Project Editor: Anastasia Smallcomb, UCARE, 2007

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THE GREAT FRAT FIGHT AS I REMEMBER IT.

The fraternity war has fortunately become
ancient history. After a lapse of nearly ten
years, the results must appear to the barbar-
ians as trivial as did the causes at the time
to the fraternities. Neither have the literary
societies ceased to exist, nor have the fra-
ternities died. It was an Austerlitz and not
a Waterloo that was fought on the night of
October 31st, 1884.

Like all wars celebrated in history, there
were causes remote and immediate, remote
as the time when one man first chose an-
other to be his friend in preference to a
third, and as immediate as the refusal of the
fraternities to meet the enemy in open con-
flict the week before the final battle. It is
not true that the earlier students were all of
a pugnacious disposition, but it must be con-
fessed that after years of active strife be-
tween the two societies, the Hesperian stu-
dent fights and similar excitements, the dead
level of peace that prevailed in the early
eighties grew somewhat irksome to a few of
the leaders. Painting the roof, exercising
the museum skeletons, and enticing donkeys
to the third floor were all very well so long
as they lasted. But these exploits did not

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require that sustained thought and action for
which the ardent souls pined, and the ap-
pearance of the Sigma Chi fraternity in Jan-
uary, 1883, followed by the Phi Delta Theta
the next December, with rumors of a third
among the girls, proved a temptation these
restless ones could not withstand.

It was not the welfare of the University
that first started the opposition, for the lead-
ers later acknowledged that when the first
fraternity was announced they knew nothing
of the nature of college fraternities, and
hence could not have been acquainted with
their evils. Neither could it have been an
overweening devotion to institutional his-
tory that first led them to look into the mat-
ter, as the methods they pursued were scarce-
ly those of an investigator for knowledge
only. But whatever motive prompted, in-
vestigation and agitation was promptly be-
gun. In the debates of the literary societies
opportunity was afforded the leading investi-
gators to present to the initiated the nefar-
ious principles upon which all secret orders
were based. Gradually and adroitly the
rank and file of preps and specials were made
conversant with the workings of Odd Fel-
lows, Masons, the Spanish Inquisition, Ku-
Klux-Klan, and finally with the very culmi-
nation of evil, the college fraternity already
flourishing within the prickly hedges of our
sacred campus.

It was not until May 16th, 1884, that the
right of the college fraternities to exist was
made an open subject of debate. The occa-
sion was a joint entertainment given by the
two societies, in lieu of a contest which, ow-
ing to the lamentably peaceful state of af-
fairs, had fallen through earlier in the year.
In one regard the frats had the better of us,
as it was hardly in good taste for fraternity
men to expound too enthusiastically the ad-
vantages of a society to which from its very
nature the general public could not be in-
vited to belong.

In the mean time a somewhat incidental
series of events precipitated the final strug-
gle, which otherwise might have been tided
over. Earlier in the term, the usual attempt
to abolish the June exhibition was more vig-
orously carried on than on former occasions
by those elected to serve. In the Palladian
Society C. S. Polk, one of the prominent
barbarians, and P. F. Clark, a Sigma Chi,
represented the victims, while A. G. War-
ner and W. O. Jones, the two barbarian
leaders, were their successful opponents. A
somewhat bitter spirit was aroused and it was
resolved to debar Mr. Warner from the pres-
idency for the coming fall term. The plan
carried, and as the opposing candidate was a
girl, the Warner faction maintained an omi-
nous silence. Later they persuaded Mr.
Polk and various other barbarians who had
voted with us, that they had been mere tools
in the hands of fraternities. All that had
been half suspected of the fraternities was
now given foundation. Not only would
frat men control the offices, but the whole
society, unless checked. It was even hinted
that they were looking with eyes of cupidity
at the society halls for fraternity purposes.
But if this election was governed by any
other motive that the one stated, I never
knew of it. In the Union society the fra-
ternity people as a matter of course were
elected. With them the opposition had never
been much more than an echo of the Palla-
dian.

In a short time the students dispersed for
the summer. When we assembled in Sep-
tember everything seemed peaceful, the us-
ual scramble for additions to the literary so-
cieties apparently constituting the absorbing
interest. The fraternities were looking about
for new members, but none had been initiated.
The Greeks were never aggressive, and
though we did not place much trust in the
evident quiet that prevailed, we were little
prepared for the bomb that was hurled into
our camp.

Thursday morning, October 23rd, 1884,
Will O. Jones casually called me aside after
chapel and informed me, as president of the
Palladian Society, that on the following
night amendments were to be proposed to the

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constitutions of both societies, the effect of
which would hereafter debar fraternity men
and women from membership. He coolly
added that opposition was useless, since a
majority in each society had already been
pledged to vote with the barbarians. The
amendment would of course be tabled for
a week, and to give the frats a chance at
the unpledged minority a mass meeting
would be called for Saturday evening pro-
vided the faculty, which met that afternoon,
would grant permission to use the chapel.
The dumbfounded president was further
pledged to secrecy until the question as to
the use of the chapel was decided. On
Friday morning the scheme became public
and the most intense excitement prevailed.
At five o'clock the fraternities met at the
home of Miss Ellen Smith to give voice to
their woe, and decide on a course of action.
We were practically in the position of a
victim forced to throw up his hands and
then politely invited to discuss the ad-
visability of so doing. After much hesita-
tion it was decided that we had nothing to
gain and much good temper might be lost
by accepting the challenge, and on the
following night when the barbs, big and
little, assembled to hear our response to
their summons, we appeared only in the
person of a stenographer. This was unex-
pected, and no doubt was the cause of
some of the rancour that prevaded the
speeches of the barbarians. At this meet-
ing and during the week following, various
of the intrigues of the barbs came to light
which their chronicles will no doubt recount.
By means which the fraternities could not
accept as honorable, W. E. Johnson, the
least scrupulous of the barbs, had secured
possession of the constitution, oath and
ritual of the Sigma Chi fraternity, had un-
successfully attempted to procure the with-
drawl of the charter of this chapter, and
had made a statement under oath of what
he had learned of this fraternity. For-
tunately the whole ritual and constitution
had since been abrogated, and his efforts
were without result. Owing to the recent
fulfillment of certain predictions as to the
fate of this Mr. Johnson, John Mockett is
considered a prophet by his fellow Sigs.

The week was one of unsuppressed ex-
citement to every one from the Chancellor
to John Green. The faculty did its best to
remain neutral, but all attempt to hold us to
our usual work was fruitless; classes, and
examination which were finally resorted to,
were cut regardless of consequences.
Everyone felt relieved when the night of
October 31st brought this week to a close.
For once hallowe'en passed unnoticed by
university boys. The programs in both
societies were uncommonly good, and the
halls were crowded. In the Palladian the
music, as the critic remarked, was heavily
charged. The usual exodus failed to take
place at recess, and when the business
meeting was called there was little standing
room left. After some minor matters had
been disposed of, the amendment was made
the order of business. We knew we were
outwitted and outnumbered, but the temp-
tation to make one last struggle was so
great that it was midnight before the vote
was taken. The Union society passed the
amendment first. It had been agreed that
the debate should cease and the question be
called for, in one society as soon as a
signal was given that the amendment had
carried in the other. Ed Churchill's
somber countenance peering through the
door in the Palladian hall told us that all
was over in the Union. A fraternity man
was holding the floor and it was no doubt a
surprise to the barbs when the question was
called in the Palladian. In the Union the
vote stood 11 to 33, and in the Palladian
17 to 40. The defeated party at once with-
drew their membership, and fraternities
passed out of their literary societies.

The next day a meeting was held in
room 5 and a new society was formed, the
Philodicean. But its rise and decline lie
without the province of this chronicle.
The struggle was not ended, for guerilla war-
fare continued for years.

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Even from this distance it is hard to say
that the barbarians were victorious. The
fraternities were not defeated, later some of
these same barbarian zealots joined fraterni-
ties, and three at least of the most promi-
nent leaders married fraternity girls. Perhaps
the most remarkable phase of the entire war
was the good fellowship that prevailed
between the leaders of each faction. So
far as they were fighting for principle, each
recognized the fact and respected it in the
other. Even where personal jealousy
appeared, it was forgiven, and what ill feel-
ing had been engendered between friends
died out before the end of the year.
Though they could not agree with the barbs
when it was claimed that the end justified
the means, the fraternities always admired
the daring of the enemy and appreciated
the consummate skill with which their
plans were executed.

Mary L. Jones '85