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Donald F. McCusker, 1946

2/28/2026

0 Comments

 
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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
Donald F. McCusker,
1946

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Omega Mu Years
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Omega Mu Housemother,
Mrs. Butts

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President...Donald McCusker
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NAVY
​TEST PILOT TRAINING PROGRAM
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Don McCusker graduated beside John Glenn in the
Navy's test pilot training program.
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John Glenn
TEST PILOT
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Don McCusker, top
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"Test pilot Don McCusker holds first of a series BULLPUP air-to-surface trainer missiles developed for Air Force pilot training."
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N.A.S.A.
​Gemini Program Test Pilot
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"The Bridge to the Moon...The Gemini program was designed as a bridge between the Mercury and Apollo programs."
Gemini Paraglider
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Don McCusker was the test pilot for N.A.S.A.'s paraglider to land the Gemini spacecraft.
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"Donald F. severed the towline at at altitude and executed a successful five-minute glide."
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​"McCusker made twelve successful landings with the Gemini-Rogallo...There was no question of NASA incorporating a paraglider landing this late in the program...."
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"Donald F. McCusker
For notable contributions in the field of aerospace sciences for their paraglider flights."
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Don McCusker, middle. ....
Chanute Award Winner
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Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
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The N. A. S.A. Gemini paraglider in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
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​“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)
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Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge
0 Comments

Leroy Picard, 1957

2/27/2026

0 Comments

 
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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, D-Day, Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea, Midway, 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
Leroy Picard,
1957

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Omega Mu Years
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Omega Mu Housemother,
Mrs. Tate

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"Tom Tear, Phi Gam's cook for the past 35 years, prepared a buffet supper Saturday night at the castle. Later, Dick Kelso and his orchestra furnished music for the dance."
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"The Phi Gam house was decorated on a French Cafe theme for the formal Friday night. Dance music was by Dale Whitney."
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"A Trip to the Moon"
​DANCE

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Dale Whitney
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Leroy Picard served in the 158th Field Artillery during the Korean War.
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“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)
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Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge
0 Comments

Harlow Floyd, 1961

2/26/2026

0 Comments

 
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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, D-Day, Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea, Midway, 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
Harlow Floyd,
1961

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Omega Mu Years
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Omega Mu Years
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Omega Mu Housemother,
Mrs. Tate

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"The Pi Phi's and Phi Gam's treated the children of St. Michael's Orphanage to a Christmas Party...Games, stories, and presents made the evening fun for the children of all ages."
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"The game ended in a 0-0 tie"
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After graduating from high school in 1951, Harlow Floyd enlisted in the United States Army and became a Ranger and fought in the
​Korean War. 
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​“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)
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Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge
0 Comments

Howard R. Frost, 1941

2/24/2026

0 Comments

 
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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, D-Day, Pearl Harbor, Coral Sea, Midway, 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. ​
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Omega Mu Years
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Omega Mu Housemother,
​Mrs. Vickers
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1939
Snow Sculpture
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"Phi Gamma Delta's statue of a snow queen picked from the largest field of contestants
​ever recorded."
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"The background was made of ice squares with a diamond-shaped piece in the middle."
1940
Snow Sculpture

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Dudley Utterback
"Chief Engineer" of the winning sculpture
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1941
Snow Sculpture

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"Phi Gam's snow sculpture last week was probably the most beautiful this
university has ever seen."
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"Of course its connection with the carnival was pretty remote. But bared from first place for that reason, why was it given any mention.
​It was too good to ignore?"
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"It received first honorable mention. Dudley Utterback was the chief engineer."
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Howard O. Frost served as a pilot in the Fifth Air Force, in the Pacific Theater, during
​World War II.
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"During World War II, the Fifth Air Force served as the primary air component of General Douglas MacArthur's island-hopping campaign in the Southwest Pacific Area....It's actions were crucial.... in the overall Allied victory in the region."
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"Fifth Air Force proved decisive in the ultimate allied victory in the Southwest Pacific."
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In retirement Howard R. Frost restored antique airplanes, and he flew several experimental planes. In addition, he was a woodcarver and a member of the Streaked Mountain Woodcarvers and the Maine Woodcarvers Association.
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“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)
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Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge
0 Comments

John W. Eldridge, 1942

2/9/2026

0 Comments

 
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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. We have achieved solid accomplishments in a broad range of academic disciplines, in athletics, in the arts, in journalism, and in many other co-curricular activities at the University of Maine since our fraternal beginning. And it seems obvious, of course, based off or 150 year history at Maine, that the present generation of Omega Mu undergraduates, as well as all future generations of Omega Mu Fijis, will continue to do the same, with 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. Perge.
Omega Mu Portrait
John W. Eldridge,
1942

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Omega Mu Years
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Omega Mu Housemother,
Mrs. Vickers

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Watie Akin's Orchestra
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"Lou Paul and his orchestra playing"
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John W. Eldridge was a musician in the University of Maine Band 
1940
Snow Sculpture

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Dudley Utterback, engineer of the winning
​bear snow sculpture.
1941
Snow Sculpture
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"Phi Gam's snow last week was probably the most beautiful this university has ever seen."
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"Of course, its connection with the carnival was pretty remote. But if barred from first place for that reason, why was it given any mention? Because it was too good to ignore."
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"Too good to ignore."
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Dudley Utterback designed our 1941
​snow sculpture.
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After earning his M.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering from Syracuse University and his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. John W. Eldridge taught at the University of Virginia.
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After teaching for many years at the University of Virginia, John W. Eldridge left UVa to become the Head of the Department o Chemical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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“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)
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Picture
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​Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82
Perge
0 Comments

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  • Home
    • Overview
    • Undergraduate Chapter
    • Pig Dinner
  • Our History
    • National Register
    • Brother Reflection Videos
    • Year Book Pic by Class Year
    • Other Historical Facts
    • Campaign Video
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