Beta Theta Pi and The Mystic 7

Hey, guys I found this informaton as I was searching the Net, its preety interesting stuff about the Mystic 7 and the relationship with beta check it out...


http://www.wesleyan.edu/weshistory/mystical7/index.html

Let me know what you think,

____kai____

[DoctorThursday]

It is rather curious to see "definitive" applied to a 1907 book on fraternities when Baird had been through at least six editions by then. The essay takes a very curious view of literary societies, but then one should read through their minutes, if not actually live in the 1800s in order to understand such things. Or at least have met such people.

Also, while there has been a long-running debate about the heritage of the M7 at Wesleyan, I would be far more concerned with Beta's own heritage...

Verbum sapienti sat.

What books of his are you refering too, I have been trying to do research of the history of beta, I know of "the faithfull home of the 3 stars" but is there other books on our history that are more in depth?

[DoctorThursday]

I meant Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, a standard reference. But yes, there are several other books with great detail about Beta Theta Pi - all very interesting and powerful:

By William R. Baird:
The Handbook of Beta Theta Pi
Forty Years of Fraternity Legislation
A Decade of Fraternity Reconstruction
Beta Letters
Betas of Achievement

Note that "the Handbook" was originally called "Fraternity Studies" but this was confusing because it dealt only with Beta, whereas "Baird's Manual" deals with all fraternities & sororities - it is I think past 20 editions by now.

By Francis W. Shepherdson:
The Beta Book which is Shep's extended edition of Baird's Handbook
Beta Life
Beta Bards
Beta Lore

By Spig Fawcett:
Marching Along which is Spig's update to Shep's Beta Book.

And there are others besides, but these you ought to consult first. Fischer was an Assistant Historian; he did one on the Mystics; I seem to recall hearing that he was going to do a companion one on the Alpha Sigma Chi but that never happened. Some is in Baird's books, but not really enough to satisfy. It might make a good research project for a future historian.

Finally, if you want an absolutely amazing and incomparable introduction to the life at Miami in the 1830s and 40s, you ought to read The Miami Years by W. Havighurst. There are some minor inaccuracies (Hardin was in Union Lit, not Erodelphian) but otherwise it is just wonderful... you can get the electronic version at:
http://www.lib.muohio.edu/my/index.html

Thanks for the information!