Hazing, background

While I spent some 25 years as the executive director of DKE, one of the most traditional old line fraternities, I have been personally totally opposed to hazing since January 1966, when I was initiated into the Omicron Chapter at the University of Michigan.

We were your stereotypical fraternity when I pledged in 1965. All white, all Christian, mostly wealthy, either from the suburbs of Grosse Pointe, Bloomfield Hills or similar suburbs of New York and Chicago. We were the preppies. We called ourselves the Tweeds as opposed to the jocks. Despite our small numbers we lived in a large Tudor mansion on the highest spot in Ann Arbor.

Our graduates included many of the most prominent alumni of the University. The Shant was our castle. We would meet religiously at midnight Saturdays by gas light to the ringing of the old University of Michigan bell that hung from the ceiling of that old building.

I was particularly at home with this group of 30 or so young men. I was a graduate of Park School, a small prep school in Indianapolis. My graduating class was 19 boys, and I had made the decision to attend the University of Michigan with some 25,000 students. The Deke house was both a sanctuary and an opportunity.

Hazing was not something that we practiced, I thought, that was until I showed up for "Hell Week" in January. What followed were what seemed like months, but were actually about 7 days of demeaning nonsense. I walked out twice and was recaptured and convinced it was worth it. Finally initiation happened and I was a member.

However, unlike a lot of my "Brothers," I hated the experience and did my best to relax the procedure for the next class. Later when I re-established the Michigan Chapter, we had no hazing. This has unfortunately changed. There is a culture of hazing at most of the "good" chapters that is covered by a code of silence that includes many of the most respectable alumni in the community.

I did my best to eliminate hazing during my tenure. I failed. A hazing episode almost destroyed DKE in the late 90's and eventually cost me my position.

I remember at the Convention in 2008, rhetorically asking the young men in attendance, who had the biggest impact in history on their fraternity? The answers ranged from the 5 Presidents (six if you count FDR), Alan Bean, Admiral Peary, and on...

The true answer, which I recited to a surprised audience, was a 19 year old hazing victim, John LaDuca.

More later........