Harry S. Truman -Research Help Needed

[docroc67]

Brothers,

I am doing a little research about Harry S Truman. I am interested in the circumstances of his actual initiation as an honorary member of our Fraternity. I vaguely remember reading something about him being initiated on a train! This may have beem posted on GreekChat. Any help would be appreciated.

I can point out that there is nothing about this event, or really much about Truman at all, in the 1992 History Book! Though his daughter gets a nice mention....

Yours in ZAX,
Mike Raymond, Z-U Zeta

[toovigilant22]

Hey Mike:
I sent out to the Truman library for his personal file for Lambda Chi Alpha...I have the stuff...send me your snail mail address and I will send it your way. Tom, I need your snail mail address and I will send you a copy as well....


Anyone else?

ZAX-
Matt

[honeychile]

One thing I can help you with - there's no period after the S in Harry S Truman.

[docroc67]

Thanks for your help. Matt, I PMed you with my address. Honeychile, thank you for the "S" information. You jogged my memory about this and I think you are absolutely right. I'll file that tidbit away for future reference.

Best Wishes,

Mike Raymond, Z-U Zeta

[Tom Earp]

Mike as I remember, He was to Initiated in His Office, but time was short, it was done on His train. How, I am not sure? Was it just read to him or how?

Knew Brother Truman when He was President, but I was a lot younger!

Mike as you know my back ground as you and I have mailed back and forth, I was always Proud to Have one of the best Presidents as My Brother.


I may have to make a trip over to The Library and see if I can find anything out, if they let me check.

Wonder if there is anything in the Archives of U. Missouri Zeta. GK.

[docroc67]

Brother Tom,

Matt said he would send me information from the Truman Library about his Lambda Chi involvement. I went to the Chapter webpage and didn't find anything about him.

Thanks,

Yours in ZAX,

Mike Raymond, Z-U Zeta

[JoinerLxa]

Initiation on a train?? What a logistical nightmare! But if there's
only one honorary, maybe its not so bad.

Maybe this is a good question for a new thread: where is
the WIERDEST place initiation has ever occurred??

In 1946 at Gtown, the chapter had no house, all the brothers
had just returned from the war....initiation was held in a
LARGE hole dug in the basement of the gymnasium where
a swimming pool was installed shortly thereafter.

That's kinda wierd!

[lifesaver]

It was my understanding from a conversation with Chuck Pyser one time that a member of Trumans cabinet or personal secretary was a Lambda Chi, they were on a train somewhere and were talking about it. Truman decided he wanted to be a brother, they phoned ahead to one of the chapters on the way and told them to get ready, as they woudl be doing rit for a sitting president. And in a matter of a few hours.

Talk about stress.



Also, I've seen rit done in some really unusual places. Something about Texas I guess. A few of note; completely outdoors on a 600 acre ranch, and in a cave 300 feet underground.

[Tom Earp]

Hm, wonder who the Person was?

The Initiating Zeta Was Gamma Kappa, Un. Missouri. Of Course HST Home State and State Un.

Mike, I promise per Our Conversation, I will try to get over to Library or Call them and see what is in the files if available for You!

This just points out, The Need for a IHQ archivist of Historical facts. History is the bareing on The Future.

As Mike Pointed out, Un. Mo did not have any information to leave for History, and needless to say, IHQ doesnt either.

[HONKY660]

It doesn't help that the Mizzo chapter was shut down in 1998 and just recently rechartered. Plus their house was sold, so who knows what happened to all of their historical artifacts and such.

[LXAAlum]

Originally posted by toovigilant22
Hey Mike:
I sent out to the Truman library for his personal file for Lambda Chi Alpha...I have the stuff...send me your snail mail address and I will send it your way. Tom, I need your snail mail address and I will send you a copy as well....


Anyone else?

ZAX-
Matt

You bet I'd like a copy - PM me for address info!

Most interesting site I know of - Colorado State used to do an outdoor initiation on a ranch owned by a LX alum from CSU - very beautiful place, and the setup area can still be seen (PM me for details why).

What I can publicly say is that it was held on a rock outcrop overlooking the ranch and a river basin - if you weren't careful, you'd find out that the drop to the river was about 200 feet vertical off the edge of the outcrop.

I think they stopped doing the initiations there somewhere in the 1970's when they moved into a large chapter house, but I'm not exactly sure when it was moved indoors. And it was done in all kinds of weather outdoors too - which made for some interesting evenings at least.

[Tom Earp]

OKAY S H, My Interest is piqued about this!

Matt, I too am waiting for this info.

Think I will try to call them and see if there is enough info to warrent a trip to the Library Files and if I can get in.

Oh, for FYI, the New Associate Pin on ebay can be purchased from IHQ for @ 3-4 $

The 1920-1930 Badge is from SW Texas Chartered in 1966.

[Tom Earp]

JOHNSON: Do you remember anything about that first speech that he made, any impression?

SWYDEN: No, I don't. But while he was a Senator and just before I went into the service, my fraternity offered him an honorary membership. It didn't materialize until after I was in the service. He became President, and then he became an honorary member of our fraternity, the Lamda Chi Alpha, in Columbia, Missouri. There are only two who have ever received that honor; they were President Truman and Senator [John] Danforth.

JOHNSON: Is that a social fraternity?

SWYDEN: Yes. It's on the campus of the University of Missouri.

JOHNSON: So he accepted honorary membership.

SWYDEN: Yes. I'll never forget. We had read in a

[7]

news bulletin, that I got when I was overseas, that there was a matter of hours in which Mr. Truman disappeared; nobody knew where he was. He was up at the Power and Light Building being initiated into the fraternity. They told me -- I don’t know -- they used my diamond pin so he could be initiated.

JOHNSON: Your diamond pin.

SWYDEN: Yes, so he wore my pin once.

JOHNSON: When would that have been?

SWYDEN: I’d like to give you the exact date, but it would have to be ’44, because I remember I was in the Pacific at that time, and I got a letter from home telling me about it.

"Didnt know Vic Swyden was a LXA either, must have been about the same time as Carl DiCappo who I new also.

Vic was big in KC Polotics for many Years and Carl was in the "Italian" Resturanat Business for many years!"

Both Brothers from GK, U. Mo.

This was all news to me and should dispell many rumors. Power and Light Building is still standing in KC with the dome that changes colors during the night. Built with Boss Tom Pendergasts concrete company along with all of the General Public buildings in KC in that era. Boss Tom was also the Main Backer of HST for County Judge of Jackson County, Mo. Home of KC Mo.

Brother Truman was instrumental in getting roads built in the county, as in paved roads.

For Historians, Truman was a fill in as VP under FDR as a Mid West Person to get the Middle part of the Country vote as FDR was Eastern. Truman was not informed of anything under FDR and upon His death inherited The Atomic Bomb Tech. and WW II!

Did very well !

John Danforth was a Senator from Mo. for many Years and is still involved in National Polotics.

[docroc67]

Tom,

Great stuff! Can you give me your source for this information about Brother Truman?

Yours in ZAX,

Mike, Z-U Zeta

[Tom Earp]

No, I made it all up! LOL!

Damn Mike, now I need to go back and look it up again!

Well for You only!

Wait a Moment.

OKAY:



http://64.233.167.104/u/trumanlibrar...hl=en&ie=UTF-8


Wont say I am good, but I try. Not as good as You and Jono!

Scary, I knew these People. Age does sometimes do well for some things!