  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 Lacasse, 1966
Omega Mu Years     Ruth C. Cary, Omega Mu Housemother    John H. Lee, Jr.  Mud Bowl    Pig Dinner     Phi Gamma Delta Enjoys Pig Dinner  Portland Graduate Chapter Award  Wayne Robbins Military Career   Joseph Lacasse was deployed from 1967 - 1968 on the USS Iwo Jima, which was stationed off of the Cua Viet River, the dividing line between North and South Vietnam, in support of a Marine battalion. He was on board during the Tet Offensive.                     Marines boarding the IWO JIMA, 1969  Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1467        “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 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 John R. Rohman, 1968  Omega Mu Years  Omega Mu Housemothers
 Brian Thayer, Dennis Roach, and James Wolf  John Leet  Dick York and Rod Macklin
  L-R: James Wolf, Cliff Goudy, Tyler Libby, John Collins, Emerson Gorham  1965 Snow Sculpture  1965 Christmas Party     Dan Dodge  Paul Lausier, right, is behind the two children that are wearing red shirts.   Military Career     "It was one of those experiences that I certainly would never choose. But on the other hand it's an experience that's shaped my life, and I thinks it's shaped my life positively. You have a whole different perspective on life. You realize how fleeting it can be and realize how arbitrary it can be, too."  During his second tour in Vietnam, John Rohman spent almost a year in the jungle working with the Hmong people.   
 Architect It is a well-established fact that everyone appreciates beautiful architecture, and architectural taste has many broad expressions, but it is the character of the whole that always matters the most in designing beautiful, functional buildings, down to the smallest detail. Beautiful, functional architecture can be quite transformative, inspirational even, in creating a positive civic-mindedness, a social cohesion, and a communal pride and care in where one lives. The communal and artistic implications that go into the design process to create the synergy of social cohesion and pride is essential for the benefit of any town or city, college campus, and fraternities. In short, the communal good, and what Frank Gehry did for the city of Bilbao comes to mind with his imaginative, stylistic Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. However, like any art form, architects have widely divergent architectural ideas as to what is beautiful. Some architecture, functionally and aesthetically, is thought-provoking and marvelous, some lack aesthetic feeling, some down-right puzzling, even confusing, and some are flat-out architectural eyesores. And, like any other form of art, everyone responds differently to the broad range of architectural styles from Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, Renzo Piano, Louis Kahn, Zaha Hadid, Alvar Aalto, Santiago Calatrava, Norman Foster, Kenzo Tange, Richard Neutra, Frank Gehry, and so many others. In our fraternal context, we can all agree that the Castle is architecturally warm, beautiful, and inviting. Quite simply, in architectural conception, inside and outside, there is architectural fluidity, balance, and dignity, making it the most beautiful building at the University of Maine. It has a character all its own, and it is our architectural gem and treasure, our fraternal home, and we are all grateful for it. This sentiment of gratitude for our fraternal home and friends only grows, and it is fraternally satisfying, generation-to-generation, to walk through the front door each time we return to the Castle, our home. The Castle and our fraternal brothers bind us together, still. Three of our brothers found meaning and fulfillment in the field of architecture: Frank E. Kidder, Raymond J. Mayo, and John Rohman. Each of them were committed to architectural excellence in designing distinct, charming, thoughtful public buildings, schools, homes, churches, and chapels. There is an essential quality of good taste, functional and aesthetic, in what each of them have done in the field of architecture. Their technical architectural discipline was outstanding and, not surprisingly, each of them had splendid achievements in their respective careers. And so, we fraternally appreciate, honor, and celebrate their architectural accomplishments from the University of Maine, Bangor, Portland, Boston, and Denver, to name just a few place. Each of them are esteemed in our fraternal history, and we are pleased that they are our fraternal brothers. Each of them exhibited our determinant fraternal character of persistence and determination, and their historic significance can never be overstated.  (Edwin) Webster, (Alan) Baldwin, (John) Rohman, (Michael) Czarniecki  John Rohman  John Rohman was the chief executive officer for WBRC for two decades, and it is historically interesting to note that the architectural firm that John Rohman led was the firm that designed our fraternal home in 1924-1925, Crowell and Lancaster. Crowell and Lancaster, later W.B.R.C., designed our historic Tudor style fraternal home.      Coburn Hall was built on the site of our first Q.T.V. Chapter Hall  "The site of the structure (Coburn Hall) will be where the Q. T. V. building now stands." Q. T. V. - Phi Gamma Delta Brother Frank E. Kidder, 1879      Q.T.V.-Omega Mu Brothers in the library that was in Coburn Hall, Allen Rogers and Horace M. Estabrooke.   W.B.R.C. is the architectural firm that has been chosen to renovate Coburn Hall, a building on the University of Maine campus that was designed by our Q.T.V.-Phi Gamma Delta architect brother, Frank E. Kidder, 1879. Kidder was the architect for Holmes Hall, Wingate Hall, and the first Phi Gamma Delta House.  Frank E. Kidder, middle, during his students years at Maine State College.  Frank E. Kidder, senior picture First Q. T. V. Chapter Hall 
  "MCS's first secret society was QTV, established at Maine in 1874. The organization subsequently affiliated with Phi Gamma Delta."      Q.T.V. Brothers in front of the house, 1880.  The Castle 1925  The Castle was designed by Crowell and Lancaster, the architectural firm that would evolve to W.B.R.C.       Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center   W.B.R.C. was the architectural firm that designed the Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center  The New University of Maine Engineering Building and The Crosby Clamp  "When the final beam of the Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center was installed during the topping-off ceremony in February 2021, the Crosby Clip played a part.”
Our Q.T.V. - Omega Mu Brother, Oliver Crosby, 1876   "The beam, which was signed by some current UMaine engineering students, has a time capsule welded to the back with a message and a Crosby Clip, a tool used in steel construction that was invented by Oliver Crosby, a Dexter native and UMaine alumn of 1876."  
   Omega Mu Brothers  Three Omega Mu Brothers together.  “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. 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 Richard B. Preble, 1950  Omega Mu Years       Richard Preble, University of Maine Athlete              
 Omega Mu Maine Masque Brother Robert B. Preble, 1950  Over the years, our Omega Mu brothers were involved in many Maine Masque productions, including Malcolm E. Fassett, Robert B. Preble, 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 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. 
     "The play tells of the life of a Scotch soldier (Bob Preble) while in a convalescent hospital in the Orient."  "Bob Preble and John Ballou, as the doughty Scottsman and the bully Englishman respectively, carried the burden of drama and comedy with veteran ease."   Omega Mu Brother John Ballou  
“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 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 George E. Young, 1913  Omega Mu Years      Omega Mu Brotherhood With Unknown Omega Mu Housemother      "The house was prettily decorated in evergreens and Xmas bells intermingled with frosted stars."   "At intermission harlequin and cakes were served."     University of Vermont Medical School     Authority on the Treatment of Tuberculosis  Young Surgical Center: Central Maine Sanatorium After graduating from the University of Vermont Medical School, George E. Young was a physician in Skowhegan, Maine for over four decades, but also the Chief Surgeon at the Central Maine Sanatorium in Fairfield, Maine. His significance went far beyond those two responsibilities. He was widely recognized as an authority, innovator, and pioneer in the treatment of tuberculosis, in lung surgery, and in radiology. Due to his many accomplishments, Dr. Young was honored in 1955 when the surgical center at the Central Maine Sanatorium was renamed the Young Surgical Center, and that is a wonderful accomplishment for his dedicated service to his patients and the treatment of the disease.   "The Young Building is equipped with modern x-ray equipment and good laboratory facilities."  The Young Surgical Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.   One of Dr. George E. Young's close medical friends was Dr. H. Richard Hornberger, Jr.. Prior to setting up his surgical practice in Waterville, Dr. Hornberger was drafted into the Army and served in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War. After his military service, he wrote "M*A*S*H: A Novel About Three Army Doctors." He went on to write more novels on the M*A*S*H theme, and "Richard Hooker" was his pen name.  Dr. H. Richard Hornberger outside his tent in Korea.  “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. 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 John H. Barnard, 1922  Omega Mu Years     1922 intramural basketball champions in the library in the house.     John H. Barnard, front row, second from the right. The First Winter Carnival At Omega Mu, 1922   "The Phi Gam house at the University entrance was the Arctic scene for a brilliant fireworks display. Rockets and bombs soared and exploded before an enthusiastic crowd who had come to witness the spectacle."     University of Maine Athlete      John H. Barnard, first on the left.  John H. Barnard, second from the right.  John H. Barnard, middle in the front row.        "Captain Barnard's harriers ran the legs off the Boston College cross country team Saturday afternoon."   IC4A  IC4A Cross Country Championship Race   Omega Mu Brothers, John Barnard and Winslow Herrick  First Place 1921  Omega Mu Brothers, Winslow Herrick and John Barnard Second Place 1919  Omega Mu Brothers, Winslow Herrick and John Barnard Third Place 1920  Omega Mu Brothers, Winslow Herrick and John Barnard    “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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