 |
Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms |
|
|
|
|
thoughts |
Forever me |
|
Alpha Chi Chapter Local Lore Alpha Chi Local Lore
The Johns Hopkins University Alpha Chi chapter of Beta Theta P1 had their charter installed on April 24, 1993. Unlike most new chapters, though, the Alpha Chi are rich in history, dating back to 1877 when the fraternity first elected to make the new university, an up-and-coming school of excellent repute, a place to expand Betas Broad Domain. For one hundred years, Alpha Chi remained a jewel in the crown of Beta Theta Pi, consistently attracting the best and brightest of the student body at Johns Hopkins. Now, after a leave of absence from the campus, Alpha Chi has returned to the standing she once possessed.
During the summer of 1877, one year after the establishment of the Johns Hopkins University, several Betas residing in the Baltimore area met and decided that a Hopkins chapter of the fraternity would be an excellent way to expand Beta’s Broad Domain. Led by Robert C. Cole, Dickinson ‘79, several alumni set out to find “a select few of like tastes and feelings with themselves.” Brother Cole, along with Thomas I. Elliot, Dickinson ‘76, and several other members of the Baltimore Alumni, later met at Professor Powhaten Clarke’s room at Baltimore City College and drafted a request to begin a chapter at Hopkins; this application was sent to chapters around the country and was approved by all. Brothers Cole and Elliot, given the task of organizing and initiating the Hopkins charter members, began training the prospective Betas. On November 30, 1877, Wiltz Raymond Stricklen, AX 1, Edmund Allen Jarvis, AX 2, and Thomas Milton Beadenkopf, AX 3 (all Hopkins 1880) were initiated into the fraternity at Guy’s Hotel in Baltimore, forming the Alpha Chi chapter of Beta Theta Pt On January 1, 1880, Alpha Chi was awarded her charter, listing the three brothers mentioned above, along with the newly initiated Lewis Webb Wilhelm ‘81 and Carl Eckhardt Grammer ‘80, AX 4 and 5 respectively. (Note: The application for a charter submitted to General Fraternity also lists George W McCreary in addition to the other five; no other mention of McCreary can be found in the roles of Beta Theta Pi or in any historical accounts. Alfred R. L. Dohme, Hopkins 1886, however, wrote that two members were lost to Phi Kappa Psi fraternity between 1880 and 1885; it is possible that McCreary was one of those two and was consequently removed from the roles.) The following year, Alpha Chi’s size was doubled with the addition of five new members. The chapter chose Brother Stricklen as their first president and Brother Beadenkopf as their first secretary. Meetings during this period were somewhat infrequent, usually held monthly in Hopkins Hall or some other university room. President Gilman sometimes invited the Alpha Chis to his home; indeed, the Hopkins administration was very friendly and helpful. On February 22, 1880, referred to as “one of the first commencement exercises” at Hopkins in other accounts, the three graduates were all Betas: Brothers Jarvis, Grammer, and Edgar Goodman, AX 9. Several months later, the June commencement ceremonies were held at which thirteen students were awarded diplomas. Among them were six Betas: Brothers Stricklen, Wilhelm, Beadenkopf, William C. Day, AX 6, John Hanson Lowe, AX 7, and Henry Laurence Gantt, AX II. In addition, of the three University Scholarships conferred on that day, two were awarded to Brothers Day and Gantt. Yet another noteworthy event took place in 1880: the 41st General Convention was held in Baltimore at Hopkins Hall. In the words of Brother Dohme, the convention “was greatly enjoyed and contributed very much to increasing fraternity feeling and zeal” at Hopkins. In the course of 1880 Alpha Clii was given its first rival at Johns Hopkins, when a chapter of Phi Kappa Psi was founded. The Phi Psi’s, however, never greatly threatened Beta, taking away only two members before their charter was revoked in 1885. In 1886, Delta Phi organized a Hopkins chapter. They were not a hazard to us either. Brother Dohme’s scathing commentary best describes Alpha Chi’s earliest competition. “Alpha Chi’s sailing was a little too fast for [Phi Kappa Psi], and they retired from the contest,” while Delta Phi’s “requirements are social and pecuniary preeminence while ours are integrity, honor, ability, standing, and good fellowship.” During her first decade, Alpha Chi was forced to contend with a problem that has confronted her throughout her existence: slackness on the part of Hopkins students regarding school and fraternity spirit. Fraternities had to combat the attractions of Baltimore City and outside friendships. Also, other fraternities were appearing at Hopkins, causing the administration to ask that Alpha Chi find other accommodations instead of university classrooms, due to space concerns. Both problems were overcome with the 1887 acquisition of two rooms at 704 North Eutaw Street. Hopkins had not yet made the move to Homewood and was still at the old downtown campus, so these rooms were located directly across from campus. The brothers extended an invitation to any Beta who happened to be in Baltimore to stop by for a tour of the house, campus, and city. This new house served as a way to liven up life for the brothers and attracted new members. As a permanent meeting place was now established, meetings were made more frequent, now taking place twice a month. They also took on an air of formality, opening with each brother presenting an essay on topics such as the geography of Italy and even a report on the Portuguese Man-O-War. Needless to say, the time spent around the new billiards table was much more spirited. By 1891, the Betas outgrew the two rooms. A new house was rented, this one a four story edifice at 1032 North Eutaw; however, the lesser soon died, leaving his family to reside in the house. In 1894, another large house was found at 1019 Linden Avenue. Smoking and drinking were prohibited in this house, and a popular event was Sunday afternoon tea for the ladies, beginning a tradition of respect for the brothers of Alpha Chi. In 1911, Alpha Chi moved yet again to 1313 Mount Royal Avenue, and again in 1914 to 1136 Cathedral Street. However, 1914 was also the year Hopkins moved to the Homewood campus. This move, along with fighting in Europe heralding the coming World War, helped drag the brothers down into a time of low spirit. The excellent leadership of Myron E. Bagley ‘16, AX 243, and William S. Merrick ‘15, AX 236, presidents during 1915 and 1916 respectively, helped bring the brothers back to life. Under their guidance, the annual newsletter Alpha Chian was introduced and flourished. As testament to the perfection demanded by Brother Merrick, he had the brothers rehearse for the initiation twenty-seven times! The chapter soon faced another obstacle: World War I. Of the 6000 Betas to serve in the war, several came from Alpha Chi. Among them was Brother Merrick, who received the French Croix de Guerre and the American Distinguished Service Cross for bravery in action. By now, Alpha Chi had found a home at 2932 Saint Paul Street; as the war raged, meals were not served at the house. Meetings were adjourned with the singing of our National Anthem and a flag flew proudly from the house. The end of World War I heralded exciting times for Beta at Hopkins. In 1921, a home at 2721 North Charles Street was purchased. Alpha Chi began dominating not only the athletic field but also the classroom, winning the Scholastic Cup by becoming the first fraternity to achieve the highest grades for three consecutive semesters. During the second half of the Roaring Twenties, drama was popular at Beta. The majority of the brothers were members of the Hopkins Barnstormers. The chapter celebrated its fiftieth birthday on December 15, 1927; Francis W. Shepardson, Denison ‘82/Brown ‘83, attended the festivities. Financial resources were particularly strained during the 1930’s, and the house began to show signs of wear. The brothers, through their own skills, along with the touch of House Mother Mrs. Anderson, were able to remedy the situation, making several repairs on the house themselves. Although Alpha Chi was weakened by the arrival of the Second World War, she never left the campus. With the close of the war, fraternity life soon returned to normal. A decade later, the house at 2721 N. Charles began to be inadequate for the brothers. During the late 1950’s, efforts to acquire a new, larger house were implemented. A bi-monthly newsletter, the Dragon’s Roar, was circulated to promote alumni interest, and the search for a residence began. By 1961, the chapter settled on an apartment house at 3906 Canterbury Road and moved in late September of that year, immediately converting the place into a true Beta House. During the late sixties and early seventies, Alpha Clii thrived. The Beta house was the place to be. A popular comment from the time was, “If it’s Saturday night, I must be at Beta” as the brothers always had something happening at the house. A popular event during the sixties was a formal dance held with woman from Goucher College (as Hopkins was not yet co-ed). However, when the young ladies arrived at the house in their formal gowns, they found the brothers in tuxedo tops and boxer shorts. The older students of Goucher never told the freshmen what to expect, keeping the attire of the brothers a big secret. Another great story that rose from the sixties involved a complex operation, which resulted in the acquisition of the Navy goat in time for the Hopkins-Navy lacrosse game. During this time, Beta was considered by all to be the best fraternity on campus. The late seventies, though, marked a period of downfall; a series of events culminated in the removal of the charter. More than a decade later, during the year 1988, 111 years after the chartering of Alpha Chi, Hopkins was a different place. Fourteen fraternities existed on campus, and Beta Theta Pi was not among them. In fact, the 3906 Canterbury House was occupied by the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity who used the impressive residence with its spacious basement as an excellent attraction for new members. Richard A. Bell, a young student at Hopkins, wished he could have a family while at school, a group of friends he could always count on as brothers. With several friends, he searched among existing national fraternities for one that fit his ideals. Brother Bell read about every fraternity at the university library. Beta Theta Pi stood out among them all as the one true fraternity, based on genuine fellowship and brotherhood. Brother Darwin Liao also did a great deal of research, calling on his prior experience with fraternities on other campuses, including Beta. He soon met Kirk Gardner ‘64, who was working at Hopkins at the time. Brother Gardner, along with other local alumni, spoke with them about Beta Theta Pi. Brother Bell and his friends decided that Beta was right for them and set out to bring Alpha Chi back to Johns Hopkins. They contacted Chuck Helman and expressed their desire to start a colony at Hopkins. After Brother Helman and others from General interviewed the group twice, they were awarded colony status during November, 1988. The eight founding fathers of the new Johns Hopkins University Alpha Chi of Beta Theta Pi were:
Richard A. Bell ‘93 AX920 William Bailey Henry, Jr. ‘91 AX921 Vensive Lopez Lamb ‘91 AX922 Darwin James Liao ‘91 AX923 Saurabh Narandra Shah ‘91 AX924 Brian Shih ‘91 AX925 Jan Michael Steinberg ‘91 AX926 Ellis Antione Wheby ‘91 AX927
The eight founders were pledged during February 1989. The University of Maryland College Park, the Delta Omega of Beta Theta Pi, was chosen to be the sponsoring chapter of the colony. Under their guidance, the pledges learned what it meant to be a brother of Beta Theta Pi and were initiated into the brotherhood on May 15, 1989. The chapter grew in size, doubling over the next year. A new District Chief soon arrived at the young District XL to oversee the brothers of Delta Omega, Alpha Chi, and George Mason University, the Epsilon Mu of Beta Theta Pi. With the invaluable and eager assistance of David W. Dexter, Michigan State ‘85, the colony prepared to petition for its charter while turning into a fraternity respected by the Johns Hopkins student body, faculty and administration. Letters in support of the colony poured in from everywhere. The Delta Omegas and the Epsilon Mus sent letters from their presidents. Dean of Students Susan Boswell also showed her support, as did the Baltimore Fuel Fund, for whom the colony volunteered annually at the Paddle For People. The fraternities and sororities at Johns Hopkins also let Beta Theta Pi know that the Alpha Chi colony fully deserved receipt of their charter, referring to the colony as “a positive influence on the image of the Greek system.” During Spring of 1992, Alpha Chi prepared to petition the fraternity for a charter at the 153rd General Convention in Washington D.C. Meanwhile, a strong pledge class of eleven was inducted into the fraternity, bringing the brotherhood to thirty members. Beta became known for its exciting parties, especially the St. Patrick’s Day in Jamaica, featuring Mike Kim 93’s band The Skunks. After an impressive showing at Convention, the chapters of Beta Theta Pi unanimously voted to award The Johns Hopkins University, the Alpha Chi of Beta Theta Pi, with full chapter status. After three years of hard work, Alpha Chi had formally returned as a jewel in Beta’s Broad Domain. The work of several brothers has been invaluable in returning Alpha Chi to her previous glory. Kirk Gardner, Hopkins ‘64, provided a great deal of advice, often meeting daily with brothers to help them out. John Austin, Hopkins ‘69, has supplied a great deal of legal assistance. We were also very lucky to have Brother Dexter selected to replace Brother Helman as District Chief when the post was vacated; as mentioned before, he has done a terrific job for us. These brothers and others too numerous to mention here have helped the Alpha Chi of Beta Theta Pi reach the day of the formal installation of our charter, April 24, 1993. With the initiation of seven pledges in 1998, the chapter set its sights on one of the General Fraternity’s highest awards. Under the leadership of chapter presidents Andrew C. Kung, AX996 ‘00 and Ranji M. Thekkil, AX1011 ’02 the Alpha Chi received its first Sisson award at the 160th General Convention and received its second Sisson award at the 161st General Convention.
The material sent by Robert T. Howard. Beta Historian, has been extremely helpful in preparing this history. The histories written by Alfred R. L. Dohme, Hopkins 1886 and Peter D. Dilks. Hopkins 1967 were used for the early history; interviews with Richard A. Bell. Hopkins 1993 supplied the information regarding the new Alpha Chi.
--Jeffrey A. Foreman, Hopkins 95 Alpha Chi Archivist
retyped and updated 11/02 by Scott B. Miserendino, Hopkins ‘02 |