Alpha Gamma Upsilon

Alpha Gamma Upsilon History

FRATERNITY and ALPHA GAMMA UPSILON

Before you can determine whether a Greek-letter fraternity is the right thing for you to consider joining, perhaps you should ask yourself this question: Just what is a fraternity? Webster says a fraternity is "A body of men associated together, as for their com- mon interests, business or pleasure; a brotherhood”.

College covers a span of years that holds tremen- dous possibilities for the development of an individual's personality. People of any age develop best in a congenial, stimulating atmosphere, and this is especially true of young men in their late teens and early twenties. The fraternity chapter with its care~ fully chosen men supplies this environment.

Alpha Gamma Upsilon, you will find, meets this requirement exactly. Within the "Alpha Gam" brotherhood you will find a close compact group of college men who have the same common interests which produce a spirit that can truly be called fraternal.

ACROSS THE YEARS
It was this common interest that resulted in the four founders, Herbert Carter, Homer Iden, Alfred Koen- eke, and Dale Odneal, banding themselves together for the formation of the first Alpha Gamma Upsilon chapter in 1922. From this single chapter;the fraternity steadily expanded through the thirties until it now has chapters in three states and an expansion program that will shortly carry it into many more.

While a relatively young fraternity compared with some of the fraternities in the nation, it has been a youthful spirit of progressive thought and growth that has made Alpha Gamma Upsilon stand high among the college fraternities at the schools where its chapters are located. As It continues to grow both in stature and strength of membership, Alpha Gamma Upsilon continues to maintain this position in the fraternity world.

To you who select Alpha Gamma Upsilon as your fraternity is presented the challenge to uphold and encourage the principles and ideals which have be-come so much a part of college life.

FEATURES OF ORGANIZATION

Alpha Gamma Upsilon's national organization has been carefully arranged to avoid being too centralized, and to allow a maximum of control to the individual chapter. The governing body of the fraternity is the National Board of Directors which is elected annually by the Supreme Council at the National Convention. This Board of Directors is composed of five prominent alumni members, and they, plus an alumni Chapter Counselor appointed for each undergraduate chapter, set the general policies of the fraternity.

Directly under the Board of Directors is the national headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, under the supervision of the Executive Secretary. This central office keeps in direct contact with the undergraduate and alumni chapters, and the chapter advisers through visitations and reports.

NATIONAL AWARDS AND TROPHIES
The national organization constantly strives to encourage and assist the chapters to improve their standing through awards and trophies as well as by bulletins and visitations.

The scholarship is an important item in Alpha Gamma Upsilon. A standing Scholarship Committee headed by a national Scholarship Chairman supervises such activities of all the undergraduate chapters, and each year awards are made to outstanding scholars selected from the chapters.

The President's Plaque, a silver and gold trophy, is awarded annually to the chapter which excel in the field of chapter newspaper. The name of the winner and the year is engraved on the trophy each year as a record of their accomplishment. If won three times, the Plaque becomes the possession of that chapter.

A Key is awarded annually by the Board of Directors to the outstanding member of each undergraduate chapter. This highly coveted pendant is presented to the one man in each chapter who most nearly exemplifies the ideal fraternity man.

The Alumni Cup is awarded annually to the chapter which has fulfilled to the highest degree the ideals and principles of the fraternity. The name of the winning chapter and the year is engraved on the cup, which remains in the possession of the victor for the subsequent year, although it is actually again put in competition.

FRATERNITY PUBLICATIONS
Foremost among the publications of Alpha Gamma Upsilon is the LINKS, the fraternity magazine. The LINKS is published annually and assumes somewhat the proportion of a yearbook in that it reviews the year's activities of all chapter.

Other publications include the Pledge Manual, a book of instruction for the pledge, which tells of the history and growth of the fraternity and all other general information concerning fraternity activities. The Procedures Manual is a book of instruction for chapter officers and the men of the undergraduate chapters.

Bulletins covering current matters to be brought to chapter attention are sent out periodically, and copies of the national constitution and by-laws are made available to the chapters and members, so that they may become familiar with the laws of the fraternity.

The chapter papers are known by the following names: the Beta Babble, Gam-a-vue, Delta Doin's, Epsilonian, Zeta Zephyr, Eta Echo, Thetascope, and the lotan.

UNDERGRADUATE CHAPTERS LOCATIONS
Indiana Technical College Fort Wayne, Indiana
Detroit Institute of Technology Detroit, Michigan
General Motors Institute Flint, Michigan
Lawrence Institute of Technology Highland Park, Michigan
University of Detroit Detroit, Michigan
Wayne University Detroit, Michigan
University of Toledo Toledo, Ohio
Michigan State Normal College Ypsilanti, Michigan

A FEW PROMINENT ALPHA GAMMA ALUMNI

Educational:

DR. PAUL HICKEY, Past Pres., Detroit Inst. of Tech.
DR. HOMER DUNATHAN, Past Pres., Findlay College.
DR. LOUIS M.McKNIGHT, Dir. of Edu., Detroit Inst. of Tech.
DR. ROBERT E. OSBORN, Dean, College of Electrical Eng., Cornell University.
DR. STANLEY A.GRAVRES, Dean, College of Liberal Arts, Detroit Tech.

Industry and Finance:

DR. STUART McLAIN, Dir. of Nuclear Research, Oak Ridge, Tenn.
HOMER H. IDEN, Executive, Chase National Bank, New York City.
RAYMOND NElLSON, Pres., Neilson Chemical Corp., Detroit, Mich.
KENNETH A. MEADE, Placement Dir., General Motors Corp.
J. HARVEY DISE, Certified Public Accountant, Detroit, Mich.

Religious:

REV. J. PIERCE EMIG, Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Adrian, Mich.

Medical:

DR. JOHN H. UNDERWOOD, D.O., Detroit, Michigan.
DR. ELDOREHOETZER, M.D., Fort Wayne, Indiana.
DR. MARTIN A. GLYNN, D.D.S., Detroit, Michigan.

ALUMNI CHAPTERS

Detroit, Michigan
Fort Wayne, Indiana

AUXILIARY CHAPTERS

(Alpha Alpha Pi Sorority)
Detroit, Michigan
Fort Wayne, Indiana

THE CREED

To live by the light of brotherly love,
To walk in the way of truth;
To serve, to honor, to reverence the fraternity
And the things for which it
stands. This is the hope, the strength, the Creed
Of Alpha Gamma Upsilon.

TWO POPULAR ALPHA GAM SONGS

Our Fraternity

Oh, Alpha Gamma Upsilon,
Throughout the years you'll reign supreme;
Our loyalty and brotherhood,
Through the darkest nights will gleam.
Our trust in God and you shall stay
And guide our path the winning way;
Withcolors high-its do or die
For our Fraternity.

The Victory Song

To Alpha Gamma our fraternity,
Her boys are ready for the fray;
They are inspired by comrades loyalty,
It's growing stronger every day.
Though skies are gray and future outlook sad,
Just think of all the loyal friends you have,
To help and cheer you on to victory
Through Alpha Gamma Upsilon.

Epsilon Chapter (Lawrence Tech) Tid Bits

Thank you to Hurst Wulf for passing on this information. Brother Wulf pledged the old gal in' 39 and graduated in '41. In additon to working in the private industry, brother Wulf also taught mathematics at dear old LIT from the 1940's through the end of the 1950's. He had the pleasure of teaching calc to many of the Alpha Gams during that time including Walt McCoskey and Bill Manchester.

Some items from the past Im passing along:
The chapter had a house on Tyler Avenue in Highland Park, I think the address was 111.
The school had no say in the operation of the house nor did the HQs office
The chapter actually paid an older/elderly woman to be the house mother; to cook and keep the place clean. To the later, the guys helped too but she kept the place organized.
The house was sold at the time the campus moved to Southfield and the chapter could not afford to buy another house.
Around 1970, Dr Buell turned over the assets of the Highland Park house to the Active chapter which was beginning to form an Alumni Association. The amount was around $2000. As an aside, it increased to about $12K in 1986, got knocked down to about $4K as a result of a raffle fund raiser that went south on us. Rose up to about $10K in the mid 90's and then tanked to about $2K after the dot com bubble burst in 2000. It presently is at about $4K.
The chapter organized the Epsilon Alumni Corp, which is a 501c7 entity aka a housing corp, in 1956. Stock certificates were issued and a copy of one is in the big scrap book. We may want to implement a promissory note concept - but more on that later.
The house was almost sold during WWII since most of the members were overseas.
The house hosted nuemrous card parties, and the like
Dr Buell used to stay at the house.
The chapter was always number one in scholarship, membership, and sports.
The conventions at the Alpha chapter - Fort Wayne were always fun to