Delta Chapter's Founding

Halloween holds a special place in the memories of most people. The pumpkin, jack-o'-lanterns, brightly colored costumes, tales of witches, and the atmosphere of carnival time brings back happy thoughts of early youth. So, too, does Halloween claim a special place in the hearts of Delta Brothers, for it was on October 31, 1927, that our Chapter had its beginning. The whole story of Delta's founding lies shrouded in the past and may never be fully realized, but an old PLAINSMAN published on Friday, November 4, 1927, noted the occasion with a lengthy story. "A new fraternity was added to the list of fraternities at Alabama Polytechnic Institute Monday night, when Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity was installed with fitting ceremonies..." Since the date of the PLAINSMAN is firmly established, a bit of figuring finds that Monday night was indeed Halloween. Our Charter, however, bears the date of November 8, 1927, the date assigned by the National Fraternity.

Delta Chapter's heritage is closely associated with the ideals of the Boy Scout movement. All of the charter members were Eagle Scouts, and a Scout Executive from Montgomery conducted the installation ceremonies for the Supreme Council of Alpha Phi Omega, as the National Executive Board was then called.

The idea of assembling a group of men in the fellowship and spirit of the Scout Oath and Law at Auburn first occurred in 1926 after Paul Brake had come to Auburn. After passing the general entrance examination and being admitted to college, Brother Brake earned enough money to pay his tuition by playing in the summer orchestra, delivering papers, and repairing radios. In what little spare time he had, Brake helped the local Scoutmaster. A short time later he met Clayton Welden and Frank Lull. Together, they started looking around for other Eagle Scouts to form an Eagle Scout club which was to meet in the Scout hut. Welden and Lull told Brake of their Scout Executive in Montgomery who was familiar with a regular college Scouting fraternity. On his next visit to Montgomery, Brake visited Colonel Millard Wescott to tell him of the group's ideas and to inquire about the fraternity. By the fall of 1927, the founders were ready to receive their charter. On October 31, 1927, Col. Wescott journeyed to Auburn over dirt roads to install the Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega. The installation ceremony was conducted in a classroom on the second floor of Broun Hall over the auditorium facing Ross Hall. Eleven students received membership and thus became the founders of Delta Chapter.

Paul Brake	George G. Blau, Jr.
C. D. Bradley	N. C. Canterbury
Jesse W. Calhoun	William E. Keith, Jr.
Frank W. Lull	William W. Oyler
Charles F. Striplin	William C. Welden
H. G. Wilcox

(The Laurel Wreath, 8th Ed.)

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