Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1879)/Preface

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[[../]] Preface by William Raimond Baird

[[../Greek-letter fraternities|Greek-Letter Fraternities, Their Origin, Progress, Manners, Customs, Etc.]]→

The author of this book is a member of one of the college fraternities. Having occasion to make inquiries in regard to one of these organizations, he was surprised to learn that there was no general repository of facts in regard to them, that few of their members knew more than the names of those with which they had come into contact, and that the majority were ignorant alike of the origin, principles, history, and customs of any of the fraternities, oftentimes their own included. This lack of knowledge has arisen not from the desire to know nothing of other organizations, nor from indifference to the affairs of their neighbors, but from the fact that information of this kind had never been brought together in a convenient shape. An endeavor has been made to make this book a vehicle of such information.

In seeking material the author has in general met with the hearty co-operation of the fraternities themselves, and with few exceptions all facilities have been placed at his disposal. Nothing is here given to the public that an intelligent observer could not ascertain, and no attempt has been made to lay bare any of the so-called secrets of the college societies.

Those facts have been given in regard to the fraternities which it was deemed would be of interest; the historical notes in connection with the chapters have chiefly been derived from the fraternities themselves, as has the larger number of statements in the book. It must be borne in mind, however, that the condition of a chapter often changes rapidly from causes beyond its control, and many reported facts will necessarily be inaccurate a year hence. The fraternities are requested, therefore, to report any changes that may occur.

Matters of opinion have usually been excluded. and in the [[../College_fraternities: have they a right to live?|last chapter]] the argument for and against the fraternities has been presented as it appears to the average fraternity member and college student. The [[../Directory of chapters|Directory of Chapters]] may be found useful, and some few changes have been noted in it not mentioned in the detailed account of the fraternities.

In the preparation of this volume use has been made of a work entitled "Four Years at Yale" (New Haven, 1871), and treating of life at that college. "A Harvard Book," the various reports of the commissioner of education, the college periodicals, the fraternity catalogues, their song-books, and other publicationa of a less permanent nature. In addition the author would acknowledge his indebtedness to the following ladies and gentlemen, without whose kind assistance he would often have been at a serious loss:

Dr. E. D. Hudgon. Jr., ΑΔΦ; Mr. Charles L. D. Washburn, ΑΣΧ; Mr. Jos. R Anderson. Jr., ΑΤΩ; Mr. John S. Goodwin and Major Wyllys C. Ransom, ΒΘΠ; Mr. Wm. Sutphen, ΧΦ; Mr. Atherton Clark, D.G.K.; Messrs. W. L. McClurg and Henry T. Brueck, ΔΤΔ; Mr. E. P. Clark. ΔΚΕ; Mr. Frank S. Thomas, ΚΑ; Messrs George Banta and Walter B. Palmer, ΦΔΘ; Messrs. Frank Keck and W. F. McDowell, ΦΓΔ; Dr. Edgar F. Smith, ΦΚΨ; Dr. Woolsey Johnson and Mr. Alfred Lee, Jr., ΦΚΣ; Mr. F. W. Clark, ΠΚΑ; Messrs. Chas. W. Smiley and C. P. Woodruff, ΨΥ; Mr. Robert T. S. Lowell, ΣΦ; Mr. R. E. Wildberger, ΣΑΕ; Mr. W. L. Otis, ΖΨ; Mr. R. E. Corry, ΣΑ; Mr. Franklin Burdge, ΘΔΧ; Mr. W. R. Leaken. I.K.A.; Mr. David B. Willson, ΒΒ; Misses Corinne Miller and Emma J. Taggart, ΔΓ; Miss Jodie A. Hays, ΚΚΓ; and Miss Mattie J. Ridpath, ΚΑΘ.