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

THE SCROLLPHI DELTA THETA March, 1931local at Lawrefice, which continued topetition $ A ® for thirty years. Apetition received in 1900 was referredto the Convention of that year, butin spite of the representations ofGeorge Banta, Sr., was tabled. Laterconventions brought a repetition ofthe same story. Fraternities havesince become well established at Lawrence.Phi Delta Theta's only incursion intothe field of normal schools camewith the chartering of Indiana Eta(although for a time it was known asIndiana Zeta) at the Indiana StateNormal School (now the Indiana StateTeachers College) at Terre Haute.The chapter was established throughthe activity of a Butler Phi who wasprincipal of the Terre Haute HighSchool. It was dated April 15, 1869,and, with no other fraternities competingat Terre Haute, our chapternaturally got the pick of the studentbody.It was soon decided, though, thata mistake had been made in enteringan institution of that type, and in theconvention of 1872 the charter waswithdrawn. The General Council in1880 refused a petition from the TerreHaute school. But fifteen men wereon the roll of Indiana Eta, of whomonly one is thought to be living now,but the fifteen included a future presidentand a vice-president of the IndianaNormal School.A Hoosier, David B. Floyd of theDePauw chapter, was responsible forthe introduction of * A 0 into Virginia,whence it spread to Georgia andother southern states. He had been acharter member of the DePauw chapterand in June, 1868, left Indiana toenter the freshman class at Roanoke.Imbued with the spirit, he immediatelybegan negotiations looking toward therough sledding. Its last member wasinitiated in January, 1876, and it becameinactive with the close of thatyear. But fifteen men had been initiatedaltogether. An application fora charter in 1900 never reached a vote.No other fraternities were establishedat Georgetown until after the turn ofthe century.What might be termed the last ofthe first group of inactive chapters wasestablished in 1859 at Lawrence College,Appleton, Wisconsin. No otherchapters chartered for the next tenyears were destined to lapse. The vigorousyoung chapter at Wisconsin wasresponsible for the extension to Lawrence."Lawrence University wasthen," to quote Palmer, "considerablymore of an institution than the Universityof Wisconsin. . . . Lawrencehad 8 instructors, 7 alumni, 129 collegiatestudents and a library of 3,800volumes, while Wisconsin had only 7instructors, 6 alumni, 30 collegiate studentsand 1,900 volumes." The movementwas started by Wisconsin Alphalate in 1857 when "on motion of Mr.Vilas" the initiation of a Lawrencestudent was authorized. The "Mr.Vilas" of the story was William F.Vilas later Postmaster General, Secretaryof the Interior, and U. S. Senator,then a senior at Wisconsin.The following fall and winter anumber of Lawrence students wereinitiated and in January, 1859, an applicationfor a charter was sent to andgranted by Wisconsin Alpha. Relationsbetween the two Wisconsin chapterswere most cordial, but due to thefact that the attitude of the Lawrencefaculty compelled a sub rosa existenceon the part of Wisconsin Beta thechapter did not become firmly established.Its life did not extend beyondthe commencement of 1860. Therewere but eleven members all of whom establishment of a chapter.are now dead.The General Council in 1898 refuseda petition from Lawrence, the first ofa series of petitions perhaps unparalleledfor longevity in * A 0 history.It came from 0 $, a newly organized[370]A longcorrespondence followed betweenFloyd and members of the Grand Alphachapter, then at Chicago, and IndianaAlpha, which was assumed tohave jurisdiction since Floyd was amember of an Indiana chapter.