| 1991
- 2000
The collegiate and military life of H. Edward Wagner '41, a World
War II casualty (see 1941-1950), was featured in an article in Town
& Gown, a local State College magazine.
More chapter members in their junior and senior years elected to
live outside the house, and occupancy dropped to under 50%, resulting
in reduced rental revenues paid by the undergraduate chapter to
the alumni corporation. The chapter's mortgage was refinanced and
increased to provide funds for increasingly excessive repairs, and
it became obvious that something must be done to improve the physical
plant. A 1994 feasability study, performed by a professional fund-raising
consulting firm – Dorris and Associates, Indianapolis IN –
indicated that PA Theta alumni would contribute at least $650,000
[$812,000 in 2004 dollars] to a capital campaign for the purpose
of renovating the chapter house. A three-phase program with an $800,000
budget [$1,000,000 in 2004 dollars] was developed to perform only
essential elements, not a complete renovation.
In February 1995, Dorris and Associates was contracted to begin
making initial alumni contacts for the capital campaign; however,
it failed to start until August. Ultimately, Dorris completed fewer
than ten effective alumni contacts which, when combined with a number
of spontaneous responses, resulted in pledges totaling $273,450
[$332,364 in 2004 dollars]. Unfortunately for PA Theta, many of
those pledges were never honored or consummated.
At an expenditure of approximately $200,000 [$236,070 in 2004 dollars],
Phase-One renovation work in 1996 included installation of a) fire
suppressant sprinkler system, b) central-station fire alarm system,
c) smoke detectors in all rooms, d) hallway entrances for all study/sleep
rooms (housing code requirement), e) new lighting fixtures in all
study/sleep rooms, f) outward opening doors with panic hardware
in dining room and card room (housing code requirement), g) new
electric outlets where necessary, and h) television and telephone
lines into all study/sleep rooms.
It also included a) removal of all drop-ceilings installed in the
1960s renovations (a fire code requirement), b) raising and strengthening
the chapter room ceiling (partially resolving a problem created
decades ago by the removal of a load-bearing wall in the middle
of the chapter room), c) repair of the main steam valve, d) upgrading
of the domestic water system, and e) repair or replacement of many
defective plumbing fixtures.
Dorris and Associates eventually ceased all business operations
in July 1996, and the capital campaign for major renovation of the
chapter house halted.
On December 12, 1996, Vance Packard '36 passed away at his Martha's
Vineyard home. From 1946 to 1989, he had written 10 books. His first
was How to Pick a Mate; A Guide to a Happy Marriage, and his last
was The Ultra Rich: How Much is Too Much?
William L. Weiss '51 and his wife contributed $4 million to Penn
State for The William L. and Josephine Berry Weiss Graduate Scholars
Program and the Special Initiative Fund in the Libraries, scheduled
to begin in the fall of 1997. In addition to tuition and fees, engineering
and liberal arts scholars would receive an annual stipend of at
least $16,000. Brother Weiss had previously funded a faculty endowment,
The William L. Weiss Chair in Information and Communications Technology.
In 1997, Edward R. Hintz, Jr. '59 and his wife donated $5 million
for the conversion of University House – the former residence
of many Penn State presidents – into Hintz Family Alumni Center.
University House was then being used for official receptions and
office space. When renovated and enlarged, the center would serve
as a gathering place and information center for all Penn State alumni.
Ed Hintz and his wife previously had made generous gifts to the
School of Music, the College of Health and Human Development, and
Penn State's Berks Campus.
Herbert C. Graves, III '50 was named a Distinguished Alumnus of
the University.
On February 23, 1997, the General Council of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity
adopted a mandatory "Alcohol-Free Housing Policy," to
be effective July 1, 2000, for all Phi Delt chapters. The policy
was absolute, meaning that the presence of any alcohol on any portion
(grounds or building) of PA Theta's real estate at any time would
be a violation. Later that same year, PSU President Graham Spanier
publicly stated that alcohol was the #1 problem on the University
Park Campus.
In 1998, the first PA Theta Membership Directory was published
and distributed to all alumni by Stewart Howe Alumni Service, State
College PA.
In December of 1998, Inez Packer was forced to retire from her
22-year career with PA Theta. The previous winter, Inez had surgery
to remove some cancerous cells and, after that, the demands of her
multiple duties were more than she felt she could handle.
Inez had quickly become a beloved component of PA Theta. She became
PA Theta's first true kitchen manager – not just a cook –
in addition to her self-assumed roles as disciplinarian, teacher,
nurse, friend, housekeeper, and – when demanded – public
relations intermediary.
Early in her employment, Inez had implemented a full set of standards
including a) the kitchen was locked from 6:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.; b)
no milk between 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.; c) four types of breakfast
cereal plus french toast, pancakes or eggs early every day; d) cereal,
juice, bagels and English muffins would be served to 11 a.m.; e)
no swearing in front of her; and f) no bare feet in the kitchen.
She was famous for her mud pie made with an Oreo cookie crust,
coffee ice cream, and a topping of Hershey fudge, Cool Whip, and
crushed nuts. For those students who didn't like coffee ice cream,
Inez spoiled them by making two additional pies, one with vanilla
and one with chocolate.
Lunches with a variety of soups plus chili dogs, tacos, sloppy
Joes, cheesesteaks, tuna salad, cold cuts, or BLTs were common,
but dinner favorites were London broil, beef burgundy, roast turkey,
roast beef, veal cordon bleu, beef stroganoff, or stuffed chicken.
A common question by alumni at every Homecoming dinner – when
Inez would routinely serve over 200 meals – was, "Do
you guys eat like this all the time?" and the students' answers
were always a resounding "Yes!"
Inez was invited back to attend the November 6, 1999, Homecoming
dinner, at which time a group of recently-graduated brothers presented
her with a silver tray, engraved with their best wishes and extolling
her virtues. She also received personal letters from many alumni
and a check for over $8,000 from donations to The Inez Packer Gift
Fund by dozens of PA Theta alumni, but mostly by class members from
1977 to 1999, the ones she considered to be "her boys"
and to whom she was "Mom."
The check was presented by Alumni corporation president Thomas
L. Smith '54 and was accompanied by a "Corporate Resolution"
document declaring;
"Whereas, Inez Packer has completed over twenty years of service
for the benefit of the Pennsylvania Theta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta
Fraternity, and Whereas, during those years, Inez Packer has performed
her duties as Kitchen Manager in exemplary fashion, and Whereas,
Inez Packer additionally acted as House Mother, Policy Enforcer,
Confidant, Confessor, Arbitrator, Financial Watchdog, Purchasing
Agent, Maintenance Supervisor and Public Relations Intermediary;
Therefore, Inez Packer is presented with these letters of praise
and love from "her boys" and a gift from the entire alumni
and undergraduate membership of Pennsylvania Theta of Phi Delta
Theta that, unfortunately, cannot fully express our true appreciation
for what she gave to us."
For the spring 2000 semester, Virginia Smoyer was hired as kitchen
manager to take the position previously held by Inez Packer.
In a manner similar to the establishment of "Walkertown"
in 1968, members of an unofficial student group urged Penn State
to join the Worker Rights Consortium by camping out on Old Main
lawn in approximately 20 tents. The group's main purpose was opposition
to overseas apparel factories practicing sweatshop conditions.
On July 1, 2000, the Alcohol-Free Housing Policy was effective
and all Phi Delta Theta chapters went "dry." PA Theta's
alumni indicated their reaction to the Alcohol-Free Policy when
only five alumni returned to the house for the traditional Homecoming
dinner.
At 2000 Homecoming, the alumni corporation officers were directed,
by a vote at the Homecoming meeting, to ask PSU if it continued
to have interest in the purchase of PA Theta's real estate.
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