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About Us :: 1950-1973 History
Theta Upsilon History
1950-1973
Alpha Phi Omega Theta Upsilon chapter was established
at Case Institute of Technology on May 12, 1950. The first president
was Dick Matt and the faculty advisor was Professor G. M. Cover
of the metallurgy department. Membership was limited to present
or previous members of the Boy Scouts of America. APO organized
many activities in their first semester at Case, including the travel
bureau and car pool, a pep band called "Mad Hatter" and
also a boy scout troop for crippled children at Rainbow Hospital.
APO first appeared in the Case yearbook, the Differential, in 1951.
The president in 1952 was Art Lyell. That year, as
well as continuing with many previous projects including the travel
bureau and scout troop, APO provided a lost and found department
and a big brother system for foreign students, and helped with the
Red Cross Blood Donation campaign.
In 1953, new APO activities of the chapter were fundraising
by making APO keys for other chapters in Ohio, Kentucky, and West
Virginia, in addition to being one of the host chapters at the national
convention in Columbus.
By the fifth year of their chapter in 1955, Theta
Upsilon had firmly established itself on campus. The president was
Phil Goertz, president in 1956 was Doug Underwood. Activities included
ushering at convocations, organizing publicity for Campus Chest,
the continuation of the scout troop and lost and found, and organizing
two campus drives each year. In order to receive many donations
for the blood drive, APO initiated a "Bleed for Beer"
competition where the fraternity with the highest percentage donating
would receive a keg of beer!) Due in large part to the efforts of
APO, Case students gave about 400 quarts each year, making it the
largest collegiate blood drive in Northeast Ohio.
Under the direction of presidents Phil Ruggiero and
Paul Liebenhaur in 1957, new activities included preparing a sports
calendar for the campus and aiding the administration where needed.
Ushering was expand to include all campus functions, including many
concerts. The advisor at this time was Professor Fredrick L. Taft.
By 1959 APO began the Ugly Man Contest and distributed "Career"
magazine to seniors.
In 1960 Theta Upsilon gave Ellsworth H. Augustus,
president of theBoy Scouts of America, honorary membership in the
chapter. In attendance tothe ceremony were many officials including
the national president of APO.
In the next few years, APO served as guides around
campus to weekend visitors. In 1964 they also established a lecture
program in which Case students gave lectures to high school students.
In 1965 APO became the Peace Corps liaison on campus, assisted the
Cleveland Tutorial Project, and organized a book exchange. President
in 1966 was Bill Kesterson.
These numerous activities of Theta Upsilon chapter
continued on for many years until 1973, when the chapter died out
and went inactive. The last pledge class was initiated on April
28, 1973. In the first twenty two years of Theta Upsilon chapter,
366 brothers were initiated into Alpha Phi Omega.
-Heather Brown, Fall 1995 Historian, Alpha Phi Omega
Theta Upsilon
SOURCES:
Case Institute of Technology Differential yearbook, years 1951-1972
1992 - Present History
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