Founding Father(s)?

docroc67 · #1 03-08-2005, 02:53 PM

Brothers,

While I was working in my deep fraternal archive last week, I came across a document, probably put together in 1996 judging by the content and internal dates, that contained the following question:

Who were the fictitious "first members" of Lambda Chi Alpha? The answer, marked by a *, is Percival C. Morse and A.E. Long.

Note the word "fictitous" in the question. Most recent editions of the Paedagogus give Warren A. Cole exclusive credit for founding our Fraternity and give little or no mention of the other two. Even the rare 1992 edition of the History of Lambda Chi Alpha... characterizes the meeting at which our Fraternity was founded as "apocryphal!" Having only read that word in relationship to the Christian Bible, I looked it up in my trusty MacMillian Dictionary to find, to my amazement, that it means of doubtful authenticity; false; spurious! Does this mean that the meeting was fabricated by Cole to create a start date for our Founding? Does it mean that Morse and Long did not participate in the meeting or, even more interesting to me, that they never existed?

What is your take on this issue? I am surprised to find this out. I thought I knew something about the shadowy days of our Founding...but, I keep finding out more interesting things by effort or, in this case, happenstance.

Yours in ZAX,

Mike Raymond, Z-U Zeta

GammaZeta · #2 03-08-2005, 03:26 PM

Anything is possible. It did happen almost 100 years ago so I'm not surprised that our fouding is a bit hazey. Is there any truth to the fact that Cole had to lie about membership to get others to join?

lifesaver · #3 03-08-2005, 03:31 PM

It had been my understanding that the first meeting was made up to secure legitimacy. I also understood that any real meetings didnt take place till a few years later. The initial GHZ chose the 1909 date because it was the first time there were any records in existance for LXA.

Tom Earp · #4 03-08-2005, 06:33 PM

Hm, doc, inseption to me is 1905.

But when I started BX Local, I wrote many of the "OLD LINE" Fraternitys and lied like crazy about the Membership we had. Hell. It was just me untill got back to school.

Wonder if this is not the same situation? Well, such as sending Letters to other Schools and promising them certain things such as Zeta Designations? Ergo Gamma being the actual first.

JonoBN41 · #5 03-08-2005, 07:13 PM

Mike,

This is very interesting and now has me wondering about the veracity of the doubters. "Who were the fictitious "first members" of Lambda Chi Alpha? The answer, marked by a *, is Percival C. Morse and A.E. Long."

According to my notes, the first three were Cole, Morse, and NICHOLS (Nov. 2, 1909). Morse was initiated Oct. 10, 1910, along with Muldoon, Connally, and Hassan. Hmmm...

Another thing that intigues me is the photo of the ledger containing the meeting minutes of Nov.2, 1909 in the Expositor, pg16, supposedly written and signed by Percival Morse.

I guess anyone can lie about membership, but we would also have to believe that Cole forged this document.

Mike, you have other examples of Coles handwriting. What say you? Could Cole have written it?

In ZAX,
Jono

EM1843 · #6 03-08-2005, 08:41 PM

My understanding is that Cole lied.
He wasn 't completely truthful or forth coming with facts about the organization when recruiting new chapters. What he was, though, was a great sales man.
From my conversations with Dr. Dirghalli, it would seem that Cole planned on having these men join the fraternity, but he "created" the fraternity. Cole was completely written out of the Paedagogus for quite a few years. My 1966 Paed doesn't even mention him by name, only "the small group."

My $.02.

lifesaver · #7 03-09-2005, 02:11 AM

And its such a glaring omission, its obvious theres a beef still there.

Of course, remember as a part of his 1959 reinstatement terms, he legally is not recognized as the founder, or Alpha Zeta 001. Its my understanding that he was only reinstated as a brother, with no special recognition.

It will be REALLY interesting to see how things pan out and what kind of mention he gets in '09. If people still have a beef and are 'playing down' his involvment/role, I'm gonna be hella pissed.

Seriously, at that point it will have been 89 years since his expulsion. Not even the old guys today were around then. Also, the fraternity can continue with its love affair with Mason all it wants, the end point remains the same. If it werent for Cole, Mason would have been the best Kappa Sig or SAE ever, and theres no denying that.

GammaZeta · #8 03-09-2005, 02:31 AM

I'm just curious. Exactly why did Cole get kicked out? I heard it involved $$$. Could someone please clarify?

Also, what was Cole's career after college? Was he a full time LXA or did he go on to practice law at some point?

JonoBN41 · #9 03-09-2005, 02:43 AM

Pasted from 3-02-05 Daily Facts:

Ever wonder what he did for a living? For some peroid of time he was a detective for the Pinkerton Agency.

ZAX,
Jono

Eric_Berger · #10 03-09-2005, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lifesaver
Of course, remember as a part of his 1959 reinstatement terms, he legally is not recognized as the founder, or Alpha Zeta 001. Its my understanding that he was only reinstated as a brother, with no special recognition.

On the download of membership data that the Alpha Zeta Alumni Association received from the HQ, Cole is 001-0001.

ZAX,
Eric

Tom Earp · #11 03-11-2005, 01:43 AM

Well so far, find nada.

Damn it isnt easy. Anyone else?
I Want to know too!

Amazing how Warren shows back up.

Cole, used Pin sale money to use as travel expense to help recruit. It became a big thing as The HQ felt It could benefit from the sale of Badges. Cole said no, this is the deal. OOPs. expullsion.

Finally Reinstated in what 1959? Do We still discuss many things like this today ?

Or is fight amongst ourselfs?

Damn, love a good fight, or discussion!

Tom Earp · #12 03-14-2005, 08:39 PM

Brother Mike, give a list of Names and if have Birth/death dates. Still looking but need some input?

iMAX386 · #13 03-14-2005, 09:39 PM

It was my belief and education as an AM that Cole conducted that first meeting all by himself but made up some members to test how a group meeting would function.

I could be wrong, though.

lifesaver · #14 03-15-2005, 05:17 AM

I had heard that Cole never got along with the Mason group (Cross, Ferris, Mason). They thought he was a bit of a rube and a liar. He disliked them because he had busted his ass to build this fraternity and they essentially took the ball and ran with it. Accomplished everything he wanted to but couldnt. The personality struggle continued and reached its climax with the badge sale issue. It had been related to me by Chuck Psyer that "He had trouble keeping his and the fraternity's money seperate." I cant attest to the accuracy of Bro. Psyers statement, because 1 ) I wasnt there in 1920 and 2) Even histroians have agendas. 80 years out, I dont think anyone will ever find out the truth.

JoinerLxa · #15 03-15-2005, 07:59 PM

The "official reason" Cole was "kicked out":

For the first few years, Cole made money (for travel-to-chapter
expenses, etc) by selling badges to members when he
visited. He wasn't a good "bookkeeper" so "his" money and
the "badge money" got mixed up in his pocket. Truth be
known, I'm sure he wasn't "making a killing" if anything at
all off the badges, prolly little more than enough to cover
his travel expenses.

Later the GHZ decided this was too sloppy, and "ordered"
that all money collected thru the sale of badges be returned
to the GHZ, and then Cole could submit his travel expenses
for re-imbursement. Cole basically ignored the "order" and
continued to operate as he had for the previous 10 years
or so.

So Cole was brought up on charges of "embezzlement",
though I think by the time it was "formal", he had already
given up on ever working with the GHZ again.

He was officially "kicked out" by the GHZ, but there was
a constitutional problem: only a member's chapter can
expel a member, not the GHZ (at that time...constitution
obviously changed later). But Fischer was GHPi at the
time (basically the "supreme court") who interpreted the
constitution saying the GHZ COULD expel Cole, and
so it was. Fischer then became GHA of course.

Years later (in the 50's?) when the GHZ at that time
decided to re-instate Cole as Alpha-1 (but not put him
on the GHZ obviously), old members of the GHZ
complained that a current GHZ could not reverse the
decisions of a previous GHZ, another "constitutional
crisis"...but Cole was re-instated as an "alum in good
standing" anyway.

The "real" reason:
Cole thought of LXA as "his" fraternity, and the other members
of the GHZ as just his gophers (at least the other members
of the GHZ might have explained it that way). The others
thought they should have authority as well as Cole.

The power struggle resulted in Cole vs. GHZ-others,
resulting in the "order" on selling badges, resulting
in the "expulsion."

But as the history book (Peyser) states, do not similar
scenarios play out at the chapter level all the time??

So the moral of the story is, as is always with history,
"Those who do not know history are doomed to
repeat it."

I think some were "sore" about airing LXA's "dirty laundry"
when the story appeared in the history book, but the
point is to learn from it. Hopefully some will!