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Here's a recent exchange between Bryan Luoma and Al Mearns about the photo above:
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 10:19 PM
Subject: FIJI Scarlet Letter picture
"Al, I happen to have a copy of the 1949 Scarlet Letter yearbook and noticed your name, although I'll have to admit I can't pick your smiling face out in the picture. You'll have to tell me which one is you. I have sent a copy to Bill Nigh and asked him to put it on the website he maintains for the chapter. By the way, are you in this picture? http://www.cdeis.com/FIJI/classes_of_1950s.html If so, I bet Bill would love to know the story behind it for the website.
Bryan Luoma
Perge! "
"Hi, Bryan! Yep -- I'm there! I'm the first one on the left (with glasses); and the girl in front of me is Marian Brown (then) and Marian Mearns (now). The time is about right (early 1950), because Marian graduated from high school in the spring of 1949 and was a freshman at NJC (now Douglass) at that time. I was a junior. Incidentally, Tom Mahoney (the house father) is right in the middle in the back row. The way Marian and I are standing -- with her in front and me behind, with my arms around her waist -- is the way we all used to stand around the walls of the dining room at the end of a fraternity party for our singfest of Rutgers and Fiji songs.
This picture may have been taken on one of our 'big weekends', which were held three times a year (Soph Hop, Junior Prom, and Military Ball weekends), when the guys all moved out of the house for the weekend and the gals moved in. It was a nice arrangement that permitted the girls from out of town to have a place to stay. It was pretty easy for the guys to find a place to sleep in a dorm room, etc. Marian and I expect to see Alfred G. ("Pete") Russell in May at Hilton Head Island, SC, while we're on a short cruise.
Incidentally, I'm also in the 1949 Scarlet Letter picture - third from the right, second row, with a bow tie! The picture is in front of 15 Union Street.
Fraternally,
Al Mearns
Perge! "
Continuing the Chronicle of Nu Beta, with addition content:
With the temporary living space at 15 Union Street 'bursting at the seams', the seach committee launched by Bob Steifel found a worthy new home at 78 Easton Avenue. This was a 16-room house, on a decent sized piece of land, right on the corner, not far from campus. The cost: $40,000, a lot of money at the time, but better than building a new house from scratch. The sale of the property from the tragically-destroyed old house that had burnt down helped defray the expense of the new acquisition. The House Corporation painted the new building, redecorated the first floor, and provided new kitchen equipment. The undergraduates used their sizeable sinking fund to furnish the first floor. The project was handled by Hathaways of New York, with the result being one of the most attractive houses on campus. Beulah and Ralph returned in the Fall to feed the 'Apples'. Olive and Tom Mahoney resumed their roles as faithful house parents, having replaced the Bakers in 1949.
To help revive the Chapter, and increase interest in the Pig Dinners, the members of the 1920, 1930 and 1940 classes were honored guests at the 1950 Dinner. This Dinner also saw the first awarding of the new Clifford Pangborn Memorial Plaque, in commemoration of the Brother who had given his life in World War II, along with several others. The trophy was awarded to Alfred Russell, and was created by Fred Hock and Bob Steifel. Pangborn had been, respectively, their Senior father and Freshman son. The plaque is presented to that senior or junior who in the opinion of the Chapter, best exemplifies the principles and ideals which Phi Gamma Delta seeks to inculcate in its members.
Always strong as a singing group, the Phi Gams continued to produce fine quartets, with the 1950-51 quartet earning considerable acclaim. Fred Pfirrman was tenor, Edward King lead, Bill Drayton baritone and Andy Dundon bass. They entertained on the Boat Ride, at the Newman Club and other venues. The cabinet of Thomas Addy, Andy Dundon, John Hunn, Charles Hulse and Lon Gerold succeeded Peter Russell, Harold Vanaman, Carl Johnson, Andy Dundon and John Melick for the 1950-51 year.
In 1951 Henry Evans, Syracuse '38, who had come to Rutgers three years earlier, as elected Purple Legionnaire, and served for many terms thereafter. Ted McDonough was left fielder on the baseball team and hit over .400. Bill Pellington, Rudy Celigoi, Robert Mosher and Donald Schwedo battled on the gridiron for Coach Harvey Harman; Andy Kmetzko was on lacrosse. The Fijis ran up 57 points to take the Keller Trophy. Phi Gam took first in football and swimming, winning their league in basketball and softball.
Approximately 35 alums returned to take part in the Founders Memorial Dinner on Nov 1 1952, in honor of the eleven men who started the Chapter. Four of the original men were able to attend: Austin Rice, Harold Higgins, Brooks Martin and Addison Schell.
The 1952-53 cabinet was Louis Gerold, WIlliam Andrews, Robert Totten, Rudy Celigoi and Robert Harjes. Walter Strolmayer filled in the latter part of Celigoi's tenure. This cabinet succeeded Jack Stover, John Wells, John Cowan, Churchill Franklin and Rudy Celigoi. Cowan was replaced by A. Kimball Marsh toward the end of his term.
The 1952 pledge class had 21 men; four from Ohio and New York, two from Pennsylvania, and one from West Virginia. The Nu Beta Educational Foundation announced that more than $5,500 had been placed in a fund, whose growth to a larger value would then permit the awarding of a scholarship to a deserving Fiji for a year. The Foundation also increased the four cash prizes given at each Pig Dinner from ten to thirty dollars. Russ Webster was elected President of the Scarlet Key, and Vint Gwinn was elected to the first of three terms as President of his class. The track and softball teams garnered first place trophies; the softballers took the All-Rutgers Softball Trophy by defeating their counterparts from Rutgers Newark in a game played during the University Boat Ride. The 1953-54 cabinet was Bill Andrews, Russ Webster, Conrad Blackman, William Groman and George Woods.
On the scholarship front, Nu Beta went from 17th to 11th place, with four men joining honorary societies:
Fred Adams - Tau Beta Phi (engineering)
Russ Webster - Pi Tau Sigma (mechanical engineering)
Robert Serko - Pi Sigma Alpha (political science)
Bill Andrews - Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics)
Russ Webster was named to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, and later to the post of President of the Targum Council. Robert Kenney succeeded Russ as President of the Scarlet Key.
Marion Gail, the President of Monarch Buick, was the key speaker at the Pig Dinner on May 1, 1954. An active fraternity man, Brother Gail, Cal Berkely '28, was joined by Frank Baker, Rutgers '26, President of the New York Club, James Mailler, Rutgers '12, guest of honor, and Louis Huttenlocher, Lafayette '19, who read Frank Norris' "Exile's Toast".
The cabinet for 1954-55, Russ Webster, Donald Burns, W. Allen Nelson, M. Peter Dillon and James TIbbitts, was succeeded by Thomas Kenney, Daniel Richards, Vint Gwinn, Joseph Heinen and Edward Farrell.
Nu Betas were prominent in the 1955 campus elections, with five men named to major posts. In addition to the multi-term Gwinn, Bill Whitacre and Robert Lusardi were elected President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Class of 1958, Leroy Lusardi was named to Student Council, and Bob Kenney became Targum Council President. Vint Gwinn and Fred Adams were inducted into Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, and Edward Evans was chosen as co-captain of the 1956 football squad. Fred Adams held the University record in the sixteen pound hammer throw. Robert Howard, Edward Farrell, Tony De Santis, Andrew Baker, James Marco and Greg Holmes were on the football team. David Stires, Floyd Kregenow and John Brugler were on the basketball team. Robert Ride was the heavyweight mainstay on the wrestling squad. Bob Kenney played lacrosse. Vint Gwinn and Al Strohmayer were on the baseball team. In scholarship, the House went to eighth rank among 24 houses.
The Brett Song Contest was once again won by Fiji, on April 21 1955, when a 54-man chorus led by Les Hargrove held forth at Voorhees Chapel at Douglass during the intermission of the Rutgers Band Concert. Also in 1955, Mrs. Sudie Lumpkin moved in as house mother, replacing Mr. and Mrs. Mahoney.
The alumni were active that year as evidenced by greater activity and financial support; the Board of Trustees montlhly meetings were well-attended, and its relationships with the undergraduates were excellent. The goal was to amortize the mortgage and retire it in 1958.
At this point in the Chronicle, the original authors concluded their contribution with these words:
"The present has now been reached in this narrative, so there is no alternative but to stop and let future generations of Nu Beta Fijis to continue it from where it was left off. This history, as with any history, only serves to prove that the past is but a prologue to the future, and that the history of Nu Beta Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta will continue to be made as long as there shall be a Fiji hut "on the Banks of the old Raritan."
At this point in the Chronicle, a Second Edition was begun, which culminated in 1968, the 50th anniversary of the Chapter. Due to the voluminous contents, a second page is being compiled; coming soon.
Coping with '54 Finals
Photo courtesy of Wilson Andrews
The House at 78 Easton 'Av'. The porch on the right opened out into a fairly spacious yard, spacious enough to host many Fiji Island parties. Click on the picture to see a bigger version of it. There are photos of the House on that porch in the 1970s page.
Beulah Jackson - cook from late 30s to mid 60s. Ms. Jackson was also known by the 40s classes as "Apple" or "Ap", because she called every guy "Apple".
Class of 1957, in front of the fireplace. Click on the picture to see a bigger version of it.
A 50th reunion photo of four gentlemen from the class of 54.
Here is a remarkable account of a by-gone era. The author of this speech, Wilson Andrews, Jr., has graciously agreed to letting us publish it. It is worth reading.
What I hope to do this evening is to give the younger men, especially the undergraduates, an idea of the activities and tone of the chapter in the 1950s. But let me request at the outset that, although I was, and still am, very proud of who we were and what we did, please don't interpret my remarks as bragging or smugness. Rather, I'd like you to understand that all of us speaking today are trying to demonstrate by example what can be accomplished with the right people and the right set of goals.
When I entered Rutgers and pledged Fiji in the fall of 1950, perhaps a third of the chapter members were military veterans, having served in the era between World War II and the Korean conflict. It seemed remarkable to me and my pledge brothers that these guys, with their maturity and experience, were ready to accept a bunch of youngsters, fresh out of high school, into their brotherhood. But they certainly were, and their guidance gave us a definite advantage.
During the 50s we had many excellent role models from earlier years actively involved with the chapter. Men who were members of the Scarlet Club, and who had been responsible for our acceptance into Phi Gamma Delta in 1917, visited the chapter on a regular basis. Their names are probably only recognized by younger members as those associated with the scholarships given by the Nu Beta Foundation. Hank Van Mater, professor of chemistry; Bill Feitner, who was captain of the football team when Paul Robeson played; Mike Higgins, a successful banker in North Jersey, and so on. From later decades were Scotty Cameron, the University Librarian; Ed Lipman and Hank Evans who were Purple Legionnaires; and the ever-present Bob Stiefel, who offered advice well into the wee hours of the morning. And although Vince Kramer's name belongs on any short list of active alumni, his presence wasn't felt until after he retired from the Marine Corps well after the 50s.
As is most likely the case today, our interests revolved around academics, varsity and intramural sports, other extracurricular activities, community service, and keeping the quality of Fiji's reputation as high as we could. Throughout the decade we had significant representation on the varsity squads, won the Keller Trophy at least three times, had brothers on the executive staffs of Targum, Scarlet Letter, WRSU, what was then called the Interfraternity Council, Student Council, Class officers, and many other campus activities. In the last half of the decade we also saw many brothers inducted into Crown & Scroll, Cap & Skull, departmental honor societies, and Phi Beta Kappa.
By 1950, the chapter had already developed a tradition of singing, and the campus reputation of "The Singing Fijis" lasted well beyond the 50s. Throughout the decade, we always had representation in the Rutgers Glee Club which seemed just as important to us as our participation in varsity sports. There were several years during which all four members of the official Rutgers University Quartet were Phi Gams. We sang songs together after every dinner, at house parties and rushing functions.
There was an annual spring competition called the Brett Song Contest. All fraternities and living groups were eligible to partcipate, and the entrants had always been quartets, sextets and the like. We had won the contest at least twice in the late 40s, but in the spring of 1950, someone decided on a new approach. Instead of a small group, the Fijis would enter the entire chapter as a glee club, and until the night of the contest, they kept that fact a secret.
On that occasion, when the Phi Gams were called upon to sing, about 40 men walked up the aisle of Kirkpatrick Chapel, much to the amazement of the audience and the judges. They gave a quality performance of several songs, and won the contest once again. Henceforth, the Brett Song Contest was all about glee clubs, and we won the contest almost every year into the 60s.
Throughout the 1950s, all of the fraternities were required to have housemothers. First was Olive Mahoney who lived in an apartment within the house. She was succeeded mid-decade by Sudie Lumpkin, a widow from the south - both very fine ladies. There is no question but that they were a very positive influence on the chapter. Pledges learned etiquette and protocol from them, and the whole brotherhood maintained a relatively genteel demeanor because of their presence. When conversations got loud, care was taken to omit the expletives so the housemother wouldn't hear them. Dinner was formal every night but Friday, which meant that everyone was required to wear a coat and tie. The house mother sat next to the President at the head table, and everyone remained standing until she was seated. Some were not entirely happy with this formality, but we learned a lot from the experience.
Also living in another apartment in the house were Ralph and Beulah Jackson who cooked our meals. In addition, Ralph took care of the housekeeping chores. We all knew that their food was outstanding. On Parents' Day, my mother was not the only one who asked Beulah for some of her recipes. The Jacksons were not just our employees; they were an important part of our lives. Beulah had a great sense of humor, a kind word for everyone, and a laugh so loud that it could be heard throughout the house. Ralph was a big, mild-mannered, religious man, who was generally quite agreeable, but who occasionally would make it clear that he didn't approve of the pin-up calendars hanging in some of the rooms. We felt great affection for them. But, in the 1960s, when their son, Jackie, was about to enter high school, they retired to their home in South Jersey.
Our strategy in those days was to pledge as many triple-threat freshmen as we could. By that I mean, men who were good students, who excelled in some form of athletics, and who had some non-sports talent or activity to their credit. Then, as pledges and subsequently young brothers, we would encourage and help them to make the most of their talents. There was always a fair amount of peer pressure to accomplish something, not only for one's self, but also "for the house." In this way, roughly speaking, we were able to improve the caliber of men and quality of achievements each year. In 1955, Nu Beta was awarded the Condon Cup for being the most improved chapter in the fraternity.
The majority of the men in the class of 1956 were well-known on campus because of their extracurricular activities. The same could be said of the class of 1957, which, in addition, included four members of Phi Beta Kappa and several Henry Rutgers Scholars. Nu Beta won the Cheney Cup that year, as best chapter in all of Phi Gamma Delta, and it was unquestionably the high point of the decade. This is not meant to slight the fine classes of 1958 & 1959, who maintained a very high level of accomplishment. And while I don't mean to intrude on Ken Schmidt's decade, I must mention that the class of 1960 was also an outstanding one. After all, they were recruited and trained by the classes of '57, '58 & '59.
As much as I would like to, I would run way over my allotted time if I started relating stories of individuals. The group includes many doctors, ministers, lawyers, highly successful businessmen (including at least two CEOs), published authors, career military officers, professional athletes, college professors, at least one college President, PHD scientists and an All-American football player. And, of course, it also includes many relatively average guys who have led honest, productive lives, but who have made more modest marks on the world. The vast majority of them would tell you that their Fiji experience helped prepare them to pursue and achieve their life goals.
In the 50s, and for decades thereafter, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale was as well-known a Fiji as Johnny Carson and Jack Nicklaus. His book, "The Power of Positive Thinking", was on the N.Y. Times best-seller list for years. Whether you bought in to his philosophy or not, you had to appreciate his ability as a speaker. I heard him speak to Fiji audiences on two occasions, and, with reference to rushing, I vividly recall him saying, "What we seek are dedicated gentlemen of quality." And I say, that pretty well sums it up.
But the world is constantly changing, and what worked for us in the 50s is not going to produce the same results in succeeding decades. We are bound together in our fraternity by certain ideals, principles and values. The challege to each generation of undergraduates is to figure out how to apply those values to the current crop of "dedicated gentlemen", in order produce a Fiji experience which helps them grow, and stays with them throughout their lives. We are all delighted to see that the chapter is experiencing a renaissance, due in no small part to the very hard work of a group of commited alumni. And we have every confidence that, working together, you will succeed in meeting that challenge.
I assure you that I'm still very proud to be a Fiji.