"Dear Mom" (Letters from College)

[JonoBN41]

Gordon A. M.
Lambda Chi Alpha
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

February 11, 1940

Dear Mother,

Guess what! We had our Hell “Week” last week.
That’s all over and it wasn’t so bad. I’m enclosing a list
of rules which we had to abide by and my battlefield
trip. We had some serenading to do, trips for brothers to
make, and make some speeches at the Delecto. Some
fun!
Last night I went down to Hood. F&M were there for a
concert and Lou had a blind date with one of those
fellows. They signed up for dates according to heighth.
They had an informal dance which cost a dollar. I got a
date with Lou’s roommate Ann Compton from
Annapolis and we and another couple went to the
“Hour Glass” for a while. We then made a tour of the
town on feet!
About 11:00 we got back to College and danced free of
charge till 12:00.
I met Annabel Lutz there. She wanted me to meet her
boy friend from Dickenson Law School but she
couldn’t find him. Tch tch.
It was rather nice having girls cutting in for a change
while I was dancing. I had my green bow tie on and did
that slay them? Wow!
I saw Lou there and talked to her a while. I’ll send you
her picture.as soon as I get it. By the way, I sent you a
picture of the fraternity in my laundry case. The names
of the fellows are on the back.
We have a bible test Tuesday
I’m still having trouble with Math. I must have passed
my math though because I’m still in the class and my
name is not on the probation list. No, I’m not being
tutored any more.

Love,
Gordon

PS. I met several girls at Hood who knew people I do.



PLEDGE DUTIES AND CUSTOMS
1. Ride broomstick
Ride broomstick backwards on Broadway
2. Carry books in suitcase
3. Get signature of Erhart or many at Delecto
4. Carry pack of lifesavers all the time
5. Wear loud clothes
6. Enter class last. Leave last.
7. Wear black cap at all times
HOUSE RULES
1. Learn poem. Say at dining door
“Allah Allah who art most high
Behold this neophyte on bended thigh
Prince Charming intones, not meek, yet bold
The deep seated secret I now unfold
Oh brothers I am indeed of less consequence than thy noble posteriors”
2. Enter back door
3. At dining room door do following:
a. give full name
b. give age
c. give course
d. give home town
e. give one minute talk on string beans
f. say poem on knees
4. Pledges sit at different tables
5. At silence at all times in house except when given special permission
6. Can’t sit in front room
7. No smoking in house
8. No pledge may enter a brother’s room without permission
9. Pledges lose all identity, known by letters
10. Sing at 6:45 AM outside house for 5 minutes
11. Sing from 5:45 to 6:00
12. Obey reasonable requests
13. Wear tie and coats
14. Must be neatly shaved
15. Address brothers as sir
16. Ask no favors, expect no favors
17. Wear hat at all times
18. Go up and down stairs backwards
19. Wear robes in house

Do these in order
1. Go to the Pennsylvania Memorial and find the rank and co. of Hugh McGonigille 3rd, also copy off the full names of all the Stroehmanns
2. Go to Barlow’s Knoll and get all the information on Maj. Gen. Barlow you can.
3. Now go to the statue of Brig. Gen. Wadsworth on Reynolds Ave. and bring back all the information about him that you can.
4. Now report back to the house for final instructions.

[Tom Earp]

OMG, to funny to say the least. Just feel like a time warp, but can be somewhat true in Our Days and Ages.

Please Let This "Pledge make His Grades"!

Love The Green Bow Tie! He must have been a real Bon Viante in those days!

He sure wansnt a Hippy from the 60's!

[JonoBN41]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
Please Let This "Pledge make His Grades"!

First Semester Grades 1939-40
English A – C
French A – C
Chemistry I – F
Mathematics 3 – D
Orientation – C
Military Science I – C


It pretty much looks like my first semester in college.

ZAX,
Jono

[JonoBN41]

Gordon A. M.
Lambda Chi Alpha
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

February 17, 1940

Dear Mother,

I’m just reading over your two letters and answering
questions as I go along.
Studying does seem easier for me this semester. I’m a
little more systematic, I believe.
About that personality test, some of it I believe is true
and other parts I think are all hooey!
You said I received 3 quality points. No, I got nine. A
person gets 3 for a “C”, 6 for a “B”, and 9 for an “A”,
in three hour course. I got 3 “C”s making nine. There
are 0 points for a “D”. Six was minimum for 1st sem.

Congratulate Bob for beating Zelie.

We’ve had a lot of snow here lately, although it’s
melting now. Last night the bus bringing Muhlenburg
players here got stuck in the snow and the game was a
couple hours late getting started. We beat them by a
couple of points.
I saw N.Y.U. play here last Tues. night. They were
really good. They’re about second best in the country. I
expected to see fellows that were large and, well,
different. But they have to put their pants on one leg
at a time, just like me.
I had several chances to go to Hood to a formal dance
tonight (Saturday), but I’m going to see “Gone With the Wind”
February 24 – I’ve got my tickets ($.77) – and I’ve got
to save someplace.
We’re having an open house at the fraternity Sunday
evening. We’re bringing girls for supper too.
Last Tuesday was my biggest mail day yet. I really hit
the “Jack Pot”. I got five letters from, Lou, Jeanette,
you, George, and a girl from Nauvoo [?], Ill. (Don’t
know her do you?)
Well, I must be off!

Love,
Gordon

[I will be posting the last letter on Greek Chat tomorrow. -Jono]

[JonoBN41]

[The final letter in this collection is not from Gordon at all, but rather from his cousin Jack in San Diego, sent via Airmail to him, three years after the letter above. By 1943, World War II is in full swing and it appears Gordon is about to graduate with a commission in the Navy.]

Feb 28, 1943

Dear Gordon,

Well I got back in San Diego this morning at $10:00,
oclock, not dollars. I had a swell time both at home and
at Jeans. I’m sorry I didn’t get down to see you but, I
came home a different way which cut off about 11 hrs.
traveling. I came home thru Buffalo instead of New
York.
Auntie, you mother, spoke as if you had some questions
you wanted answered. I don’t know much about how
the officers live, so I can’t help you much. But you’ll
get along all right because I imagine it’s just like school
was. It takes a little bit of time to
(over)
become accustomed to the change and then everything
is all right. The navy is a pretty good outfit to be in
right now.
I suppose you are glad school is nearly over so that you
can get started at something a little different. It will
probably be tough at first, but it doesn’t take long to get
used to it.
That’s enough of that chatter tho, and to get started on
something different. I did some tobboganing at Jeans
while I was their. We had a heck of a lot of fun. If we
weren’t at war I might even consider moving. Maybe
I’m lucky we are at war. Eh what!
I have already written six letters and have a couple
more to write after this. Some fun.
I had a swell time going and coming on the bus. There
was a mess of women traveling and did I have fun.
Things at home are so dead it isn’t even funny. All the
fellows my age are in College or the service now. And
the girls I used to date are all married, or at college, or
working some place. Even at that I got around a little
bit as Jim Leighton got home at the same time and we
had his dad’s car all the time.
I saw Evans City beat Mars & Zelie at basketball while
I was home anyway. They were the first ball games I
had seen for two years. I’ve been in the navy about
15 mo. now. It doesn’t seem that long but it is.
I suppose you are pretty busy right now, as you get
ready to graduate. But if you do get time drop me a line
and ask any thing you want to know. If I can answer it
I will, so don’t hesitate.
Good luck Gordon and maybe we’ll meet somewhere.
Maybe we’ll ty up along each other.

So Long,
Jack


So ends this collection of letters from the time of the merger of Theta Kappa Nu with Lambda Chi Alpha. Brother Gordon did survive World War II and married a girl from Pittsburgh named Martha, who passed away in 2002 at the age of 81. Together they had five children – three girls and two boys.

As of 2003, Gordon was still going strong, attending reunions at Gettysburg College, and trying to stay out of trouble. More fun, more people killed.

In ZAX,
Jono

[Tom Earp]

Brother Jono, this was just Awesome and just as interesting as Yours even though in different Schools and times.

I can so remember My School Years and can so relate to many things that Gordon went through.

History does tend to repeat it self doesnt it!

[Ottor 246]

This stuff really hit home with me, because I've been to that house several times. As a freshman, my roommate and I, both newly initiated Lambda Chis, stopped there one afternoon. They had a cook, and we were invited to stay for dinner (Coming from a chapter that met and had parties in a tiny rented six room house, it was really a shock to walk into a place where the brothers ate dinner toghether every night.)

They've still got the same house today, although I believe they school owns it now.

And I don't think they get grades in "Bible" now.

Jono, where do you find this stuff?

Ottor

[JonoBN41]

Ottor, thanks for writing. I'm really glad you like the letters and I'm envious that you've actually been there. That's very cool! I would guess that makes everything easier to visualize too. Nice to know the old house is still there.

I love collecting things like this - especially letters - because they are so much better than people's memories. The LCA History book written by Chuck Peyser in 1992 has parts that are more accurate than the one written in 1929 because he referenced letters written back and forth among Cole, Mason, and Cross whereas the earlier book went more from memory. When Mason writes he just received the first badge from Hoover & Smith, well there you go.

Oh, I found them on ebay.

ZAX,
Jono

[Ottor 246]

I'm not sure why, but lately I've been thinking about this thread. It could be I'm feeling nostalgic since I've been getting in touch with brothers from my chapter lately about our upcoming 25th anniversary celebration.

Anyway, since we've gotten some new recruits here on GC, I thought I'd bump this thread back to the top so they could have a whack at it. Good stuff.

In "More fun, more people killed" ZAX,
Ottor