Brotherhood begins

Brotherhood
begins
A Humble Start
BELOW: HUGH SHIELDS AWARD #6
The founding of the Marietta College Chapter of Delta Tau Delta seems
to have been an undertaking fraught with pitfalls and earmarked for
failure. A handful of motley undergraduates with no permanent home,
scanty finances, and no strong organizational structure attempting to
found a vital and enduring brotherhood now seems a sure recipe for
failure. But reminiscing on those exciting and challenging days, I see that
what we may have lacked in material objects we compensated with
boundless enthusiasm, great hope, and an intense desire to succeed.
We worked hard, we played - perhaps too hard, but our failures never
daunted us nor did our successes lead us to lethargy. Yes, we were
proud of those early accomplishments, but we were aware of our
shortcomings and strove to always be better.
~ Bill Havens ’69
[1978] *year of written contribution
Back Row: (L-R) Tom Calhoon - Northern Division President; Travis Rockey
International President. Front Row (L-Ri) Ryan Till, Josh Counselman, Keenan
Hamilton, Casey McGuire, Karl Grant, Brandon Stewart, Jason Long.
Columbus OH; Northern Division Conference, January 2013
48
Field Secretary Doug Croth of Indianapolis, Ind., center, a graduate of the University of
Toronto, representing Delta Tau Delta Fraternity at the nationalization of Marietta College’s
chapter. At left is president of the Crescent Colony, Tom Robinson, a senior from Marietta,
and at right, Bill Havens, vice president, a senior from Burgoon. Marietta Times
1
One of the First Marietta Delts, Joe Kirby remembers
In the Fall of 1966 I pledged Beta Delta Epsilon, the smallest, certainly
least prestigious fraternity at Marietta. It was a pledge class of three;
myself, Nick Miles and Ned Ives. The pledge party was memorable;
Willie Warner’s crummy apartment, the cinematic achievement known as
“The Undertakers Dream” and ouzu [a Greek liqueur] “depth charges.”
Who would drink that stuff, never mind mix it with beer? The hangover
was even more memorable. ΒΔΕ only minimally harassed their pledges
although during “hell week” we did have to wear large cardboard cutouts
of our pledge pins and suffer the rigors of the Bag Baker Memorial Walk. I
also recall fragments of the ΒΔΕ ritual; esoteric stuff about Plato’s cavedwellers watching shadows on the wall. I guess Nick, Ned and I were the
last ΒΔΕs. Just call me Uncas.
The fraternity at the time was in the process of “going national” and
eventually became the crescent colony of ΔTΔ. Since we were the “98pound weakling” of the greek scene, the Delts must have had their
doubts. We did have the scholarship thing going for us. We needed to
expand our horizons if we were ever to become a full- fledged chapter.
For Homecoming, we built our first float with Marc Nevas as chief
engineer and architect. The Delta Queen was a good effort, but that
paddle wheel never worked right. The next year, our bi-plane won the
float trophy and the following year, our Spanish galleon was a pinnacle of
the float building craft. It rocked, it rolled and the cannons fired smoke.
Take a pom-pom, dip it in paste, stick it in the chicken wire. Who says a
college education is overrated?
Still, we needed more than floats and grades. We needed pledges. Ken
Kavula did more than any person to make that happen. In the Spring of
1968, he was a man on a mission. He browbeat us, he cajoled us, he
organized us. Ken prepared the best pledge week party of all time. It was
a riverboat theme and Cecil Boyd’s Banjo Band was incredible. At the end
of the week, the Marcolian headline read “Delts Pledge Nineteen”.
Overnight, we had literally doubled in size. We also gained a certain
amount of respect on campus. Most importantly, we became eligible for
full chapter status as Delts.
We had good parties, particularly Spring and Fall picnics. As I recall, a
favorite spot was called Goose Creek. The farmer let us party there as
long as we picked up our empties. I certainly won’t forget diving into
Goose Creek, which may have been all of three feet deep and hitting my
head on a rock. Luckily, Bill Havens noticed I didn’t come up. Thanks
again, Bill, may you rest in peace.
~Joe Kirby, ‘70 [2008]
2
Epilogue:
Today, the President's house, Erwin Hall, and the MacMillan
house at 213 Fourth Street are the only campus buildings remaining from
the days when a loyal 20 year old Delt named Charles Martin attended
Marietta College. For a college student trying to start a new fraternity chapter at a campus located directly on the border of a newly fractured nation,
his timing was...unfortunate. Charles Martin's efforts were soon swept
away by events over which he had no control, but he deserves our recognition for his efforts - even in the worst circumstances.
1 Now West Liberty University. A Delt chapter has never been re-established there.
West Liberty Academy was a hybrid of a modern college-prep high
school/junior college. Fraternity chapters were established at 'academies' with the
expectation that the young men who joined them might help establish chapters at
"proper" colleges and universities once they transferred to obtain their degrees.
2 "Prime" indicates this was the first chapter to bear the Gamma designation. In the
early years when a chapter closed, its greek-letter designation was simply reassigned
to a new chapter at a different school. Some early sources refer to the West Liberty
chapter as Beta Prime, although early chapters were often ranked by their strength
rather than their chronological addition to the Fraternity.
3 Delt history publication Sing to the Royal Purple makes passing mention of a
West Liberty student (unnamed, but clearly Charles Martin) who attempted to establish a Delt chapter at Marietta - but it mistakenly attributes his failure to do so to his
enlistment in the Union Army.
4Thornton's role at Morgantown may have been more as an instructor than a student.
-Also:
Marietta College in the War of Secession 1861-1865, by Thompson & DE Beach, 1878.
Confederate Military History, by Gen. Clement A. Evans, 1899.
John Russell Thornton Collection, Delta Tau Delta Archives
The Rainbow of ΔΤΔ, Vol. XXVIII. January, 1905.
West Virginia and Its People, Vol. III, by Miller & Maxwell, 1913.
Marietta College Library Special Collections - With thanks to Linda Showalter.
-And for the completists among us, take no notice of the following: A Pioneer College: The Story
of Marietta, by Arthur G. Beach, 1935. This comprehensive history of the College's first 100
years mentions Charles Martin directly. However, he is stated to have been "killed in service to
the Confederacy" during the Civil War. This egregious error negates his documented military
service and long involvement in Parkersburg business & civic affairs -and it overlooks his published obituaries from 20 years earlier.
Charles Martin’s resting place, Mt
Olivet Cemetery, Parkersburg WV
ca. 1894
47
CHARLES CARROLL MARTIN BIOGRAPHY, CONTINUED
On February 20th, 1861 he wrote a letter to John Russell Thornton,
a fellow Delt from West Liberty who had transferred to Monongalia
Academy in Morgantown4. The letter focused mainly on Martin's attempt
to start a Delt chapter at Marietta College and it illuminates two notable
elements: A great enthusiasm for the Fraternity on the part of its author
-from the very earliest years of the Fraternity's history, and the date it
was written. The early months of 1861 are remembered as the "Winter
of Secession"; seven southern states had already seceded; Jefferson
Davis had been inaugurated as President of the Confederacy two days
earlier; Abraham Lincoln (elected the previous November) was inaugurated just twelve days after the date of this letter.
At Marietta College highly partisan student debate topics that winter
included "Resolved—that South Carolina ought to be kicked out into the
ocean." Marietta found itself on the US border when Virginia seceded
in April and MC students began leaving school to join the cause,
Charles Martin among them. Following his own political sentiments, he
enlisted as a private in the 46th Virginia battalion (cavalry) CSA, which
later consolidated with the 26th Virginia. With this command Martin was
identified until the close of the war, but portions of his service were
passed as a Union prisoner. In the summer of 1862 he was captured
and sent to Camp Chase in Columbus, OH. He was part of a prisoner
exchange in 1863 and re-joined his command. In the summer of 1863
he was again captured and forwarded under guard to Camp Chase, but
en route he made a daring escape from the window of the toilet room of
the railway car, and rejoined the Confederate army in safety. Later that
year he participated in the battle of Droop Mountain, and soon afterward
he was promoted to the rank of second Lieutenant of the VA 26th cavalry. He participated in numerous severe engagements of the cavalry in
the Shenandoah valley in 1864, with notable courage and fortitude.
Among the battles in which he took part are Martinsburg, Shepherdstown, Monocacy, Front Royal and several others. In the Spring of 1865
he was on a brief furlough when the army of Northern Virginia surrendered. He did not return to Marietta, but settled in Parkersburg where
he became engaged in business. For several years he conducted a
retail grocery business, and later entered the wholesale trade. He was
prominent in municipal and general politics, serving one term on the
Parkersburg city council.
Charles Carroll Martin died in 1915 and is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Parkersburg.
46
Founding Member Ken Kavula
Explains the Chapter's Creation
Beta Delta Epsilon was founded in the spring
of 1966 after a call was put out by Dean of
Students Walter Hobba for men interested in
starting something new. Rush had just finished
and my best buddy Tom Robinson and I had
decided early on not to pledge. We had formed
a fairly large social group of our own, including my wife-to-be, Natalie, and
we were spending a lot of time at Tom’s house –yes, he was a hoopie,
and so was Natalie. Tom’s mother was a teacher, and Natalie’s father
was Marietta College history professor, Dr. R. L. Jones –a formidable
individual. We had huge group dinners and watched Marietta on the GE
College Bowl as it rolled to victory after victory. Nat’s sister was on the
team as well. Mark Schickler was my roommate; his future wife Patti
Palotta was the Italian chef supreme who kept us all fed. Nat pledged
ΑΣΤ and really enjoyed her experience, so when the opportunity
presented itself to “go greek”, Tom and I -and a few of our friends
immediately took to it.
At the initial meeting, Dean Hobba told us that the letters ΒΔΕ came from
the letters of the three national fraternities that they were hoping to attract
to campus –“Β” (ΒΘΠ); “Δ” (DKE); and “E” (ΣAE). We had an initiation
ceremony in an old house [later used by ΑΤΩ and TKE; since demolished]
directly across from Dorothy Webster Hall, and that became our first
meeting place. The red carnation became our flower and we immediately
went out looking for pledges. My roommate Mark Schickler, and another
close friend, Bill Havens, became our first two official pledges that year.
We elected officers, took pictures and did what we thought a fraternity
should. Mark and Bill activated as ΒΔΕs before we went home that
summer, and I was appointed Rush Chairman by Chapter President
Gregory Maloof. We came back in the fall and moved into our new house
at 507 Putnam St.
Our first job was to try and furnish the place so we could attract a pledge
class. During this period, Natalie and I were getting serious and I gave
her the first - and only - ΒΔΕ lavalier. With the place looking pretty good
we set out to attract new pledges. We held spaghetti suppers -I cookedand, when it was over, we got a pledge class! It was the smallest on
campus, but we were growing. Rob Weidenfeld came from this class as
well as Bruce Miller, who really helped the house through some rocky
times in the mid-1970s [as Chapter Advisor].
CONTINUED
3
....Cracking the Books
We studied hard and won the first trophy in our [trophy] case. We were to
win that thing quite a few times and it became a blessing and a curse
when we became known as the smart guys –“geek” or “nerd” was not in
the vernacular at the time. A lot of us were in the college band and I was
a member of the MC singers, so one of our early purchases was a very
old upright piano which joined a salvaged study table in the dining room
at 507 Putnam.
Steve Critchlow with his
priorities in order.
....Delta Tau Delta Meets Marietta College
We were busy interviewing potential national fraternities and being
interviewed in return. [Among them] Delta Tau Delta seemed serious,
and in early 1967, we became a Crescent Colony of ΔΤΔ. We settled into
campus life and began to work toward our installation. [There was] a Delt
old-timer (he was 65 or 70) from Ohio University who would visit us on a
regular basis to see how things were going. We began the 1967-68 year
in an optimistic mood. I was Rush Chairman again and we had attracted
the interest of a large group of freshmen men. We continued our
spaghetti dinners and as the first semester ended, we knew we were
going to pledge a class which would about double the size of the house.
The scholarship trophy was again ours. We worked hard and began final
preparations for the installation We had decided that my future father-inlaw Dr. R. L. Jones would be a good faculty addition to the house –and he
was, in his own special way, honored, pleased, and proud to be included.
CONTINUED
4
A Biography of Charles Carroll Martin, the first Delt at Marietta College
Epsilon Upsilon's closest Delt neighbors are among the oldest chapters
in the Fraternity: Bethany; West Liberty (inactive); Ohio U (inactive); WVU
(inactive); Washington & Jefferson, etc. Considering Marietta's proximity to
ΔΤΔ's birthplace at Bethany College it is curious that a Delt chapter wasn't
attempted until the 1960s. Except there was a VERY early attempt to establish a Delt chapter at Marietta. In 1861. Marietta might have become home
to one of the Fraternity's oldest chapters, were it not for a tidal wave of historical circumstance - in spite of one young man's sincere efforts. This is the
story of The First Delt to attend Marietta College: Charles Carroll Martin.
West Liberty Academy1 in Virginia (now West Liberty University, WV)
was the closest school to Bethany College, and was the logical choice for
the first expansion of Delta Tau Delta. Gamma Prime2 Chapter initiated just
13 men during its short existence there. One of them was Charles Carroll
Martin, a native of Wetzel County VA (now WV). As the men of Gamma
Prime chapter transferred to other institutions to further their education, it
was hoped that many of them would establish Delt chapters at their new
schools3. Charles Martin transferred to Marietta in 1860, taking residence in
North Hall (a dormitory located about where the Administration building now
stands) and he soon began to look for a way to start a Delt chapter.
LEFT: John Russell Thornton (in 1893)
RIGHT: Philip G. Bier (in 1864)
The first Delt at Marietta College,
CHARLES CARROL MARTIN (in1870)
b. 1840, d. 1915
45
ENDNOTES FOR CHARLES MARTIN’S LETTER TO JOHN THORNTON
1 John Russell Thornton, a Delt from West Liberty who transferred to Monongalia Academy. In The Good Delt, Thornton is shown to have received a letter
from Rhodes Sutton (a boyhood friend from Pennsylvania) in which Sutton reported his successful initiation into ΔΤΔ - a crucial moment in the Fraternity's
survival (February 1861). Sutton's letter to Thornton was written the same week
as this letter from Charles Martin.
2 Monongalia Academy was located in Morgantown, Virgina (now West Virginia), and was a precursor to West Virginia University. Monongalia's first Delt
chapter appeared in 1860, but each closing and re-opening resulted in a new
chapter designation. WVU's permanent Delt designation finally became
'Gamma Delta' (currently inactive).
3 “ere this”: before; previously.
4 The high regard for John Russell Thornton held by many Delts is explained by
several letters sent to him in 1861 from former West Liberty Delts who were by
then scattered on different campuses. In all of this correspondence there are
similar complaints regarding Bethany's extreme slowness in sending out materials for establishing new Chapters. Given the rapidly unfolding political developments nationally, the impending closure of the Bethany chapter, and a disastrous fire at Bethany which destroyed much of the founding materials - it is understandable how Martin's request was overlooked (or missed altogether).
....Installation: Saturday November 23, 1968
The weather was beautiful, and the guys from
the chapter at the University of Cincinnati
[including long-time Chapter Advisor Robert
Ferguson] assured us we had nothing to worry
about. We had spent the last month or so
building the ritual items and, needless to say,
were very interested in how it would all fit
together. I got dressed in my tuxedo (in those
years we all had tuxedos and wore them pretty often to formals), and
greeted some of the original ΒΔΕs that had graduated and were returning
to campus. When the time came, we marched to the administration
building where the ceremony took place. What a proud and emotional
moment for all of us. That evening we had a grand banquet at the Club
Continental across from the Lafayette Hotel. I can still see everyone
gathering in the front of the room for the official Delt photo and proudly
singing Delta Shelter. The evening finished and I took Natalie back to her
dorm, but I didn’t want it to end –neither did my good friend Bill Havens.
We walked back to the Club and ended up at the bar, where Bill played
piano and I sang as long as they kept our glasses full. What a night!
~ Ken Kavula, ’69 [1999]
5 The other fraternities at Marietta in 1861 were Alpha Sigma Phi (Delta Chapter) and Alpha DiGamma (a local fraternity which lasted 60 years). Marietta's
first fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta (Eta Chapter) had closed in 1859.
6 "Fine Blue Stock": An expression referring to the color blue (not "blue blood");
blue is traditionally associated with virtue.
7 Philip G. Bier was a student at West Liberty. Both Bier and John Thornton
transferred to from West Liberty to Monongalia, where Bier was initiated by
Thornton; both were founders of the first Delt chapter there. Charles Martin and
Philip Bier would find themselves on opposing sides of the coming conflict. Bier
became a Captain of the 12th West Virginia Infanty (Union); he was killed in the
Battle of Cedar Creek, Shenandoah County PA in late 1864. In 1883 the Philip
G. Bier G.A.R. Post [union veterans] was organized in his memory.
8 Harding W. Kuhn was another Delt from West Liberty. In spite of the perceived gravity of his health in this letter, brother Kuhn was reported to be living
in Charleston WV in a 1905 issue of the Rainbow.
9 "Pocket full of Rocks": Derived from the biblical story of David vs. Goliath, this
expression refers to the great things one can accomplish with the humble
resources already available to him.
44
....Dr Robert L. Jones
The Delta Tau Delta Robert L Jones Prize is awarded
annually to any Marietta College student who achieves the
highest scholastic standing while a member of the freshman
class. The prize was established in 1970. In 1975 it was
renamed to honor Dr Robert L. Jones, who retired that year
after teaching history at the College since 1938. Dr Jones
was the only faculty member initiated at the chapter's
installation in 1968.
Marietta Times
5
A Founding Member’s Definition of Brotherhood
From the first days of ΒΔΕ, the local fraternity that would later become
Epsilon Upsilon, the concept of brotherhood was quite clear. Our idea of
brotherhood in 1966 centered on an acceptance of young men of integrity
who would do more than just participate in Chapter activities. They would
also commit themselves to support and encourage each other and to
work for the betterment of the greater college community. In those first
years we pledged athletes and scholars, musicians and geologists,
writers and biologists, teachers and economists. We did not pledge men
because they were — or were not — white, black, asian, Christian,
Jewish, gay or straight. But all of those “types” did become brothers and
all added their individual strengths to the solid foundation of our Chapter.
I am proud of our Chapter’s history. [I am proud of] the Chapter’s
continuing academic excellence and accomplishments in the community.
But I am especially proud of the commitment to our most important
tradition: The ideal of a brotherhood that is never compromised by labels,
that accepts a man for his worth, respects him for his efforts and values
him for his contributions.
In conclusion I hope that the Chapters of the ΔΤΔ Society may go forth to the
four winds as thick as rain drops from the heavens, and multiply in proportion of
running rivers. That is, popular and well conducted ones, and Societies that have a
respectable number of members and their pocket full of rocks9.
I remain
Yours respectfully,
Chas. C. Martin
Marietta, Ohio
P.S. Enclosed you will find a “Description” of the Speakers chosen from the Junior and Senior classes. C.C.M.
______________________________________________________
~ Bruce Miller, '70 [2006]
6
The list of founders from the Installation
program, November 23, 1968
BDE alumnus Steve Newton returns to
Marietta to receive his Delt “shingle”.
Original letter from Marietta College student Charles Carroll Martin to his Delt brother
from West Liberty, John Russell Thornton. See endnotes on the on following page.
43
The First Delt At
Marietta College
Marietta College, O.
Feb 20th, 1861
Mr. Thornton,
Morgantown, Va.
The Help
I just missed being in the group that was installed in 1968 . I was a
first semester freshman and the Delts were rushing me. They knew I was
looking to earn a little extra money so I ended up working the banquet as
a busboy with Bob Kubota, another future Delt. I nearly had a mishap at
the banquet that could have ended my college career. As we were
gathering up the dishes afterwards, the waitresses were stacking all the
plates on trays, and stacking them so high they were unstable. I was
walking by the head table when a half-full gravy boat started sliding off
the tray headed straight for the dean of men. He could see it was coming
his way but things were happening too fast for him to do much.
Fortunately, another busboy was right behind me, saw what was
happening, made a dive at the gravy boat (which was in the air by that
time) and knocked it to the floor. Thanks to him, there was no gravy on
the dean and I got to finish college.
~ Ron Rees, ’72 [2013]
Brother Thornton1,
It was with much pleasure that I learned that you had got a Chapter of the
ΔΤΔ's Society at your Institute2. I now wish you abundant sweep with it
henceforth and forever.
I am going to start one here as soon as the Constitution arrives, which will be
next week, and would have had it going ere this3 had they got my letter at Bethany
in due time4. But what we have lost in numbers we hope to make up in time. There
are already two other Societies here5, and I expect this will kick up h--l when it
gets out, as they are not looking for such a thing and will consequently be taken
unawares. I have repeatedly refused to join them, although good ones, preferring
to stand or fall with ΔΤΔ.
We do not expect to do much this term, but will roll on in the next, for our quota
of the unchosen. Give my respects to all the ΔΤΔ's in Morgantown, although I
don't know them by sight - I know them as members of that Fraternity in which
there is no guile, and of the Fine Blue Stock6.
Does Phil Bier7 belong? I hope he does. I believe Phil would make a good
member, taking him where he has not so many old enemies to oppose him. Write
soon and let me know all about Matters and things &c. I heard some time since
that Hard Kuhn8 was not expected to live.
CONTINUED
42
Note the mistaken use of “Upsilon” instead of “Epsilon” in the letter above. It’s possible that Hobba’s secretary mis-heard
the dictation being given. Hobba’s job revolved around the mens’ organizations on campus; the error is probably not his.
7
The
Epsilon Upsilon
experience
College Life -1960s
I showed up on Marietta’s doorstep in the fall of 1966. In those days
freshman had to wear beanies and large signs proclaiming their place of
origin. In addition, we were required to carry a wastebasket, a ruler and
gum at all times. Upon demand, we provided upperclassmen with gum or
a rendition of the college hymn. If a freshman could not accomplish these
tasks, the wastebasket was placed on their head and struck repeatedly
with the ruler. Freshman hazing went on for a week.
Life was a little different in those days. Freshman women had to be in
their dorm by 10:00 p.m. on weeknights and they had lights out at
midnight. Wednesdays were “date night” so they could stay out until
11:00 p.m. or midnight. In loco parentis [“in the absence of parents”]…
now there’s a term you don’t hear much anymore. I guess the college
figured there was nothing they could do about the men. We had no
curfew, although we had to wear a jacket and tie for dinner. There were
several places of interest in Marietta. Mound Cemetery and the hill
across from Douglas Putnam hall were popular spots for the lads to drink
if they could get an upperclassman to buy some hard stuff for them.
Afterwards we could go into town and act like fools.
….Parsons Hall
(1961-2012) and
-and….Timblin Hall
(1966-2003)
Twin dormitories Parsons and Timblin ran
along 7th Street.
‘Penitentiary-style’
architecture at its
finest; the new dormitories are an improvement.
….The ‘Becky Thatcher’: Drinks, food & live entertainment
The club scene was pretty limited; Pinks Hideaway and some dive
down by Front Street. For drinking beer, Pops was the place, although I
liked the Stein Haus because I was 17 and they weren’t fussy about ID.
In the winter of 66-67, Pops burned down while the entire campus
watched. Tragically a firefighter was killed.
~ Joe Kirby, '70 [2008]
In 2010, she was sold upriver. Then this happened.
8
41
Now, an Established Chapter
….Dawes Memorial Library
It was pretty upsetting to see the bulldozer crashing into the library.
The library memorialized MC alumnus Charles G. Dawes, a former vice
president of the United States [class of 1884; USVP 1925-29; also a
member MC’s Delta Upsilon chapter]. He's definitely the highest-ranking
office holder this college has ever produced. Now that legacy goes
unmarked. Plus, I worked at the library my first semester at Marietta and
in the evenings one summer. So, I got to go into all the nooks and
crannies that were off limits to everyone else.
When I arrived on campus in the Fall of 1968, Epsilon Upsilon Chapter
was an established fact, and ΒΔΕ only a part of the new Fraternity’s
heritage. Thus, those of us who pledged in the Spring of 1969 knew only
Delta Tau Delta. Yet, we were privileged to know the brothers whose
dedication and perseverance created not just a new fraternity, but rather,
a very special one. It was only after graduation that I realized what it was
that made our Fraternity something special. Aside from the fact that most
of us (myself included) were somewhat flaky, there was something very
genuine about ΔΤΔ. Like any group of people brought together we had
our share of disagreements, factionalism, and conflicting ambitions. None
of this ever prevented us from having a good time nor from supporting one
another when times got tough.
~ Michael C Stein, ’72 [1978]
~ Shawn Selby, ‘92 [2007]
From its opening in 1961 until demolition in 2007, Dawes Memorial
Library on Fifth Street (opposite the administration building) served MC
students and the Marietta community. Its replacement, The Legacy
Library, opened in 2009.
….Traffic on Fifth Street
You used to be able to drive
right from the Delt house at 507
Putnam to The Fine Arts
Center via Fifth Street, a
regular street like any other in
Marietta. I remember driving
that route in my ’51 Ford while
wasted on cheap wine, only to
pull up to Fayerweather Hall to
pick up a date, only to spill my
guts in the parking lot and pass
out. The road that was once
Fifth Street is now the gorgeous MC campus mallway.
Left: Chapter Advisor Bruce Miller ‘70 hangs out with
the chapter, 1975
Below: A rush party spills out onto Putnam Street, 1975
Photo collection of Bob Peterson, ‘76
~ Ted Smith, ‘71 [2008]
By 1986, Fifth Street between Putnam and Butler (including the remaining
private homes in that block), was fully acquired by the College. The street
was permanently closed to traffic, and the houses were demolished.
40
9
Turbulent Times & The Burning of the College Bookstore
I remember the burning of the college bookstore, which used to be
directly across from the house at 507 Putnam Street. This happened at
about 4:00 a.m. [Thursday, May 7, 1970]. After the sirens woke us up, I
remember sitting on the front stairs with Ron Rees & Greg Hanson
smoking Marlboro reds watching the fire, half-awake, mumbling phrases
of the times like “wow, man…check the flames.” This was a Vietnam War
protest instigated by a female college student who had founding ties to
the College. She [and her associates] set the old bookstore on fire (the
old wooden building was going to be torn down, but this fire certainly
completed the process). I don’t remember the charges against the
parties, but this was one of many protests that happened on campuses
during [the Vietnam War era] -yes, even at MC. Look closely at
composites of the 1968-1971 years and notice the headbands, peace
buttons, etc. - real reflections of what was happening at the time.
The Ugly Man Contest
was a fundraiser. Each of
the candidates had a
collection can to take to
the basketball game. The
winner was determined
by who collected the
most
money.
My
candidacy was during the
Vietnam War and we
wanted to make a
political statement. Marc
Nevas was an ace with
makeup and also an antiwar activist.
Marc
suggested that the ugliest
man on any campus was
the Army Recruiter. So I
shaved off my beard and
Marc made me up to look
like “Death.” I wore an
Army uniform and a sign
around my neck that said
‘US Army recruiter’.
~ Ron Rees, ‘72 [2013]
10
~ Ted Smith, ‘71 [2008]
I was in the first pledge class after ΔΤΔ went national in the fall of
1968. Unlike most people, I had never visited campus until I started
college. I had an image in my mind of what a dormitory would look like,
and my first view of Douglas Putnam Hall was a huge disappointment. It
was in terrible shape.
There was one TV lounge in the
whole building and it was pointless to try to use it. Perhaps partially
because of the disrepair, residents felt free to abuse the building even
more. I lost two doors in the first semester of my freshman year. One
was broken down and the other was lost to a small fire fueled by Right
Guard [aerosol deodorant].
In those days the college had a 3-point grading system- an “A” was 3,
a “B” was 2 and a “D” was the same as failing a class. The Dean of men
(Dean Hobba) had told everyone that the college had accepted too many
students and that there would a number of people flunking out. My
recollection is that 42 people in DP flunked out at mid terms. Due to this
grading system there were a number of people who had a “0” GPA. I was
one of the few on my floor to make grades to pledge, and I felt fortunate
to have a chance at respite in the Delt house at 507 Putnam. It was an
easy walk up the hill from DP.
~ Ron Rees, '72 [2008]
I had the pleasure, the first day I walked on campus, to be moved into
Douglas Putnam hall. "DP" as we called it.
I say pleasure because it
was great! I was all the way on the fourth [top] floor, in an enclosed
corner at the end of a hall that we called "the ghetto". We really had our
own little world there, no oversight, no real rules; we really did break
about every rule imaginable. I have a million stories, some not fit to tell!
In 1981, most of our Delt [pledge] class met in DP. We kind of formed a
bond, and helped solidify the house with our membership, since there
were probably less than ten members at the time. To this day these are
some of my most special friends. When they tore the building down, I felt
a large piece of myself had died. I loved the crusty old place, have
incredible memories, and wish it was still there to welcome new students.
~ Mike Malone, ‘85 [2008]
39
In 1969, it was surprising more guys weren't flying out of windows
given the amount of drugs in the dorm. Nixon had paraquat sprayed on
the marijuana fields, so mescaline and other hallucinogens were the
drugs of choice. Douglas Putnam Hall was ‘freshman central.’ The place
could -and did- empty out in seconds as fast as the latest news could fly.
"Panty raid!" or "Pop's is on fire!" would get 400 men on the march at any
time of day or night. Once we were out, it took a while to get us back,
occasionally [requiring] police presence. Douglas Putnam Hall had its
share of heroes. Tom Robertson, an RA my freshman year, gave his life
in Vietnam. He was pretty good with a bull whip, and could snap a
cigarette out of your hand if you let him.
Like all dorms, Douglas Putnam Hall had a TV lounge with its special
breed of denizen. On Saturday nights after closing time or girls curfew,
Marietta TV offered "Chiller Theater". I never went to the lounge so much
to watch the program of goofy flicks, but to listen to the
comments of the spectators -which ranged from the inane
to the hilarious. A different crowd would inhabit the lounge
during prime time; I remember one guy keeping
meticulous records of casualties during the show Combat.
Based on his analysis of killed and wounded, the Allies
should have won WW2 sometime in 1942. Saturday
morning also had its audience, with Road Runner being a particular
favorite. I lived in a small central wing, a cluster of four rooms just off the
main staircase. Most days and nights there was a card game or BS
session going. I recall we progressed from Hearts, to Whist, to Bridge
over the course of freshman year.
The bookstore burned the Spring of '70 a day or two after Kent State
shootings of war protesters [Monday May 4, 1970]. I was a freshman at
the time. We were in finals and I was studying for a history final that late
night/early morning (Murdock's American History) and I hated the class,
so the best part about the bookstore fire was that finals were canceled for
the rest of the year and I didn't have to take the history final.
~ Joe Mester, ‘73 [2008]
Campus events included the largest hunger strike in the country in
reaction to the Invasion of Cambodia [Spring 1970]. Several brothers
participated. Ten days on crackers and water, yum.
~ Gregory Hanson, ‘72 [2008]
It was quite a crew; I think 2 out of 8 ended up graduating. Felix
Carpenella, a friend from 1st floor central served as Green Beret medic in
Vietnam. Living in Douglas Putnam was an unforgettable experience. You
know what? I'm happy I lived there.
~ Joe Kirby, ‘70 [2008]
There was quite a bit of unrest at the time due to
the Vietnam War. There were lots of demonstrations at
the time culminating with the expulsion of the MC
student body president. I had a t-shirt with a big red
fist imprinted on it. My mother threw it out when I got
home.
~ Lance Koved, '71 [2008]
38
11
The Marietta Delt Family Tree
….Douglas Putnam Hall
...From roots to leaves
When a young man joins a fraternity
chapter, usually in his freshman year, it is
common practice among fraternities for their
pledges to pick (or have picked for them), a
Big Brother. The purpose of having a Big
Brother is to help the pledge navigate
through his membership development period until he formally joins, or
initiates into, the fraternity. This Big Brotherly guidance often can continue
throughout the new member’s first year.The nature of a fraternity chapter is
that of a second family. And Big Brother-Little Brother relationships serve to
create “mini-families” within the larger chapter family.
Delta Tau Delta provides this kind of experience for its members. And
the Marietta Delt Chapter has been doing it since it was founded in 1966 as
a local fraternity called Beta Delta Epsilon. In the spring of 1966, 14 men
formed the ΒΔΕ local fraternity. As the founders of ΒΔΕ , they did not have
Big Brothers, nor did they have pledge periods. But most of them became
the heads of their own ‘family’ lines that continued through ΒΔΕ, becoming
a Crescent Colony and then a chapter of ΔΤΔ. Two of these family lines
have stretched on for over 30 “generations,” that is, the addition of a new
members to a family line during a Delt’s time as an undergraduate.
The founding members of ΒΔΕ are Tom Robinson ’69, Steve Newton
’66, David Dessen ’69, Albert Mason ’68, Gregory Maloof ’69, Charles
Baker ’67, William Warner ’68, Marc Kattelman ’69, Peter Rosenberger
’67, Franklin Hirsch ’69, Mike Rothman ’67, Lee St. Clair ’67, Joseph
Cohn ’69 and Ken Kavula ’69. Of those original 14 men, four did not have
Little Brothers: Steve Newton, Charles Baker, Peter Rosenberger and
Joseph Cohn. Three Founders’ family lines came to an end after one
generation: David Dessen, Albert Mason and Marc Kattleman. Founder
Mike Rothman’s line came to an end after three generations, in 1974, with
Richard Gelger. Founders Gregory Maloof and Franklin Hirsch’s lines
lasted 4 generations, with Maloof’s ending in 1971 with Jack Decker, and
Hirsch’s in 1974 with Joseph Vogel. Founder Lee St. Clair’s line lasted 5
generations, ending in 1975 with Robert Burns. So by 1976, the Marietta
Delt Chapter had 3 family lines still active, descending from Founders
William Warner, Tom Robinson and Ken Kavula. Of these 3, the Warner
line came to an end, after 10 generations, in 1982, with Brett Burkey and
Kevin Brigham. By 1983, the Chapter was left with 2 remaining family
lines: the Kavulas and the Robinsons.
cONTINUED
12
Originally a furniture factory, Douglas Putnam Hall, located at the corner
of Putnam and Seventh Streets, was used by Marietta College as a
dormitory for freshmen men until 1987. During the initial demolition of
DP Hall, the giant wrecking ball bounced off its thick 19th-century brick
walls like a frisbee. Determined efforts to remove the outdated structure
finally prevailed.
I lived in Douglas Putnam Hall for count 'em three years. One year
as a freshman, and two years as an RA. It was a great place. As I
recall the house mother was Mrs. Stewart, who was a very nice lady always had cookies for the RA meetings. Douglas Putnam was a little bit
different when you first showed up at Marietta. In 1966 the other two
men’s dorms were brand new, modern looking, and DP of course was a
repurposed red brick factory. Freshmen felt a bit like Oliver Twist
showing up at the work house. I recall people telling me that it was at
one time a Cheer factory and thinking "it doesn't look like they made
soap here.” It took a few days to figure out they were saying it was a
chair factory. New Englanders had to make linguistic adjustments to the
Ohio Valley. The decor was completely institutional - worn green carpets
complemented with brown walls. Old metal bunk beds with lumpy
mattresses and well-worn study desks rounded out the room decor.
Most rooms had large, double-hung windows with wide ledges for extra
seating. This was convenient, if you lived on the first floor and didn't like
doors. In fact, freshman year, a guy even fell out a fourth floor window
and lived to tell the tale (it was Spring and the ground was soft).
CONTINUED
37
Where delts
have tread
Gone - but not forgotten haunts
….Brownie's
….those “all-nighters” we lived through together, smoking cigarettes,
drinking coffee, cramming for finals, and eventually going to Brownie’s for
a few bags of doughnuts.
Ted Smith, ‘71 [1978]
Brownie's Do-Nut and Pastry Shop at 258 Front Street was a long-time
Marietta institution. Surviving well into
the era of corporate chain shops,
Brownie's was popular with students
looking for a late-night fix of pepperoni
rolls or an early morning bag of "donuts". A major flood and then a fire were
enough to force permanent closure in
2004.
….The Keg Room/Tally Ho/Pastime Lanes
The Tally Ho restaurant and its adjacent bar, The Keg Room at 211
Second Street, were popular enough with Delts by the mid-1980s to be
considered (if only by Delts)
an annex of the Delt house
itself. A spacious corner
booth in the back seemed
always to have room for one
more person -no matter how
many people showed up.
Imagine the Algonquin Round
Table - with slightly less wit.
The Pastime Lanes bowling
alley upstairs was somewhat
quieter.
~ Dave Broome, ‘88 [2008]
Jim Rosenberger, Jim Martinez, and Mike Conaty strike out
at Pastime Lanes, 1985
36
...Dominant, dormant, then dominant again
From the outset, the Robinson Family has been the strongest in
numbers, overall. In the early years, the line benefited from Tom Robinson
having three LBs.. One of these 3 branches, headed by Eric Gough ’74,
lasted 2 generations. A branch topped by Steve Fox ’70 ran for 5
generations. As for Robinson’s 3rd LB, Gordon Turner ’71, his branch is
still active today, having run for nearly 30 generations, as of 2012. All
current undergrad “Robinsons” descend from this LB of Tom Robinson.
Over 200 MC Delts are in the Robinson Family, which in addition to
thriving in the 1970s at the expense of other family lines, also made up the
majority of the Chapter during most of the 2000s and through the early
2010s. But the line faced some ‘quiet’ time from the mid-1980s through to
the turn of the century. Robinson numbers dwindled, and the number of
major branch lines dropped to two. While never in real danger of dying, 2
Robinson branch lines survived the end-of-the-century decline of the
Chapter. Despite having gone into that period of Chapter decline as the
weaker of the two, the Robinsons emerged with a vengeance. The
Robinsons splintered into several still-active branches, having added over
100 men to their family (about half of its current total) since ‘01. In terms of
numbers & active branches, the mid-to-late 2000s Robinsons mirror the late
-’70s/early-’80s incarnation of the family.
...From majority to near-extinction, yet still holding on
As for the Kavulas, the story of that family line is the opposite of that of
the Robinsons. The Kavula line progressed, slowly but steadily, pretty
much adding just one Brother per year to the line until ‘75, when Joe
Matheny ’75 added 4 LBs, although 3 of the 4 branches would last no
longer than one more generation. Except for Matheny’s LB, Jim Neel ’77.
His branch splintered in two, with the 2 lines (Stephen Marino ’80 and Peter
Denio ’78) adding more generations and splintering further along until
the Marino branch came to an end with Doug Stewart in ‘90. During the
the early ‘80s, the Warner line came to an end. The Kavula family was able
to benefit from decreased competition, as well as from the numerical
decline of the Robinsons that ran from the mid-’80s through the turn of the
century. This was the Kavula ascendant period. During this time, Kavulas
outnumbered Robinsons 3-1. But the late-’90s decline of the Chapter
resulted in all Kavula branch lines dying, except for the Chris Goebel ’87Mike Conaty ’89-Gary Hritz ’91-Shawn Selby ’92 branch line. The entire
Kavula line survived in Trevor Brown ’01, the lone Kavula after the
graduation of Jason Strawsburg in ‘00. Brown ended up getting 2 little
brothers, J.J. Nekoloff ’03 and Brian Dobis ’03, which resulted in a resplintering of the family into 2 major branches, both still active today.
Unlike the Robinsons, who have thrived since the Chapter’s resurgence,
the Kavula numbers have remained small, comprising no more than 25
13
CONTINUED
percent of the Chapter since the line’s near-death experience in ‘01. In
numbers, the Kavula clan counts around 140 men, about the total of the
Robinsons. The Kavula Family also boasts a 30-generation run, as well.
...O Brother, where art thou?
Even though Big Brother-Little Brother lines represent ‘family-by-oath’,
there have been examples of real-life brothers in the EY Brotherhood.
Bruce Miller ’70 welcomed his brother, Rich Miller ’74, as an EY
brother. Bruce Miller was an LB of Founder William Warner. Rich Miller also
joined the Warner line. In fact, Rich Miller is Delt-related to older brother
Bruce, as Bruce’s Great-Great-Grand-LB. Another such situation involves the
Neels- Rick Neel ’73 and his brother, Jim Neel ’77. The older Neel is a
Robinson, and the younger Neel is a Kavula, thus no EY relationship
between them, A 3rd case of EY brothers is that of Trent Elliot ’01, and his
half-brother, Tanner O’Conner ’15. Like the Neels, they are unrelated within
EY. The most interesting brother-brother pairing is that of Founder Ken
Kavula ’69 and his brother,Robert Kavula ’78. As with the Neels, Ken is,
well, a Kavula, but younger brother Bob is a Robinson. Bob had 7 LBs.
With the ending of the competing Robinson branch 1998, all Robinsons
since claim descent from Bob Kavula. So,we are all Kavulas now!
The online EY Big Brother board can be found at
www.mariettadelts.org, under “Brotherhood” or
directly at http://mariettadelts.org/brotherhood/
big-brother-board/
~ Shawn Selby, ‘92 [2013]
507 Putnam Street
After I pledged, I was informed that there were mandatory study nights
at the house for all pledges. I initially thought this was a joke since I never
expected a fraternity to be this serious about studying. But ΔΤΔ routinely
won the Scholarship Cup in those days -and it was not a joke. It seems
hard to imagine now, but there was a pinball machine in the basement
that was 5¢ a game. Even at that price, half the revenue from the
machine (that was the deal from the machine’s owner) was enough to buy
a new TV after a year. There was also a soda machine that charged 10¢
for a bottle of Coke. Chapter treasurer Murray Talasnik, figured out how
to break even selling beer in the machine. A couple rows in the machine
were reserved for beer. We bought cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon in
returnable bottles for $4.80 or 20¢ a beer. The beer would be loaded with
each row alternating one empty bottle then one full one. Put in a dime,
pull out an empty bottle, then put in another dime to get your full one. We
only broke even by using returnable bottles and Murray always worried
we would break some of the bottles. He would walk around the house
sometimes gathering up empties to make sure they weren't broken. I got
to move into 507 sophomore year and, although it was a little shabby, it
looked like a palace compared to DP Hall.
14
~ Ron Rees, '72 [2008]
mother that Otis wasn't really dead (he's an accomplished actor), she
decided the dead body needed to be put on ice and promptly pored a nice
sized bucket of ice down Otis' pants. Because he is a consummate
professional -and because we weren't letting him off that table - Otis had
to endure a rather cold ride back down the hill to the house before he was
able to relieve himself (luckily, this time, not on my printer). I'm sure there
are other stories out there. Of course, there aren't any stories about
me...no matter what Otis or anyone else says.
~ Matt Dole, ‘01 [2008]
See “Otis” (actor and former chapter President Timothy J. Cox) in the upcoming film A Good
Marriage, among other projects.
Campus Martius Redux
Senior Week 2010. The Delts remaining in the house were acting in a
typical scholarly fashion and erected a pillow fort. This erection took
place in the chapter room, using up a good deal of the house's furniture to
build. "Fort von Beer" took up about a third of the chapter room (it
didn't actually have any alcohol in it). “CR", the Resident
Director for 4th Street [residences] used this as an excuse to exercise
his massive thirst for unfair disciplinary procedures. On Wednesday of
senior week, all 6 Delts living in the house were evicted, unable to
return. This senior class had a great reputation, including two speakers
at graduation (one of them the student body president), a head
RA, [among] the highest grades on campus -all involved members of the
community. A number of faculty and staff speaking up for us may have
helped prevent any actual sanctions. CR, as it turns out, violated all
sorts of regulations. With a good number of the faculty on
our side (including outgoing senior Jordan Stryker's mother), as well as
higher-ups in the Student Life office, CR found himself in a few "meetings"
the following week. CR, a former football player employed by the college
as a RD ended up leaving the college almost immediately after this.
~ Christopher Law, ’10 [2013]
35
There were countless times when we climbed up thru the narrow
passage in the attic to get to our top sun-deck. What a great place for
drinking -and drooling over the Chi Omegas in their 2-piece outfits sunbathing on their deck. Always a great time!
"Last Rites" for Outgoing Chapter Presidents
...“RIP” Ted Smith
~ Ted Smith, ‘71 [1978]
All the brothers knew that during the
summers I worked for the largest funeral
home in Columbus (with thoughts of
becoming a mortician). We always needed different concepts for
parties…and one time a party theme was lacking, so I said "Hey, how
about The Ted Smith Memorial Mortuary Masquerade?". Obviously this
would take some work, but what fun when we pulled it off. I was laid out
on the large work table…in the front room at 507 Putnam all overdone
with makeup - just “floured big time” - I was more than ashen. On the
walls were pictures of me with black banners & wilted flowers and
funereal music playing in the background. My pledge brother, Steve Fox,
was in the front row of seats, just in front of my head and weeped
incessantly until all came to “pay their respects”. Rabbi Joe Doniger wrote
and delivered the fabulous eulogy which included something about each
and every brother. At the conclusion of his “powerfully touching
message” some brothers slid me head first into a garbage can (at the
head of the table) which had painted on the side in dripping blood red
paint “DEP IS DEAD”...my nickname in the house was “Dep” [actual
name Deppen Smith]. At this point, the party music came on and the
beer flowed and flowed. The party had started. This theme took excellent
teamwork to coordinate and all of the brothers made this come off without
a hitch.
~ Ted Smith, ‘71 [2008]
...“RIP” Tim Cox
No one who was around in the late 1990s has more stories than Tim
Cox, who is now an "accomplished" actor in New York (sorry for the
quotes...I just can't accept that my roommate is getting positive reviews in
the New York press). “Otis” (his pledge name) could have a whole
chapter in this booklet, but [regarding] presidential funerals, I thought I
would share his. Its an easier topic than delving into the time he took a
leak on my computer printer. Apparently, Hewlett Packard printers and
American Standard urinals look very similar early in the morning after St.
Patrick's Day - but I digress. Otis had a Viking funeral. After a beautiful
eulogy affording Otis all the respect he deserved (none!), black-robed
brothers lit up tiki-torches and loaded the table top holding Otis onto our
shoulders and walked down Fourth street, up Putnam and turned onto
Fifth, stopping at the ΧΩ house. What a sight. After convincing the house
Built in 1914, the house at 507 Putnam Street was acquired by the
College to help accommodate an increased student body population as
well as an enlarged greek-letter community: Three new sororities and
three new fraternities between 1959 and 1968; among them, only the
Delts
remain
today. The house
was sold by the
College in 1984 for
$29,000.
Front hall of 507
Putnam in 1975.
Bob Peterson ‘76
collection.
CONTINUED
34
15
Building Brotherhood -1971
Hello Kitty
It was a dark and stormy night. That’s the way Snoopy
always starts his novels. In this case it was true. MidJanuary, cold, snowy and drunk. That was the setting for the
end of our "Help Week." We had already taken our fraternity
exam and initiation was right around the corner. Just this final
thing to do…The [Chuck] Bag Baker Memorial Walk. “The
Walk": It took me many years to realize that it was designed
to build brotherhood, and it really did. It also built friendships;
I still feel very close to all of those guys. At any rate, the walk
was actually a scavenger hunt, where the actives went
around town and hid empty pop bottles. Each of the bottles
contained a clue to find the next bottle. Al Morrison, Randy
"Awk" Williams, Andy James, Darrell Pritchard (he had
already activated but missed the Walk when he was still a
pledge), Patty Ritchie (my girlfriend and later one of our original Little
Sisters), and me. That was the group that headed into our story. As I
remember, there were about 24 of those bottles that night. At midnight,
we took the clue to find the first bottle and our bottle of vodka
screwdrivers and headed out into the snowstorm. As the night went on
and we found our bottles crisscrossing the city-and got our bottle refilled
by the active assigned to keep track of us, Joe Mester. We had a great
time -and occasionally had to help each other find our way. I remember
many things about that evening, but the one that really stands out to me is
laying in the middle of the road making "snow angels" with my big brother,
Darrell Pritchard. The actives had hidden those little Coke bottles all
around; from the College campus, to Mound Cemetery, to the Hospital, to
the college boathouse on the West Side (that’s where we made the snow
angels, coming off the Washington St. bridge), and many other places. It
caused us to walk around town for 3 or 4 hours looking for bottles. When
we woke up later in the morning, we got ready for initiation, and took our
place as activated members of ΔΤΔ. A big day. But, the one I remember
best…was the night before.
~ Rick Neel, ‘73 [2008]
....A Morbid Sense of Humor
After we had nationalized, some of us had
a great idea…let’s freak out Alpha Gamma
Delta. [We] got a formaldehyde jar with a
cat’s head -with mouth wide open. A group of
us got it to our house, boxed it, and wrapped
it with beautiful paper and ribbons. There
was a note attached to “The Alpha Gams with
love!…Please open ASAP”. We set the box
on their doorstep [then located at 219 4th St],
rang their bell and hid in bushes nearby. You
should have heard the screams. We took off.
~ Ted Smith, ‘71 [2008]
....In the Name of Science (mostly)
The cat's head was from my Comparative Mammalian Anatomy Class.
I was going out with Diane Maher (from ΑΓΔ) at the time -and also, the
Delts and the ‘Gams’ did a lot of things together. Ted Smith came to the
bio lab with me during a Saturday for some lab make-up time I needed.
With his mortuary experiences and fascination with those types of things,
Ted wanted to see the cat dissection I was doing that was near
completion. Since it was at the end of the year there were no more labs
scheduled and when I was finished with the cat, it was ready to be sent
for disposal. We decided to cut the head off and [send it] it to the Alpha
Gams. I was told that when they pulled out the plastic bag with the cat's
head from the box, one girl started to freak out and started crying
(something to do with her cat at home recently passing away). The Gams
found out who sent it and my name was “mud” with them for a long time.
~ Joe Mester, ‘73 [2008]
Rick Neel was one of the first guys I met when first I wandered into
507 Putnam to check out the Delts. His unprovoked and irreverent insults
towards a perfect stranger (think small-town Don Rickles) were among the
things that convinced me the Delts were worth a second -and a third look.
~ Rick Dunsker, ‘76 [2008]
16
33
Little Sisters
....Opportunity Presents Itself
That evening we learned that many other students were unhappy with
D.M.'s "inevitability factor". Delta Tau Delta was an exception to
numerous rules in those days. One of them was that 507 Putnam didn't
house enough people to warrant food service. Those who lived in the
house had a choice of cooking their own meals, or making other
arrangements. Three of us, Dave Barker, Geoff Dean and I ate dinner at
the ΣΣΣ sorority on Fifth Street. That night, completely unplanned, Geoff
and Dave sat at one end of the long dining table and I at opposite end. As
the food was being served I casually asked, just loudly enough for the 20
women at the table to hear, "So Dave, you think Ed's got a chance of
winning?" Without missing a beat Dave responded, "I don't know, we
don't have much time 'til the election.” Of course, everyone wanted to
know what we were talking about. When, with unbelievable sincerity,
Geoff added, "Ed just doesn't think it's right for D.M. to run unopposed,"
one of the Tri-Sigmas responded, "I don't care who he is, I'll vote for him."
The race was on. By Tuesday evening students still weren't certain
whether Ed Holmes was a hoax, but just in case, D.M. declared that if he
didn't receive a majority of the votes he wouldn't take office. On
Wednesday, the people spoke with their ballots, and luckily, he didn't
have to keep that promise. D.M. won, but considering he was running
against a phantom his majority was less than impressive. In a 3 1/2 day
campaign, Ed Holmes got 41% of the votes, on write-ins.
....The rest of the MC greek commuity: "OWNED!"
The incident so angered the student "powers that be" that even though it
was one of the events of the year, the only mention of it in the '76
Mariettana was in the ΔΤΔ blurb [below]. The campus was “punked” and
the greeks were pissed. Mission accomplished!
~ Rick Dunsker, ‘76 [2008]
Whether girlfriends, study companions or simply friends of the chapter, the
presence of students of the opposite gender has helped enliven many
(actually, all) Delt social events. For several years, young ladies could
become official “Little Sisters” in an initiation ceremony similar to that of
pledges. Official duties were handed to the young ladies, usually involving
preparation for upcoming
social events. Some were
sorority members, some
not.
Some
were
girlfriends (and some
would
later
become
spouses). In an effort to
streamline
chapter
operations,
the
undergraduates decided
in 1986 to discontinue the
Little Sister program.
Delts and Little Sisters, 1980
"The Senior Mug Club”
For most of the 88-89 school year, the five Delt seniors (me, Dave
Frick, Bob Simerlink, John McMenamin, Mike Conaty) opted to slip away
from campus for dinner every Friday rather than eat with our brothers in
the dining hall. We didn’t say anything about it to anyone, we just started
doing it. We went to a place called The Port (before and since has been
called many things). The Port was a townie bar with an older crowd, but
they had a decent happy hour buffet, that was FREE. For a month or two,
no one really noticed we were missing dinner. Eventually, someone
noticed that we all showed up at the house together around 7pm, and that
we had obviously been drinking. By this time, though, it had developed
into a private party we called the Senior Mug Club, and we had Michelob
Dry labels, peeled clean from the bottle and folded lengthwise in half, as
our “tickets“. I still carry mine in my wallet, and I know
Mike did for many years and still may. I contend we
became closer over that year more than any other as we
shared a few hours, just between us, each week.
~ Jon Hartshorn, ‘89 [2007]
32
17
Chapter Advisor Robert G. Ferguson: Ferg Roast 2013
University of Cincinnati, 1970. Gamma Xi chapter of Delta Tau Delta
Fraternity, initiate #936. Husband, father of four and Marietta legend.
Did you know one of the EY founders from Marietta—Tom Robinson?
RF: I certainly knew who he was. He graduated from Marietta High
in ‘65; I graduated in ‘66. My connection to the college itself started well
before that. As a kid I caddied for the college president, Frank Duddy.
My father played golf with him.
What was your Delt undergraduate experience like at Cincinnati?
RF: With over 120 guys, we had formal meetings even during the
summer. At ΓΞ we took the ritual seriously, if you couldn’t remember your
lines, you were out of the ritual performance. My actual brother, Bill Ferguson [ΓΞ ‘71] is older than I am. When he was named in the bid session,
I said he could be a Delt only if I could be his big brother, and he was!
How did you feel upon learning that a new Delt chapter was colonized in
Marietta—your home town?
RF: I was excited about it. Wayne Sinclair, who became president
of ΔΤΔ from 1986-88 was then a Delt undergrad and IFC president at
WVU; he came to Marietta to help out with rush. UC Delts performed the
installation ritual and I [had a key role] in the ritual ceremony. Delts from
Case Western did the Rite of Iris; Delts from OH and WVU also performed elements at the installation. Interesting bit of trivia: The undergraduate vice president from ΓΞ, who would normally have had a significant role in the ritual was unable to come to Marietta because he was
busy with intermurals at UC. The “vice president” who performed his role
at the EY installation was someone else—another UC Delt who performed the role in his place.
You’re closing in on 40 years as Chapter Advisor for Epsilon Upsilon. Did you
think you’d be doing it this long?
RF: This started out as a ‘side career’. It all started in 1975. I got a
call from then-Chapter Advisor Bruce Miller who was moving back to
Connecticut. I had gotten married the year before, so Bruce felt that
since I was going to be around for a while, maybe I could be EY’s CA for
“a couple of years.” Well, a ‘couple years’ has turned into nearly 39. I
had no manual, no formal initiation for CAs like there is now. You could
say I became the common-law CA for Epsilon Upsilon. But, coming from
UC, I had a feel for how a chapter should operate. One of the very first
times I put my foot down was in response to EY’s “brownie mix ritual,”
where pledges would have brownie mix, eggs, sugar and water dumped
on them by the actives. Not only was it messy, it was hazing. Another
‘no-no’ was the ‘Bag Baker Walk’ which was a scavenger hunt/big brother
hunt.
18
....Occam's Razor
Now for the hard part: Marietta is a tiny school. Why are the only
people who know this guy in the Delt house, and why are we helping
him? Like Occam's Razor, the simplest answer was the best (and the
most believable). Ed had just transferred from Denison University, in
central Ohio. He was a Delt there and very active in student government
(BTW: There was no Delt chapter at Denison). When he heard that D.M.
was running unopposed he said he would give it a shot even though he
knew the chances were slim. No one had seen him before because he
was living with his aunt and uncle out on Greene Street just past the
interstate. How could this not be the truth? Ed needed someone to speak
for him during his frequent absences from campus. For that, once again,
my little brother Matt Sutko stepped forward. A Poli-Sci major, and
excellent debater, Matt had his spiel/platform together almost before our
party (oops, I mean “planning session“) broke up for the night. This was
Saturday night. The polls would open on Wednesday. We had a
candidate, a cover story and a spokesman. It was time for the mighty Delt
political machine to swing into action! On Sunday, Matt Sutko & crew
created a huge banner announcing Ed Holmes' write-in candidacy for
president with Matt as his running mate for V.P. They hung it across the
front of Andrews Hall. I'm not sure who they bribed to pull this off, but it
remained there until election day.
On Monday the campaign started in earnest. There was only one hole
in our plans that could sink Ed's legitimacy, the student files in the Admin.
building. Luckily, another fine brother, Shea McGrew, had some pull with
a relevant administrator...his mother, Louise, worked in the Records
Department. That morning Matt and I let her in on the gag. Once she
understood that D.M. would win regardless, she put Ed Holmes' name on
a manila folder and placed it in the appropriate file drawer. If over the next
few days anyone came to inquire whether Ed was a student at the
college, she agreed to look in the drawer and respond "Yes, I have a file
for him." We Delts could also tell those who challenged us, "If you don't
believe me just check the Records Office." We were ready to face the
voting public.
CONTINUED
31
“Ed Holmes” for Student Body President
You have always kept your role as Chapter Advisor distinctly separate from
any socializing with the undergraduates. Is that your rule, or a Delt rule?
....Student Activism Morphs into Classic Pranks
It was the Spring of 1976, and student council elections were only
days away. By the mid-70s the student activism [which] younger
brothers may have heard about was long over. U.S. involvement in
Vietnam had ended, disco music was on the rise, and no one gave a
rat's patootie about "getting involved" in student government, or any
other serious distraction from books and beer. The part that matters:
Only one guy (not person - guy) was running for Student Body President.
“D. M.“ was backed by TEФ fraternity and a few other houses, and we
Delts didn't particularly like him. A number of us spent that evening in
the newly completed attic common space (it was fun while it lasted), and
complained at one another. "How can we let him run unopposed?!?
Someone's GOT to run against him!" The only guys who were willing
were myself and Bob Peterson, both seniors and ineligible. The group of
6 or 7 of us regarded one another through squinty eyes, and applied our
altered consciousnesses to the problem. The answer soon became clear.
Well, actually one of us just blurted out a nutty idea for a laugh: "Why
don't we run someone who doesn't exist?"
The idea did get a good laugh, but the more devious of us saw the
brilliance of the proposal: D.M. would no longer run unopposed. He
would be caught completely off guard, and take days to figure out what
was going on (Ashton Kutcher would have been proud, if he'd been born
yet). We could have a great time stringing the campus along for a few
days, making fun of an institution that never
had a lot of relevance to most students
anyway. Most importantly, no one had to
give speeches, answer questions about his
platform, and be humiliated when he lost, or
worse yet, have to serve as President if by
some chance he actually won. Perfect! So
who is this mystery guy, what's his name?
He had to sound like a good, old Ohio
boy...someone with integrity, who you could
trust...just the sort of straight-arrow you'd
expect to run for student body president on
sheer principles. We settled on "Ed
Holmes".
VOTE FOR ED!
RF: It was always my rule, but it has since become standard for
Chapter Advisors. You simply cannot be the undergrads’ “drinking
buddy.” I only made one exception to this–when EY was about to win
its first Hugh Shields Award. I knew they were going to win it, but the
undergrads didn’t. I told them at the conference that if EY won the
HSA, I’d buy them all a round of drinks (they were all 21). That offer
convinced them that they weren’t getting the HSA. Well, they did win
it, and I made good on my promise.
Your own family is part of the greater ΔΤΔ family, aren’t they?
RF: Everyone in my family is a “ Karnea hound.” Anyone who
attends five Karneas gets a sticker with a dachshund on it that says
“Karnea Hound.” We’ve had great fun with the Delts. My son Russell
was a big kid- he would chase chapter president Doug Gernert around
the house; son Daniel remembers sledding with the other kids on the
campus hill and being invited into the shelter for hot chocolate. One
time, daughter Alice was with me at the shelter -she was about six
then- and we ran into a young lady coming out of the shower wearing
only a towel; Alice asked ‘what’s she doing in a boys’ house?’ I got
her away from there in a hurry. My son Cole even pledged ΔΤΔ at
Boston U; he surprised them by showing up at their shelter wearing a
Karnea ’96 t-shirt. He transferred to OSU before activating.
Is a Chapter Advisor’s role to tell undergrads how to run a chapter?
RF: The undergrads have the complete authority and
responsibility to run their chapter; I could run them like little tin
soldiers but they would not learn a thing. I’m here to draw a line in the
sand when necessary, to be in the background– but I won’t let them
‘fall off a cliff.’ This has to be a good experience for the guys, but this
should be a learning experience as well.
Your “un-biased” review of Epsilon Upsilon chapter would be…?
RF: The community of Marietta is a better place since there’s been a
Delt chapter here. The guys hopefully learn to be involved in their own
communities, wherever they end up. My father-in-law Dan Cole, past
international president of the Lions Club put it this way: “Everyone
owes a bit of civic rent.” Be a part of your community.
Your advice for future Chapter Advisors?
RF: Get a feel for the ‘temperature’ of
the chapter, and know that the guys
won’t learn anything if they are told what
to do; they have to learn as they go. Be
an advisor, not simply an instructor.
CONTINUED
September 2013.
30
Bob and Ginny Ferguson
dining out with some Epsilon Upsilon
alums at a MC Homecoming, late 1990s.
19
The Artists of Epsilon Upsilon
Among various Delts who have demonstrated
exceptional artistic ability are two brothers from
the class of 1990. Doug Stewart and Kevin
Oliphant both contributed greatly to the
aesthetic presentation of the Chapter. Doug
Stewart's energetic creations were found on
rush materials and t-shirts. His decision to
leave college during his sophomore year left
us just a brief glimpse of his creativity. His
lasting legacy is a piece of artwork that was
not his original design: He painted the huge
coat of arms on the wall of the back room at
219 4th St. Kevin Oliphant gave us the full
"four-year treatment" of artistic output. Not
only did the Chapter frequently call upon him
for a creative touch (some of his work can
still be found hanging in the shelter), the
College also made use of his abilities.
Doug Stewart
shirt design, 1987
A week after the Dean's note was sent, we visited all the houses
asking their presidents if they had discussed participation with their
members yet. After varying degrees of upset and frantic "What's this all
about?", folks who normally wouldn't have given Matt or I the time of day,
anxiously agreed to do whatever we wanted. No one asked who started
this "College Bowl" thing or why the only students involved were Delts.
Long story short, both Greek Councils agreed to "sponsor" the event.
completely handled by faculty members, and the contest, literally, came
down to the last question (I'm not exaggerating). But what made the
event Hollywood-perfect was, you guessed it, the Delt team won! As I
understand it, the Greek Council took control of the College Bowl and
held it for a few years after that, but Epsilon Upsilon never did hold a
regional Delt event. Oh, well....
~ Rick Dunsker, ‘76 [2008]
~ Dave Broome, ‘88 [2008]
Kevin Oliphant
shirt design, 1988
Cover designed for the alumni
magazine by Kevin Oliphant in
1989. The feature story’s gloomy
prediction for the greeks at MC
turned out to be fairly accurate.
20
Bob Exten admires an early scholarship trophy.
29
The “Greek Scholarship Bowl”
The First Hugh Shields Award
In the Spring of '75 we'd been named
a Top-20 Chapter. The following Fall we
considered what we our next steps might
be. Someone mentioned starting a
regional ΔΤΔ competition like the annual
basketball tournament held by the Ohio
State (or was it OU?) Chapter. We
wanted it to be something "different", but
that would be supported by the
administration. Eventually we settled on
a Quiz Bowl. We wouldn't need to book a heavily-used facility like Ban
Johnson [Field House] and our chapter would actually have a shot at
being competitive. We knew this would be a huge undertaking and were
afraid to just go for it without any practice. We needed a dry run, but with
whom? The answer was obvious...the greeks of Marietta. Given our rep
at the time, though, our odds of getting more than a few houses to
cooperate were nil. If we were going to get our dry run, we were going to
have to do it under different auspices. Luckily, alternatives were
available. A number of us, including Matt Sutko, Bob Peterson, and I
were members of Honoraria and Trustee committees, giving us unusual
access to faculty and staff who would be crucial to getting rooms and
resources. (Yeah, we were a regular house full of big shots!) We posed
the idea to these contacts, they instantly loved it. There had been a Quiz
Bowl on campus 10 years earlier. In fact,
the Communications
Department still had the old buzzers in a closet in case the idea ever
made a comeback. They were glad to help. Now how do we get the rest
of the greeks to join in? In the first planning meeting we came upon an
idea: What if there was no official administrative sponsor? What if we
somehow got the greeks to sponsor the bowl themselves? One of the
great things about Marietta College was (and still is) the degree of access
students get to faculty and staff. There are very few people whom one
couldn't just walk in on if you had an issue or concern. One of the
exceptions was the Dean of the College. Few students had ever seen the
guy much less talked with him. A few days after our first meeting, the
Presidents of each house received a letter from Dean Bosch, on his
stationery, congratulating the Fraternity and Sorority Councils on their
idea to hold a Greek Scholarship Bowl. Of course, none of them knew
anything about it, and luckily, none thought to ask the administration for
fear of appearing out of the loop. The trap was set. While other Delts
worked on logistics with our faculty supporters, Matt Sutko and I took on
the task of recruitment.
CONTINUED
Epsilon Upsilon won its first Hugh Shields Award in 1990. Doug
Gernert was president at the time. The delegation that went to the
division conference had called back to the house to tell us that we won
Court of Honor, but not Hugh Shields (lies, damned lies!). Those of us
who stayed behind were disappointed, but still celebrated what was then
a breakthrough for us. I was the living in the triple at the time with Greg
Manko and we were having a party that Saturday night in the room. I
stopped the music to make the announcement of Court of Honor, having
just heard it when Doug Gernert called back to the shelter that night. Our
room, which was was packed, erupted in cheers. The delegation returned
Sunday in time for the Chapter meeting. During the meeting, Gernert,
Dan Castelli and others who had been at the conference "sprung" the
Hugh Shields flag on the rest of the Chapter as a surprise! I didn't like
being lied to, but I forgave them for their deception because it was just
awesome the way they had hidden the flag and then surprised us with it.
And then we won it again in 1992, my senior year!
28
~ Shawn Shelby, ‘92 [2008]
The Hugh Shields Award is the most prestigious award bestowed upon a
Delt chapter. Named for Hugh Shields (Beta Alpha, 1926), the first
executive VP of the Fraternity, the award is given annually to the top 10
chapters. The purple and gold Hugh Shields Flag looks similar to the flag
of Delta Tau Delta, but with the Greek word “protimoi” ["first among
equals"] in the upper left corner. Chapters earn the Hugh Shields Award
because of their outstanding accomplishments in all areas of chapter
programming and operations. Chapters who are awarded five Hugh
Shields Awards are given a permanent flag, which they may retire in their
chapter house. The Chapter has won Hugh Shields Awards in 1990,
1992, 1993, 2008, 2011, and 2012 and Court of Honor Awards in 1975,
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2012.
The first retired Hugh Shields Flag,
proudly displayed in the shelter.
21
219 Fourth Street
[By 1983] the old Delt house [at 507 Putnam] was falling apart and
although it had its charms, I don't recall any real controversy about the
move. Plus, the new house had a washer and dryer, which was cool. A
bunch of us came back a day or so early [from Christmas break] to move.
I was the first one to stay the night in the new house as I didn't have to
move from the old one (moved from Parsons Hall).
Shenanigans,
Delt style
~ Tom Zotti, ‘85 [2008]
Chalky red paint that rubbed off on
your hands and clothes; repainted light
yellow in the early 2000s.
Built in 1890 as a private
home and later used by
various
student
groups
including AΤΩ, the house at
219 4th Street was eventually
The Shelter today
acquired by the College and
altered extensively. Afterwards, it was used by two now-defunct sorority
chapters (ΑΓΔ until 1975; AΣΤ until late 1983). The College mandated
Delta Tau Delta’s move to 219 in early 1984. Florid wallpaper designs
and dated furnishings met the Delts upon their arrival; over time, the
undergraduates have “Deltified” the structure. As long ago as 1987, the
College made clear the intention to cease using this house for any
purpose. Discussions regarding the future home for Delt undergraduates
at MC continue. In 2004, an Athens,Ohio-based band called Flinch shot a
music video in the Delt shelter featuring their song ‘My New Ex-Girlfriend’
which included some of the undergraduates then living the house.
22
Proud Misfits, mid 1970s
What made the Delts such a fantastic group to be a part of in those
years was that we did everything our own way, which usually put us at
odds with the conventions about greeks of that time. We were by far the
newest house on campus, yet we retired the scholarship cup more than
any other house. We were the smallest house on campus, yet the most
ethnically diverse (before "diversity" became a buzzword). Our chapter
was full of guys who, in their freshman years, swore they would never join
a fraternity. Put politely, most other greeks weren't quite sure we
"belonged", and we loved it that way. Case in point: Our '76 yearbook
picture [above]. While all the other houses that year had their pictures
taken in or around their houses, we had ours taken...somewhere more
interesting. What a bunch of miscreants.
~ Rick Dunsker, ‘76 [2008]
27
The Sporting Life
Where else would I have had the
opportunity to be part of a brotherhood
that did not win an intramural game in
a major sport for three years - and sent
a member to the hospital during every
football game our first year?
First day in the ‘new’
house, January 1984.
Brothers Buzzell and Goebel in front. The front
porch was rebuilt in the
early 2000s. Inside, new
flooring and a new front
staircase have been added more recently. If we
wait long enough, the
college will have ultimately
replaced or rehabbed the
entire structure—and it will
be the “new” shelter.
~ Lance Koved, ‘71 [1978]
Ted Smith, John DeVito, and Bob Exten,
In 1969 the chapter fielded teams in every sport. Yes, we were
pathetic, particularly in football and basketball, but we tied Tau Epsilon
Phi in football - making up for a lot of pain, humiliation and suffering at the
hands of independents, Alpha Sigma Phi and Delta Upsilon. Some guys
even ran cross country and lived. John DeVito was a decent tennis player;
bowling might have been our best sport - I think we may have even won
some Battle Axe points.
~ Joe Kirby, '70 [2008]
Only time will tell.
Undergrads and
friends having
Easter dinner in the
shelter, 2013
Touch Football, 1967; front row: Brothers Cohn, Gough, DeVito, Lindvall, and Ives;
second row: Brothers Weidenfeld, Kirby, Wolfe, Bayer, Turner, Koons, and Kavula
26
23
Brotherhood Sustains Us, 1999
We just needed some bubble wrap and packing tape. That’s how
close we came to sending the Epsilon Upsilon chapter charter back to
National in the fall of 1999.
I’m not even exaggerating. We were down to nine guys that fall, I
think, and four of them were seniors. The chapter was bare bones and
Rush Week ended with little to show for it. To this day I’m not sure how it
happened. We had good guys in the house. We were active on campus
and in the community. Other houses were healthy. Recruitment just
didn’t ever go well.
With no pledges and no solutions in sight, the questions became obvious: Did we have any chance at all of surviving? How could we go on?
Wouldn’t it be better to send the Charter back proactively, instead of allowing the chapter to die a slow, painful death? There were guys who
wanted to give it one more try. There were guys who wanted to go out
with dignity. I’m not sure where I stood, but either way I felt pressure to
keep the chapter alive and stress from not quite knowing how.
As we headed into the decisive meeting, I was given a lesson about
the Delt value that “brotherhood sustains us.” We got emails, letters, visits and phone calls from alumni. Each of the messages was similar:
“We’re here to help, we believe in the chapter and you better do something to preserve the legacy of over 250 brothers!”
Here’s just one excerpt, from a letter that accompanies a donation:
“Money alone cannot solve Epsilon Upsilon’s current problems, but it can at least express some faith that the chapter
has a future. More alumni than you realize are counting on
you to continue a 31 year legacy that is in some ways best
appreciated only after graduation.”
In addition to alumni stepping forward, Bob Ferguson deserves much
credit for his example of leadership as Chapter Advisor. Fergie always
permitted us to explore and find our own way, but he was there to make
sure we didn’t get totally lost. I remember the meeting like it was
yesterday. I really had no idea how it was going to go, but after much
soul-searching we came away re-committed to Delta Tau Delta and to rebuilding Epsilon Upsilon. Alumni continued stepping forward to help.
Homecoming 1999 was a watershed event that gave us undergrads the
confidence that we could turn things around. In January 2000 eight
alumni visited for a planning retreat. Our chapter consultant even made
an unscheduled trip to help. Spring recruitment yielded five new pledges
and we were suddenly energized as a chapter. The rest, as they say - is
history.
Each pledge class has a unique undergraduate experience. My class’
legacy is marked by pride that the charter is still framed on the wall of the
shelter. Our experience might be summed up as: we sustained the
brotherhood, because the brotherhood sustained us.
~ Matt Dole, ‘01 [2013]
I have attended every homecoming since 1987 except two. I was
shocked and surprised at the1999 house corp meeting and saw what low
undergrad numbers we had. It was the only real time I felt concern for
the future of the chapter. I am glad to say things turned around quickly
and I remember within a couple of homecoming visits seeing great
numbers and the chapter getting back on track. Nevertheless it was the
only time I remember being concerned that there may not be a ΔΤΔ
chapter at Marietta College in the near future. The young men that got
our membership turned around should be commended!
~ Kevin Oliphant, ‘90 [2013]
CONTINUED
________________________________________________
Homecoming 1999.
Recovery didn’t seem
possible, but they did it! -To
the lasting gratitude of all EΥ
Delts before and since.
~ Dave Broome, ‘88 [2013]
24
25