Blog Archives

James M. Eaton, 1910

1/31/2021

Our brothers careers have been productive, constructive, spirited, and prosaic. They displayed impressive skills, talents, and abilities They were, and we continue to be, a beautiful and lively expression of our enduring fraternal beliefs, and that underlying harmony is far-reaching in expectation for all brothers’, undergraduate and graduate. It is the core of what our fraternal founders asserted in 1848 and 1874 and 1899: to live active, commendable, and responsible lives, and to build up community. Clearly and compellingly, they added, and continue to add, positive value at the local, state, national, global, and fraternal level because they engaged life fully and responsibly. In short, they were authoritative pillars throughout life. They were-are exemplary in their citizenship, character, and their sense of dutiful responsibility, and, in many instances, they were leading voices in their career fields. They prove that success of any kind does not occur by luck or accident, and we remember them because they continue to provide that message for our time. Their spirit permeates our brotherhood, and it always will.

We have long been, from one generation to the next, proud to be Omega Mu Fijis. We continue to cherish our fraternal friendships, our shared memories, and our evolving, forward-focused history at the University of Maine. These things, above and beyond everything else, are the underlying rooted connections that make us proud to be Omega Mu Fijis. Why, after all, should we believe otherwise? We have always exhibited a can-do fraternal spirit since 1874. And, to be sure, all present and future generations of Omega Mu Fijis will continue to do the same, with fraternal enthusiasm and commitment. As a brotherhood, we always see the path behind us and the way forward with equal clarity, and our future remains bright at 79 College Avenue because we fearlessly move forward, always guided by sound fraternal principles, and because of that we are an exceptional brotherhood because we remain committed and hardworking to assure that our Omega Mu brotherhood will continue to be the jewel at the University of Maine. Perge.

Omega Mu Portrait
James M. Eaton,
1910

Omega Mu Years

University Of Maine Chapel

Lyricist

"Words by J. M. Eaton"

After graduating from the University of Maine, James M. Eaton was hired by Stone and Webster, an engineering firm in Boston. During World War I, the purchasing department that he was in charge of at Stone and Webster was commissioned by the United States government to purchase and distribute ordinance materials to the A.E.F. fighting in Europe. After the war, he returned to France to study the feasibility of using wartime planes for airline passenger service, and he concluded
that it would be unfeasible.

Commercial Airline
Pioneer

"Calais Boy, U. of M. Graduate Making America Air-Minded."

"And then along came James Murchie Eaton....organizer of the most sophisticated travel service in the world."

"And then along came James Murchie Eaton and other men of his calibre, but particularly J. M. Eaton. Thanks to such men, travel by air is an accepted fact.....The traveling public is being shown system after system, and among the pioneering missionaries in this cause, the General Traffic Manager of Pan-American Airways, Inc, is probably the
grand sachem of the all."

First Scheduled Airline Service:
Tampa and St. Petersburg,
1914

Pan-American Airways

James Eaton was the Traffic Manager of Pan-American Airways from 1928-1931.

Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh

During the early years Pan-American Airlines, James M. Eaton often flew to various countries in Central and South America, and on one of his trips he flew with Charles Lindbergh around Mexico during Lindbergh's aerial tour over several countries in Central America in 1929.

"To Mr. J. M. Eaton and Mr. R. I. Dunten of Pan American Airways Company and their assistants for their extraordinary
helpfulness throughout..."

Ludington Airlines

In 1931 James Eaton was chosen to become the president of Ludington Airlines.

"The speeding up of the Ludington equipment was one of the first official acts of President James M. Eaton."

Marine Airlines, Inc.

After Ludington Airlines was sold to Eastern Airlines, James M. Eaton was chosen to become the president of Marine Airlines, Inc.. Marine Airlines used large seaplanes to provide passenger service between
New York and Boston.

Marine Airlines used very large Sikorsky seaplanes.

American Overseas Airline

James M. Eaton left Ludington Airlines to become the vice president of American Oversees Airline, which was the flying branch
of American Export Lines.

"James M. Eaton is responsible for organizing what is called the most sophisticated
air service in the world."

"Thus, truly, in the Business and the Aviation Halls of Fame the name James M. Eaton rightfully ranks at
the top."

"Once he has determined on a course of action he goes through with it, with the steadfastness that is characteristic of the rock-ribbed coast of Maine from which he hails -set in his ways. But we do know also that, appropriately enough, his ancestors for four generations have built and operated vessels which carried goods and passengers from Maine down to Buenos Aires and beyond."

Time Magazine

"Time magazine in its section entitled "Milestones" carried an item about Mr. Eaton's death - A tribute to his far reaching influence in the public life
of the country."

Our Omega Mu brother
And
"Maine's leading commercial airline alumnus".

“What if the space be long and wide,
That parts us from our brother’s side
A soul-joined chain unites our band,
And memory links us hand in hand.”
(Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)

Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge

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Perley F. Walker, 1896

1/31/2021

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Omega Mu Portrait
Perley F. Walker,
1896

Perley F. Walker

Q.T.V. Years

Perley F. Walker: second row: fourth from the left

Perley F. Walker: second row: first one on the right

Scholarship

"HONRABLE MENTION.
PERLEY WALKER"

"Toussaint L' Ouverture...Perley Walker"

"Shall the Young Main Go West....Perley Walker"

Our QTV Brothers in this photo: L-R: second cadet in is Paul D. Sergeant; fifth cadet Merton E. Ellis; seventh cadet in is Charles A. Frost; 14th cadet in, holding the flag, is Isaac G. Calder-wood; 20th cadet in is Perley F. Walker.

"P. Walker,
Commanding"

University of Maine Athlete

"Two Mile Run, P. Walker, '96"

Senior Speakers

"Labor vs. Capital...
Perley Walker"

Graduate Study at Cornell University

University of Maine

Perley F. Walker: back row, third one in from the right

World War I

Perley F. Walker during World War I

University of Kansas

Perley F. Walker, Dean of the Engineering School at the University of Kansas

Perley Walker was an instructor in mechanical engineering at the University of Maine, and then he became the Dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas; head of the mid-continent section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He authored papers on “Properties of Methane Gas”, “Efficiency of Universal Joints”, “Industrial Research in the Mid-Continent Field”. He is the author of Management Engineering

“What if the space be long and wide,
That parts us from our brother’s side
A soul-joined chain unites our band,
And memory links us hand in hand.”
(Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)

Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge

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Joseph S. Boulos, 1941

1/25/2021

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Our Omega Mu brothers who served in the military are cherished and constant fraternal friends, and we would like to say thank you for the steadfast, purposeful commitment you made to our nation to defend those four freedoms we all believe in: “Freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.” For those brothers who were killed in defense of these freedoms, they will always occupy a consecrated place in our linked fraternal heart because they exemplify the idea of superlative commitment, strength, and fortitude for the good to the end itself. The greatness of their collective purpose and will, on our nation’s behalf, will never be forgotten. By their “clear-eyed faith and fearless heart,” these brothers have left us a fraternal legacy that echoes what we often say about Omega Mu Fijis: “Perseverance and determination are omnipotent.” Their code of integrity, courage, duty, responsibility, and self-sacrifice on behalf of our nation is a powerful legacy that we will always be proud of as Omega Mu Fijis.

Whether it was at New Orleans, Red River, Fort Blakely, Marianna, San Juan Hill, Santiago de Cuba, Chateau-Thierry, Verdun, El Guettar, Elba, Monte Della Vedetta, the Battle of the Bulge, Rabaul, Inchon, Pusan, Chosin Reservoir, Pork Chop Hill, Hue, Easter Offensive, Phu Cat, The Iron Triangle, Hamburger Hill, la Drang Valley, Bien Hoa, Khe Sanh, Rumaila, Al-Batin, Medina Ridge, Kabul, Kandahar, our Omega Mu brothers have demonstrated devotion to duty in defense of freedom and liberty. They are the stability of our nation, and we, the Omega Mu brotherhood, revere, honor, and salute their persevering and determined spirit within our great nation and our historic brotherhood. We will always honor the heroism of all of our brothers who have served in the armed forces from the Civil War to the present. Thank you.

Omega Mu Veteran
Joseph S. Boulos,
1941

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off ever hindrance and run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

It is something to ponder, isn’t it, a cloud of witnesses. This QTV-Omega Mu brotherhood has a large cloud of witnesses since 1874, and one of them is Joseph Sebastian Boulos. Joe moved beyond the predictable and the safe to confront the evil and violence stalking the world. He left the familiar and comfortable of his fraternal life in this house with his brothers; and, most importantly, the abiding love of his family to pursue something bigger with courage of conviction because he held fast to the good. That is greatness. Joe’s military career during World War II was distinguished in navigating the tracer and flak-filled sky between England and France and Germany as a navigator in a B-24 Liberator with courage, hope, and persistent resolve. He risked it all, but as

Friedrich Schiller so clearly stated, “To save all, you must risk all.” That is a sobering truth. Joe knew that, and without any fear and trembling he chose the risk of trusting in the winning gamble for the power of good to prevail over evil. He stood tall; he stood firmly in doing his part in making darkness yield before light. He was an exemplary witness, to my way of thinking, of the costly grace of service to humanity and our nation for the good to prevail.

Omega Mu Years

Joe is wearing the Sinatra style black hat near the back.

World War II

Left picture: Joe is on the right. Right picture: Joe is the third one in from the right.

Joe is first on the left.

Joe is in the middle in the back row.

Targets included U-boat installations at Kiel, the port at Bremen, a chemical plant at Ludwigshafen, ball bearing works at Berlin, aero-engine plants at Rostock, aircraft factories at Munich, the marshalling yard at Coblenz, the motor works at Ulm, and the oil refineries at Hamburg and Magdeburg.

Flight crew of the “Plastered Bastard”
Joe Boulos was a Navigator of a B-24 Flying Fortress with the 704th Squadron of the 446th Bombardment Group during World War II based in Flixton, England.

Bombing Runs

Preparing for an early morning mission from Flixton Field.

446th on a bombing run to Gotha, Germany

U-boats destroyed in Kiel, Germany

Crash of the "Dragon Lady"

Joe was killed during a planned afternoon bombing run when the “Dragon Lady” crashed on take-off, killing everyone on board, on April 27th, 1944.

"With their plane badly damaged from the morning mission they were to to fly this
mission in another plane,
"Dragon Lady."

He (Joe Boulos) was on the crew of the B-24H Liberator Bomber "Dragon Lady" when they crashed on take off from Flixton Field. They had bombed a site in France earlier that day, and were embarking on another mission. Their plane was loaded with live bombs and exploded in the crash. The entire crew was killed along with two RAF men in a radar shack."

Joe was awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters for bravery.

Honoring the 446th Bomb Group

St. Mary’s Church Honoring the 446th Bomb Group

Joseph Sebastian Boulos Library

Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge!

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Edward M. Blanding, 1876

1/1/2021

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Omega Mu Portrait
Edward M. Blanding,
1876

Q. T. V. Years

Edward M. Blanding's
Q. T. V. Brothers

Francis H. Bacon and Oliver Crosby

Horace M. Estabrooke and Charles E. Oak

Edward M. Blanding was the editor of the College Reporter,
the campus newspaper.

Journalist

After graduating from Maine, Edward M. Blanding was the city editor for the Bangor Daily Commercial.

Edward M. Blanding left the Bangor Daily Commercial was the editor and publisher of his own journal, The Industrial Journal.

Author

Edward M. Blanding wrote Bangor Maine, a well-written history about the city of Bangor, and it is considered to be the definitive book on the early history of Bangor.

Several pictures in the book.

“What if the space be long and wide,
That parts us from our brother’s side
A soul-joined chain unites our band,
And memory links us hand in hand.”
(Phi Gamma Delta fraternity song)

Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge

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Nathan F. True, 1919

1/1/2021

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Omega Mu Maine Masque Brother,
Nathan F. True,
1919

From multiple angles, our QTV and Omega Mu brothers have enriched the civic life at the University of Maine, and we are fortunate to have had many hardworking, talented brothers throughout our history. The balance between our athletic involvement, intellectual pursuits, and campus involvement is outstanding. In each area of involvement, our brothers brought energy and enthusiasm, and one particular area where our brothers brought particular depth and color was in many wide-ranging Maine Masque theater productions. With fraternal strength, Omega Mu brothers became mainstays on the theater boards when Maine Masque was established in 1906-1907. What a long-lasting accomplishment for all of us to be proud as Omega Mu brothers.

Over the years, our Omega Mu brothers have been involved in many Maine Masque productions, including Charles L. Pfeiffer, Malcolm E. Fassett, Harry Lovely, Nathan F. True, Fernando T. Norcross, Theodore W. Haskell, Charles E. Stickney, Robert Irvine, William Demant, Evans B. Norcross, J. Richard Buck, Willam Keith, Harry P. Carle, Howard L. Farwell, Jacob M. Horne, Jr.; Bryant M. Patten, Sumner Waite, Norman D. Carlisle, Paul F. Slocum, Clifford H. George, Ernest F. Andrews, Robert S. Hussey, Elwood D. Bryant, Howard J. Stagg, III; Stanley T. Fuger, John T. Clark, John W. Ballou, George R. Berger, Robert D. Parks, Arthur B. Conner, Louis H. Thibodeau, Henry S. Simms, among many, many others! Praise for them is merited. Exhibiting diligence and discipline, these Omega Mu brothers, through many decades, brought a joyful vibrancy and communal vitality to the University of Maine community. What a superb gift to give the community, rich, alive, and inspiring. Significantly, many of our Omega Mu brothers were a driving force in many of the plays because of the impactful, leading roles that they often played, luring and capturing the imagination of the audience as they moved and glided, with apparent ease and poise, on the theater boards. By all reports in the Maine Campus and the Bangor Daily, their performances were quit affecting. The quality and depth of their disciplined art form joyfully enriched the lives of countless numbers of people.

Our Omega Mu Maine Masque theater brothers, just like our athlete brothers, are an enriching testament to what it means to be a fraternity brother in Omega Mu, and we are proud of their dedication, creativity, and commitment in adding such an important historic angle in our fraternal history at the University of Maine. They exemplify the good of what it means to be a positive part of the university community, and in doing so showing the good of fraternal culture. Attending a play is a special, spirited experience, and we are proud of the legacy of these brothers for their unbending commitment to the beautiful creative art and discipline of Maine Masque theater productions. These Maine Masque theater brothers make us proud, and their legacy in Maine Masque history continues to shine. They, too, like our Omega Mu athlete brothers, continue to enrich and strengthen our perseverant and determined fraternal identity, 149 years strong.

Omega Mu Years

"There were cigarettes and cigars for all, not to mention peanuts, ice cream and fancy crackers, and ginger ale. They made themselves with cards and songs and talked
over the old times."

"The Phi Gams will have a sleigh ride to Eddington. Supper will be served at Ward's farm. After the supper the party will go to the Town Hall where there will be dancing and
a general good time."

"And Mr. Nathan True, deserve the unqualified commendation which they have received both in Bangor and in Orono. Their work is highly intelligent, evenly sustained, spontaneously convincing. It hits the mark every time."