1930–31 Volume 55 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

Vol. LV, No. 4THE SCROLLPHI DELTA THETADelta Theta, which fraternity hefounded at Miami University in 1848."Fifty years of honorable history;fifty years of living the ideals andtraditions taught the chapter by thefraternity's founder, have rolled away.It was most fitting and right that thechapter should stand still and recall thedays when the world was young, whenthe chapter was in its swaddlingclothes and, incidentally to replace thememorial tablet, destroyed when theold chapel burned.It was a regrettable fact that noneof the General Council could attendthe celebration. Honorable RolandBoynton, president of Mu Provincewas present during most of the celebrationand a very large number ofold men returned. The exercises beganwith the luncheon Friday, golf andvisiting occupied the afternoon; afootball "pep" meeting brought backmemories of other days to the gradsafter supper and a reception to theother fraternities and the faculty tookpart of the evening. As the hours beganto near the new day a formalchapter meeting was held and oncemore men, grey and beginning to looktoward the setting sun, renewed theiryouth around the fraternal altar.Saturday morning the formal exerciseswere held in Swope Chapel, atwhich time the replica of the Morrisontablet (although this time in bronze)was unveiled. The tablet was formallyunveiled by Elmer C. Henderson, formerPresident of the General Council,he having unveiled the original tablettwenty-eight years ago. The exerciseswere presided over by James StuartMorrison, nephew of the founder,himself a member of the Westminsterday. Speeches were made by StonerW. Yantis, one of the three livingfounders of the chapter, by T. H. Van­Sant, Dr. F. N. Gordon, Dr. HerbertE. Day of Rhode Island Alpha, ElmerC. Henderson, J. Stuart Morrison, W.B. Whitlow, Dr. C. A. McPheeters,and others, the toast list being closedwith addresses by the presidents of thethree Missouri chapters, WilliamRobertson of Missouri Alpha, PeytonTalbott of Missouri Beta, and CharlesF. Lamkin, Jr. of Missouri Gamma.Sunday morning the chapter and thegraduates attended the First PresbyterianChurch in a body and the pastor,Dr. E. F. Abbott preached a sermonparticularly for them. A formaldinner at the chapter house Sundaywas followed by the whole party goingto the cemetery where the funeralceremony was read over the grave ofMorrison and the oration was deliveredby Dr. Frank N. Gordon ofDwight, Illinois.Missouri Beta seems to be particularlyhappy in its relations to the nationalfraternity; and WestminsterCollege in its history and life almostparallels the activities of Morrison asthe founder of the fraternity. Westminster,if its origin be counted fromthe institution of Fulton College, isless than a year younger than the fraternity.The college itself was savedthrough the self-sacrifice and devotionof Morrison himself. The present politicalorganization of the national fraternityis coincident with the life ofthis chapter. The only memorial anywhereon earth particularly devotedto the memory of the founder of thefraternity is on the walls of the collegewhose life he saved. The homechapter. The tablet was accepted on in which Morrison died, which homebehalf of the General Council and thefraternity by Charles F. Lamkin, formerwas presented to his family by the fraternityafter his death, is in sight ofPresident of the General Council, the grey walls of the college. Hiswho had presented the original tablet body sleeps in God's Acre just at theto the then President. The president edge of the college town. And in theof Westminster formally accepted the college library are Morrison's books,tablet on the part of the college. A given to Westminster by Morrisondinner at the Country Club closed the himself as he felt the end approaching.263]'[