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ABOUT
Reflections:
A JOURNAL OF PSI UPSILON HISTORY
Reflections: A Journal of Psi Upsilon History is a publication of the Psi Upsilon Foundation focused on researching and highlighting the stories behind the members, buildings, artifacts, and traditions of our order as we approach two centuries of brotherhood.
Greetings Brothers. Welcome to our second annual publication of Reflections. In the past year the History and Archives committee has been busy working with the Fraternity’s archives, starting the process of cataloging our extensive collection. Also, the committee was engaged in the planning, preparing, and execution of our Archives’ move to climate controlled storage. We are currently working with leadership of the Fraternity and Foundation to secure a permanent location for the Psi U Archives. As the committee spent several weekends preparing Archives material to be moved, we were struck by the breadth and depth of its contents. In addition to the Fraternity’s official historical record of meetings and conventions held, chapter petitions submitted, and many back issues of the Diamond, we discovered other artifacts of interest: a set of Magic Lantern slides from 1913, multiple proposed Psi U songs from the early 20th century, 16mm film reels, and 35mm photographic slides. Additionally, 100+ year old minute books from specific chapters and decades of Executive Council correspondence were carefully examined. Previous generations both had the advantage of the bleeding edge technology of the day and a keen interest in preserving our Fraternity’s history and the committee is indebted to those who came before us for their diligence. I hope you enjoy this edition of Reflections, and that it prompts those of you with Psi U-related historical artifacts to preserve them. Today’s events are tomorrow’s history, and future generations will appreciate insight into today’s fraternal experience. Yours in the Bonds, Evan W. Terry, Epsilon Phi ‘93 (McGill)
THANK YOU!
We wish to recognize brother Cushing Donelan, Gamma ‘05 (Amherst College) & Donelan Family Wines for their generous support of “Reflections: A Journal of Psi Upsilon History”, of the Speaker Series, and of the programs of Psi Upsilon.
DONELANWINES.COM
IN THIS ISSUE
HISTOR Y & ARCHIVES COMM I T T E E
2022 Edition
Evan W. Terry, Epsilon Phi ‘93 (McGill) CHAIR
4 | THE PSI UPSILON HOSE COMPANY
Jonathan M. Chaffin, Gamma Tau ‘00 (Georgia Tech)
Eta Chapter, Lehigh University
The early Eta had ties to the volunteer fire department; as the trucks aged they found new life. 6 | FOUNDING OF THE UNIVERSITY GLEE CLUB OF NYC John Tempest Walker Jr. Lambda 1884 (Columbia) Psi Upsilon brothers were involved in the University glee club movement from its early days. 9 | THE OCCUPATION OF BERLIN “Howlin’ Mad” Howley, Delta ‘25 (NYU) The father of Three Psi U’s, and the Commandant of the U.S. sector of post-war WWII Berlin.
12 | PSI UPSILON LEGACIES: The Terry Family Learn about four generations of Terrys representing six fraternity brothers from four chapters. 14 | A PRICELESS ARTIFACT IS REBORN The starwell at the Pi house is topped by a gorgeous stained glass dome.
16 | ABOUT OUR FOUNDERS: Edward Martindale Theta 1836 (Union College) Martindale was the last founder of Psi Upsilon to pass on; learn about his life.
Gary W. Curzi, Epsilon Iota ‘89 (RPI) Heather A. Burns Edmisten, Gamma Tau ‘02 (Georgia Tech) Clifford J. Edmisten, Gamma Tau ‘00 (Georgia Tech) Larry J. Lenick, Epsilon Nu ‘66 (Michigan State) John S. Mathews, Eta ‘81 (Lehigh) Joseph McCaskill, Chi Delta ‘00 (Duke) Alex Senchak, Eta ‘06 (Lehigh) Paul H. Travis, Gamma Tau ‘01 (Georgia Tech)
C O N T R I B UT O R S Jonathan M. Chaffin, Gamma Tau ‘00 (Georgia Tech) Misi Coliadis, Theta Pi ‘13 (Georgia State) Jim Cornacchia, Pi ‘86 (Syracuse) Thomas Fox, Omicron ‘00 (Illinois) John Mathews, Eta ‘81 (Lehigh) John F.H. Ong, Gamma ‘82 (Amherst) Lawrence Tang, ESQ, Gamma Tau ‘01 (Georgia Tech) Evan W. Terry, Epsilon Phi ‘93 (McGill) John L. Snyder, Epsilon Nu ‘51 (Michigan State) ABOUT OUR COVER: The cover is from an engraving reproduced in a Diamond issued for Convention. The symbols represent the chapters extant at the time with elements from their respective coats of arms; future editions of Reflections will feature symbols updated to reflect all modern chapters.
Have feedback? Want to write for Reflections?
Email jonathan@psiu.org
@PsiUpsilon PsiU.org/Archives @PsiUpsilon1833/
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@Psi_Upsilon
The 1943 Chevy (photo 1975)
THE PSI UPSILON HOSE COMPANY Eta Chapter, Lehigh University By John Mathews, Eta ‘81 (Lehigh) When it all began is partially lost to history. As best we know, sometime early in the 20th century the Eta Chapter was not only a fraternity but also a volunteer fire department, or its members were very active in the local volunteer fire department. As time passed, the trucks would get too old to be reliable in fighting fires. The Brothers of the Eta took over ownership of such declining trucks. Memories from older alumni suggest that the Eta had two firetrucks in the 1940’s (and possibly earlier) whose make and model are unknown. The 1958 Lehigh University yearbook documents #3 Engine, a 1929 Reo Speedwagon. In the 1950’s Brothers purchased ‘stock’ in “The Psi Upsilon Hose Company” and were issued certificates. Brother Jenkins, Eta ‘55, still had his! The Speedwagon had an open radiator, no doors, an open cab, “C” shaped fenders, low gearing, no synchronizers and a difficult to operate “crash box” transmission. Brothers Bob Rost, ‘60 and George Visgilio, ‘63 shared a most epic 90 mile trip taken in ~1962 to Greenwich Village in NYC. The story includes a policeman suggesting they “get out of my town fast”, a friendly Tunnel toll-taker who waved them through for free, waving fans in the Village, a keg, a designated driver, and arrival back at Lehigh before sun-up.
By 1963 the Speedwagon was on its last legs. The town of Asbury, NJ had a 1938 American LaFrance Pumper with an open cockpit and a big Lycoming You can see the difference between straight eight the Speedwagon and the LaFrance engine. A fund in this 1963 photo of John raising campaign Schoenfelder, Eta ‘64. was launched, and soon Engine #4 was at the Chapter House. The LaFrance was an upgrade in many ways – bigger, faster, and… the pumper worked. Recounted stories would lead one to say that maybe it was too powerful for Lehigh’s campus. Stories of water hose fights with other fraternities on the hill and ‘extinguishing’ windows in dorms surely lead to some troubles on campus – and a heck of a lot of fun! In 1972 there was Engine #5 - an open-cab 1938 GM with a 216 Stovebolt engine. According to Brother Russ Allison, Eta ’78, it had so much power that you
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could pop a wheelie. But this truck needed constant work. The engine was replaced with one from a Brother’s car that had broken down using an adaptor made in the University’s machine shop by the Hugh Sutherland, husband of the Eta’s long-time cook, Ruth, both great friends of Eta. But the custom repair job did not last long… By 1975, it was time to replace the truck again. Engine #6 – a 1943 Chevy – was found close to campus and purchased for $500. It received a complete overhaul at the shop of Brother Stackhouse’s father (’76) in NJ. By this time the University was getting leery of a fraternity driving a firetruck around campus. However, it passed inspection and was allowed. The Brothers entered it in an off-campus road rally and finished 20th out of 160 entries. They may have had a slight advantage in that if they missed a turn, they simply turned on the flashing lights - which stopped traffic - so they could get back on course. In the 70’s it was popular for each fraternity to have a large rock at the end of their drive with the house insignia. The truck came in handy in acquiring our house rock. The chosen large boulder was dug up from woods on campus, Brothers put a chain around it, and dragged it up the street to its new home. Whichever truck the house had at the time was taken to tailgates at football games. During the 1980’s it was a goal to retrieve cheerleaders and/or band members from the opposing team and bring them to the house for cocktails. The truck was a big hit on Parent’s Weekends as Mom & Dad could ride to the game in style. Trips off campus were few, mostly limited to bringing girls over from St Luke’s, Cedar Crest and Moravian (and taking them back if they so choose). One off-campus trip that was allowed was the annual Christmas party. Brothers drove the truck into
Bethlehem to a group home for children and the kids were chauffeured to the Chapter House for snacks and presents. This was the only time the siren was used in town; the kids loved it. In 1985, the Brothers decided to dress up the bar with hay bales and corn stalks for a Country Pub Night. They took the firetruck to a farm a few exits further along US Route 22. Brothers we were standing in the back of the truck waving and shouting at everyone as the truck cranked along at its top speed of 35 mph while traffic backed up behind, horns honking. That may have been Engine #6’s last road trip. In 1987 the firetruck made the short journey to Taylor Stadium for the last Lehigh-Lafayette football game to be played there. Future games were held at the new stadium on the other side of South Mountain. The journey up and down the mountain was difficult given the old truck’s non-synchronized doubleclutching transmission. Brother Rich Miller (‘95) believes he was the last person to drive Engine #6 to a football game. In 1993, he recalls the return trip, “We got over the mountain and were heading down the hill when I noticed the brake pedal didn’t have much resistance. When we got to dead-man’s curve, I had been down-shifting and using the pull parking brake to slow us down. Somehow the truck made it around the curve and back to the house. As we pulled into the parking lot, the great old truck stalled.” It would barely ever run again. Although it was periodically moved in the parking lot to give the impression of being operational, eventually the university required the truck be repaired or removed. It was eventually towed to Mountain Top and eventually sold to an auto repair shop in Quakertown. They moved the rear body to the back of their tow truck and what was left of the truck was scrapped. And thus ended 50+ years of The Psi Upsilon Hose Company. ♦
Brother Gregg Kear, Eta ‘63, driving Brothers around campus in November 1962
The 1938 American LaFrance replaced the 1929 Reo Speedwagon in 1963 More pictures from the article on page 11!
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Columbia Alumni Glee Club
John Tempest Walker, Jr, Lambda 1884 (Columbia) AND THE FOUNDING OF THE UNIVERSITY GLEE CLUB OF NEW YORK CITY By John F.H. Ong, Gamma ‘82 (Amherst) Author’s Note - Singing has long been my principal avocation, and soon after graduation from Amherst and my arrival in New York to start my new job I was introduced to the University Glee Club, a venerable men’s chorus founded in 1894. Having sung in the Amherst Glee Club (as well as other groups), I was excited at the opportunity to continue making music in the male voice choral tradition. (And I was very favorably impressed by the fact that, unlike my college days, glee club rehearsals now featured an open bar before and after rehearsals!) Years later I was honored to be elected president of the UGC for a term culminating in the club’s 125th anniversary in 2019, and as part of preparing speeches and writing articles in my leadership role, I started to research the club’s archives and read more extensively about the club’s long history. Digging out a volume written for the club’s 25th anniversary in 1919, I was delighted to discover that the principal mover in the creation of the club 125 years earlier, John T. Walker, had been a fellow Psi U, and I soon realized that friendships forged among Psi Upsilon members in various chapters were an important factor in the club’s formation leading up to its debut season of 1894-95.
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John Tempest Walker, Jr, was born in Brooklyn in 1864, the fourth of six children of John T. and Sarah (née Darrow) Walker. Walker senior had emigrated from Leeds, John T Walker Jr England in the 1850’s, and had become a well-known silk importer. The family prospered and John T. Junior was enrolled at Columbia College, joining the Class of 1884. At Columbia, Walker pledged Psi Upsilon, and is mentioned in the March 1883 Diamond’s chapter reports where he is credited, appropriately enough for what follows, as singing in a quartet for the Lambda’s annual theatrical event on Dec 27th, 1882. (There was no winter break in those days, I assume!) Walker’s other extra-curricular interests as an undergrad included the student newspaper, Acta Columbiana, tennis, rowing, where he was coxswain on the crew team (leading to his college nickname of “Coxey”), and the Columbia Glee Club. The American glee club movement, which evolved largely from both British part-song singing and the German Männerchor tradition, was still young in the 1880’s. The oldest American college glee club is Harvard’s, founded in 1858, and by Walker’s day there were glee clubs at Michigan, Yale, Wesleyan, Penn, Amherst, Cornell, Dartmouth, Union, Lehigh, Virginia, Rutgers, Columbia (founded 1873), Princeton, Ohio State, and Michigan State. As a senior, Walker became the glee club’s president, a position he maintained after his graduation (A.B. 1884) to 1886, while continuing his studies as a graduate student at Columbia to prepare for his chosen career as an architect (Ph. B, 1887). In 1886, Walker left the Glee Club, but then organized a new Columbia Alumni Glee Club, targeting fellow Columbia graduates living in New York City and environs as members. One of the Columbia alumni group’s early concerts involved a road trip to New Haven later in 1886. At the post-concert afterglow hosted by
the Yale Glee Club (founded 1861), Walker had a vision, encouraged in my imagination by the drinks and cigars, of how great it would be if there were a glee club in New York consisting of alumni from both Columbia and Yale as well as other colleges. Nothing concrete emerged at the time, but then at the 59th Psi Upsilon Convention hosted by the Lambda (Columbia) chapter in New York in 1892, Walker organized a performance with other singing Psi U’s from other chapters, and discussions around that event encouraged Walker to take the idea further. Soon a committee of young men from Columbia, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Union, and NYU organized to make the vision of a multi-college alumni glee club into a reality. The UGC’s 1994 centennial history, Brothers Sing On!, cites eight men in addition to Walker who were instrumental in the founding of the club. Of those, six were Walker’s Psi U brothers: From the Delta chapter in NYU’s Class of 1881 was accountant and later NYC Board of Education member Samuel Morris Dix (1860–1952). The Theta Chapter from Union contributed a pair of newly minted lawyers, Charles Wesley Culver (1867–1928) and Dominicus Stryker (D.S.) Voorhees (1867–1935), both of the Class of 1889 and also known as the founders and first captains of Union’s football team. From the University of Rochester (Upsilon) Class of 1891 were Burt Leslie Fenner (1869–1926) and William Henry Walker (1871–1938). Fenner was an architect who later joined McKim, Mead & White and was UGC president 1908–1910, and William (“Billy”) Walker (no relation to John T.) became well known as a cartoonist and satirist, as well as a landscape and portrait painter. Also in the group was a recent Cornell (Chi) graduate, and another architect, Frederick Alexander Parkhurst (1865–1913) from the Class of 1892. These men, working together with Walker, William H. Brandegee of Yale, and H. Hunter McAlpin from Princeton did the networking, legal, and organizational work necessary to build the new club, and as a result the Columbia Alumni Glee Club reorganized itself into the University Glee Club of New York City on March 8th, 1894, and the larger group gave their first informal concert at Mendelssohn Hall on May 10th 1894, with 44 members from the colleges mentioned plus City College of New York, Rutgers and Wesleyan. The concert was intended to raise money for a charity, the University Settlement Association, but it
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incurred a loss made up by its members. (This is a tradition which for better or worse continues to this day!) The new group was formally incorporated in New York State on June 14, 1894, with John T. Walker as its first president, and for their first official season that fall, Walker and the UGC secured the services of the Columbia Glee Club’s director, Dr. Arthur D. Woodruff, as its conductor, the first of only five in the club’s long history. A keg of beer was on hand for breaks during the weekly Thursday night rehearsals, and on January 26, 1895, fifty-two singers from over a dozen colleges and universities performed the UGC’s first formal members’ concert at the old Madison Square Garden. The club had adopted the model of holding a private concert with tickets reserved for family members and subscription-paying “associate members.” And in the first audience were Laura Spelman (Mrs. John D.) Rockefeller (1839–1915), lawyer and diplomat Joseph Hodges Choate (1832–1917), businessman and eventual Senator, Chauncy Depew (1834-1928), banker James Arden Harriman (1864-1909), Columbia University President (and later NYC Mayor) Seth Low (1850– 1915), and jurist, and recently rejected US Supreme Court nominee, William B. Hornblower (1851–1914). Frances T. (Mrs. J. P.) Morgan (1842–1924) and many others would sign on as associate members of the UGC in time for the second concert in May 1895. The original UGC also included Metropolitan Museum of Art restoration specialist Harry Augustus Hammond Smith (1860–1927) from the Amherst (Gamma) Class of 1883. Other Psi U’s who were UGC members in the early years include educator John Jameson Chickering, (1857–1929) Amherst (Gamma) Class of 1879, John Walker’s brother James Wheatley Walker (1869–1945), Columbia (Lambda) Class of 1891 (and UGC President 1910–1912), Albert Mossman (1872– 1943), Amherst (Gamma) Class of 1898, Cyrille Carreau, Jr (1882–1956), NYU (Delta) Class of 1904, Vincent De Vere Roberts (1882–) NYU (Delta) Class of 1905, and Metropolitan Opera baritone Reginald Werrenrath (1883–1953, NYU (Delta) Class of 1905. John T. Walker had other pursuits while still a
bachelor and working as an architect in the 1890’s. In addition to guiding the UGC through its formative years, Walker also joined the Players Club on Gramercy Park and the Psi Upsilon Club on Bryant Park, where he chaired its music committee. He also co-edited and published the original edition of the Columbia College Song Book (1895). Walker married Elizabeth Lewis Hoppin of Providence in 1899 and the couple settled in Flushing, NY. But career opportunities outside New York beckoned, and the Walkers moved to Pittsburgh in 1903 then Boston sometime before 1920. Their son, John Tempest (“Jack”) Walker III, attended Brown University in the Class of 1913 and joined the Sigma Chapter of Psi U. In 1922, Walker joined the civil engineering firm of Samuel H. Pitcher Co. in Worcester, Mass. as head of architecture, but in 1926 Walker died after an extended illness at the age of 61. Although no longer an active singer after leaving New York, Walker had maintained his UGC connection as a “retired active” member until his death. Soon after its 1894 incorporation, the UGC adopted as its seal the heraldic device of an owl, wings displayed and extended, clasping garlands of laurel, perched below a “UGC” monogram and a staff of music with the opening notes of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow.” While the owl, long a symbol associated with education, is of course a nod to the use of “University” in the new club’s name, I cannot help but think it is also John T. Walker’s and his fellow Psi U brothers’ homage to our Dear Old Owl. Tu-whit, tu-whoo! ♦
UGC at Riverside Church May 2015
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Howley led the first American convoy to Berlin in an ostentatious black Horch 853 A Sport Cabriolet convertible, confiscated from a senior Nazi.
“Howlin’ Mad” Howley, Delta ‘25 (NYU) AND THE OCCUPATION OF BERLIN By Lawrence Tang, ESQ, Gamma Tau ‘01 (Georgia Tech)
Larger than life, Col. Frank L. Howley was Deputy American Commandant when fourpower cooperation broke down in Berlin. Soviet radio played cowboy music every time they mentioned ‘Howley, the Rough Rider from Texas’ (he was actually from New Jersey).
June 17, 1945 - A commandeered Horsch Roadster rides to Berlin. Behind this luxury German car follow 120 jeeps and military vehicles; all polished to a high sheen and festooned with American flags. Among their number is a truck laden with 10,000 bottles of whiskey and wine to celebrate the liberation of the city. Leading the convoy riding in the Roadster sat General Frank L. Howley, Delta 1925 (NYU). “It was my intention,” said brother Howley, “to make this advance party a spectacular thing.”1 As he arrived at the beleaguered city recently conquered by the Soviet Army two enormous portraits loomed down on him: Lenin and Stalin. This ominous greeting would be a sign of things to come for the coming days and years. In addition to being a decorated
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General, Frank Howley was a brother of Psi Upsilon. Brother Howley pledged the Delta Chapter in 1921. During his time at NYU he played lacrosse, track & field, and football where he earned the nickname “Golden Toe.” 2 After graduating in 1925 with a degree in Economics he established an advertising agency that found success despite America being mired in the Great Depression. Beginning in 1932 Howley was a reser ve captain for the U.S. Army; in 1940 he was called to active duty. in 1941, America entered the second World War. Initially Howley headed the Rising Sun School of Aeronautics near Philadelphia. In 1941 he transferred to the Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas, teaching horse tactics and serving as a plans and training offi-
cer. Eventually he became executive officer of the Third Cavalry and in 1943 helped convert the unit from a horse unit to a mechanized one. This conversion included training maneuvers; during one fateful exercise Howley broke his back. During his recovery, the Army gave him a choice: go home and sit out the rest of the war, or join civil affairs. Howley chose the latter. While still recovering Howley attended military government school at Camp Custer and in Cleveland. As the war progressed Howley set up military government in France after D-Day. He later led the first ground party to cross the Elbe river on that fateful convoy to Berlin. While in Berlin the Soviets denied the negotiated terms with the Americans. To solve this impasse “Howlin’ Mad” Howley (as his men called him) set up billets and relief stations overnight so that the Soviets awoke to the reality of American occupation in Berlin. Howley sat at the negotiation table and went on to govern Berlin. In 1950 he retired from the Army a Brigadier General and went on to be the Vice Chancellor of his alma mater, New York University. During the Cold War Howley wrote multiple books and papers on the subject of diplomacy and rivalry with the Soviet Union. His work influenced the course of history. During his life Frank Howley received the U.S. Distinguished Service Medal, the French Legion of Honor, the Croix de Guerre (with three palms), the Belgian Military Cross (first class), the U.S. Legion of Merit, and four campaign battle stars. He married Edith Howley with whom he had four children: Dennis, Delta ’58, Peter, Delta ’62, William, Delta ’63, and daughter Frances. All three of his sons attended New York University and are brothers of Psi Upsilon. He passed away in 1993 at the age of 90.5 ♦
“Here’s to the Yanks who, working day and night with our British and French allies and with democratic Germans, made the Berlin victory possible – to men like John Digges, who purified the water, to Ben Scheinman, who brought justice to the German courts; to Ray Ashworth, who created a strong, democratic police force... Here’s to my wife, Edith, and our four small children, who took the daily insults, threats and privations of the Communist rats who walked like bears, and to all the wives who stood by their men, as American women have always done, staunch in the conviction that where the Stars and Stripes wave, there is the indestructibility of decency and there is the inspired might of a free people.” Frank L. Howley, Delta 1925 (NYU)
1. https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/ history/americans-arrive-berlin 2. https://sports.nyhistory.org/tag/golden-toe/ 3. https://www.psiuarchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/The-Diamond-of-Psi-Upsilon_June_1952.pdf 4. https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/history/ americans-arrive-berlin 5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1993/08/13/ gen-frank-leo-howley-dies/2ecaace0-b55a-411b-be4d-87c7d95facb6/ 6. Frank L. Howley, Berlin Command (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1950), foreword, 3.
First as deputy, and then as Commandant of the U.S. sector of postwar Berlin, Howley was widely featured in the press and propaganda as both hero and foe and became an outspoken voice during the Cold War.
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THE PSI UPSILON HOSE COMPANY Additional Photos Psi Upsilon’s page from Lehigh’s 1970 Yearbook
Above: The Psi Upsilon Hose Company stock certificate from the collection of Brother Jenkins, Eta ‘55,
Right: December 1979 Christmas Party with Kids from South Bethlehem
CONTENT CREATION We greatly appreciate all the brothers who volunteer, research, and conduct interviews to write for Psi Upsilon publications. Thank you as well to the generous brothers who donate to the Psi Upsilon Annual Fund expressly to support our archives, publications, content creation programs, and to the Fiske Fund that underwrites our 2021 Willard Fiske, Psi 1851 Psi Upsilon Media & Journalism Awards. Special Thanks to the Epsilon Nu and Gamma Chapter Corporations for their organized generosity and support. Are you a writer who would like to research and conduct inter views for Psi U publications?* Contact Director of Member Engagement, Jonathan Chaffin, Gamma Tau ‘00 (Georgia Tech) | *stipends available
“I am so honored... Researching my brothers in the archive, online, and with interviews has given me a deeper insight into what a great organization I am a part of and the many upstanding humans it connects me to in the bonds of brotherhood...Sincerest thanks to everyone who had a hand in bringing this about.”
Fiske Fund Gifts 2021
— Misi Coliadis, Theta Pi ‘13 (Georgia State)
Robert Taglich, Delta ‘89 (NYU)
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William G. Cavanagh, Pi ‘72 (Syracuse) Heather A. Burns Edmisten, Gamma Tau ‘02 (Georgia Tech) Clifford J. Edmisten, Gamma Tau ‘00 (Georgia Tech) Joseph O. McCaskill, Chi Delta ‘00 (Duke) Michael N. Taglich, Delta ‘87 (NYU)
Tau class ,
circa 189
0’s
PSI UPSILON LEGACIES: The Terry Family Researched By Evan W. Terry, Epsilon Phi ‘93 (McGill) An exciting keynote that comes with belonging to a fraternity so old is that entire family trees have dedicated themselves to the ideals of Psi Upsilon. Families like the Pipers, the Tafts (yes, THOSE Tafts), the Noyes, and the Terrys make brothers of grandfather and grandson, father and son, distant uncles and relations all across the generations. We hope to explore the stories behind these legacy Psi Us in this and future issues of Reflections. When Evan W. Terry, Epsilon Phi ‘93, joined Psi U at McGill University in 1990, he knew there was a family connection; his father, William H. Terry, was also member of the Epsilon Phi, class of ‘60. But after doing some family research, he was surprised to discover that he was not only a legacy, he was a 4th generation legacy, and that several other relatives were also members of Psi U. After receiving his BA in Economics, Brother Terry became involved John H Terry, Tau 1891, at work in his office in Philadelphia, PA, c. 1920
with the Executive Council, having served on that body since 1996 and most recently as its 24th President (2016-2020). Evan is also the current Archivist for the Foundation. He has worked in software and analytics in consulting roles, earned an MBA from Columbia Business School in 2013, and is currently the Vice President of Operations for Cprime, Inc., a technology consulting firm. His brother, Colin L. Terry, is also a member of the Epsilon Phi, class of ‘95, and worked for the Fraternity between 1995 and 1997 as a traveling chapter consultant immediately upon graduation. He subsequently earned an MS in Statistics and is the Director of Medical Research for Indiana University Health. Their father, William H. Terry, is a member of the Epsilon Phi, class of ‘60. After receiving his Bachelor of Commerce from McGill, he earned an MBA from the University of Western Ontario. He spent much of his career working with large industrial concerns as a civil servant in the Canadian federal government. Both Evan and Colin were raised in Ottawa, Canada. By any measure, three members of the same family
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in the Fraternity is remarkable. But the family ties to Psi U go much deeper than the last two generations and membership in a single chapter of Psi U. In addition to the brothers’ own individual experiences and those of their father, their grandfather, William H. G. Terry was an avid swimmer and tennis player, and a member of the Theta Chapter at Union College, class of ‘30. He was an industrialist, involved in railway construction with the Canadian National Railway, and he also ran a successful manufacturing operation, Terry Machinery Company. The first of the Terry Psi U’s was John H. Terry, Tau class of 1891. He was born in Philadelphia and enrolled in the University of Pennsylvania in 1888 to study civil engineering. He joined the Upsilon Kappa local fraternity as an undergraduate in the class of 1891. In 1890 the Upsilon Kappa were successful in obtaining a charter from the Convention, and John Terry was one of the Tau initiated by Herbert Bridgman, Gamma 1866 and president of the Executive Council, on May 5, 1891. In addition to the direct lineage from the current generation back to the founding of the Tau Chapter, several other Terrys are members of Psi U. John H. Terry Jr (Evan & Colin’s great uncle) was a member of the Eta Chapter (Lehigh University) class of 1920, L. Kent Clegg (Evan & Colin’s uncle on their mother’s side) is a member of the Epsilon Phi class of 1956, and several other more distant relatives joined the E Phi at McGill in the 1940’s and 1950’s. While the number of Terry Psi U’s is remarkable, Psi U has other examples of multiple-generation legacies. Please reach out to the History and Archives committee if you know of or are part of any other family legacies in Psi U. Of particular interest would be any photos showing historical participation in the Fraternity. Please open the door to such research with an email to jonathan@psiu.org.
Silver matchstick case carried by John H. Terry, Tau 1891. The bag identifies it as being made by Shreveport, Crump & Low Co in Boston.
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THE TERRY FAMILY TREE
John H Terr y, Tau 1891 1869-1945 founded the Tau, Civil Engineer, Entrepreneur, NJ
John H Terr y Jr., Eta ‘20 1899-1972 Mustard and Cheese Club, Chemical Engineer, Entrepreneur, NH
William H G Terr y, Theta ‘30 1906-1973 Union College, Entrepreneur, FL
William H Terr y, Epsilon Phi ‘60 1939Intramural hockey player, Civil Servant, Ottawa, ON
Evan W Terr y, Epsilon Phi ‘93 1970Has been on the Executive Council since ‘96, Evanston, IL
Colin L Terr y, Epsilon Phi ‘95 1972Worked for the Fraternity, MS Statistics Indianapolis, IN
By Jim Cornacchia, Pi ‘86 (Syracuse)
A Priceless Pi Chapter Artifact is
REBORN!
Originally sourced from Pi Chapter correspondance and written from that perspective; “we” and “our” generally rerefers to the Pi and their alumni association. In 2012, the [Pi] Trust Association along with Pete Daly, completed the exterior renovation of the Chapter House. It was a major achievement that helped address many critical deficiencies in the physical structure of the house. Leaks, drafts and extensive dry rot were remediated using modern building materials that lower maintenance costs. Now with our ability to focus on the interior, there was one major item that required major attention‚ the stained glass dome at the top of the third floor stairway. This incredible work of art was a gift to the Pi from the Chi chapter at Cornell University when the house was built in 1898. Crafted by hand with Italian cut glass, it is something we as brothers can all identify with. Unfortunately, time had taken its toll and a number of panels contained cracked or missing glass. Along the base, a number of panels were loose and needed to be re-leaded. Overall the individual glass was in need of a good cleaning to restore it back to its original condition. Over the years we had spoken to a number of alumni and even encountered some that had experience with similar projects. We knew of some local artists and one stood out as an outstanding candidate to take on this work. Ultimately we settled on a local stained glass artist whose studio did extensive stained glass restoration work on the Crouse College building on the Syracuse University campus which, along with the Pi Chapter House, is on the National Historic Register. After reviewing a proposal and speaking with past clients, the Trust Association decided to move forward with work. We believed the time was critical and that potentially waiting one more year might make the restoration even more complex and expensive than it currently was. After graduation, Pete Daly and his work crew installed scaffolding in the third floor stairway and the entire stained glass dome was removed panel by panel. Each panel was carefully packed and moved to the design studio in Lake Skaneateles, NY. Please see the inset article for a short description of the restoration process and the results were nothing short of stunning! After the restoration, the artist determined that the glass was practically all original‚ there were a few pieces that were replaced but not well matched in color and texture. (That was corrected). We also learned that the glass survived the 4th floor fire in 1912 as evidence of soot that was found when the glass was removed from its frames. Work of this magnitude is not cheap and this is no exception. The overall restoration work cost $35,000.00 and was worth every penny. Targeted fundraising was done and we had a huge outpouring of donations from Pi alumni to pay off the short term loan. Our hope is this artifact can be enjoyed by future brothers for years to come!
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Stained Glass Restoration Process The restoration is a labor intensive process that deconstructs each panel and essentially repairs and rebuilds it by hand. Here are the high level steps: 1 RUBBING: A rubbing is made of each panel on vellum with charcoal and then copies are made to be used as a building guide and for the historical record.
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2 DETAIL BEFORE COMPOUND REMOVED: This detail photo shows the old compound on the glass before cleaning. 3 LEAD CANES REMOVED: This is a photo of a panel with all of the lead canes removed and set onto a rubbing and ready for re-leading. Essentially each panel is reassembled. Note: each glass piece is uniquely sized and cut – no two pieces are identical. 4 SET UP FOR RE-LEADING: The releading process begins using the same materials and techniques of the period it was originally created.
The fully restored stained glass dome.....
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ABOUT OUR FOUNDERS:
Edward Martindale
Theta 1836 (Union College) By Misi Coliadis, Theta Pi ‘13 (Georgia State)
Edward Martindale was born at Sandy Hill, New York on February 4, 1817. His parents were Judge Henry Clinton Martindale, who was a representative in the US Congress for 12 years, and his wife Minerva Hitchcock. Edward was one of three children, his two brothers being General John H Martindale and Brevet Major F.E. Martindale. Little is known of Edward’s childhood times, but he grew up to be the father of Dr. John H. Martindale, and grandfather of Edward and Howard Martindale. Edward Martindale went to Union College in Schenectady, New York and graduated in 1836 at age 25. He has been described as “…a man of fine educational attainments, had been successful in all his undertakings, and was much sought after by all who enjoyed his acquaintance.”
After college, Martindale enlisted in the Union forces during the Civil War, eventually rising to the rank of Colonel and commanding brigades. He served from 1861 to 1865, holding the ranks of Private, Captain and Commissary, Lieutenant Colonel, and Colonel before resigning on August 7, 1865. Martindale was twice offered the role of brigadier general, but declined this promotion both times. Following the siege of Petersburg in 1865, he was made the first military governor of Petersburg, Virginia and held this post for one year. Edward Martindale’s time as a prominent resident of Des Moines, Iowa began in 1883, following his illustrious law career in New York and New Jersey. He continued to practice law in Des Moines. Over the next several years he would become Chancellor of the Diocese of Iowa, a member of Crocker Post G. A. R. and the Loyal Legion of the Commandery of Iowa. In May of 1898, Martindale travelled to Minneapolis, Minnesota to attend the 65th convention of Psi Upsilon. Here, he gave a speech to his gathering of brothers. In his speech, he said, “In all the sixty-five years since the day of our Society’s organization, this is the first time it has been my fortune to be present at one of its National Conventions”. While evidence was found of his attendance at the 7th convention, the 65th convention must have been a much different thing for him to speak these words. His speech continues with a loving recount of Psi Upsilon’s founding, followed by musings of the fraternity’s great success and quality of its membership since then. The following is an excerpt encompassing what Martindale believes is the reason for this sustained success: “…It has worked silently and gently, without observation or pretension, without noise or living voice, but with vital energy, unerring instinct and irresistible force… it is found in the first law
Martindale was a sophomore in 1833 when the first mutterings of Psi Upsilon began. It is said that “Martindale and Stewart may jointly lay claim to the first suggestion of the Fraternity’s name”. Martindale writes candidly about this experience in an issue of The Diamond, published April 1878: “That was done in 1834. My recollection is that the name was somewhat matter of fancy, arising from the beauty of the two Greek letters, Psi and Upsilon, suggested, to be sure, and selected in the early meetings in the old attic previously referred to, but finally determined upon and adopted in committee of the whole in 1834.” Edward Martindale remained active in the Delphian Institute as he was also busy founding Psi Upsilon, and achieved enough academic excellence to be elected into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.
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and the very nature of all things. Whatever is an empty show, however plausible the sham maybe, it must die. Whatever is instinct with truth and honesty, and sincerity and energy, nothing can kill it…The other reason, although subordinate, has also been potent in its influence. Look at the beauty of our Badge, the graceful shape of its two Greek letters, the most elegant in the whole Greek Alphabet, the musical and sonorous sound of our name, Psi Upsilon, all appealing to both the eye and the ear and satisfying the highest requirements of good taste and good judgment, to say nothing of the significance of the Mystic Legend of our Motto translated to the eye by its clasped hands. All these attracted instant attention and excited great admiration. Their adoption was a happy inspiration and greatly contributed to the approval we received.” Edward Martindale was the last of Psi Upsilon’s founders to die on Friday July 15th, 1904 in San Diego. His son, Dr. John H. Martindale, was initiated to the Epsilon chapter at the following convention.
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https://www.psiuarchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/ConventionRecords_May_1898.pdf Pgs 7-10, Edward Martindale’s speech to the 65th Convention https://www.psiuarchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Annals-of-PsiUpsilon_1883-1941_The-Chapters_.pdf Search – Martindale. Contains detailed account of the founding, along with a brief description of Martindale’s life. https://www.psiuarchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/The-Diamond-ofPsi-Upsilon_Apr_1878.pdf Pgs 1-2, Edward Martindale’s written statements about the founding https://ir.uiowa.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&htt psredir=1&article=3120&context=annals-of-iowa Pg 2 – An obituary of Edward Martindale, published in Iowa upon his death https://www.psiuarchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ConventionRecords_May_1905.pdf Appendix E, Pg 24 – LA Times obituary of Edward Martindale, also contains details about the initiation of Martindale’s son to Psi Upsilon. https://www.google.com/books/edition/ Nott_Memorial_Number_of_the_Union_Univer/
A WELL-WORN PIECE OF
History
By Executive Director Thomas Fox, Omicron ‘00 (Illinois) “In the Fall of 2017 I saw an email in my inbox from “Edward Martindale”, my initial assumption was this was a prank or spoof email of some kind, but I’m glad I did not dismiss it as it ended up being a real person, Marty Martindale, the great great grandson of our founder, Edward Martindale. He had found some items in his family archives that felt were of more importance to us at Psi Upsilon than his family – an original copy of “The Story of Psi Upsilon”, a copy of the Tenth General Catalogue from 1898, a photocopy of the speech Brother Martindale made to the Convention in 1898 (which can be read on page 18) as well as his brother’s badge. Marty Martindale kept a great record of his family’s history and is a member of Chi Psi Fraternity, so he knew his ancestor was a founder of Psi Upsilon and that these items were of significant historical value to us. To properly recognize this contribution, we have framed this badge, as well as the badges we have of two of our other founders – Samuel Goodale and Robert Barnard and display them at events like Annual Convention and Archons Academy. The return of the Martindale badge is not only meaningful as a story of our history, but also of interfraternalism at its finest. Upon receiving photos of the badge displayed at the 176th Convention in Chicago in 2019 Marty had the following to say: “I’m sure that the Colonel would be pleased at how you are utilizing his founder’s pin… I’m still very close to some of my Chi Psi brothers so certainly understand the value of brotherhood as a lifetime endeavor. The founder’s pin is where it belongs...” We are very grateful for the donation of these items by Marty Martindale and his family. Above are photos of the front and back of the badge, as well as a picture of Colonel Martindale wearing it (opposite page).
PsiU.org/Archives
DIRECT FROM THE ARCHIVES Martindale Speech reprinted from an article in the June 51 Diamond John L. Snyder, Epsilon Nu ‘51 (Michigan State) [Address of Col. Edward Martindale (Theta, 1836) of Des Moines, IA, at the Convention in the 65th year of the Fraternity with the Mu Chapter, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn., May 4, 1898.] Mr. President, and Gentlemen of the Psi Upsilon: My Brothers: - I hope you will attribute to the infirmities of my eighty-one years any insufficiency in my acknowledgements for your generous reception of me. It has touched my heart, and encourages me to read to you a few remarks, which I trust you will find appropriate to the occasion. When I look at this splendid assemblage of Psi Upsilons I find it difficult to credit the evidence of my senses, and am rendered almost speechless by wonder and admiration. If to any one of you it is a glorious sight, think what it must be to me. In all the sixty-five years since the day of our Society’s organization this is the first time it has been my fortune to be present at one of its National Conventions, and witness one of the mighty gatherings of all the Tribes. Imagine, then, how difficult it must be for me to feel sure of what I see and to realize where I am at. For observe, that I am obliged to admit proudly to myself - and to you, too–-that I am actually one of the humble Founders of the most magnificent, the most glorious Association of the kind in existence. For you, who have been part of the grand procession, and witnessed her rapid development from infancy into her present proud proportions, it is easy to realize that what seems to me like some stupendous miracle, is actual, plain matter of fact. But for me, it is different. My difficulty is–-as your penetration has already divined–that I am one of the Founders! Look back with me to the early autumn of the year 1833, and come in imagination with me to old Union College, my Alma Mater, and look into one of the rooms in the attic of the “Lower College Building,” occupied by a Freshman and his Chum. There we shall see three young men–-one of them seventeen years of age–-with a profound air of mystery and secrecy, with bated breath and subdued tones, engaged in considering and devising a plan for the founding of a New Secret Society. These three callow youths were very much in earnest, but they had no self conceit or overweening confidence in their success, and they were sufficiently modest in their anticipations of the future. They had not the slightest conception of the importance of what they were doing. They never dreamed of the great results that were to flow from their simple plans, and it is certain that they “builded better than they knew.” They were my chum, Merwin H. Stewart, and our next neighbor, Charles W. Harvey, and myself. What a weird and mysterious atmosphere pervaded the room I need not describe. You can easily understand that, for you have all been through something like it yourselves! The strain of intense feeling and the weight of solemn secrecy are oppressive, but
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deliciously exciting. These are all Freshmen, but are soon to be reinforced by the good judgment, superior wisdom and extraordinary ability, well known to belong exclusively to the Sophmore Class! These came to us in the course of some few days in the persons of my good friends, Samuel Goodale, here present, and his relative and chum, Sterling G. Hadley, both of whom you have always delighted to honor, and whose names are well known and most deservedly venerated by every Chapter in the United States. To these five names were soon after added George W. Tuttle and Robert Barnard, both Freshmen. At a meeting of these seven men, in solemn conclave assembled, the Psi Upsilon Society was soon after organized and duly founded, Hadley being made our first President, and Stewart, I think, Secretary, and Committees appointed to report on the Name, Badge and Motto, on one of which I had the honor to serve. Then followed the adoption of our present elegant Name, beautiful Badge and appropriate Motto. And when the Badge first appeared, openly worn and avowed, the astonishment and admiration they excited were such as to be beyond description, mingled with surprise at the temerity and novelty of our ambitious enterprise. Thus was our Society launched upon the broad and turbulent sea of College politics, confronted by an unknown future and the indifference or hostility of the older Associations. But their feeling of hostility was soon changed into a very different one, and, finally, overtures for alliance and mutual aid were made to us. We had all received invitations to join the old and prosperous societies of the college, all of which had been sternly and peremptorily declined for the unavowed, but real, reason that they were not considered good enough–-their general standard of character and scholarship not high enough, and many of their members not such that we could feel like taking them to our hearts as brothers. No Junior or Senior was invited or permitted to join in the aspiring undertaking. We determined to originate something new and unprecedented, if possible, better than anything we could see in the societies around us, and to make good scholarship and good taste, sound character and sound sense, the tests of membership in the Psi Upsilon Society. Soon, from the elite of both the younger classes, accessions came rapidly, as our purpose became understood, and we were cheered and encourage by the acquisition of such men as my dearest life-long friends, Edward F. Cushman and Isaac Dayton; then Backus, Brown, Gott, Conklin, Reed, and others; and, when the name of Hooper C. Van Vorst was enrolled among us, we received the Gold Standard Stamp of unquestionable Solvency and Universal Currency. From that date the career of the Society has been one of unprecedented prosperity and rapid progress. It has been onward and upward, and, to its honor be it spoken, without a blemish. If its rank can be measured by the multitude of its members who have attained the highest distinction in every walk of life, it can justly claim to be one of the first among all people and in all lands. I will not weary you with names, for the task would be
Edward Martindale Responding to the Passing of Fellow Founder George Washington Tuttle
endless. But you will share with me the pride I feel in pointing to the Presidency of the United States, the Cabinet officers, judges, both State and National, the Senate and House of Representatives, the Bench and the Bar, the long catalogue of Governors of States, bishops, eight in number, and other eminent divines, diplomats, poets, professors, orators and statesmen, business men in every calling, men of peace and men of war, who have rendered distinguished service to our country on land or sea, and finding each and all of the catalogues made more illustrious by the name of some Psi Upsilon. It must be interesting to consider, for a moment, what should be the cause of such marvelous results from such modest, such seemingly inadequate sources. For all things under the sun there must be a reason, no matter how unreasonable they may appear. For this extraordinary phenomenon, for this unprecedented success, there must be some underlying principle, some rational explanation, some sufficient reason. Such reason there has been. It has worked silently and gently, without observation or pretension, without noise or living voice, but with vital energy, unerring instinct and irresistible force. It has always been pointing to general results and leading up to the final consummation of our hopes and wishes in the present grandeur of our Society. I have often tried to think how it was that such large results could flow from such small beginnings. What is that mighty cause? If I may suggest some reply, I would say that it is not far to seek, and I will try to state it briefly. It seems to me two-fold; and, first, it is found in the first law and the very nature of all things. Whatever is an empty show, however plausible the sham may be, it must die. Whatever is instinct with truth and honesty, and sincerity and energy, nothing can kill it. The young Psi Upsilons started out with the simple intent to do right; to maintain their natural sturdy independence; to deserve their own self-respect and the regard of their fellows; to rise to a better life by aiming higher and striving for something better than they found in their surroundings; to make real merit of some kind an indispensable condition of membership; to preserve a strong sense of the beauty of honesty, and a living remembrance of what they came to college for, and a firm determination to do their duty, especially as students and as gentlemen, to the best of their ability. Naturally and necessarily this gave them a good standing at once and an ever increasing force, drawing as the magnet draws–-like attracting like with ever increasing volume, until their future was assured, and the foundations of their coming greatness were laid broad and deep and firm. The other reason, although subordinate, has also been potent and in its influence. Look at the beauty of our Badge, the graceful shape of its two Greek letters–-the most elegant in the whole Greek Alphabet–-the musical and sonorous sound of our name–-Psi Upsilon–-all appealing to both the eye and the ear and satisfying the highest requirements of good taste and good judgment, to say nothing of the significance of the Mystic Legend of our Motto translated to the eye by its clasped hands. All these attracted instant attention and excited great admiration. Their adoption was a happy inspiration and greatly contributed to the approval we received. Thus I have endeavored to account in some degree for the modest origin and wonderful development of our Fraternity from its seven youthful Founders to the present proud Roll of 10,000 Members. Its past had been a triumphal march, a continous and magnificent success. Its future, gentlemen, is in your hands. In the guardianship of such Champions I am persuaded that there can be no question of the future destiny of the Psi Upsilon Society.
April 14th, 1903 George S. Coleman Esq Secretary of the Excutive Council of the Psi Upsilon Fraternity Dear Brother Coleman, Yours of the 4th April inst. is duly rec’d notifying me of the death of our dear Brother Tuttle. I would gladly comply with your request for some reflections on the peculiarly attractive qualities of our lost Brother’s character appropriate to the occasion, but cannot hope to do the subject justice. It has been my ill fortune that we have never met since we graduated, but he possessed lovely characteristics which one can never forget and which is always pleasant to remember. He possessed that sweetness which made every acquaintness his warm friend, the most genial temperament which made it a peculiar pleasure to know him. In passing away he has left our Fraternity to lament him as one “whom none could know but to love him, and none name him but to praise.” As I remember, the friendship between him and our Brother John H. Beach of Saratoga was something beautiful to see. While my own peculiar friend – our classmate and example in all good things – was our dear Brother Edward F. Bushman of Troy New York. He was in every deed of the Salt of the Earth. I might name Harvey Hadley & Goodale & Dayton & Brown and many others well worthy of special mention as Scholars & Gentlemen – but you will know how to excuse any shortcomings and infirmities which are by no means growing less. With kindest regards & best wishes & hearty greetings to you & your Council & all the Brethren – quite decrepit but Sincerely Yours
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Edward Matindale
Martindale CHRONOLOGY 1817 | Born in Sandy Hill, NY. 1833 | Psi Upsilon Founded. 1840s | Attorney in New York. 1861 | Volunteered for the Union Army. July 1, 1861 | Battle of Malvern Hill. 1863 | Trained and took command of the USCT as part of the 25th Mountain division. 1865 | Civil war ends and he leaves military. Returns to law practice. 1878 | Presided over the Psi Upsilon reunion in New York. 1880s | Moved to Iowa. 1898 | Addressed the Psi U convention with his recounting of the founding of Psi U. Noted that it was his first convention and that Samuel Goodale was present.
Edward Martindale, Theta 1836 (Union College) Born: February 4, 1817 Sandy Hill, New York Died: Friday July 15, 1904 (aged 87) San Diego, California
Edward’s brother, General John Henry Martindale (seated), posing with his brother and fellow Civil War officers
1902 | Copies of the catalog were sent to him and Tuttle. 1903 | George Washington Tuttle dies, leaving Martindale the only surviving founder. He replies with a letter mentioning his infirmities. 1904 | Died in San Diego. 1905 | His son Dr. John Martindale joins Psi Upsilon by amendment.
Martindale Silver Star
Martindale M.O.L.L.U.S. Award