Delta Upsilon

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Delta Upsilon - ΔY
Image:Color Coat of Arms.GIF
Founded November 4 1834 (1834-11-04) (age 175)
Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
Type Leadership & Social
Scope International
Motto Dikaia Upotheke ("Justice Our Foundation")
Colors ████ Sapphire Blue

████ Old Gold

Publication The Delta Upsilon Quarterly
Philanthropy Boys & Girls Clubs of the United States and Canada
Chapters 84 undergraduate
Manual The Cornerstone: Delta Upsilon's Guide to College and Beyond
Headquarters 8705 Founders Road P.O. Box 68942
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Homepage Delta Upsilon Website

Delta Upsilon (ΔY) is the 6th oldest international, all-male, college, Greek-letter social fraternities and is the first non-secret fraternity ever founded. Delta Upsilon was founded in 1834 at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts when 31 men came together in response to the activities of the two secret societies on the Williams campus.

Delta Upsilon's mission is Building Better Men by focusing on the fraternity's non-secret heritage and Four Founding Principles:

The Promotion of Friendship
The Development of Character
The Diffusion of Liberal Culture
The Advancement of Justice

Delta Upsilon's Vision is to be "the premier men's fraternity committed to Building Better Men for a global society through service, leadership development and lifelong personal growth of our diverse membership."

Delta Upsilon recently initiated its newest chapter, and the first of the 21st century, at the University of North Florida making it the 151st chapter in the history of the fraternity. In 2009, the fraternity will achieve another milestone by celebrating its 175th anniversary since inception.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] A Premise of Fairness

In the Fall of 1834, thirty men from the sophomore, junior, and freshman classes at Williams College decided to act against the tyranny of the two existing secret societies.

These two secret societies were originally formed as legitimate debate and literary societies. In the race for campus honors, they decided to take advantage of their secrecy in order to secure the victories needed. In doing so, they became political machines whose goal was to put their members into high campus offices whether qualified or not. They were effective in doing so.

Faculty members frowned on this trend: previously unheard-of distinctions, jealousies, and animosities arose where none was needed. They wondered if the emphasis on campus politics was contrary to fundamental purposes of the college itself. They were not alone in thinking the way they did.

Students felt the same way. They saw a wave of injustice infiltrate the college offices. The practice of conferring honors without merit was greatly dismissed and disliked. Students yearned for a fair and equal system to operate in. They felt the spoils of victory should go to men of merit, men who truly worked for their reward, not to unqualified men who used political clout to receive the prize that they did not earn.

[edit] DU's First Meeting

On the evening of November 4, 1834, 20 men from the sophomore and junior classes, along with 11 of the best men from the freshmen class, met to forge a plan of action. Though many would love to know what happened, the records of this first meeting were destroyed in a fire seven years later. It is known, however, that these men gathered in the Freshman Recitation Room of the Old West College, a building still standing today.

They chose a name: The Social Fraternity. "Social" didn't mean entertainment events, as many fraternity men mistakenly believe today. Instead, it was much broader. It meant an interest in life's interactions among people, and how society would better itself through group action. The following days brought much ridicule from the established secret societies, yet The Social Fraternity continued moving fourth, knowing full well that they would flourish. They were correct in their assumption. By aligning their aims with those of the college, The Social Fraternity soon had more than half the men on campus in its ranks. Eventually, the first DUs dominated the lists of campus honors.

The idea of spirited brotherhood based on merit began to spread rapidly. Within four years, men of similar beliefs establish a second group at Union College in Schenectady, New York. In 1845, another formed at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont and was followed by another in 1847 at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.

In 1847, four of the chapters met in Convention at Troy, NY and formally established the Anti-Secret Confederation (ASC). Their constitution mirrored of the group at Williams, and the convention adopted a member key with the Greek motto, Ouden Adelon, "Nothing Secret."

[edit] Growth and Maturity

The Civil War brought about great turmoil on college men, and on fraternity chapters as well. Therefore, it was at the Convention of 1864 (considered the most critical to DU's future) when the most important of changes were made. The Convention formally adopted the name "Delta Upsilon," a new Constitution, and the fraternity's badge as it remains today.

After the Civil War ended, college life returned to as it was previously, and DU began to grow. By 1880, Delta Upsilon had grown to 15 active chapters. Of these chapters came many notable men who would go on to become leaders in their own right: James Garfield, 20th President of the United States, Williams 1856, Charles Evans Hughes, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice, Colgate and Brown 1881, and Stephen Crane, author of The Red Badge of Courage, Lafayette and Syracuse 1894.

At the Convention of 1879, it was realized that the perpetuation of opposition towards the secret societies was no longer needed. Therefore, DU changed its policy from anti-secrecy to non-secrecy, as it remains today.

In 1898, a Canadian chapter at McGill made Delta Upsilon an International Fraternity. In 1909, Delta Upsilon was incorporated under New York law.

[edit] Insignia

[edit] Oath of Initiation

I, of my own free will and accord, in the presence of God and of these witnesses, do hereby solemnly declare that the principles of this Fraternity as they have been explained to me accord entirely with my own views; and I solemnly promise that as a member of this Fraternity I will faithfully adhere to those principles endeavoring in every way to perfect myself morally, intellectually, and socially, and endeavoring also to act towards others according to that high standard of conduct required by the Fraternity.

I solemnly promise that I will be loyal to the Delta Upsilon Fraternity and to this chapter, abiding by their rules, discharging my obligations to them faithfully, and using all honorable means to promote their interests.

I solemnly promise that I will share with my brothers the duties of my chapter; that I will uphold and encourage them in all that is honorable and right; that I will ever extend to each brother the right hand of sympathy; and that at all times and in all circumstances I will endeavor to cultivate those sentiments which should ever exist between brothers.

All this I solemnly promise upon my honor, without any equivocation, mental reservation, or secret evasion of mind whatsoever.

From the "RITUAL OF INITIATION," The Delta Upsilon Fraternity[1]

[edit] Motto

The fraternity's current motto is "Dikaia Upotheke" in Greek - "Δικαια Υποθηκη" - which means "Justice Our Foundation." The motto was adopted in 1858 during the 24th Annual Convention of the Fraternity. Until this time, the motto of the Williams Chapter, "Ouden Adelon" - meaning "Nothing Secret," was used.

[edit] The Member Badge and the Associate Member Pin

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Delta Upsilon Member Badge
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Delta Upsilon Associate Member Pin

The Member badge of Delta Upsilon consist of the Greek letters Delta and Upsilon in a gold monogram of overlapping letters. The arms of the Upsilon bear an engraving of the fraternity motto in Greek.

The Associate Member Pin consists of a gold Delta on a blue enamel with a gold Upsilon in the center of the Delta.

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Delta Upsilon Flag

[edit] The Flag and Colors

The Flag of the fraternity consists of three vertical bars, two end bars in sapphire blue, and one central bar in old gold. The gold bar bears the monogram of the Greek letters Delta and Upsilon in sapphire blue.

The Colors of the Fraternity are Sapphire Blue and Old Gold.


[edit] Partner Charity

Delta Upsilon is known for running philanthropic events in many communities internationally. The main organization to which they provide support are Boys and Girls Clubs of the United States and Canada.

[edit] Chapters

[edit] Notable DUs

[edit] Politics and Government

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Gen. Tommy Franks[4]
  • James Abram Garfield, Williams 1856, The second fraternity man to become President of the United States
  • Justin Smith Morrill, Middlebury 1860, United States Senator - Vermont; author of the Morrill Act
  • Charles Evans Hughes, Colgate and Brown 1881, Governor of New York, Secretary of State, and Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court
  • Joseph P. Kennedy, Harvard 1912, Ambassador to Great Britain, father of two Senators and a President
  • Lester B. Pearson, Toronto 1919, Prime Minister of Canada and President of the United Nations General Assembly; Nobel Prize winner for Peace
  • Tommy Franks, Texas 1967, Commander in Chief of US Central Command, General in the US Army
  • John P. Robarts, Western Ontario 1948, Premier of Ontario, Philanthropist

[edit] Sports

  • Sam Barry, Iowa 1926, Founder New York Knicks, NBA Hall of Fame coach
  • Dr. Robert Cade, Florida 1945, Inventor of Gatorade
  • Darrell K. Royal, Oklahoma 1949, Texas Head Football Coach 1956-1976, Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, 1983
  • Lou Holtz, Kent State 1958, Head football coach, University of South Carolina, NCAA Football National Champion as Coach of Notre Dame in 1988, current ESPN College Football analyst
  • Peter V. Ueberroth, San Jose 1959, Organizer of the 1984 Summer Olympics and Commissioner of Major League Baseball
  • Jim Boeheim, Syracuse 1966, Syracuse Basketball Coach 1976 - Present. Won the 2003 NCAA National Championship.
  • Craig Kelly, Washington 1987, Professional Snowboarder, Four Time World Champion, Three Time US Champion, Godfather of Freeriding

[edit] Education

[edit] Entertainment


[edit] Literature and Publishing

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Stephen Crane

[edit] Business


[edit] Science and Technology

[edit] Nobel Prize Winners

  • Brother Pauling is the only person to have been awarded Nobel Prizes in two separate categories.

[edit] Philanthropy

Two Delta Upsilon fraternity members - Alfred P. Sloan and Charles F. Kettering joined together in 1945 to found the Sloan-Kettering Institute, which is now part of the world's oldest and largest private cancer research facility, the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Delta Upsilon Website[1]
  2. ^ Library of Congress Brady-Handy photograph collection[2]
  3. ^ Library of Congress[3]
  4. ^ U.S. Central Command
  5. ^ PolyMVA Survivors Website[4]
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