An "uninterrupted brotherhood"
ALUMNI & FRIENDS | They arrived by car and by plane, from as far away as Arizona and Nevada. They came filled with unique memories—from different times and distinct eras, about different people and different lives.
But each man left Newark just as they came: As brothers, for all time.
The alumni of Lambda Chi Alpha’s Lambda Beta chapter descended on Laird Campus late last fall to celebrate what is truly a landmark for the University, and especially for the fraternities it hosts: For 50 years now, ever since December 4, 1965, Lambda Chi has been part of UD’s fraternity system, with generations of brothers living at its vintage West Main Street house.
That makes it the oldest continuously operating fraternity on campus, and currently among the most academically successful. But its true essence and distinction is more than a number, its thousand-plus brothers say. It lies in the years of philanthropy they have produced, and in the decades of support they have provided to one another, on campus and off.
It’s a distinction that’s sometimes demonstrated in actions—like the decision by the national fraternity to abolish pledging and embrace an anti-hazing culture in 1972, years before such moves became routine. And it’s a character shown in the fact that 13 of the 19 founding brothers who started Lambda Chi here five decades ago attended the Dec. 5 reunion.
That sense of commitment and loyalty is clear in the emotions of Brian Miller, EG93, who was one of 381 brothers who attended the fall event at Clayton Hall. “It’s about lifelong friendships,” he says. “I’ll talk to people I haven’t seen in 20 years, and it will be like I never left.”
Twenty-plus years after Miller graduated, those notions are still common sentiments among the current crop of “Lambda Betas.”
“Someone’s always got your back,” says senior Erik Elsasser, EG17. “You always have someone to talk to. It’s all about brotherhood. Wherever life takes you, you have someone back home.”
The bonds are especially strong because of the University of Delaware’s own character, adds Rich Goodwyn, AS79, who senses that a special connection exists between all UD grads—not just fraternity brothers—because of the school’s special ability to inspire deep and enduring emotional ties.
“UD gave me a great education,” says the 30-year Naval Aviation veteran. “Wherever I went in the military, all over the world, I met Blue Hens.”
Article by Eric Ruth, AS93
