chapter become extinct ; so, acting upon the instructions of Oscar Meyer, Beta notified the other chapters that it would treat the action of the convention as unconstitu- tional and void ; and, in fact, it proceeded to initiate three more men. Finding, however, that the other chap- ters, although loath to kill the chapter outright, would not tamely tolerate the contempt of its highest legislative body, but were certain to revoke its charter as a result of this conduct, the members of Beta submitted to the inevi- table, and surrendered their charter to the convention of 1884. A serious impediment to the progress of the Fra- ternity was thus finally removed. The life in the house during the year 1883-84 was almost ideal, and the recollection of it is most delightful to those who dwelt in it. Great regret was felt therefore when this house was abandoned in June, 1884, although it was then believed to be only a temporary loss, as it was thought that a suitable house would soon be ob- tained in which the intimate fraternity life would be re- sumed. It was, however, many years before this hope was realized, although a chapter-house always figured in Psi's plans, and a standing committee on " House " was 39 maintained during the succeeding years. The chapter was not alone strengthened and united by the intimacy arising from the men living together ; but the house being always occupied, constituted a place where an alumnus could count on a warm welcome and comfort- able bed. Discovering this, many former members returned and partook of the hospitality it afforded. Vis- itors from other chapters were also entertained, -especi- ally the members of Rho. But while fraternity life in the house was most delight- ful, the material conditions were not, and were only suffered on account of the compensating advantages. Sanitary conditions w^ere bad, and caused sickness in the case of more than one man. The high rental rendered successful retention of the house impracticable, while the experiment of having meals served in the house proved unsatisfactory, and was a constant source of complaint and expense. The house was therefore re- gretfully vacated in June, 1884, when the lodge-rooms which had been located in two rooms on its third floor were moved to the Anthracite Building, to the identical rooms occupied by the chapter in 1875 ; and although the same mistakes in decoration and furnishing these rooms were not repeated, their high rental nearly caused financial ruin. In November, 1885, the chapter quarters were therefore moved to the third floor of the building ovejr Schwartz's store, on Main Street, above the Eagle Hotel, where they remained until September 30, 1887, when they were moved to the third floor of a building in Cherokee Street, in South Bethlehem. Just before the house was vacated, on June 19, 1883, the first banquet in many years was given by the chap- ter; and, in addition to the active members, there were present Hood, Keith, B. Haldeman, Graeff, Stockton, McLenegan, Lyon, and Zimmele, all of Psi, and Weid- man of Rho. This banquet proved such a success that 40 ALBERT BRODHEAD, '88 IVYNDHAM H. STOKES, '88 GRAND GAMMA the annual banquet in June has become a fixed custom at Psi, and to it the alumni return yearly to renew the old vows and strengthen the old friendships. The college year 1884-85 found the members of the chapter scattered through South Bethlehem. The col- lege authorities in 1885 discontinued the dormitory sys- tem, and appropriated Christmas and Saucon Halls to other uses ; but the acquisition of chapter-houses by the fraternities was very slow. Phi Theta Psi, which had in the spring of 1883 become a chapter of Psi Upsi- lon, still occupied the house furnished by Professor Wil- liams; and a small house built by the father of one of the members was occupied by Delta Tau Delta, although as nearly all of the then members of that fraternity were residents of Bethlehem, they had little use for it. The members of Psi roomed as nearly as possible in one neighborhood, and kept up the intimacies which had been fostered by the house. The chapter at all times maintained an eating-club, known as the " Calumet," where all the members were most intimately associated ; and as a result the chapter life was harmonious, and the chapter acted as a unit upon all important ques- tions. The years of 1884-86 were successful ones for Psi, and from the very nature of things it will never be possible for any fraternity at Lehigh to occupy again the unique position held by Chi Phi during those years. Under the leadership of the class of '86, which early had the government of the chapter thrust upon it, the chapter easily held and strengthened the position in the col- lege and fraternity which had been bequeathed to it by the class of '83. Being undeniably the leading frater- nity at Lehigh, it had little difficulty in securing all the men it wanted ; and as the college was growing rapidly, owing to the larger classes and the establishment of a course in electrical engineering, the chapter increased 43 its membership. During these years it initiated Robert Rist Hedley, ^^y, James Houston Schall, '88, George Steinman Franklin, '88, John Ridgway Bannan, ^^^, Al- fred Eli Lewis, Jr., S^, William Ellis Morris, '89, Ather- ton Blight Wadleigh, '89, Charles William Schwartz, '89, Lewis Clyde Smith, '89, John Milton Humphrey, '89, Ed- ward Conner, '88, Wallis Eastburn Howe, '89, Hubert Alexander Bonzano, '88, Robert McAllister Lloyd, '88, and James Stewart, '89. All the men were moderately good — and indeed some of them were exceedingly good — students ; and the mem- bers were popular in every way, although a rule adopted by the chapter prohibiting its members from mixing in college politics resulted in few class offices being held by Chi Phis. One advantage which resulted from this policy was a total freedom from friction with other Fra- ternities and with the non-fraternity element, while the influence of Chi Phi was felt in the college on all sides of college life, and the Chi Phi standard was conceded to be the true Lehigh standard. In social, athletic, and literary life Chi Phi spirit was dominant and its members leaders. Mark Howe, ''^6, was decidedly the most prom- inent and popular man, both in the chapter and in the college. A loyal fraternity man, and the acknowledged leader in the chapter, he was equally conspicuous out- side of it, and was indispensable in social affairs. He was also one of the victorious pair which won for Lehigh its tennis laurels. For two years Howe was one of the editors and then editor-in-chief of the Burr, and he and Robeson founded as a junior society the "Sword and Crescent," now a senior organization. The Mus- tard and Cheese Dramatic Club, also founded by Howe and Robeson, was largely composed of Chi Phis ; and the "Eighteen" and "Arcadia" Clubs instituted at this time numbered many Chi Phis as founders and mem- bers. Stokes and Lloyd were editors of the Burr, and 44 Stokes and Howe were likewise editors of the Epitomes published by their respective classes. In other lines individual members were not less con- spicuous. Robeson, who in conjuction with Bradford and Knorr founded football at Lehigh, was the first captain of a Lehigh team that played another college. The Sigma Alpha afterwards absorbed by the now de- funct chapter of Theta Nu Epsilon, but which for many years exercised a great influence in college, included among its six founders, Stokes, Wadleigh, and Bonzano. In every respect this period was one of great develop- ment for Lehigh. The class of ''^Z^ which entered with 135 men, increased the number of men in college to nearly 500. Inter-collegiate athletics brought Lehigh men into contact with students of other colleges, and the college life was broadened by this contact. Other clubs and organizations, as well as many college customs, which came into being and became rooted in the life of the college, were to a large extent the handiwork of the members of Psi of these years. Within the chapter the highest standard of chapter life was maintained. The men were conscious of their fraternity duties ; meetings were well attended, and records carefully kept. Officers performed the duties of their respective offices well, and Psi became the model for her sister chapters in her relation with the general fraternity. All the members were familiar with the secret work of the fraternity, and the initiations were conducted in a dignified and impressive manner. The chapter kept itself free from debt, and the treasury was in fairly good shape ; but the running expenses being heavy, the subscriptions to the fund were not kept up as they deserved to be, and but small additions were made to it. As was to be expected of a chapter conducted on such lines, Psi continued to exercise great influence in the 45 fraternity at large. The new and liberal Constitution, under which Chi Phi has made such progress and which was adopted by the convention of 1885, was the handi- work of Keith and Eustace Rogers. Hood was ap- pointed a member of the first Grand Lodge organized under it, and when pressure of business forced him to resign, Keith was appointed in his place, while Stockton was elected the first Chancellor of the Fra- ternity. In 1886 the members of the class of '86 ceased to be active members ; and the undergraduates into whose hands the destinies of the chapter were about to be con- fided, long used to depending upon the members of '86 as leaders, felt much concern about the chapter's future. Much of Psi's membership was confined to the class of ^88, in which it had a large and powerful delegation. Three of the members of this delegation were students in the School of Mines, and would return for a fifth year, and graduate with the class of '89. As the chapter had only one man in the class of ^87, Haines, who lived at Bethlehem, and had not been intimately associated with the chapter organization, the leadership passed to the members of '88, who retained it for three years, when the control passed to the members in the class of '90. During the years 1886 to 1888 the growth in strength and standing of the younger fraternities first became noticeable ; but Chi Phi with its prestige was little af- fected by them, and experienced but slight difficulty in securing the men it desired. The list of fraternities by the winter of 1888 had increased to Chi Phi, Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Phi, Psi Upsilon, Theta Delta Chi, Delta Upsilon, Sigma Nu, Phi Gamma Delta, Sigma Phi (formed of the members of the Pi Chapter of Delta Tau Delta, which had withdrawn from that Fraternity), Phi Delta Theta, Sigma Chi, and Delta Tau Delta, which had re-established its chapter. 46 WILLIAM BRADFORD, '88 HERBERT ALEXANDER BON ZAND, '88 The chapter initiated during these years, Charles EUery Coxe, '90, Henry Rawle Wadleigh, '91, John Stovver Kellogg, '89, Alexander Chambers Howard, ^90, Charles Miner Dodson, '90, Morgan Chace, '90, James Rawle, '90, Edward Haviland Coxe, '91, Henry Sweyer Eckert, '91, Charles Norris Robinson, '90, Per-- cival Drayton, '92, Hanson Entriken Atkins, '92, George Evans Meily, '91, Francis du Pont Thomson, '90, Albert Brodhead, 'SS, George Haldeman Atkins, '92, Hartley Howard, Jr., '93, and Henry Whitman Kern, '92, all fine men, many of whom have since become prominent in fraternity matters. In the fall of 1886 John WillFam De Moyer, '90, of Omega, affiliated with the chapter ; and it having been rumored that the faculty of Prince- ton would remove the ban against fraternities, in the spring of 1889 William Ferree Timlow, and John Parke Hood, of the class of '86, at Princeton, were initiated under a dispensation. The members of the chapter were still prominent and popular in college. Stokes was editor-in-chief of the Burr, Gaston was business manager, and Coxe, '90, a member of the Board. Bradford was captain of the football team of i887-'88, and was also one of the first lacrosse players and a member of the team. In the general fraternity, Psi was conspicuously represented in the person of Keith, who, elected Grand Alpha in 1887, and re-elected in 1889, applied his great executive ability and power of organization to building up and strengthening Chi Phi, while losing none of his interest in Psi. The Calumet Club was successfully maintained during these years, and in the fall of 1888, when the Sigma Phi Fraternity vacated their house to enter the large and handsome building provided by their alumni, their old house was leased by Psi, the rooms on Cherokee Street vacated, and the meetings held in the house, which, al- 49 though really too small for comfort, partially satisfied the need which had existed for many years. A great revival of enthusiasm was the result of this change, the house serving as a fraternity centre, which induced many of the alumni to return and take part in the life of the chapter. The association with these alumni and their counsel did the chapter a vast amount of good. Among the most frequent visitors, as he has always been one of the most loyal and valuable members, was George Hood, while Keith, Graeff, Stetson, Morgan, and others were often guests of the chapter. Baseball was played by Lehigh with Rutgers and both football and lacrosse with Stevens; and many of the members of both chapters visited Bethlehem with their college teams, and were entertained by the chapter. The occupancy of the house also caused a revival of interest in the House Fund, the great difficulty with which had been the unwillingness of any large number of the alumni, at the time of its establishment, to take any interest in, or contribute to it, so that with a few excep- tions it was practically without alumni contributions ; but in 1889 conditions had changed, and the chapter had a strong body of young but very enthusiastic and loyal alumni, and under the management of Hood, Bon- zano, and James Stewart, the desired results have been accomplished, and the chapter-house has become an accomplished fact. In the fall of 1888 the number of students in attend- ance at Lehigh had increased to nearly 500 ; and owing to the high standing of the college, there were many excellent men among the number. It was, of course, im- possible, in a college of its size, where the proportion of fraternity material was considerable, for any one fraternity to secure all the good men in college. The younger fraternities had commenced to improve with the coming of the larger classes in 1884, and their im- 50 JAMES ST E IV ART, '89 CHARLES MINER DODSON, '90 provement had kept pace with the growth of the college. How great this improvement had been, and how strong these younger P'raternities had grown, was appreciated by Psi in the fall of i8S8, when its members first realized that some of them had developed into powerful rivals, and, unable to accommodate themselves to the changed conditions, the chapter nearly allowed itself to be over- come by the aggressive methods of its once feeble ad- versaries. In addition to the strength developed by the other Fra- ternities, and which operated as a surprise to the Psi Chapter, Chi Phi was at another disadvantage. For many years the chapter had known of the antecedents of many members of the incoming classes, and many men had come to college predisposed in favor of Chi Phi, but this year the supply of such men was cut off ; the men came from new localities, and only three members of the class of '92 were initiated. The class was not rich in fraternity material, and the losses were not so serious as they might have been ; but there were undoubtedly other men who should have been secured, and to-day it is hard to understand why they were not. In June, 1889, the chapter lost six members by gradua- tion : Stokes, Gaston, and Lewis of '88, and Schwartz, Morris, and Kellogg of '89 ; and at the beginning of the fall term 1889, the Chapter consisted of C. Coxe, Thomp- son, A. Howard, and De Moyer, '90; E. Coxe and Eckert, '91; Drayton, H. Atkins, and Kern, '92; H. Howard and G. Atkins, '93 ; while Edwin Clarke Reynolds of Kappa, not now a member of the fraternity, entered Lehigh in the class of '92, and affiliated with Psi. Thus the member- ship of the chapter, although small compared with recent years, was excellent in personnel, and contained the ele- ments of great strength. The unfortunate experience of the year before was fresh in the minds of the members; but they either would not or could not rush, and what S3 little work was done was conducted with little or no sys- tem. In spite of the pressure brought to bear upon them by alumni, the older members either devoted themselves entirely to study, or for the most part gave themselves up in the most selfish manner to their individual pursuits, while the younger members, finding the upper classmen to whom they looked for leadership doing nothing, followed their example with disastrous results to the chapter. The class of '93 was an excellent one, and contained many men who had come to Lehigh predisposed in favor of Chi Phi ; but through sheer inertia and selfish unwill- ingness to work, these men were lost to Chi Phi ; the sole candidate of the year being Max Whittaker McMurray, a splendid man who had been initiated under a dispensa- tion while a student at Ulrich's Preparatory School, but who never attended college. Nor was there much im- provement during the next year ; for although three men, Gerald Lewis, Albert Brodhead Enbody, and Robert Edes Chetwood, were initiated, Chetwood was the only one Avho finished the freshman year, but the other two returned later. This condition of affairs was all the more exasperating, as the men stood high in college, and were in a position to do good work had they been so inclined. Howard was manager of the lacrosse team, C. Coxe was an editor of the Btirr, and E. Coxe of the Epito7)ie ; and the men were all very prominent members of the various college organizations. All the traditions of the chapter seemed to be forgot- ten during 1889 and 1890, and the alumni became thor- oughly disheartened as they saw the work of years undone ; but fortunately, just when the chapter was at its lowest ebb, its members came to a realization of the situation, and by hard work conducted a successful campaign which did much to redeem them in the eyes of the alumni. The improvement was first visible in the spring of 1891 ; 54 HARTLY HOWARD, JR,, 'p^ ^ ROBERT C. CHETIVOODJR., '94 when the chapter, reduced to seven men, looked the situation squarely in the face, and resolved that the chap- ter should be restored to its old standing. The first meas- ure decided upon was that the old Sigma Phi House, then occupied by it, should be vacated. It was felt that while in it the chapter labored under the stigma of occu- pying a house that had been vacated by one of its rivals, because it had not been considered good enough by them. But a house was an absolute necessity, and the members knew of none that was suited to their needs. In this emergency Brother Albert Brodhead, '88, a resi- dent alumnus, came to the aid of the chapter, and offered it a house on Brodhead Avenue, in South Bethlehem, belonging to his father, which he offered to repair and add to. This building, as it stood, was old and badly ar- ranged, and the members were somewhat skeptical of Brother Brodhead's ability to fit it to their needs, but they accepted his offer gladly. Though, by sheer neglect, the membership of the chapter had been allowed to dwindle, its standard had not been lowered, nor was its prestige impaired. It was, therefore, only necessary for its mem- bers to apply themselves energetically and systematically in order to restore the chapter to its former strength. The sense of the gravity of the situation had been brought home to them mainly through the efforts of Drayton, '92, who chafed under the prevailing conditions, and who deserves great praise for awaking the dormant spirit of the chapter, and for assuming an aggressive and intelligent leadership at this critical juncture. He found himself ably assisted by Hartley Howard, '93, whose un- selfish devotion to the work in hand was invaluable. As a whole, however, the chapter had, through disuse, well nigh lost the faculty of promptly selecting and se- curing new men, which faculty was essential to success in a field so crowded with rivals as Lehigh had become. It is, however, unnecessary to consider whether, with all 57 the reawakened enthusiasm, the active members, unaided, would have been able to extricate the chapter from its difficulties. The alumni despaired of their doing so, and resolved to take matters into their own hands ; in conse- quence of which resolution, Keith, Hood, and James Stew- art, at a good deal of personal sacrifice, spent much time in Bethlehem in 1891, 1892, and especially 1893, directing the internal economy of the chapter and assisting it in securing members. The house which Brother Brodhead had added to and improved was turned over to the chapter in the fall of 1 89 1, and far exceeded the expectations of the men who now occupied it It was conveniently situated, and had been made homelike and comfortable ; furthermore, it accommodated all the members of the chapter, who, find- ing themselves once more in constant and intimate asso- ciation, became more closely united, and consequently better fitted for vigorous work. Acting under these favoring influences, the chapter put its best efforts into the campaign of 1891, and secured every man it wanted. Three copies of a very creditable pamphlet, the Psi Letter^ were published by the chapter during the years 1892 and 1893, for the benefit of its alumni, which brought many of them in touch with the active members, of whom they had lost sight for many years. In 1891 the Fraternity honored the chapter in electing Brother Drayton, Grand Gamma, an office he worthily filled, and to which he refused a re-election tendered him the same year. Keith also refused a re-election to the office of Grand Alpha, which he had held since 1887, and in 1890 Stockton retired as Chancellor. Thus Psi, for the first time in many years, had no representative among the Fraternity officers. Unfortunately for the chapter, Drayton graduated in June, 1892 ; and although Booth, '86, returned to college, 58 to follow a post-graduate course, thus becoming once more an active member, he did not live in the house. The influence and leadership of Drayton, in the chap- ter life, were greatly missed ; and the chapter, being composed, in the main, of young and inexperienced men, did not repeat in 1892 and 1893 the successes of 1891. A policy of ultra-conservatism, which was manifested in a disinclination to rush men, not previously known to the members, and a too great dependence for recruits upon men who were related to, or already acquainted with, members of the chapter, and who were to be had without effort, was one of the chief causes of the chap- ter's troubles during 1892 and 1893. Nearly all the men initiated in these years, therefore, were in this category and many excellent men were allowed to go into other fraternities because of more aggressive methods adopted by the latter. The principal cause of this trouble was a lack of in- telligent leadership and well-directed effort by the active members; but a good deal of it was due to the easy, careless life in the house, which was almost entirely in the hands of under-classmen. This trouble was recog- nized after the rushing season of 1892 ; and the members promised themselves that in 1893 they would do better ; and in 1893 they did, but it was due entirely to the efforts of Keith and Stewart, who were almost constantly in Bethlehem during the first term, that four men were secured. In 1894 improvement was made ; but in 1895, owing to the prevailing conditions, which could not have been forseen, not a single man was initiated. In the years 1891-1892-1893, and 1894, the chapter in- itiated Thomas West Claggett, Ellicott McConnell, Henry Sears Sizer, William Ogden Wade, William Hop- kins, De Witt Clinton, John Jameson Gibson, and Wil- liam Spencer Murray, of '95 ; Godwin Hall Powel, George Brydges Rodney, and Frederick Rawdon Bartles, of '96 ; 59 Charles Francis Scott and Henry Taylor Irwin, '97; John Tenny, Jr., Arthur Percy de Saulles, and Peirce Currier Foster, '98. These men became prominent socially and in college affairs. The chapter was represented on the Bu7'r by Gibson, Chetwood, and Rodney ; and Chetwood and Gib- son were particularly prominent in the dramatic and musical clubs. The men were sought after in the col- lege organizations, and they were nearly all members of the "Sword and Crescent," and Theta Nu Epsilon, as well as the more ephemeral social organizations; and had conditions been favorable in the college, as the men grew older, and realized more fully the responsibility resting upon them, the successful career of the chapter would have been assured ; but the hard times of 1893, and the years following, reduced the number of students at Lehigh, and materially lowered the grade of those who came. This of itself was misfortune enough, and con- siderably reduced the membership of every fraternity in college, but the worst was still to come. The endowment of the university was composed entirely of holdings in the Lehigh Valley Railroad and with the wreck of that road, the university found itself practically penniless. Free tuition, in all branches, had been maintained from the date of its foundation, and had been one of Judge Packard's dearest fancies ; but in the effort to save the college, tuition fees were imposed, state aid was secured, and everything short of lowering the standard was done. In spite of all, however, the number of students de- creased, and the amount of fraternity material was re- duced almost to zero. But even then the trouble was believed to be only temporary. The chapter was now thoroughly organized, and every one was satisfied that before the class of '95, in which its strength lay, had graduated, the college would have recovered from its misfortunes, and the chapter would be able to "swing" 60 JOHN JAMESON GIBSON, '95 GODIVIN HALL POJVEL, '96 enough men to insure a prosperous career. No one had any idea that its life was in real danger. But matters did not improve, and both in the chapter and college history repeated itself. The possibility of disaster to the chapter, by reason of the decadence of the university, had never been taken into account, in view of the large endowment of the col- lege ; and any considerable diminution in the number of students was thought to be out of the question ; so that when the storm finally came, the chapter was not in good shape to meet it. Owing to a variety of causes, few of the men initiated after 1891 completed their courses. The class of '02, upon which the chapter had built great hopes, entered in 1898 with only seventy students, and Psi was unable to find men to take the places of those who graduated in 1895. The same conditions continued. No men were initiated during 1895, and at the beginning -of the fall term, 1896, the chapter found itself reduced, by the graduation of the class of '96, to three, — Irwin and Scott, '97, and Percy Lesley Reed, '99, who had been initiated in February, 1896. The admirable work of the members of the chapter, during this period, shows the continuing influence which may be exercised by members of a college fraternity on their successors, and the value to a chapter of an in- heritance of loyalty, and adherence to duty. It speaks volumes for the devotion of Irwin and Scott to these principles, that they were true to the best traditions of Psi, and did not yield, although the fight seemed well nigh hopeless. They had this advantage over the chap- ter as constituted in 1876, when it had passed through a similar crisis, that they were aided and encouraged by a body of loyal alumni, and thus fortified, in spite of the odds against them, Psi conducted an aggressive cam- paign in the class of 1900, and succeeded in securing for Chi Phi, John Kenelm Digby, Walter Henry Rodney, 63 Gavin Hogg Dortch, and Richard Cromwell Congdon, the largest number of men initiated by any good fra. ternity in that year. One of the most pleasing features of the victory, was the fact that all of these new men either had been pledged to, or had had an understanding with, some other fraternity. The percentage of fraternity material in the college still continued to be low, and no additions were made to the chapter during year 1897. Allan Gordon Bohannon was the only initiate of 1898. Unlike the conditions which prevailed during the fight of fourteen years before, the number of students in college was decreasing, while the field was filled with sixteen fraternities, all struggling for life. The mem- bers of Psi never made a better showing than during this struggle. Their house while comfortable, did not shine in comparison with the houses of other fraternities of high grade, and the chapter had little in the way of material benefit to offer freshmen. Nevertheless, by sheer energy and real merit, it won from its rivals, and in every case where chances were even took the man it wanted. In 1897 Scott and Irwin graduated, and Reed, having been taken ill, left college temporarily so that, for the greater part of 1897-1898, the chapter consisted of but four men. The fight, however, was continued ; and the class of 1903, containing better material, the chapter in- itiated William Deakins Cassin, '01, Ernest Meredith Hill, and Walter Scott Hanna, '02, Alexander Byers McCulloch, Charles John Hendrickson, and Hugh Gas- ton Vander Veer, '03. Hanna, was a son of Brother Alfred Fiske Hanna, '77» and the first man of the second generation to be initiated by Psi. These additions in- creased the membership of the chapter to ten, and the members breathed more freely as they felt that the crisis was past. The affairs of the college began to improve, larger and better classes entered, and the chapter was 64 GAVIN HOGG DORTCH, '02 saved from extinction once more by the unyielding and indomitable spirit inspiring its members. After the graduation of Irwin, Dortch became the leader of the chapter, and to hkn much of the credit for the successful issue is due. Of true Chi Phi ancestry (being a son of a member of Eta), his energy, perseve- rance, and executive ability were the qualities needed at the time at which they were exercised. The chapter, until September, 1901, still continued to occupy Brother Brodhead's house, and there on Friday, February 22, 1897, celebrated its twenty-fifth birthday by a reception to the faculty and students. This event was a great success. Many of the alumni returned to celebrate the occasion ; and, although it was during one of Psi's dark- est periods, the anniversary was greatly enjoyed, and the interest shown by the alumni in its proper celebration served to encourage the active members. The house furnished by Brother Brodhead, in 1891, sufficient for that day, had ceased to measure up to the requirements of the chapter in the fierce competition of the days of Lehigh's travail, and it was felt that the chapter must soon have a better home. The alumni appreciated the fact that the members of the chapter deserved the best they could get, but could not see their way clear to providing the chapter with such a house as appeared necessary, nor could such a house be main- tained with the chapter thus reduced in numbers. The fund in 1900, in the hands of Brother Bonzano, who had succeeded Stewart as treasurer, amounted to ^3100, which had been accumulated by the unceasing labors of Bonzano, Hood, Keith, and James Stewart. To Stewart is due in a large measure the credit of se- curing the subscriptions ; and to him and Bonzano is due the credit of increasing it, they having devoted a great deal of time and energy for many years to this prosaic and thankless task. The measure of gratitude these two 67 men deserve from their brethren for their unselfish and arduous devotion to this work they will never receive, as it is impossible for one who has not actually made the sacrifices and received rebuffs which such labor en- tails, ever properly to appreciate it. In such cases '-'- Fmis coronat opus.'''' With the increased membership of 1900, and the prospects for the future, it was believed that the time was at hand for making a definite move, and the members of the chapter were told that if they continued their good work, a new house would, if possible, be secured. Encouraged by this assurance and by the successes of 1899, the chapter went confidently to work in 1900, and promptly secured William Montgomery Person, '02, William Gary Cram, Jr., Frederick Royalle Vernon- Williams, and Thomas Jefferson Stone Edelen, of the class of '04. The chapter with twelve members passed a prosperous year ; but it was felt that the next year would be the crucial period of Psi's life, it being gen- erally understood that the incoming class of 1905 would be the largest class that had ever entered Lehigh. The institution, however, was now in better financial con- dition than for some time past. Dortch, who had left college owing to ill health, but who had returned, promised to return again the follow- ing year to lead the chapter. It was believed that the Psi could now support such a house as it needed, and that it was absolutely necessary that a home should be secured for it. The house known as " Briarfield," located on Packer Avenue and formerly occupied by Hon. J. Davis Brod- head, had long been regarded as the ideal home for the chapter. The location was excellent, being close to the university. The building was large enough to accom- modate the members, and with its spacious grounds it was exactly suited to the needs. The house happened 68 to be for sale at a price which was believed to be low. For these reasons, in the summer of 1901 the trus- tees purchased the property, and on return to college the chapter vacated the old house on Brodhead Avenue, which had been its home since 1891, and moved into the new house, with which the members were delighted. They had so long looked forward to possessing a house of their own, and that hope had been so long deferred, that when they found their hopes finally realized they were greatly encouraged and stimulated. Several of the alumni returned to Bethlehem in August to aid in rushing, and all went to work in September with more enthusiasm and confidence than they had shown for years. After the acquisition of the house, it was believed that the property could be controlled in a more satisfactory way by a corporation than by trustees. Accordingly, in 190 1, a corporation was formed, the subscribers to the fund becoming shareholders of the Briarfield Asso- ciation which took over all of the property belonging to the fund and previously held by the trustees. The class of 1905 proved to be the largest in the history of the college, and contained 240 men. Many of these constituted excellent fraternity material ; and the members of Psi secured eleven men, bringing the total membership of the chapter up to twenty-two by the in- itiation of Edward Stonestreet Dawson, Walter Hilleary Henderson, Benjamin Hartley Hewit, Joseph Lough Larmour, James Fulton Leonard, Francis Rogers Pyne, Roger Kenneth Waters, Edward Nicoll Woodbury, Henry Slicer Regester, Jr., Henry Simpson Evans, and John Ellsworth Stonebraker, all of the class of 1905. The new members were fully up to the traditional stan- dard of Psi, and the chapter thus strengthened com- pared favorably with the personnel of the Psi Chapter of any period. The chapter at once took high rank and 69 recovered the prestige of former years. The men were prominent socially, many of them stood high in athletics, and the membership was well represented in the numer- ous clubs and organizations which go to make up st-u- dent life at Lehigh. The chapter is influential in the councils of Chi Phi, and is represented at the congress by both active mem- bers and alumni. In 1899 Brother Wyndham Stokes was elected Grand Gamma, which office he still holds, and in addition to being editor-in-chief of the new Chi Phi Register^ he with Keith of Psi and Adams of Xi constituted the committee which prepared the new ritual of the Fraternity. Bonzano, Hood, and James Stewart are also familiar faces at general fraternity gatherings, and several of the younger men have made their influence felt in the fraternity counsels. Taking the career of the chapter as a whole, the standard of fraternity honor and obligation it has ever maintained ; the character of the men it has given to the Fraternity ; the pride which its members have always had in Chi Phi, and the unselfish work they have per- formed in her behalf ; the part they have played in the establishment of three of her strongest living chapters ; the share they have had in her counsels and government ; in the writing of her history, her songs, her ritual, her constitution ; the standing and promise of the chapter's active membership ; — taking all these things into ac- count, it may be fairly claimed that the Psi Chapter of Chi Phi has not without glory upheld the banner of that Fraternity we all love so well. Wyndham H. Stokes, ''Z'], 70 HISTORY OF THE CHAKETT I HAVE been asked by my younger brethren to write a brief history of the origin of the Chakett, to dis- close the mystic meaning of the word, and how it was coined. To do this intelligently, the conditions of its birth must be understood, and its etymological horoscope must be recalled. Fifty years ago a strong spirit of opposition to college fraternities dominated the policy of American colleges and universities. Trustees co-operated with faculties in destroying them. So aggressive was this opposition that of the Princeton order of Chi Phi, whose institution at the College of New Jersey tradition then attributed to President McLean, in 1824, only one chapter survived. This was the Zeta Chapter, at Franklin and Marshall College, at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which was organ- ized in 1854. The mother chapter at Princeton, and the one at Brown University, perished in the storm of opposition before the opening of the Civil War. THE LITERARY SUBSTITUTE The college secret literary society, with its rituals and halls and badges and legendary mottoes, was sub- stituted for the fraternity wherever possible. Faculties received, but rarely exercised, the right of visitation and direction through active, honorary, or post-graduate membership. The more mysterious the ritual, and the more secret the proceedings, the more attractive they were for the undergraduate. The fraternities lan- guished under the ban of college disapproval; and the literary societies, with their usefulness magnified in chapel and class-room, and their attractions mystified by the glamour of secrecy, almost displaced them every- where. 71 A NEW EMERGENCY This was the situation thirty-five years ago. Then followed a fierce rivalry between the two literary socie- ties of Franklin and Marshall College. It involved the entire student body. The societies slowly drifted into the control of factions, which were dominated largely by the few members of the fraternities, which continued to maintain a precarious and secret existence. The an- tagonisms, born of feud and faction, invited and required the co-operation of some of the best students in the in- stitution; and the Chi Phi Fraternity, an almost unknown influence, suddenly sprang into prominence. At the opening of the college year in 1867, there were left only two undergraduate members of the Chi Phi Fraternity. The attitude of the college authorities and the conditions existing in the literary societies were favorable for expansion. The membership increased rapidly, and the influence of the chapter was soon felt in the class-rooms, in society halls, and in the general life of the institution. In 1868 further additions were made to its member- ship. Numbers became an element of strength, and membership was no longer concealed. Rival frater- nities, equally prosperous, acknowledged Chi Phi's prominence and influence, and vainly sought, by every means known to resourceful students, to check it. It was then that Zeta Chapter resolved to do something unusual, something that would stamp its individuality upon the mind and heart of the student body, and leave a lasting impression upon the college and university commencement season of 1868. Banquets and symposia were deemed too private, ex- clusive, and selfish. The college program for com- mencement week allowed no time for other appoint- ments. Therefore, the chapter decided to publish an 72 original fraternity paper. To the undergraduates it would seem a daring venture ; to the college authorities^ a challenge for unofficial recognition ; and to the public^ to the visitors and guests, a startling innovation. All the possibilities were discussed, the risks discounted, and the effect carefully considered and anticipated. The writer of this article was appointed editor and publisher, with a staff of assistants to share the glories of success, or help to bear the burden of failure. With- out limitations or conditions, except that the publication should broadly promote the interests of the college as well as those of the Fraternity, the editorial staff as- sumed the functions of their responsible positions. The selection of a name was intrusted to the editor-in-chief. After a long series of deliberations and consultations it was finally decided to call it Chi Phi Chakett. The paper was a successful venture, the surprise of commencement week. It was said to have been the first exclusive fraternity paper ever published at an Ameri- can college. It received the commendations of the local press for its typographical neatness, of the rival fraternities for its originality, and of the college au- thorities for its fairness, conservatism, and excellent taste. A CABALISTIC PUZZLE The name Chakett was one to conjure with. It was a cabalistic puzzle to all the profane. The most ingenious ruses were adopted to discover its meaning. Greek lexicons were consulted to disclose its roots. Every effort to discover its secret meaning failed utterly. And now, thirty-five years later, when most of the actors in this college drama have passed away, I am asked to divulge the etymology of the word, and disclose the meaning of Chakett. 73 It was an arbitrary word, coined for the purpose and for the occasion. It was formed by taking one initial letter from five, and two from another of the six secret titles of the officers of the chapter. In several later fraternity publications of the order, there was printed a finely engraved plate, showing a Chi Phi badge inclosed in a hexagonal border, set with jewels, surrounded with the twelve shaded points of four triangles, upon which appear twelve Arabic letters, which may be grouped as follows: R.A.E., R.T., K.S., G.C., T.C., H. Select the eleventh, twelfth, second, sixth, third, fifth, and tenth letters, and place them in the order named, and you have CHAKETT. We were all boys at college then, and our achieve- ments were wondrously magnified in our own estimate thereof. But even now, grown to be men of mature years, engaged in the more serious duties of life, and living in the shadow of the great and unknown future, we love to recall the memories of our college days, and live them over again in pleasant reminiscences. To the writer it is an inexpressible pleasure to know that the work he did more than a generation ago still interests so wide a circle of friends and brothers, and that the little word he formed from the mystic letters of our beloved Fraternity is still perpetuated in a more worthy and pretentious publication. Jos. W. YocuM, '68. 74 THE IDEAL FRATERNITY MAN EVERY one has his own ideas as to what are the most necessary characteristics of the ideal frater- nity man ; and many will be disposed, no doubt, to resent any suggestions in conflict with their own established convictions. The standards of different fra- ternities are dissimilar ; and even in the same frater- nity, different chapters appear to have varying ideals. One chapter desires the scholar ; another, the athlete ; a third seeks " the jolly good fellow ; " while still another tries wholly for men of social aspirations. With us we do not necessarily seek for the scholar, nor the hero of the football field, nor the social lion, nor do we desire the spendthrift sport, but first of all and over all the gentleman — the honorable and manly man. In seeking the gentleman to the manor born, it is often well to consider the college man's antecedents for it is rather unusual to find the child of coarse or vul- gar parents, whatever their station in life may be, exhibiting the instincts of the gentleman. But while properly investigating the character of a man's family, we must, after all, be governed in our selection of a fra- ternity mate by the character of the man himself. It has often happened that a son of distinguished or wealthy parents — sprung, it may be, from a long line of noble ancestors — has proved quite a calamity to the chapter of his choice. But while we say that the ideal fraternity man is the gentleman, we do not intend to lend color or support to an opinion now very generally entertained among some college men, that it is only " the grind " who seeks for honors in scholarship or other lines of college effort. With those who entertain this deep-seated aversion to the performance of all college duties, there are honors 75 far more important in their eyes— for instance, mem- bership in a mandolin club (the existence of which or- ganization is probably evidenced only by the college annual), or the distinguished honpr of an election to a dining-club. It is not to be contended that scholarship should be the prerequisite to admission into fraternity life, but it should be also remembered that the best fra- ternity men do not shirk the performance of college work. How keenly should a chapter feel the disgrace of having its numbers reduced by the failure of mem- bers to perform their college duties. Yet this is not unusual with the average fraternity. Of all things, the fraternity man should observe the most absolute secrecy with regard to all matters con- cerning his fraternity. It may be difficult for the exhuberant freshman to refrain from boasting at times of the superior excellence of his own fraternity, but such boasting is both extremely improper and hurtful. Were it not a secret order, but merely a social organization, such boasting would be distasteful. Remarks, unob- jectionable when made concerning social organizations, should never be indulged in as to one's fraternity, for the ideal fraternity man refrains absolutely from speaking of his fraternity to persons who are not mem- bers. It goes without saying that the true fraternity man should be faithful to his fraternity in the performance of all duties imposed upon him by it. He should never hesitate to sacrifice his own self-interest in order to ad- vance that of his fraternity or that of his fellow chapter mates. Self-sacrificing service always leads to love of the object of such service, and nothing so tends to brotherly love as unselfishness. There should be few stronger ties in life than those of pure and unselfish friendship in an ideal fraternity. Where can one find a purer friendship ? Seldom can one 76 • find more delight or pleasure than that obtained within chapter-walls in social and friendly intercourse with noble young men, bound together by most sacred ties, and at that period of life, too, when the coldness and selfishness of the world have not yet chilled the nobler sentiments of the heart nor dampened the ardor of friendship. Seldom in life does one enjoy more delight- ful friendship than this. As each of us turns back to college days, few memories are as sweet as those lin- gering still of ambrosial nights with our fraternity mates. Gathered together at the old house, on some spring-time evening, grouped in friendly converse upon its broad piazzas, how happily passed the moments. I can still feel the friendly clasp of a club-mate's hand as sitting there I was wont to hear in the distance some sweet tenor mingling with the rich bass of the college serenaders, wafted to us on the fragrant breezes of the night — the air heavy with the perfume of the Southern magnolia — or would sit enraptured by the occasional bursts of eloquence from a neighboring mocking-bird, the " trim Shakespere" of the South, as roused from sleep by the unwonted brilliance of the moonlight, he would wake to vie in song with the college serenaders. Those nights of pleasure were made possible by the delightful and sustaining friendship of our fellows, men carefully and conscientiously selected. It is essential to the success of every chapter that it should keep before it continually, like a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, the high standard of the gentleman in selecting its candidates for initiation into the secrets of the brotherhood. RoBT. J. Travis, r '97 and H '99. 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