Beta Theta Pi at Wabash College (Volume 1)

Wabash College VOLUME ONE

By Jon M. Myers '81, Erik L. Lindseth '83,

Todd I. Glass '84, and GB Landrigan '85 Wabash College

Edited by GB Landrigan '85 and Ross B. Dillard '07

VOLUME ONE

This is the first of two volumes published in hardbound and electronic editions by the Tau Chapter of Beta Theta Pi in observance of the 175th anniversary of its founding on July 22, 1846.

Wabash College First Edition

l Rights Reserved including the right of oduction in whole or in part in any form. me photographs have been colorized or otherwise edited for clarity.

ufactured in the United States of America

ENDURE

author of 100 Years at Wabash: Beta Theta Pi 1846-1946, Walter L. Fertig '38, author of 125 Years at Wabash, and Erik L. Lindseth '83, co-author of 150 Years of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash College.

e research by chapter archivist Jon Myers ‘81 began leading to sting questions and newfound answers, it became clear that er one of our 150th anniversary history book, 1846-1900: The Greeks, authored by Erik Lindseth ’83, of ever honored ory, would need to be at least partially supplanted by the new ngs. The decision was therefore taken to divide the original hapter into two, 1846-1872: The Tau of Beta Theta Pi, which ins the fruits of Myers’ research, and 1872-1900: The True ks, which contains Lindseth’s original material covering those The remaining Lindseth material from our prior publication een retained as an appendix to this volume.

dition to the new narrative of the 1846 to 1872 period, you also find interspersed throughout chapter one short aphies of interesting figures in our history which were also ched and written by Myers and are aesthetically denoted by ages. The remainder of this volume is 150 Years of Beta Theta Wabash College as originally written by Lindseth, GB rigan ’85, and Todd Glass ’84 in 1997, with some corrections elling and punctuation and minor editing for clarity with otes utilized to describe any significant updates to the original

biographies, chapter roll, and rosters that appeared in the nal publication have been moved to a second volume, Beta Pi at Wabash College Volume Two, where they have been ded upon. A new narrative of our chapter’s history in the of a sixth chapter, 1996-2021: Into the Twenty-First Century, en by Ross Dillard '07, is also included in the second volume. re pleased to have been able to use the opportunity of our celebration to bring you not only a modernization of our material, but also new insights into our chapter’s history both our earliest years and the years since 1997.

Contents Preface

9

By Jon M. Myers '81

Chapter One

15

1846-1872: The Tau of Beta Theta Pi

by Jon M. Myers '81

Chapter Two

73

1872-1900: The True Greeks

by Erik L. Lindseth '83

Chapter Three

87

1900-1945: Endure

by GB Landrigan '85

Chapter Four

117

1945-1996: Setting the Standard

by Todd I. Glass '84

Chapter Five

157

1996: Tau Celebrates Its Sesquicentennial

by Todd I. Glass '84

Appendices

170

Most of us recall the standard rush pitch highlighting the chapter’s bona fides. I recall mine.

Bob Perrone ‘80 was home after his first week at Wabash. He was electrified by Beta. I can remember his explanation of Tau’s founding by General John Coburn, “Aunt Jennie” Blair and the entire chapter decamping for battlefields abroad, and several Rhodes Scholars. It was the first fraternity at Wabash and at several other colleges as well. He told me Beta was the first fraternity founded west of the Alleghenies. I assumed all fraternities had this type of pedigree, with famous founders, Rhodes Scholars, and so forth.

I set up a visit to Wabash for the next weekend. After the football game, Bob asked if I wanted to see his fraternity. We walked through the back door and there were seven long cherry dining tables, refectory chairs with the Beta coat of arms carved into each chair, and a memorial to “Old 513” on the wall. Then it was the living room, with its leather sofas, solid wood furniture, and a baby grand piano in the back niche. There was also a large scrapbook on the coffee table beneath a nice painting by a famous artist, but not Rembrandt. Next was the card room with its oak tables and chairs and wall plaques and trophies from the 1920’s. We finally went to his room on the second floor front. He opened his roommate's closet, Jim Engledow’s, and pushed some clothes around in order to show me a suit vest. On it was the Beta “badge,” which was to be worn “under the coat and over the heart.” And, it was a real diamond.

I was hooked.

I accepted the post of chapter archivist in 2018 and could see that a revised history for the 175th celebration was on the horizon. What AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

do no more than echo the headlines from the 513 rush pitch. that seemed a pity since I was now something of a Beta lore t.

rtunately, much of our origin story is unsupported by our er’s extensive archive. In fact, the chapter’s history has been ted over the years so much that some of our beliefs are overerations, understatements, or half-truths. The chapter history red for the sesquicentennial admitted that many of these basic were historical mysteries. There were a great many ions, seemingly unanswerable. After all, when the 150th ersary book was written, Google did not exist. This revised is a testament to the search engine that changed everything. I never have found my information in any other way.

more focused history should be read in the context of our n pedigree.

Chapter is unique in many ways, setting us apart from most fraternity chapters in the Greek world. We are the only Beta er at an all-male school. We are a chapter created by Alpha ter at Miami University, which is unusual, especially for the nt chapters. DePauw was not. Wabash is the smallest host e of any chapter in Beta’s “Broad Domain.” We were founded graduate of Miami University (of Ohio), who later became the us Civil War governor of Indiana, and by a Wabash senior, would later rise to be a Civil War general in the United States y. We are also a chapter of firsts. Beta was the first fraternity at sh. It is also the first to write and distribute a collection of songs to other chapters. The men of Tau also wrote one of the nitiation rituals, which was used by many chapters until the was standardized.

ge leadership is also part of our chapter’s heritage, both at AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

while not Betas in their own right, had Wabash sons who became Betas during the time the chapter was meeting in secret. Several college buildings are named for Betas, such as Trippet Hall, Detchon Center, Hays Hall, and Sparks Center. We have nearly two hundred members of Phi Beta Kappa, usually one or two in each class. Perhaps most notably, we have had five Rhodes Scholars, which is a record among American Beta chapters.

We have had a few men enroll at either Annapolis or West Point, either as transfers or graduates. One was General Charles D. Herron, Class of 1897, who was chief of staff to General McArthur.

At one time he was the oldest living Beta in the entire fraternity.

And the second-oldest living Beta at the same time, remarkably, was his pledge brother Reginald H. Sullivan, Class of 1897, who was a multi-term mayor of Indianapolis. Not only were Herron and Sullivan pledge brothers, but they were initiated in sequential order, literally standing next to each other when admitted to the light.

We are widely known for having initiated three women, the only women ever initiated into Beta Theta Pi. These were not pretend initiations or a parlor game. Instead, they were women who distinguished themselves on behalf of our chapter and to whom we bestowed our greatest honor.

We have also been especially dedicated to preserving our chapter's permanent record. In the last three decades, the chapter has been fortunate to have two dedicated alumni historians: Erik Lindseth ’83, chapter historian of ever honored memory, and GB Landrigan ’85, chapter archivist from 1985 to 2018. We also have an active house corporation which oversees the operation of the chapter, the condition of the chapter house, and the physical property of the chapter. As a point of pride, perhaps second only to Alpha, we have the most complete set of archival records in the entire fraternity. We AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

zine ever published since the first edition in 1872.

re also fortunate to have dedicated alumni who have kept the afloat. Jack Wyatt ‘58, Sam Hildebrand ‘61, Dr. John Roberts nd Jim Engledow ’78, among others, have all assisted Old Tau he decades.

irst mark of a Beta may well be his “Beta Spirit.” At Tau it is up of two parts: We are laughers at good wit and we are em-solvers without peers. This is our Beta Spirit.

dly recall the gut-splitting laughter while listening to the classmen pontificate on all matters great and small, especially rhyne. And especially the class of 1979, one of the smartest s in memory. Tau sent several of these men to medical, dental, r divinity schools such as Yale, Chicago, Texas, Vanderbilt, ington and Lee, Notre Dame, the University of London — o mention Indiana University. John J. Marshall ‘79 was elected i Beta Kappa as a junior. And these guys did great stand-up dy, yet were urbane in deportment and cultivators of intellect.

remember the deadly seriousness of the emergency chapter ng in December 1977, also when I was a rhyne. The house iterally attacked by a malicious and ill-spirited campus-wide ball pelting that broke more than 90 windows. It sounds y, but it wasn’t. We were terrified. We locked ourselves in the er room and we could hear the melee upstairs. Cool and stoic prevailed, even with the crashing sound of breaking glass irs. 513 was an absolute wreck, shattered glass everywhere. s were blasted on the T.C. Steele painting and the piano as as on our one-of-a-kind dining room tables and chairs, the oak card tables and chairs - all objects of chapter pride. It was unny, no wisps of wit. We were nearly shell-shocked at what ad just experienced. And it was not lost on us that the attack AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

So there you have it, all the Beta pink and blue I could possibly bleed, in honor of Tau’s pandemic-delayed 175th Anniversary. The hard part of this was not the research, but, instead, writing for a group of men who intimidate me with their brilliance.

— Jon M. Myers ‘81, Chapter Archivist, 2018-present

A

1846-1872: The Tau of Beta Theta Pi

By Jon M. Myers '81

lpha Chapter probably had a chapter in view at Wabash shortly after Oliver Perry Morton, an Indiana native, was initiated in 1841. He knew of the Hoosier colleges, one being on the edge of the American frontier in western Indiana. When he graduated from Miami in 1845, he was encouraged to prospect and recommend new chapters in his native Indiana.

There are no records, so all we can do is make an educated guess, but it is easy to imagine the most logical course of events. Upon leaving Miami in the summer of 1845, Oliver Perry Morton, who would become the great Civil War governor of Indiana, returned to Indiana to study and then practice law, starting in Indianapolis.

John Coburn’s father, Henry Coburn, was a prominent member of the Indianapolis Bar Association at the time.

In the summer of 1845, Morton met Henry Coburn, and then learned of Henry’s son, John, who had just finished his junior year at Wabash College. They were very close in age. Morton must have met with John in person at least once, and ultimately asked in a general way if a small, confidential discussion society with oaths of scholarship and friendship could exist at Wabash, and, if so, would he be the man to start it? Coburn committed to the proposition.

Then Morton most likely let him look at a copy of the constitution and asked directly if he agreed to the specific ideals of our society — the Beta, the Theta and the Pi — and to start the Wabash chapter. He agreed. For all intents and purposes, this was Coburn’s “initiation.” Morton then mailed his recommendation back to Alpha to elect Coburn in abstentia in order to establish a chapter at AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

d forming the chapter in his mind at once. This would soon to talks with fellow students John Hougham and John pbell about the idea. They all would have committed to the nd probably met informally until the chapter was ratified.

nwhile at Miami, the process of canvassing the existing ers on the Crawfordsville question began in April 1846 was completed around June 6. In fact, the first written ments pertaining to our chapter are two letters to and then existing chapters, and are now in the General rnity archives. The first letter is from Alpha at Miami to bda at Michigan:

iram Strong, Miami, Nathaniel West, Michigan, xford Ohio, April 22, 1846

At a late meeting of the chapter it was resolved that we ask ermission of our brethren to establish a branch of our sociation at Wabash College, Crawfordsville, a highly ourishing institution in Indiana….

eeks later a reply was sent from the Western Reserve chapter to Miami:

eta Theta Pi at Western Reserve College, to Miami, une 6th, 1846

Your request was taken into consideration, and ermission was given to establish a chapter at rawfordsville, Indiana….

decades, most have assumed that John Coburn traveled to Oxford, Ohio and was initiated at Miami, in person. After all, it is not that far away. It is a romantic notion, the young and fearless Coburn on horseback with a flintlock in hand and Homer in the saddlebag.

But it was obviously different then. It would have taken several days and a good deal of cash to travel round trip to Oxford, Ohio in 1846. Not only that, but Wabash was in session until the middle of July. So Coburn riding to Miami University for a mere hourlong meeting while Wabash was still in session, one month before graduation, for the purpose of pledging allegiance to a rather ordinary constitution does not seem likely.

In the early years, there was not an initiation ritual as today.

Instead, membership came with nothing more than the reading of the constitution, and the new member giving his oath to the ideas and obligations of the society. It may well have evolved into the candidate reading the lengthy constitution to himself immediately beforehand, and then pledging allegiance to it at an actual meeting, a process which would have taken no longer than a minute or two, and then followed by another minute or two of the welcoming chatter of sincere wishes and displays of good willed wit.

Alpha’s minutes recall his election: Alpha Chapter June 13th, 1846. ...Called meeting. Chapter met at Hay and Osborn's room.

All the members were present. Mr Coburn was elected a member of the Beta Theta Pi for the purpose of establishing a chapter at Crawfordsville. Mr Hay was instructed to forward him a copy of our constitution….

"Reverence for Antiquity" and John Coburn whose subject was "The Grandeur of Real Life."

L. Holman, and Varnum D. Collins being initiated as numbers hrough six on the Roll of the Wabash Chapter, the Mu of Beta Pi. It was an important day in the life of the college. The sh trustees met that day and the class of 1846, which included Coburn and Hougham, graduated. As valedictorian, ham gave one of the principal orations of the celebration. er Coburn then wrote to Alpha confirmation of the dation, which is recorded in Alpha’s minutes:

lpha Chapter ugust 11th, 1846

A regular meeting. Chapter met in Mr. Hay’s room. resident in the chair. Minutes of the last regular meeting, well as those of the called meetings, were read and dopted. A letter from Mr. Coburn of Crawfordsville was ad….

n the issue of Coburn’s initiation, the matter now seems d: He was elected in absentia and had the papers “forwarded” m. There would be no “rituals” of initiation for several years me. Interestingly, Tau’s archive holds a hand-penned initiation titled The XYZ Ritual. It is one of the earliest original ion rituals in the General Fraternity and was used by many chapters over the years preceding the adoption of a standard .

Chapter Correspondence of 1846 and 1847

has been written about the Coburn chapter from its creation 46 and the voluntary disbanding of December 1847 to the quent year or two underground. The reason is simple: the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

of the first Beta song collection in December 1847.

Recently, however, eight long-forgotten letters now in the General Fraternity archives finally shed some light on the Wabash chapter’s earliest years.

When school started in October 1846, the new Beta chapter began its work. There were many questions from the curious new brothers at Wabash. This is the first letter written by the young Wabash chapter, and it was to the mothership at Miami: From John W. Taylor, Wabash, to Jerome T. Gillett, Miami Crawfordsville, Indiana Dec. 6, 1846. …We wish, however, a little further information respecting the letter by which our chapter shall be known, as the constitution of our association says it must be one denoting the priority of the chapter. You speak of the Lambda chapter, at Ann Arbor.

This is the eleventh letter in the order of the Greek alphabet.

Does ours come next? Please let us know what our letter will be and the manner of selecting, as we wish to get a stamp as soon as possible...

There is a good feeling existing among the members, and a spirit to cultivate confidence and friendship. I wish you would inform us where the seal and badge or breastpins can be best obtained, and of the usual cost. The members of our chapter are in favor of holding the triennial convention in Cincinnati, as it will be more convenient to send our delegate to that place.

Please write soon, we wish to procure a seal before I commence the correspondence with the other chapters. Any further information which you think of service to us will be thankfully

ral John Coburn was born into old Puritan stock from the achusetts Bay. His great-grandfather, Peter Coburn, was a n in the Continental Army, and commanded his company at attle of Bunker Hill. His father, Henry, settled at Corydon, he capital of Indiana since its admission to statehood in 1816, n 1824 moved to Indianapolis, where Founder Coburn was October 27, 1825. He watched Indianapolis grow from a few s and a handful of businesses to a thriving metropolitan road and rail hub.

rn was admitted to the bar in 1849. He practiced law until when he was elevated to judge of the old Common Pleas t. For nearly fifty years he served the citizens of Indiana, ning as a representative in the Indiana Legislature in 1856.

ptember 1861, he resigned his seat on the bench to accept AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

regiment participated in the Battle of Wild Cat, the first fought on Kentucky soil. Afterward his regiment joined the Army of the Cumberland and participated in all the notable battles of the Atlanta campaign. Coburn was, in fact, the officer who officially accepted the surrender of Atlanta on behalf of the Union. For gallant and meritorious services in this campaign he was brevetted a brigadier general.

After the close of the war, he again entered public life, serving first as Marion County Circuit judge by appointment, and then in his own right when he won the bench without opposition in the fall of 1865. In 1866 he was elected to Congress and served five terms, until March 1875. He was a useful and hard-working member, serving on many important committees.

After the close of his congressional services, he served as one of the United States commissioners at Hot Springs, Arkansas, and then as one of the justices of the Supreme Court of the Montana Territory.

Among other accomplishments, Garfield Park in Indianapolis owes its existence to General Coburn, as does the Indiana Historical Society, which he founded with his father, Henry.

It was said that to talk with him was like opening a volume of Hoosier history. He knew well the early history of Indiana, the hardships and dangers of pioneer life, and the transformation of the swamps and forests into beautiful landscapes and agricultural fields.

He knew the very beginnings of railroads and telegraphs and the development of all our agricultural, manufacturing, and mining industries.

General Coburn was well-connected. He had known nearly all the great men of this state. With many of them he was on terms of intimate acquaintance; with many, of close personal friendship. He knew personally all the presidents from Lincoln to Teddy AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

and respected nearly all the generals, both Federal and ederate.

y, it was General Coburn who settled the Beta Theta Pi / a Sigma Chi union in the mind of a young William Raimond . We all recall from lore that Beta’s union with Alpha Sigma n 1878 was important because it gave Beta “a much-needed n wing.” Baird was the member of Alpha Sigma Chi charged investigating such a union and selecting a national fraternity which to unite. He chose Beta. Significantly, Tau can take credit for this through our founder, General Coburn. As en by Willis O. Robb, The Beta Theta Pi, Oct 1917:

aird sensed the fraternity of the swift-coming future before ny other man of the early eighties of the last century. Other en — thousands of them — have been chosen by Beta Theta i; Baird chose Beta Theta Pi. His was the dominant impulse at sought out Beta Theta Pi as the senior partner in the union ith Alpha Sigma Chi, his original fraternity. And while he mself allowed the impression to remain general that that hoice was based on a close study of statistics and probabilities, e fundamental truth is that it was a spiritual choice after all. ome little time before, during a short stay in Indianapolis, he ad been gathering at the same table with several young and d College men from all parts of the country, among them eneral John Coburn of our old Wabash Chapter. One day a hance and rather slighting remark about western Colleges and estern fraternities from one of the parties drew from General oburn a swift, warm tribute to the Beta Theta Pi Chapter of s College days. Baird never forgot the incident, and in private tercourse always traced to it his first infusion of the "Beta irit."

letter tells us a few things about the Coburn chapter. First, r wanted an embossing seal, which he mentioned twice. y we have an array of gadgets to play with, but then there only a few: a pen, books, scraps of paper, and a pocketknife about the extent of it. Anyone who has used an embossing nows it can be rather fun, even today. So, it is no surprise that ardworking corresponding secretary would surely want one ll to certify a letter’s authenticity and the official activities of ascent Wabash chapter. Second, the letter shows an almost cal lack of knowledge about the general fraternity and the t chapter a full six months after our founding. Clearly the sh Betas had taken the time to read the constitution and then few follow-up questions. Finally, they were in search of the ols of the society, and especially the “breastpin” or badge, and urse, that seal. But after two months neither the seal, badge, ore were forthcoming, requiring a second letter, also in the nal archives. It was a polite reminder, but immediately implied one was asleep at the wheel:

hn W. Taylor, Wabash, Jerome T Gillett, Miami rawfordsville Feb. 8, 1847.

We are awake here in phi-kai-phi. We have not been able to btain a stamp yet but find some difficulty in getting a man to ake it.

We are not fully informed respecting the origin and tablishment of the order. As yours is the Alpha chapter, you, course, can give us some or all of its history, which would be ery interesting for us; it is not desired, however, unless erfectly proper and consistent with the policy of the sociation.

generally thought advisable to let the existence of a branch be known through the College. Ours thus far is entirely unknown to any person except the members, as everyone we applied to readily joined.

There is some antipathy entertained here by the faculty against secret societies, consequently we have been very cautious. We have a rival society here called the Atalantian; it, however, has the consolation of taking up with second- or third-rate members, most of whom would not be welcomed to the ranks of our glorious brotherhood...

We feel proud of our association, and although we are the youngest chapter, we do not intend to be in the rear in sustaining the dignity and character of the order of the Beta Theta Pi.

The disfavor of the faculty on any issue, and especially an issue involving secrecy and exclusivity of certain college cliques, was the kiss of death. And the idea that only members knew of our existence was badly misjudged. Just a few weeks later the chapter’s record book and correspondence file were stolen by outsiders. It was no doubt embarrassing. The following letter to the DePauw chapter contains a second warning of trouble, and what had to be an embarrassing breach of security by the Wabash chapter.

Varnum D. Collins, Wabash, to Amos W Reagan, Indiana Asbury (DePauw).

Crawfordsville, Indiana, March 9th, 1847.

Owing to certain disclosures which have happened at this

Scherer Hougham (pronounced HUFF-um) is probably the known of our first members, as nothing has been written of within the context of Tau Chapter. He was a humble man, and sought notoriety. But he left an incredible, and luckily ble, record.

graduating from Wabash College as class valedictorian in and a year teaching secondary school, Hougham was elected e professorship of mathematics and natural philosophy at klin College, a Baptist-supported college south of napolis. Professor Hougham came to that college during a d of "doom and despondency" concerning the financial tion of the institution. Its continued existence was uncertain.

klin College records do not precisely describe how the cial crisis was averted, but holding commencement the same AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

between college presidents (1849-1852), Professor Hougham cochaired a committee charged with carrying out an endowment drive to lift the debt of the college.

In December 1862, Brother Hougham became the acting president of Franklin College. It would not be the last such appointment. In late 1863 a final desperate effort to raise funds was made, but to no avail. On June 27, 1864, the Franklin College board suspended operations. Like many other colleges, it was a victim of the Civil War. Franklin College was to be revived in 1872 as a co-educational institution, but without Professor Hougham.

Instead, he moved his family to Manhattan, Kansas in April 1868 where he became professor of agriculture at the Kansas State College of Agriculture, now Kansas State University. For the first two years he taught physics. By 1870, in addition to his professorship, Hougham was the college librarian and the superintendent of the university farms. He was appointed acting president of Kansas State, but gladly returned to teaching when the vacancy concluded.

University extension, as we would call it today, is not said to have begun in this country until the 1890's, but it was first proposed and started by Professor Hougham, and was inaugurated in Kansas on June 23, 1868, when the college Board of Regents adopted a resolution calling for their professors to "extend the benefits of the institution to the people of the state at large." With his direction, the first "Farmer's Institute," as it came to be known, was held in Manhattan, Kansas on November 14, 1868. The institute continued and by 1873 had expanded to several-day affairs with paid, out-ofstate speakers as participants. Vestiges of the "Farmers' Institute" continue to this day at Kansas State University. These institutes were the brainchild of Brother Hougham.

Photographs from d Purdue's first professor, comparable today to the dean of Worthpoint.com ollege. He was charged with hiring the first faculty and ning the first building. When classes started, he was the ssor of physics and industrial mechanics. Twice, Professor ham became Purdue's acting president. It has been written he "could well have served as the university president in his right" had he so chosen. In fact, the Purdue archives considers past Purdue president, without qualification.

ham was also an inventor, and he is credited with the creation first solar compass, which could determine direction without etism. In some very obscure niches of scientific mentation lore, his invention remains a milestone.

78 Hougham resigned his post at Purdue and returned to attan, Kansas, where his children had remained, where he ed his teaching career, and where he is now buried.

that you might throw some light upon the subject. You are aware, I presume, that we have to keep secret the existence of our chapter, and we thought that we would succeed admirably but from some cause it has leaked out, and with it some information which is highly dangerous for the uninitiated to possess. Certain persons, (Horace Carter and Milford D. Ivins I think) have had the meanness to break through the barriers of gentlemanly conduct, honesty, and locks for the express purpose of examining our constitution and correspondence. …We feel exceedingly mortified that so much is revealed of our association, and we the channel of information; and especially so, because we cannot with absolute certainty, place our mark of disapprobation, upon the offender, or offenders.

Our Brethren, we fear, will think that this disclosure has been through carelessness on our part, but I assure you, that so far as we are concerned, we are exempt from blame. It is a perfect mystery, how our existence was known, and I fear it will remain so.

We are in a flourishing condition. I have lately heard from several chapters, all progressing finely. Say nothing of this to the other chapters, but answer this immediately, and also throw what light you can on this mystery of iniquity.

One of the first signs of friction with the barbarous non-members was this burglarizing and theft of the chapter’s records, few as they were. The only documents possessed by the Coburn chapter were its now-lost minutes book, which contained a complete handwritten copy of the Constitution of Beta Theta Pi, which also included the Greek translation of our society’s three principal touchstones, and a few letters, one of which was presumably the charter confirmation documents received by Coburn in June 1846.

Today, those foundational documents are sadly missed. But the new AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

nt a message that the Betas were no longer looked upon ably by anyone, and perhaps never were. It was downhill from

rtheless, the chapter correspondence remained upbeat, and this ve to Lambda Chapter at Michigan was perhaps unusually so.

rom Varnum D Collins, Wabash Willis C Ransom, Michigan. rawfordsville Indiana July 22, 1847

was absent from College, and likewise waiting for our seal, hich was expected from Cincinnati, I have thus long delayed nswering.

n the midst of our continued prosperity as a chapter, we suffer uch from those who, despairing of becoming members, mbrace every means and opportunity of defaming our character nd talents. We feel that we have sacrificed much by declaring ur identity as a branch of a secret association. The bitter fruits envy are fast growing up, and even the sacredness of dividual character is not so much as respected. …

We feel exceedingly sorry that such is the feeling with regard to urselves. The uninitiated look upon us as a kind of literary istocracy, claiming for ourselves the best and truest of Wabash.

we have received the approbation and the hearty “Godspeed” the faculty. While our chapter has done some injury by causing ard feelings and envy, it is, at the same time, stimulating us to onorable emulation, and to that rank which should characterize ose who aspire to carry out the principles of Beta Theta Pi.

professes to be, beneficial. - May the whole association realize that their union with each, whether by correspondence or actual acquaintance, proceeds, not from base interest, but from the virtuous sympathy of mutual Esteem.

We were established just one year ago from today, and on this evening, we celebrate the first anniversary of our chapter, by two orations and a regular Beta supper. We have not yet received the address on behalf of the “special convention,” which I presume is forthcoming.

Apparently, one cannot overstate the importance of that seal. Now it was Brother Collins’ mission. In fact it was so important that secretary Collins delayed sending letters until he had it in hand. But more to the point, one can sense that the chapter was becoming increasingly disliked, perhaps even despised, by many of the other students. Wabash has always been and remains an egalitarian community, and this exclusivity practiced by six students was hard for some and very hard for others to countenance.

When the college year opened in October 1847, the outlook seemed somewhat encouraging for the chapter despite some modest opposition. Stephen Taber wrote Alpha Chapter the following Wabash report letter: Stephen C. Taber, Wabash to R. Vance Moore at Miami October 13, 1847 …Our chapter is still progressing onward in pleasant peace, which has at length visited our devoted heads; but it has not always been thus. We have been compelled here to "run the gauntlet," as well as elsewhere. The storm of conflict has,

ciety."

he opening of another College year has presented an entirely ew aspect. Our most bitter opponents have put on a bland mile and a courteous demeanor, the better, perhaps, to lull the nwary to their destruction, but unfortunately, they will find at we are "initiated."

he depravity of their nature has been too fully developed for ever to be off our guard. We move to contend with a secret ciety, termed the "Atalantian Literati," and also some woulde-worthies, who, stung to the quick, in the disappointment of eir aspirations, now use their giant influence against us; but it as been as Horace says-"parturiunt montes; nascetur ridiculus us." (Mountains are in labor, a ridiculous mouse will be orn).

hey have therefore branded us with the epithet "Excelsior," hich they obtained from a letter that came into their ossession through burglary, and it is our intention, if possible, ot to have the name misapplied. We have gained a complete ctory, inasmuch as not one whom we have proposed for embership has ever entertained the slightest objection.

aving thus disposed of the "Sans Culottes," (revolutionaries) new opponent still more terrible, we fear, is about to enter the ena; being no less than our faculty, in propria personae (for ne's self). A member of it, who has shown himself on every ccasion, our friend, privately informed us that he should lay a roposition before us, purporting that since the existence of our hapter had occasioned such serious disturbances, ompromising the dignity and tranquility of the institution, we ould magnanimously dissolve.

known as the Iota chapter.

at, but its descending tone telegraphs the coming irreparable ons in college caused by the Beta chapter, and ultimately sting that the Beta chapter disband. Things were so bad that e finishing one of the letters, Taber advised that reply letters dressed to Jesse L. Holman at Crawfordsville "as there are s here bearing the same surname as myself (Taber) who might iscover their error until too late to be repaired." That nasty of records theft and the resulting paranoia had its effect. But end, there were dangers in all quarters which threatened the g chapter, and for the faculty to suggest the chapter dissolve is proof that things were not going well for the brothers in fordsville.

The Demise of the Coburn Chapter

now, we knew very little about John Coburn’s chapter, first n as Mu, then Eta, and finally Iota. What little we did know of its rather quick demise in December 1847. It all started on mber 23, 1847 when the college trustees declared “No society exist in the college without the approbation of the faculty.” mandate by the college trustees immediately placed the Beta er in imminent danger. William Raimond Baird, in an article October 1902 issue of the Beta Theta Pi Magazine, gives us a al overview of the grim situation facing the Betas at Wabash:

he chapter at once sprang into prominence and within a year ad gathered to itself much of the talent of the College. This eated, very naturally, the most intense opposition and alousy among the students who had not been invited to join , and a rival society called the "Atalantian Literati" was ganized by them. The feud between these societies finally ulminated in both of them being asked to give up their

they would all remove to some other institution. The faculty thereupon asked them to reconsider their action, pointing out that their departure would constitute a serious injury to the College and begging of them to remain on condition that all societies then existing should disband. The chapter held a meeting and, after considerable debate, agreed to accept this proposition, and it became extinct to all outward appearance.

This depiction by Baird is borne out in the remaining letters from the Coburn chapter. Many will recall the so-called “Song Sheet Letter” which advised of the chapter’s decision to disband. Most notably it was penned on the back of a song sheet, which turns out to be the first published collection of Beta songs in the General Fraternity. But the “Song Sheet Letter” is incomplete and difficult to read. And while the gist of what had happened was clear, the details were far from it.

Luckily, in this horde of correspondence are two additional letters from Wabash, the first from Stephen Taber to Edward H. Munger at Miami making it appear crystal clear that the entire chapter had been dissolved and that the Beta Theta Pi society no longer existed in Crawfordsville.

Stephen C Taber, Wabash to Edw. H. Munger, Miami Crawfordsville, Indiana, Dec. 27th, 1847.

The interesting communication of Bro. Moore was duly Received, which, permit me to assure you met with a hearty reception. This reply has long been delayed, in consideration of our “condition and prospects.” Excitement has ruled almost exclusively the whole time since my letter to you. There were four societies in College at that time—two literary and two

Lyle Campbell was the first president of the Wabash chapter. ved Wabash. He remains the longest serving professor in the y of Wabash College. He may well be the one person with the st history with the college, from his Freshman Sunday in the f 1844 until his death in 1910. He is well-known not only to sh Betas, but all historians of Wabash.

pbell graduated at the top of his class in July 1848. After a stint in civil engineering and surveying, he returned to sh upon graduation as an instructor, and then professor of nomy and natural history. He also married Wabash trustee Johnston’s youngest daughter, Mellie, in 1854.

pbell was, like Hougham, a dedicated teacher with a lative reputation in academia. In fact, he was offered the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

which in those days was based purely on merit and were few and far between.

His most significant work was as instigator and leader of the socalled national Observation of the Centennial of the Declaration of Independence in 1876 in Philadelphia. It was an unmitigated success. Tens of thousands of entrance tickets were sold over the six-month run which highlighted the technological and agricultural advances of the age.

Professor Campbell also made certain his college was on the cutting edge of technology. In fact, within one month of the first display of an electric light bulb, the Wabash library had electric lights, thanks to Dr. Campbell.

Although Professor Campbell’s membership in the chapter has never been qualified in any way, it turns out he was not a continuous member of the chapter. Instead, when the conflict of December 1847 reached its tipping point, many chapter members voted to disband and quell the disruption caused by the new Beta chapter. John Campbell was among those men. It was a truthful resignation, and not a mere charade. Campbell loved his college and the fraternity situation no doubt triggered a good deal of cognitive dissonance within. However, once fraternities were greenlighted in 1865, Campbell was appointed as the faculty advisor to the newly recognized Beta Chapter. In the minds of many, and to borrow a legal phrase, this appointment “relates back” to his original 1846 initiation, thus making him a continuous member from 1846 until his death in 1910.

Literary aristocracy,” &c., which of course by no means suited e democratic (not in the political sense) sentiments of the udents in general. The consequence was they were nearly all rayed against us.

We seemed a “peculiar people, set apart to ourselves.” This fluence worked against us in the literary societies. So much so at we were diligently excluded from all posts of trust and onor but regarded with marked coldness. This of course we verely felt; therefore, on an appointed evening, we asked and ceived, after some hesitation on their part, an honorable smissal. This bold step only widened the breach, and ngendered bitter feelings to a greater degree than before.

t this time the Faculty discovered that the other secret society ad continued to hold its meetings contrary to express laws. hey therefore arraigned some of the principal members, yet ared not proceed to coercive measures, since they had etermined to act in a body. Consequently, had one member een expelled or dismissed, one-fifth of the students would have oluntarily left the institution. The matter was temporarily ttled by some concessions on the part of the Faculty.

n the meanwhile, tremendous excitement prevailed. The mpathy of the public and the students, with few exceptions, as enlisted against the Faculty; regarding them as exhibiting arked partiality towards us and looking no further than to the ct that both the associations were secret and not to their spective characters. At night they proceeded by torch light, ith martial music, to town, after stopping at the President's sidence and giving him a salutation. Their charitable curses nd groans were liberally heaped up on the heads of the Faculty —in short it was open rebellion.

they well knew that they would only be increasing the negative list should they pursue an arbitrary course in relation to us. We therefore sent them a memorial, stating that it was by no means our desire to clog their movements, but we were willing to embrace the alternative and seek connection with other Colleges. This memorial they sent back, with new protestations of the high esteem and regard entertained by them towards us; but came and entreated us, by all the claims which the good of the institution has upon us, to show some spirit of compromise. representing us as almost holding the keys to the tranquility and dignity of the institution, and yet unwilling to secure its prosperity.

They further proposed to us that, in consideration of the above unhappy state of affairs, we should dissolve, with the proviso that every other organization known as secret should do likewise, when an amicable arrangement could be effected. We were thus placed in an unhappy position. Everything seemed to depend on our immediate action. These circumstances rent our society into divisions: Some upon the grounds of a higher duty, were in favor of disbanding, and others that the exigencies of the case did not demand such a sacrifice. However, the final vote resulted in a willingness to accede to the proposition.

The other societies were notified of this fact, and further, if a single organization remained in College after the expiration of twenty-four hours, our action would not be considered valid, but we would forthwith reorganize. But in the allotted time not an association, secret and other wise, remained.

We were therefore disbanded. We applied the match to the train that blew up older societies than the Beta Theta Pi; but alas! Sampson-like, we blew up ourselves.

inform you of this in my official capacity, which I would adly have shrunk from, as I but little thought I should ever be alled upon to communicate the particulars of the fall of our orious chapter. Judge us not harshly, since you cannot, rough the medium of my feeble pen feel the force of the rcumstances which rendered it thus necessary. Cool eliberation sanctioned the act of those who voted as they did. nd believe me, it was given up by none without a struggle. Yet en was a time to decide, and they all did decide, as they were ware they would have to abide by that decision. It is idle for e to continue, as but a plain statement of the facts was all I eemed necessary, and that I have given.

etter was also published to the Wabash College community. ever, it lacks any detail regarding the dissolution of the chapter o, it is not surprising to find out that this letter was a red ng, the sole purpose of which was to mislead the Wabash munity into believing that Beta was no more. But it was just a y. Several of the members were going to continue the chapter ground. It is filled with more oratorical flourish than true We know this based upon Varnum’s last letter to Munger at i, stating in no uncertain terms that the earlier letter was a y letter, the fact that the chapter was going deep sub rosa, and one take no action which could reveal the existence of the y or its members:

arnum D. Collins, Wabash, o Edw. H. Munger, Miami. rawfordsville, Indiana., Dec. 28th, 1847.

ou have undoubtedly, ere the arrival of this, received a letter om our Recorder, Stephen C. Taber. It is hardly necessary to ate at this time its import, but to inform you of that which he ould not with propriety do in his official capacity. His letter

suspicion in the minds of those who have taken the liberty of declaring, as they would have it, extinct, that which only a convention can do. The circumstances which led to this fatal issue, we are forced to confess, were imperative, and considered by those who yielded to them of sufficient importance to sacrifice our association, to which many of our number have devoted their highest energies—their talents and their personal characters.

You will have perceived, by a perusal of our Recorder's letter, that there has been in our College a high state of excitement, and that our chapter, if not the origin, was at least the principal element which gave it birth, and in order to check its disastrous consequences, some conciliatory step on our part was necessary.

Those of us, therefore, who were determined to sustain the identity of the chapter in some manner, finding that it was divided in feeling and action, and that some cared little for its fate, secretly met and matured a plan by which we could excommunicate, without hard feeling and suspicion, those who were not willing to “sink or swim” with the chapter, and thus regain our loved but long lost secrecy.

We, as a chapter, could have left Wabash College, but it being a Western institution, and its classes small, such a movement would undoubtedly have retrograded it years in its growth and prosperity. A meeting of the chapter was therefore called, at which time a resolution for dissolution was moved and carried; the following being the votes cast, counting blanks in the affirmative.

Affirmative.—John L. Campbell, Ninian S. Dickey, Theodore A. Lemon, James O'Brien, Archibald S. Reid.

Negative.—Varnum D. Collins, W. A. McCorkle.

essrs. Bowman, Holman and Houston, being absent from ollege, did not vote.

this is the proof that John L. Campbell, one of our most red members, did in fact resign his membership from the y, and for some period was stricken from the roll of the er. After this letter, his name disappears from the historic d of Beta Theta Pi until several decades later.

onvention of 1848 made a ruling upon the constitutionality of ction of the loyal Wabash faction in accordance with the wing committee report given to the general convention:

he committee appointed to report in respect to the Iota Wabash) Chapter of the association would represent that they elieve it expedient and just that the Iota Chapter should be ontinued and have a chance to regain its former prosperity. It ould appear that though adversity had for the time clouded eir prospects yet there are left some brave spirits who will rove themselves true to the trust placed in their keeping, and hile we grieve that all who had enrolled themselves under the andard of the Iota had not proved true to the faith we most eartily and cordially approve of the course taken by those who ow compose that: chapter. We would further report that it is e opinion of this committee, that the constitution does not onfer power upon any chapter to declare itself dissolved, erefore that Iota Chapter never has been without the pale of e association no power being competent to place it in that tuation except the Triennial Convention. We would therefore ggest the recognition of the power of that chapter under its resent organization to dispose of those members who have left e chapter (thinking it dissolved) in such manner as their terests may demand.

certainly a policy of function over form, as it mattered not how the society endured, but simply that the society endured.

And thus ended the short life of the first fraternity chapter at Wabash College. In a few years attitudes would change and Beta would reappear.

The Milford Shipp Revival We have all seen the name Milford Shipp on our charter, named as the second founder of the Wabash chapter in 1856. Little has been written about the man, which, it turns out, is unfortunate.

To start, in the spring of 1856 Alpha Chapter raised the Wabash idea with the secretary of Lambda Chapter at Michigan:

Thomas W Rogers, Miami, to WW Wheeler, Michigan.

Oxford, Ohio April 7, 1856 ...When I get to talking about Beta matters, I know not when to stop. Can something be done at Wabash? I think one of your members is from Crawfordsville….

The brother at Michigan from Crawfordsville was Isaac Elston, who lived with his parents in the Elston homestead, today the lodgings of our college president. Whether young Elston was behind it or not is unknown, but it just so happened that in the summer of 1856 a student from Wabash College appeared in Oxford with the specific intent of finding a Greek society which he AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

gth of this one meeting, Alpha Chapter immediately inducted , deputized him to revive the Wabash chapter, and sent him to Crawfordsville with a copy of the Constitution. Then, a sought the ratification of the revival:

eorge M Lytle, Miami, David H Monroe, Ohio, xford, Ohio July 23, 1856

I have an important request that you will give us your onsent for the reviving of the chapter at Wabash College, rawfordsville, Ind.

r. M. B. Shipp, a student of that College, was visiting here last eek, and Brother Rogers and myself getting acquainted with m were seized with a strong desire to revive the chapter there.

We felt confident that any steps we should take would be pproved by our chapter for we have been trying for nearly a ear to gain a foothold there. Now that the opportunity resented itself, we had nothing to do but to improve it, and so e acted accordingly.

If we find that Mr. Shipp has not the requisite qualifications r a good Beta, we will drop him, for we want to get a good llow to re-establish the chapter, and thus be sure of having a ood chapter.

notable that the date of the ratification request was July 23, the very day after the chapter’s tenth anniversary of the rn foundation.

au’s historical record, Milford Shipp disappears almost AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

for being absent. It is apparent that Shipp had bolted Wabash new chapter president elected. There we lose track of him in rchival materials, but the story continues.

nutshell, after leaving Wabash, Milford enrolled in Jefferson ge in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, which was primarily a l of medicine. He then converted to Mormonism and began st mission in England.

Mormonism soon became known in the college environs and ot endear him with subsequent classes of Wabash Betas, who d it to be too much:

hn A Finch, Wabash, John A Keller, Hanover. rawfordsville Indiana. May 10, 1863

We expelled an old member the other day for the terrible fense of turning Mormon, deserting his wife and “going to ngland” Milford B. Shipp formerly of Edinburgh, Ind…

finishing his work at Jefferson College and his Mormon on to England, Dr. Milford Bard Shipp then moved to the Salt Lake, Utah. He had five wives, and together they ted 13 children. Milford practiced medicine the best he could the given resources, but was no doubt overwhelmed as he was nly trained physician in the early Mormon community. One s wives, Ellis Reynolds Shipp, also grew frustrated with quate medical care for women in the early Mormon munities, and especially infant mortality and mother mortality.

Milford’s help, she learned traditional, allopathic medicine. id so well that Brigham Young himself took an interest in her AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

where she first attended the Philadelphia Women's Hospital medical school, followed by a stint at the University of Michigan.

Her children were reared by the other Shipp wives. She immediately returned to Utah and served the Mormon community her entire life as a first-class obstetrician, general practitioner and teacher of future medical providers. She is credited with starting more than 200 women's hospitals throughout Utah, Canada, and Mexico, and significantly improved the infant and maternal mortality rates. She is credited with delivering more than 5,000 babies and training more than 600 midwives. She was also a published author and poet. Her papers, archived at the University of Utah, include a few letters to her from our man Milford, signed affectionately as "Bard." No one followed through on his expulsion. His name and chapter number, Milford B. Shipp, No. 22, remain on our Roll Book to this day. But, sadly, Milford was shot dead by a patient for diagnosing him with a "social disease."

Letters From Tau Chapter When the chapter was re-founded in 1856, it again existed sub rosa at first. As discussed earlier, membership was grounds for expulsion. For this reason, the location of chapter meetings was a principal consideration and Wabash Beta learned quickly that the only safe way to meet was to meet off-campus. This could have been just about anywhere providing even a modicum of privacy.

For instance, there are minutes which discuss a meeting place in the forest known as “the pulpit”. It does not take much imagination to see the four-foot-high stump as a podium, with pews fashioned from grounded tree trunks. There are also minutes stating that chapter was held at the Waveland Academy a few miles southwest of Crawfordsville, an all-female institution. The girls of Waveland not only provided a safe place to meet but also prepared neck AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

the chapter six years before Aunt Jennie. According to all es, these initiations were legitimate. If that is true, so much for aim that Aunt Jennie was the only female member in Beta Pi history.

chapter minutes for the meeting immediately before the out of hostilities are notable. The meeting was held in the e home, and private study therein, of the college president, Charles White. He resolutely opposed secret societies of the e. It was Dr. White's idea to expel any students found to be ted with Beta Theta Pi or Phi Delta Theta. However, the dent’s own son and Wabash student, Edmund Elisha White, ly joined the Beta chapter. When the president and Mrs. e were gone for the week, Brother White took the rtunity to offer his father’s study for chapter meetings.

ugh the chapter was sub-rosa for the period 1856-1865, it held ar meetings and minutes were kept. But correspondence was er matter. Unfortunately, the collection of letters from sh to other chapters contained in the Oxford archives does ontain any letters from Tau for the period 1856-1860.

following letters after 1860 were authored by Tau’s sponding secretaries over a 16-year period starting in 1861. letters dealt with many of the same issues year after year: the ral Convention, fraternal hospitality, secrecy, egalitarianism, Beta Spirit.”

hese, the General Convention was the hottest topic. Tau has s believed in the power and importance of the convention and dance has always been strongly encouraged. Starting in 1863, uture was dim for the fraternity in general, colleges, and Beta ers at those colleges. Most did not survive uninterrupted. But ntioned elsewhere, the Wabash Beta chapter was very much AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Courtesy of the Robert T. Ramsey, Jr. Archival Center of Wabash College.

tment” which accepted students aged 15 and older to study then prove proficiency in Latin and Greek, which were red prerequisites to gain admission to the college proper. younger students were also taken in by the fraternities and account for the chapter’s survival for the duration of the war.

e early days, the convention was the only way to connect with Betas from chapters around the country. The Civil War made gatherings difficult. In the following letter our corresponding ary discusses the upcoming convention during the ongoing

hn A Finch, Wabash, John A Keller, Hanover College. rawfordsville Indiana May 10, 1863

We are by no means satisfied with the course of last year in tempting to keep us from holding a convention. We have ever had it explained and I suppose never will. I was Tau's elegate and was detained from attending by the “fortune of ar” being cut off at Cumberland Gap. Had this not occurred should have made strenuous efforts at the time to unravel the ystery. I shall attend the convention if held on the moon as I ld Brother DeBruler of Pi.

blames the war for his inability to travel to the scheduled convention. That missed convention made the 1863 ntion all that more important. A second letter to Brother r at Hanover a month later reiterated Tau’s steadfast position ding convention even though there was literally a war going

une 8th, 1863.

Again, allow me to thank you in the name of Tau and indeed our whole fraternity for the untiring activity you have displayed for the best interests of the beloved order.

Even after the Civil War, one of the chief concerns remaining was the General Convention. This makes perfect sense. It was the only way to interact with other like-minded Betas and to heal any geographical fractures. Today we may take that ease of communication for granted.

Theophilus W. Hill, Wabash, to Henry C. Will, Ohio.

Crawfordsville, Indiana. June 4, 1869 ...Old Tau was never in a better condition. We number eleven active members besides several resident Greeks who are pretty active... Brother Haines is one delegate to the convention this year. Several of our boys are talking of attending the convention, but I guess it will end in talk. Such things take money.

My roommate received a letter from Roger Williams of Alpha a few days ago, and he says that their chapter intends to attend the convention “en masse.” That would be splendid, I think.

The General Convention remains the centerpiece of the General Fraternity's program, and it is an honor to attend even today. Our chapter’s central location has made it easy to attend most gatherings, which were often held in the Midwest. French Lick Springs Resort was a perennial favorite, due in equal parts to the Donald Ross golf course and the illegal but allowed gambling and liquor consumption during Prohibition.

meaning, but here it is defined as any sort of organized meal at ” We all share memories of eventful meals at the house, ng the Beta Doxology with that awkward lifting of the hand to eavens, and ending with a Beta "Riffle" for the cook and crew. d letter discusses a grand dinner hosted by the chapter:

he boys had a glorious supper while I was away of which they ever tire of talking, how one ate a half-bushel of peanuts, nother a mountain of ice-cream, and another several gallons strawberries. It was a gay and festive time without doubt.

We have in our circle such a unanimity of feeling that a good me comes without any effort whenever we get together, hether we have provided for the “inner man” or not...Peanuts e find are at times a sine qua non. The boys get ravenous for em, and by the way we have two or three whose capacity for is nut is so prodigious that we are ready to back them against e world in wading through a pile of them. We know they annot be beaten, but if you feel that Iota is not slow in this ne, and would like to try the experiment we are willing to go ith our piles (i. e. peanuts, not greenbacks) on the result.

thing we no longer see are inter-chapter visitations. These red before the advent of the chapter house. Here is a nting of such a visitation between Wabash, IU, and DePauw:

cob Farrand Tuttle, Wabash o William F Boyd, Ohio. rawfordsville, Indiana April 28, 1865

About the 1st of March, we received an invitation from Delta visit her and spend a couple of days there. All of our boys ent with the exception of myself, and there found the loomington boys. To say that they enjoyed a good time would e but telling half the truth. All left strengthened in their faith

Jennie Johnston Blair could trace her connection to Wabash College to just ten years after its founding. Her father, Rev. James H. Johnston, was the second pastor of the Center Presbyterian Church of Crawfordsville, leaving Madison, Indiana and arriving in Crawfordsville in May 1843. He had a small family: a wife and two daughters, aged 10 and 8, Jennie and her younger sister, Mellie.

Upon arrival in Crawfordsville, he was immediately appointed a trustee of Wabash College, serving from 1843-1875. Johnston was president of the board in 1861-1862.

Rev. Johnston and his family knew all the men of Wabash. They probably knew about the Greek letter group that formed a smaller AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

d desk in 1847. After all, it was public knowledge, and the e was a very small place.

ldest Johnston daughter, Jennie, was the first Crawfordsville o graduate from college, a female seminary in Cincinnati. Her ger sister Mellie was in the first class of her father’s seminary awfordsville a few years later. She would become a teacher of nal renown.

he decades that followed, the Johnston sisters became a icant part of the Wabash community in their own right. Jennie ed a Wabash alumnus named Robert Blair in 1854, and her married John Lyle Campbell that same year.

Aunt Jennie legend is a solid part of our chapter’s history. ever, much of what we believed about her and her efforts on f of the chapter has turned out to be incorrect. She did not the chapter archives for the duration of the war because the er did not enlist as a group. However, there is a factual basis orting the claim that Jennie provided invaluable assistance g the Civil War years and was initiated as a brother in ciation for her efforts. Too many well respected and credible have recited her membership as gospel truth. So how does quare these facts? Is there some other explanation which gives to her membership while at the same time taking into account ct that the chapter survived the duration of the Civil War?

is a logical explanation, and that is that Jennie safeguarded tual and minutes book in Crawfordsville during term breaks, the corresponding secretary would leave town for home. It uring the term breaks that the record book was most at risk. ng the Civil War, it was never certain if a student would be the next term, because of military service, death or financial AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

happened, the chapter’s records might be lost, destroyed or fall into the wrong hands. The second risk was that the records might be stolen, as in 1847, if left in the wrong hands. The final risk was expulsion from college for being a member of a secret society. This way, no matter what happened, the book was in Jennie’s hands waiting to be claimed by the next chapter scribe.

Jennie was not the kindly old lady some have imagined. Instead, she was only 28 years old when the war broke out, and she most likely assumed responsibility for the records in the summer of 1861. At that time, she was pregnant with her first child, her daughter Lillian. Her services ended after 1863 when President Tuttle’s son, Jacob, secretly joined Tau. He would be in Crawfordsville during term breaks and could safely care for those items.

How did all this come to pass? The most obvious answer would be that it was the corresponding secretary, then elected chapter president James Meteer, who initiated the move. But it could have been anyone in the chapter. Each member understood the risk of leaving. And there is another possibility. It may have been Jennie who volunteered. First, she knew the risks. She may well have remembered the records theft from 1847 when she was 15. She probably knew most if not all the active chapter and did not want to see the same mistake made twice. Second, she knew of the “mustering in” potential of the corresponding secretary on term break, just as it had Temple Harrison the day after hostilities were announced. Finally, she knew of the automatic expulsion rule for the Betas if their identities were known. Recall her father was a member of that same board of trustees that prohibited these exclusive and secret cliques. So it would have been one of two possible questions: The first is Meteer asking if she would consider safeguarding the record book while he was away, or Jennie asking AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ordsville; Badge of John Blair.

Jennie was a Beta for 59 years. She would have been a “Fraternal Fifty!” She died in 1926 at the age of 93. She is buried with her family and friends on a hill north of Crawfordsville. Her independence is seen on her tombstone, marked only as “Jennie Johnston, Wife of William Blair” unlike all other markers of similar vintage which exclude the wife’s maiden name altogether.

Among the obituaries of recently departed Betas, the June 1926 edition of our fraternity’s magazine also contained hers: Jennie Blair, Wabash '67, mother of Vice-President John Allen Blair, Wabash '93, died in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Saturday night, May 8, 1926, at the advanced age of 93 years. A brief news item, which was received as this magazine was running through the presses, said, "Mrs. Blair was initiated into the Wabash Chapter of Beta Theta Pi in 1867, in appreciation of her kindness to members of the fraternity and in recognition of her trouble in keeping the ritual and chapter records of the Wabash Chapter during the Civil War." Jennie Johnston Blair was a young, college-educated, married woman in Crawfordsville who taught Sunday school in her father’s church, and who agreed to safeguard the records when needed during the war years. She was initiated in gratitude for her services in 1867 at the age of 34. Her badge today rests in the General Fraternity archives alongside her son’s jeweled badge, a gift from the Penn chapter. One of his badges, a small sweetheart size badge, is in the Tau Chapter archive.

Jennie Johnston Blair photograph is courtesy of the Beta Theta Pi General Fraternity Archives.

interesting that these meetings even occurred so soon after matox and revealed the sense of group pride they all shared. ossible explanation is that athletic rivalries and then cotion ended these gatherings despite advances in portation. Today, such inter-chapter gatherings are reserved e fall conclave.

ven more audacious occasion came with the dinner of the sh Beta, Phi Delt, and FIJI chapters, which the corresponding ary announced, together with another invitation to a distant er.

amuel L Ward, Wabash, Roger Williams, Miami, rawfordsville Indiana. February 25, 1870

ll three of the “Greek Fraternities” had a “big bum” two eeks ago Tuesday evening. There were about forty present. We ad a string band from our own number and also plenty of ocal music. The supper was the biggest that Wabash boys ever w, or the town afforded and I think it has made a better state feeling between the societies.

ur chapter had an invitation a few days ago from Pi chapter attend their reunion which takes place on Monday Eve, June 8th. They have gotten up a very handsome card of invitation.

arship has always been valued at 513. One of the first things ni look at in assessing chapter health is the chapter’s position mpus scholarship.

emple C Harrison, Wabash, John C Younger, Hanover

We adhere scrupulously to the principle to receive no one except those of high moral and intellectual worth and from this fact in connection with the personal popularity of “our boys” it is accounted for that almost all the honors of Old Wabash are bestowed upon Betas.

A common theme throughout our chapter’s history is our commitment to pledging only good men. Those sentiments are at least 150 years old as the following letter to Alpha illustrates: Frank W Morrison, Wabash, to Philip Endmore, Miami.

Crawfordsville Indiana. December 9, 1869 ...Here we have the Phi Gamma Delta and the Phi Delta Theta.

The former has about twenty members—some of the worst old sticks in the business. We do not want a large number, and on this account have let some men slip, whom the others afterwards got, but we have never repented it. I do not mean by this that we let any good men slip, for we do not work upon that basis. We want good men or none…

Secrecy has been a part of the equation since the beginning.

Sometimes it was kept, other times not so much: Temple C Harrison, Wabash, to John C. Younger, Hanover.

Crawfordsville Indiana, February 9, 1861 ... and we sympathize with you in the ill wishes you have to bear from the Faculty and Barbarians. You speak of the propriety of coming out and making a “free, bold and honorable fight.” I do not altogether favor the idea. My own

ur chapters have the sanction and favor of the Faculty, and pecially so where they are forbidden….

year later it appeared the Betas acted out of civil disobedience ding the chapter’s existence:

hn A Finch, Wabash, H Guthrie, Ohio. rawfordsville Indiana

February 25, 1862

he only drawback we have is the necessity for secrecy, which enjoined upon us by the wise regulation of a sapient set of rustees, who frequently tell us with severe countenances, that ecret Societies are positively forbidden.

We’ll let them forbid. I fear they cannot prevent it. The faculty e perfectly well aware of our existence but have not the ourage to say so to us. It would be a bad day for Old Wabash, their rule was enforced, as a number of the students whom ey themselves call the flower of the College, would have to be oved out. Thus, we really have “circumvented” our worthy rofessors. We are triumphant over the enemy, the barbs, and e Faculty.

of the advantages of a fraternity chapter over a literary society he range of topics. In the literary societies, where college ations could be made or broken, certain subjects were ute taboo. However, a small group of eight young men, d the steel veil of confidentiality, could explore topics more ent than Puritan:

f late we wind up with “pon honor.” Everything revealed is garded as sacred and everything must be told. Those of the

by Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton, a Beta from Indiana University. Coburn was later brevetted as a brigadier general. Left: an Indiana State Fair medal honoring Coburn which includes a battle scene depicted at top.

onfessions, though the victim sometimes “can't see it.” Many e the pleasures that never can be told that will live in the emory long after the circle that saw them is broken and attered. Though no champagne sparkles on our board, wit nd humor and pleasantry flashes out promiscuously.

OME VISIT Tau will welcome any of you who can come with er “heart of hearts.” You have the advantage of us, having our commencement two weeks earlier. Surely some of you can sit us, can't you?

hen there is the importance of group laughter. Think about it: ps the best barometer of chapter health is the quantity and y of group laughter, as this passage from the same letter nstrates:

ll wager my old hat that Tau can, without any trouble, utlaugh all creation. Her children are a jolly set. A play is read r discussion by each boy previous to meeting night. ometimes, however, we get in a funny mood. Every fellow tells l the late yarns he has picked up which provoke appropriate marks from the auditors and peel after peel of hearty ughter follows, and our sides become sore from thus indulging ur risibles.

fear we sometimes are too devoted to fun to derive any great enefit from association, further than the good of laughing. Tau as many sins to answer for in that way, if sin it be, however, ere is plenty of time for repentance still.

etter is remarkable for its identification of laughter as the tool auging the mood and the overall health of the chapter. rience tells us of its truth. Luckily, our chapter over time has AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

From the start Alpha was trying to establish chapters at Harvard and Princeton, which were both stillborn. A plan was hatched to merge with a small, eastern fraternity. One of the earliest attempts at merger for the important eastern wing of the society was with Psi Upsilon: Tau Chapter voted to unite with the Psi Upsilon. Reasons are plenty as blackberries for either side, the majority was but one in favor of the union. The union will do much to break up the ill feeling between Eastern and Western Colleges which is a disgrace to American students. I say it is a disgrace, and surely nothing could be a more noble object, for our noble order than to tear away that prejudice.

Although Wabash supported the proposed union, it was eventually voted down by the General Fraternity. The merger which would create the needed eastern wing would be with the merger William Raimond Baird engineered with his fraternity, Alpha Sigma Chi. As discussed earlier, our chapter can claim some credit for Baird’s decision to merge with Beta which was cemented with the conversation he shared with General Coburn.

Competition among the fraternities in the literary society debates is noted in that same letter: The literary Societies are sometimes a splendid arena for the secret societies to fight and we, although so few, come off almost always, with very few exceptions, the victors.

One of the key differences between the literary societies and the new Greek letter fraternities at Wabash was the method of selection. In terms of the literary societies, the students were AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ed here notably flanked by cannons.

bers. In this letter, brother Harrison revels in that fact, and the t is carried out:

emple C Harrison, Wabash, John C Younger, Hanover College. rawfordsville Indiana March 27, 1861

Now, however, it is all over, the examination is past and the etas, as usual, stand foremost in sound scholarship and deep udition. I rejoice that it is not founded on blood nor wealth, ut on the firmer basis of moral and intellectual worth, the only ue standard of excellence among our fellow men. And I trust at it will flourish and spread till all who are worthy in the olleges of the land shall be brought into its fostering arms and nited with us.

use Tau survived the Civil War intact and has endured nuously to this day, our chapter has a legitimate claim as the t Beta chapter of continuous existence, going back to the foundation of 1856 as the start date. We were all taught that Washington and Jefferson Chapter was the oldest chapter of nuous existence. That may well be incorrect.

ct, there was no “Washington and Jefferson College” that d at any time before 1870. Neither Jefferson College nor ington College survived the Civil War educating graduates, and the Beta chapters at each college, Gamma at son and Nu at Washington, had ceased to exist:

hn M. Brownson, Washington, William F. Boyd, Ohio Washington, Penn.

September 7, 1865.

Gamma that the chapter in the new college be called “Gamma Nu.” This I suppose will have to be subjected to the order at large, but we could conceive of nothing better..

Among those with firsthand knowledge, Gamma Chapter at Jefferson College did not survive the Civil War. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The actual histories of the two colleges and their separate Beta chapters prove that there is no continuity of existence for either Gamma Chapter at Washington and Jefferson or Delta Chapter at DePauw.

The only other chapter that has made a claim as the oldest of continued existence is the DePauw chapter. In Son of the Stars, Smith states that his own chapter, DePauw, was one of the chapters that survived the Civil War intact. This is incorrect. In fact, the official history of Delta Chapter, published in 1945, a copy of which rests in Lilly Library, states that the chapter’s records were sealed in a cake box and buried in a Putnam County cornfield for the last two years of the war. So much for Delta’s longevity claim!

Which brings us to Tau Chapter’s longevity claim. If both Gamma and Delta Chapters did not survive the Civil War, the Wabash chapter revived in 1856 becomes the oldest Beta chapter of continued existence in the General Fraternity. But this claim should probably remain the secret pride of our chapter, for two reasons: First, it puts a target on our back for those who feel Wabash escaped the chapter misconduct purgings of the early 2000s.

Second, it takes longer than 30 seconds to explain. But one thing is for certain, our archives contain a complete set of minutes for the entire Civil War. No other chapter can make such a claim.

The final letter in the collection of letters from Tau displays the excitement surrounding the construction of the first college AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

amuel L. Ward, Wabash, o Roger Williams, Miami rawfordsville, Indiana March 12, 1870

Wabash is thriving. We are going to have a gymnasium now, xpect to have it up for the last of this term…

etter marks the beginning of Wabash College athletics in our er records. If only Brother Ward could see the athletic ies today! And better than that, if he could see the Little athletic record and Tau’s contributions to that record, he d be astonished.

he start, Alpha Chapter controlled the General Fraternity. ever, after a few years, the college and chapter at Miami had down. For this reason, the convention established a “Presiding ter” scheme of administration. Wabash Beta took its turn, and s during our term that Charles Duy Walker VMI 1869, ded the fraternity magazine, The Beta Theta Pi. It was the first kind, and arguably the single greatest innovation Beta Theta roduced to the college fraternity world. Why? Because it did with 98% of the stress suffered by corresponding secretaries ng long hand individual letters to each chapter, a hard job but tial — until the advent of the magazine. Henceforth no such s would be written and archived, which is why the following is the last in the collection:

harles Duy Walker, VMI, o Samuel L. Ward, Wabash ffice of the General Secretary, Beta Theta Pi heological Seminary, Fairfax County, Virginia ctober 14, 1872

I shall put myself in correspondence with a lithographer in a short time about the charter; have you any suggestions? Do your level best for the Beta Theta Pi, and we'll make “Tau's” reign memorable. Have already promise of about twenty subscribers. Epsilon is all serene. Will S. Kennedy is Alpha Chapter but won't be alone in his glory long. Write to him. I am a busy man now; have two recitations to attend daily in my Theological course, and besides am teaching my brothers Latin, Greek, French, German and mathematics, writing on two books and doing what I can for Beta Theta Pi—“Jack of all trades, good at none.” Love to Tau and yourself.

The first issue of the fraternity magazine was published just two months later. It was Brother Walker’s project, but it was during Tau’s tenure as presiding chapter that the first fraternity magazine on earth was born.

ordsville.

W

1872-1900: The True Greeks

by Erik L. Lindseth '83

Chapter Two originally appeared as part of Chapter One in 150 Years of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash College, published in 1997. The editors have modified the original text for issues of spelling and punctuation only. Any points of clarification are entered as footnotes to the original material. The remainder of the original Chapter One material, also unmodified except as noted, is included in the appendices.

hen John Coburn made the long journey from Miami University in Ohio to establish Beta Theta Pi at Wabash College in 1846, the harshness of life on the “frontier” was an everpresent reality.1 The daily struggle to survive in the “wilderness” has served as an inspiration to later generations, and often caused them to reflect on the strength and determination of their forebears.

It is from this romantic perspective that Robert McCain, Class of 1923, depicted the first century of the fraternity at Wabash — as evidenced by the title of his opening chapter, “A Pioneer Fraternity in a Pioneer College."

As we reach the sesquicentennial celebration of this occasion, it is the shared experiences of 150 years of fraternal brotherhood which provide an alternative foundation for this new retrospective look at the early years of the Tau Chapter of Beta Theta Pi. In modern terms we might view this as a “social history”, but it is perhaps through the lives of individuals that we can most easily come to grips with our shared legacy.

concerns and interests as the Class of 1996. All of the early sh Betas were young men on their own, only two of those appear in the chapter rolls before the Civil War were from fordsville. It is therefore relatively easy to place ourselves in shoes when we consider that the cost of attending Wabash ased by almost 70% during that period and the earliest chapter tes dwell on a series of fairly good-natured conflicts with students, their appreciation of a well-told ribald joke, and the rtance of a shared repast. It is also revealing to consider a nce of McCain's describing this era in which he says:

etas of the [1850s] also had their sweethearts, and some even ent so far as to place their Beta pins on the crinolined dresses the female academy girls as far away as Waveland - quite a ip in those days of log roads!

her words, Wabash Betas have always been willing to travel al hours to find girls, money was always short, and there was to college life than books and lectures. For the “Jolly ks," as they occasionally referred to themselves, the hardships ioneer’ life must be viewed first and foremost from the ective that this was a band of hearty young men just setting n the road of life.

apter Life Between the Civil War and 1900

the recognition of fraternities at Wabash, the fundamental onment in which the Beta chapter existed was changed. ably the best way to generalize this change is to describe the as being more social and less formal and secretive. There are particularly significant events mentioned in the surviving er minutes (other than the theft and publication of the “little AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

with only a short entry regretting that the minutes had been accidentally lost or destroyed. The entry for October 26, 1878 is not unusual: The meeting tonight was called to order by Pres. Bishop.

Minutes of the last meeting were read. There was no business to transact so the evening was spent in eating a small dorg, in conversation and singing. Several means and ways of improving our meetings were discussed but as usual ended in nothing. All were present. Adjourned.

Indeed the most important element was often a description of the nature of “the dorg”. The meeting of October 12, 1878, is interesting in this context: The hoys all appeared to be anxiously waiting for something.

Two of the Beta girls of Indianapolis, Miss Kate Gresham and Miss Lizzie Baker had promised to send a box by the 9 o'clock express, and it was this we were waiting for. It came at last and such a feast as never before graced our dorg-stand. Bro. Lewis was appointed to render thanks to the young ladies who had so highly favored us.

On occasion letters from other chapters were read, new members were initiated and elections were held, but the average meeting seems to have been principally a chance for brothers to meet and commune. At one point it was even proposed that the chapter meet every night in order to maintain their close association.

It is probably safe to say that the most significant development of this period was the establishment a formal “Beta Hall” which the chapter could call its own. In the late 1860s the chapter met mostly in “Bro. Wise's Gallery” or “Art Palace”, or in a local law office which had an alumnus brother from DePauw as a partner. In the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ng for since in March 1872 the minutes record “A motion was to appoint a committee to consult with some real estate agent getting a house to be occupied by Beta host.” By June things progressed to the point that “as most of the members were isfied with the Hall the Treasurer was directed to pay up the rent and give the hall up.” Thus it seems that the room which occupied on the third floor of Phoenix block in 1872 was the d Beta Hall. When the Betas moved to their third location in a set of rooms on the third floor of a new building across the courthouse at the corner of Main and Washington streets, almost certainly had the best hall in Crawfordsville and ps “the finest fraternity hall in the state.”

their own Beta Hall and a more stable membership, the Beta er seemed to have almost entered into an age of benign nce. The college was not static though and if the chapter ds seem to pale in comparison to those of the pre-war years, ctivities of the active chapter on campus were just as ssive.

Tau Sportsmen of the 19th Century

the prominence of intercollegiate sports in the twentieth century, sometimes difficult to envision college life at Wabash without cs. Instead, until after the Civil War, the energy and siasm of the college community seems to have been focused e literary societies. In the words of Robert McCain:

hose were the days when the orators were the college heroes nd each chapter made an effort to have its members win the atorical contests of the day. The chapter members attended ese meetings in a body and vociferously applauded and outed for their hero on the speaker's platform.

66 the sport of baseball appeared as an alternate forum for etition, and once again the Betas naturally sought to recruit ery best. Hence the chapter minutes record that on May 14, “William Riley of Massachusetts, Catcher of the Wabash 1st and Lucius Smith of Illinois, Catcher of Wabash 2 nine” were ed. In that first season of 1866-1867 Wabash was 2-0 with am Riley as captain.

combination of athletics and academics does not seem to have much more than a burst of student enthusiasm in this first nation since there is no further mention of baseball at Wabash almost a decade later. Indeed it was not until the late 1880s ntercollegiate sports became a permanent fixture at Wabash. again however the Beta chapter again played a leading role Henry Seaton playing second base in 1888 and emerging as n of the team in 1889. By 1890, Beta and baseball had become t synonymous after Frederick Brewer and Frank Shull were ’ from Sigma Chi. The fact that there were Beta brothers ng first base, second base, shortstop and left field becomes more impressive when we consider that Wabash was 11-1 in and 5-3 in 1890. The Betas continued to dominate the infield through the 1894 season with Homer “Sport” Allen as n.

ball also began to emerge as a college sport in the 1880s. In the years Wabash only played one or two games a year and it is tain whether any Betas were involved in the first ollegiate game against Butler in 1884. In the second season, ver, J.W. Kieff and S.C. Hughes played on the team which ted Hanover 23 to 4 to win the Indiana Athletic Association medal and become the Indiana State Collegiate Champions.

90, when Wabash played DePauw for the first time, Blackford it played end and Frederick Brewer was the halfback.

John Fry at halfback and fullback respectively. John Fry was named captain in 1894 and may well have played a role in recruiting Reginald Sullivan, quarterback and captain of the team in 1895 and 1896, for Tau Chapter (Sullivan was also recording secretary for the chapter in the 1895-96 academic year). The time demands of intercollegiate sports must have been of some concern for the college community during this period since the recording secretary, Ben Ristine, writes on October 23, 1896 that the, Meeting {was) called to order with six or seven men absent. No minutes were read as the sec. was among the late. No business was transacted except fining the guilty.

He does not specifically mention football as the reason but in the next entry he does state that, “Condit, Sullivan and Cleland are in Bloomington with the football team (I.U. won 38-0).” A week later Ristine once again reports that, “Most of the brethren absent being either at Lebanon with the C’ville team or Earlham with the college team. Nothing much done and adjourned.” Since the Wabash athletic teams played a total of 15 football games and 30 baseball games in the 1895 and 1896 seasons there may well have been something of a backlash since no football games were played in 1897 and the baseball season was reduced by a third. This must have had a significant effect on the Beta chapter since in addition to the players already mentioned, the player of greatest renown on the two football teams captained by Sullivan was Albert Ristine who was named as “Best Athlete in College” before he traveled east to Harvard where he played on the Harvard Eleven in 1899, 1900, and 1901.

The strong emphasis placed on athletics by “the true Greeks” is also evidenced by an early Beta dominance on the tennis courts.

The first mention of this is found in a December 1887 newsletter which reports that there were several members of the Tau Chapter AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

rthird houses, floor the of the enix FIJIs,Block and at 101 ly t Main othersStreet rentedfor r its halls, firstoften official in town"Beta Hall." ordsville ngs. om: By 1884, the ter had started to the third floor of en-new building at the northwest rner of Main and ashington Street.

Both photos by Google.

founding (on the right column) is shown as 1845 instead of the correct 1846.

agazine, baseball and glee club, and all of Tennis clubs.” This not an idle boast since Norwood Keen was Wabash tennis s champion in 1891, 1892, and 1893, and Alex and Andrew on with Clay Gooding were doubles champions in 1893, 1894, 895. The chapter records go on to note that Malby Failey was es champion in 1898, while George Denney and Emile ee were the singles champions for 1898 and 1899 respectively. e to say that of the thirty or so Betas initiated between 1890 897 fully two-thirds were active in athletics.

A Near Second Collapse of the Beta Chapter at Wabash

ay 1889 the chapter newsletter reports 17 active members and ct that overall attendance “this year is larger than ever before, raduating class being the largest in the history of the college.” wo Beta seniors, A.A. McCain and Jesse Greene, finished first econd for both the Baldwin and the Oratorical prizes, while y Seaton, Class of 1890, was both president of the State orical Association and captain of the undefeated baseball team. lating the status of the Betas in comparison with other nities they relate, “As regards our “rivals” we can say they are e same level — which is a dead level.”

this extreme high, however, the chapter begins an almost ceptible decline. By May 1890 the Betas maintain most of honors but membership drops to 13. Throughout the 1890s ost regular notation is that “No new men were voted on”. In the minutes for the first of May conclude, “We discussed al men but didn't vote on them as the opposition was too g, in fact unanimous.” In September 1897 the new secretary s,

Failey, Walcott, Bassett. Prospects, although not the brightest, yet show considerable improvement over what was expected at the close of Spring term... Meeting adjourned after renewed avowals to grab every desirable man in sight.

The records for part of the year were lost when the secretary was out of the college, but during that time Carroll Ragan, Class of 1901, was initiated after having “been spiked by every frat in college.” Altogether at least seven men were initiated that year, including Max Puett2. By September 1898, however, there were again only seven active members with the comment that, Of last year's men Pickens and Denney are at Princeton, Puett at Virginia Military Institute, and Duncan at Purdue. Farley is in business at Indianapolis, Ragan at Pana. Ill. Albert Ristine, who leaves soon to enter Harvard, was present at the meeting.

Enrollment at the college as a whole dropped to its lowest level since the Civil War in 1900, but the Beta chapter seems to have suffered disproportionately. Of the Class of 1901, in addition to the departure of Pickens, Duncan, and Ragan mentioned above, Maurice Welborn left the college (his older brother, Oscar, Class of 1896, paid his fraternity dues in 1899 to prevent his expulsion by the national), Puett was at VMI, Elliot transferred to the University of Michigan, and Shedd left the college for unknown reasons.

Several returned during the next few years to continue their studies at Wabash, but there may have been other forces at work. Certainly for the college the issues of single-sex education and athletics in an academic environment were matters of contention.

Things were not looking any better in September 1899 when, in the words of the secretary, E.W. McAfee, “we have seven men this year to start on which is a considerable improvement on what was expected at the close of last year.” Two new men were spiked but AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

t row far left. Below: From the college archives, this photo is identified a Theta Pi '97, '98. Ben Ristine is fourth from left, front row.

the beginning of the 1900-1901 academic year, membership had dropped to four. When we consider that the chapter was also struggling to pay off a debt of $100 and could no longer afford to heat the chapter hall, the future must have seemed bleak indeed.

h Tudor Revival.

O

1900-1945: Endure

By GB Landrigan '85

Chapter Three originally appeared as Chapter Two in 150 Years of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash College, published in 1997. The editors have modified the original text for issues of spelling or punctuation only except where the author has included new material which is denoted by footnote.

ptimism is the promise of new years. An entirely new century was precisely what Wabash needed and Beta Theta Pi used to redefine itself.

The latter part of Wabash College President Burroughs’ administration has been remembered for its low morale. Football had been banned in 1897 and the perennial question of coeducation was laboriously revisited and rejected, much to the chagrin of Crawfordsville merchants who had expected a larger college to boost the economy.

By the time Dr. William P. Kane was inaugurated as the college's new president, enrollment had fallen to 165 from earlier student bodies numbering in the 180s. The February 22, 1900, ceremony officially welcoming Dr. Kane was audibly different from the past, however. The virile strains of "Old Wabash," written by Beta Carroll Ragan, Class of 1901, and Phi Delt Edwin M. Robinson, Class of 1900, made its lengthy but happy debut at the inauguration and soon became popular at campus dances and functions.

Ragan, who as a freshman from Illinois had written the basic tune of "Old Wabash," had taken a year away from Wabash. Upon his AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

n's invitation and practiced it frequently. Following the uration, the song was again played at the March Pan-Hellenic . As J. Insley Osborne1, Class of 1906, and Theodore G. ert noted in their Wabash College: The First Hundred Years, it

commended that everybody learn the words [of "Old Wabash"] at once. Everybody did learn the words. Every Wabash man since...has learned them.

Kane was quick to issue several reforms. He first sought to e the inter-class rivalries that had become so violent. In fact, election of the inauguration date itself was a signal that such ities would cease as that date had annually been set for an allscrap” between the classes that genuinely horrified almost all kers. This period is now seen as a precursor to the later eman Era” which was to give Wabash its “hard living and hard ng” reputation. One significant group of the period, not d to any particular fraternity and colorfully calling themselves Red Dragons,” apparently involved themselves in a great nt of drinking and some rowdiness. The Edward Ziegner y of the Wabash Phi Gamma Delta chapter recounts some of ntics of the group as do Osborne and Gronert. No mention of wever, can be found in Tau Chapter records.

other policies have proved to be particularly long-reaching. ball was returned to the college, much to the happiness of the nts and, one supposes, later college fundraising chairmen. The d was his administration's shift away from a largely classical ministerial curriculum. Instead, an emphasis was made on a er offering embracing the sciences. This was of particular help reasing enrollment.

students in midwestern high schools simply were not AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

enrolled in Wabash's Preparatory Department — something of a fifth year of high school that did not make applying to Wabash an easy choice. In fact, given the choice between this additional year and the ability to enroll at Indiana University, or a less-demanding college, many otherwise capable and intelligent men opted for the latter option, causing Wabash's enrollment to suffer alarmingly.

Additionally, the nation's interest in the sciences had grown to such an extent that the college actually risked turning out less-prepared students for the time. Kane's alteration of entrance requirements and curriculum, albeit following some understandable faculty controversy, proved a wise course.

Until this time, Beta Theta Pi considered itself a band of “merry Greeks” who, while regularly gathering for meetings in rented chapter halls, returned each night to private quarters. Such meetings, as described in this history's first portion, were full of whimsy and fun although sincere attention was duly given to the more serious goals of the fraternity. Laughter often followed the treasurer's weekly pleas for money. One meeting featured “Bro. [John] Coss2 report[ing] the treasury in bad shape and issu[ing] a touching appeal for funds.” The recording secretary, evidently given to Dickensian images, ended that meeting's minutes with, “All the brothers gathered around the stove to burn our last stick of wood.”3 Phi Gamma Delta, which Tau Chapter has considered something of a chief “rival” on campus, decided to purchase a house at 207 South Grant. Fraternity brothers would not only meet, sing a few songs, and recite a few passages from the classics, but they would also sleep, study, and eventually eat under one roof. According to 100 Years at Wabash: Beta Theta Pi 1846-1946 by Robert B. McCain, Class of 1923, the Betas were initially upset with this proposition.

As a “society," they considered this communal state a bit beyond their original intentions and continued to rent a chapter hall on the third floor of a building on the northwest corner of Washington AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

pied a section of college halls as early as 1850, possibly a first l fraternities. Yet, while “unsullied friendship” and “mutual ance” were, and are, noble goals, they initially felt that the cal concerns of such an arrangement would change the scope group. Nevertheless, after Phi Delta Theta purchased a house self in 1903 and others followed, Beta Theta Pi was at an ustomed disadvantage for purposes of rush. Indeed, in uary of that year, “much was said in regard to a chapter house t was decided to hold a smoker...in order to get the alumni her and put the proposition before them.” In March, Harley ne reported that the alumni were encouraging such a move. By uary 1906, a formal announcement was made saying that “we d build our chapter house next spring.” Within a few months, ver, it became clear that another approach was best.

906, several Beta brothers were renting rooms at a house d by Katherine E. Thomson, and apparently also rented by other of John Coss.4 The green house, a large frame Victorian elaborately-carved embellishments typical of the time, was ocated on a slight knoll at 513 West Wabash Avenue. It was nally built in 1876 for Alexander Thomson. As four years had d since the Phi Gam decision to invest in real estate, the Betas able to see the advantages and necessities of a chapter house having suspended their thoughts of new construction, 513 ed the logical house to occupy. They decided to rent the house 420 a year.5 While this was judicious and possibly overdue, magines that a similar decision might not have been made had the college president lived just steps away, as did dent Kane. Within the next few years, a mortgage was red and the purchase was final.

e the selection of 513 was undoubtedly due to availability and on, it proved to be a singular choice for symbolism. The mson-Ristine family is, perhaps, the current era's only link to AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ns of layers of white and red paint, one finds that the Senior h itself is a memorial to the family. James Thomson and his er John Steele Thomson were prominent Presbyterian ters who saw the need for an Eastern-style college like sh. John, elected a Trustee that first year, soon also became the e's third professor as he taught Mathematics and Natural sophy. Osborne and Gronert describe James by saying:

nd if is a part of the tradition of the College, no doubt a sound adition, that if any one man more than another is to be ngled out as founder, that man must be James Thomson.

nder Thomson, younger brother of John and James, founded rawfordsville law firm later headed by Beta Richard Ristine He was the college's treasurer and served longer as trustee than ne in the college's history. His son Everett was graduated from ollege in 1864. Everett's wife Katherine (or “Kittie”) was the hter of Dr. Joseph F. Tuttle, Wabash's third president and the ollege president who turned a kind heart toward the college's nities. In poor health after a number of years as a pastor in , Everett and his wife returned to Crawfordsville and moved 513 with Alexander. Everett was, at different times, the pastor nter and First Presbyterian Churches (which later rejoined to the Wabash Avenue Presbyterian Church). Everett was also rst paid college librarian when the new Yandes Library opened e Wabash campus in 1891. It was “Kittie”, Everett's widow, whom the Betas negotiated the house transaction.

purchase of the Thomson home removed from the abstract the for these young men to focus on human relations. No longer annoying personal habits or ideas able to be hidden. Quickly ated were house rules, methods of food procurement and ration, and, inevitably, freshman pledgeship. When the first er meeting in the new house was held in September 1906, the order of business was that "a set of house rules was submitted AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

rules read for the benefit of the evil doers. A discipline committee was discussed..."

The communal living of relatively diverse young men proved trying. The chapter, which had typically numbered 10 or 12 members at the turn of the century, in 1907 counted 27 active members and three pledges. Nerves were sure to be tested. A lost motion imploring that “two-fingered artists, so-called, should not be allowed to molest the piano except between noon and lunch time” exemplifies this exasperation. Noon was lunchtime.

Morals also became the subject of much chapter conversation.

Gambling in the house was banned. Freshmen were forbidden from drinking, not only in the house, but in Crawfordsville — a rule perhaps unfair to “townie” brothers. Unhappy consequences were darkly hinted at for those who engaged in “smutty talk.”6 Chewing tobacco was prohibited in the front room although the highly polished spittoons were to remain on the mantel piece. After only one year in the house, and apparently out of some desperation, a set of rules for table conduct was compiled by Bro. Arthur J. Bundy, Class of 1909.7 They all met with approval with the exception of the one concerning the selling and betting on desserts. Bro. [William W.] Fobes [Class of 1910] who recently won three pieces of mince pie objects strenuously to this rule and is seconded by several others.

Another table rule was suspended in 1914. No longer would the brothers, at least in the warmer months, be required to wear “collars and coats” at dinner. A glance at a photograph depicting such attire is instructive.

This period of Tau's history also saw the development of pledging activities. In earlier years, a prospective member was simply asked if he would like to join the “society." If the answer were in the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ghout the year, future members were invited to dinner to the Betas. Later, if the group was comfortable, the student was d with the fraternity colors.8

rly as 1902, reference is made that the new initiate was given bumps” and had participated in “the Dorg”9 prior to formal ion. Eventually, the pledge was subjected to “roughhouse” or degree initiation” on one night and then enjoyed the more us and thought-provoking ritual on a second night. dically the chapter would vote to lessen or eliminate the h house”. By 1911, however, freshmen were clearly in an mfortable situation. In a chapter meeting,

scussion then arose as to freshman discipline. After some gument, Bro. Sprowl [Class of 1909], who had come into the eeting, offered some valuable suggestions. He said that during s life at Wabash he had never beaten a freshman and at the me time no freshman had ever refused to work for him. 10

e exact freshman activities for this time are now unknown to veral would seem to have meaning for later Betas. Freshmen expected to have an average grade of 80% for initiation, mination questions”11 were in effect in 1908, “lines” are oned for the first time in 1914, and a suspension of the "bean occurred in 1915.

ge Littell, Class of 1921, also provides further insight on eship of the period:

was up on the third floor that my hrother Norman...was bout to "tear the house down" when one of the little...tricks iled! I was hanging on a rafter with a rope wound around me nd a fat pillow, when the rope broke, and the pulley hit me on e head, with the yelling heard round about! I was out cold

as it appeared in 1915.

Chapter has taken great pride in its lengthy association with Theta Pi. Founded just seven years after Beta's 1839 founding, hapter essentially has been in continuous existence since.12 alone would provide luster to any chapter's name. Its ngs in scholarship and activities, though difficult to quantify tively, are probably unequalled at Wabash. An unusual er of its alumni figure prominently in national, local and Beta Pi records. And it has rarely caused great concern for the ral Fraternity. Yet Tau Chapter is composed of Wabash ge students who, as an arguably unfair stereotype, are staunch dualists preferring the practical over the affected. Indeed, it n 1915 that DePauw students, in attempted derision, coined rm “Cavemen” — a moniker that has been worn with some by generations of Wabash students.

ing example of this spirit is seen in the attempt by George M. dler13 Michigan 1898 to provide each chapter with its own er coat of arms. Chandler was responsible for much of Beta Pi's current insignia and felt that the chapters should have a nalized coat of arms. The coat of arms would be identical to gular arms with the exception of an additional symbol in the left quadrant of the shield. A suitable motto for the chapter d also be selected for the chapter and added where “-kai-” is ally shown.

n the chapter received its first notice of such a plan, together a cut of the proposed design, on January 24, 1912, it was

llowed by discussion..(and) it was finally decided that asmuch as the chapter had no use for a coat of arms, and that e design made by Chandler had no significance with ference to this chapter,14 not to accept the same. The orresponding secretary was instructed to write Chandler and

The issue was assumed forgotten until October when another letter was received from Chandler. Once again, the chapter voted not to have a chapter coat of arms. Spring arrived, and with it another letter from the persistent Chandler—this time with a new proposed design. The chapter blinked, a little, and discussed designing its own chapter coat of arms, although no time period was specified.

When the chapter returned from summer vacation, Robert Parsons15, Class of 1914 and the chapter's delegate, reported on the General Fraternity convention of Beta Theta Pi. “The most important point,” the recording secretary notes, “(was) the fact that Tau is the only chapter that has not adopted a chapter coat of arms.” The following month, the chapter rebelliously moved that a dog's head be used for the arms. Apparently growing weary, Brother Chandler, who by now had become the acting General Secretary of the fraternity, finally visited the errant chapter the following January. He talked with the chapter about Beta standards and insisted on a more serious attitude during chapter meetings. It is difficult to determine if Chandler's words or his presence made the greatest impact but a motion was made by Bro. Bennett (who had previously offered the “dog's head” proposal) to adopt Chandler's coat of arms design.16 It passed.17 In such ways, Tau Chapter passed its time at Wabash College. The men were serious about their studies and impassioned about topics of the day. Yet, days spent at the Shades and Turkey Run state parks, coupled with leisurely picnics in what is now the arboretum, tell a story of a quiet and stable existence in the Crawfordsville area.

World War I reminded the chapter that the security previously offered by Wabash, Beta Theta Pi, and even Crawfordsville were, in the end, tentative and always subject to outside forces. Wabash's student body was depleted, although not as sorely as during the Civil War. Faculty members and students alike found themselves in the military. A student military training corps (the S.A.T.C.) was AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ssors James Insley Osborne, Class of 1906, and Theodore ory Gronert, in their 1932 history Wabash College: The First dred Years described the impact on the college:

he fateful first week in April, 1917 was Spring Vacation at Wabash. War was declered on Friday. On the following onday college reassembled. A few men had already enlisted. ay by day other men dropped out of college to enlist. A more eneral exodus came in the second week of May, when the first fficers’ Training Camp opened at Fort Benjamin Harrison (in ndianapolis). Eighty-six men attended it, headed by Professor ipson and Coach Sheeks. And meanwhile there was drilling n the campus, under the direction of Captain George Harney, lass of 1888, Professor Leonard, and a senior from Culver, lent Wabash for this service...Only eight men of this class (1917) fifty- three were able to be present for the baccalaureate rmon...the rest were in government service and could not be xcused...[Beta] J. (Kenyon) Nicholson18, editor (of The Wabash) that year, took time to write a brief editorial for it om “somewhere in Fort Harrison.” “Wabash,” he wrote, “has oved to Fort Benjamin Harrison. If you do not believe it, take n interurban19 some day and visit the garrison...No college or niversity in the state has so large a representation, latively.”20

oximately 200 men, however, showed up in the fall as nts. Campus activity, while somewhat abbreviated, still d athletics, the glee club, and, of course, the fraternity system. relative stability, in the face of a true world war, could not be dered permanent. Thus, the college, along with several other colleges, undertook to establish the Students' Army Training s (the S.A.T.C.). The idea, formulated by the Secretary of War, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

right, third row. The oldest Beta in this picture is Edward Daniels, Class of 1875, bottom right with cigar. Bottom: Tau brothers pose with "Buddy's Machine," a 1914 Premier touring car owned by Bud Greene, in the spring of 1916. Premiers were made in Indianapolis at the time and Greene recalled that his car had an electric gearshift and a hole in the floorboard for a gearshift lever as a backup.

nly be called up for active service in an emergency more ening than was then apparent. The partnership involved the e providing instruction and room-and-board, while the ry would supply all other equipment necessary. Additionally, uld fund the scheme by paying each college on a per-student

Norman Littell, Class of 1921, a sergeant in the S.A.T.C., the year authored The History of the Wabash S.A.T.C. which rne and Gronert used extensively in their college history as detailed accounts were prepared. Two barracks were ructed in the area of the present-day Baxter Hall and where hapel would be built years later. Yet more than 500 students ted that fall — the most the college had ever welcomed. As the cks were inadequate for the number of men, and perhaps se they were also unfinished at first, the fraternity houses also called into use. Indeed, the Phi Delta Theta chapter house used for what may have been the S.A.T.C.'s most notable ty — as a hospital. The nation's flu epidemic struck fordsville in October in a most vicious way. Before the .C. camp was mercifully suspended, just under one hundred were reportedly hospitalized at the Phi Delt house. On mber 11th, 1918, approximately two weeks after the camp inally reassembled, the Armistice was announced and the n for the entire military operation was ended.

Chapter, just before the return of the students from the war, ered twelve.21 The war took the lives of at least three Betas, t Walcott22, Class of 1899, John Torian23, Class of 1914, and Watkins24, Class of 1918. At least eighty-six men from Tau ter served in the war with nine men either in the S.A.T.C. at sh or in the Naval Reserve Force stationed at Harvard ersity. Of these men, it was reported that Jefferson D. Petty, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

features ten of the 16 members in military uniform; Bottom: Tau celebrates in style in a real "Roaring Twenties" party in 1928. Byron Trippet '30 is at far left.

eau-Thierry, Belleau Woods, and the Argonne. He later ed medals and other memorabilia to the chapter. T. Laurence olson26, Class of 1918, while travelling to the front, survived a e shell attack on his train that killed several others. J. Insley rne, Class of 1906, who was in intelligence during the war, mpanied President Woodrow Wilson and his party on his first o Europe.27

matter how desperately the chapter would wish to return to its aratively idyllic atmosphere of previous years, it was not ble. The aftermath of such major events induces a reation of purpose and method. While the advent of the chapter at the turn of the century might seem a signal of a fraternal ern era," the post-World War I period might be more ative of a peculiar seriousness that was to mark Tau Chapter, not continuously, to the present day. Various motions were d that included “no hesitancy in kicking out a man who allows rades to fall,” a session of “comments and criticisms” was d to each chapter meeting, and, in 1928, the chapter voted to ish Rough Week forever as a part of its initiation.”28 Beta st and leadership in college activities, in addition to its usual st in grades, became more seriously organized.

dically in the 1920s and 1930s, several Wabash fraternities ed “political combines” or schemes among themselves that d assure that these houses would dominate Wabash politics xtracurricular activities. Those participating in it varied from o year, with Beta Theta Pi always involved. A typical combine d, on a rotating basis, be arranged so that, for example, a Beta d head the Bachelor, a FIJI would head the yearbook, and a a Sig would head the news bureau. The following year, each would change places. Such combines involved themselves in pects of Wabash life. In addition to those just mentioned, rship roles for participating houses were also often determined he Pan-Hellenic committee, Student Council, Scarlet Masque AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Press Club. It is not clear what attitude the college administration had regarding such admittedly unfair arrangements, but the Beta Theta Pi General Fraternity was at least mildly opposed to them.

Not surprisingly, the chapter passed a motion in 1929 that Tau Chapter will not obey the National Fraternity law prohibiting combines with other fraternities for the purpose of holding political offices on campus.29 In view of the great Beta activity in the Sphinx Club honorary, it is also interesting to note that initially the chapter was much opposed to it, fearing that it was another secret society the likes of which all had sworn never to join. The chapter was vigilant in its defense against secret inter-fraternity organizations as can be shown in a rousingly-passed 1922 motion: Believing that any organization of the type of the Sphinx Club of Wabash College is detrimental to the best interests of Tau Chapter of Beta Theta Pi, and to Wabash College, in that it is undemocratic, causes a lack of harmony in the chapter and is not imbued with the Wabash Spirit, it is moved that no member of Tau Chapter of Beta Theta Pi shall hold membership or be connected in any way with the Sphinx Club of Wabash College or any similar organization, upon the penalty of immediate suspension of all chapter privileges.

The chapter, of course, later revised its thinking on the Sphinx Club and Betas have been particularly active in it ever since.

Alcohol is a recurring subject, not only in view of the society at large, but at Wabash College in particular. While responsibility and the fear of liability suits has caused a thorough reexamination of college-aged drinking in recent years, it would be difficult to find a more sobering article than an editorial in the October 1926 Tau's AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

er and alumni caused the chapter to cure the situation. As one ure, and also bowing to the national prohibition movement, ouse adopted a strict no-in-house-drinking policy. Thus, the rial must have been somewhat startling for the reading alumni:

n the chapter house at Wahash this year there is going to be no quor! Get that Straight! Alumni are our greatest asset and we ant you to come back open and stay long, but don't bring any toxicating liquor on to the Chapter premises or both ndergraduates and alumni are going to be embarrassed... At resent, we have no men in the chapter who persist in drinking. o, we make no claim to having a totally ahstaining chapter, ut the present undergraduates have realized that liquor and gh scholarship cannot walk hand in hand...From now on toxicating liquor will not be tolerated on the premises of the Wabash Chapter of Beta Theta Pi. Alumni who hring their quor here will receive the same treatment as would a pledge ember found with liquor on his person. We will not hesitate to commend for expulsion from the fraternity any member ringing liquor onto fraternity premises! They must go!30

ter to the alumni from John Allan Blair31, then vice-president e General Fraternity and the son of "Aunt Jennie" Blair, wed up the editorial by congratulating the chapter on its ach toward scholarship and emphasizing that the General rnity would, indeed, back up the active chapter should an nus bring alcohol to the house. He encouraged the alumni to “the boys” to tell them how proud they are. “Don't let them it out alone,” he implored. This combined approach ently had some effect as the chapter bounced back to win the arship cup the next term and then again for twelve out of the eighteen terms.

impressive structures of architectural wonder and size, by any measure then and now. The Beta chapter houses at Indiana and Purdue are excellent examples of this trend. At Wabash, the Phi Gams and Kappa Sigs were shortly to construct significant houses on a smaller scale. This, tied with the strain of a modern fraternity chapter existing in a very old building originally designed as a single-family house, caused the active chapter and alumni to actively pursue massive renovation of the house. The Tau Association, which had formed for mortgage purposes when 513 was first purchased, created a committee in order to thoroughly study the situation.

While all Tau Betas belonged to the Tau Association, a board of directors essentially steered it. It was an admirable organization in that it was composed of loyal alumni who pledged their personal finances for the various mortgages and loans made for the benefit of the chapter. The chapter has been fortunate to have many prominent alumni active in its affairs. The pre-World War II period found among the most active Joseph J. Daniels32, Class of 1911, Charles D. “Lafe” LaFollette33, Class of 1920, Charles Piety34, Class of 1920, Frederic Connell35, Class of 1921, Walter J. Hubbard, Jr.36, Class of 1912, Oscar Welborn37, Class of 1896, Reginald Sullivan38, Class of 1897, Edward Bennett39, Class of 1914, Albert Deluse40, Class of 1940, Arthur McCain41, Class of 1889, Charles H. Goddard42, Class of 1924, Ward Hackleman43, Class of 1913, Reilly Adams44, Class of 1932, Volney Brown45, Class of 1922, Marsh Jones Sr.46, Class of 1917, Warren Shearer47, Class of 1936, John B. Wyatt48, Class of 1930, R. B. McCain49, Class of 1923, Walter Haney50, Class of 1930, Vernon Hahn51, Class of 1913, and longtime board presidents Austin Brown52, Class of 1912, Wylie Daniels53, Class of 1910, and Harley Ristine54, Class of 1903.

A report to the alumni, dated May 19, 1924, outlined a plan for the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

f a modified English Tudor Revival, perhaps the most popular mpressive residential design then used in the 1920s. The plans elaborate, perhaps a bit too elaborate to consider all at once. n planned for a new roof, replacing the clapboard siding and erbread” decoration with brick veneer and carved limestone a new terrace, combining the two “parlors” into one large room, four new bedrooms, two new bathrooms, new floors of the bedrooms, reworked heating and lighting, new kitcheny, new walks and steps, new windows, among other ations. Unfortunately, the lowest bid (after some pruning of lans) came to $25,000 which was about 50% more than had expected by the building committee. It was decided, then, to ed that year with the renovation with the exception of the or remodeling, which would be postponed until additional could be secured. By 1929, through various financial gements and also following the construction of the Phi Gam Kappa Sig houses, the Tau Association was able to complete xterior renovation of “the old barn” and present to the campus sentially new house that was to serve the chapter until the ruction of New 513.

apshot of chapter life in the 1920s shows a Beta chapter ing life in the midst of the seriousness. Magazines purchased e chapter included Judge, College Humor, American Mercury, American Magazine, and Vanity Fair. The grass was cut for a a week (hedge trimming was an extra $2.75). A 1923 motion we be allowed to butter our own toast at breakfast and have ream for our coffee” passed resoundingly, provoking thought re recent alumni of more civilized meals. George Littell, Class 21, recalls a singular experience that affected the college as a e: was in the Beta house that I experienced my greatest pleasure

1948. Left to right: Brothers Stu Place, Al Brinklow, Tom Mahoney, Bob McCain, and Ed McElwain.

s banjo and guitar, while working with Carroll Ragan who as then working on the final approval of that great "Alma ater" — experimenting with the detail of harmonies that nally met with the approval of all of as, before accepting the resent composition..."Alma Mater" — born at Tau!

as continued to be the case, Tau Chapter in this period ently held dances and parties to entertain their girlfriends and g women from Crawfordsville and nearby colleges. While al dances were frequently held at the Masonic Temple hall, informal gatherings often took place in the chapter house. praise was given to one alum for his donation of a new ograph to the chapter as they felt it would impress their dates. the Prohibition-era sentiments surrounding alcohol, nishments were frequently issued pertaining to its use.

s a unique time for both the chapter and Indiana in general. erity was yet untainted by the looming Great Depression and try, progress, and growth were the bywords of the day. The attending Wabash were often the sons of those guiding this ual period of development and they enjoyed the relative y of college life. Yet, it was also a frightening period for many notorious D. C. Stephenson and his Ku Klux Klan viciously d Catholics, Jews, immigrants, and Black people, while y running much of the Indiana state and local governments.

Wabash College, which admitted Black students long before similar institutions56 and arguably held moderately essive social values for the time, issued a publication during eriod with an emphasis on its “All-American” and “native” atmosphere, though, of course, never endorsing the Klan or ympathizers. While no group of people can claim to lack duals without prejudice, Tau Chapter's minutes of this period no mention of participation in the hysteria then sweeping the Whether this was due to Beta Theta Pi having been founded rinciples different than those of other old fraternities or AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

World War II, members of the Class of 1947: William "Bill" Fisher, Thomas "Tom" Jennings, Joseph "Joe" Pritchett, Leroy "Jack" Voss, and Arthur "Chris" Schrader.

ot include its first known Black initiate, LaVoyd Lucas '7157, the late 1960s. This followed Beta's first known Black initiate, Lowry58 Kenyon '56, almost fifteen years earlier even though Theta Pi has never included discriminatory rules of race or on. Prejudice surely reflected society in the chapter, especially y chapter is composed of impressionable young men. It ubtedly does even now, though, perhaps, with a different cast llains."59

table days of the 1920s gave way to the Great Depression of 930s. Even directors of Tau Association, not generally given to but not unaware of the failings of many banks across the ry, exhibited some concern in 1933 with the stability of the fordsville banks where the Association held its funds and h held the mortgage on the house. The nation's banking crisis, ver, apparently warranted no serious attention locally as on of it took up less space in the correspondence between ors that year than did an unusual “moth matter” that ened the new carpets and furniture in the remodeled house.

e many Wabash men still came from financially-secure rounds, more students than before were now under extreme cial pressure. The subject of money has always been a troubletopic in a fraternal setting. While the group must be able to de itself with food, shelter, heat, and social functions, it is t always tentative when it encounters a likable brother whose y funds have run short. If a member could not pay his bill, the members were forced to carry him, always remembering that eta House was a fraternity, not simply a rooming house. To urage prompt payment, though, the chapter issued rules on quents. At one point those with outstanding house bills were allowed to have cream, jam, or other extras”. At other times, et conferences with parents were arranged. Suspension of privileges of the house” was often used but the definition of leges” changed frequently. In extreme situations, usually only AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

By the mid-1930s, Tau Chapter was composed of 46 actives which was, to that point, an unusually large number. The General Fraternity's preference at the time was a chapter numbering no more than 39 men.60 In most ways, the chapter continued the pattern set in the 1920s. Chapter singing was highly valued, campus activities were emphasized as well as grades, and it maintained an active social life. Not all members experienced the 1930s Beta House in the same manner. H. Latham Breunig '3461,who was deaf, worked his way through school, and ultimately found his Beta life “rewarding," remembered the period: ..my experience in not hearing played a profound effect upon my ability to concentrate on my studies. My chief recollection... is that I made 18 beds a day for four years working my way through school...

The pledgeship program, however, found itself expanded. A set of freshman rules was prepared in 1933 that, to a great extent, lasted until the late 1980s. The freshman shall: 1. have no dates during the week; 2. be in their rooms and converse in low voices during study hours; 3. obtain permission from their room sponsor before leaving the room; 4. have either one afternoon or night to spend as they please; 5. not read magazines or books not connected with school during study hours; 6. not congregate in each others’ rooms or sleep during study hours; 7. remove pots62 while in the house; 8. be up by 7:00 and down to breakfast by 7:15; 9. out of the showers hy 5:45 in the evening; 10. remain quiet at all times in the dorm; 11. attend church on Sunday; 12. refrain from talking with upperclassmen; 13. offer their newspaper and chair when upperclassmen enter room; 14. not be in the card room during

mited to five minutes on the telephone; 18. not be in the weetshop except on weekends or with dates; 19. not enter a ool room.

comparison of the 1930s with that of today also brings up the r of personal correspondence between the General Fraternity Tau Chapter. Much of this is due to the pervasive spirit and ne interest of long-time General Fraternity President Francis hepardson Denison 1882, Brown 1883, who headed the nity from 1918-1937. Over the years, an apparent affinity for Wabash chapter was evidenced by Shepardson's involvement in al initiations, his interest in the Tau Chapter archives, and, at , almost weekly letters to various active members. He praised hapter for its well-kept and extensive archives and often mented about issues of concern to the chapter. Congratulations large and small chapter accomplishments came from rdson at regular intervals. As the fraternity grew, of course, personal detail became difficult to maintain. Indeed, the spondence is quite different from that of today which largely with legal liability, reports, admonishments, finance, and mundane topics of a vaguely negative nature.

y that World War II had an effect on Wabash College is akin oting a Little Giant's “distaste" for DePauw University's s. In more ways than simply leaving a new vocabulary for (“head”, “rack”, etc.), the war endangered the very existence e college and the Beta House, if the safety of the nation itself assured, which it was not. Byron Trippet, later the Wabash ge president and described in this history's next section, mbers the unfolding drama when

ick Banta63 and I had been in Chicago that weekend on ollege business . Late in the afternoon . . .that. . . Sunday, we arted back to Crawfordsville by car. We had reached the

of 1923, with their dates in 1920 standing on West Wabash Avenue with a sedan parked on the street in front of what was the former Delta Tau Delta House and is now Trippet Hall. Center: Richard O. Ristine '41 as he appeared his senior year on the football team.

Bottom: Carroll E. Black '28 was editor-in-chief of The Bachelor and president of the Beta House during his time as a student.

e bombing of Pearl Harbor]...we were stunned and appalled. s the full significance of the devastating attack and all that it mplied for the future sank in on me, my thoughts about Wabash...became of secondary importance...I resolved to get to military service as quickly as possible...My reaction was pical of others at Wabash, both students and staff. The place egan to fall apart as a consequence.64

Frank Hugh Sparks, an entrepreneur-industrialist-turnedtor initiated only recently by the DePauw Beta chapter, had been elected the new president of the college. He had ulated great plans to push Wabash College into the national tional arena. His project now, however, was not to make a er Wabash, but to keep it alive during the war. Harley Ristine, April 14, 1943 correspondence to fellow Tau Association member Wylie Daniels, expressed concern that “the college be through, I think” if the college were not to secure a ry-educational unit. In rather quick order, Sparks was able to e a Navy V-12 unit that would operate in roughly the same as the World War I S.A.T.C. unit. This assured that Wabash d, at the very least, continue to exist.

V-12 program soon expanded and required additional space. occurred just as the fraternities were losing students to the war . The Beta House was already nearing critically low levels of bership owing to a large graduating senior class, a battlened junior class, and a very small freshman class. With a gage still needing to be paid, the Tau Association was standably concerned. Arrangements were made for the nities to rent out the chapter houses to the Navy based on appraised value. The Beta House was appraised at $38,000 h netted enough to cover the mortgage payments and add a st amount to a fund for restoration work when the house d be returned to the Betas. Sixty men were assigned by the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Despite the predictions of many that the Navy men housed in the chapter would destroy it, the building fared well. A visit by Harley Ristine in February 1944 illustrates both the fear and the reality: ...I had been hearing that the Navy boys were smashing up the furniture, etc...Never in all my life have I seen 513 look half as well as it does now. Even the rug...doesn’t show any wear or none to speak of. The fact is that the boys over there are a very gentlemanly lot, never make any noise to speak of, and there wasn’t a bit of dust or dirt anywhere. The beds were all nicely made in true Naval fashion and I was more than pleased with the appearance of things.65

By March 1944, with prospects of a resumption of regular college activities now realistic, the Tau Association found it wise and necessary to begin planning for a refinancing of the mortgage in order to refurnish and upgrade the chapter house following its use by the Navy. It also appointed a committee to plan for a major centennial celebration in 1946, in honor of one hundred years of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash. After sixteen years of war and economic depression, the country, the college, and Tau Chapter were preparing itself, once again, for the promise of optimism.

T

1946-1996: Setting the Standard

By Todd I. Glass '83

Chapter Four originally appeared as Chapter Three in 150 Years of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash College, published in 1997. The editors have modified the original text for issues of spelling, punctuation, and clarity.

he centennial of Tau Chapter was a crucial turning point in the development of Tau. The years during the war saw not only Tau's ranks being depleted by the call to arms, but the entire college saw enrollment decline drastically. It was a period unlike any period in the history of Tau Chapter since the Civil War. Although the crusade was one against worldwide domination by forces of totalitarianism, as opposed to our own civil strife, the impact upon Tau and Wabash College was just as great. Following the war years, Tau Chapter of Beta Theta Pi, like Wabash College itself, had to rebuild. In fact, Tau was forced to "grow up quickly" in a manner of speaking, as the centennial celebration was due to be held in 1946. While tending to its own rebirth, Tau Chapter needed to host the most important celebration in the chapter's history.

The celebration itself would fall into the able hands of some of Tau's most distinguished alumni. The plans at the chapter level would fall into the hands of the likes of Joe Pritchett ’471, chapter president, and Russ Ragan's son, Robert Russell Ragan II ’49. The plans for the celebration were not the only matters of interest to the chapter, however. Study hours were not being honored by the actives, and the drastic measure of fines had to be imposed by scholarship chairman Thomas Jennings ’47. One of the more interesting motions approved during chapter during this period was a vote of approval of the Phi Kappa Psi chapter being founded at AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

et for hell week in the winter of 1947. The dean learned of the em and quickly wrote the chapter and requested the policy to e. The violation of which Dean Trippet was disciplining the er was having hell week at undesignated times. The official ge rule" was that hell week was to occur the first week after emester vacation and that it could not last longer than 72 !3

centennial celebration was an anxiously-awaited event by all Betas, and preparations began early. Centennial chairman Russ n ’23 visited the chapter on November 13, 1946. It was the ime he had been back, in fact, to 513 for almost 20 years, and the visit he organized the coordination of centennial plans een alumni and active.4 The atmosphere leading up to the ration was one of excitement and anticipation of brighter and years ahead for Tau Chapter. Not only was the centennial the ing stone to the next generation of Tau's history, but it was an ing event. Led by its chairman, over 250 Tau Betas celebrated nd style.

oldest alumnus present for the centennial was Louis Cain, of 1890, and Joe Daniels, Class of 1911, brought greetings the oldest living alumnus and his uncle, Parke Daniels, Class 887.5 Many of the alumni fondly remembered John Lyle pbell, Class of 1848, who was professor at Wabash until 1904. rs knew Francis Shephardson, General Fraternity president patriarch for over forty years, and John Coburn, founder of n 1846.

during the centennial one could not help notice the overall nance of Tau brothers in the caretaking of Wabash College he next quarter century. Byron Trippet ’30 was dean of the e and James Insley Osborne, Class of 1906, was chairman of English department and the intellectual role model of the e. Warren Shearer ’36 and Walter Fertig ’38 were up-andAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

For one Saturday in November of 1946, it seemed as if the entire campus consisted of Betas only. Wabash defeated DePauw 27-0 while being led by fullback Jimmy Allerdice ’48. The dinner held that evening at the Masonic Temple included unforgettable addresses from the chapter president, Trippet, Sparks, Louis Cain, and General Fraternity representatives. The evening was capped off by an address from Joe Daniels and the loving cup ceremony.

During that ceremony, George Littell, Class of 1921, sang the first verse in his beautiful baritone voice. The account of Bob McCain, Class of 1923, historian for the centennial celebration, was published in The Beta Theta Pi magazine in January of 1947 as was Joe Daniels’ speech in the March 1947 edition.6 After the centennial celebration, Tau Chapter settled down to the business of rebuilding its ranks with brothers who were as “youngfaced” as most Tau Betas are when they begin their college careers.

Many of Tau, however, after the war were experienced men returning from the ravages of war. Many of them had served extensively in various campaigns in both the Pacific and European theaters. Many had seen battle or had served a variety of roles in all parts of the armed forces. For those Tau Betas that never experienced the post-war Tau Chapter the combination of the younger men and the veterans had to be one of the most unique challenges ever faced by our Tau brothers.

A good example of the paradox of being a Beta during this period is Brother Robert Barta ’47. He was a pledge in 1939 when the war broke out but spent the next four years serving his country. When the end of the war allowed him, he returned to Wabash to finish his education and we can all be assured that it was not easy to do this.

In 1946, he was married and a father of a little boy, but he, like so many others, wanted to finish his Wabash career. The entire graduating class of 1947, of which Barta was one, is an excellent case study of Tau Betas during the post-war period. There were six AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

abetically, the first of this group was Bob Barta '47. Married one son at the time of graduation, Brother Barta served four in the Navy at Puerto Rico and the Pacific. At Tau, he was the sentative to the Sphinx Club, captain of the baseball team, and f the team's top pitchers. He also made Phi Beta Kappa and he winner of the Butler prize for outstanding senior. Next was am Fisher '47 who served as supply officer in the Navy in . He returned to Wabash and served as recorder and vicedent of the Beta house. Then there was Tom Jennings '47. He ombat in the Navy in the South Pacific and at Tau served as treasurer, vice-president, and president. He also worked on aff of The Bachelor, played on the tennis team, and served on an-Hellenic Council.

in this group was Joseph Pritchett. Joe served as staff officer the First Airborne Army in Europe. He was house president 47. Arthur "Chris" Schrader '47 was in the Navy and rose to pply and disbursing officer to the commander of the Fifth in Japan. Back at Wabash, Schrader played varsity football, d on the Pan-Hellenic Council, and was Beta rush chairman, president, alumni secretary, and president. Finally, Leroy ” Voss '47 served aboard landing ships for tanks (LSTs) in pean and Pacific waters and was the Beta treasurer, vicedent, and president. He also served on the staff of the ook and the Pan-Hellenic Council.

were many other Tau Betas who served as well as the six men e Class of 1947 and they all personify the best in Tau Chapter.

Tau Betas served their country, Wabash, and Tau Chapter honor through very difficult times, often raising new families the way. All Tau Betas, young and old, should never forget trength it took to keep Tau Chapter going during the lean of war and excel while doing it.

staffed almost entirely by Tau Betas which included Jim Goode '49 (managing editor), Walt Williams '48, Al Clauser '50, Joe Noonan '51, Bob Barta '47, Joe Pritchett '47, Benton Baker '48, Roger Fedosky '50, George Haerle '50, Byron Franklin '49, and Jim Givens '50. Tau Betas were also heavily active in the Glee Club, Sphinx Club, Young Republicans Club, and the Pan-Hellenic Council.

The first initiation after the war occurred on March 1, 1947, ironically during a short-lived anti-hazing trend that dominated chapter meetings.7 At the time, there were seven total national fraternities on campus in addition to the newest addition, Phi Kappa Psi. The initiates were mostly fresh from military service such as John Noonan '51 (served with the Asiatic occupational forces), Richard Gilchrist '52 (Army Air Corps in the Mediterranean), and Robert South '51 (Marine Corps in the China theater). Brother Byron Trippet was toastmaster of this important event and Brother Warren Shearer was keynote speaker. No audio recordings or copies of the remarks made that evening survive but the words were surely inspiring and anxious in tone as the Betas were embarking upon the exciting post-war era. Joe Pritchett, the house president at the time, was presented with a new president's badge by none other than Brother Russ Ragan.

After Joe Pritchett, the house leadership fell to Ralph Morrow ’48.

Things were looking good for Tau with over 18 pledge candidates visiting the Tau Betas during several rush parties over the summer.8 The post-war era also saw some memorable social events at Old 513. In 1948, the dorms were converted into a dining hall for a formal dinner-dance complete with a small orchestra hired from Indianapolis. Brothers and their guests were served at individual tables complete with red checkered tablecloths by singing waiters.

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es were invited to dine with Tau Betas and their wives. This well-attended event with so many brothers having married after the war.

e March 1, 1948 chapter meeting, President Morrow presented MacDougall ’51 with a Beta badge and sweetheart pin from er Austin Brown, Class of 1912. This badge and pin were nally the property of Fred Henshaw, Jr. who was killed in n in World War I.9 Although no further record of this pin can ound in Tau records, the chapter meeting was surely a orable one.

nitiation was held that year on February 28, 1948 at the Ben Hall in downtown Crawfordsville. This was apparently sary due to the large number of alumni in attendance. The es this evening included Chuck Goering ’51, current man of the board of trustees of Wabash College, who later was Beta Kappa and played varsity tennis. The toastmaster for the ion ceremonies was Richard Ristine ’41 and keynote speaker Austin Brown, Class of 1912.

e summer of 1948, badly needed renovations were finally leted with new linoleum in the downstairs halls, carpeting on airs (which the brothers said drastically improved the quality udy time), plus carpeting in the bathrooms and the kitchen. new cook that fall was Marcus Nichols. At the General ention held at Mackinac Island in the summer, Tau Chapter he third largest contingent of all chapters in attendance, shared the attendance of Russ Ragan ’23 and Carroll Black ’28. This a tremendous response to brother Bob Ragan '49's call for er attendance at the convention. The previous year, Brother n was the only Tau Chapter delegate at the convention.10

school began, the fall pledges in 1948 numbered thirteen, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

president of the Tau Chapter Alumni Association, during dedication ceremonies of New 513.

eorge H. Littell, Class of 1921), Tom Klingaman '52, Arthur n '52 (son of A.T. Brown ’27), Arthur Milford '50 (son of on Milford, Class of 1904), and Gordon Wiles '52 (son of Ivan les, Class of 1922, who had just been named chairman of the Division of General Motors). The Mothers Club was again active with efforts that year to refurbish the cardroom and ng room with new carpet, leather chairs, tables, and lamps. were 43 men living in Old 513 that year and five married ers out of the house.

raduating class of 1950 included Phi Beta Kappa and Rhodes date Bob Hannaford ’50. That year the pledges included Art r '56 (son of Norman Baxter ’27), James Berkey '54 (son of son Berkey ’29), Dave Galliher '58, Dave Givens '56, and Ed l '56 (brother of George who was a junior Beta that year). in 1950, Tau's Bark won honorable mention in the North ta Awards for best chapter publication. Dick Crampton '53 Bob Hay '53 led the way on the football squad, Bill Dougall '51 was a leading member of the basketball team, the all ranks were filled by George Littell as pitcher and Ed Keith nd the tennis team sported the likes of Chuck Goering '51 and dler Holmes '51. The new district chief that year was Carl ’41 who took over what was then District 15 from a Dannie. al of the Tau Betas during this period were also veterans with r, Ed Littell, Don Kimbriel '54, and Givens returning from Army and George Seidensticker ’57 serving his stint in the .

r names that shine during this period include Tom Klingaman a junior Phi Beta Kappa, and Bob Miller '53 and Jack dow '53 who doubled up as commencement speakers that Vince Grogg '55 pledged as a junior and joined his brother Ed g '56 who was also a Beta. Vince later became judge of the it Court in Covington, Indiana and currently continues to in that capacity. Other junior initiates that year were AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Charlie Carpowich '55. Darrell Lance '57 and Seidensticker were again a Beta pair of commencement speakers in 1957. Jack Wyatt pledged Beta in 1954. His father was John Wyatt ’30, plus there was his uncle Ivan L. Wiles, Class of 1922, uncle Harold Perkins, Class of 1922, and cousin Gordon Wiles ’52. As many Tau Betas know, Jack served Tau well for many years as the chapter advisor and counselor following his undergraduate years.

The 50s and 60s, however, were certainly the era of Brother Byron Trippet. Trippet served as assistant dean under George Kendall before assuming the role of dean of the college between 1942-1956.

When Brother Frank Hugh Sparks announced his decision to step aside, many members of the administration, faculty, and student body knew Brother Trippet's ascension to the presidency was both obvious and the most logical choice. He was inaugurated as president of Wabash in 1956. While Brother Sparks watched over the rebuilding of Wabash College in a most admirable way, Trippet was the man to bring Wabash from its post-war course and into the modern age. 1956 certainly seemed like the Betas were overachieving. Besides Brother Trippet's inauguration, the third intramural trophy in a row had been retired and the chapter was first in scholarship. The entire house was full of Betas who were achieving notoriety at Wabash and would achieve greater success in their careers.

Trippet's inauguration banquet was held in the new Campus Center, built under Sparks’ tenure, and the Trippets were honored by both alumni and undergraduates alike. Dr. Walter Fertig ’38 spoke highly of Brother Trippet as did Dr. Vernon Hahn, Class of 1913, a friend of the Trippets and a neurosurgeon from Indianapolis. The chapter president, Jim Cottingham ’57, also spoke before presenting the Trippets with a silver loving cup inscribed with Tau's crest. Never was the unity between Wabash and Tau more evident than that evening.

Anniversary in 1957, the building of Lilly Library, ndale Hall, Baxter Hall, and the creation of the office of the of students. Trippet was a skilled administrator and talented in rea of fundraising. He saw the endowment grow from $7 n to over $14.5 million during his presidency. Trippet was instrumental in the strengthening of the fraternity system ding the purchase by the college of the property located at Old o assist in fundraising for the construction of New 513. This in mall way ushered in a new era and a new and stronger nity system at Wabash that would never be the same.

te the numerous achievements of Trippet's presidency, his y endures due to the man he was. Genuine, honest, and right are just some of the words that could describe Brother et. Many alumni have warm memories of Trippet walking s campus to another meeting. Others may remember quiet evenings when they would notice Brother Trippet reading by n the front room of the Caleb Mills House where the Trippets during his presidency. Wabash College will most likely never nother quite like Byron Trippet.

1950s was a long period for those trying to stay warm in the r and cool in the spring in Old 513. For those that were not y” enough to live at the Beta house during those years, a brief ption should help. Old 513 had two rooms on the main floor rothers, affectionately named “Big Hell” and “Little Hell.” s were most often held in the basement, often decorated with heckered tablecloths, candles, and sawdust covering the floors. brother without a date would stand in as bartender. Music would consist of a guitar and banjo being strummed to a Beta or two. The "original” Beta songs were also a favorite. Known heir guitar and banjo playing were Steve Close ’59, Jerry aly ’61, Bill Bolinger ’61, and Dave Lahey ’60.

of the Kappa Sigs and Phi Delts. The water fight spread throughout the west end of campus until the energies were redirected to DePauw. One of the largest water fights ever ensued that evening at DePauw with countless dozens of Wabash students spending a free evening at the Greencastle jail!

The next year, the Betas helped the rest of the community walk the entire library collection from Yandes Hall to the brand new Lilly Library. This event, which brought the entire Wabash community together, would be remembered for a long time by those who helped. They also remember Mrs. Trippet trying to keep everyone warm in the winter weather with coffee, hot cocoa, and doughnuts.

The second half of the 1950s can also boast of the return to Wabash of Carroll E. Black ’28. Carroll Black returned in 1957 upon the urging of Brother Trippet11 to take on the role of an admissions counselor and in 1961 became assistant director of admissions.

Between 1950 and 1957 he had served the fraternity well as district chief for District XIX. The years that followed at Wabash, however, Carroll regarded as his happiest. As Brother Trippet wrote in his eulogy of Carroll Black in November of 1972: Of Carroll Black it can be said that next to his family, Beta Theta Pi and Wabash College were probably the most important objects of his interest and devotion throughout his life. He came from a family of Wabash Betas. For four years, he was an active and popular member of the Wabash chapter. In his senior year as chapter president he provided the kind of inspired leadership which lifted the chapter from a last place standing in scholarship among Wabash fraternities to first place, a position the chapter continued to hold for a number of years thereafter... Small wonder it is that his funeral services in the Wabash Chapel concluded with the loving cup ceremony.

Bold came their song as assembled Betas paid grateful tribute

e 1950s, the house structure itself was suffering from the ge of time. Back in 1906, when the Betas first moved into Old he house was old. The major renovations in 1929 were now t thirty years old. There had been some repairs to the house the war, but those repairs proved to be temporary. Floor joists creaking and sagging, plumbing was wretched, windows stuck her, and the Tau brothers were never able to keep warm in r. Without screens the flies outnumbered the Betas by large during the warmer months. This problem was solved orarily when the pledges had to catch and name 100 flies per except Sunday). By the late 1950s, it was obvious Old 513 d to be replaced. Now the real task was at hand for the ers of Tau as they seemed to unite together — both active and ni — toward the ultimate goal of a new house. Perhaps at no time in the history of Tau was the adage true, “good men pledge a house.”

e the new house was built, a good deal was negotiated with a ure maker in Ohio for hardwood dining room tables and with carvings of the Beta crest. These tables and chairs lasted recently. The house, however, would not last that long and more money needed to be raised than what could buy tables hairs. The turning point, as it seemed, was the purchase of the house by Wabash College and the beginning of a new era for nities at Wabash.

traditional alumni activities during these years were the rings at commencement time. Each year, those Betas enjoying reunions would join with regular attendees during this end for housing corporation meetings. After the war, this p recognized the need to have a new house built but the size number of donations could not be raised without the gifts tax-deductible.

National Convention at Mackinac Island, Michigan Center: A week following the dedication of New 513 in 1962, president of the General Fraternity, Seth R. Brooks, makes a surprise visit to Tau Chapter and breaks bread with Tau Betas.

Left: Robert Alden Trimmer '66, of ever honored memory.

1944-1966

nternal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt educational fund. Year year in the 1950s, however, the ruling was anticipated but received. It would not be until Brother Trippet became the dent at Wabash that the administration realized that the entire nity system was facing major structural needs over the course e next several decades. Trippet knew and understood the nities needed to stay at the center of social and housing life at sh and the college would need to step in and play an rtant role.

rustees, thereupon, approved a plan to take title to the Beta e, leasing it to the Betas on short-term contracts. From that forward, gifts for the rebuilding or repair of the Beta house d be contributed to Wabash and were tax-deductible. The e required the Betas to raise about $150,000 for the ding. Under the direction of able brothers, such as Volney n, Class of 1922, the Betas reached and surpassed their goal. r key players in making the plan work successfully besides dent Trippet were trustees Ivan Wiles, Class of 1922, Eugene ey, Class of 1929, and Dick Ristine, Class of 1941. Wiles ed the Beta Fund Campaign and A. Malcolm “Birdie” McVie was vice-chairman. Bob Smith ’36 and Warren Shearer ’36 were rucial players.

Betas were the first to build under this new joint venture with sh College. Soon, almost all fraternities signed up for the new l improvement plan. This was a significant shift in both y and effect for the Betas and the other fraternities which has ed the manner in which fraternities operated at Wabash for the 36 years. Many were concerned for the independence the nities would lose, but as it turns out the fraternities are as endent as ever.

’63 memorialized in his eulogy for Old 513 which was published in Tau's Bark: Old 513 is gone. With the last traces of her demolition still visible from Tau's new headquarters at Kane House, Beta brothers stand reverently mourning the loss of a great fraternity house. Thanks chiefly to the activities of past president John B. Bachman (’61) and the dedicated effort of the alumni committee, Betas will occupy a new house in the fall of 1962, but we can never forget the house at 513.

513 was the undergraduate home of Beta brothers since 1906.

Nearly 700 brothers walked in her sagging halls, studied in her dark rooms, slept in her sometimes freezing, sometimes sweltering dorms. 513 saw all but one of Wabash’s Rhodes scholars. She saw more than her fair share of Wabash’s state champion athletes. She was the college home of men who became, in later life, doctors, lawyers, bankers, writers, painters, leaders in industry, science, education, and the arts.

She was the home of future teachers, professors, heads of departments, and college presidents. Old 513 saw some of the loudest of the “hell roaring five hundred.” She saw the best of a long line of Wabash educated Beta gentlemen. She saw rowdies and scholars.

She saw us singing and playing, studying and partying. She saw pinnings that would lead to marriages. She saw boys grow into Betas and Wabash men.

But most of all, Old 513 saw the brothers of Tau Chapter build a tradition of brotherhood and cooperation that has stood as a landmark of Wabash life, and as a tribute to the greatness of Beta Theta Pi.

er plaster gave way intermittently. The active chapter cursed er and laughed at her, while she stood, but they will miss her. hey gave her a first in scholarship as a good-bye gift.

he new house which rises from her old ground will be a onument to Beta spirit and Beta drive. Above the front door the new home of Tau Chapter will reappear the old number, 13.12

Bark also gave a detailed description of life around Tau ter during the construction phase of New 513. Many active bers would peek a look at the progress with enthusiasm and pation:

he first floor is just now taking shape. The last of the interior alls should be done soon, featured here will be a modern, erhaps bug-free, kitchen, a large, wood-floored dining room, omfortable living room, a library and guest room, and a card om. The living and guest rooms will be carpeted and the card om will have a tiled floor.

limbing the step ladder to the second floor, the lower of the wo study floors, one is impressed with the thick, solid floors. ll the floors are built with pre-cast concrete slabs, inlaid with ollow concrete block, covered with concrete. They're all nearly foot thick. They'll certainly be noise- proof and probably udent-proof too.13

a year after the razing of Old 513, the new 513 was ready for pancy. The stately, Georgian style architecture blended with ollege buildings. Its four floors and a basement allowed ly for a capacity of 72 men all at a cost of over $400,000. The was largely possible due to the tremendous alumni support AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Wiles, Class of 1922, the building fund chairman, over 50% of all Tau alumni pledged a gift to the building fund. The active chapter also depleted its savings account and donated $6,500 to the effort.

The building of New 513 cannot be underestimated in the impact this event had on both the fraternity system at Wabash and the college itself. Prior to the building of the new Beta house, fundraising efforts for a fraternity were difficult with gifts not being tax-deductible. Many of us who have lived as Tau Betas since the early 1960s take for granted the closely knit connection between the Beta house and Wabash College, but this was not always the case. The organizers of the building fund committee knew the only chance for ultimate success in the ambitious building plans were for the college to become involved and a plan devised to allow tax-deductibility of gifts for the building of Tau Chapter.

There were many Tau Betas and other important individuals who brought this dramatic change about and the efforts to make this happen did not begin in 1960. No, they began many years before that, with many requests and overtures to the college meeting no success whatsoever. Looking back, we can only be thankful the college agreed to the plan. With key individuals such as President Trippet leading the way, the college trustees agreed to purchase the land and building at New 513 with Tau Chapter to lease the building and provide certain areas of upkeep. As Trippet stated, “contributions to the Beta House fund count toward meeting the challenge gift recently granted the college by the Ford Foundation.” With this arrangement, gifts to help rebuild Tau Chapter would be directed to Wabash and the tax benefits were obtained.

The fraternity system at Wabash College has never been quite the same. Soon, other fraternities with aging buildings saw the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

eam every direction around campus. Needless to say, the e became more interwoven into the fabric of the fraternity m than ever before and the growth of the fraternities over the 30 years can be directly attributed to the impact of the college sition of fraternity property. Who can account for the number udents attracted to Wabash as a result of the beautiful and ed fraternity facilities? And who can then calculate the impact Wabash those many students had over the course of their graduate years and later as alumni? The impact and influence at indeed. Again, the Betas were leading the way at Wabash although the impact of college acquisition of fraternity rty is not discussed very often, its impact was nonetheless

October 20, 1962, a tremendous dedication weekend was d, once again, by the venerable Russ Ragan, Class of 1923, Volney M. Brown, Class of 1922. A banquet at the Campus er was attended by over 400 people. The speakers included Wiles, Fred Scott ’60, Lt. Gov. Dick Ristine, District Chief Compton Indiana ’49, and President Trippet. Ralph N. Fey mi ’40, general treasurer of the General Fraternity at the time, also in attendance and offered his admiration and atulations to Tau for a magnificent new house. Also in dance were Steve Coons '63, Tau Chapter president, and the oldest living alumnus, Reginald Sullivan, Class of 1897. A new n the history of Beta at Wabash College was celebrated that end. Everyone knew a new era was about to begin.

new era began with a bang only four days after the official ation ceremony when Meid Compton arrived at New 513 the president of Beta Theta Pi, Seth R. Brooks. On October 962, Brother Brooks spent a day with the Tau Betas during one s infrequent visits to Indiana chapters. There was also a ing event during this exciting period of celebration. Longtime for the Tau Betas, Marcus Nichols, died on September 16, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Betas from the brand new facility, the Betas honored him by naming the new kitchen facilities after Nichols.14 The loss of a long-time friend and cook of Tau Chapter is never easy, but not too long after Marcus another close friend walked into Tau Chapter to bless and befriend literally hundreds upon hundreds of Betas: Jerry Eubank. From 1963 to 1981, “Bank” was “not just a man who has provided us with meals, but a man who has been both a confidant and a friend, drinking companion, and chapter historian. He has been to us a precious institution.”15 Bank unofficially retired after 18 years of service to Tau Betas in 1981 but he came back the next year and helped the Betas who were having a difficult time replacing him. Another young generation of Betas, not expecting to get to know Bank, were able to do so. Many of us remember his excellent card-playing or his love for fishing. We all remember his “plague food," creamed beef on toast, and "Spanish Surprise!" We all loved him, too. He was our equal, our friend. To show him our love, he became our Brother. Brother Bank, No. 1238 on the roll of Tau Chapter, died a few years shy of Tau's sesquicentennial.

The period of the sixties was tumultuous for Wabash Betas as it was for the entire country. Tau Chapter continued to shine, however, despite the societal pressures prevalent during that period. Tau began the decade by claiming several scholarship trophies, including the first in scholarship memorialized by Sandy Seaton ’63, in his eulogy to Old 513. Tau turned around its recent reputation for intramural sports and began leading the races by 1962.

Fred Scott ’60 later became a trustee of the college. His pledge brother, Bob Ashman '60 became the sixth Rhodes Scholar from Wabash. There was G.M. Ball ’62 and John Bacon ’62 both Phi Beta Kappas. Tim Steele ’63 was a junior Phi Beta Kappa and the commencement speaker upon graduation. Dudley Burgess '64 was chapter president and a wrestling standout the year his pledge AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

e National Association of Wabash Men. The graduating class 64 also included the likes of Ron Nichols '64 who served as a ssful social chairman for Tau.

ey Metzlar ’65 was part of the generation who withstood the ong exile to the Kane House when New 513 was being ructed. Mickey later became president of the house and Little champion in wrestling's 167 pound weight class in 1964. Cal '66 was president of the house in 1965. Steve Schmutte ’66 een a well-known Beta and member of the Wabash faculty for years. There were three Phi Beta Kappas in Jim VanDolah ob Smith '66, and Bob Trimmer '66 in 1966. To round out the e, the Betas won the intramural championships three times in , from 1967 to 1969, making them the fraternity to beat.

interesting footnote in Tau's history that should not go ticed is that of its house mascots. There have been many over ears, but one sticks out in many Betas' minds: Woogie. Woogie a runaway that arrived at the back door in 1961, perhaps ted by all the commotion with the building of New 513. er Bank remembered in 1971 that Woogie just appeared one nd never left Tau Chapter again, adopted by its brothers, and ng well as the mascot for over 13 years. During the summer hs, Woogie would be cared for by a brother, but his favorite were the school months. He often accompanied brothers to (when he felt like it) and made certain the other fraternities’ ots did not invade his Tau territory. Woogie passed on in 16 After fourteen months of indecisiveness of the Woogie tone committee, under the direction of several committee men, the final result was to place on the headstone the htful inscription “Woogie.”17

e late 1960s, though, plans began for the next great milestone u's history, the celebration of its 125th anniversary. As his n Russ Ragan had done 25 years earlier, Carroll Black ’28 was AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

On October 22-24, 1971, Tau Chapter hosted its 125th celebration.

A cocktail dinner party initiated the weekend's events on Friday evening. The honored guests at the dinner were the General Fraternity president, Peter F. Greiner Minnesota '51, General Secretary Richard "Misty" Shoop Denison '40, and district chief of District XIII, Jim Richter Hanover '65. The celebration had begun many weeks earlier, actually. Reily Adams ’32 and his wife hosted a “pre-celebration” cocktail party in Indianapolis for area alumni, which was well-attended.18 On Saturday morning, Russ Ragan, Class of 1923, honorary chairman of the 125th anniversary, presided over a service at the Wabash College chapel. The Tau Betas assembled that morning enjoyed addresses from Dick Ristine and Dr. Thaddeus Seymour, president of Wabash College. The Wabash College Glee Club concluded the chapel service with a rendition of favorite Beta songs.19 The Great Hall of the Sparks Center was the location of the big Tau anniversary banquet dinner Saturday evening. The master of ceremonies that night was Don Fobes ’34. The ceremonies following dinner included remarks from Tau Chapter president Todd Jensen ’73 who after college went on to a successful practice as an oral surgeon. Steve Coons ’63 spoke about the Beta House of the 1960s and his experiences as the first Tau Chapter president in New 513. The keynote speech was given by General Fraternity President Greiner and the successful evening concluded with a special champagne loving cup ceremony.

The celebration did not end there as Tau Betas returned to New 513 and enjoyed the entertainment of Lee Detchon on the banjo and Don Fobes on piano!

ng the following passage:

was a warm fall evening—the occasion of the 125th nniversary of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash College. Carroll had ganized the whole affair, and to no one's surprise it was a eat success. The banquet and the speeches were over, and on e lawn in front of the Campus Center generations of Beta rothers formed a large circle and passed a loving cup from and to hand. Quietly and gently voices hoarse with sentiment cked up the song and the words came clear: “Oh, start the ving cup around, nor pass a brother by!” Because he was my ost, I looked for Carroll in the group. In the dim light of an ctober moon I saw his smile, and then his face. And in that stant I glimpsed the ineffable mystery which only Wabash en can know. Carroll Black knew it and he lived it from the oment he came to Wabash in the fall of 1924.20

oubt there were many smiles on Betas’ faces that night. It was ctacular celebration of Tau's history, her heritage, and the love d by all Tau Betas, including some of our most respected ers. At the conclusion of the 125th celebration, it was as if er chapter — another era — in the history of Tau Chapter had concluded. The past 25 years had seen the centennial ration, Brother Trippet's ascension to the presidency of sh College, and the careers of Shearer, Fertig, Ristine, and . Tau Chapter built a strong and firm foundation underneath after the war and in 1971 it stood poised to propel itself into ext quarter-century. It was time again to look to the future of Chapter. A future that was very bright indeed.

e early 1970s, the Betas were often in the hunt for scholarship ds, but the Beta strengths were still in the intramural races. In the Betas regained the intramural trophy after losing it for the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Jeremy Cage '86, Lane Hasler '86, and Roger Teller '86 stand with the Don Quixote-themed homecoming float.

mural juggernaut in 1971 was led by an impressive football under the guidance of quarterback Joe Cassell ’71 and Wayne ” Adams ’71. And the Betas sported a large number of varsity es including the swimming most valuable player Cliff ams ’74, and Dave Dumser ’74 in track and field.

72, however, the Betas suffered a setback when a fire caused damage throughout the still-young “New” 513. The room of ers Carl Winkler '74, Jeff Birk '74, and Thom Liffick '73 and ity closet suffered the most damage, but there was extensive e and water damage throughout the third floor. Almost two n Crawfordsville firefighters had to battle the blaze and bring nder control. It was concluded that the fine masonry eering of the Beta House kept the fire contained in a small At least there were no injuries, although Brother Jim Gould as overcome temporarily by smoke. The entire third floor was repaired and repainted in fine fashion.

73, the Betas again dominated the scene by placing first in country (led by Dave Dumser ’74), golf, football (led by h Jeff Birk ’74), swimming (whose winning standards were set ob Meyer ’73), and volleyball.21 The intramural trophy went e Betas that year in quite convincing fashion. In fact, The elor noted “the gung-ho Betas are becoming legend here on Wabash campus.” This was the same year that General rnity President Ralph N. Fey Miami '40 visited the chapter after the chapter room had been renovated thanks to a gift the estate of Judge Allan D. Eby, Class of 1917.

arship was improving over the previous ten years. In 1973, Chapter had inched its way up to second place overall. Much e leadership during this time came from Betas Kurt Homann ater District XIII chief), Jeff Birk ’74, and Jim Gould ’73 (also ct XIII chief). This leadership led the Betas back to the top of cholarship race once again. Although the Betas did not win a AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The 1980s began under the leadership of three presidents: Mark Oetting ’80, Chris Keele ’81, and Jim Snyder ’82. Snyder is currently chief of staff for the treasurer of the State of Indiana and is also treasurer of the General Fraternity. But the strength and character of these men are a clear indication of why Tau had a strong foundation. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, scholarship continued to be stressed in tandem with campus leadership and intramural victories. All three came to be expected and Tau reaped the benefits of high expectations placed upon itself.22 In 1982 and 1983, two cornerstones of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash returned to campus. Richard O. Ristine '41 took the helm as director of planned giving in 1982 while Cal Black '66 returned to campus as director of alumni affairs the following year. Black came back to Wabash after a successful career with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Ristine resigned as executive vice president and secretary of the Lilly Endowment to return to his alma mater. The chapter certainly benefited from their close proximity for the next several years as their support and advice was never too far away.

Cal later became director of admissions and during his tenure the largest entering class of freshmen was recruited in the history of Wabash College. In the fall of 1984, the record class arriving on Freshman Friday that year totaled 272.23 The year 1982 was marked by two key athletic accomplishments at Wabash. The football team went undefeated at a 10-0 mark, only to be snubbed by the Division III playoff selection committee.

Nonetheless, the basketball team in 1982 under Coach Mac Petty not only made the playoffs but won the Division III national championship game against Potsdam State 83-62. A frenzied victory party spilled over onto Wabash Avenue in front of the Beta House, likely upon the encouragement of Tau Betas, bringing the late night Wabash Avenue traffic to a complete standstill!

ers relax in the card room.

1981.

history, Betas were first in scholarship. Strong study rules, a eship which emphasized study habits, and a corporate ive to always be first in scholarship drove the Betas to the top and time again in the 1980s. The numbers looked like this:

g 1980 a 3.24 ma Chi 3.08

Fall 1980 1. Beta 3.19 2. Sigma Chi 3.14

Spring 1981 1. Beta 3.30 2. Sigma Chi 3.23

981 a 3.12 ma Chi 3.11

Spring 1982 1. Beta 3.18 2. FIJI 3.11

Fall 1982 1. Beta 3.22 2. FIJI 3.10

g 1983 a 3.33 I 3.25

Fall 1983 1. Beta 3.10 2. Sigma Chi 3.06

by a large senior class, the Betas in the spring of 1983 attained mazing all-house scholarship ranking of 3.33! Although other ps of Tau Betas had attained a slightly higher GPA ranking or a r ranking under another grading scale or system, the Tau never had attained such a perfect GPA with a capacity of over tives. When taken into consideration, the fact that over 70 Tau joined together to average out at 3.33 may stand, net of grade on, for many years to come as a Tau Beta record.

Jim Snyder '82, the gavel passed to Dan Taylor ’83, Todd ’84, and later Bill Harrington ’85. During these years, Tau me increasingly active in the General Fraternity. Large ngents were present at the General Fraternity conventions and more attended regional meetings. In 1982, the General rnity announced plans to begin recognizing chapters which AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

summer of 1982, a large Tau delegation was present to see Brother Dan Taylor accept on behalf of Tau Chapter the first Francis H. Sisson Award for overall chapter excellence, along with the Auburn University chapter. In the earlier years of the Sisson Award, very few chapters were selectively chosen for the honor. Tau was the first recipient ever of the Sisson Award and its delegation left the convention elated with the recognition Tau had received.

For the first time in several years, Tau placed next to its scholarship trophies an intramural championship trophy in 1983. Led by Brother Andy Renz ’83, intramural chairman, the Betas showed Wabash that they could accomplish more than high grades, with strong showings in softball, football, bowling, and numerous smaller events. The secret to success that year, most Tau Betas would agree, was a concerted effort and attendance. Tau Betas would attend each and every intramural event to cheer on their brothers in every event, from basketball to tennis. This support was key and, even though every Tau Beta could not participate, they would be there to show their support for those that could. The result: an intramural championship trophy gracing the same trophy shelf as the scholarship trophies!

The next year was no different as the Tau delegation to the General Convention at Mackinac Island was led by Brother Todd Glass, alternate delegate Bill Harrington, and sophomore fellow Alton Pearce '86. The venerable Russ Ragan, Class of 1923, was there along with Bob Ragan ’49 and Kurt Homann ’74, then the district chief of District XIII. At this convention, Tau Chapter received its second consecutive Sisson Award, along with the Regional Scholarship Award, the Virginia Tech Award for highest national scholarship, and the North Dakota Award for best chapter publication for Tau's Bark. The delegation did not stop there as Brother Robert Fleming ’84 led the delegation to top honors in the singing contest. It was a truly memorable convention for Tau Chapter, with Brothers Fleming and James Davlin '85 also leading AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

e next convention at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, the ation was led by President Bill Harrington ’85 and received r recognition. At the 145th General Convention, Tau again the Regional Scholarship Award and placed second nationally ll. For the second straight year, Tau brought home the North ta Award for Tau's Bark.

986, however, the Tau Betas were struggling with a downturn. house was far below capacity, with only 40 out of 72 spaces in ouse filled. Reasons for the small numbers varied from a er of juniors studying off campus to a controversy in the r class. This caused a number of seniors to live outside the , with only two seniors calling New 513 home. As a result of w occupancy, Tau's financial situation was so tight the social et was all but emptied and social events were privately funded oups of actives. To cure the problems experienced in 1986, the er worked on passing a bylaw detailing the rules for oning to live off campus whereby fewer brothers lived out of ouse beginning the next year. Moreover, the house, under the rship of its newly elected president Joe Turk '89, started to on rebuilding Tau membership and brotherhood.

Monon Bell game in 1986 marked what is considered one of sh football's greatest Monon Bell comebacks and also an ition of Beta endurance and spirit. After already making up ground on the scoreboard, Wabash still trailed DePauw late game. Beta freshman Kelley House ’90 blocked a punt which Wabash the ball. Beta Tim Pliske '89's game-winning field goal a short while later in the final moments.

e fall of 1987, Tau Chapter realized that it was recognizing the anniversary of “New” 513. Was she still “New” 513? The ness” of the house that literally hundreds upon hundreds of Betas had called home had certainly worn off. The kitchen was AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

thinking of ways to remodel New 513 by focusing on the house's needs and methods of financial support; but real improvements and financial changes were yet to be seen.

As 1988 rolled around, Tau responded to national pledge policy issues, chapter hazing concerns, and college administration pressure by initiating a reform of their own pledge policy. With Eugene Imm ’89 guiding the house as president, Tau emphasized academic standards and philanthropic events for its pledges. The pledges organized a food and fund drive for seven Montgomery County families who could not afford Thanksgiving dinners. The pledge class was certainly diverse geographically, sporting members from California, Colorado, New Jersey, and even Idaho. Furthermore, this class would also welcome back Damian Freeze ’92 who originally pledged in 1983 before leaving Wabash for several years.

In 1988, however, his work ethic, respect for education, and love for the house served as a model for all Tau brothers.

The house saw more changes during this time. John Roberts ’83 began as alumni chapter advisor, a role Roberts serves to this day. A local physician, Roberts began the long, hard task in 1988 of rebuilding the reputation of Tau as the campus leader. Roberts may not be the longest-serving alumni advisor, but he may certainly be one of the most valuable advisors ever. With his consistent guidance, Tau Chapter is now making a comeback that is strong and well-grounded in scholastics, risk management, and the values of Tau brotherhood.

1989 saw a unique partnership formed between the college, alumni, and present brothers. Under the guidance of assistant dean Greg Griffin and alumni Art Baxter '56, Richard Ristine '41, Dan Taylor '83, Dave Taylor '83, and John Roberts '83, money was raised from Tau alumni to establish a house corporation fund which would finance a rotation program for house renovation. Under the program, Tau would receive significant renovations annually, but AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

or almost 20 years, came out of retirement in early 1982 to cook for the for one more year; Celebrating the chapter's Sisson Award at the 1982 al Convention at French Lick, Indiana are Jim Davis '83, Jim Davlin ll Harrington '85, Dan Taylor '83, Kenneth "Tad" Hughes '85, Rick uck '83, and Mike Sweeney '83.

his class initiation dinner; Andy Renz '83 readies the table for a pool match.

Tau hosted an auction for its alumni. The biggest moneyrs were the old dining room chairs, featuring the Beta crest d into the back, with some alumni paying as much as $300 for le chair.

irst renovations supported by this housing corporation came dining room and living room. Both rooms were redecorated new wallpaper and color schemes, a change which was inated by Ted Tillery ’93. The dining room received new and chairs, which were purchased from the family business vin Brewer ’84 and David Brewer ’90. Around the same time, arents’ club purchased a big screen television for the basement Todd Carless ’93 and his family donated booths for basement g. With the house empty for the summer of 1990, the ays and stairwells were sanded smooth and repainted.

ugh by the late 1980s, the Tau Betas were struggling to ain the achievements of the first two-thirds of the decade, the e of the 1980s as a whole certainly represented another en Age in the history of Tau Chapter.24 The 1930s and 1940s uced Trippet, Ristine, Shearer, Fertig, and others. The 1960s uced countless trustees and college leaders who are shaping the e of Wabash's future today. Soon we will know if the 1980s produced an extraordinary crop of men who may lead Beta Wabash College into the next century. Time will undoubtedly this to be true.

ummer of 1990 marked the loss of Tau brother John Dirksing Having successfully finished his first year at Wabash as a Tau e, Dirksing was fatally injured while working construction in nnati during the summer recess. Dirksing represented true leadership. He was an outstanding linebacker on the football a leader in his pledge class, and a dedicated student. In honor rksing, the brothers of Tau dedicated a plaque, which now in the trophy room. Furthermore, Betas on the football team AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Dirksing. Along with other favorite Tau Betas such as Bob Trimmer ’66, John Dirksing embodied everything good in Tau Beta, and he has been sorely missed.

Despite the seriousness of being a Tau Beta and everything good it represents, the Tau Betas still exhibited their humor and campus presence by involving themselves in the FIJI-Kappa Sigma senior bench rivalry. Perhaps for the first time, the Wabash senior bench enjoyed delicate shades of pink and blue before the first football game in 1990.

During the spring semester of 1991, Tau alumni started a new tradition of honoring two seniors, one for academic excellence and another for significant campus contributions, at the initiation ceremonies. The winners of the inaugural awards were Tim Lyons ’91, for academic excellence, and Tim Oliver ’91, for his contributions to the Wabash community.

The big story in 1991 was the college and the board of trustees’ decision to reopen dialogue and create a year-long study to examine the possibility of making Wabash College co-educational.

Changing Wabash's single-sex status was a hotly debated issue, with many faculty members supporting the change and a majority of the students in opposition. After collecting volumes of information and years of debate, the decision rested on the votes of the board of trustees (which had more Beta members than any other fraternity at the time of the co-educational study) and its chairman, Tau Beta Charles Goering ’51. On Sunday, March 22, 1992, Goering announced at a press conference in the Wabash College Chapel: Members of the Wabash community, I will not keep you in suspense any longer. About 11:30 a.m. this morning, the Board of Trustees voted to maintain the all-male status of Wabash College.

also saw the welcomed return of the Monon Bell back to us after a four-year hiatus. Led by senior co-captains Jason man ’92, and Peter Horvath ’92, the Little Giants defeated the ies 23-18 and started a new tradition for the Beta House — nly bringing the Bell back to campus but also bringing the bell to New 513. Also contributing greatly to the victory were Shoettle ’93, an All-American, and Mike Warren ’93. Among 2 starters in the revitalized football program were seven Tau ers. In 1993, Wabash and DePauw met for the 100th time the overall series record knotted at 45-45-9. Wabash, with the of many Betas, won the game, which was celebrated in a Sports rated article and pictorial. The article's lead picture featured Betas, Andy Dorrel ’94 (president of the Sphinx Club) and Lyons ’95 (Tau Chapter president) carrying the Monon Bell e field. It is an enduring moment of Wabash history that was d in newsstands across the country for a fitting tribute to the Giant victory!

brothers in 1993 were also treated to a visit by fellow Beta US or Richard G. Lugar (IN) Denison '54. Senator Lugar red a speech to the brothers and then participated in a ion-and-answer session. Also in attendance were Dick Ristine Art Baxter. Lugar would not be away from Tau Chapter long, would return for the sesquicentennial as a featured speaker.

dy struck Tau in 1993 as Tom Williams, the cook, died of r. Williams had grown close to the house during his two year e. He did not have much of a family to depend on and filled oid with the brothers of the house. As he passed away, the er was in the process of preparing to initiate him as a brother.

rothers made significant strides to improve themselves in 1993 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Tau's Bark was revived. A very rewarding decision came in the adoption by Tau Chapter of a mentally handicapped boy, Danny Newlin. Danny's involvement in Tau Chapter was enjoyed by all the members of the house. Danny received much attention on both the campus and in the community and highlighted the needs of the mentally handicapped. In 1994, seven Betas joined other Wabash students in an outreach program which brought Tau Betas into local elementary schools in an attempt to warn children about the dangers of alcohol and substance abuse poisoning.

By 1995, plans were well-underway for the grand sesquicentennial celebration. This event would require the total participation and support of the active chapter. All actives in 1993-1995 were instrumental in putting into place significant changes and improvements in the brotherhood of Tau Chapter. Although many of them were not actives by the time the sesquicentennial was celebrated, their hard work and preparations were nonetheless rewarded with a stellar sesquicentennial weekend in 1996.

The past quarter-century was a wild roller coaster ride for Tau Chapter. Tau Betas experienced a zenith of achievement and recognition and also weathered some of the most lean and difficult years of its 150 years. With the consistent support of dedicated alumni, Tau Chapter will always remain a leader on campus and a producer of some of the best Wabash has to offer. Tau Chapter is again poised to experience another Golden Age and Tau alumni will be well-prepared to watch and take part. With the momentum created by a magnificent sesquicentennial, Tau's next twenty-five years will be filled with excitement and anticipation. Who will be Tau's leaders into the twenty-first century? Undoubtedly, Tau Chapter will produce scholars, athletic record-breakers, professionals, and future presidents in the world of academia and business. The inescapable conclusion, however, is that the history AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

t as the new century awaits us. And the future is boundless romising, too, for Tau Chapter of Beta Theta Pi.

apter president Steve Mackin '98 and ack Engledow '53; General Fraternity sident Robert Schaupp; Dick Ristine 41, George Littell, Cal Black '66, and General Fraternity president Robert Schaupp; Sen. Richard Lugar, and George Littell, Class of 1921.

F

1996: Tau Celebrates Its Sesquicentennial

By Todd I. Glass '83

Chapter Five originally appeared as Chapter Four in 150 Years of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash College, published in 1997. The editors have modified the original text for issues of spelling, punctuation, and clarity.

or almost two years, Tau faithful had been planning a grand celebration. A celebration worthy of the 1,600 Tau Betas that called themselves Wabash students over the course of 150 years and the worthy accomplishments they represent. Tau of Beta Theta Pi represents everything good and great in Wabash College and so it was to be an historic Wabash celebration. The beginnings of the sesquicentennial committee began to form in 1994 and meetings were called and plans mapped out from 1995 forward.

The celebration lived up to everyone's expectations and another chapter of Wabash history was written.

The sesquicentennial committee was pieced together by the able and worthy hands of Carroll Ragan “Cal” Black ’66. A long line of Ragan history came to fruition with the sesquicentennial helm going to Cal. Cal's father, Carroll E. Black ’28, chaired the 125th Celebration 25 years earlier. Russ Ragan, Class of 1923, cousin of the Blacks, was the chairman of the centennial celebration of 1946 and was honorary chairman of the 125th celebration in 1971. Russ' uncle, Carroll Stuart Ragan, Class of 1901, headed the 75th Celebration in 1921 -- and we all know what else he accomplished!

There was never a doubt who was the choice for chairman of the grand sesquicentennial and Cal provided the leadership and vision for the event from the very beginning.

ured in their lives — family, home, and careers — to help Tau w a celebration it would never forget. John “J.B.” Bachman ’61, nt at the opening of New 513 as a senior, took the helm on ainment for the weekend to give it a unique Beta flavor. Jeff ’74 added his talents as treasurer of the sesquicentennial, h was no small task. A much unheralded role, that of chief asier, went to Clark Dickerson ’67. Clark's job began long e the sesquicentennial and will continue long after as Tau significant upgrades to New 513 in honor of its 150 years.

Grand ’78 would assist Clark in this task. There was also the for a historical account and that role went to Todd “Wally” ’84. This role expanded when it was decided valuable ical artifacts stored precariously in the Beta House needed to eserved. The committee decided the most delicate artifacts, ding minute books, sixty year-old scrapbooks, and Tau's er, would be placed in the safe hands of the Wabash College ves following the 150th celebration. Only Betas will be ed access to minute books and other valuables and all artifacts e stored safely and in acid retardant containers.

Hildebrand ’61 served a valuable role as college liaison, inating facilities and speakers. Squier Neal ’66 took on a y of roles as did Don Buehner ’65. Squier was one of the key duals that, down the stretch, made certain the entire weekend moothly. Ron Nichols ’64 also served a number of roles ding the supervision of all reservations and monies. Dr. John ” Roberts ’83 was officially in charge of coordinating food es and the keynote banquet for Saturday evening. J.R. ly had a pivotal role in the celebration as the chapter alumni or. It seemed as if J.R. was everywhere at times, helping the chapter prepare itself and put its best foot forward, as did Taylor ’83. John “Jack” Wyatt ’58, the daddy of chapter ni advisors, helped with lodging and reservations while Bill hack ’60 helped with public relations and marketing. And the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Chapter both during its celebration and over the years.

For each member of the committee mentioned, there are ten other Tau Betas who had a pivotal role. By listing some names you risk excluding others who should also be specifically mentioned.

Nonetheless, most of the planners and organizers of the sesquicentennial are thought to be included.

The sesquicentennial celebration took place on the Wabash College campus on November 1-3, 1996. It was a beautiful fall season weekend at Wabash, like the ones we all remember so vividly. The first evening began with a social gathering at the newly redecorated Beta House. During a quiet evening of visiting and “catch up” for most alumni in attendance, everyone was able to register and meet the members of the active chapter and the pledges of Tau. Many alumni found it hard to believe they were meeting pledges of the Class of 2000! But everyone found both the actives and pledges pleasant and excited and they truly represented some of the best that have walked the halls of Tau. Upon entering the main lobby of Tau Chapter, alumni were treated with a new look of navy and maroon which was complemented by brand new furnishings. The card room and guest room looked as good as it ever has in the 35 years of New 513. In the basement, alumni enjoyed throughout the weekend a historical display of Tau Chapter over the years. The display included photographs back to the 1860s, scrapbooks, dozens of editions of Tau's Bark over the past 60 years, issues of The Bachelor, and almost a hundred various artifacts of interest to all Tau Betas. Also included in the display were numerous schematic drawings of renovations being planned for the Beta House following the sesquicentennial. These renovations include an elaborate and venturous plan to completely renovate all study rooms to make them larger and more conducive to studies. This will include electronic hookups for computers in AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

sively updated to include a three story glass-encased atrium will enhance the beauty of our majestic Georgian-style Beta . Alumni from all walks of life and across the country and nd will be called upon to join with Wabash College in making n these needed and overdue renovations begin soon.

aturday morning, the festivities began with a 10:00 a.m. service favorite spot for many Tau Betas, the Wabash College chapel.

Black directed the service and began by welcoming all Tau and their guests to the sesquicentennial weekend. Then, the watchful eye of J.B. Bachman, the alumni and their guests treated with a serenade by a combined choir of active and ni Tau Betas. The actives then took center stage with their tions of “Marching Along” and “Do Like I Do,” both of h were fine efforts and exhibited talent on the part of the active er. Following the singing came the recognition of the rnal Fifties. The following Tau Betas were initiated on March 47 and were recognized by Squier Neal ’66: Don Ambuhl '49, am Cathcart '50, Byron Franklin '49, James Givens '50, ge Haerle '50, Whitfield Hughes '50, Fred Lesh '50, Edward wain '50, Fritz Meyer '50, Charles Miller '50, Robert Myers oseph Noonan '51, Robert Scircle '50, Robert South '51, and homas Spencer '50.

Black then introduced as keynote speaker for the chapel e, Professor Emeritus of Religion Hall Peebles. Professor es presented a recollection of Tau Betas that have impacted his n an entertaining fashion similar to the old chapel sessions so Tau Betas know and remember so well. Some of the Tau Professor Peebles fondly remembered included Byron et, Warren “Butch” Shearer (“there has never been anyone like Butch Shearer”), Ivan Wiles, and Dick Ristine. There are ly hundreds of Betas who can say they were neighbors with eebles, who have lived across the street from 513 West Wabash AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

clashes between the Betas and their neighboring fraternity competitors, (sometimes friendly and sometimes not). Peebles has enjoyed the many homecoming celebrations and the decorations to the house which are different each year, but he confided, “I can't quite discern the reason why the best times to construct and create a homecoming float is always between midnight and 4:00 a.m.”

Cal Black recognized Professor Peebles as a truly valuable neighbor to countless Tau Betas and presented him with mementos of the Beta sesquicentennial to a very appreciative chapel crowd. Black also recognized the director of alumni affairs, Stanley Walker, who attended the chapel service, for his help and cooperation in the organization of the sesquicentennial.

To conclude the chapel service, Black and Ron Nichols ’61 presented the president of Tau Chapter, Stephen L. Mackin ’98 with an updated tribute to Bob Trimmer ’66. This tribute, an icon reserved for a prominent spot in the chapter's card room for so many years, exemplifies what it means to be a Tau Beta. Trimmer personified those qualities all Tau Betas aspire to — honesty, selfsacrifice, integrity, and trustworthiness. With the updated memorial to Trimmer, countless more generations of Tau Betas will be reminded of the best to aspire to be. Brother Mackin accepted the tribute and noted it would remain a valued piece of 513 for many years to come.

Fittingly, the chapel ended with the singing of "Alma Mater."

Written by Tau's own Carroll Ragan, Class of 1901, "Alma Mater" was first sung in public by George H. Littell, Class of 1921, almost 75 years earlier. How precious a moment it was for all Tau Betas in attendance, with George Littell himself present at the front of the chapel, as the melodious bars of "Alma Mater" rang through the wooden halls of the chapel once again. In those few minutes, it was as if the assembled generations of Tau Betas were singing in honor of a rich, intertwined history of Wabash College and Tau Chapter AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ge for his long life of service to Beta and to Wabash.

he Tau Betas and their guests filed out of the chapel, they ed momentarily to register their names and faces in a video ry for many to enjoy in the years to come. The sun was bright he temperatures warm — a magnificent Wabash weekend, d! It was a perfect moment for the group photograph of the reds in attendance, taken on the visitors' stands at Little Giant um with the grace of the chapel rising up behind.

e the luncheon began, everyone in attendance had an rtunity to once again enjoy the campus or to return to the House for a few old stories. Many took the chance to visit the ical display which had been set up in the chapter room in the ment of the house. With over 100 articles and artifacts and an ated 800 photographs which chronicled all 150 years of Tau ter, it was a display everyone seemed to enjoy.

ctive chapter had a difficult time dealing with location of the ical display. With pledgeship going through a variety of ons over the past several years, one of the last remaining active ins (which is off-limits to pledges) has been the chapter room. sesquicentennial committee wrestled with the problem and uded the chapter room was the only appropriate location for various historical displays. The pledges were therefore ucted” by the active chapter to avoid the basement during icentennial weekend. The sesquicentennial committee did not to exclude the pledges, however, so the historical display was d out into the basement common area on Sunday evening for ledges to enjoy, right outside the closed and locked chapter door!

ncheon was held in Chadwick Court that day and the crowd AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Bottom: Beta alumni and current Glee Clubbers lead a chorus of "Alma Mater"at the sesquicentennial celebration.

ach other's company. At halftime, the crowd acknowledged welcomed the Betas, who walked around the track in such numbers the bleachers were practically emptied!

evening was the event everyone had long awaited. Several red Tau Betas from all generations gathered with their wives Beta sweethearts for the sesquicentennial dinner on Saturday, mber 2, 1996 in Chadwick Court. Upon arriving, the icity was in the air as Beta's favorite sons from across the n had gathered. A glance across the room would see the likes eorge H. Littell, Dick Ristine, Senator Richard Lugar, and ral Fraternity President Robert Schaupp Lawrence ’51. ct Chief Peter Morse DePauw '90, a graduate of that other e south of Crawfordsville, was politely welcomed and our Jim Snyder ’82 was present. Jim is now serving as treasurer of General Fraternity. Then there was Wabash College President Ford and a long line of Beta trustees of Wabash College ding Roger D. Billings, Jr. ’59, Ross N. Faires ’58, David W. ns ’56, Charles W. Goering ’51, Thomas A. Hays ’55, and mas A. Klingaman ’52. It was definitely going to be a night to mber!

the singing of "Beta Doxology" and the invocation given by or Lugar, the Betas and their guests settled in for a fine dinner memorable conversation. The ceremonies began with Cal recognizing the honorary chairman of the sesquicentennial, ge H. Littell. There were countless camera flashes going off ghout the evening with Littell in the center, especially when as chatting with Senator Lugar. Black then recognized the icentennial Committee and the chapter chairmen, Rex M. r ’97, and John Seal ’98. After the remaining introductions, dent Ford first addressed the crowd.

dent Ford warmly remembered some of his first contacts with sh being with Betas and how his contacts with Betas of all have helped him learn and appreciate the fraternity system at AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

of Wabash College as an institution of the highest caliber and he looked forward to an exciting future for Tau Chapter.

Jack Engledow ’53, master of ceremonies, then introduced the president of our General Fraternity, Robert J. Schaupp Lawrence ’51. President Schaupp gave an intriguing summary of Tau Betas who have been active in the General Fraternity. He also noted that Tau Chapter served as the presiding chapter during the period that The Beta Theta Pi became the first fraternity magazine and the district chief system was implemented. He also recounted the manner in which John Coburn was initiated by the Miami chapter, with his papers sent via the mail, founding the Wabash chapter with five quick recruits.

Interestingly, Schaupp mentioned the General Fraternity's records of "Aunt Jennie" Blair being initiated by the Wabash Betas in 1867.

Perhaps the only Beta chapter to initiate a woman, Tau has, in fact, initiated three. Schaupp noted that a Wabash Beta initiation occurred in Waveland, Indiana on June 15, 1861. Two young ladies, Miss Emma Bennett and Miss Celia Crocker, half-sisters, were initiated by the Tau Chapter at the Waveland Collegiate Institute in Waveland. The young ladies apparently allowed Tau Chapter to use the institute's hall for meetings. John E. Cleland, Class of 1862, many years later confirmed that this initiation did indeed take place.

The president of the active chapter, Steve L. Mackin ’98, took center stage from there and highlighted the current status of the active membership. Brother Mackin aptly described the initiatives and progress of the active chapter, most notably in scholarship and campus leadership. Mackin felt the sesquicentennial celebration would be a springboard towards continued growth and success. As of the printing of this history, his prediction is ringing true. The active chapter had a tremendously vital role in the sesquicentennial AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

or Richard Lugar Denison ’54, the senior senator from na, was next introduced by Brother Engledow. Senator Lugar ited his keen oratorical skills by delivering a cogent and aining review of the role Beta has played in his professional personal life and the importance of leadership development can be enjoyed as a Beta. Lugar also emphasized his ciation for Tau and the Wabash campus which he has visited veral occasions. Tau Chapter has enjoyed a rich and celebrated y at Wabash and, based upon what he had seen during the icentennial celebration, he was sure Tau would see another cedented 150 years in the future.

esquicentennial certainly would not be the same, and would be complete, without the keynote address of Richard O. ne ’41. Dick Ristine and his wife, Lou, have been at the center u Chapter and Wabash College for over 50 years. Dick has a substantive, positive impact on countless Tau Betas over many years. Although he did not remember what was ly said, Dick pointed out that he had also served as a speaker e 125th celebration in 1971, the house dedication in 1962, and 5th anniversary of the house dedication in 1987. Dick's ote address can be found in its entirety in an appendix to this and readers are encouraged to take a few minutes and enjoy fforts once again. If you were present the evening of the icentennial dinner, by reading his speech you will be reminded you were present at a memorable event in the history of Tau. day, you may be one of the few who will be able to ionately remember being there when Ristine spoke. And for of you who were unable to be there, his written words will heless remind you of how much it has meant to you to be a Beta. Either way, we can all say “We're glad to be Betas” when phrase associates you with the likes of men such as Dick ne. We love you, Dick!

place at one end of Chadwick Court. By the unofficial count, almost 200 Betas drank from the same canteen that night, ending with Cal Black, Dick Lugar, Robert Schaupp, Dick Ristine, and George Littell. As the song says, Oh start the Loving Cup around, it speaks of other days, We see the milestones backward run, when on this cup we gaze, Our grip grows strong, bold comes our song when this fair cup we raise, So pass the Loving Cup around, and drink in Beta’s praise.

The evening ended with a bang as Brother Richard Stephenson ’62 personally brought in The Drifters for a roaring concert enjoyed by both young actives and the not-so-young alumni. It was a fitting end to a memorable and important day in the history of Tau Chapter and everyone in attendance had Dick Stephenson to thank for the coup d'grace on a successful sesquicentennial dinner.

Although the sesquicentennial celebration ended the next morning with a Sunday brunch buffet, the rekindled spirit of Tau Betas that began to flow that weekend did not end on Sunday afternoon. The sesquicentennial was an unqualified success from beginning to end and Tau Betas all left with renewed memories, updated friendships, and something perhaps more important. Tau Chapter of Beta Theta Pi threw a grand party that weekend to celebrate an event that Wabash College, in its own glorious history, had never seen before: the 150th anniversary of the first fraternal organization on campus.

That is something Tau Betas are very proud of and they most certainly should be! The Betas at the sesquicentennial were reminded that each one of them has been an integral part of that rich history. It is good to be a part of history and it is good to celebrate that history. It is good to know you are joined in a unique brotherhood with the likes of Carroll Ragan, Byron Trippet, Butch Shearer, Dick Ristine, Cal Black, and George Littell. And Tau Betas AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

celebration that weekend was also a testament to Tau Betas have been leaders of Wabash College and Beta Theta Pi for 150 and the standard was certainly set for future sesquicentennial rations on the Wabash campus. It seemed as if the weekend d too soon with Tau Betas both young and old wishing for an day's celebration or an extra ten minutes with that old buddy. s Tau Betas one by one left Wabash that day, back to their es and homes and careers, they were certainly all reminded in own special way of their Beta ties. With refreshed memories u brothers and Beta serenades of long ago, of creaking old houses or the time the pledge class won the scholarship y, Tau alumni returned home with a rekindled spirit shared by ctive chapter. Perhaps more than a few left humming those al words from the hand of our Beta's own, nearly 75 years ago,

ear Alma Mater in thy hands rest all our hopes and fears, hou counselor in college days, thou guide in riper years. rant now, thy benediction, vouchsafe thy care benign, hat worthy we may follow the precepts that are Thine.

Appendices

Contents Appendix One 173

Keynote Speech of Richard O. Ristine '41

183

The True Greeks (remainder)

by Erik L. Lindseth '83

Appendix Two

Appendix Three 205

Tau's Rhodes Scholars

by Jon M. Myers '81

Appendix Four 213

Acknowledgements

219

Footnotes

Appendix Four

Keynote Speech of Richard O. Ristine ’41

n at the banquet of the sesquicentennial celebration of Tau ter of Beta Theta Pi on Saturday, November 2, 1996.

esquicentennial speaker was chosen for three practical reasons 's close at hand, he's old, and he's cheap. I'd like to think there ther good reasons, like talking those other nine men out of ing in Lizton or Roachdale, like being the sole surviving der of Wabash College, like being the co-conspirator with ge Rogers Clark to run the railroad through the athletic field, eing the 12th member of my family to belong to Tau Chapter, ke being the speaker at the 125th anniversary or the 25th ration of the “New” house in 1987 or at its dedication in 1962. k goodness no one can remember what I said then and dly I can't either.

nobody remembers speakers, let alone the speeches. More once lately, I have been reminded of my 1962 effort. rently, when I got up to speak — I was Lt. Governor of na at the time — everybody stood up. I immediately urged to sit down, pointing out that no one stands up for a Lt. rnor except to adjust one's underclothing. It's not eminently uring to go through life remembered only for that comment. all, a Lt. Governor ranks somewhere, if only between a blican precinct committeeman in downtown Gary and a meter in Greencastle.

king back — easier all the time — all I remember after 59 years my Beta initiation speaker — one of the chapter's most guished professors and our first Rhodes Scholar — was his nt that no one had told him any stories recently, except one y, slightly shady one about the turtle, the toad, and the giraffe were arguing at the bar over who would pay for their drinks. ou might guess, it was settled when the giraffe asserted “The AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

wonder so many have so little respect for age, unless it's bottled. In big bottles.

President Harry S Truman observed that history is just one damned thing after another — 150 years of history perhaps, as the psalmist put it, may be as a watch in the night or as yesterday when it is past. Some of us were here in 1946 at the Tau centennial banquet, about which Brother Walt Fertig wrote, “The evening was capped by the elegant eloquence of Joe Daniels ’11, an unforgettable loving cup with a first verse sung as it should be sung in the golden baritone of George Littell ’21.”

We were a bit dubious then about the future of Wabash and of ancient 513, housing a mixture of strong-willed, independent World War II veterans and 17 year old kids just out of Shortridge [High School], the North Central and Carmel [high schools] of that era.

That weekend we celebrated a century of Tau, with a past only dimly perceived as irretrievably gone as the past always is, and a future of uncertain but optimistic dreams. But today, a half-century later, it's more reasonable for us optimists to dream and plan in anticipation of our bicentennial in 2046 than it was at that 1946 post-Hiroshima, start-of-the-Cold-War event that envision this stimulating, rewarding and reassuring weekend. In 1946, Wabash and Tau Chapter were changing and adapting as all long-lived institutions inevitably change and adapt. Pre-war pledge duties and hazing weren't exactly what those veterans had in mind for a much delayed college education. Thus, fraternity life and fraternity rules became a bit more flexible to meet the circumstances of the times.

From college generation to college generation, with the usual ups and downs which beset all undergraduate groups, Tau has done right well. How has its 150 years — a period representing 70% of the 209 years of the Republic and 91.5% of the 164 years of this college — helped meet Emerson's true test of civilization: the kind of man that a country turns out? The simple and grand mission of AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

f the first six Rhodes Scholars were Tau Betas. The seventh ast is a Kappa Sig, who has found steady work representing — ps later defending — Mr. & Mrs. William Jefferson Clinton.

digress. Since our centennial, 21 Tau Betas have served as e trustees, including seven currently active and three emeriti. k Goering is current presidents of the board preceded by olm McVie ’41, with Dave Givens, chairman of the executive mittee, as was Tom Klingaman in the 1980s. The FIJIs are the other fraternity in double-digits, with 15, but with only five ntly active board members and two emeriti. Since 1946, sh has had seven presidents of its board of trustees, three of m are Tau Betas, and five out of six chairmen of the executive mittee, plus one Wabash president, one acting president — no fraternity has had any — and we've provided four out of ten presidents of the board. Beta alumni have been and are the generous supporters of the college. In one or two fairly recent half of the Phi Betes were Betas, and in the early 80s Tau the scholarship cup on this campus for six straight semesters, was selected as the number one Beta chapter in the nation.

hletics — especially football and swimming in recent years — blications, in music and art and theatre, in the student senate, en of this chapter have excelled and will continue, no doubt, tives and as alumni to be a credit to the fraternity, to the e, and to the communities in which they live. One, I hope, oon be governor of Indiana.

s next week. This is the weekend that we gather on the old us, each with his personal private memories, to greet one er, to laugh a little, to lie a little, imbibe a little — or a lot —, g a lot, to participate in bull sessions, boreass or rap, the term nding on when you were exposed to William DeWitt Hyde's r of the College for the Best Four Years of Your Life,” and to AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ingenious and creative celebration committee.

In a weekend of nostalgia this is a good time to express our gratitude for the kind of college in which a fraternity can function reasonably effectively and interdependently for 150 successive years; our gratitude for Beta faculty members who on their own time, decade after decade continued to counsel undergraduates; for the opportunity each of 1,605 initiates has had to make what he wanted to make out of his college fraternity experience while enrolled and afterward; our gratitude for generations of parents, for the mothers' club, yes and even for most of the deans through the years, who with various neighbors, at the Shades, down at the city building, or in the Greencastle jail, did their best to conclude that those Wabash men then in question had behaved as gentlemen, and had not embarrassed their college.

Which brings us to a second expression of gratitude — suitably and retrospectively this weekend — this positive influence of individual Betas on our respective lives. Look around you and at the absent member. Who really did influence your life? Who made a difference? Each of us is thankful for a significant relationship Tau Chapter made possible, through wisdom and affection, tolerance and loyalty — for John Lyle Campbell and Dr. Matthias Haines, for Reg Sullivan and Austin Brown, for Wylie Daniels and Joe Daniels, for John Wyatt and Jack Wyatt, for Insley Osborne and Walt Fertig, for Carroll Ragan and Russ Ragan, for Carroll E. Black and Carroll Ragan Black, for Zora Arnold and Jerry Eubank, for Arthur McCain and Bob McCain, for George Littell, his three brothers and his three sons, for Ivan Wiles and Gene Beesley, for Butch Shearer and John Roberts, and always, with all of us over fifty, for Byron Kightly Trippet. Hundreds there are, and to name others only recalls more of those unnamed.

We are grateful for the challenge old and new 513 provided each of AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

ouse, or in the new house (gesturing to President Andy Ford) tter with less square feet per student than any other college ure, taught us by necessity to be sensitive to the sensibilities hers; to learn to concentrate for an exam when study hours anything but study hours; to recognize privacy as something ongs to cherish again (if ever one can attain it); to be humbled rozen and scalded by Christendom's worst plumbing; to ipate in and to assume a share of responsibility for the day-toperation of an organization, be it orderly or chaotic, in good er years or in lean. For all these experiences to this college and s fraternity we are thankful.

lso can be thankful that as the third Greek letter society in na, and the 12th chapter of Beta Theta Pi, originally “Mu” ter, the name was changed to Tau and we blessedly are not n as the men of “Mooo.”

he development we all experienced, for the gradual awareness out the junior year, usually, of what a liberal arts education is out, for the privilege of living and working with other young of divergent backgrounds, interests and aspirations, in a global omy and a world ever more sophisticated, complex and nding, we are grateful. For the inevitable campus changes and markable way the undergraduates have hung in there with the er recreated again and again, and for today's actives and es striving so successfully to get us all together, we are indeed ul.

each college generation in the next millennium, may there be ested the joys of living and learning, albeit in slightly different as manners and mores change, ever expressing that spirit of h which the individual, alas, can never recapture, but which this extraordinary college and the fraternities it nurtures, itutes a delightful and challenging rebirth. Our college is AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

projects yet to complete; with a freshman class, the Class of 2000, adequate in number and promising in quality; with a superior faculty, almost all of whom love Wabash; with a sound forwardlooking, organized and popular administration; with a generous and devoted board of trustees, and alumni — many of whom are in this room — more active in recruiting and in giving than ever before. For all these we give thanks. Can Wabash survive with substance, style and strength? Absolutely! As a small, independent liberal arts college for men in rural west central Indiana?

Absolutely! Does it deserve expanded and renovated facilities?

Absolutely! With Tau's help, will Wabash beat DePauw?

Absolutely!

So back to Old Billy Hyde. Were they the best four years? Each of us must answer in his own way. But here we grew up, and in any event, like the college, as in the time of each of us and in the time of those who will follow, the college and the chapter exist primarily for the men then studying and living here. So, to quote our historian, Walt Fertig, “How do we conclude? Nothing has ended by a chunk in the calendar.” May we all recognize in Voltaire's words that cultivating one's own garden is not enough, that although we may not always hear the same drummer, Inter fratres, Veritas, honor, amicitia, fides, virtus, jus et fas, omnes sint notitia.

Though we have all failed to live up to that ideal, as Joe Daniels observed at our centennial banquet, the ideal was there and the shortcomings, mostly, were ours. So, think on that third verse, remember the past is prologue, the future's the thing, and Tau's future has never been brighter. May our thanks for Wabash and Tau Chapter include our prayer for their abiding strength as they march together towards the millennium and beyond. With "Old Wabash" and "Alma Mater," may we ever hear the chorus:

k Ristine '41 4

The True Greeks (remainder)

by Erik L. Lindseth '83

by Erik L. Lindseth '83

ext originally appeared as part of Chapter One in 150 Years of Theta Pi at Wabash College, published in 1997. Extracts of the al Chapter One material are presented as Chapter Two of this me. The following is the remaining text. The editors have ied it for issues of spelling and punctuation only.

gin at the beginning, we must admit that we know very little the actual foundation of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash College on 22, 1846. The event itself almost certainly did not portend would emerge from this association in the next century-and. However, the noble idealism which led to the creation of the rn Greek letter fraternities in the eighteenth and nineteenth ries, emerged from the same neo-classical tradition which ed much of what we value today in modern society.

he first of the Greek letter societies to envision a national nity, Beta Theta Pi sought out the most promising young men zens of colleges and universities and welcomed them into their erhood with an appeal to find others who would embrace the ideals set forth by the founders. With regard to the state of na this process began with the 1845 initiation of a sophomore d Oliver P. Morton into the Alpha Chapter at Miami ersity in Ohio. Morton set off almost immediately to establish chapters at Indiana University and Asbury College (now uw University). It seems likely that at some point during this he also decided to approach John Coburn about introducing Theta Pi at Wabash College as well. The outstanding vements of both of these men later in life, reflect well on the nity which recognized and encouraged their abilities early on.

tion holds that they were already friends when Morton osed that John Coburn be initiated with the express purpose ablishing Beta Theta Pi at Wabash. It may be that they had AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

the Marion County Seminary. However, the fact that John Coburn was the top graduating student at Wabash in the Class of 1846 probably had more to do with his selection. Indeed given the tension which developed between the faculty and the literary societies soon after the founding of the college, Coburn's academic reputation would have been crucial in gaining a degree of acceptance for the new society. With this in mind, the makeup of the first group of initiates can be seen as pragmatic in a sense. The traditional story is that Coburn first initiated a classmate of his named John S. Hougham and that since they were both graduating they chose a sophomore, John L. Campbell, to provide a base for the future of the chapter. All three were certainly among the leading lights in the College as a whole and later proved to be among the most successful of the early graduates: Coburn entered the Indiana legislature in 1850, rose to the rank of brevet brigadier general in the Civil War (and accepted the formal surrender of Atlanta), served as a U.S. congressman and was named to the Supreme Court in Montana by President Chester Arthur; Hougham became a professor of math and physics at Franklin College and Purdue and served as President of Franklin College for a time; and Campbell taught physics and astronomy at Wabash for more than forty years, and was chosen as secretary for the national centennial celebration in Philadelphia in 1876.

We are fortunate that a letter from the Wabash chapter (then known as Iota) has survived, written on the first anniversary of its founding, in which the active chapter had ten members (Coburn and Hougham are both listed as AB in recognition of their graduate status, as is Nathaniel P. Coultrin who appears as number thirteen in the chapter roll. This indicates that he was initiated two years after graduating from Wabash in 1845 since he was a student at Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati from 1846 to 1847.) The members listed in this letter of 1847 correspond with the published AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

John L. Campbell ’48 William R. Houston Ex-’49 John W. Taylor Ex-’48 Stephen C. Taber ’49 Jesse L. Holman ’49 William A. McCorkle ’50 Varnum D. Collins ’50 Ninian S. Dickey ’48 George G. Bowman ’53 Reuben S. Ragan ’48

hese, all but Taylor and Houston graduated from Wabash, h can be taken as another indication that the founders were ng themselves to the best since at this time most Wabash nts did not obtain a degree. With the departure or graduation ouston, Campbell, Dickey and Ragan in 1847-48, the chapter rs to have filled the gaps in their “Secret Order numb'ring by initiating Francis A. Wilber, Theodore A. Lemon, James ien and Archibald S. Reid. Newton W. Darlington was also ed at about this time, probably due to the departure of ien. On the whole the Beta Theta Pi chapter seemed to be well ished, but there were storm clouds on the horizon.

e 1847 letter to Theta chapter Varnum Collins wrote,

We feel that we have sacrificed much by declaring our identity a branch of a secret organization. The bitter fruits of envy e fast growing up and even the sacredness of individual haracter is not so much as respected.

an unprincipled rival, which observes neither prosperity nor truth in establishing itself & lowering our chapter by defaming its individual members.

This refers to a conflict which emerged within the Euphronean Literary Society in 1844, of which Varnum Collins was secretary. It seems that members of the Atalantian Society had reasoned that if they joined the Euphronean Society they would gain full access to their important library, and if the society divided, the books would be divided as well. The Euphronean leadership grew suspicious and soon expelled those who were also members of the Atalantian Society. The Atalantians continued as a “secret society” and thereby established a negative image for all secret societies. The fact that Collins, Houston and several other members of the Beta chapter were leading members of the Euphroneans did not make things much better. Collins explains the jealousy which existed in his 1847 letter by saying, The uninitiated look upon us as a kind of Literary aristocracy claiming for ourselves the best and the truest of Wabash.

With regard to the fraternity's relations to the college, however, things seem to have been cordial since from the personal standing of our members, who are indeed composed of those who impart good character to our College we have received the approbation, and the hearty "God speed" of the faculty.

By the latter part of 1848, however, the chapter was in trouble. In an undated letter to Alpha Chapter written on the back of a printed broadside entitled Odes, for the Iota Chapter of the Beta Theta Pi Association, Varnum Collins, who was now chapter president, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

anized itself but that it is still the desire of the chapter “that should no longer be considered Betas." It seems that the envy ivalry described in 1847 had gotten out of hand and when the e was finally forced to act it was decreed that all secret ies disband simultaneously. Most of Beta chapter decided to n in a semi-formal association — with the understanding that uld our Faculty, or Students know that we had reorganized, we d be instantly expelled, and in all probability mobbed.” In the General Fraternity records indicate that what was now n as the Eta chapter at Wabash had ceased to exist.

begins the period of debate as to whether or not a chapter of Theta Pi did in fact survive at Wabash College between 1849 s formal revival as Tau Chapter in 1856. Is seems that initially underground chapter” remained numerically strong since Theodore Lemon left the college in 1848 he was replaced by D. Condit. This meant that in principle the chapter still had embers. In a final postscript to his note to the Alpha chapter ver, Collins writes that “We will probably reveal the secret to man, Houston and Bowman on their return to college.” man returned to graduate in 1849, but Houston never eared and Bowman seems to have remained away for some before finally graduating in 1853. John W. Taylor also seems to left the college by 1847 since there are references to his being rincipal of Raleigh Academy in Tennessee in that year. By the mer of 1850 there remained an active core of only six or seven at Wabash. In what may have been a last effort to maintain numbers Edward E. Bassett and Samuel Merrill were initiated time in 1849 or 1850, but with the graduation of Collins, orkle and Wilber in 1850 the chapter lost its most effective rs and no new members were initiated until at least 1853 and bly not until 1856. In 1851 the Beta national convention ally withdrew the charter of the Wabash College chapter, and the graduation of Bassett and Merrill in 1851, Darlington and in 1852, and Bowman in 1853 there were no longer any AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

It may be that one or two graduates remained at Wabash to study towards a master's degree and John Campbell was certainly present as a member of the faculty, but by modern definition the active chapter was defunct in the summer of 1853. It is perhaps ironic that Milford Shipp entered the Wabash preparatory department at virtually the same moment as the Beta chapter he would refound three years later ceased to exist.

In the fall of 1856, Milford Shipp was listed in the college rolls as being a sophomore from Edinburgh, Indiana. It is not at all clear how he came to revive Beta Theta Pi from hibernation but he was initiated at Miami and the first entry in the surviving record book dates the refoundation to October 27th of that year. In that book, in the space which follows immediately after the Constitution of the General Fraternity as approved in 1856, there follows a list of names and class years. The first ten are set apart by a column division and appear to have been entered at the same time. The class years correspond to their academic status in 1856 which would seem to indicate that the chapter was refounded with the same number of members as before and was composed of: Milford B. Shipp soph.

William C. Porter sen.

William J. Twining jun.

John L. French soph.

Samuel C. Vance fresh.

William M. Dickey jun.

George W. Richardson soph.

Oscar A. Hills soph.

Edwin R. Lewis fresh.

James D. Rabb fresh.

r three meetings had been lost. The main order of business for ’lost’ meetings was probably the initiation of new members this lone December entry deals exclusively with the initiation ckey, the election of Hills and the appointment of a committee ound him”. The initiation of Hills on March 7 and Rabb on 5, 1857 are also the only business for those two meetings, h are then adjourned.

chapter suffered a serious blow when Milford Shipp left the e only a few weeks after bringing Beta Theta Pi back to sh. He is already noted as absent in the December 17 entry n February 23, 1857 William Porter was unanimously elected l the vacant presidency, “The Pres. having left College”. out the driving force of Shipp, the chapter was almost nly in danger once again. Indeed, it seems as if the chapter ed an era of drift for the next two years. Typical of this period chapter meeting at which Porter was elected president. After lection, the chapter spent the rest of the evening “in social rsation, in regard to the best interest of Greeks generally, and r chapter in particular. On motion Bros. Twining and Lewis appointed to entertain the chapter at its next meeting with ry productions of some kind."

general impression that the Betas were not much more than a group becomes stronger as we continue to read through the er minutes. When they reconvened two weeks later in er Richardson's room the new president was absent so er French assumed the chair and Brother Twining replaced as recording secretary. Twining was therefore “excused from rmance of the duty assigned to him for this evening and ointed for the next meeting. Bro. Lewis then read to the er a very characteristic, humorous and entertaining ption of 'A night drive.'” Brother Lewis was then appointed urnish a supply of pea-nuts for the next meeting at his own AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

the same form since at this meeting “it was resolved that hereafter one member be appointed at each meeting to prepare for the next a ‘Budget,’ consisting of such literary gems and racy anecdotes as he may be able to collect.” Brother Lewis must have been a real character since he was chosen to prepare the first “Budget”. When the chapter met two weeks later Brother Hill began the literary program with “a very interesting and well written essay, defending Cicero from the charge of egotism.” However this was almost certainly not intended to be the high point of the evening since: Brother Lewis then read the “Budget” which ever and anon caused violent convulsions of laughter among the members.

Vance to read Budget & Dickey an essay at the next regular meeting. Next in order we partook bountifully of Pea Nuts which were supplied by Bro. Vance as a substitute for an essay which he should have read at the last meeting, and general and miscellaneous conversation enlivened the festal scene until a late hour, when we adjourned.

The final minutes for 1857 refer to a meeting on July 10, and once again there is little serious business and “after discussion of matters of general interest and miscellaneous chit chat for some length of time the chapter adjourned.” It seems that the chapter drifted along in this way for many months and very nearly slipped into stasis once again.

There is a gap of almost two years before the next entry in the minute book where, on April 6, 1859, “the chapter met, present Twining, Hills and French; no other Betas in College at present.”

Since all three would have been seniors, the chapter must have been on the brink of collapsing. The first, and indeed the only order of business was (probably out of necessity as much as anything) the initiation of R.E. Rhoads and O.J. Dodds as new members.

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eturned, and with the initiation of T.C. Harrison, E. Morgan B. Fairchild the chapter was increased to nine active members. erhaps the first time since 1847 the Betas at Wabash began to ience the headiness of success and strength of number. With new prominence though, there also emerged new opposition non-Greeks, referred to as the barbarians, and a competing k fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, which had been established at sh in 1850. Things did not change immediately since the er minutes reveal that these were still happy-go-lucky young n their twenties — seemingly more interested in their struggle the barbarians than in any higher pursuits. Nevertheless there emerging unity of purpose and distinctness which begins to through in the way the chapter conducts itself. For example, 60 it had become a tradition to discuss one of Shakespeare's at all regularly scheduled chapter meetings.

evival of the chapter continued right up to the beginning of Civil War. Of special significance is the entry recording the ture of Brother Twining for the military academy at West on June 21st 1859, in which there is also the notation that E. Cleland and James C. Fullenwider were elected to bership. With their initiation a week later the chapter was once ten in number (both would later become presidents of the er). In September, there may have been some decline since al brothers must have graduated; however in fairly short order Clark, J.R. Carnahan and J.A. Finch were elected as cements. Everything seemed to be continuing down the path bility if not prosperity, with one exception.

Lost Beta Brothers and Sisters?

ame citation which recorded the initiation of Clark, Carnahan inch, also introduces J.H. Meteer as a candidate for initiation.

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meaning the men of Phi Delta Theta. In the end the good guys won and on the first of October, Meteer and O.H. Spencer were initiated into Beta Theta Pi. In the minutes, however, there is also mention of a slight disruption caused by “a spy from the enemy's camp” who applied for admission. The Betas gloat that their “sentinels” prevented this intrusion, but in some way the bonds which had already bound more than forty men together in the Beta band were damaged that evening, for in the next few years both Meteer and Spencer would be removed from the Tau rolls, one voluntarily and the other not.

Discussion of this ill-fated episode begins with O.H. Spencer who was “regularly initiated” that night (raising the active chapter roll to twelve for the first time). He missed the next chapter meeting but is then regularly present through the rest of 1859 and occasionally through the first half of 1860. He never seems to play an active role in the chapter business and makes his final appearance in July of 1860. On February 15, 1861, the minutes record that “Brother Spencer, having been requested by a vote of the chapter to resign his membership in our order, had his resignation handed in this evening, which was read by the President and accepted by the chapter.” No mention is ever made as to what was behind this, but it may be that Beta interests did not conform with his other activities.

Meteer on the other hand emerges as one of the leading figures among the “true Greeks”, indeed the next chapter meeting after he and Spencer were initiated was held in his room! At that meeting Meteer was appointed to the chapter's new bylaws committee and was assigned to sound M.L. Milford for membership. Chapter meetings were held regularly in Meteer's room through 1859 and 1860, and in March 1860 he was elected to the office of corresponding secretary. During 1861 he served as the recording secretary of the chapter and on September 13, 1861, Harry Meteer AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

y in August of 1862 and, except for a brief spell in November when it is recorded in the chapter minutes that “Brother er is on a sick furlough but well enough to meet with us ht,” he spent a full three years with the army. He returned to sh in the Fall of 1865 and once more became involved with eta chapter by attending and contributing to several chapter ngs. However, something had changed since the carefree preays. On January 12, 1866, the minutes begin:

respect fully ask that my connection with the order of Beta heta Pi be severed, because I believe it my duty to do so. I sure you I take this step with many regrets and for this reason have delayed it this long. I hope to lose the friendship of none you: but by this action I forfeit the right to ask anything.

ery Respectfully

our Oft Servant.

H. Meteer

nswer to this mysterious letter probably lies in the fact that er enrolled in the Union Theological Seminary in New York graduation and may have felt that his continued affiliation a “secret society” was incompatible with his new vocation. ever the cause, Tau lost one of its most promising members night when they voted in favor of the motion “that this nation be accepted without any qualifications whatever”.

rd individual pledged to Betaism but never entered in the al roll was R.T. Tubbs. The minutes for October 3, 1862, d that he was not “formally initiated as the book had not yet d.” On November 28 the chapter meeting was held in her Fairchild and Tubb's room” which indicates that this AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

that day J.H. Beach and J.F. Tuttle were regularly initiated, but no mention is made of Tubbs who had been sounded and pledged after the former and before the latter! Indeed these are his only appearances in the Tau records.

Similarly, Harvey Vance was initiated on September 18, 1863, the same night as Henry Z. McLain. He attends a chapter meeting on October 9 where “Bro. Samuel C. Vance of Indianapolis” is also present. The minutes cite S.C. Vance as standing “third among the members of 'T'," in reference to the refoundation of the chapter in 1856. It seems likely that these two were related in some way though no mention is made of this. Harvey Vance was present at one of the famous Beta oyster suppers at the end of 1863 (cooked at Mrs. Blair's and served in the Calliopean Hall), and continued to appear fairly regularly through the first part of 1864. His last appearance is on March 4, 1864. There is no further mention until March and April 1867 when there are a pair of cryptic entries in which the chapter “writes to Indianapolis for more information concerning H.B. Vance”, and unanimously expelled him “for conduct unbecoming of a Beta”.

Another intriguing episode begins with the chapter minutes from Feb. 29, 1860, when the recording secretary includes mention of “a very interesting and finely written letter from our newly received sister Lene L.” This was followed by a rather lengthy Valentine poem by Lene L. which was added to the minutes of March 9, 1860. On March 16 Brother Clark read a letter to the chapter “from our sister Celia Crocker expressing her thanks and gratitude for the trust reposed in her, by her election to membership in our prosperous association.” This adds an entirely different meaning to McCain's earlier reference to Betas placing their pins on the dresses of female academy girls in Waveland! The next entry seems to make the situation clear:

ccording to previous arrangement, as many of the Greeks as ould make it convenient, assembled at Waveland today for the ouble purpose of attending the commencement exercises and so of performing the ceremonial initiation of our worthy and eloved sisters Miss Emma Bennet and Miss Celia Crocker.

hrough the influence of the sisters, the use of the Charlotte lizabeth Hall was obtained and the following memhers o{ Tau ere present: Cleland, Dodds, Fairchild, Fullenwider, Harrison, hoads, Spencer and Sullivan.

he Sisters were then duly initiated and joyfully welcomed into e full communion of our mystic order, And they are now ntitled to a brother's love and a hrother’s protection from very heart in the Beta Theta Pi.

ur time heing limited after a short but pleasant visit, the eeting adjourned.

s. C. Fullinwider, Pres. T.C. Harrison, Rec.

ever the reality behind this affiliation it is striking that the of Tau were now so involved with maintaining and spreading eals of Beta Theta Pi after having nearly collapsed only a year r. This is nicely illustrated by the entry from July 9, 1860, h describes how the Betas gathered in D.E. Craig and Co.’s Ice m Saloon to celebrate their sweep of the prizes in the “Annual declamations” and were fourteen in number. They were d by Isaac C. Elston of the Lambda Chapter (Michigan) and her they reveled in their ascendancy “till well nigh the first crowing for day.”

Life seemed carefree for the Greeks as 1861 began but they could not have been ignorant of national events fast unfolding around them. On February 8 the chapter minutes record “After hearing Horace Greeley's Lecture on ‘America, westward of the Mississippi,’ the Chapter met... By general consent it was considered that Mr. Greeley's Lecture was not ‘a bore’.” Two months later news from South Carolina shook the college as a whole and at 1:00 in the afternoon of April 17 the chapter met in Harry Meteer's room to bid farewell to, brother Temple C. Harrison, who has felt that the loud call which the goddess of Liberty has made for the sinew of her Sons, to defend her rights, demands an immediate response from him. The booming of the cannon at the capture of Fort Sumter on Saturday, by the Southern rebels of the “Southern Confederacy," has aroused a nation from her slumhers and snatched many a man from pleasure, husiness, and friends, into the field of battle.

Ten hours later the chapter returned to Meteer's room to “give Bro. Carnahan, who has gained his father's consent and blessing to join the great army of Freemen, a special token of our love for and interest in him.” On March 3 the minutes record that “Bro. Clark is on a visit to the camp to see our boys. The evening spent in conversation mostly concerning the war and the ‘thin’ condition of college there being 40 of our students in the army.”

The first mention of wartime experiences as such is related in the minutes of September 17, 1863. On that occasion, “We were favored tonight with a graphic description, by Brother Harrison, of some thrilling scenes witnessed by him in the Morgan War." (This refers to the Morgan Raid into Southern Indiana.)

pse due to attrition or enlistment. Indeed there are more ssions of Shakespeare's plays, and descriptions of eating tains of peanuts at chapter meetings than there are references e war. That is not to say, however, that Tau Betas did not e themselves fully to the needs of the country. Indeed two of Jolly Greeks” were to pay the ultimate price of war. The first ese, James D. Rabb, had transferred to West Point in 1859. He ated from the military academy in 1861 and for his first ng was assigned as chief engineer to General Banks in New ns, where the Beta record notes he “died a few weeks after l." We know only a little more about the second Wabash Beta e his life during the Civil War — John Henry Beach.

H. Beach was certainly an active member of the chapter g the 1862-63 academic year even though he “could not be arly initiated” at first because the Recorder's book had not yet d. He “pledged himself to the Beta faith” and was finally ed December 12. Brother Beach served as recording secretary September 1863, and it is somewhat eerie to read the almost ges in the chapter minute book which are recorded in his ng hand. His last entry is on March 4th, and he and Robert Pierce must have left the College soon afterwards since both ed in Company F of the 135th Indiana Volunteers at the end May. Beach mustered in as a Private while Pierce was missioned as a Second Lieutenant under the command of ain Alfred McClelland of Crawfordsville. The 135th was a d service '100 day regiment' which was sent to replace other s doing garrison duty in Bridgeport, Alabama. The official d cites only the date of his death, June 30, 1864, so it is likely he succumbed to an illness. It is somewhat surprising that the er minutes contain no mention of Beach's death until uary 1866 since Pierce was an officer in the same company.

am Mather Dickey, Class of 1858, can perhaps be considered to have avoided the same fate as Brother Beach. Dickey AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

battles up and down the Mississippi before he was captured, along with 183 of his comrades, at the battle of Brices’ Cross Roads, Mississippi on June 10, 1864. All together he managed to survive nearly two years in the field and almost a year in the deadly conditions at Andersonville prison camp before he mustered out with the rest of his regiment on the 10th of August 1865. More than thirty men in his company alone were not as fortunate.

Other Wabash Betas were similarly lucky to escape with their lives.

James R. Carnahan, who had received his father's permission to enlist at the very beginning of the war supposedly started off as a private in the 11th Indiana in 1861. Possibly as a result of this experience he is known to have been commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in Company K of the 86th Indiana in November 1862.

He was promoted to Captain of Company I for “gallant conduct” at the bloody Battle of Stone River a month later, and was then apparently added to the staff of Major General Wood in 1864.

Another Wabash Beta who worked his way up through the ranks of command was Jesse Lynch Holman, Class of 1849. He started off as the Captain of Co. A, 18th Indiana Volunteers on July 16, 1861, and was promoted to the rank of Major in June of 1862. He attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in October 1862. He resigned his commission on April 12, 1863 after having survived a number of bloody battles in Missouri and Arkansas. It is not clear why he left the 18th but he was certainly fortunate in his timing since his immediate successors were all killed in battle within the next few months.

George Bowman, Class of 1853, was similarly fortunate while serving as Captain of Company D in the 12th Indiana Volunteers.

Within months of enlisting most of his regiment was killed or captured at the battle of Richmond, Kentucky (Sept. 20, 1862). The survivors were later paroled as part of a POW exchange. The 12th AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

man was discharged on May 30, 1864, for wounds received at attle of Chattanooga just as the 12th was beginning the march lanta.

march to Atlanta during the summer of 1864 was in many the offensive which turned the tide in the Union's favor, and f the main commanders of this campaign was John Coburn, of 1846, Colonel of the 33rd Indiana Volunteers. The founder e Beta chapter at Wabash had proven his leadership abilities in mber of skirmishes after he was placed in command of a de (which included the 33rd Indiana) in the Army of the berland in 1863. As brigade commander he led the advance Atlanta on September 2, 1864 and accepted its surrender, as the r Union officer, from Mayor Calhoun. When the 33rd ned to Indiana in 1865, this Indianapolis regiment and its nel (now a Brevet Brigadier General) were welcomed back to me city by the man who had recognized Coburn as a leader t twenty years earlier — Governor Oliver P. Morton.

er Morton also delivered a speech when the 20th Indiana ned to Indianapolis on July 12, 1865. The 20th had seen some e heaviest combat of any of the Indiana regiments, and fought any of the bloody battles in Virginia. It was perhaps fitting, the pain and suffering which the 20th had experienced, that of the speeches given in response was presented by another sh Beta, William C. Porter, Class of 1857, who had been ain to the 20th Indiana Volunteers for their entire four years vice.

of the most prominent of the regiments raised in Indiana was 0th, commanded by Col. Benjamin Harrison. Two Wabash , Samuel C. Vance, Class of 1860, and Samuel Merrill, Class of served the future president as officers in the 70th from the t mustered in August 1862. Vance held the rank of major until AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Brother Merrill who was later promoted again and assumed second-in-command responsibilities as Lieutenant Colonel of the regiment until it mustered out.

John Edward Cleland began his military service in the 70th as well and was offered an officer's commission as a Second Lieutenant on April 3, 1864. He declined this commission, which may indicate an internal conflict within the regiment since Major Vance resigned his commission a week later to become Colonel of the 132nd. At about the same time as Vance resigned, Cleland left the 70th Indiana to accept a commission as a Captain in the 44th U.S. Colored Regiment.

One wonders about the influence of abolitionism on campus in the early 1860s when we consider the actions of Cleland, James “Harry” Meteer, Class of 1867, and others. Meteer also served in the 70th Indiana under the command of Colonel Harrison and Brothers Vance and Merrill. He mustered in as a Corporal in Company I on August 1, 1862, but his official record is then incomplete. On November 20, 1863, he returned to Tau's Beta circle while home on ‘a sick furlough." Not long after that, however, he left the 70th in order to become a captain in the 14th U.S. Colored Regiment, which was perhaps the most famous of the U.S.C.T. regiments in the Western Army.

It is striking that another officer from a Colored Regiment, Claiborn A. Young, Class of 1869, was to become a brother after his military service. He had been a student at Wabash in 1860 and 1861 before joining the 11th Indiana as a private. The regimental records for the 11th record that he was discharged on January 2, 1864 so that he could be commissioned as a Lieutenant in the 85th U.S. Colored Regiment. Young must have returned to Wabash that fall since he was first proposed for membership on October 21st and was then initiated on November 11, 1864.

t uniformly they proved themselves to be leaders among men. post-war chapter faced a daunting challenge indeed if they to follow in their older brothers' footsteps.

Aunt Jennie Blair

Jennie Blair is something of an enigma in the history of Tau ter. Mrs. Blair appears in the Beta records for the first time on mber 17, 1859 as having provided a cake for the departure r of James R. Carnahan. It is certainly not clear in what role irst became associated with the chapter since when she ears in November of 1863 it is on the occasion of an oyster r which was prepared “at Mrs. Blair's and it is needless to say hey were delicious.”

radition that she was initiated into the fraternity because of reservation of chapter records during the Civil War is not oned in the chapter minutes. Indeed the chapter does not to have ever been in any danger of becoming dormant due to of members during the war years. It is true, however, that she irst proposed for membership during the peak of the military ct in February 1864 when the minutes state:

rs. Blair, having long been deemed worthy to wear Beta onors was unanimously, nay, enthusiastically voted a andidate for admission to “T” and brother Pierce appointed to ake the preliminary arrangements in reference to the affair as on as practicable.

next reference to Mrs. Blair was a month later on March 4 , “Brother Pierce, appointed a committee to “sound” Mrs. in reference to joining our fraternity, reports that she will be to become our sister in the bonds of F. & F. at the first AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

taking place. The final reference in the Civil War period dates from January 26, 1866 when “The chapter convened somewhat later this evening than usual, owing to some of its members being present at a social given by Mrs. Blair.”

Tau's Rhodes Scholars

By Jon M. Myers '81

By Jon M. Myers '81

difficult to overstate the chapter’s record number of five es Scholars or the college’s record of nine for that matter, as are incredible. How our small society of about 15 members year managed to accumulate such a record is amazing. How ded are these numbers compared to other colleges, rsities, or Beta chapters? Judge for yourself:

COLLEGES

WABASH COLLEGE Notre Dame Indiana University Depauw University Purdue University Hanover College

INDIANA CHAPTERS 9 19 19 3 2 1

WABASH BETA Hanover Beta DePauw Beta IU Beta Purdue Beta Ball State Beta

5 1 0 0 0 0

are no other active American chapters which can claim as or more. Only the chapter at the University of British mbia has more, but it should be pointed out that Canada has wn allotment of Rhodes scholars and there are very few er colleges or universities other than British Columbia, nto and McGill. The Yale chapter had more, but it has been ct for decades. But perhaps most incredible is how our record ares to other Indiana universities and colleges on one hand eta chapters on the other. The most striking statistic is the fact he Wabash Beta chapter has produced the same number of es scholars as all of Purdue University and all of Depauw ersity during their entire histories, combined.

operly honor and memorialize the chapter's Rhodes record, inners should be acknowledged. The following Tau brothers AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Claude Albert Pifer, Class of 1907 Pembroke College, Oxford Pifer was elected the Wabash candidate to the Rhodes committee by winning the vote of the entire student body. He then interviewed against all the other Indiana candidates and in the end won the appointment. He was a partner at the Merrill investment bank for most of his career. Tau’s pride in Claude as its first Rhodes Scholar is clear in this announcement in The Beta Theta Pi magazine: We are extremely proud to announce that Claude Pifer, '07, the Fowler-Duhme fellow in English this year, passed the Rhodes scholarship examinations, was chosen, and goes to Oxford next September. He is certainly to be congratulated and the fraternity is also to be congratulated in having his name upon its rolls. We expect to give a dance in his honor in June, and in the near future will give a smoker to the other fraternity men and barbs who are friends of his and with whom he mixed in athletics, etc.

James Insley Osborne, Class of 1906 Christ Church, Oxford Osborne received a second undergraduate degree from Christ Church and won the Matthew Arnold Prize in Poetry from the university in 1914. He was awarded his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1919. Osborne briefly taught at Columbia from 1914-1917. He then served as a first lieutenant in the Military Intelligence Division during World War I. He joined the Wabash AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Norman M. Littell, Class of 1921 Christ Church, Oxford The Beta Theta Pi magazine of 1921:

WABASH RHODES SCHOLAR: Further information about NORMAN LITTELL, Wabash '21, who was recently selected as Rhodes Scholar from the state of Indiana, is that he will enter Christ Church, Oxford, in October of this year. Littell's appointment is a merited recognition of his ability and reflects great credit upon the fraternity. Last year he won the state, district, and national oratorical contests.

not surprising that after Oxford, Littell attended and ated from the University of Washington’s law school in 1927. hen practiced law in the Seattle area for several years before ng to the Washington, D.C. area in 1934. He served as special ant to the attorney general and assistant solicitor at the rtment of the Interior. He was then appointed assistant ney general by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939. Littell usly denounced government-assisted monopolies, support for usiness, and special favors, even as they related to the war . His outspokenness gained him many enemies among evelt New Dealers, including attorney general Francis Biddle. l was also involved in efforts to combat discrimination and emitism and was described as being “in charge of law cement against subversive activities.”

being fired by President Roosevelt because of his endent thinking, Littell returned to private practice where he ned until his retirement in 1981. Littell served as general el for the Navajo tribe of Indians for almost two decades.

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Byron Kightly Trippet, Class of 1930 Jesus College, Oxford Brother Trippet was awarded a Bachelor of Common Law degree from Oxford. He could have taken the Indiana bar examination, or any other bar exam for that matter, but returned to Crawfordsville at the behest of President Hopkins. He served first as dean of the college, then as president.

Brother Trippet was the quintessential Wabash man. He is said to have won the Rhodes as a junior but did not want to give up his senior year at Wabash. When told if he waited he would have to win it again on the merits, Byron took that chance, finished Wabash with a Phi Beta Kappa key, studied in Switzerland after graduation, and then won the Rhodes again. Now that is the spirit of a Wabash Man and a Wabash Beta! At Oxford he was tutored in law at All Souls College.

Robert Frederick Ashman, Class of 1960 Balliol College, Oxford Brother Ashman was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as a biology and German double major. Much of his spare time at “513” was devoted to his work in the chapter as scholarship chairman. He initiated a comprehensive "course coach system" to improve freshman scholarship. After Wabash he spent two summers studying invertebrate zoology and embryology at Woods Hole.

He was laboratory assistant in the invertebrate zoology course his last two years at Wabash. At Oxford, brother Ashman studied in AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

cal school and was a long-time faculty member of the ersity of Iowa Medical School.

Chapter Acknowledgements

ord about my sources: First and foremost is the book Beta rs by William Raimond Baird authored in 1906. It is a tion of letters from the earliest years of the fraternity, mostly chapter secretaries to other chapters. It includes many letters Wabash to our sister chapters for the period of December to December 1847. These letters are the only connection we to the creation, workings, and demise of the Coburn chapter. book also filled in the gaps of Milford Shipp’s revival of the er. Another major source was the entire collection of the nity magazine, which is available online and all of which were -searched for “Wabash.” The local Presbyterian church shed a paper about its history written by Tau brother Harley ne, Class of 1903, about a hundred years ago. It was rich with e Johnston (“Aunt Jennie”) information.

esearch (including Googling) turned up the book Early Days College Town by Franklin Moody Mills who was not a Beta member of the Class of 1849. It was full of information on the campus, John Lyle Campbell, and, as it turns out, his-sisterw, Jennie. Much of the information on John Hougham was the Purdue University and Kansas State University historical ves and borrowed liberally from an academic biography by an ization specializing in historic scientific instruments. mation about Dr. Milford Shipp and his wife Dr. Ellis Shipp, physicians, was retrieved from Google, the Church of Jesus t of Latter-Day Saints, and the University of Utah archive. data on the chapter’s Rhodes Scholars came from the Rhodes website, the fraternity magazine, and the Directory of ican Rhodes Scholars. I have taken a good deal of historian’s e on the earliest meeting between Oliver Perry Morton and Coburn.

n M. Myers ‘81

In preparing this section of Tau Chapter's history, it has been my pleasure to be the recipient of great kindness from Robert Howard, historian of Beta Theta Pi General Fraternity who photocopied what must have been the entire cache of the Tau Chapter archives held at Oxford, Ohio. Likewise, Johanna Herring, Archivist of Lilly Library at Wabash College, was unfailing in her ability to gather the material for me that proved essential.

Richard O. Ristine happily provided much needed assistance in fact-gathering. Thanks are also due to Max Servies for providing intramural athletic information. Also helpful to me was the availability of the James Ray Thomas collection of Wabash College and Phi Gamma Delta archival material; the use of computers, copiers, and fax machines provided by Kevin K. Kirkpatrick; and the assistance of Penelope Savage Landrigan, Sarah Landrigan Taylor, and Miss Caroline E. Taylor. The team of Todd I. Glass (coauthor), Erik L. Lindseth (co-author), and George Seidensticker (of the Maco Press) made this a very enjoyable adventure.

A special thanks is due to the current actives and pledges of Tau Chapter who witnessed much plundering of the chapter archives by this alum. Their cheerfulness and true sincerity during the entire sesquicentennial celebration greatly impressed hard-to-please Tau alumni. When it counted most, the active chapter disappointed no one. It is the Beta House, after all.

— G.B. Landrigan '85 1997

Years of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash College (1997)

history is the product of many long hours of research, editing, ross-referencing. For the past eighteen months or so, we have flipping through pages of scrapbooks brittle with acid, hering minute books, and researching every available rce. As the editors began the project, we wanted to do more place a new cover on a prior work. We wanted a clear, detailed, ntertaining look into our past that will propel us into the y-first century. That is what I hope you find on the following .

history of Tau Chapter is a history of Wabash College itself, ructed bit-by-bit with 1,602 individuals initiated into Tau — John Coburn to John Stafford. Our inspiration comes from other historians who leafed through many of the same pages : Walt Fertig ‘38, who artfully constructed the history for the celebration, and R.B. McCain, Class of 1923, who authored Years at Wabash for our centennial. This history book is not t to replace their prior works. Tau's 150th history is in fact a e to and a result of the work of Fertig and McCain. To them he histories they preserved, all Tau Betas will remain grateful.

uld be impossible to give appropriate credit to each deserving n the pages that follow. For those stories which are omitted or ames overlooked, the blame should rightfully fall upon my ders. I think you will nonetheless find, all in all, that this Tau y is one of which to be proud. I hope many copies find their to our favorite bookshelves or on den tables next to our te chairs.

st respectfully acknowledge the work and dedication of the ssistant editors, Erik L. Lindseth ‘83 and GB Landrigan ‘85, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Theta Pi to our brothers who are no longer with us. Whether death came after a long and inspired life, in battle, or unexpectedly while in the prime of their youth—we miss them all. As we remember all of our lost brothers, may this history honor their lives and revive our memories. This book is dedicated to them and the legacy they have left with us.

The following Tau Betas and friends contributed to the making of this history of Tau Chapter in recognition of Tau's sesquicentennial celebration. Thank you to all of those who have devoted long hours for the development of Tau's history: Joseph A. Mayberry ‘39, Richard O. Ristine ‘41, George Seidensticker III ‘57, Erik L. Lindseth ‘83, John R. Roberts ‘83, Todd I. Glass ‘84, GB Landrigan ‘85, Ronald L. Pitcock ‘91, Ryan Will ‘99.

With special thanks also to: Thomas A. Jensen ’84, J.B. Bachman ’61, Cal Black ’66, Lance M. More ‘91, the Wabash College alumni office, and Wabash College archivist, Mrs. Joanna Herring.

— Todd I. Glass '84 1997

Chapter Footnotes

er research has determined that Brother Coburn was elected tentia and did not actually travel from Miami University to fordsville to establish the chapter. See chapter one for onal details.

e original text noted that Puett did not appear in the chapter Further research has determined that a single individual named el Franklin Maxwell Puett is roll number 203.

Chapter Three Footnotes

nsley Osborne, Class of 1906, was Wabash's first Rhodes ar. Also a Phi Beta Kappa, he returned to Wabash and enjoyed icularly distinguished career as Yandes Professor of English ead of the department until his death in 1952.

n Coss, later a member of the Wabash College Board of ees, was a professor of philosophy at Columbia University director of its prestigious summer school. Byron Trippet, in ook Wabash On My Mind, recalls that in 1930 Coss arranged resident Hopkins of Wabash to participate in a symposium at mbia along with representatives of Dartmouth, Swarthmore, milar rank colleges. According to Trippet, “it won kudos for sh in the East and in educational circles generally.” A portrait ss by Fritz Schlemmer hangs in the Caleb Mills House. It mpanied a gift of excellent antique furniture willed to Wabash oss.

nutes of Tau Chapter, December 12, 1903.

Coss footnote above. th the curious exceptions of the “Southwest room on the nd floor . . . and the barn on the back”

those brothers who were hired to help out in the kitchen.

7. Bundy, born in Marion, Indiana, was later in the American Consular Service in Zurich, Switzerland and died in 1918.

8. Beta Theta Pi adopted the pledge button in 1899 but mention of it in Tau Chapter records does not occur until later in the next decade.

9. “The Dorg” refers to the Dorg Ceremony which was a preinitiation pseudo-ritual that was used regularly by Tau Chapter until after World War II. The ceremony was thought by long-time Beta Theta Pi General Secretary Francis W. Shepardson (in a letter dated October 13, 1913) to have been originated by John Hogarth Lozier of the DePauw Chapter, then spread to the Wabash and Indiana University chapters. It slowly spread to other chapters.

Several variations of this ceremony can be found in the Tau Chapter restricted archives. Some argument has been made in the past that it originated at Wabash rather than DePauw.

10. Tau Chapter Minutes, October 9, 1911.

11. These questions were apparently suggested by Francis W. Shepardson, Denison 1882, Brown 1883, long-time president of the General Fraternity.

12. While the chapter was sub rosa in the years 1849-1854, it has always argued its continuous existence based on at least one Beta being enrolled at Wabash College during this time. This is covered in more detail in the first chapter of this history.

13. Chandler was the designer of the flag, shingle, and badge of Beta Theta Pi. He was a General Fraternity vice-president and an

ome vague reference is made that the proposed design involved cient Greek altar or temple.

arsons was a particularly popular Beta from Terre Haute, na. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa but died shortly after ation. A fireplace in Old 513 was dedicated to his memory, as he lower level fireplace when New 513 was built.

he chapter coat of arms, very rarely used by Tau Chapter features the scroll from the seal of Wabash College in the left quadrant. Tau Chapter’s motto, also included, is ure."

he motto selected for Tau Chapter was “Endure” which, like hapter coat of arms, is largely unused by Tau Chapter bers.

icholson, older brother of Laurence, Class of 1918, soon me a prolific and well-known Broadway playwright. He was notably the author of Sailor Beware (later a movie starring Lewis) and The Barker which, until the much later success of air Lady, was reportedly the longest-running play on dway. He was a recipient of the Wabash Alumni Award of in 1953.

terurbans were trains connecting regional towns and cities in na, generally from Indianapolis.

sborne, James Insley and Gronert, Theodore Gregory; sh College: The First Hundred Years; R.E. Banta Co., fordsville, Indiana, pp. 318-319.

cCain, Robert B., 100 Years at Wabash, 1946. pg. 24

24. Watkins, from Indianapolis, died in 1918 in France from pneumonia. He was in the Air Service, received his training in Italy, and was transferred to the French Front.

25. Petty, in 1986, donated much of his extensive military memorabilia to the Chapter.

26. Nicholson, journalist brother of playwright Kenyon Nicholson ’17, later arranged a series of interviews with European heads of state but died in 1930 before they could be completed.

27. Tau's Bark, March 25, 1919.

28. It should be noted that “Rough Week” again appears in the minutes in 1931 and, as most Tau Betas will recall from their freshman year, a week of “Rhynie Fun” continued to the immediate past.

29. Minutes, Tau Chapter, May 6, 1929.

30. Tau's Bark, October 15, 1926.

31. Blair, the son of famed “Aunt Jennie” Blair who was initiated into Beta Theta Pi for maintaining the chapter during the Civil War, was a particularly prominent Presbyterian pastor in Philadelphia.

Active in national Beta affairs, he maintained a close relationship with the chapter. The mention of his relationship to "Aunt Jennie" Blair is an addition to the original 1997 text in this 2023 edition.

32. Daniels, a Phi Beta Kappa, was a prominent attorney as a partner in the Baker & Daniels firm in Indianapolis.

33. LaFollette was vice-president of Corning Glass Works in New

ety, a Phi Beta Kappa, was an attorney in Terre Haute, na.

onnell was a Phi Beta Kappa from Indianapolis.

ubbard hailed from Indianapolis and was one of the first sh subscribers to the Baird Fund.

Welborn was vice-president of the Fletcher American National in Indianapolis.

ullivan, an attorney, enjoyed a prolific political career nating in his being mayor of Indianapolis.

ennett was a Phi Beta Kappa from Carmel, Indiana. eluse was a prominent grain broker in Indianapolis.

rt McCain, a Phi Beta Kappa, was the publicity manager of en Hur Life Association in Crawfordsville.

oddard was a wholesale grocer in Muncie, Indiana.

Ward Hackleman was involved in insurance in Indianapolis.

dams operated the long-established Stewart-Carey glass any in Indianapolis.

rown was the president of the Union Trust Company in napolis. He was a major contributor to the construction of 513.

nes operated the Crawford Hotel in Crawfordsvile.

48. Wyatt, widely known as a very loyal Beta, was with Northwestern Mutual Life in Crawfordsville. He was the father of popular long-time chapter advisor, John L. Wyatt ’58.

49. R.B. McCain, Crawfordsville, was the author of the first written history of Tau Chapter, 100 Years at Wabash, Beta Theta Pi, 1846-1946.

50. Haney, active on the board as an undergraduate, was from Crawfordsville.

51. Hahn, a Phi Beta Kappa, was a physician in Indianapolis.

52. Brown was an officer with Eli Lilly & Company in Indianapolis.

53. Daniels, a Phi Beta Kappa and brother of Joseph, was with the Indianapolis Union Railroad.

54. Ristine was a partner in the Ristine & Ristine law firm in Crawfordsville.

55. Detchon, a Crawfordsville artist, was the major donor to the remodeling and expansion of Yandes Hall. It was renamed The Detchon Center in his honor.

56. Reference might be made to the Wabash-DePauw game of 1906.

When it learned that Wabash utilized a Black student on its football team, DePauw forfeited the game, refusing to play.

57. Lucas returned to his home state of Alabama to live in Mobile, working with Rolls-Royce Marine. He enjoys fishing, gardening, crocheting, and served as chairman of the board of trustees of

owry was initiated in what became known as the "Kenyon r." The Kenyon Collegian magazine reported, "Although the Kenyon chapter was on board with initiating him, according wry, Beta chapters across the country as well as fraternity ni urged the chapter not to go through with it." He was ed regardless. After graduation, he hosted an Emmy and ody Award-winning program in Chicago and later became the resident and senior advisor to the president of the John D. Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

his paragraph originally appeared in the 1997 edition as, "It unique time for both the chapter and Indiana in general. erity was yet untainted by the looming Depression and try, progress, and growth were the bywords of the day. The attending Wabash were often the sons of those guiding this ual period of development and they enjoyed the relative luxury lege life. Yet it was also a frightening period for many as the ious D. C. Stephenson and his Ku Klux Klan viciously bullied olics, Jews, immigrants, and black people, while openly running of the Indiana state and local governments. Even Wabash ge, which admitted black students long before many similar utions and often held progressive social values, issued a cation during the period with an emphasis on its “Allican” and “native-born” atmosphere, though, of course, never sing the Klan or its sympathizers. While no group of people can to lack individuals without prejudice, Tau Chapter's minutes s period show no mention of participation in the hysteria then ing the state. Whether this was due to Beta Theta Pi having founded on principles different than those of other old nities or because the Chapter regularly attracted men of rate views cannot be known. Prejudice surely reflected society chapter, especially as any chapter is composed of somewhat ssionable young men. It undoubtedly does even now, though, ps, with a different cast of villains. What is known, and what differ from many other fraternities and chapters, is that,

Beta Theta Pi General Fraternity."

60. McCain, Robert B.; 100 Years at Wabash: Beta Theta Pi 1846-1946.

61. Breunig, who was deaf, received the Wabash Alumni Award of Merit in 1984.

62. "Pots" were green beanie-caps that all freshmen at Wabash wore for many years. In recent years, only the Phi Delts and Betas used them. The Phi Delts publicly wore them, while the Betas (until the late 1980's) kept them hidden in their pockets with assorted other items useful to upperclassmen (a lighter, spare change, etc.)

63. Banta, not a Beta, worked in the alumni development office.

64. Trippet, Byron; Wabash on My Mind; Wabash College, 1982.

65. Ristine, Harley; letter to Austin H. Brown; February 18, 1944.

Chapter Four Footnotes 1. Tau Chapter minutes, December 6, 1946.

2. Tau Chapter minutes, October 7, 1946 3. Tau Chapter minutes, January 14, 1947 4. Tau Chapter minutes, November 13, 1946 5. Wabash Tau of Beta Theta Pi, 1946-1971, Walter L. Fertig ’38, page 6 6. Wabash Tau of Beta Theta Pi, 1946-1971, Walter L. Fertig ’38, at pages 7-8.

7. Tau Chapter minutes, February-March, 1947

au Chapter minutes, April 4, 1948.

rother Black often enjoyed reminiscing about paddling Pledge et back in 1930. He must not have paddled Trippet too hard!

Bark, 1973.

au's Bark, September 10, 1961. au's Bark, May 1, 1962. au's Bark, April 1, 1962. au's Bark, Spring, 1980.

au's Bark, February, 1971; Tau Chapter Minutes, November 971.

au Chapter Minutes, November 1971- January 1973. au's Bark, Spring, 1972. au's Bark, Spring, 1972. au's Bark, Spring, 1973. au's Bark, Fall, 1973.

he original text of the 1997 version included the following: As rolled around, the Betas at that time had no idea of the rich nheralded decade Tau Chapter was about to experience. The was truly a period unlike any other in Tau's history. Certainly eras of its history enjoyed tremendous success and fulfillment, au's success during the 1980s was unprecedented.

he original text of the 1997 version included the following: In while the glory years of Tau Chapter were just beginning, two rstones of Beta Theta Pi at Wabash returned to campus.

he original text of the 1987 version included the following: ecade of the 1980s produced unheralded progress and success

experienced before. Time will tell if the chapter's success from this era produces the leaders among Tau alumni and Wabash College for the decades to come.

Volume One