FRATERNITY REPORT SUBMITTED
Committee for Survey of Social Life Recommends Fraternity Changesin Detailed Study Presented to President Hobkins
ULTIMATE DISSOLUTION of the national affiliations of Dartmouth fraternities and the appointment of a College officer to supervise the economic, social, and intellectual activities of the various chapters are the major recommendations concerning fraternities in the 700-page report submitted to President Hopkins early in April by the Committee for the Survey of Social Life in Dartmouth College. Adopted by a 12-to-2 vote of the Committee, the recommendation with regard to national affiliations is opposed by two alumni members who have presented a minority report of positively worded dissent to the President on this phase of the survey. In all other conclusions of the fraternity report, the fourteen members of the Committee, which conducted a detailed study for nearly a year and a half under the chairmanship of Professor Russell R. Larmon, are in unanimous agreement.
Although the social survey report was submitted as a private document, President Hopkins decided to make public at this time the entire section dealing with the place of fraternities in Dartmouth social life. In the remaining sections of the full report confidential advice has been submitted with regard to functional organizations, the Outing Club, Senior Societies, Palaeopitus, Green Key, the Interfraternity Council, freshman year, student residence, dining facilities, a social center for undergraduate life, week-ending, the use of cars, agencies for entertainment, house parties, entertainment of guests, drinking, the employment bureau, and agencies for advice and counsel. Later announcement may be made of these sections, at the discretion of the President.
FRATERNAL UNITS DEFENDED
Defending the existence of small fraternal groups in the Dartmouth undergraduate body, the Committee declares in its report that "it is time for the College to acknowledge that groups as fraternity chapters have great usefulness on the campus as social units, and to give them more help in financial and other matters." The greatest contribution to this end, the Committee suggests, would be the provision by the College of a full-time Director of Fraternities.
Among its other conclusions on the social, economic, intellectual, physical, and alumni aspects of fraternity life at Dartmouth, the Committee suggests to the trustees, without taking any stand on the matter itself, a review of the regulation limiting the number of men residing in a fraternity house to sixteen; declares that fraternities, in order to become the most effective social units, should keep their membership under fifty men; endorses the present system of pledging in the sophomore year, as well as the present restriction against dining rooms in the fraternity houses; urges that each fraternity be required to facilitate and maintain a decent minimum standard of intellectual attainment; commends the principle of resident tutors, although recognizing the too great difficulties of the plan at the present time; recommends that graduation be refused to all men who have not paid their fraternity room rent; urges that fraternities work out some ratio between men who can pay and those who cannot; condemns the form of hazing employed by some chapters; points out the widespread need for reexamination of fraternity rituals and ideals; condemns the existence in any national fraternity constitution of a rule based upon racial or religious discrimination; recommends that the Interfraternity Council become a more significant body by assuming additional responsibilities; declares it proper that fraternities assume some concern for the social welfare of their non-fraternity friends; commends the idea of joint fraternity projects; recommends that each fraternity employ a full-time janitor; disapproves of the present practice in a few fraternities where students assist the janitors, particularly in the care of furnaces; recommends that fraternities now occupying old frame houses be urged to build modern fireproof buildings as soon as possible; and proposes greater coordination between fraternities and the Alumni Council in the solicitation of alumni for funds.
The Committee's survey of the various aspects of fraternity life was prefaced and based fundamentally upon a consideration of the desirable objectives for undergraduate social life at Dartmouth. These objectives are defined as responsible personality, democracy, opportunity for leadership, activity that is functional as well as social, attractive and sociable bachelor homelife, and recreation.
"Dartmouth's primary social aim," the Committee reports, "is not to train disciples but to develop responsible personalitypersonality which is strong instead of weak, positive instead of negative, active instead of passive." This responsible personality, the Committee asserts, will be characterized by moral fiber, resourcefulness, and courtesy.
NATIONAL AFFILIATIONS
THE COMMITTEE'S resolution indicting national fraternity connections was adopted as follows:
"As a result of the study of this Committee, the evidence seems conclusive that the system of national affiliations of fraternities at Dartmouth College has failed to a very considerable degree both in accomplishing the ends stated in the fraternity chapters and in providing the best possible social units at Dartmouth. For this reason the Committee recommends to the President consideration of the ultimate dissolution of these national connections."
As supplementary recommendations to this resolution, the twelve assenting members of the Committee suggested that, in order to avoid precipitate or ill-considered action, "the opinion of alumni be invited either through conference with the properly constituted body for gathering alumni opinion, namely, the Alumni Council, or in whatever other manner the President may desire; and that undergraduate opinion likewise be invited through such means as the President may decide upon.
"When and if, in the opinion of the President, the evidence submitted in this report, or other evidence which he may gather from other sources, is sufficient to indicate to him a convincing indictment of the national affiliation, we believe the national affiliations should be abolished on a common date."
12 MEMBERS FAVOR RESOLUTION
Members of the Committee who supported these resolutions included Lloyd D. Brace '25, vice president of the First National Bank of Boston; Aldis P. Butler '36, president of Palaeopitus; Paul S. Cleaveland '36, president of the Interfraternity Council; Albert I. Dickerson '30, executive assistant to the President; William A. Eddy, professor of English; William W. Fitzhugh '35, former Senior Fellow and Barrett Cup winner; Albert L. Gibney '36, member of Palaeopitus and past president of Green Key; Philip N. Guyol '35, former Senior Fellow and present holder of the James B. Richardson Fellowship; Sidney C. Hayward '26, secretary of the College; George F. Hill '35, former Senior Fellow, member of Palaeopitus, and president of the Interfraternity Council; Russell R. Larmon '19, professor of Administration and chairman of the Committee; and Dr. Arthur H. Ruggles '02, trustee-elect of the College, superintendent of Butler Hospital in Providence, and consultant in mental hygiene at Yale University. Opponents of the resolution were J. Frank Drake '02, president of Gulf Oil Corporation and past national president of Theta Delta Chi; and James M. Mathes '11, president of the J. M. Mathes advertising firm of New York City. Significant fact in this only divided vote is that the resolution is favored by all six undergraduate members of the Committee and by eight of the ten national fraternity members.
Feeling that the evidence brought out by the Committee's survey does not warrant an indictment of the national fraternity system, Mr. Drake and Mr. Mathes in their minority report to the President offer the following recommendations with regard to national affiliations:
"1. That the President of the College appoint a 'Fraternity Supervisor' who will be an officer of the College.
"2. That his duties shall be to make a constant and personal contact with the various fraternities, with the officers of their alumni corporations, and with the officials of their national organizations.
"3. That, as a result of such contacts, he make from time to time suggestions and recommendations for the improvement of the fraternities, to the end that their ideals may be more nearly realized and their presence in the College be an ever increasing benefit to it.
"4. That he attend meetings of the Interfraternity Council as the official representative of the President of the College.
"5. That when and if he shall find in any fraternity conditions which, in his opinion, are detrimental to its members or to the College, he shall so report to the president of the fraternity chapter, to the officers of its national organization, and to the officers of its alumni corporation. If, after a reasonable length of time following the making of such reports, said conditions have not been distinctly improved, he shall then so report to the President of the Col- lege for such action as the latter may deem wise and fitting."
The majority resolution was adopted in the face of an undergraduate vote of 788 to 260 in favor of national connections. On the other hand, the most impressive single objection of undergraduates to fraternities, as determined through the Committee's questionnaires, was expressed on the question of the expense of national taxes.
STUDENT VOTE EXPLAINED
In commenting upon its reaction to the student vote, the Committee reports:
"In the face of a seven-to-two vote favoring the retention of national connections at Dartmouth, the Committee must explain why its own opinion, which is unfavorable, should be weighted so heavily as not to follow the undergraduate preference, so clearly stated. The Committee's principal reason for doing this is that only after months of study and analysis of all factors relating to the situation was any opinion given by any member of the Committee on this particular question. The seven-to-two vote was prominent in the discussion which eventually resulted in the decision to indict the national fraternity system, with all members of the Committee, except two, voting for the resolution. Most members of the Committee could not conscientiously agree with the undergraduate expression of opinion after having studied all the evidence. It seemed probable that the student vote favoring the nationals was an emotional one and that it could not have been based on a knowledge of conditions at all equal to that achieved by the Committee during a long period of concentrated study on this and other questions related to fraternities.
"A thoroughly objective study of the situation had been made before any discussion of individual opinions of members of the Committee was undertaken. Fraternities were known by keyed letters only and were never referred to by name. When the discussion of national affiliation finally began it was at once evident that every member of the Committee had formed his own independent conclusion which resulted in the majority support of a resolution indicting the system. This is the evidence that is offered to those who will question the judgment of the Committee in weighting its own opinion so heavily as compared to the voting of undergraduates on this question; in which connection, however, it is not without significance that the undergraduates on the Committee, after sharing in the careful study of conditions, are unanimous in signing the indictment."
SOCIAL PRINCIPLE INVOLVED
Relating the majority resolution to the expressed social objectives of the College, the Committee declares:
"During the lengthy discussion which preceded the adoption of the resolution of indictment the point was stressed particularly by undergraduate members of the Committee' that no matter how little the national taxes might amount to in terms of expense to individual members, they would not be worth it. There is a question of principle involved here that must be reckoned with. If Dartmouth is to build personalities which are to be distinguished by honesty and individuality, it must give full and free play to the development of these qualities in social life on its campus. The fact that there is a ritual imposed upon chapters by the national organization that is not fully respected, or that would not be missed by the majority if it were entirely omitted from the life of chapters, is not a situation which is conducive to a healthy honesty in the constant association of fraternity men with the ideals and high spiritual aspirations which the ritual embodies but which have for them very little vitality. If the claims of the national fraternities in regard to their influence on-the scholastic achievement of undergraduate members, upon their morals, upon their character, and upon their general attitude toward college life and life outside, are distinctly out of line with what are their actual accomplishments in these respects, as the Com- mittee believes to be the case, then the continuation of national affiliations at Dartmouth is not creating conditions favorable to the best approach to the highest objectives for social life."
FINANCIAL ASPECT STUDIED
With reference to financial assistance from national fraternities, the Committee reports that in only one house is financial aid being given directly to individual members, and that only five houses acknowledge indebtedness to their national organizations in the form of second mortgage loans totaling $21,751. Summarizing the discussion of financial aid, the report states, "The Committee does not find the policy or sympathies of nationals to be in harmony with the work of the College at this point.
On the question of whether national taxes are a burden, the report discloses that 54 per cent of the fraternity men voted that they are. Other facts ascertained are that the average fraternity man pays $308.61 to his chapter over the three-year period, that approximately 15 per cent of this amount goes to his national headquarters, and that a total of $16,500 was paid to national fraternities by Dartmouth chapters during the year 1933-34- "The question of whether or not there is full value received for this major expenditure is a matter of serious doubt," the Committee states.
NATIONAL VALUES LISTED
As values received from national fraternity affiliations the Committee lists the privilege of membership in an organization with a nationally known name, the right to wear its badge, an embossed certificate of membership, the fraternity magazine, the right to send one delegate to the annual national convention without charge to the chapter, the possibility of contacts with the other chapters, a certain amount of supervision from national headquarters, the furnishing of a ritual and ideals for initiation and meetings, the possibility of receiving financial aid, the possibility of help in times of emergency, and the possibility of profiting through membership in a business or social way. "The most serious criticism given by large numbers of Dartmouth undergraduates in regard to the national affiliation," the report goes on, "is its expense, indicating that some number do not regard the benefits to be worth the price." Pointing out that fraternity supervision is being taken over more and more by the colleges themselves, the report asks the question, "Which makes the better financial adviser for these social units on the campus—the national fraternity or the College?" and then goes on to reply, "Since the answer is that the College could better supervise the activities of its own students, then what actual values are left in the national affiliation in return for the taxes paid?"
SOCIAL EFFECT NEGLIGIBLE
With regard to social life, the Committee does not find that the national affiliation has very much, if any, constructive effect on the chapters at Dartmouth, outside of occasional contacts with members of chapters in other colleges, and reports that "to the extent that the added expense of the national fraternity connection operates to prevent non-fraternity men from joining fraternities, it has a negative effect on the democratic factors in social life."
Pointing out that 40 per cent of undergraduate members consider the fraternity essentially a social club, the Committee charges that the influence of the national fraternity is weak on morals and character. The majority attitude toward ritual," the report states, "is one of mild interest tending toward apathy. Thirty-seven per cent, however, feel that their respect for the fraternity would be decreased by the elimination of the ritual."
With regard to intellectual factors, the report continues: "in view of the decisive opinion of nearly 80 per cent of the rank and file of fraternity men that national affiliation does not improve their scholarship, the Committee is convinced that the theoretical means claimed for encouraging improvement do not seem to be generally effective The Committee feels that undergraduates and faculty recognize that responsibility for scholastic achievement does not primarily rest upon national officers, but upon those who are directly connected with the College either as undergraduates, members of the faculty, or officers of administration."
In turning to the alumni aspects of national affiliation, the Committee points out the generosity of Dartmouth fraternity alumni in contributing to the building or purchasing programs of their chapters, but reports that annual support is slight. "One is not conscious of any evidence," the report states, "that Dartmouth men have any appreciable interest in their fraternity as a national institution The preponderant opinion is that the fraternity is almost wholly an undergraduate institution."
ALUMNI INTEREST LOCAL
Alumni loyalty to the fraternity, the Committee finds, "is retained to it as a Dartmouth undergraduate club, but interest in it after graduation is disclaimed as anything except a pleasant association in student days. Such a feeling is not conducive to any widespread participation in national fraternity affairs after leaving Hanover. There is a decided contrast between this situation and that of supporting Dartmouth alumni clubs where no barriers or distinctions exist, all men being welcomed to alumni club membership and gatherings regardless of fraternity, or lack of fraternity, affiliations."
The Committee calls special attention to the testimony of two alumni who have served as national presidents of their fraternities, both volunteering the opinion that the national affiliation is not beneficial at Dartmouth. "The Committee knows that there are other alumni who feel quite differently," the report adds, "but it is impressed by the two opinions cited and by the evidence of indifference which it feels to be very generally prevalent among Dartmouth men. This applies only, of course, to the situation at Dartmouth and must not be construed as an indictment of the national fraternity system at any other college."
In further explanation of its majority resolution against national affiliations, the Committee cites the results of its freshman questionnaire, in which 46a men of the 618 voting state that their interest in coming to Dartmouth would not have been affected one way or the other by the absence of national fraternities, 114 state that their interest would have decreased, and 28 indicate that their interest would have increased. Queried as to what their choice of a fraternity would be based upon, 456 freshmen said that they would be influenced principally by the type of man in the house or by the character of the men with whom they come in contact. Only 17 gave as their first reason the national reputation of the fraternity. On the question of whether they would be disappointed to see the present chapters become locals, 307 voted "yes" and 371 "no."
APPROVES TRUSTEE POLICIES
While granting that the failure of national fraternities at Dartmouth may be due to the restrictions placed upon them by the College, the Committee nevertheless approves the policies of the Trustees with regard to the place of fraternities at Dartmouth. "These policies may have been handicaps to the national system," the report states, "but the Committee is of the opinion that the restrictions have been wise from the point of view of the College and its purposes."
After pointing out that its indictment is directed against the system as a whole and not against any individual fraternities at Dartmouth, the Committee looks ahead to the possible adoption of a system of localism and asks the question "What would be the situation if dissolution of the national connection becomes fact and all the houses become local societies?"
"The Committee recognizes that serious problems would be raised," the report declares, "but the majority feels that after a period of time elapses the more difficult questions would be satisfactorily solved.
"It would be necessary to secure alumni cooperation in all cases for the revision of existing corporations and financing. This would be particularity true of financing in the houses where mortgages are held against the property. The societies or clubs would find themselves without names, badges, or rituals. It would doubtless be true that many of the groups would find it difficult to prepare new and satisfactory rituals except as these could be devised and gradually improved over a period of time. Some of the clubs might not feel the need of any ritual at all. The Committee is not apprehensive on this point, for it feels that the individuality of the various groups would assert itself and that the resulting ritual, if any, would establish certain traditions for each particular house and would be more effective and more respected than is now the case
"With the local status prevailing, the help and guidance and supervision of resident alumni and of the proposed new officer of the College would be indispensable. The groups would have to stand entirely on their own feet, with the College in the position of the parent organization in place of national fraternities."
MINORITY REPORT
IN THEIR MINORITY REPORT to President Hopkins, the two dissenting members of the Committee endorse the appointment of a College officer to supervise fraternity life but would have him work in conjunction with the existent national organizations rather than through the College alone, as the majority resolution suggests. "The work of such an administrative officer would be made easier and more productive of good results if the national affiliation were retained," the minority report asserts.
The evidence brought out through the answers to various questionnaires in no sense warrants the drastic recommendation of the majority resolution, Mr. Drake and Mr. Mathes hold. "We believe the very nature of the fraternity problem is so complicated and delicate," they state, "and involves so many personal and intangible features—that any action proposed which would radically affect an institution that has been a vital part of the life at Dartmouth College for more than a half century should be temperate and not at all of the drastic nature recommended under the resolution adopted by the Committee. We believe that, if the recommendations of their resolution were followed, there would not only be no guarantee of an improvement in the social situation, but it mightand in our opinion would—result in doing more harm than good."
FULL IMPLICATIONS NEGLECTED
Asserting that the Committee has failed to recognize the full implications of the severing of national connections, the minority report says, "It is intended that all the present national fraternities should become local clubs or societies, at the outset without names, badges or rituals, but it is apparently not realized that they would also be without houses and without alumni members. Nor is it apparently considered that several thousand alumni of the College would be deprived of a living home on the campus, and that their corporate organizations would find themselves the owners of costly but empty houses, mostly built at the personal sacrifice of alumni, which they must perforce sell to the College or to the new local clubs that would succeed the abolished fraternities, and in which they could have no membership and less interest."
After declaring that "the punitive element in the Committee's recommendation is entirely unessential in any fair consideration of the really important questions involved," the dissenting members state that "the vital question to which the Committee should have devoted its entire attention is the allegedly constructive suggestion that the system of national affiliation of fraternities does not provide the best possible social units for the College. The dissenting members of the Committee do not believe that the evidence before the Committee leads fairly to the conclusion that a system of local clubs promises any better social units than that provided by national fraternity chapters."
In further explanation of their disapproval of the majority resolution, Mr. Drake and Mr. Mathes point out that fraternity chapters will be deprived of financial assistance from their national organizations, that the majority of fraternity men at Dartmouth do not find national taxes a burden, that the local club offers only a small financial saving as compensation for the values of a national fraternity, that a system of localism will deprive fraternities of the advice and guidance which student treasurers now get from graduate members of the fraternity, that Dartmouth alumni will be left without fraternal connections in Hanover, that the direct and material benefits of national fraternity affiliations will be lost to alumni, that local clubs are not likely to have any more moral influence on their members than the national fraternities now have, that the local clubs will likewise provide no greater stimulus to intellectual achievement, that 75 per cent of undergraduate fraternity men prefer national connections, that 307 of the 618 freshmen who voted would be disappointed to see the present chapters become locals, and that the existence of national fraternities at Dartmouth has in no way interfered with the College's traditional democracy or with the loyalty of alumni to the College above any group or interest within the College
If a system of localism is adopted, the minority report claims, great difficulties will arise with regard to finances and alumni relations. "In those instances where alumni support ceased," it states, "there would necessarily be an increased financial burden upon the undergraduates. The one objection which the Committee has presented to the continuance of the national fraternity is its expense. It would seem, however, that the change might result in the undergraduate member of the new local group paying as much as or more than the member of the present national chapter, and be worse off, to the extent that he would have none of the advantages offered by the national affiliation."
With reference to alumni, Mr. Drake and Mr. Mathes write, "We believe that the Committee has erred seriously in assuming that the abolition of national fraternities at Dartmouth will be a matter of little consequence to the alumni of those fraternities
"The Committee seems not to have sensed at all one very serious effect which the adoption of their recommendation would have upon several thousand Dartmouth alumni, namely, the killing of an institution to which they belong and in which many of them take not only a passive but an active interest. Regardless of the merits or demerits of the national fraternity affiliation, the fact remains that the organization into which those alumni were initiated and of which they are a living part, is the Dartmouth chapter of a national fraternity."
FRATERNITY ADVISER
IN SUGGESTING to President Hopkins the appointment of a College officer to supervise and help fraternities at Dartmouth the Committee outlined as the adviser's possible duties: financial auditing and advice; close contact with chapters for discussion of their purposes, plans, and problems; proper living conditions in fraternity houses; cooperation with alumni advisers and fraternity representatives; cooperation with the Interfraternity Council; cooperation in proper control at the time of house parties; and promotion of morale, advice, and social and intellectual leadership.
"When chapters are managed largely by undergraduates, aided occasionally by an interested adviser," the Committee reports, "many chapters fail to contribute value to the men involved. The officers change each year or each semester, and good projects are not planned, or if planned, are not put into effect. The business methods of many chapters are inefficient. A college officer, with responsibility for the chapters, would be able to correct many weaknesses, and be in a position to encourage the efforts of officers who wanted to do work of importance."
COLLEGE URGED TO COOPERATE
In cooperation with the proposed fraternity adviser, the College is urged by the Committee to give aid with its trained forces in such management problems as budget-making, bookkeeping, auditing, collection of delinquent accounts, selection and maintenance of janitor service, and upkeep of houses. The Committee proposes that graduation be refused to all students whose fraternity room rent is unpaid, and suggests that fraternities, with the approval of the College scholarship officer, establish some fixed ratio between those members who can pay dues and those who cannot.
Although fraternity finances are not in a state to cause immediate alarm, the Committee declares, they could and should be strengthened in many cases. "The present financial set-up of fraternities," the report states, "is one that has grown hit-or-miss during the years with no attempt being made to pool the experiences of all houses or to make available to those who need it the expert advice that a few houses happen to enjoy The situation in regard to regular financial reports and adequate auditing of books is one which the Committee feels to be a definite weakness in the present set-up."
The Committee learned that only 70.5 per cent of fraternity men pay their financial obligations in full. An average of 43 members is claimed necessary to finance a fraternity chapter at Dartmouth, with the average operating budget amounting to about $4,600. General satisfaction is ex" pressed by undergraduates in regard to house party expenses, which average $8.OO for Carnival, $7.25 for fall house parties, and $5.00 for spring house parties. The total valuation of fraternity land and property is $797,159' with mortgage obligations amounting to $336,286.
SOCIAL FACTORS
DECLARING THAT it did not feel justified in making a recommendation with regard to the number of men allowed to room in fraternity houses, the Committee suggested to the Trustees a review of its present regulation in the light of presentday conditions and presented reasons both for and against the existent rule limiting the number of residents in each house to 16. "The Committee has given careful consideration to the question whether the present College rule limiting residence in fraternity houses to 16 men should be changed," the report says. "After considering the reasons for and against an increase in the number of men permitted to reside in a fraternity house from not more than 16 to a maximum of 25, the Committee felt that it would not be justified in presenting a recommendation and consequently suggests to the Trustees a review of this regulation with a view to present-day conditions." Supporting the present regulation, the Committee points out that 60 per cent of fraternity men feel that the limit of 16 is satisfactory, that a change would provide less contact between fraternity and non-fraternity men, that a change would be a special advantage to a few larger houses, that there is no critical financial situation because of the present limitation, and that a change would increase the importance of exclusive social groups to the detriment of the democratic tradition at Dartmouth. Against the present regulation, the Committee declares that 40 per cent of fraternity men believe it to be unsatisfactory and that 67 per cent of this number prefer 25 to 30 men in residence if alterations or additions could be made, that more students should be permitted to enjoy the greater "homelife" of fraternity houses, that fraternity solidarity will be increased if more members live together, that some houses would secure increased revenue, and that the College has grown from 1450 to 2400 men since the regulation was imposed.
With regard to its suggestion that fraternities, in order to become the most effective social units, should keep their membership under fifty men, the Committee lists as its reasons: (1) there will be more discrimination in selecting members, (2) a smaller group, providing increased solidarity and loyalty, will be more subject to the beneficial influences of the group and its leaders, (3) it may increase the quality of friendship within the groups, (4) the social rooms in most of the fraternity houses are better adapted to the uses of a small group than of a large group, and (5) fraternities weak in campus prestige may be able to secure more men of prominence. The Committee reports that the average fraternity membership at present is 46 men, although some houses run as high as 60 or 70 men.
In support of the present system of sophomore pledging, the Committee lists the following favoring factors: that second-year pledging favors a wide distribution of friendships, particularly for non-fraternity men; that deferred pledging protects the academic work of freshmen; that it furthers the larger loyalty to the College; that it probably makes for fewer non-fraternity men; that it permits a more deliberate selection by the fraternities and by the candidates for membership; that the freshman is not required to orient himself to college life and to fraternity life at the same time; that it promotes class solidarity; and that it removes the financial burden of fraternity membership from freshmen.
REJECTS FRATERNITY DININC
The consideration of dining rooms in connection with fraternity houses led the Committee to the strong conviction that the plan is undesirable for the College. "The probable adverse effects outnumber and outweigh in importance the possible beneficial results," the report states. Despite its belief that eating in the chapter houses would strengthen fraternities as social units, the Committee declares that such a system would undoubtedly narrow the range of friendships, would detract from undergraduate democracy and the existing undivided loyalty to the College, would set the non-fraternity men more distinctly apart as a group, and would create serious difficulties in finances, buildings, and management. The majority of fraternity men voted for dining rooms in the chapter houses, but here again an objective study led the Committee to an opposite conclusion.
On the score of fraternity standards, the Committee declares that "each chapter should establish some standards as guides in the selection of new members" and that "men not satisfying a minimum respectable standard in regard to character and personal habits or actions should be denied the privilege of membership." Asserting that group conduct should be one of the fraternity's major concerns, the report states that "if an individual is guilty of gross misconduct he forfeits his right to protection from his fellow members, and should be penalized by them, in lack of, or in addition to, any penalty administered by the College."
The Committee would also have fraternities take the lead in an improvement of good taste. "Dartmouth's country environment and tradition produce a natural informality that is desirable if not carried too far, but the Committee feels that there is a lamentable failure to conform to a certain minimum standard of good taste and regrets that the fraternity does not take the initiative to improve this condition."
With regard to the method of selecting members, the Committee condemns the use of the blackball by a single member to exclude a man, and approves the vesting of considerable authority in a good rushing committee. It further condemns fraternity discrimination on the basis of race or religion, and "deplores any artificial advantage which permits a few groups to have far more power in campus affairs than the rest of the fraternity chapters." The Committee recognizes, however, the natural advantages of age, tradition, standards, size of alumni group, and energy and judgment of members.
The questionnaire sent to fraternity men by the Committee disclosed that 71 per cent rated good-fellowship first among the elements of value in fraternity life, while 16 per cent rated it second. Of their five most intimate friends 60 per cent of fraternity men had three or more in their own fraternity. Among non-fraternity men, 70 per cent feel that their choice of friends is not hindered by the fraternity system, and only 38 per cent have the majority of their five most intimate friends in the non-fraternity group. A slight majority of non-fraternity men are in favor of the fraternity system, 52 per cent supporting it. That failure to join a fraternity has practically no effect on loyalty to the College is brought out by the fact that 95 per cent of non-fraternity men are glad that they came to Dartmouth.
INTELLECTUAL FACTORS
As A PREFACE to its discussion of the intellectual .factors in fraternity life, the Committee writes, "We recognize the nature and activities of the fraternities to be primarily social, not educational. This recognition of the facts confirms the opinion and experience of an overwhelming majority of the present undergraduates, and contradicts the grandiose claims of many of the fraternal organizations to be actively and effectively concerned with scholarship and cultural distinction."
Nevertheless, the Committee feels that each fraternity should fulfill a minimum obligation in cooperation with the faculty and administration of the College if it expects to justify its continued existence at Dartmouth. "These minimum requirements," the report states, "are interpreted to include at least the following (1) maintenance of a scholastic chapter standing equal to the average of the three upper classes. (2) Intolerance by fraternities of all practices conducive to dishonest academic work. (3) Reasonable provision in the fraternity houses for privacy and opportunity for study. (4) A tradition of respect for intelligence as a social asset rather than a liability. This is a modest plea for a tradition whereby rushing committees would consider intellect, as well as congeniality, a desirable acquisition instead of a handicap."
Further than this, the Committee asserts, the fraternity can fulfill "a maximum opportunity" by means of the following suggestions, derived in large part from the practices of successful houses: "to extend the practice of holding frequent and informal discussions led by men of maturity and experience; to promote musical and dramatic interests in the fraternity; to improve house libraries; to discourage excessive week-ending and over-cutting; to protect the time and energy of brothers in scholastic difficulties, by relieving them from pressure to hold office or serve on committees; to encourage the organizations, local or national, to delete intellectual objectives which are in disuse and, conversely, to make effective in practice the inducements, penalties, and personal influences at their command for raising the intellectual level of members."
RESIDENT TUTORS CONSIDERED
Regarding the possibility of resident tutors for fraternities, the Committee makes the following report:
"In some institutions the college cooperates with fraternities to make resident tutors available to fraternity chapters. The tutors are usually graduate school students or unmarried men on the faculty who are members of the fraternities in which they reside. The college often cooperates by giving free tuition to the graduate student or some extra compensation to the faculty member. The tutors are responsible for supervising the work of men in each house whose scholastic work is deficient, for providing inspiration to serious minded students, and for promoting good influences in the life of the chapter. Lafayette, Syracuse, Illinois, Lehigh, Michigan, and Minnesota are trying some variation of the plan outlined above, but the experiments are so recent that it is difficult to evaluate results at the present time. Seemingly, from comments made by representatives of national fraternities, there is promise that the results will be good, but much depends on the personality and ability of the tutors selected.
"We are not prepared to recommend resident tutors at Dartmouth, but we commend the principle, and hope the possibility will be considered by those who are responsible for fraternity life. At present, the difficulties are too great. With practically no graduate students the supply of tutors is scant. Furthermore, with our student body concentrated in such a small area, there should be more effectiveness in supervision by a Director of Fraternities."
The Committee points out the fact that the scholastic average of fraternity men at Dartmouth is lower than that of nonfraternity men, but explains that the inferior standing of fraternity men is probably due to the emphasis which fraternities place on personality instead of specialized ability. "If fraternities succeed in the social purposes which they consider their proper field of effort," the report says, "then their failure to provide leadership in the intellectual life should not be reckoned a serious crime.''
ALUMNI FACTORS
IN THE ALUMNI SECTION of its report the Committee makes two suggestions for improvement: first, that "as the responsible organization for controlling solicitations made of alumni for any purpose connected with the College, the Alumni Council should be asked to discuss whether or not drives for funds, collections of dues or notes, should be made by any fraternity without the Council's permission"; and second, that "in cases where a building campaign or any other financial campaign for a fraternity project is contemplated, it should only be launched with the approval of the Alumni Council." The Committee explains that its suggestions do not affect the occasional gifts of alumni members who make voluntary donations to their chapters. "They are aimed, rather, at the practice of mailing out appeals to alumni for payment of dues, notes, or pledges, regardless of important College projects that may be seriously affected by such solicitations, and that merit first consideration from alumni of the College."
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
IN OBTAINING THE EVIDENCE Upon which its report to President Hopkins is based, the Committee for the Survey of Social Life in Dartmouth College relied upon varied sources of information. These sources are described in Chairman Larmon's foreword as follows: "By means of questionnaires undergraduates were asked approximately seventy-five questions, and these were answered by a little over two thousand of the twenty-four hundred undergraduates. Through letters members of the faculty were asked for suggestions and opinions. The views of some alumni were invited. Information was sought from the national fraternity organizations. Questionnaires were filled out by fraternity advisers and by officers of chapter corporations. Undergraduate and alumni members of the Committee visited other colleges. There were hearings in Hanover and individual interviews."
In his foreword to the Committee's report, Chairman Larmon also points out that "one misconception should be prevented from arising, the possible inference that this survey was concerned with unhealthy conditions of social life at Dartmouth. The intent and the result has rather been to scrutinize all activities, successes as well as partial failures, to guard against taking even our best social agencies for granted where they might be made even more valuable than they now are."
In another paragraph Chairman Larmon explains that "while the Committee depended largely on undergraduate opinion for its description of conditions, and while it gave careful consideration to their suggestions for change, it in no way as a body considered that it should be guided entirely by undergraduate reactions or votes. It used its own judgment in regard to the weight that should be assigned to undergraduate opinion in reaching its conclusions as to what was desirable for the College over a period of time, in view of its objectives"
THE COMMITTEE
THE COMMITTEE for the Survey of Social Life in Dartmouth College was named by President Hopkins in December, 1934, following a petition by Palaeopitus for art investigation of the fraternity situation. It was composed of fourteen members, twelve of whom belonged to national fraternities, and included six undergraduates from the senior and junior classes, two members of the faculty, two administrative officers, and four alumni. Among the graduate members of the Committee, Mr. Drake belongs to Theta Delta Chi, Dr. Ruggles to Delta Kappa Epsilon, Mr. Mathes to Beta Theta Pi, Mr. Brace to Theta Chi, Professor Larmon to Phi Gamma Delta, Mr. Hayward to Sigma Chi, and Mr. Dickerson to Alpha Delta Phi. Among the undergraduate members, Fitzhugh is a member of Sigma Chi, Hill of Delta Kappa Epsilon, Gibney of Phi Kappa Psi, Butler of Psi Upsilon, and Cleaveland of Chi Phi. Professor Eddy has been interested in non-fraternity organizations on campus and was formerly faculty adviser for the now extinct Bema. While an undergraduate at Princeton, he was a member of Dial Lodge. Guyol was nonfraternity representative for the undergraduates.
At the time he named this special committee, President Hopkins gave these instructions:
"There is really no limit to the scope of the investigation, and a report will be welcomed which deals in the broadest possible manner with all questions related to the social life of an American undergraduate college.
"The primary responsibilities of the Committee are to determine whether the social organization of the College is best comprised of formal units or informal units. If it be found that formal organization is preferable, with the different groups definitely responsible to some permanent guidance, then the question must be answered whether these formal groups would best retain the traditional associations and remain affiliated with the organizations of the national fraternities or whether these relationships with organizations in other student bodies would best be dissolved and become supplanted by purely local organizations.
"Likewise, the question must be answered whether there is the possibility in the modern undergraduate life of reviving the values which originally attached to the fraternal associations of whether in the inability to revive these, it would be best frankly to acknowledge no organization to be possible except for purely social purposes, thus requiring nothing more than a club status."
[Printed and bound copies of the fullFraternity Report are available throughDartmouth College Publications, Hanover,N. H., at 50 cents per copy.]
