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

Vol. LV, No. 6THESCROLLPHI DELTA THETAon its voyage. Palmer tells the storywell. The J. W. Foster referred towas an active Indiana man, presidentof the Convention of 1856, later a diplomatof renown, and Secretary ofState. "In the summer of 1854, J. W.Foster, Indiana Alpha, '55, talked withC. K. Drew, at Evansville, Indiana,where both of them lived, and inducedthe latter to undertake the establishmentof a chapter at Kentucky MilitaryInstitute . . . where he was astudent." The charter was duly appliedfor that fall by Drew and twoothers and on October 17, 1854, KentuckyAlpha granted the charter forKentucky Beta. Additional chapterswithin a state were then chartered bythat state's first chapter."At Evansville, Foster initiatedDrew, who initiated the other two atK.M.I." Youthful enthusiasm apparentlyran high since the second Bluegrasschapter wrote to the first in thesummer of 1855 giving " 'a cheeringaccount of Phi Delta Theta-ism at theKentucky Military Institute.' " Perhapsthe soil of military schools wasbarren for the propagation of fraternities,even though the sacred precinctsof the Naval Academy at Annapoliswere twice invaded by fraternities forbrief periods. At any rate, KentuckyBeta at K.M.I, did not flourish, andthe Centre chapter on April 7, 1857,withdrew its charter. During thisperiod of its legal existence the K.M.I,chapter had but eight members. Fiveof them served in the Civil War—andwhat a five! Kentucky Beta gave tothe Union Army a lieutenant-colonel,a captain, and a brigadier general,H. V. N. Boynton. To the ConfederateArmy she gave a lieutenant-coloneland a captain.This three years of chapter life apparentlyended Kentucky Beta, but aseeming discrepancy in the 1926 Catalog,by which forty additional membersare shown in the classes of 1883to 1889, is explained in this wise: .AMississippi Phi, T. C. Hindman, enteredK.M.I, in the fall of 1882, beganto pledge men for a new chapter, andmisled by unofficial assurances that acharter would be forthcoming, he initiatedthe men. The General Councilopposed the move, however, and althoughHindman made a strong appealfor a charter before the 1884 Conventionit was not granted. Theseforty additional initiates included suchmen as John T. Boddie, SCROLL EndowmentTrustee and D. T. Hargraves,former mayor of Helena, Arkansas.K.M.I, also harbored, formore or less brief periods, A K E,S A E, X *, and A T n chapters.Activity of Kentucky Alpha was reflectedin the chartering of anotherKentucky chapter in 1857, KentuckyGamma at Georgetown. This chaptersucceeded another Kentucky Gamma inthe roster of chapter names, that havingbeen the title borne by the secondbranch at Centre for a few months in1855. Early in January, 1857, theCentre chapter elected one J. F. Cook,a Georgetown student, as a memberand the corresponding secretary wasinstructed to send to him a charter.Bond, Constitution, Articles of Union,and by-laws necessary for establishinga chapter at Georgetown.This chapter-by-correspondence wasestablished—but lived only threemonths due to the existence of antisecretsociety laws at Georgetown.An attempt was made in 1859 to reestablishthe chapter. Kentucky Alphaelected to honorary membership a Dr.Campbell of Georgetown that he mighthelp in the establishment of a "college"there. The Grand Chapter (thenIndiana Alpha) wrote that this wasa violation of custom, but gave its approval.The attempt was dropped,however, because of college regulations.The Centre chapter in 1874again took up the question of a re-establishmentat Georgetown. TwoKentucky Alpha men who had enteredGeorgetown initiated a number ofothers; and application for a charterwas filed with Kentucky Alpha; thecharter was granted.There was still the prejudice againstsecret societies and the chapter had[369]