A book about the founders of a fraternity

[oldu]

Craig Sowell of Delta Upsilon has just written a new book providing a detailed account of each of the thirty founding members. While excellent histories were published for the 100th and 150th anniversary neither gave great detail about the founders themselves. It is an interesting read as they were an impressive group.

First, anyone able to attend college in 1834 would have to have been in an elite status. Twenty-one of the thirty were ministers and/or teachers. Several started preparatory schools and three were instrumental in the founding of Hampton University, Lake Forest College and Sewanee University. One became a Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court and several held elective state offices. One taught President Grover Cleveland and another was a close friend of Abraham Lincoln. One became editor of the Chicago Tribune and another was also a founder of the National Edcational Association.

I hope other groups will go back to learn more about their founding members. It would be an inspiration to new members and, perhaps, make them feel cloaser to the reasons for their organization's existence.