Which was the "best of times" for Greek life?

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Not so sure about that. There was definately hazing 100 years ago, although it may have been of a more playful nature.

Even so, I wonder if your Head of Greek Life meant WWII? That's when, thanks to the GI Bill, former soldiers poured into colleges and joined fraternities in unprecedented numbers. I have seen many sources claim that they brought along more "intense" hazing with them, so that they late 40s were when hazing as we know it really geared up.

Hmm...maybe. It made sense to me about Vietnam because those soldiers were VERY young; 18 or 19 years old. Many also suffered severe psychological damage and saw a lot of violence, as well as propagating drug and alcohol abuse. I think these things would contribute to 'intense' hazing.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Hmm...maybe. It made sense to me about Vietnam because those soldiers were VERY young; 18 or 19 years old. Many also suffered severe psychological damage and saw a lot of violence, as well as propagating drug and alcohol abuse. I think these things would contribute to 'intense' hazing.

True, but as oldu points out in his parallel thread, the Vietnam era saw a sharp decline in numbers and prestige for all GLOs. Returning WWII vets who took advantage of the GI Bill swelled the ranks of fraternities; returning Vietnam vets who took advantage of the GI Bill did not.

Perhaps it's not so much an either/or as a cyclical thing after all wars. I found this in an article on hazing in Lambda Chi's Cross and Crescent (the complete article is here):

War’s Influence

Hazing in fraternities dates back to almost the start of Greek-letter organizations, but several events contributed to the severity and frequency.

One of the biggest events that led to the rise in fraternity hazing was from the affects of war. Many believe the beginning of hazing started after soldiers came back from World War II, but there is evidence that earlier wars also had an influence.

One of the first well-known charges against hazing in fraternal organizations occurred just after the Civil War. In 1868, James Frank Hopkins, Greenfield Quarles, and James McIlvaine Riley formed the Legion of Honor after witnessing the hazing acts of a fraternity at the Virginia Military Institute.

This secret society opposed any acts of hazing within their institution and emphasized that the Principle of Honor as most important in forming strong relationships. This Legion of Honor soon became known as the Sigma Nu Fraternity.

The way fraternities were set up, members could easily implement hazing. Because most fraternities revolved around secrecy and self-governance, it was easy to hide the hazing from the rest of the world.

Individual classes would try to one up the previous class because of experience. This segregation between classes and ideas of rank within the fraternity gave rise to class distinction and in turn to hazing.