PSI PHI CHAPTER


THE HISTORY

 

 

THE HISTORY OF THE

PSI PHI CHAPTER

 

 

From The Deke Quarterly, most likely an edition published in 1911.

 

Through an acquaintance with John A. Nutter, Kappa '66, Thomas B. Downs first conceived the idea of bringing a chapter of DKE to DePauw, then Asbury University, an idea which once originated became the guiding principle of his college life and to which we owe our present existence as members of DKE.  

 

The movement was inaugurated during the fall of 1865, Downs at that time being a senior.  He soon allied himself with Brothers Ing '68, Hopewell '69, Elliott '68, Rector '68 and Robbins '68, and this small group set forth to obtain a Deke charter.  These men were not in any sense derelicts or left-overs from the elections of other fraternities, but were strong men in college life and men who could have allied themselves to other fraternities had they so wished.  In the words of a previous chronicler (see story below), "They were all men of sterling worth and force of character, men, too--bearded veterans of the Civil War, some of them--who stood in the highest rank of scholarship and who seemed to have been gifted with an unusual amount of pluck and determination."

 

Correspondence with the parent chapter was opened through Kappa, and by spring it was known that a charter could not be granted until the next convention, which was to be held at Ann Arbor, June 28, 1866.  Meanwhile a committee had been sent from Miami to investigate the petitioning body and had recommended the granting of a charter.  As graduation came before this convention met, Downs was forced to leave school without his aim having been fulfilled.  This was a disappointment to the group of petitioners and they left school in low spirits. 

 

During the summer, Downs received a letter stating that the petition had been granted and next fall the petitioners returned in high spirits.  November 9 was set for the installation of the chapter and all seemed well.  Downs returned, but the delegation failed to appear from Miami.  Downs was resolved not to let the matter rest until all was completed, so he waited a few days.  When no one ever appeared, Downs went to Miami to find out what was the matter.  On November 16, 1866, he returned, proudly wearing a Deke pin on the reverse lapel of his coat and accompanied by J.N. Wyman, Kappa '67.  The delay had been occasioned by the non-arrival of the charter which had been sent on by Yale.  Through the persuasion of Downs, the chapter at Miami had discussed the matter and had initiated Downs Thursday night and sent him and Wyman with a temporary charter to install the chapter.  The memorable meeting took place on that same evening, November 16, at the dead of night in the mayor's office, which had been borrowed for the occasion.  Those initiated at this eventful evening were Brothers Ing, Elliott, Stevens, and Hopewell; Brothers Allen and Robbins being out of school at that time but re-entering later.  

 

The first Deke pin seen in the chapel of Indiana Asbury was worn by Wyman the next morning, and according to a history of the installation in our archives, "There was twisting and gaping and staring among the terrified Greeks that morning and they are still at it," to which a later historian has appended, "And let us hope that they will keep it up until man is a forgotten creature and the walls of our college are dust."  The names on our charter are: Brothers Rector, Allen, Hopewell, Ing, Robbins, and Stevens, and the date of the charter is October 9, 1866.

 

That the men who laid the foundations of our chapter were men of remarkable character is shown by the fact that they won propositions from the best fraternities then here, even before there was any assurance that a charter would be granted and that when they had the charter they immediately began lifting men.  A member of '72 writes: "When I entered school in the fall of '68, the DKE's were the leading fraternity, excelling especially in scholarship, oratory and closely knit relationship.  The chapter was then somewhat heterogeneous in that it compassed the extremes, viz., some of the wealthiest and some of the poorest boys in college; some of the most pious and an equal contingent of the erratic (though very brilliant); some of the oldest in college and some of the youngest.  But through all and in all there was perfect fraternity."  Although this statement was written in the earliest days of the chapter, it would be hard to write a better description of the present chapter.

 

The meetings were held in a room "which was not ornamented in any way save by the color of the brick and mortar used in laying up the walls, and by the charter, which, after some time, was framed and hung up "only on state occasions, for fear of the intrusion of the non-elect."  This room was located on the east side of the [courthouse] square.  Later we moved to more commodious quarters and gradually acquired some furniture only to have all destroyed in the conflagration of 1874.  For a time, DKE was a "wanderer on the face of the town, now holding her mysterious gatherings in the closely curtained den of some of her illustrious devotees, afterward in the loft approached by an outside stairway, occupied during respectable hours by 'his honor' the mayor and perfumed by the incense which arose from the altars of Bacchus and at last with gigantic efforts settled in the commodious and well-furnished hall on the west side which we at present (1882) occupy."  This was the meeting place of the fraternity until we purchased our own fraternity house, which was first occupied by us in the fall of 1906.

 

In 1884, a very complete history of the chapter was published from which the quotations in this article are drawn.  In this history, the interests of the chapter at present are admirably expressed.  "We have endeavored to follow to the letter the policy marked out and example set by our founders and early members.  How well we have succeeded in scholarship the prize and honor list to which we point with pride will show; our list of alumni, who though young, are almost universally successful, will show.  In politics we have been subject to the varied fortunes of combinations but we have certainly no reason to complain.  In progressive movements and enterprises--college and class--DKE has ever been the acknowledged head and leader.  The jolly good fellowship characteristic of the fraternity at large has no less been a special characteristic of our chapter, as evinced by the enthusiasm of the alumni; and the strong union of stout hearts, which though making no pretentious outward show, is plainly perceptible in our meetings and relations with each other."

 

That this quotation of 1884 was not mere assertion is shown by the fact that when we turn to the active membership of that time, we find the names of U.S. Senator A.J. Beveridge, Author David Graham Phillips, and President Thomas Kane of Washington University.  That Psi Phi has ever stood for such principles is shown by the names of Ex-Lieutenant Governor Hopewell '69 of Nebraska; C.G. Cloud '70, founder of the Cloud prize and generous benefactor of the university; Professor P.S. Baker '74, professor of chemistry at DePauw; Dr. J.B. DeMotte '74, member of the Philosophical Society of Great Britain and well-known lecturer on psychology; Judge J.F. McClure '79, chairman of the Indiana Railroad Commission; S.W. Cantwell '81, speaker of the Indiana House; Sutemi Chinda '81, Japanese Ambassador to Germany; Professor H.B. Longden '81, professor of German at DePauw; C.F. Coffin '81, winner of the Interstate Oratorical Contest and Manager of Indiana State Life; S.L. Brengle '83, Brigadier General of the Salvation Army; F.T. McWhirter '84, president of People's State Bank and Prohibition candidate for Governor in 1904; R.G. Johnson '88, third Deke from DePauw to win Interstate Oratorical contest, and Henry McCabe Dowling '93, second Deke on the Indiana State Railroad Commission.

 

We cannot at present append such titles to our own names, but if high scholarship, Phi Beta Kappa, active participation in college affairs, the lion's share of political offices, good fellowship, congenial hearts, true ideals, and high ambitions, if these things are worth anything, then the active chapter is still pursuing the path laid out by her founders and will in the future add her quota of names to the above list. 

 

 

_____

 

A Psi Phi Chapter History, written in 1884:

 

To no one brother was the founding of our chapter perhaps due more than to our deceased brother Thomas Benton Downs.  With him the idea originated, and soon became the supreme ambition of his college life, for the realization of which he worked with tireless energy and unflagging zeal.  He took hold of it with an iron grip that never relaxed till he had gathered round him men of like ability and resolution, enlisted in the same cause, and until they together had taken the solemn vows of DKE.

 

His disgust with the fraternities then existing here, expressed by his characterization of them as "weak, pretentious concerns, with a blank past and a cloudy future," was soon found to be reflected in the minds of Brothers Ing, Hopewell, Elliot, Rector, and Robbins, and these set themselves to establish something which "had some bedrock to it--some history and prospect."  They were all men of sterling worth and force of character--men, too--bearded veterans of the Civil War, some of them--who stood in the highest rank of scholarship, and who seem to have been gifted with an unusual amount of pluck and determination.

 

Correspondence was opened with the Kappa chapter at Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, and with Omicron at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Michigan; but it was uphill business and at first seemed utterly hopeless as the policy of the fraternity seemed to be against further extension westward, but the applicants never faltered.  Several of them received most tempting offers from the other fraternities as soon as it was known that there was a possibility even of DKE coming to Indiana Asbury College, but they stood by the enterprise, doubtful as it seemed.

 

Brother Downs made at least on trip to Ann Arbor and did a vast amount of work in the matter, and finally a committee was appointed by the parent chapter to visit us.  Its report was evidently favorable, as a charter was granted October 9, 1866, and placed in the hands of the Kappa chapter, a brother from which came over and established the chapter, and partially led the founders into the workings of the brotherhood.

 

The chapter did not come out for some time, but when the pin did appear at the chapel one morning near the beginning of the winter term, there was consternation in the camp of the Greeks.  Composed as it was, not of the leavings of other fraternities, but of some of the best men in college, it was respected and feared from the first, not only on account of its individual membership, but because it had something solid under and behind it, as all knew.

 

It was not long till we had accessions of men such as Iglehart, Brownfield, Lantz, Lacey, and others of the same cast--good men and students--some of whom were "lifted" from the other fraternities.  

 

From the first it erected its standard high, and took in none who did not bear the marks of genuine manhood, making no difference whether they were rich or poor.  A member of 1872 writes, "When I entered Asbury in the fall of '68, the Dekes were the leading fraternity, excelling especially in scholarship, oratory and closely knit personal relationship.  The chapter was then somewhat heterogeneous, in that it compassed the extremes, viz some of the wealthiest and some of the poorest boys in college; some of the most pious and an equal contingent of the erratic (though very brilliant); some of the oldest men in college and some of the youngest.  But through all and in all, there was perfect fraternity."

 

Our own estimate of ourselves soon came to be received by the college generally, and we had an excellent following from the very first, though we had neither alumni or representation on the faculty.

 

The meetings were held in a small room in the third story of a business block on the east side of the courthouse square, which was not ornamented in any way save by the color of the brick and mortar used in laying up the walls, and by the charter, which, after some time, was framed and hung up "only on state occasions, for fear of the intrusion of the non-elect."  They were, perforce, generally "standing sessions," but 'twas not long till we moved to a more commodious room, divided it by a partition or two, and began to accumulate some furniture.  Here we remained till the "great confab" of '74 deprived us of a home and destroyed the costly and rare chapter library which had been collected.  After that, DKE was a wanderer on the face of the town, now holding her mysterious gatherings in the closely curtained den of some of her illustrious devotees, afterward in the loft, approached by an outside stairway, occupied, during respectable hours, by "his honor," the mayor, and perfumed by the incense which arose from the alters of Bacchus, and at last, with gigantic efforts, settled in the commodious and now well furnished hall on the "west side," which we at present occupy.

 

Brother Lantz '70, writing of our early life, says, "For some time the chapter, then the youngest but one, and the furthest West, was rather timid in its relations with the fraternity, of which we knew little more than could be learned from a catalogue.  Still we felt the protection of the Yale chapter, which, we learned from casual visitors, was much impressed in our favor.  Occasionally a DKE from another chapter would come to see us--Spann of the Upsilon chapter at Brown University, one of the Fletchers of Indianapolis, and a number from the Lambda chapter at Kenyon College.  These all appeared to be well pleased with what we were doing, and as we were able to give favorable reports, we gradually began to feel at home.  At first we did not send delegates to the convention, as we could not afford the expense.  The first time we were represented was, I think, at Providence, where I an under the impression that Brownfield and J.O. Henderson were together.  The noted names of the colleges in the East, the flaming annuals, the many organizations and various customs made us ashamed of little Asbury, where the college world appeared to be in a state of primitive nature; but we were all loyal to the chapter, and did our best to introduce eastern customs.

 

"The college affairs were administered very much on old-fashioned, circuit-rider principles.  The catalogue was about the only publication issued, and an effort seemed to be made to maintain this in the meagerest possible condition.  This system appeared perfectly natural to the others, but caused much irritation to us.

 

"It was the custom to have an oration and poem one evening at commencement.  From time immemorial, these position had been filled by old graduates and others.  Betas and Deltas, the same person reappearing time and again.  For the course of 1868, after our party had beaten the combination formed against us, we chose the part of poet and decided to nominate C.C. Puffer, a Beta Phi DKE from the class of 1863, whom we knew through his DKE songs.

 

"The election was held in the chapel, with Dr. Bowman presiding and the whole college participating.  The nomination, made in a brief speech by Ing, was received by the opposite party with disgust, and even the good Doctor felt called upon to enter a mild protest and express the hope that there would be a fitter selection.  But the will of DKE was law, and Puffer got the place.  He came on as our guest and delivered a lively poem which brought down the house.  The complete success of our movement disarmed all criticism and let in the first ray of eastern light that ever penetrated the shell of Asbury.  The policy of which this incident was one of the first results, was never lost sight of by the chapter, and was pertinaciously pressed on all occasions by our liveliest spirits.

 

"There were no prizes of any kind.  About the first established were those offered in 1875 by Brother Cloud '70.  The only honors of any kinds were the parts of valedictorian and salutatorian at commencement, which were assigned by the faculty to the first and second highest in general standing in the class.  When DKE swung, these parts hand been distributed on the slates of Beta Theta Pi and Phi Gamma Delta with great accuracy for some years to come.  It had been understood from earliest prep terms that a Phi Gam of '68 and a Beta of '70 were to be valedictorians.  In the first term of '68's senior year, Ing began to be a formidable opponent of the Phi Gams' by the middle of the year he was evidently gaining in position, and later Phi Gamma Delta went to pieces and DKE came in an easy victor of the first honor she ever contended for in Asbury.

 

"Of the class of '69, I can not speak, further than to say that all our men had good rank, none of them being in the lists of honors.  In the class of '70, DKE took both honors with the greatest ease--without even serious effort.  Our position in this class was exceptionally fine, for it was understood that Brownfield was fourth man, besides a leader in all college movements, and Norton delivered by far the best of all the graduating speeches and was the best manipulator of college politics I ever knew.  While Brother Lantz was regarded by President Bowman as the most brilliant man ever here, by far the best scholar of his class, and the best thinker and purest writer of the college.

 

"About the middle of the year '68 and '69, we found the college and the town taking a lively interest in our secret work.  Some of our movements led to rumors which raised the highest kind of excitement.  I think we were credited with everything but an open league with the devil.  Raw heads and bloody bones, grisly cadavers, coffins, and fire and brimstone were said to be our principal furniture.

 

"The climax was reached when we got a coffin in fact, as we did 'begin to have bloody thoughts.'   The undertaker got frightened, our movements were watched, and 'twas only by main strength that we got it knocked together by a round-about way into our hall.  Luckily we escaped observation, but the wildest stories were in circulation.  The general impression was that the coffin--whether or not containing a dead body was uncertain--had been secreted somewhere until an opportunity came to dispose of it finally.  One night half the college and many of the town were out on the streets and we feared an attack.  We had every man in the hall, and all of us were armed and assigned to posts.  We had the advantage of position, as the stairway was dark as pitch.

 

"Occasionally some of the older men, who had been soldiers under Grant and Sherman, went out to reconnoiter, and when the crowd became bold, Durham, who was a giant, paraded about the door with good effect.  The only assault committed upon us was the flashing of a dark lantern up the steps.  'Browny' promptly fired a stone at it and the experiment was abandoned.  During the troubles, which lasted some time, a janitor who lodged somewhere near the roof, was so frightened that he slept out doors a night or two rather than risk his life.

 

"When we felt that we were masters of the situation, we considered how we could divert suspicion, and at the same time play a trick on the crowd.  For this purpose several of the wildest students, intimate friends of some of us, were let into the conspiracy.  An old pig-trough was taken and put into a wagon in a prominent livery stable.

 

"Rumors were started and strange movements made, all of which fanned the excitement.  In the evening we were moving actively about the hall.  As the night advanced, everything became unusually still--not even the ordinary passers-by were on the streets.  We were puzzled, until I was lucky enough to find that an office about a block away was packed with men.  Another room nearby was afterward found to be filled in the same way.  Being sure now of the success of our plans, we completed our arrangements, and at a pretty late hour, the doors of the stable flew open and the wagon, containing half a dozen students and the trough, lumbered noisily into the street.  Instantly there was a shrill whistle, and in five seconds the street was swarming with men.  The wagon was driven rapidly toward the country, hotly followed by the hooting crowd, some of whom got sight of it.  The roads were as bad as they ever got, even at Greencastle--mud and water a foot deep.

 

"The procession, headed by the wagon, which as driven at such a pace as to encourage the efforts of the crowd, splashed on.  Gradually the accidents produced by the darkness, the hurry and the mud thinned out the pursuers so that the crew of the wagon thought they might venture to trifle with their enthusiasm.  A stop was made, and the casual inspection of the object of so much curiosity and pans took place.  The shout of laughter, the muttered oaths, and the long march back to town may be imagined.  Next morning, the chapel contained the most solemn crowd that had gathered there for many a day.  The incident served every purpose for which it was planned, and we were most carefully left alone ever afterward.  The most profound sensation was produced both in the college and the town, and the laugh and the applause were all on the side of DKE.

 

"The two honorary members of the chapter were initiated during my first year in college.  I conducted the correspondence with both of them.  As there were very few DKEs in the state, so far as we knew, we asked for their election in order to strengthen our position, and the convention yielded to our request.  We had both of them at Greencastle several times."

 

Since then, little worthy of narration has occurred to disturb the placidity of our course.  The institution has grown and developed so as to render our chapter life much the same, I presume, as that of our sisters.  Our university long since reached a point where we ceased to be ashamed of it, and has recently taken such strides of advancement as to make us justly proud of it.

 

We have had repeated, year after year, the usual exciting times and adventures of "spiking" or "rushing;" have put victim after victim through the trying ordeal of initiation, and shouted with demoniacal glee as he writhed under the tortures; have contested long and hotly on the political fields of the societies; have had the usual number of banquets, picnics and "times;" have watched from year to year with interest the struggles of our leaders for commencement honors, and have rejoiced with them in usual victory, or have borne our occasional defeats as philosophically as DKE can.

 

We have ever endeavored to follow to the letter the policy marked out and example set by our founders and early members.  How well we have succeeded in scholarship the prize and honor list to which we point with pride will show--our list of alumni, who, though young, are almost universally successful, will show.  In politics, we have been subject to the varied fortunes of combinations, but we have certainly no reason to complain.  In progressive movements and enterprises--college and class--DKE has ever been the acknowledged head and leader.  The jolly good fellowship characteristic of the fraternity at large has no less been a special characteristic of our chapter, as evinced by the enthusiasm of the alumni and the "strong union of stout hearts," which, though making no pretentious outward display, is plainly perceptible in our meetings and relations with each other.

 

Such has been the past.  Of our hopes for the future we may not here speak further than to say that we have hopes--bring ones, too--that our "link in the gold chain" may ever be found honoring its existence in the noble bond of our brotherhood.  Our song shall continue as it has ever been--

 

Let Psi Phi forever be

True to DKE,

Let her armor keep its lustre

While her gallant hearts shall cluster

Round our DKE.

 

 

 

Photos of the Chapter House at 

620 Anderson Street prior to its 1925 dedication.

 


 

Delta Pi of ΔKE ~ Illinois    ~    Delta Psi of ΔKE ~ Indiana   ~    Psi Phi of ΔKE ~ DePauw

 

Post Office Box 813     Greencastle,  Indiana  46135