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 Paul L. Stimpson, 1964 Omega Mu Years 1962 Snow Sculpture 1963 Snow Sculpture Military Career Lieutenant Paul L. Stimpson was the Rotary Wing Aviation Unit Commander attached to the First Aviation Brigade, 145th Aviation Battalion, 12th Aviation Group, 118TH Assault Aviation Company in Vietnam. Paul Stimpson's United States Army Aviator Badge and ribbons First Lieutenant Paul Stimpson, first on the left. 118th on a mission. 118th chopper pilots in action. Note the unit insignia on the helicopter. Paul died on April 22, 1967, Bien Hoa Province, South Vietnam. He crashed in a cemetery near Long Binh due to fuel starvation. Stuart W. Gerald, an Omega Mu brother who was serving in Vietnam at the same time, flew his helicopter over the cemetery were Paul died. His picture and comment about Paul and the crash are below. Omega Mu Brother, Stuart W. Gerald As the pilot of a two transport helicopter which was so badly damaged by machine-gun fire and schrapnel that it was inoperable, Paul removed important equipment and men to another helicopter. Thus he received for this action on March 19th, 1967, in action "above and beyond the call of duty," the Distinguished Flying Cross. ![]() "When I was a freshman rushing Fiji, Paul was a senior and one we were all so impressed with- given his good looks and great demeanor. He always treated us little Zobies with respect. He was the one who came to my dorm room late one night to inform me that I was a pledge! He was in ROTC, and we all knew his strong desire to fly when commissioned. He married a beautiful girl before going to chopper training. We learned of his death after flying many missions in one day, landing in a booby trapped LZ. All of us in my pledge class were shocked and really saddened to lose this classy big Brother." Mike McInnis, '68 "Think not the longest life the happiest: That which is best employed, doth man the most honor." Vietnam Veteran Memorial in Washington D. C. “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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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 Howard S. Webb, 1887 Q. T. V. Years Q. T. V. Reunion Q. T. V. brothers Nathaniel E. Wilson and Edward E. Elwell, Jr.. "Honorable mention was made of Howard S. Webb." "Ancient history, Howard Scott Webb" 1887 "Force, Howard Scott Webb" Howard S. Webb started teaching at Maine State College in the spring of 1887, and he continued to teach to teach at Maine until 1890. Howard S. Webb left Maine State College to take courses in mechanical work at Cornell University. In 1897 Howard S. Webb attended the University of Chicago to do additional graduate work in the physical laboratory, and then he attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison, to do graduate work in Electrical Engineering, and earning an E.E. degree. After working briefly for General Electric, Howard S. Webb returned the the University of Maine to teach Electrical Engineering. 1901-1902 University of Maine Professors Q. T. V. - Omega Mu brothers who were professors at the University of Maine during the 1901-1902 academic year: George E. Hamlin, Walter Flint, James M. Bartlett, James N. Hart, Freemont L. Russell, Horace M. Estabrooke, Howard S. Webb, Perley F. Walker, and Allen E. Rogers. George E. Hamlin, Walter Flint, James M. Bartlett James N. Hart, Freemont L. Russell, and Horace M. Estabrooke Perley F. Walker and Allen E. Rogers “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 …”Many members of the entering class will receive invitations to join one of the secret societies in college… They all contain good men…..and that he is making a choice which he will not regret during his college course or after his graduation.” (The Cadet Paper, University of Maine, 1885) Summer is a great time to do so many things, as we all know. Several days ago, I started thinking about my bicycle trip across the United States in the summer of 1980. Without any pretense or bragging, I did it, and I am really proud that I did it. I kept smiling at each memory: a 145 mile ride through Mound Saint Helen’s ash and rain to get to Corvallis, waking up one night in Big Hole National Battlefield to see a herd of mustangs sniffing and looking in our tent, the extreme kindness of the people in Kansas, and many other vivid memories that kept me smiling as I thought about them with authentic pride and how I did it. I thought it was a superb thing to do, and I would gladly do it again, but I would go from Cape Breton to Vancouver, and I can assure you I will succeed if I do decide to do it. Unfortunately, I have yet to find the pictures of the 1980, but I will find them. Besides thinking about my bike journey across the United States, I have thought about the pictures I finally received from the Special Collections Department at the University of Maine that I found this past April, on Pig Dinner Day, (See photos below) and I smiled at the knowledge that we are not a run-of-the-mill fraternity at the university and how the things that we do show what we have stood for 145 years when those brothers’ first lived in a rented house on Maine Street in Orono: honor, true friendship, loyalty, will power, and purpose. These things always matter, and in historic breadth and depth, we are inextricably linked with them in fraternal pride. Their patience and tact took them from the rented house on Main Street to our first fraternal home where Coburn Hall is now, and to all the succeeding homes after that, and they were durably committed to each transition and change. Their collective talents, abilities, and pride showed that nothing comes easy. They went on to shape, influence, and guide, with their individual energy and creative vision, the world around them in local, state, national, and international arenas. These men were good fraternal citizens and they became good, effective leaders in many different fields of endeavors: economics, architecture, psychology, engineering, ministry, teaching, medicine, law, and government. In some instances, they established legendary reputations with their unprecedented accomplishments, pioneering even. With authentic power, they had impact, and they are honorably remembered. They created a better world at the local and state level, national, and international levels, and they remain models to us of the correct and noble use of will power and purpose, individually and collectively, for the good. They are remembered and recognized today for the simple things they did with integrity and forthright honesty. They kept at it; they always found a way to care and to be involved. They did not sway. But they always knew, I believe, that what was most important was the brotherly friendships, and they showed it by the brotherly grace of their continued commitment to each other after they graduated. That’s what makes for a good, sound, healthy brotherhood. What really matters endures, always! Old fashioned, maybe. But I will take a good friend over the junkyard of technology any day, any hour, any second: cell phone, I-Pad, and whatever else that is coming along to supposedly connect you with others. By that measure, we remain strong as a brotherhood, and we continue to attract good men to our historic brotherhood. And so it goes for our illustrious brotherhood and our beautiful fraternal home. For us, it has always been about the long haul in everything we have envisioned since those QTV brothers were sitting in their rented rooms in Orono smiling at their fraternal present, and their next fraternal move to the Maine State campus, and in the whirlpool of history and chance, we continue to thrive at the University of Maine. Taken altogether, my memories about my bike trip in the summer of 1980 and the pictures of the QTV brothers’ studying and relaxing and enjoying made me feel simply grateful for the choices I have made with life to be a teacher and minister, my beautiful wife, Sandy, and my children, and being a Fiji in our deep-souled and deep-rooted Omega Mu brotherhood at the University of Maine. That deep-long souled fraternal character is on display now as the restorative work continues on our beloved fraternal home, The Castle. Clearly and thoughtfully, step-by-step, with unbound fraternal enthusiasm and commitment, our fraternal home is being architecturally redeemed from the accrued layers of dirt, grime, and damage. Last summer work was completed in the living room, dining room, library, and the basement, and it was an unqualified success. Many brothers’ were at a loss for words when you saw the completed restoration work last October, or at Pig Dinner. It is breathtaking and powerful, and now the RAM is being restored, and as with the work that was completed last summer, the work in the RAM is not being done casually. Taking things lightly is simply not our style. “Ethan “Ike” Eisenhaur and his team, along with ACE Construction, have attend to every matter with scrupulous detail. With great care, the floors have been sanded and revarnished, new partitions have been installed, new drawers have been made, new curtains will be put in, and there are thirty new frames and mattresses. And, I can assure you, it looks equally fabulous to the work that was completed last summer. In doing this work we continue to embrace, as our QTV brothers did in 1873, and our Phi Gam brothers’ did in 1924, our fraternal future with pride because we embrace the long-view in cherishing our rich historic past and embracing our ongoing future, a great journey to travel, and I can state without any romantic-adjective excess, which I am easily prone to do, but we are the historically richest and finest brotherhood at the University of Maine since those young men packed up their suitcases to move into the house on Main Street to start our fledgling fraternal beginning with energy, resourcefulness, and vision. They started our extraordinary life-enhancing and life-enriching fraternal experience, in human structure and fraternal tradition, 145 years ago, and we are the beneficiaries of their work and determination. Both perfectly cohere now in what we continue to do, with the same driving force, for the generational good for all future Omega Mu brothers’. Simply carrying the gift of all it forward. Life rolls on like climbing a steep grade or letting it totally rip on the downhill descent on a touring bike. The willingness to do both, a difficult virtue in anything and everything, transcends all problems, and that defines our 145 year history, and it will continue to define, shape, inform, and guide our brotherhood into our future at the University of Maine. This is our proud historic narrative that has, in work and spirit, in fraternal character and outlook, sustained the positive and visionary beliefs of our QTV and Phi Gamma Delta heritage. They are clear, reliable, practical, perseverant, and determined principles that all good ideas, ideals, goals, adventures, and things are built upon. "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost: that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” (Thoreau) “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, 1982 Perge! 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 Nathaniel E. Wilson, 1888 Q.T.V. Years Nathaniel E. Wilson would have lived in the first QTV Chapter Hall, above, and the second QTV Chapter Hall, below. The second Q.T.V. Chapter Hall is first on the left, behind Coburn Hall and next to Holmes Hall. A portion of the 1891 map of the campus. #9 is Coburn Hall, #10 is the second Q.T.V. Chapter Hall, and #11 is Holmes Hall. His Q.T.V. Brothers Harry Butler and Dudley E. Campbell William J.Hancock and John W. Hatch Charles L. Phillips and Frank A. Smith Managing Editor of the campus paper, The Cadet. Annual Q. T. V. Reunion Commencement Senior speeches at the 1888 Maine State College graduation. Master's Degree "Thesis - The Adaptability of Nevada's Soil and Climate to the Production of Sugar Beets" The year after he graduated from Maine State College, Nathaniel E. Wilson spent one year as an assistant chemist at the University of Vermont Agricultural Experiment Station, and then he attended Cornell University to do postgraduate work in chemistry. After completing his postgraduate work in chemistry at Cornell, Nathaniel Wilson moved to Reno, Nevada, and taught at Nevada State, later the University of Nevada. Over the course of the next fifty years, Nathaniel Wilson became a beloved citizen in Reno as an educator, author, civic leader, and business owner. He was a rugged individualist who succeeded in the aforementioned fields because he believed in the dignity and worth of hard, honest work. And, from all indications, Nathaniel Wilson was a great man, a humanitarian. He was poised and authentic, and he exhibited a soundness of good judgement and a steady fidelity in all of his professional endeavors, undergirded by an inborn grace and depth of human feeling in dealing with his students, colleagues, business associates, and the citizens of Reno. And, to be honest, to do both is an accomplishment. Consequently, he had a far-reaching effect in always working for, and ultimately achieving, the greater good for the University of Nevada, the city of Reno, and his business, The N.E. Wilson Drug Company. He contributed to the welfare of so many people that he established a positive, enduring public image, acclaim even, and it was authentic. If truth be known, in my view, Nathaniel E. Wilson unswervingly lived up to our conventional fraternal wisdom, our shaping fraternal wisdom, that we always embracingly claim we believe in as Omega Mu Fijis: persistence and determination. These two words comprise the beautiful historic arc of our fraternal success at the University of Maine. They are simple, wise words, and we are unwilling to give up in believing in them. Broadly speaking, time and again, these bedrock fraternal words of courage that demand work and effort have produced outstanding accomplishments in our brotherhood, whether as undergraduate or graduate brothers. Single-mindedly, as Omega Mu Fijis, we would not have it any other way, and we are better off for it. Quite simply, we do not give up, and with faithfulness, patience, and good work we continue into our 147th fraternal year because there is no alternative, and there never will be an alternative way. University of Nevada Professor at Nevada State University Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Nevada. Author President of the N. E. Wilson Drug Company N. E. Wilson Drug Company bottles. His pharmacy journal Correspondence with John W. Hatch, a Q.T.V. brother John W. Hatch 50th Reunion Our Omega Mu brothers in the photo are Nathaniel E. Wilson and John W. Hatch, 1888. Nathaniel E. Wilson lived a long and dignified life, dying in 1961 at the age of 94, and one of Saint Paul's best assertions in the New Testament encapsulates the ideal and the reality of our Omega Mu history and the lived-life testimony of Nathaniel E. Wilson: "You are the evidence of which you speak." Below is a small portion of a long newspaper article about Nathaniel E. Wilson that echoes the sentiment of Saint Paul and our enduring fraternal beliefs: “The influence he wields point to him as an outstanding example of what a man earns when he lives his life as a trust, set up in accordance with certain definite principles from which no deviation is permitted! For though he is not rich in world goods, he is one of the world’s wealthiest men in public esteem, confidence, and reputation for honesty and integrity which no man can attack…the reputation of Wilson must be earned, and there’s only one way it can be earned, by being the kind of person he is.” The reputation of Wilson must be earned, and there’s only one way it can be earned, by being the kind of person he is.” “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 song) Fraternally,
Chip Chapman, ’82 Perge 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. 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. With enthusiasm and dedication, we will 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, most dedicated 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. And so, the passage of our 149 fraternal years will never stop us from honoring the rich legacy of those years as we look fraternally forward to the rich promise of our fraternal future! Perge. Omega Mu Portrait John H. Hilliard, 1903 Omega Mu Years "Omega Mu Chapter of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity entertained their friends with whist and dancing at their chapter house Saturday, March 17." Omega Mu Reunion Omega Mu...J. H. Hilliard, '03 "The March of Mind...John Heddle Hilliard, Oldtown" Associate Editor...John H. Hilliard, 1903 Managing Editor, John H. Hilliard, 1903 “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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