Eclectic Society (Fraternity)
Encyclopedia
The Eclectic Society was originally a college fraternity
at Wesleyan University
in Middletown
, Connecticut
, and was one of older fraternal college organizations in the United States. The society was formally founded by Herman Merrills Johnson, Jonathan Coe, Joshua Newhall, Clark Titus Hinman
, and Chester Dormund Hubbard
, who met on September 13, 1838, and elected and initiated themselves on that date. (Chandler Robbins was also elected that night but was initiated a week later.) The early Wesleyan societies adopted English names, and not Greek ones; but Eclectic quickly adopted a motto, the Greek initials of which are Phi Nu Theta, and the society operated under both names.
The society has always claimed an 1837 foundation for itself, for reasons understood to the members, although no advocate of the society has contravened the fact that the founding meeting was in late 1838. Eclectic was Wesleyan's second fraternity, after the Mystical 7
.
In the 1850s a Beta Chapter existed for ten years at Ohio Wesleyan University
and a Gamma Chapter enjoyed a month's existence at Dickinson College
in Pennsylvania, but both succumbed to the perturbations accompanying the Civil War or to anti-fraternity sentiment among faculty members. There were long discussions about a chapter at Genesee College
which never were fruitful. Thereafter, the only chapter was the Alpha Chapter at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
Because of the prestige of the older organization, the prominent position played by the current organization in student life, and other factors, the Wesleyan University administration has never fully pushed the issue of whether the old Eclectic and the new Eclectic were two organizations or one, and for 40 years the house has continued on in this state of ambiguity.
None of the original Wesleyan societies, the Mystical 7, Eclectic, Tub Philosophers, or Thecanians, had a Greek-letter name. As other Greek-letter societies came to Wesleyan, Eclectic did quickly adopt a Greek motto, and has since been equally known as Phi Nu Theta as Eclectic (with one or the other dominating different eras).
The original society may not have survived the stresses of the Civil War without the tireless dedication of William North Rice
, '65, who later went on to become a Professor at the University for 51 years and also a short term as acting President. He was universally regarded as the guiding spirit of the society through the 1920s.
From about 1856 to 1865 the Eclectic Society was partners in the Alpha Eating Club with the Mystical 7
. After 1865, Eclectics controlled the club exclusively, and the Alpha Eating Club survived until 1975.
The alumni organization of Eclectic was incorporated by the Connecticut legislature as the Socratic Literary Society in 1870.
The first permanent house for the society was the construction of a house in 1882 on a site behind the Allbriton Center where Cross Street currently runs; this had no residential accommodations for undergraduates, and was used meetings, dining facilities, and society offices. The society in 1906 hired Henry Bacon
, formerly of the architectural firm McKim, Mead and White to design a Doric Greek revival structure at 200 High Street. The house is an exemplary design for group living. Many people see the Eclectic house as a design precursor to Bacon's later Lincoln Memorial
in Washington, D.C. (They are both designed in a strong Doric style, but lack the typical pediment.)
In 1912, at the seventy-fifth reunion of the society, Stephen Henry Olin reported in an address to the society that after a detailed analysis of the academic standing of each college fraternity chapter at every major university in America back to the 1820s, Phi Nu Theta then had the highest academic ranking of any chapter of any fraternity in the country.
Noted alumni of the old Phi Nu Theta Eclectic include Chester D. Hubbard
, a founder of Eclectic, and his son, member William P. Hubbard
, both prominent at the founding convention of the State of West Virginia
, Frederick W. Pitkin '58, two-term Governor of Colorado from 1879, the Congressman and banker Frederick M. Davenport
, Walter B. Wriston, who presided over the development of modern consumer banking and the ATM while serving as president and CEO of Citibank
, now known as Citicorp. The list of Society alumni also includes several Wesleyan University Presidents, including Joseph Cummings
'40, (former President of Genesee College
, later President of Northwestern University
), Cyrus David Foss
'54, John W. Beach '45, William North Rice
'65 (Acting), Stephen Henry Olin '66 (Acting), John Monroe Van Vleck
'50 (Acting), and Edwin Deacon Etherington, '48.
Many buildings on Wesleyan University's
campus are named after prominent Eclectic members, such as Crowell Concert Hall, Olin Memorial Library (Stephen Henry Olin, '65 and his father), Hall and Atwater Labs, the Zilkha Gallery (Ezra Khedouri Zilka, '46 and his wife), and the Van Vleck Observatory, (Astronomy Professor John Monroe Van Vleck
).
A history of the society has recently been published by the Wesleyan University Press, called A History of The Eclectic Society of Phi Nu Theta, 1837–1970. The author, William B.B. Moody, is a member and an alumnus of the class of 1959.
Alumni of the newer Eclectic include Chris Wink, co-founder of Blue Man Group
; Amanda Palmer
, songwriter and singer of The Dresden Dolls
; ex-child star Jack Johnson
of Lost in Space, Ben Goldwasser, Will Berman and Andrew VanWyngarden
of the neo-psychedelic band MGMT
; Jem Cohen
, an independent film maker who has worked with R.E.M. and Fugazi, Willie Garson
, character actor in many movies and TV shows such as Sex and the City
and White Collar (TV series)
, Himanshu Suri of the rap group Das Racist
, Simon O'Connor of the band Stylophone and Amazing Baby
, Keenan Mitchell and Fareed Sajan of the band Bottle Up and Go
and Indiana Reay Neidell, the Grammy-winning Swedish rockstar.
The script for the film PCU
was written by Wesleyan students Adam Leff and Zak Penn
, (not members but regulars at the house), and is derived from life and characters in that house at the time. The early scenes at the house in PCU refer to the older, formerly prestigious organization.
On January 19, 2010, Eric Conger's play, The Eclectic Society premiered at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. The play centers on a fraternity at an unnamed New England college in the early 1960s, as they collide with race, class, and gender issues, while a new world prepares to unfold under the JFK administration
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in Middletown
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, and was one of older fraternal college organizations in the United States. The society was formally founded by Herman Merrills Johnson, Jonathan Coe, Joshua Newhall, Clark Titus Hinman
Clark T. Hinman
Clark Titus Hinman was the first president of Northwestern University. Hinman was born in Delaware County, New York into a Methodist family. He attended Wesleyan University, and after graduation served as an instructor at a seminary in Newbury, Vermont...
, and Chester Dormund Hubbard
Chester D. Hubbard
Chester Dorman Hubbard was a U.S. Representative from West Virginia, father of Congressman William Pallister Hubbard....
, who met on September 13, 1838, and elected and initiated themselves on that date. (Chandler Robbins was also elected that night but was initiated a week later.) The early Wesleyan societies adopted English names, and not Greek ones; but Eclectic quickly adopted a motto, the Greek initials of which are Phi Nu Theta, and the society operated under both names.
The society has always claimed an 1837 foundation for itself, for reasons understood to the members, although no advocate of the society has contravened the fact that the founding meeting was in late 1838. Eclectic was Wesleyan's second fraternity, after the Mystical 7
Mystical Seven (Wesleyan)
The Mystical Seven is a society founded in 1837 at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut that currently is in existence as two separate groups. Publicly, members are called Mystics.-Early history:...
.
In the 1850s a Beta Chapter existed for ten years at Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
and a Gamma Chapter enjoyed a month's existence at Dickinson College
Dickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
in Pennsylvania, but both succumbed to the perturbations accompanying the Civil War or to anti-fraternity sentiment among faculty members. There were long discussions about a chapter at Genesee College
Genesee College
Genesee College was a college founded in 1832 as the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary by the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was located in Lima, NY and eventually relocated to Syracuse, NY, becoming Syracuse University.-Genesee Wesleyan Seminary:...
which never were fruitful. Thereafter, the only chapter was the Alpha Chapter at Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
One society or two?
In 1970, the undergraduates broke ranks with their alumni, the primary issue at the time being one of recreational drug use. There is a serious and ongoing question as to whether the current organization is a continuation of the old or not. See 1991 Argus letters After a wrenching crisis at the annual meeting of alumni in 1970, the alumni severed ties with the undergraduate institution and dissolved the Socratic Literary Society alumni organization, at the same time, the undergraduates abandoned the initiation ceremony and the constitution, women were elected to membership, the name "Phi Nu Theta" was abandoned as sounding too much like a Greek-letter fraternity. At the same time, the alumni closed the Alpha Dining Club, the permanent staff (housekeeper and chef) were let go, and the house was sold to the university. For some, the new organization was entirely different, and any connection to the older organization was utterly severed; for others, the new organization continues the principles and community position of the old. In recent years, the students living in Eclectic have attempted to rebuild connections to the older alumni with events during Homecoming and Family Weekend and Commencement & Reunion Weekend.Because of the prestige of the older organization, the prominent position played by the current organization in student life, and other factors, the Wesleyan University administration has never fully pushed the issue of whether the old Eclectic and the new Eclectic were two organizations or one, and for 40 years the house has continued on in this state of ambiguity.
Eclectic Society of Phi Nu Theta to 1970
The Eclectic Society, Phi Nu Theta, was founded in 1838, as is clear from the first meeting date of the society. However, Eclectic has always claimed a 1837 founding date, making it presumptively as old as its older competitor, the Mystical 7 society. (The Mystical 7 is known to have been in existence on July 17, 1837 when an acknowledgement on that date was received from the president of the university.)None of the original Wesleyan societies, the Mystical 7, Eclectic, Tub Philosophers, or Thecanians, had a Greek-letter name. As other Greek-letter societies came to Wesleyan, Eclectic did quickly adopt a Greek motto, and has since been equally known as Phi Nu Theta as Eclectic (with one or the other dominating different eras).
The original society may not have survived the stresses of the Civil War without the tireless dedication of William North Rice
William North Rice
William North Rice was an American geologist, educator, and Methodist minister and theologian concerned with reconciliation of science and religious faith.-Early life and education:...
, '65, who later went on to become a Professor at the University for 51 years and also a short term as acting President. He was universally regarded as the guiding spirit of the society through the 1920s.
From about 1856 to 1865 the Eclectic Society was partners in the Alpha Eating Club with the Mystical 7
Mystical Seven (Wesleyan)
The Mystical Seven is a society founded in 1837 at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut that currently is in existence as two separate groups. Publicly, members are called Mystics.-Early history:...
. After 1865, Eclectics controlled the club exclusively, and the Alpha Eating Club survived until 1975.
The alumni organization of Eclectic was incorporated by the Connecticut legislature as the Socratic Literary Society in 1870.
The first permanent house for the society was the construction of a house in 1882 on a site behind the Allbriton Center where Cross Street currently runs; this had no residential accommodations for undergraduates, and was used meetings, dining facilities, and society offices. The society in 1906 hired Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon
Henry Bacon was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. , which was his final project.- Education and early career :...
, formerly of the architectural firm McKim, Mead and White to design a Doric Greek revival structure at 200 High Street. The house is an exemplary design for group living. Many people see the Eclectic house as a design precursor to Bacon's later Lincoln Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
in Washington, D.C. (They are both designed in a strong Doric style, but lack the typical pediment.)
In 1912, at the seventy-fifth reunion of the society, Stephen Henry Olin reported in an address to the society that after a detailed analysis of the academic standing of each college fraternity chapter at every major university in America back to the 1820s, Phi Nu Theta then had the highest academic ranking of any chapter of any fraternity in the country.
Noted alumni of the old Phi Nu Theta Eclectic include Chester D. Hubbard
Chester D. Hubbard
Chester Dorman Hubbard was a U.S. Representative from West Virginia, father of Congressman William Pallister Hubbard....
, a founder of Eclectic, and his son, member William P. Hubbard
William P. Hubbard
William Pallister Hubbard was an American Republican politician from Wheeling, West Virginia who served as a United States Representative. The son of Congressman Chester D. Hubbard, he served as a member of the 60th and 61st United States Congresses.Hubbard attended the public schools and Linsly...
, both prominent at the founding convention of the State of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, Frederick W. Pitkin '58, two-term Governor of Colorado from 1879, the Congressman and banker Frederick M. Davenport
Frederick M. Davenport
Frederick Morgan Davenport was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New York....
, Walter B. Wriston, who presided over the development of modern consumer banking and the ATM while serving as president and CEO of Citibank
Citibank
Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...
, now known as Citicorp. The list of Society alumni also includes several Wesleyan University Presidents, including Joseph Cummings
Joseph Cummings
Joseph Cummings was the fifth president of Northwestern University from 1881-1890, president of Wesleyan University for 18 years from 1857-1875, and president of the predecessor of Syracuse University from 1854 to 1857...
'40, (former President of Genesee College
Genesee College
Genesee College was a college founded in 1832 as the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary by the Methodist Episcopal Church. It was located in Lima, NY and eventually relocated to Syracuse, NY, becoming Syracuse University.-Genesee Wesleyan Seminary:...
, later President of Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
), Cyrus David Foss
Cyrus David Foss
Cyrus David Foss was a prominent Methodist bishop in latter 19th century, primarily serving in New York City and New England....
'54, John W. Beach '45, William North Rice
William North Rice
William North Rice was an American geologist, educator, and Methodist minister and theologian concerned with reconciliation of science and religious faith.-Early life and education:...
'65 (Acting), Stephen Henry Olin '66 (Acting), John Monroe Van Vleck
John Monroe Van Vleck
John Monroe Van Vleck was an American mathematician and astronomer.He taught astronomy and mathematics at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut for more than 50 years , and served as acting university president twice...
'50 (Acting), and Edwin Deacon Etherington, '48.
Many buildings on Wesleyan University's
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
campus are named after prominent Eclectic members, such as Crowell Concert Hall, Olin Memorial Library (Stephen Henry Olin, '65 and his father), Hall and Atwater Labs, the Zilkha Gallery (Ezra Khedouri Zilka, '46 and his wife), and the Van Vleck Observatory, (Astronomy Professor John Monroe Van Vleck
John Monroe Van Vleck
John Monroe Van Vleck was an American mathematician and astronomer.He taught astronomy and mathematics at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut for more than 50 years , and served as acting university president twice...
).
A history of the society has recently been published by the Wesleyan University Press, called A History of The Eclectic Society of Phi Nu Theta, 1837–1970. The author, William B.B. Moody, is a member and an alumnus of the class of 1959.
Eclectic Society since 1970
The current society has operated without a constitution for extended periods, and has adopted a Quaker-style consensus decision-making system. The consensus system was formalized under a set of by-laws authored by member Paul Menair in the mid-1980s.Alumni of the newer Eclectic include Chris Wink, co-founder of Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
; Amanda Palmer
Amanda Palmer
Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer , sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls...
, songwriter and singer of The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2000, the group consists of Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione...
; ex-child star Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (actor)
Jack Laurence Johnson is an American actor, best known for his performance as the character Will Robinson in the 1998 movie, Lost in Space....
of Lost in Space, Ben Goldwasser, Will Berman and Andrew VanWyngarden
Andrew VanWyngarden
Andrew VanWyngarden is the lead vocalist, guitar player and songwriter for the band MGMT, praised for "an uncanny knack for producing pop music that sounds as if it were filtered through a kaleidoscope"...
of the neo-psychedelic band MGMT
MGMT
MGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
; Jem Cohen
Jem Cohen
Jem Alan Cohen is an award-winning New York City-based filmmaker known for his observational portraits of urban landscapes, blending of media formats and collaborations with music artists. He is the recipient of the Independent Spirit Award and many first place awards for feature filmmaking...
, an independent film maker who has worked with R.E.M. and Fugazi, Willie Garson
Willie Garson
Willie Garson is an American character actor. He has appeared in over 50 movies, usually playing minor roles...
, character actor in many movies and TV shows such as Sex and the City
Sex and the City
Sex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
and White Collar (TV series)
White Collar (TV series)
White Collar is a USA Network television series created by Jeff Eastin, starring Matt Bomer as con-man Neal Caffrey and Tim DeKay as Special Agent Peter Burke. It premiered on October 23, 2009. In December 2009, White Collar was renewed for a second season that began on July 13, 2010...
, Himanshu Suri of the rap group Das Racist
Das Racist
Das Racist is an alternative hip hop group based in Brooklyn, New York City, composed of MCs Himanshu Suri , and Victor Vazquez and hype man Ashok Kondabolu...
, Simon O'Connor of the band Stylophone and Amazing Baby
Amazing Baby
Amazing Baby is an American indie rock band based in Brooklyn, New York in 2008. The band began as an after-work collaboration between Will Roan, Will Berman and Simon O'Connor, who had known one another from the Brooklyn music scene, and who were working at the same ringtone company.The band's...
, Keenan Mitchell and Fareed Sajan of the band Bottle Up and Go
Bottle Up and Go
"Bottle Up and Go" or "Bottle It Up and Go" is a song that is a standard of the blues. Based on earlier songs, Delta bluesman Tommy McClennan recorded "Bottle It Up and Go" in 1939. The song has been interpreted and recorded by numerous artists, sometimes using alternate titles, such as "Step It...
and Indiana Reay Neidell, the Grammy-winning Swedish rockstar.
The script for the film PCU
PCU (film)
PCU is a 1994 comedy film. The film depicts college life at the fictional Port Chester University, and represents "an exaggerated view of contemporary college life...." The film is based on the experiences of writers Adam Leff and Zak Penn at...
was written by Wesleyan students Adam Leff and Zak Penn
Zak Penn
Zak Penn is an American screenwriter and director. Penn wrote and directed Incident at Loch Ness, The Grand, and co-wrote the script for X-Men: The Last Stand. With Michael Karnow, Penn is the co-creator of Alphas.-Early life:...
, (not members but regulars at the house), and is derived from life and characters in that house at the time. The early scenes at the house in PCU refer to the older, formerly prestigious organization.
On January 19, 2010, Eric Conger's play, The Eclectic Society premiered at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. The play centers on a fraternity at an unnamed New England college in the early 1960s, as they collide with race, class, and gender issues, while a new world prepares to unfold under the JFK administration