John Rohman, 1968

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

1966
​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