Theta Nu Epsilon Society - Articles

The Theta Nu Epsilon Society.

On Baird’s Manual,

This is a quote from page 29 of the Seventeehth Edition, 1963, of Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities. The editor was John Robson.

...Campus organizations antagonistic to fraternity ideals have at times deposited blots on the shields of Fraternity Row. Chapters otherwise sound have been undermined by such organizations as Theta Nu Epsilon, a mock fraternity of Greek parasites worshipping at the shrine of Bacchanalian hoodlumism; Kappa Beta Phi, which originated at Hobart College, pirated the Phi Beta Kappa key and name and extolled ignorance; and Quo Vadis, which trained its members in the accomplishments of the hobo.

Now, of course, to take a publication which is a library standard reference work and use it to club Theta Nu Epsilon over the head is a pretty serious thing to do. It’s not something to be done lightly. Especially since the old Baird’s Manual has been long ago taken over by the National Interfraternity Conference, and therefore Mr. Robson was putting words into the mouth of hundreds of thousands of fraternity members nationwide.

We could criticize this act, but why bother? Surely the National Interfraternity Conference thinks as little of our opinion as we do of theirs. And surely Robson himself has gone on to his desserts long ago.

We also have to admit we like the phrase, “worshipping at the shrine of Bacchanalian hoodlumism.” It has a certain unadulterated vigor to it. In a very real and concrete way, we see it as the most honest compliment the society has received,—all things considered.

Certainly the phrase was not wholly inapplicable to some rogue chapters, (or even an occasional legitimate chapter accidentally well into its cups), and we do not expect Robson to make a distinction among the characters he is slandering.

But for those who are not involved in this little contest, how can we place this in its proper light? How indeed?

Let’s try this. Consider the second society maligned by Robson, Kappa Beta Phi. Was he right about them? They had two dozen chapters, many of which passed a century mark. Does it seem likely that a society as he describes,—just a shallow joke—could earn the allegiance of generations of men, if it was so shallow? We know something of Kappa Beta Phi, and know the society to have been peopled with earnest, good-natured men with a sense of humor, and that they built a society with an honorable past that far exceeds the reputation of many of the organizations that the Robsons of the world would have applauded. They did not extol ignorance, but extolled a wit far in excess of Robson’s.

So, if he’s wrong about them, isn’t it possible he was always wrong about us?

We think so. And so we will proudly assert. Right after we return from our latest gambols at the shrine of Bacchanalian hoodlumism.