THE FEAGIN FAMILY LEGACY

As part of the Buck Marsh Digital History Museum project, the alumni history committee has worked with History IT for the last few years. In January 2023, historical documents and materials were hand-delivered to History IT at their Portland, Maine, headquarters. We plan to combine the museum with digitized composites for display on a large-screen video monitor in the house. To learn more about the project, please visit https://phide.lt/BuckMarshFund

Digging through the history of the Alabama Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta, the committee wanted to share some of the exciting findings. One such story that is meaningful to the present-day chapter is the story of the Feagin family legacy.

The first Feagin initiated into Alabama Beta begins with William Francis Feagin 97. W. F. Feagin started his Phi Delt journey in 1887. According to the July 1891 edition of The Scroll, he represented the chapter in the annual oratorical contest between the literary societies that took place during commencement. Feagin also represented his class of 1890 as a speaker. The April 1890 edition lists William as working as a shipping clerk for Birmingham Railway Supply Co., but he eventually worked to become the superintendent of education for the State of Alabama. He and his brother Clifton H. Feagin 163, were from Clayton, Alabama. Clifton also represented the chapter with his oratory skills. In the October 1891 edition, the chapter reported, “In the annual speakers’ contest between the Wirt and Websterian societies, the Phis were represented by Brothers Feagin and Baker, both Wirts; this time Brother Feagin was successful, winning a beautiful gold medal and the praises of everyone.” Jewett Whatley Feagin 192, and Arthur Henry Feagin 206, were the last two Feagins initiated at Alabama Beta in the nineteenth century.

The chapter welcomed Arthur Henry Feagin with an introduction in the April 1897 edition: “It is with great pleasure that we introduce to the Phi world Bro. A. H. Feagin, of Union Springs. Alabama. Bro. Feagin is a brother of J. D. Feagin, Alabama Alpha ’91, and a cousin of the Feagins of Alabama Beta. We gladly welcome him among us and know that he will uphold the enviable record already made for Phi Delta Theta by the name he bears.” Arthur was the captain of the Auburn football team under coach John Heisman. Clarence Eugene Feagin 234, Issac Ball Feagin 243, Joel Daniel Feagin 408, and John Lightner Feagin 464, were the next four Feagins initiated into Alabama Beta. John L. Feagin graduated in 1927 and is the father of Frank Cardwell Feagin 1255. From 1928 to 1947, four more Feagins signed The Bond of Alabama Beta: Clifton H. Feagin Jr. 484; Jefferson Ball Feagin 509; Arthur Henry Jr. 525; and Sam B. Feagin 730. Frank’s brother, John Lightner Feagin Jr. 1232, graduated in 1964, and Frank graduated in 1966. Some thirty years later, Frank’s two sons, Frank Cardwell Feagin Jr. 1965, and Jeffrey Glennon Feagin 280 (initiated at Georgia Southern and was later allowed to sign The Bond of Alabama Beta), became Phis at Auburn. Jeffrey was part of the group that re-charted the chapter, February 27–28, 1998. Jeffrey was president of the chapter when Alabama Beta was an interest group, an emerging chapter, and finally, a chapter again.

Frank C. Feagin joined the alumni history committee as the sixth member in December. We were thrilled to have him on the committee as one of four living Feagins from Alabama Beta.

Frank Cardwell Feagin now lives in Point Clear, Alabama. After a few years in the army, he retired from Bellsouth in 1996 and formed a new company with another Phi, Tommy McCulley, 1309, who was chapter president in the sixties. Frank reconnected with Alabama Beta in 1993 and served on the house corporation for fifteen years. He was very involved in getting the chapter back on campus in 1998. During those days, a leadership consultant who worked with the chapter commented on Alabama Beta that Frank recently shared. He said our chapter had three strong features he had never seen in any fraternity. The connectivity of the brothers, the fact that there is no disparagement of the chapter among members and that he had never seen so many legacies help to keep alumni support alive. Those three points still exist today.