Alpha Nu Vision Statement

Upsilon Chapter History

In 1910 students at the Connecticut Agricultural College met to formulate plans for a fraternity. One of the older faculty members, Henry Monteith, assisted the group in drawing up a constitution for the Scroll and Pen Literary Society. The object of this association was to project the general improvement of its members especially in politics and literary natures.

The first meeting of the group was held July 10, 1910 and the name was officially adopted at the next meeting, February 5th. At first the membership was limited to School of Agriculture students. But in 1912, when the college was first able to confer bachelor's degrees for four year course completions, the society voted to include college as well as school men. The standards were then raised and the name changed to the Greek letters Sigma Alpha Pi. On December 10, 1914, the members voted to accept only men who were candidates for a degree, thereby limiting the membership to college men. No restriction was specified as to what curriculum was to be taken.

The organization placed considerable emphasis on scholarship, character, and activities and was soon one of the leading fraternities at the college. In 1920, the alumni association was reorganized and a monthly paper published jointly by the active chapter and the alumni organization. Due to an acute housing situation, the fraternity did not have a house but maintained headquarters in the basement of one of the dormorities.

The group got in touch with Alpha Gamma largely through the efforts of Brother Campbell, who had been on the faculty at Storrs, and also through the alumni of the Mu Chapter (University of Massachusetts Amherst). A petition was submitted to the National Convention at Madison and granted at 3:12 pm, April 27, 1922. The chapter was installed on May 13, 1922 by a group consisting of Glenn Campbell, Eta, Dudley Alleman, Zeta, of the Executive Council, Almon Spaulding, Mu, and B.W. Kinne, Zeta. They were assisted by Brothers Lincoln, Jackson, Buck, and Gerry of Mu. Thirty one men, including four alumni, were initiated at this time as charter members of Upsilon Chapter.

Upsilon chapter, founded at the University of Connecticut enjoyed nearly ten years of campus leadership before falling into a slump during the depression. The chapter held on and began to revive until WWII shook the nation. With the disruption that followed, a group of actives, with the consent of a few local alumni, decided that they could not limit themselves to agricultural membership clause and pledged numerous men with no agricultural background. After several warnings from national officers to cease and desist the pledging of men with no agricultural background or interest and no classes related to agriculture, the only alternative was to revoke the charter in 1952. 549 men were initiated into Upsilon. An unrelated group of men got together and petitioned nationals and in 1958 became chartered as Alpha Nu. From 1958 until the beginning of the year 2007, 488 men have been initiated.
(Source: www.AlphaGammaRho.com)

Alpha Nu Chapter History

It was on May 1, 1956, at a meeting of the active members of Woodward House, a local at the University of Connecticut, that name Alpha Gamma Rho was first brought up for consideration. At this meeting Richard Burnham read a letter that Grand Secretary Maynard Coe had written to H.G. Halcrow, Epsilon, a member of the staff. Through this contact it was decided that the men of Woodward house would meet with Coe and other AGR representatives on May 23, 1956. A meeting followed and the seed was sown that grew for two years that would blossom into a chapter at the University of Connecticut. At the first meeting of the fall term, September 25, 1956, Charley Short, one of the members who over summer vacation visited Pi chapter gave a report of his findings. A fact finding committee of five members was formed to make a more complete investigation regarding AGR. The committee was authorized to clear with the Deans office and check with the University regarding a possible petition. The committee reported favorably on October 2nd and was authorized to check with the Inter-fraternity Council. On November 20, 1956, Woodward House became a colony of Alpha Gamma Rho. It was understood that all residents of Woodward House would be majors in Agriculture "without exception." Colonization lasted a period of one year and on January 22, 1957, a letter from Maynard Coe suggested the colony take steps to formally petition the fraternity. A proposed petition was approved February 19, 1957. A number of AGR alumni and faculty played an active part in recommending the petition to the administration of the University as well as the AGR National Council; among them Warren Sargent, Upsilon, James Whitaker, Zeta, George Myers, Rho, and Donalds Kinsman, Mu. On April 8, 1957, the petition as voted on and accepted, and on April 23, 1957, Kinsman was accepted as advisor to the colony. At the January 14, 1958 meeting official plans for installation were announced by President Stan Stevens, and on February 22, 1958 the Chapter was installed. Stevens was elected the first Noble Ruler.

Alpha Nu immediately offered its assistance to Pi Beta Phi and together the chapters organized a float for the annual Community Chest Carnival parade held May 1, 1958, taking first prize for best float in the parade. For the 1958-59 academic year, Tom Burnham was elected Noble Ruler, Professors Donald Kinsman and Dr. Howard Applegate were chosen faculty advisers of the new chapter, being succeeded a year later by Professor Walter Burr, Upsilon.

During 1960 six trophies were won by the new chapter, including the IFC Scholastic Trophy, won for the third semester in a row. The trophy was won for having the greatest percentage participation in the blood drive. In the fall of 1960 the chapter moved to a new home in the Towers building. In ten years Alpha Nu had won the IFC scholarship trophy and the blood drive trophy six times and had the Community Chest winning float four times.

In 1963 Alpha Nu adopted a point system for its pledge program, modeled after the Alpha Chapter program. At the 1965 Christmas dinner, a program held December 16th, retiring Dean W.B. Young was the guest of honor and was presented with an engraved alumni chair. In 1966 Young was succeeded by Dr. Edward Kersting, who was initiated into Alpha Nu chapter December 15, 1966. Dr. Kinsman was again chosen as adviser and in summing up the first ten years of Alpha Nu he said: "In retrospect it has been a fine ten years of growth and development. When one reflects on the enviable reputation Alpha Nu has established and, of course, its scholarship standing, one can proudly point to concerted as well as individual worthy endeavors.

In 1971 the chapter moved to 1082 Storrs Road, Storrs-Mansfield into the "Oak Cottage". In 1999 the fraternity in conjunction with the University planted several rhododendrons between the George C White Building and the W.B. Young Building to honor the memory of Dr. Donald Kinsman.
(Source: www.AlphaGammaRho.com)