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

Phis of WashingtonDACK in the latter years of theeighteenth century there were thosewho thought the national capital quitefar enough west to serve the needs ofthe country through all the years tocome. Every schoolboy knows thestory of the compromise betweenNorth and South over the location ofthe capital. Then there were no Eastand West: it was only a "two-directional"country. The westward courseof empire soon placed the capital cityon the very fringe of the country, butnaturally it still remains the mecca forthe thousands who work there in theircountry's service and for other thousandswho are attracted there moreindirectly.Among both groups are to be foundmany Phis. In fact, there are morethan two hundred of them, and mostof them are actual permanent residentsof Washington and not merelyperiodic commuters. In going toWashington from other states theysacrifice something of the politicalprivilege adhering to state citizenship,but the compensating opportunities ofthe capital city are many. It is perhapsinvidious to single out a few ofthese Washington Phis for particularmention. Some of them, by virtue oftheir offices, are very much in thepublic eye; others, no less leaders, occupyobscurer positions.Altogether, the Alumni Club ofWashington is perhaps as cosmopolitanas any in the country unless,possibly, it be the Harvard Club.Thirty-six states are represented byPhis at Washington. The keystonestate leads the list, there being twentyfivePennsylvanians in the capital.Politically-minded, Indiana is secondwith a delegation of twenty-three. Oc-[395]By RUSSELL H. FITZGIBBONHanover, '24cupationally, too, the group is well distributed.Naturally the group oflawyers is comparatively large, abouta dozen and a half. 'There are approximatelyten doctors—and theymust be good ones since the club boastsonly one undertaker. A considerablesprinkling of Army and Navy officers.Senators, Representatives, judicial andother public servants gives an officialflavor to the club which few clubsmight claim.One of the most active of theyounger Phis in the capital is PaulShorb, North Dakota, '17. He finishedhis undergraduate work at the westernschool in that year and three yearslater took his degree in law fromGeorge Washington University in thecapital city. Brother Shorb's fraternityaffiliations are of a varied sort;aside from being an active member of$ A 0 he is a member (and officer,along with Brother Manier of Nashville)of the * A 0 legal fraternity;he also belongs to $ B K and ASP.He has numerous other professional,fraternal, and social connections there.Brother Shorb is a member of thefirm of Covington, Burling, andRublee, of Washington.In all probability one of the mostrevered and best loved Phis to be foundanywhere is Milo Colburn Summers,Lombard, '81. Brother Summers is atypically fine representative of this oldIllinois chapter which is just mergingits entity with that of its neighborchapter at Knox. He was a chartermember of the chapter at Lombard.He has recently been elevated to membershipin the Golden Legion. He hasrepresented his alumni club at threenational conventions and at numerousprovince conventions. He was a dele-