  From multiple angles, our Q.T.V. 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 compelling. What they accomplished in their respective pursuits at the university constitutes a wonderful achievement in our fraternal history. Their efforts were good and laudable in every way. They embodied the key qualities of good leadership enshrined in our Phi Gamma Delta mission statement. Their efforts represented the very best of our core values of persistence and determination. It is a wonderful achievement that so many Omega Mu brothers gave of their respective gifts for the civic good at the University of Maine for the past 149 years. It was a rich yield for the common good of the university in athletics, music, theater, journalism, broadcasting, and many other groups and organizations. All of these brothers, through their various commitments, improved and brightened up the quality of life of the university community. They served as good university leaders and citizens because of their effort and character, and their contributions in creating something good in the university community cannot be overstated. "Good" does not, in reality, do justice in acknowledging the depth of their positive contributions to the University of Maine community. One could say that is was their devotion to duty in working hard to allow their particular gifts and abilities to shine. What they each accomplished was meaningful, productive, and rewarding in so many ways. Therefore, it is with considerable fraternal affection and respect that we remember each of them for their involvement on various teams, clubs, student leadership organizations, musical groups, and the Maine Masque theater. We hold each of them in the highest esteem, and we are grateful for each of them. They were each faithful and generous with their gifts, and they are testament to our fraternal spirit of genuine integrity, industry, dedication, creativity, and commitment in adding to our long-standing history of positive civic engagement at the University of Maine. The noble ideals of our linked fraternal brotherhood started in 1848 and 1874, and our fraternal wheels have not stopped turning in continuing to create a generationally great brotherhood, and there will not be a breakdown in our enthusiasm and dedication to continue to build upon our unique fraternal legacy at the University of Maine for many decades come. It is exciting and rewarding to know that we will continue to have a great fraternal future because we have an undisputed claim to durable greatness in being the oldest fraternal brotherhood at the University of Maine. Again, again, and again, we have always gotten on with the job of continuing to be the standard of fraternal excellence. There are many reasons for our fraternal longevity, but the primary one is the character and integrity of the men who became Q.T.V.-Omega Mu brothers, up to the present young men who recently pledged. Generations of Q.T.V. and Omega Mu Fiji brothers who have worked tirelessly for us to arrive at this historic moment of our 150th anniversary. And so, the passage of our 149 fraternal years into our 150th fraternal year will never stop us from honoring and respecting the rich legacy of the fraternal past as we look fraternally forward to the rich promise of our growing history at the University of Maine! Our fraternal path of excellence will continue for another 150 years. It is in this spirit of our honoring our past and believing in our future that we reaffirm, honor, celebrate, and give thanks to our to our Q.T.V. brothers and their noble ideal of brotherhood: "enjoyment, sociability, and the best interest of its members through life." This formative ideal tie to our Q.T.V. past and our future is absolute, and it is not insignificant fraternal palaver. It is real. It is the enduring principle for our fraternal longevity, and it will continue to be embodied by our brotherhood in all the years that lie ahead. Put simply, our Q.T.V.-Phi Gamma Delta fraternal life matters, and it is a life-long human grace to be brother in such a great brotherhood. And as we enter our 150th fraternal year as the oldest, most historically distinguished fraternal brotherhood at the University of Maine, we humbly acknowledge that we are the beneficiaries of God's sustaining grace, as well as the hard work human work and sustaining human grace of generations of Q.T.V. - Phi Gamma Delta brothers. We would not be here without their collective human work. Concrete results matter in life, and we continue to be here because of all of our brothers who have shaped and guided our brotherhood during our first 150 years. Because of the work of generations of brothers, in word and deed, we remain a fraternal brotherhood of historic power, durability, resilience, and significance at the University of Maine. This brotherhood will continue to be an open-hearted gift, a human grace, to generations of young men for another 150 years. In other words, with an equal balance of fraternal heart, mind, and body, they will continue to incarnate the truth of the following snippet of wisdom by Henry David Thoreau: "action from principle, the perception and performance of the right." Most importantly, we continue to thrive with the recent pledging of some wonderful young men. They are a good match, and they will accomplish a great deal because they will take fraternal pride in achievement, value thoughtfulness towards their Omega Mu brothers, and maintain a collaborative work ethic to keep the house in good order. After all, fraternal poise and discipline have carried us this far in our history. Therefore, our deep-rooted fraternal heritage is only going to deepen because of the present undergraduates, and they will continue to prove that the good of our Omega Mu fraternal life still matters. Again and again, from our Q.T.V. fraternal founding through today, persistence and determination has defined our fraternal character and our enduring history at the University of Maine. They are our basic values, the enshrining heart of Phi Gamma Delta, and the present undergraduate brothers will continue to embody these values and add to to our history with their robust fraternal enthusiasm. These traits create the true meaning of our fraternal life, and our fraternal future rests on our generationally shared commitment to these two words in order for our trailblazing fraternal history to continue to endure and evolve into our third century at the University of Maine. To repeat, persistence and determination is the heart of our 150 years of fraternal success at Maine. We remain the premier fraternal brotherhood at the University of Maine, and that is something to celebrate. I share all this by way of saying that I hope that many of you will consider returning to our historically distinguished fraternal home, the Castle, this coming April to re-connect with many brothers during Pig Dinner. It will be wonderful, even a grace, to have as many brothers attend as possible because we will be celebrating our combined 150th Q.T.V-Phi Gamma Delta history at Maine, and our 125th Phi Gamma Delta history with considerable Omega Mu enthusiasm. Our fraternal history is distinguished, and it is worth being celebrated. There will be no shortage of pleasure at Pig Dinner this year in seeing the house full with generations of Omega Mu Fijis. It will be generationally moving, perhaps a unique historic grace, with a great deal of nostalgic reminiscing in the charm of the Castle. The Castle is a special place, and its many rooms, the Phoenix Lounge, and the front lawn internalizes the memories of every brother from 1925 to the present. As the great scientist and author Lewis Thomas beautifully stated: "We leave traces of ourselves wherever we go..." Perge. Omega Mu Portrait George P. Hitchings, 1937  Omega Mu Years              This picture is from 1936 0r 1937, and it is Homecoming or Pig Dinner.   "The Phi Gam's crashed through with a hilariously different party last Friday evening."  "Music was provided by Larry Miller's Bears."   1935 Snow Sculpture      1936 Snow Sculpture    "Phi Gamma Delta, with a most excellently executed tableau of a set of three figures on a raised dais, was adjudged as the winner. A purple background sprinkled with stars was flanked on one side by a woman figure skater; on the other, by a dancing couple. A giant star with a beautiful figure of a girl in the front of it was placed in the center."   First Place in the Senior Comprehensive Economics Exam    Howard Stagg is an Omega Mu brother.  Howard J. Stagg George P. Hitchings: Valedictorian     George P. Hitchings graduated summa cum laude, with a degree in economics and sociology.  "George Hitchings has been chosen to give the valedictory address."  Rhodes Scholar Candidate   "Hitchings, a grandson of former Professor Edson F. Hitchings, '75, State Entomologist for six years and Professor of Horticulture at eh University, is an outstanding member of the graduating class. Last fall he was one of three students selected from Maine to represent the University as a candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship."  Q.T.V.-Omega Mu Brother Edson F. Hitchings, 1875   "It one of thirty scholarships given to outstanding students in colleges throughout the country......Hitchings plans to work in either the Federal Reserve system or with the Securities and Exchange Commission." American University   After graduating from University of Maine, George P. Hitchings attended American University to start graduate studies.  After finishing his graduate studies at American University, George P. Hitchings started his career with the Federal Reserve Board as an economic assistant, and after several years he was was hired as an economist for the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, and he stayed in this position for eight years. World War II  When the United States entered World War II, George P. Hitchings left the Federal Reserve Bank and joined the Army Air Corps.  After World War II ended, George P. Hitchings was hired by the Ford Motor Company to be the chief economic analyst for the company, and he stayed in this position until 1960.       "How can LWV help to stop inflation? This question will be answered by George P. Hitchings, manager of the economic analysis department of the Ford Motor Company." Addressing the United States House of Representatives     Addressing the United States Senate  Vice President for Economic Research of American Airlines      "The August 21 issue of U.S. News & World Report rounds up the views of such recognized professionals in the economic field as George P. Hitchings of American Airlines, Martin Gainsbrugh of the National industrial Conference Board, and Raymond Saulnier, former Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, among others. Mr. Hitchings asserts that increased taxes will dampen recovery which is being encouraged by the end of inventory liquidation." Vice President and Director of MacKay Shields  MacKay Shields is one of the nation's oldest consulting firms in management economics. Ford Alumni Meet      "Mr. Eggert gave his crystal-ball view of the economy, as did George Hitchings, of the MacKay Shield Finance Corporation." University of Maine Alumni Career Award, 1980    Maine Business School   The George P. Hitchings Memorial Scholarship is one the scholarships that is offered in the Maine Business School.   Pig Dinner Speaker, 1981          “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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From multiple angles, our Q.T.V. 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 compelling. What they accomplished in their respective pursuits at the university constitutes a wonderful achievement in our fraternal history. There efforts were good and laudable, and there efforts represented the very best of our core values of persistence and determination. It is, believe me, a wonderful achievement, on the part of generations of Omega Mu brothers, for the respective gifts that they gave for the civic good at the University of Maine. In our historically calm, customary fashion, 149 years and growing, it was a rich yield for the common good of the Maine community, All of them, through their various commitments and endeavors within the University of Maine community, improved and brightened up the quality of life of the university community with their enthusiasm and dedication to their respective University of Maine teams, organizations, and clubs. They each had uniques strengths as actors, artists, musicians, athletes, and journalists, and they all embodied the shared commitment to do something well for the University of Maine community. Fraternally integrity demands that, and we are proud of all of these brothers. Over the years, many of our Omega Mu brothers held leadership roles on various University of Maine newspapers and yearbooks. Their contributions in creating something good in the university community cannot be overstated. "Good" does not, in reality, do justice in acknowledging their positive contributions. Each of them performed a vital function for the University of Maine community. They had a willingness to work, the willingness to accept challenges, in order to be focused, informative journalist in order to create daily newspapers and yearbooks that were interesting and informative. Their leadership style was authentic, and their generous, laborious work deserve praise and recognition in our brotherhood. They collected information, organized information, checked and re-checked facts, shared ideas, read and re-read every article, and proofed and re-proofed every page in the yearbook. They always gave of their time and talent in attending to each of these elements in order to write commendable, informative, and properly edited newspaper articles, and in sifting through thousands of pictures and thoughtfully crafting, shaping, and editing yearbooks. Their hard work, in turn, was to produce something, whether it was the university newspaper or yearbook, that was well-written, well-edited, and journalistically constructive, interesting, meaningful, and significant, in the short or long term. With drive and persistence, what our Q.T.V. and Omega Mu brothers achieved, in their numerous leadership roles on various newspapers and yearbooks, was complementary to everything we fraternally applaud for all of or brothers who were positively involved in the University of Maine community. What they achieved had real, enduring worth and value for the University of Maine community. They were indispensable. They made lasting contributions to the social well-being of the university community in keeping students well-informed and enlightened. These Omega Mu brothers embodied our old fraternal truth in being perseverant and determined in being faithful and generous with their gifts. In other words, our journalist brothers are a testament to our collective fraternal spirit of genuine integrity, industry, dedication, creativity, and commitment in adding to our long-standing history of civic engagement at the University of Maine. And as we enter our 150th fraternal year as the oldest, most historically distinguished fraternal brotherhood at the University of Maine, we humbly acknowledge that we are the beneficiaries of God's sustaining grace, as well as the hard work human work and sustaining human grace of generations of Q.T.V. - Phi Gamma Delta brothers. We would not be here without their collective human work. Concrete results matter in life, and we continue to be here because of all of our brothers who have shaped and guided our brotherhood during our first 150 years. Because of the work of generations of brothers, in word and deed, we remain a fraternal brotherhood of historic power, durability, resilience, and significance at the University of Maine. This brotherhood will continue to be an open-hearted gift, a human grace, to generations of young men for another 150 years. In other words, with an equal balance of fraternal heart, mind, and body, they will continue to incarnate the truth of the following snippet of wisdom by Henry David Thoreau: "action from principle, the perception and performance of the right." Most importantly, we continue to thrive with the recent pledging of some wonderful young men. They are a good match, and they will accomplish a great deal because they will take fraternal pride in achievement, value thoughtfulness towards their Omega Mu brothers, and maintain a collaborative work ethic to keep the house in good order. After all, fraternal poise and discipline have carried us this far in our history. Therefore, our deep-rooted fraternal heritage is only going to deepen because of the present undergraduates, and they will continue to prove that the good of our Omega Mu fraternal life still matters. Again and again, from our Q.T.V. fraternal founding through today, persistence and determination has defined our fraternal character and our enduring history at the University of Maine. They are our basic values, the enshrining heart of Phi Gamma Delta, and the present undergraduate brothers will continue to embody these values and add to to our history with their robust fraternal enthusiasm. These traits create the true meaning of our fraternal life, and our fraternal future rests on our generationally shared commitment to these two words in order for our trailblazing fraternal history to continue to endure and evolve into our third century at the University of Maine. Our fraternal history is distinguished, and it is worth being celebrated. There will be no shortage of pleasure at Pig Dinner this year in seeing the house full with generations of Omega Mu Fijis as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Castle in the historic grace of the Castle. The Castle is a special place, and its many rooms, the Phoenix Lounge, and the front lawn internalizes the memories of every brother from 1925 to the present. We cannot think about being Omega Mu Fijis without thinking about the Castle. As the great scientist and author Lewis Thomas beautifully stated: "We leave traces of ourselves wherever we go..." Perge. Q. T. V. Portrait Dudley E. Campbell, 1888  Q. T. V. Years     Our first fraternal home, now the site of Coburn Hall, is the second building in from the right.   "When fond reflections present them to view." N. E. Wilson  Q. T. V. Brother N. E. Wilson  The first fraternal brotherhood in the state of Maine sitting together in front of the first fraternal home in the Dirigo state that they paid for, designed and built! This building was occupied from 1876-1888.  "The first meeting place of fraternities on the Maine campus was in this building....The Building stood in the present site of Coburn Hall."  "The Q.T.V. Hall, erected in 1876 by the labor of members of the fraternity, stood where Coburn Hall is now.   The Q. T. V. Chapter is the second building in from the right.  "The entire expense of its erection was borne by the members and demanded from them considerable self-sacrifice and loyalty. As this was the first fraternity chapter house built in the State, it surely must have been a building to be proud of."  "The old Q T V House, later known as the Phi Gamma Delta, the first one erected."  "MCS's first secret society was QTV, established at Maine in 1874. The organization subsequently affiliated with Phi Gamma Delta."  "Omega Mu Chapter Formed From Orono Chapter Of Q.T.V. Fraternity."   1886 photoshopped picture of our Q. T. V. brothers playing cards in the first Q. T. V. Chapter Hall.  "The hall of the Q. T. V. Fraternity was thrown open to visitors and was well inspected."   Q. T. V. Annual Reception      "The Orono Chapter of the Q. T. V. Fraternity met in goodly numbers at the Chapter hall."   "The reunion was prolonged until a late hour, and was one of the most enjoyable for years."  N. E. Wilson "N. E. Wilson delivered the address of welcome.  E. H. Elwell, Jr. Then followed a finely written poem by E. H. Elwell, Jr." 1888 Ivy Day       Honoring Samuel H. Clapp  "That while we bow in humble submission to the will of the Most High, we do not less mourn for our brother, who has been taken from us."  Samuel H. Clapp "That in the death of Samuel H. Clapp, this Chapter laments the loss of a brother who was, in every way, worthy of our respect and esteem. He was faithful and zealous as a brother, and an upright and noble man."    Board Of Editors D. E. Campbell, '88    "D. E. Campbell, '88...Editor-in-Chief."      "Captain...Cadet D. E. Campbell"     Valedictorian     "Valedictorian, D. E. Campbell"       “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 Omega Mu Voice Robert W. Doyle, 1972  Bob Doyle, 1972 How many of us really thought we would live this long?....... a time of love and Hate "1968 re- mains arguably on of the historic years in modern American history"...  North Korea captures the Pueblo, The Tet offensive, highest monthly casualty toll in Vietnam to date (543), RFK enters presidential race, My Lai.....                   MLK marches in Memphis.... MLK dies in Memphis..... Riots in Boston, Chicago, Newark, Kansas City, Washington ..... 46 dead, ....         And we were just getting started: Ceiling raised for number of troops in Vietnam .... 541,000 in August, June 5th. California Primary night...Robert F. Kennedy assassinated in San Francisco, The Democratic National convention starring Abbie Hoffman, Nixon nominated.....George Wallace is running for President.....  Every dog tag of every American soldier killed in Vietnam.   Abbie Hoffman     George Wallace giving a speech.     Black Power salute at Olympic Games...Apollo 7 launches..163 revolutions around earth.....Apollo 8 launches .... "first humans around moon' Nixon wins ..... Turn in your draft card .... Unemployment drops to 3.3 %. (War is good for the economy!)......    Photo of earth taken during the Apollo 8 mission. AND Finally!!!! Fiji Pledges introduced to The Purple Jesus.........And lived through it! Other memorable events: Gangster changed his clothes twice, Woody wore his bathrobe, Shitball got a free feel...from under Chappy's bed in the ram, Eaton fell in love with The Barrel....Teddy won front stairs surfing championships…We won the Intra-Fraternity sing off (Country Joe and the Fish) Numerous brothers fell off the ladder and Hiram skied off the roof... only minor injuries reported AND so the year went! "AND so the year went."  “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 Our Omega Mu veteran-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 we can all 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 Stuart W. Gerald, 1965  Omega Mu Years 
Omega Mu Housemothers: Mrs. Blaisdell and Mrs. Tate           1962 Snow Sculpture  1963 Snow Sculpture   1964 Snow Sculpture     Allen Ginsberg speaking at the University of Maine.     Military Career     Stuart W. Gerald was a chopper pilot in the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade during the Vietnam War, and he was stationed at Cu Chi.  Cu Chi       Stuart W. Gerald was a close friend of Omega Mu Brother Paul Stimpson   "I saw him at Duc Hoa re-fueling the day he was killed in a crash between DiAn and Bien Hoa. He was nearing the end of his tour; was tired and been flying real heavily. I flew over the crash site the next day and learned later it was Paul. We had talked about getting together in Maine after our tours"    Stuart W. Gerald Served In Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm    Stuart W. Gerald retired as a brigadier general.  “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 Truthfully, there is no fraternal brotherhood quite like Omega Mu at the University of Maine. We are proud of our history, and we are proud of the impressive number of fraternal brothers who played on many University of Maine athletic teams. With conviction and commitment, our Omega Mu athlete brothers brought a great deal of joy and satisfaction to the university community, creating many wonderful memories since the first baseball team was established at Maine State College in the 1870's. The worked together for the success of each Maine team, and the overall civic good of the University of Maine. The sheer number of Omega Mu athlete brothers is an unqualified triumph for the University of Maine. They each gave their best efforts on each team, and what they achieved perfectly compliments what we fraternally believe: drive and determination. It is a heady athletic legacy. Accordingly, their accomplishments claim our fraternal attention and respect. For the eminence of their athletic success; and, above all, for being our Omega Mu brothers, we are proud. Therefore, in the linked soul and spirit of our long fraternal history, we gratefully remember and celebrate our QTV and Omega Mu brothers who participated on many varsity athletic teams at the University of Maine. Their sacrifice of time was worth the effort for them and the student body at the University of Maine who watched them play. They created many warm memories since the early 1870’s. So, to summarize, for the eminence of their athletic success; and, above all, for being our Omega Mu brothers, we are all very proud. Thoreau said it best: “What a difference, whether in all your walks, you meet only strangers, or in one house is one who knows you, and whom you know. To have a brother…How rare these things are.” How true that is, and we remain that way to this day. That is a proud fraternal legacy. Omega Mu Athlete Caleb E. Burns, 1907  Omega Mu Years             National Convention of Phi Gamma Delta   "Caleb E. S. Burns was the delegate of the local chapter."  University of Maine Athlete              “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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