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Field reps
The field representative has been known over the past fifty years
by many names, the most common was Field Secretary. These
began with someone from headquarters who'd visit a chapter,
look at the books, read the minutes, pay a 'courtesy' call to the
dean, have a meal or two with the chapter, deliver a rousing talk, stay up late and leave early the next day or two.
The onset of WWII created a need for opening up vacated chapters, and starting new ones.
Old codgers like me now could not relate well with the vets or the youngins. So, young men were put on the road. Of course, there were the older men who persisted on the old ways, like
Chi Psi, or Phi Delt...no offense meant, but they had a much different perspective.
Sig Ep and Teke especially sought young men, fresh out of school who'd work long hours, cheap, and were effective in the
rush techniques needed. Soon other fraternities did likewise.
SAE fielded a sharp dresser, in his 30s, Phi Gam likewise, and
Wilson Heller of the College Survey Bureau (Pike, Mo '15), was
effective in evoking change from Secretary to Supervisor. Later
Consultant or some other buzz word was used. But the fact was
that the proliferation of colleges opened the door to expansion and the old men could not sustain the "knights of the road" rigors, and outfits like Teke and Sig Ep especially, went wild with
starting new chapters. I know, I spent two years on the road and
met many of the "fielders," most of whom were very suspicious
of us Tekes...who'd take about anybody. But I saw TKE go from
#14 in size to #1 in about six years. Others followed. I know I got several chapters for fraternities and sororities other than my
own. While some of the snooty sororities were busy arguing over draperies, Delta Zeta was expanding, and several other women's groups. It would appear to me that only Chi Omega of
the biggies has made a real recovery, and the old teachers' college ones like Sigma Sigma Sigma have kicked many a butt
of the latecomers to those campuses they'd been on for forty years. 'Twas fun to watch, and I did not dislike any of 'em. The
female field rep was much later in coming, but they, too, have
become "angels of the road."
It was fun butting heads with the other fielders when we'd be on
the same campus, often setting up a rush program for a weak chapter. We'd sometimes acknowledge each other, sometimes
not. Some of us played James Bond....I went thru rush week with the matriculates at Whitman, was successful in recruiting
a huge pledge class for TKE...telling this after over forty years,
whipping Beta, Phi, Delt, Sig with an enormous class to propel
the nerdy Tekes to the top for many decades to come....my opinion, of course. But, 'twas fun. And, sometimes I'd t ake the
field rep to supper or for drinks, filling him in with the latest on the expansion trail. Those days no one was even close as to the survey of campuses or potential chapter locations...Again, it
was fun, and to this day I am still friends with some of those other fielders of yore.
Well, kids, it is getting time to pass the torch, but some of us old
timers in all the fraternities have some interesting tales. We do
think so, anyway. Give us a bit of time, and we will tell you some
fun stories while we still have the time.
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