Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - Banks of the Boneyard (Charles Kiler) [PAGE 6]

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IO

On the Banks of the Boneyard

in the Legislature, and most of the faculty and students knew little about them. The first one on the campus didn't perform as nicely as it should, and there were fraternities at other institutions which didn't do anything to raise the standards of the student bodies. Dr. Gregory, the first regent of the University, was strongly opposed to fraternities. There was only one during his regime—Delta Tau Delta, established in '71. Gregory was a strong advocate of the student government in force at that time. The Delts, under the leadership of James R. Mann, were a thorn in his flesh. They managed to hold on until '76 despite the strongest kind of opposition. Dr. Gregory called the Delts and fraternities in general, "undemocratic, anachronistic, silly, and conducive to 'dissipation." In addition to this, he didn't like them! But when the fight got under way to have our trustees elected by the people, instead of having them appointed by the governor, the Governor of Illinois, John M. Hamilton, and the Speaker of the House, Judge Loren C. Collins, both of whom happened to be Sigma Chis, were of course interested in having fraternities restored at Illinois. When I entered the University in the Fall of '88, I signed a pledge card agreeing that I would not join a secret society while I was a student there. I knew very little about college fraternities. When the Alpha Iota of Sigma Chi boys came over from Illinois Wesleyan at Bloomington, and signed AI after their names on a hotel register, I thought they were modestly admitting that they were pretty smart boys. If a fellow said he was feeling AI, I naturally thought he was feeling good. Then there was an AI sauce, but the letters didn't register with me at all so far as Greek was concerned; but since I had signed a pledge that I wouldn't join a fraternity, my curiosity was aroused and of course I was ready to break that pledge at the first chance. There had been talk about fraternities in the Spring of *8i, and as no objections were raised, Sigma Chi came in (May 31) with seven leading students as charter members. This number was soon extended to fifteen. But imagine their surprise when they got backin the Fall—they were ordered to disband and give up their charter! So said Regent Peabody, acting under instructions from the Board of Trustees. I have always felt that one powerful member of the Board had much to do with this order. Poor Dr. Peabody got the blame for it, but I venture to say that Mr. Emory Cobb of Kankakee was also back of it.