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The
history of the McGill chapter largely follows that of
the general fraternity. Much as the Social Fraternity
of Williams College was formed as a response to the
existence of secret fraternities, so was the Omicron
Nu society of McGill. Fraternities had come to McGill
in 1883, with the arrival of Zeta Psi. The year
preceding our installation, 1897, saw the coming of
Alpha Delta Phi, and in that same year, Omicron Nu was
formed for the purpose of petitioning Delta Upsilon
for a chapter. The new chapter was designed to be an
institution for "the betterment of self and the
broadening of the social life of the university".
After a little more than one year, a charter was
conferred upon Omicron Nu, creating the McGill chapter
of Delta Upsilon, DU's 39th and its first in Canada.
The installation of the McGill chapter was by all
accounts a joyous occasion, with the Delta Upsilon
Executive Council president Brother George F. Andrews
presiding over the initiation of 17 new members.
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The
installation itself was held at the
Fraternity's premises at 26 McTavish. The
celebrations of the chartering included a
sleigh ride on Mount Royal, a "High
Tea" being held at a Professor's house
and a sumptuous banquet at the Windsor Hotel. |
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founding members of the McGill chapter are: |
Class
of 1899
Charles Paul Higgins
Frank Stewart Patch
Stuart Aird Ross
Walter Ashby Wilkins |
Class
of 1900
Conway Cartwright
Walter Hawes Coristine
Robert Earnest McConnell
Arthur William McMaster
William Edward Rowley
Harry Luxmore St. George |
Class
of 1901
Harold Lothrop Borden |
Class
of 1902
John Augustine E. Campbell
John Lee Coulson
Archibald Henderson MacLaren
Robert Childs Paterson
Jack Wolferstan Thomas
George Douglas White |
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Pledges:
George W. Grier, Archibald C. Nash, Andrew R.
McMaster |
The
early years of the fraternity were ones of great
success. The fraternity maintained a strong record of
scholastic achievement, as highlighted by the Rhodes
Scholarship won by brother Talbot M. Papineau ('04).
The fraternity also boasted athletic success from the
beginning, with many members on the Redmen football
team that won the championship in 1912.
This
record continued until the First World War, at
which time the fraternity ceased to function
as such while its members were away in the
trenches in France. Following the War,
however, the fraternity continued on in the
successful fashion as it had before. One of
the more famous alumni of this period was E.P.
Taylor, whose image was the epitome of the
corporate tycoon in Canada.
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The Second world War was a difficult time again for
the fraternity, and although it maintained its
operations during the war, it was at a much quieter
level, with almost no new members initiated. The two
world wars were a time of adversity for the
fraternity, with a large number of our brothers dying
in the service of their country. However, these trying
times also provided a strong legacy to the Fraternity,
in the form of the memorial window and the memorial
scholarship (the only fraternity- sponsored
scholarship at McGill.
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end of the war created a great boom for the
fraternity, and as the university's enrolment
numbers soared, so did the membership rolls.
The 1950's were a particularly successful time
for the chapter, with numbers at an all time
high, and with a stellar performance in both
academics and athletics. In this period, as
before, many DU's played on the Redmen
football team, and DU made a habit of winning
the annual winter carnival's ice sculpture
competition. |
Just
as there was a tide in the 1950's, an ebb began in the
late 1960's. The prevailing mood of individualism and
self-expression of the time was seen to be in
contradiction to the traditionalism that fraternities
supposedly stood for. As with many fraternities at
McGill, DU suffered greatly in these years, finally
ceasing operations in 1972. At this time, the
Fraternity's house on McTavish street was sold to
McGill, who installed the department of East Asian
studies on those premises. The Memorial Window which
had stood in the house was presented to McGill and was
installed in the addition to the Redpath Library,
overlooking the old house.
At the same time as the undergraduate chapter was
folding, the alumni corporation continued a healthy
life. It was from this health that in 1978, when the
mood on campus had swung back in the direction of
fraternities that DU made its efforts to return to
McGill. Six alumni made a presentation to the
university in the summer of 1978, noting that Phi
Delta Theta had recently made a successful return to
campus. In that fall, a group of 5 students (including
the first colony president, Terry McIntyre) was
recruited and successfully petitioned the general
fraternity for colony status. At the same time, these
alumni secured a chapter house at 522 Pine Avenue. The
number of chapter members increased quickly, reaching
38 in 1983, which led to a rechartering of the chapter
in March of 1984.
Since rechartering, DU has experienced some success,
often being the most visible and active fraternity on
campus. Through this period, DU was one of the larger
fraternities on campus, averaging 25-35 members.
Despite these numbers, in the summer of 1998, the
fraternity left its chapter house at 522 Pine Ave,
largely for financial reasons. The fraternity
continued in 1998-99, but suffered an unusually large
graduating class, leaving it to a fresh beginning in
2000.
Written
by Brother David McRobie in 1978
Updated by Brother Steve Pare in 2000
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