John W. Ballou, 1949

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. Perge.

Omega Mu Portrait
John W. Ballou,
1949

Military Career
1943-1946

John Ballou enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school.

Omega Mu Years

John Ballou and Mrs. Butts,
Omega Mu's Housemother

John Ballou in the library.

John Ballou, second brother in from the right.

1948 picture of the Castle

​1948
​Snow Sculpture

"This sort of Christmas Party is held each year by Phi Gamma Delta."

From multiple angles, our QTV 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 outstanding. In each area of involvement, our brothers brought energy and enthusiasm, and one particular area where our brothers brought particular depth and color was in many wide-ranging Maine Masque theater productions. With fraternal strength, Omega Mu brothers became mainstays on the theater boards when Maine Masque was established in 1906-1907. What a long-lasting accomplishment for all of us to be proud as Omega Mu brothers. 

Over the years, our Omega Mu brothers have been involved in many Maine Masque productions, including Charles L. Pfeiffer, Malcolm E. Fassett, 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 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, 149 years strong. ​

"John Ballou deserves mention for his
​portrayal of the blustering father,
Major Paul Petkoff."

"Of the many character parts, John Ballou and Bob Warren deserve first mention. John brought the house down with his portrayal of the bartender who only turned
​to drink after marriage."

John Ballou, the bartender, is first on the left.

"The perennial Masque favorite, John Ballou, runs true to as
​the brusque senator, the
​father of Mary."

"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,
Bob Preble

John Ballou, middle, in a theatrical farce.

University of Maine Mayoral Campaign

Yale University Law School

Attorney in Bangor

“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