In last month’s e-letter, we sent out a survey to our Alpha Eta Alumni. Now, we’d like to share some of our favorite responses with you! If you want to answer these questions yourself, please CLICK HERE to take the survey. You may see your Alpha Eta memories, photos or reflections published in a future newsletter or e-letter. We’d love to hear from all our Alpha Eta Alumni! Here are your Brothers responses.
Daniel P. Kreer ’64
“I believe in the principles of Beta’s founding and in the new “Men of Principle” credo.
The most valuable part of my experience is the lifelong friendships made, along with the camraderie, brotherhood, and mutual support we experienced in college and after.
The LSCMA should provide advice, support, & structure to the chapter as well as provide some funds for the upkeep of the house. And the chapter needs to heed that advice & structure, as well as take care of the house.
I recognize that current students cannot have the same fraternity experience as our class did. Living together in the house, along with the mild ”hazing” that we had to go through together, really helped build the brotherhood we experienced.
Our 1964 pledge class still gets together for mini reunions every few years in addition to the regular 5 year reunions.
Good luck to the chapter. Have fun, but be responsible, prepare yourselves for the future, be true to the principles, and serve as role models for the rest of the campus!”
Rick Kirk ’79
“I consider my fraternity experience at Denison one of my most memorable. I made lifelong friendships at the Beta House. It’s too bad that today’s brothers are not able to experience the house living experience we once did. As a Columbus resident, I run into brothers that were with me during my years and we always greet one another with a great smile and warm embrace. The smile reflects the many laughs and unusual events that we encountered during our days at Beta. Those events were never repeated quite the same way after graduation. It was a unique experience in a different time.
I wish the best for those at Beta today. If their experience today is as good as mine, they will one day reflect with great pride.”
Kent Galey ’68
“I was featured on the cover of the AE magazine several years ago. Class of ’68 for the 50th or so reunion. We are planning a 10-12 person reunion at Denison /Granville Inn on June 8-10/11, the virus notwithstanding. We have about 30-40 on a monthly email or at least quarterly email. Most of us were Betas but not all, and most of us played lacrosse.”
Ed Weber ’53
“I’ll describe the chapter when I was there, 1949-53. I regret that the actives today are not able to have the experience that we had.
The Chapter House – The living room was furnished with oak furniture, a Steinway grand piano, sofa etc. It matched the Granville Inn for style and comfort.
The stairway led down to the dining hall and the entrance to the chapter room.
The study rooms and second floor hallway aren’t too much different.
Until my senior year the House held only 25 upperclassmen. Then it was expanded (the wing on the right facing the House).
The same Trophy Case is still there, which is great. It preserves and carries on the Alpha Eta tradition.
Breakfast was a pick-up. Fried eggs or whatever. The cook was there all day until supper was ready to be served. Then she was taken home by one of the brothers by car.
Lunch was informal, I can’t recall much about it.
Dinner had a set format. The chapter president led the brothers down the stairs to the dining hall. There was grace. Then a song while dinner was being served. Brothers helped earn their way by being waiters (also by being dishwashers). There was another song while dishes were being cleared and dessert served. Then a song at the end. No one left until then. It probably sounds like a long time, but it actually went rather quickly.
Sunday dinner was formal, in the sense that coat and tie was required. Some of the brothers brought dates. It started with singing “Three Hungry Greeks” and ended in singing “To Denison.”
The dining hall has great resonance, as you know. And the chapter had lots of Beta songs and all of us loved singing.
I thought there were a lot of outstanding guys. If I started naming them, I would leave someone out. But I suppose Dick Lugar, Class of 1954, needs to be mentioned. He was a good friend. I ushered in his wedding. We did our military service at the same time in the Washington D.C. area and our wives became very close friends and still have contact with each other. Dick was never too busy to talk things over when needed.
Now and then I still have phone conversations with Bruce MacNabb, my big brother, Dean Owen and John Billingsley, my roommates.”