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

Vol. LV, No. 6THE SCROLLPHI DELTA THETAGeneral Council in October, 1897, suspendedthe charter. The chapter hadinitiated more than 150 men amongwhom were such as Dr. Perry S. Allen,for years president of the PresbyterianMinisters' Fund for Life Insurance,Preston W. Search, $ A 0'sgreatest song writer, and John B. Ballou,Past Treasurer of the GeneralCouncil. Wooster's greatest blight, sofar as fraternities were concerned,came sixteen years later when an intimatedgift of $1,000,000 by Mr. L. H.Severance led the trustees to considerthe string tied to the gift, expulsionof the fraternities. Expulsion materialized—butthe gift didn't. Woosterchapters have given national presidentsto 2 X, * r A, K A 0, and A T n.Michigan Agricultural College, nowMichigan State College in recognitionof its more general character, had hadthe Wolverine field to itself for fouryears when Michigan Beta was establishedin 1873. Michigan Alphahad suspended in 1869 and was not rechartereduntil 1880. The establishmentcame about through the correspondenceof an Ohio Wesleyan Phi,whose stationery bore the Fraternitycoat of arms, with a friend at MichiganState. The Michigan State man,whose curiosity had been stimulatedby the coat of arms, forwarded, withsome friends, certificates of characterand ability to Ohio Wesleyan, and negotiationsfor a charter were forthwithundertaken.The Grand Alpha at Wooster authorizedthe Ohio Wesleyan chapter toproceed and after the routine steps ofthat day, the Wooster chapter issueda charter, dated November 8, 1873, toMichigan Beta (the application hadbeen for a "Michigan Alpha" chapter).The organization was kept as secretas possible but the faculty heard ofit and insisted upon knowing its aimand policy before giving oflficial recognition.The chapter furnished sufficientassurances on this score andsubsequently became well established."During 1874-75," says Palmer, "thechapter at Lansing made efforts to re­[375]vive the chapter at Ann Arbor, butwithout success."Rumors of unfavorable conditions atMichigan State became recurrent duringthe 'Nineties. Hugh Th. Miller,P.G.C., visited the college in the summerof 1895 and on the basis of hisreport the General Council decided torefer the withdrawal of the charter tothe Convention of 1896. This Conventionordered the General Councilto investigate the college. Walter B.Palmer, elected P.G.C. in 1896, reportedafter a visit that its scholasticstandard was low. An affirmative voteof all other chapters in the (then)Delta Province preceded the withdrawalby the General Council in February,1898, of the Michigan Betacharter. Those who had been activemembers appealed to the 1898 Conventionbut without success. Theythen organized the local * A Societywhich for years following petitioned* A 0 for a restoration of theMichigan Beta charter. This localstill keeps in touch with the oldMichigan Beta alumni (178 were initiated)and helps hold them together.Many of the chapter effects—pictures,historical documents, etc.—were turnedover to the local society. Among theMichigan Beta alumni were such menas Dr. Frank S. Kedzic, for severalyears president of Michigan State College,Dr. William F. Durand, professorof mechanical engineering at StanfordUniversity, Liberty Hyde Bailey,author, editor, and former presidentof the American Association for theAdvancement of Science, and RayStannard Baker, writer, journalist,and l)iographer of Woodrow Wilson.Expansion in the Old Dominionstate was rapid. Within less than adecade five charters had been granted.The fourth of these was to a group atRichmond College for the establishmentof Virginia Delta. The applicationcame as the result of organizationof a group by a Phi transferringfrom Roanoke. The charter wasgranted by Virginia Alpha September30, 1875. The new chapter proved