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Jacob M. Horne, Jr., 1923

12/31/2020

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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. Fraternal 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. W
ith 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
Jacob M. Horne, Jr.,
1923

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Omega Mu Years
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"Phi Gam looks forward with greatest pleasure to the coming weekend, knowing one of the best house parties ever held in the house will begin Friday evening and terminate Sunday night."
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"Phi Gam held parties over the weekend consisting of a smoker Friday and ...
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a 'Backward Party' Saturday.....The girls had to ask the boys to dance, for refreshments,
​and for cigarettes."
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"to dance"
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"to dance"
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"for cigarettes"
1922
Winter Carnival

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The Phi Gamma Delta house at the entrance of the University of Maine.
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"The Phi House at the University entrance was the arctic scene for a brilliant fireworks display. Rockets and bombs soared and exploded before an enthusiastic crowd crowd who had come to witness the spectacle."
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News Editor​......Jacob Horne
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Managing Editors...​Jacob M. Horne
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Associate Editor...Jacob M. Horne
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Manager....Jacob M. Horne
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President...J. M. Horne
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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
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George S. Hamlin, 1873

12/30/2020

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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. 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 been doing it well since 1874, and we will continue to do so.
Perge!

Fraternal Portrait
George H. Hamlin,
​1873

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Orono in the early 1870’s
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The old covered bridge across the Stillwater River into Orono, 1870’s
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Mill Street in Orono, 1870. No Pat’s Pizza
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Our Q. T. V. brothers living in a rented house in Orono, 1873. George Hamlin, first on the right.
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Q. T. V. brothers inside the house in Orono, 1873-1874
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The maiden editorial in The Crucible written by George Hamlin
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Class President
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The year after he graduated from Maine State College, George Hamlin returned to the college to become the first librarian.
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Horace M. Estabrooke, left, reading a book.
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Our faculty brothers: Hamlin, Flint, Jordan, Bartlett, Hart, Webb, Rus-sell, Estabrooke, Hersey.
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1894-1895 faculty photo
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Classes that George Hamlin taught
​Beyond his wide-ranging achievements in the classroom, professor Hamlin played a prominent role in helping coordinate, plan, and build three buildings on the Maine State College campus that were designed by fellow Q. T. V. - Phi Gamma Delta brother, Frank E. Kidder, 1877: Coburn Hall, Wingate Hall, and Holmes Hall.
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Frank E. Kidder senior portrait
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Frank E. Kidder in the middle
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Coburn Hall
​Inside Coburn Hall is a plaque commemorating the military service of one of our Q. T. V. - Phi Gamma Delta brothers, Charles C. Scott, who died while serving our country during the Spanish-American War. 
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Holmes Hall
​Professor Balentine, 1874, another Q. T. V. - Phi Gamma Delta brother, had his office in Holmes Hall.  Another Q. T. V. - Phi Gamma Delta brother, James M. Bartlett, 1880, was the
​chief chemist in Holmes Hall for forty-two years.
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Professor Walter Balentine
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Professor Balentine’s office in Holmes Hall
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Professor Bartlett in Holmes Hall
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Wingate Hall
The bell in Wingate Hall could be hear across the campus every hour, but a fire destroyed the building in 1943, but the bell was not destroyed, and it was not forgotten. Today, the bell rings on the hour every hour again because it is now part of Cloke Plaza, a plaza that honors our Phi Gamma Delta brother, Paul Cloke, 1927. 
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Cloke Plaza
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While helping with the construction of Coburn Hall, Holmes Hall, and Wingate Hall, professor Hamlin also designed plans to bring water to the campus from the Stillwater River. To accomplish this, he designed and built a pump house next to the Stillwater River, directly in front of the Beta house, and an underground line connected to a standpipe near the present day site of the Cyrus Pavilion Theater, Rogers Hall, or the Observatory. Coincidentally, the pump house was also where Bananas, the black bear mascot, was housed.
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The standpipe behind the Maples
​The standpipe, interestingly enough, became a battleground tradition between the freshmen and sophomores classes for decades. Each class would paint their class number on the tank and paint over the other class number, typically late at night, and guard it as long as possible from being defaced by the other class. 
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​An unfortunate tradition was that the freshmen class was always forced to line up after their adventure up the standpipe and went through a gauntlet of paddles for successfully erasing the sophomore number and painting their own. However, the tradition changed when the university joined the Orono Water Works and the sophomores painted a large “M” on the larger standpipe as a compromise to end the class rivalry of continual defacing and repainting of numerals.
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​After the first Phi Gamma Delta House burned down during a blizzard in 1924, George Hamlin, again, played a prominent role in the joint fraternal endeavor to build the Castle. 
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The first Phi Gamma Delta House
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The Destroyed Phi Gamma Delta House
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Great picture of our first Phi Gamma Delta House and the last QTV House after it was extensively renovated and became Mount Vernon House in 1899, a women’s dorm, and in 1933 a fire would destroy it.
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​The view looking toward the site where our ‘Castle’ would be built on land given to the brotherhood by brother Hosea Buck. Mount Vernon House, first on the right, was our last Q. T. V. Chapter House. It was remodeled and became Mount Vernon House, a women's dorm, and it was  destroyed by a fire in the early 1930’s. The second building was our first Phi Gamma Delta House, which was destroyed by a fire in 1924. 
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After brother Hosea Buck, 1893, donated the land upon which our ‘Castle’ sits, professor Hamlin gave generously of his time to survey the land, and he was a supervising presence during the entire construction period from 1924-1925. Not surprisingly, he inspected the progress for every detail and consideration, inside and outside the house, through the entire construction process. He attended to every practical and aesthetic concern to assure that it would be the most elegant fraternal house on campus. We are fortunate that he remained fraternally resolute and attended to all these essential concerns in order to help create the most beautiful fraternal home at the University of Maine.
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Indeed, far and wide, in scope and ambition, George Hamlin was conscientious and intensely loyal in his service within the University of Maine community and our Phi Gamma Delta brotherhood. He was the first librarian at Maine State College, a professor of mathematics, surveying, civil engineering, as well as the treasurer of the college. Clearly, he was a preeminent figure in the history of the University of Maine. Truly, his legacy at Maine is imperishable, as is his equally great fraternal legacy. His passion, care, and involvement in the life of Phi Gamma Delta was equally energizing in industry and life-long commitment. In fact, it was unbreakable. He was always concerned about the structural integrity and beauty of the house and the well-being of the brotherhood. He was an advocate and champion for our fraternal life, and without any confusion in heart, mind, and spirit, he remained a life-giving fraternal presence in our Phi Gamma Delta brotherhood. He was an all-round Q.T.V.-Omega Mu man from 1873-1951.
 
George H. Hamlin understood and believed in ideals and concrete reality, without ever yielding, and he always worked hard for the good in blending both to achieve a greater sustaining good as an educator, a Phi Gamma Delta brother, and a family man. He lived truly lived Jefferson’s generative, all-encompassing visionary statement about dreamers: …Dreamers of all past and future times….” In a word, persistence and determination through life is important for the future, a sustaining inheritance since 1848. 
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Omega Mu brothers in this picture: Frederick G. Quincy, John Reed, John W. Hatch,
​George P. Gould, John S. Williams, George H. Hamlin, Calvin H. Nealley, Mellen E. Farrington, and James N. Hart.
 
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George H. Hamlin, 1950
Pride of place in our brotherhood in living a life dedicated to the University of Maine, his family, and our
​Omega Mu Brotherhood.
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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
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Carroll S. Chaplin, 1904

12/25/2020

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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. 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 been doing it well since 1874, and we will continue to do so. Perge!

Omega Mu Portrait
Carroll S. Chaplin,
1904

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Library in the early 1900's
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Living room in the early 1900's
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Ivy Day
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While the breezes are whisp’ring that Summer is near,
    And all Nature rejoices in Spring,
We are planting our Ivy with tenderest care,
May its increase the future years bring.
May it flourish and live; may it broaden and grow,

Even higher its branches still climb;
‘Till covered be all of our dear-college walls
Far down the long ages of time.

~as printed in The Maine Campus, May 29, 1906, page 329
University of Maine Athlete
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Carroll S. Chapman, seated, far left
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Carroll S. Chaplin, first row, second from the right
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Valedictorian
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Carroll S. Chaplin’s
Valedictory Speech

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Last Mayor of Portland
​Until 1991

​Carroll’s warm, reflective valedictorian address was a simple, eloquent exhortation to the graduating class to remember their collective journey at the University of Maine. In many ways it was an unoriginal valedictory address, but it was the kind of message that is always pleasant to hear because his references and imagery were emotionally celebratory. He spoke of things that resonated in their still-active present collective memory: pleasure, enjoyment, friendships, and the life of the mind in studying, and that many of these memories will not persist in our memory but only diminish with time. That is a sad but real truth. Simultaneously, Carroll exhorted each graduating senior to ‘Persevere in all things’, and that is a timeless, uncompromising truth that does not diminish with time, age, or career calling that each senior would soon transition to around the country, applying their competence and skill to make an effective difference. And, after al, it was fitting that Carroll S. Chaplin, our Omega Mu brother, would choose to include persevere in his address. And, in truth, he probably was thinking of Coolidge’s admonition, which we all say regularly as Fijis: “Perseverance and determination are omnipotent.”
 
Undoubtedly, Carroll knew our storied fraternal past at the university, and he was proud of it. Persevere is a distinctive word, a commanding word, our rallying fraternal word, our collective doctrinal attitude as undergraduate and graduate brothers, our expressive word we love to say, and our grounding historic principle that we remain champions of in being fraternally committed and upbeat in all matters as Omega Mu Fiji brothers.
 
Carroll dovetailed persevere, with a proper perspective of the word, in how one lives and works in the world to make a difference as they each commence on their ‘little narrow foot paths’ to live in the world with ‘care and responsibility’. Care and responsibility, two words that really count in making a difference in allowing good ideals and good visions to become effectively real for the good of humanity. Carroll wanted the seniors to sustain the fond memories of their university years, but he wanted every graduating senior to persevere, to care, and to be responsible in their distinct career callings, their families, their friends, their university, and their faith as they each started their unique journey on the ‘narrow path’ Each word is a faithful word commanding in both word and action, and doing them, as Carrol so beautifully stated, ‘shall be the crowning of a ‘well-spent lives’ - ‘fruitage’. That is well-stated and can never be over-stated.
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Carroll S. Chaplin’s home in Portland, Maine
Carroll S. Chaplin was a sharp young man, and his ‘narrow foot path’ led to a dedicated life as a lawyer, judge, and mayor in Portland, Maine. In the 1923 mayoral election in Portland, Carroll was aggressively opposed by the KKK. By the mid 1920’s, the Klan politically controlled seven states, and it was gaining organizational unity and strength in many Maine cities: Rockland, Saco, Hallowell, and Portland. Of course, Carroll opposed Klan ideology in its entirety: racial, religious, and political, and he openly expressed his criticism and condemnation of their intolerant beliefs, and he subsequently lost the election. He was the last mayor of Portland until 1991. Our fraternal history is richer because of the durable, persistent grace of character that guided Carroll S. Chaplin throughout his career. He truly understood and lived the virtues of responsibility and care. 
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The KKK in Portland, Maine
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In all that we do now, we continue to hammer home the virtue of our historic identity and how the sustaining, practical grace of a caring, persevering attitude is the sole reason for our historic pride at the University of Maine for the past 146 years. May we continue to ‘persevere in all things’ and not break the chain of our brotherhood as we continue on our historic path.
 
The conclusion of the 1904 graduation was the singing of the class ode, in tune with the University Hymn, a hymn that was written by our fraternal brother, Horace M. Estabrooke. In  conception, it is a mild, tender and comforting ode encouraging historic memory, love, and loyalty to beloved friends and the University of Maine. That belief mirrors our deep-rooted, generationally interlinked, fraternal belief as Omega Mu Fijis that we promote and foster from being Zobies to graduate brothers. Expressed or not, we believe, and have always believed, in simple perseverance, and to compromise on that is historically unthinkable! Perge!
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The original score of the University Hymn written by our fraternal brother, Horace M. Estabrooke.
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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!
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James S. Chaplin, 1971

12/1/2020

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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
Jame
s S. Chaplin,
1971

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Omega Mu Years
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Ruth Cary, Alma Pratt, and Clara Hammond,
Omega Mu Housemothers
Mud Bowl
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1968 Mud Bowl
Jim Chaplin, first on the right, second row.
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Jim Chaplin is in the very back, on the sidelines,
​wearing a white shirt.
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Jim Chaplin, back left, wearing glasses.
Omega Mu Snow Sculpture
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Jim Chaplin is wearing a white hat and carving the S on the wall.
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Pine Tree Fiji
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University of Maine Athlete
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Steve Hopping
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"He attended UMaine Orono where as a junior he posted one of the most notable seasons in Black Bear history. In his final start that year, Jim pitched a 13 inning complete games, struck our 15, and scored the winning run to clinch a ties for the
​Yankee Conference Championship."
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Jim Chaplin's era average his junior and senior years at the University of Maine.
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Brother Reflections
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John L. Collins
Omega Mu, 1970

How kind of the Lambda Chi's to recall that snowball epic. Fijis did indeed initiate that running battle by attacking Phi Mu, which used to be across College Ave.  After being caught off guard, the Phi Mu's needed to vent, so we joined forces to attack ATO - a slaughter, I might add.  Some ATO's joined us and we proceeded up College Ave. picking off targets as we went.  One memorable moment for me came as we paused to catch our breath across the street from Phi Eta and Jim Chaplin, pitching ace for the Black Bears baseball team was challenged to chuck one of his best at Stodder Hall, a dorm about 40 yards away.  Jimmy packed a ball, wound up, and followed through with a beautiful stride.  There was a hushed pause as the crowd watched the building, the only sound the falling snow.  Then a large window on the third floor exploded.  A cheer went up from the snowy warriors and the attack recommenced on the next house, probably Kappa Sig.  A fine time was had by all - except for the guys (I think Stodder was a men's dorm then) who lived in that dorm room.  

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Phi Mu and Alpha Tau Omega
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Stodder Hall and Kapp Sig
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Paul D. Lessard
Omega Mu, 1974

​I was in Bill Chaplin's pledge class and his roommate at the house one year. Consequently, I often ran into Jim Chaplin, his older brother, while at Maine because of Bill. They were both mild-mannered individuals. Jim still holds the Maine record for pitching the most consecutive shutout innings, if I am correct. He deserves to be in the University of Maine Hall of Fame, in my opinion, because of that record.

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Bill Chaplin, '73 
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James D. McLean, Jr.
Omega Mu, 1972

Jim Chaplin comes from a family of Omega Mu FIJI's. His father, Joseph B. Chaplin, Jr., ’45, was an Omega Mu Fiji, and he was a contemporary of our great friend, the late Brother Frank Danforth. I had the pleasure of introducing Frank and Jim at the last Pig Dinner Jim was able to attend. Both were delighted to have the chance to talk. Frank was interested in learning about Jim's dad's post college career, and Jim was grateful for Frank sharing his remembrances of Jim's dad in college. It was a great moment. It was uniquely illustrative of the depth of the fraternal experience, the living continuity with our fraternal past and the good of the fraternal present. It is a lasting influence throughout life. As our brotherhood is steeped with Sires and Sons, the best-knit brotherhood at Maine, Jim’s Younger brother, Bill, ’73, was also an Omega Mu Fiji, and Jim was very protective of Bill. His mom was a Black Bear, and if memory serves me correctly, was also Miss Maine one year.

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Joseph B. Chaplin, '45
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Frank W. Danforth, Jr., '46
Jim Chaplin was not a self-indulgent person at all. On the contrary, Jim had a quiet, determined charisma. He was sensitive, supportive, quiet, non-judgmental, other-centered, idealistic and possessed of great internal strength. In short, he was tenaciously principled, and those durable principles gave Jim a sense of purpose throughout his life, fraternally, athletically, and vocationally. Those aforementioned qualities are the very best of fraternal qualities, and our brotherhood was enriched and strengthened by his generous fraternal spirit and his commitment to the shared sense of purpose in living in house. But also, at the same emotional level, Jim understood commitment and solidarity of effort as a player on the University of Maine baseball team. Jim’s commitment to the success of the University of Maine’s baseball was decisive and total, and his accomplishments as a Black Bear pitcher speak for themselves. Jim’s accomplishments as a baseball player jump out, but what is less obvious is where baseball, and other things fell on his priorities list. Jim was always more concerned with the meaning of what he did than the benefits he derived from what he did. Jim was good enough to be drafted by the Yankees and had the possibility of a very lucrative career ahead of him.

After a short time with the Yankees organization, Jim followed his clear-hearted priorities and left the Yankees for a job with the State of Maine in a child protective services position. This was Jim’s deep vocation, his calling, and he worked diligently in this capacity for most of his career. Also, he coached various baseball teams in the Lewiston-Auburn area, and he inducted into the Lewiston-Auburn Athletic Hall of Fame 2009.
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Jim showed great courage and resilience in battling congestive heart failure for many years, and I remember visiting Jim in Auburn the day before a Pig Dinner. I cannot remember the year, but if it helps, it was the year when we had a huge Nor'Easter that pretty well shut down Maine the night of the dinner. Tom Richardson, Fred Gallela and I were driving up to Orono from the Portland area and stopped to spend the afternoon with him. Jim was fighting hard. He needed a new heart desperately, and no compatible donor had been identified. We got the good news at Pig Dinner that a donor had been found, and Jim was helicoptered to Brigham and Woman's immediately. If the flight had been 20 minutes later, the chopper could not have flown. Jim and all of us were very fortunate.
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Fred Gallela and Tom Richardson
I remember Jim with great fondness. Pure and simple, Jim Chaplin was a remarkable man, a good man, who was gracious and persistent throughout his life. He lived a good life guided by his principles, and he touched many lives in our Omega Mu brotherhood, the many baseball teams he played on and coached, and the countless numbers of children whose lives he helped. He did it all wholeheartedly, with great human warmth, feeling, patience, and hope. And, most importantly, Jim really loved his wife and son. I believe that Jim understood “we” and “responsibility” better than most people. He exhibited poise, good judgement, and thoughtful purpose in everything he did in life, and it is that depth and authenticity of character that I will always remember and cherish about Jim, and it was an honor that Jim was my fraternal big brother, and an usher at my wedding.
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Jim McLean, Mike McInnis, Dennis McKenna, Jim Chaplin, John Dolan, George Thomas.
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Robert C. Mennealy
Omega Mu, 1971
Jim lived a meaningful life, always proud of being an Auburn hometown boy. A chance meeting began a love story for Jim and Diane Chaplin. They married in 1980, on a lovely summer day, one of his happiest, Jim said. He was born to Joseph and Virginia Tufts Chaplin Jr. Jim played basketball and was a lanky right-handed baseball pitcher, graduating from Edward Little High School in 1967. He attended University of Maine, where he posted one of the most notable pitching seasons in Black Bear history. Jim’s 1.02 ERA in 1970 is a University of Maine Baseball record that stands to this day. Jim graduated from UMO in 1971 with a major in political science. He continued to combine his love of baseball, with his dedication to share the sport, with young athletes. In honor of his outstanding baseball career, Jim was inducted into the Auburn-Lewiston Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. Jim spent his entire professional life working to improve the well-being of Maine’s children. His career with the Department of Human Services spanned 27 years. Jim earned his Master’s Degree from Boston College in 1988 which allowed him to become the Director of the Division of Childcare Licensing. Upon retirement from State government, Jim worked for 7 years at the Spurwink School, coordinating accreditation and licensing.

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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
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Anthony P. Schneider, Jr.,1916

12/1/2020

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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.

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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
Anthony P. Schneider, Jr.,
1916
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Omega Mu Years
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"About 12 p. m. the Smoker wound up with a sing, three cheers for 1915 and a return three cheers for Phi Gamma Delta re-echoed
​from the porch."
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"On Saturday evening the Phi Gam held their annual alumni smoker."
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"There were cigarettes and cigars for all, not to mention peanuts, ice cream and fancy crackers, and ginger ale."
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"They made themselves merry with cards and songs and
​talked over the old days.
Military Career
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Anthony P. Schneider, Jr. served in a Naval Aviation squadron as a Chief Quartermaster during World War I. Details are unknown as to how he died
​during World World War I.
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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

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