1961 - 1970

Vance Packard '36, was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Penn State.

On November 2, 1961, James G. "Jake" Culp '64, grandson of PA Theta charter member Clyde Emanuel Culp, Sr., son of Carson W. Culp '34, and brother of "Pete" Culp '61, was initiated into PA Theta (Bond #722).

Edward White '62 (Bond #1292) led the revamping of the room that, at one time, had been the boiler room, before the house was provided with steam directly from the Penn State power plant. Additional knotty pine paneling was installed and the opening from the Memorial Room was widened.

PA Theta's entry in the 1961 homecoming float parade was a replica of the Sprit of St. Louis. The chapter won the Greek Sing with "Shenandoah" and "Brown Eyes, I've Lost My Heart To You."

In 1961, a PA Theta Alumni Council was set up to aid chapter members with various activities of the organization. This included physical plant, rush and pledge training, social, and scholarship. The council was also designed to involve more alumni in the undergraduate's activities, by dividing responsibilities among the alumni and not burdening a single chapter advisor.

During the summer of 1962, Harry Allen Jr. '63 (Bond #710) was privileged to introduce "Pete" Stuart for an award at the Phi Delta Theta Biennial Convention at the Greenbriar Hotel in West Virginia.

On October 31, 1962, David N. Thiel was initiated (Bond #749).

Under the chairmanship of James W. Towson '16 (Bond #98), approximately $75,000 [$448,000 in 2004 dollars] was raised to update much of the chapter house.

Starting in 1962, the renovation commenced under the supervision and oversight of alumni corporation treasurer, Raymond T. Fortunato '47.

In all study/sleeping room suites on the second, third, and fourth floor, new wood paneling and acoustic tile ceilings were added, closets were enlarged, and built-in bureaus and desks were installed. New fixtures were installed in every bathroom, the dining room received an illuminated drop-ceiling, the first floor guest room and restrooms were renovated, and the deteriorated wood porches on each side of the front portico were removed and replaced with a new concrete veranda bounded by a brick wall.

During this remodeling program, in the summer of 1965, a serendipitous fire struck the penthouse causing moderate damage, but mostly to the roof – which was scheduled for removal anyway – enabling a new, higher ceiling and the addition of clerestory windows. The project was completed in 1967, but funding was short and an extra appeal for supplemental alumni contributions was made.

The historic Armory – built in 1892 – was demolished in 1964, to make room for construction of a new wing to Willard Building. Over many decades the Armory had served various functions and purposes, including those of a dance hall, a gymnasium, a registration and class scheduling hall, and a home for all ROTC cadres.

All during the 1960s, a war raged in Vietnam and the United States was being drawn into the war in an effort to "prevent the spread of communism." The Beatles hit the U. S. – along with the first draft lottery – and birth control pills came into being.

Housemother "Mom Kerr" continued to control the manners of the brothers – coats and ties were worn at dinnertime. She was respect by all the brothers, although a favorite pastime was trying to water-bag her aggravating little Chihuahua, Pat. Nevertheless, she ruled with a gentle – but firm – resolve and reinforced the "G" in "God grant we all may stand," when sung at the end of the evening meals.

With the refurbishment of the chapter house completed, membership rose to almost 50 members, with all but two or three living in the house. Phi football players under first-year head coach Joe Paterno included 1966 co-captain John Runnels '67 (Bond #778), Brian Hondru '67 (Bond #785), John Thompson '67 (Bond #777), Edward Gabriel '67 (Bond #784), and 1967 co-captain James Litterelli '67 (Bond #782). Other Phis were captains of the baseball team, lacrosse team, and rugby club.

The Vietnam war became very unpopular, especially among college students, and was the cause of various student demonstrations and uprisings at Penn State. They protested the Vietnam war, Penn State's failure to enroll enough black students, censorship of student publications, and cooperative military research projects.

Student complaints also concerned regulations and restrictions considered by many to now be archaic. As early as 1964, two organizations, Association of Women Students (AWS) and Town Independent Men (TIM) pressed for elimination of Penn State's longstanding policy of assuming the duties and responsibilities of a parent, known as in loco parentis. Finally, in 1966, Penn State agree to study the matter, resulting in a vote of 11 to 1 by the Administrative Committee on Student Affairs in favor of permitting unrestricted visitation privileges for women to visit men in off-campus housing accommodations.

Unfortunately for the students, the single vote that had been cast against the proposed new policy was that of the Dean of Men, Frank Sims. Because of that, top-level Penn State administrators considered the vote to be a "tie." Eventually, after 2,000 students rallied on Old Main lawn in support of some of the changes, dress codes for evening dorm meals were relaxed so men did not have to wear coats and ties and women did not have to wear skirts or dresses. However, for the time being, women still had to live on-campus and no men or women were permitted to visit rooms of the other gender.

In 1968, Penn State students lived for over a week in "Walkertown" – derisively named for President Eric Walker – a shanty town of tents and cardboard shelters erected on Old Main lawn to protest insufficient dorm space for incoming students, which had resulted in as many as 400 of them having to use temporary bunks and coat racks in dorm basements, recreation rooms, lounges, and other equally inadequate areas.

In 1968, Sigma Chi sold its property – across Pollock Road from PA Theta – to Penn State. Built in 1906, the chapter house had deteriorated, according to a Sigma Chi alumnus, as the result of "too many years of partying and deferred maintenance – along with minimal alumni supervision of the chapter – leading to the point where the house is considered a risk."

At about the same time, the Delta Tau Delta chapter was being disbanded by its alumni, and a coincident purchase of the Delt property was made by Sigma Chi. Upon taking possession, Penn State quickly demolished the Sigma Chi house and landscaped the lot with grass, shrubbery, and evergreen trees.

In December 1968, John Baughman '65 (Bond #745) was tragically killed in an automotive accident. A brass plaque was installed in The Memorial Room with the following inscription.
In Memory of John L. Baughman –
Class of 1965 — who died in an
automobile accident December 4, 1968 —
In Coelo Quies Est
The Latin phrase, meaning "In Heaven there is Rest," was taken from an epitaph first used in the memoirs of Phi Delta Theta founder John McMillan Wilson.

In January 1969, a student protest group – the Steering Committee to Reform the University (SCRU) – issued numerous demands, including stoppage of military research and recruiting, removal of compulsory ROTC, and termination of academic credits for voluntary ROTC. SCRU also wanted female students to have the right to live off-campus and dorm residents to have the right to determine their own visitation policies.

When a February deadline was not met by Penn State, some 400 students – including members of SCRU, Students for Democratic Society (SDS), and the Douglass Association of MultiEthnic Americans, along with sympathizers of similar politically active groups – refused to leave Old Main after they were unable to meet with President Walker, who was in Harrisburg.

Administration officials eventually obtained a court order, which the Centre County sheriff served that evening after entering through a crowd of over 1,500 students outside – most of whom were not sympathetic to SCRU or its aims. However, around 10:00 p.m., several faculty members had calmed the hostile crowd enough for the demonstrators to leave peacefully, and the occupation of Old Main came to an end.

PA Theta's class of 1970 had a large number of excellent football players, who were a part of Penn State's two consecutive undefeated teams. Team members included Charles Burkhart (Bond #833), Walter Cirafesi (Bond #839), Stephen Smear (Bond #832), Peter Johnson (Bond #840), and David Radacovich (Bond #838).

PA Theta hosted the largest post-game party Penn State had ever seen, following the football team's defeat of UCLA in November of 1969. After landing at the Pittsburgh airport, the team buses arrived at Rec Hall at 1:00 a.m., Monday morning. Thousands of students were there to greet them, and as many as possible were invited down Burrowes Road to PA Theta for a celebration, which continued well into the remainder of the night.

Top  Next