IN THIS ISSUE

4 | ABOUT OUR FOUNDERS: George Washington Tuttle Theta 1836 (Union College)

Brother Tuttle displayed both leadership as well as humility and a retiring nature while epitomizing the values of Psi Upsilon.

8 | CHARLES BURNHAM

WILKINSON Mu ‘37, University of Minnesota

“Everyone on the Cardinals’ team is enriched by the fact that for the rest of our lives we can say, ‘I played for Bud Wilkinson.”

6 | THE DEAN OF BROADWAY SHOWMEN

George Abbott Upsilon ‘11, University of Rochester

A celebrated actor, writer, producer, and director with a career spaning three-quarters of a century.

10 | THE DIAMOND’S FIRST EDITOR Willard Fiske Psi 1851, Hamilton College the foremost scholar of Psi Upsilon in his day Fiske, delivered an oral history of our founding at the Convention of 1876.

11 | RADIO MAN

Jack Morton Theta Theta ‘57, Washington

A long and storied career on the airwaves recounted!

16 | PSI UPSILON LEGACIES: The Piper Family

8 generations of Psi Upsilon brothers in one family; please endjoy these rememberances from Donald G. Piper, Pi ‘57 (Syracuse).

18 | REDISCOVERING PHI BETA LOST ITEMS

HISTORY & ARCHIVES COMMITTEE

CHAIR

Evan W. Terry, Epsilon Phi ‘93 (McGill University)

Jonathan M. Chaffin, Gamma Tau ‘00 (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Gary W. Curzi, Epsilon Iota ‘89 (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)

Clifford J. Edmisten, Gamma Tau ‘00 (Georgia Institute of Technology)

John S. Mathews, Eta ‘81 (Lehigh University)

Joseph McCaskill, Chi Delta ‘00 (Duke University)

Alex Senchak, Eta ‘06 (Lehigh)

Paul H. Travis, Gamma Tau ‘01 (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Joshua Rogers, Phi Beta ‘23 (College of William and Mary)

Contributors

Jonathan M. Chaffin, Gamma Tau ‘00 (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Lawrence Tang, ESQ, Gamma Tau ‘01 (Georgia Institue of Technology)

Donald G. Piper, Pi ‘57 (Syracuse University)

Joshua Rogers, Phi Beta ‘23 (College of William and Mary)

Tip Hinsdale, Xi ‘39 (Wesleyan)

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.

Have feedback? Want to write for Reflections? Email jonathan@psiu.org

PsiU.org/Archives @PsiUpsilon @PsiUpsilon1833/ @Psi_Upsilon

ABOUT OUR FOUNDERS: George Washington Tuttle Theta 1836 (Union College)

By Chrisopher Lawrance Tang ESQ, Gamma Tau ‘01 (GeorgiaTech)

Can a quiet life model the leadership and values of our society? Many different kinds of brothers have passed through our halls, a diversity reflected within the founders themselves. Brother Tuttle is an example of one who displayed both leadership as well as humility and a retiring nature while epitomizing the values of Psi Upsilon.

George Washington Tuttle was born March 24, 1817 in Windham, New York to Sidney Tuttle and Clarissa Steele1. Windham lies nestled among the Catskill mountains and the Tuttle family established itself there in Greene County, a rural community at the time2. Being of humble character, we know little of the early life of Brother Tuttle but his intelligence and academic acumen was such that he matriculated to Union College at the tender age of fifteen.

Tuttle pursued a degree but as a sophomore in 1833 found himself in the acquaintance of six other young men of similar character and inclination. At the age of sixteen Tuttle stood the youngest of all the founders but of no lesser worth. His contributions came both in the tangible, using his legal studies to aid in the drafting of our bylaws3, and in the intangible with warm personal bonds to all of them.

After the early years of our society and its struggles for recognition and growth, brother Tuttle graduated from Union college in 1836 along with other founders of his class. From there he moved to New York City where he embarked upon the practice of law. From there his life took further shape and by 1841 he married Ruth Coswell Wey in his home town of Windham. By this time Tuttle expanded his entrepreneurial enterprises beyond the practice of law and into the merchanting of leathers. Much like his tenure in college, Tuttle would garner a reputation for both intelligence and kindness as a business leader in New York.

George continued business in New York but the couple relocated to Shandaken, New York to raise a family. While the couple lost their first child George Edward Tuttle (b. 1843, d. 1843) they would later be blessed by two sons Sidney (born 1845) and William (born 1849). In 1863 Sydney Tuttle, Theta 1863, would follow in his father’s footsteps matriculating to Union College and pledging to the Theta chapter of Psi Upsilon. William moved to Missouri seeking his destiny by going West.

1868 saw much tragedy for George. Within that year he lost both his wife Ruth as well as his father. Having lost his mother in 1855 and having raised both sons to maturity, George Washington Tuttle decided to retire from business and sold his still thriving leather mercantile. By 1870, George remarried to Sarah Donnelly and by 1880 the couple relocated to Bath, New York.

Both as a founder and as the father of a Sidney Tuttle, George would continue his contact with the fraternity, though often with a sense of humility. In 1878 the Diamond finished publishing a series of letters from the founders still living recounting the founding of our society. Despite attending the semi-centennial in 1878, George declined to give his own recollections, deferring to his peers. Though he played an equal part in the founding of our society, this humility of his earlier years continued throughout his life.

... I would greatly comply with your request for some reflections on the particularly attractive qualities of our lost Brother’s character appropriate to the occasion, but cannot hope to do the subject justice...

[George Washington Tuttle] 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.”

Unfortunately, by 1882 George stopped attending Convention, sending his condolences that due to his advancing age he could not attend. He never provided his personal accounting of those earliest years. The Convention of 1903 included toasts and warm remembrances to the beloved founder including that of his own son Sidney recalling him as a warm and loving father as well as a great leader.