Saturday, February 24, 2007

Cornell Acacia Composites

I am trying to compile a complete collection of composites. The Digital Status line below means either a) SCAN: I have an original photo and was able to scan it or b) PHOTO: I did not have the original but have a digital photograph of the large composite hanging on the wall at the chapter house.

If you have a missing composite or a composite with PHOTO in the Digital Status, please let me know. I would like to scan them for the Centennial for the Friday evening presentation.


Composite Year Status Digital Status




1907
Y SCAN
1908
Y SCAN
1909
N
1910
N
1911
Y SCAN
1912
Y SCAN
1913
Y SCAN
1914
Y SCAN
1915
Y PHOTO
1916
Y SCAN
1917
Y SCAN
1918
Y PHOTO
1919
N does not exist
1920
Y SCAN
1921
Y SCAN
1922
Y SCAN
1923
Y SCAN
1924
Y SCAN
1925
Y SCAN
1926
Y SCAN
1927
Y SCAN
1928
Y SCAN
1929
Y SCAN
1930
Y SCAN
1931
Y SCAN
1932
N
1933
Y SCAN
1934
Y SCAN
1935
N
1936
N
1937
N
1938
N
1939
N
1940
N
1941
N
1942
N does not exist
1943
N does not exist
1944
N does not exist
1945
N does not exist
1946
Y SCAN - OTHER
1947
Y SCAN
1948
Y SCAN - OTHER
1949
Y SCAN - OTHER
1950
Y SCAN - OTHER
1951
N
1952
N
1953
Y PHOTO
1954
N
1955
Y SCAN
1956
N
1957
Y PHOTO
1958
Y PHOTO
1959
N
1960
Y PHOTO
1961
Y PHOTO
1962
Y SCAN
1963
Y SCAN
1964
Y SCAN
1965
N
1966
Y PHOTO
1967
N
1968
Y SCAN
1969
Y PHOTO
1970
Y SCAN
1971
Y SCAN
1972
Y PHOTO
1973
N
1974
Y SCAN
1975
Y SCAN
1976
N
1977
Y SCAN
1978
Y SCAN
1979
Y SCAN
1980
Y SCAN
1981
Y SCAN
1982
Y SCAN
1983
Y SCAN
1984
Y SCAN
1985
N does not exist
1986
Y SCAN
1987
N does not exist
1988
N does not exist
1989
N does not exist
1990
N hand-made composite in office
1991
Y SCAN
1992
Y SCAN
1993
Y SCAN
1994
Y SCAN
1995
Y SCAN
1996
Y SCAN
1997
Y SCAN
1998
Y SCAN
1999
Y SCAN
2000
Y SCAN
2001
Y SCAN
2002
Y SCAN
2003
Y SCAN
2004
Y SCAN
2005
Y SCAN
2006
Y SCAN

Monday, January 29, 2007

Traveler, May 1965







































(click on each image to enlarge)

This issue of the Traveler was found among assorted Corporation papers held by Jim Showacre. If ANYONE has ANY additional Travelers from the 1950s - 1970s, PLEASE contact me!

Monday, January 15, 2007

The Acacia Traveler, November 1966

(click on image to enlarge)(click on image to enlarge)

I recently found this copy of the Traveler among a box of records belonging to the corporation board. If any other alumnus has any copies of the Traveler from 1951 to 1971, and also during the late 1970s and early 1980s, your help in obtaining copies for historical research would be greatly appreciated.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Northcote by Arthur Gibb '90

(click on image for larger view)

This portrait drawn by architect Arthur Gibb of the Williams Family house at 318 Highland Road hangs above the fireplace mantle of the library. The Williams saved this portrait and left it with Northcote when sold to Acacia in 1934. Although it might have been a pleasant reminder to Edith Clifford Williams of her family's home, she could always look outside her window and up the hill from her house at 322 Highland Road. The portrait stayed with the house, where it belongs, and where it shall remain.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

A Fitting quote for the Traveler

Brother Alumnus Cammuso (#965) brought to light a fitting quote about the Traveler that would be an excellent way to start the publications section of the actives' webpage.

"The Traveler defies time and distance. Within its magic hospitality old friendships are kept alive, new ones added, future ones insured."
- Roy B. Miller (#222), Class of 1924, Traveler, Vol. X, No. 6, p. 11.

Per Brother Cammuso's earlier e-mail to me: "If it were up to me, I would publish Brother Miller's quote in every issue of the Traveler. That's a mission statement I wish we had known about earlier."

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Donations can now be made through Acacia.org

Donations to the history project can now be made directly to the Acacia Fraternity Foundation through the following website:

http://www.acacia.org/cornell100.htm

You will need to activate a Paypal account, which is a secure way to send funds online using your bank account or a credit card.

Thanks to Tal Gribbins from Acacia national staff for arranging this for the chapter.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Triad Winter 2006 - Cornell Acacia Centennial Article

Thanks to an opportunity given to me by Keith Bushey, we are going to have the following news item listed in the Winter 2006 Triad. Look forward to this arriving in time for the holidays!

----------------------------------------------------
Cornell Chapter Prepares for Centennial Celebration

The Cornell Chapter celebrates its centennial in 2007, and to commemorate the occasion, the chapter is hosting a reunion weekend on August 24 – 26, 2007. The exciting schedule of events starts with a lecture on Friday evening about the formative events and important people of the first one hundred years of the chapter’s history. The event will be held at the new Beck Center of Statler Hall, and will be followed by a reception and book-signing with the author of Cornell Acacia: the First Century. The history book, which will be printed in hardcover, will tell the story of Cornell Chapter’s founding, the tough periods of two world wars, and bring the history to the present day. A volume you will not want to miss, the book will include many rare and never before published photographs. Copies are available to all Acacians, and can be pre-ordered by individuals or chapters by making a tax-deductible donation to the AFF (see http://cornellacacia.blogspot.com/ for more details or contact the Centennial Historian).

The history project is the culmination of two years’ effort of active and alumni brothers, and is just one part of the exciting centennial celebration. On Saturday, returning alumni and their families are invited to join Cornell Alumni Affairs on a very special guided tour of the campus. Explore new and recently renovated buildings, including Duffield, Bailey, and White Halls, while learning how the campus has changed over the years. Following the tour, the actives and alumni will enjoy the beautiful Ithaca weather (we hope!) at a picnic at one of the many scenic spots on campus.

After the picnic, the brothers will convene for a special meeting of the entire chapter. Here we will discuss the future of the Cornell Chapter, and learn how each brother can make a difference in the future. Immediately following the brothers’ meeting, there will be a cocktail hour, where the lively music of Cornell’s a cappella groups will fill the air. If there is one event you should not miss during the weekend, it is Saturday evening banquet held at the Statler ballroom. At the banquet, enjoy a meal with your brothers and listen to special guest speakers such as Cornell’s Vice-President for Student and Academic Affairs Susan Murphy. At the conclusion of the dinner, a documentary video produced by Cornell Chapter will debut on the big screen. And, it wouldn’t be a celebration without a party! Join us for live entertainment at the Statler Ballroom as we dance the night away!

For those who are early risers, plans are in the work for a morning bird watch at the Sapsucker Woods. The world-renowned Johnson Museum of Art will also be open that morning for a special tour. Join the brothers at the chapter house for brunch on Sunday morning before heading home. Come tour the chapter house, and see how much things have changed and stayed the same since the last time you were there.

Excitement for the Cornell Chapter Centennial has been building for several years. Thanks to the generosity of our alumni, we have raised almost $14,000 for the chapter’s AFF account. To date, over 40 brothers have already reserved their spot; why join them and all of us for this once in a lifetime affair? For more information about the Cornell Chapter Centennial, contact the following centennial chairmen:

David Klesh, Celebration Chairman Tom Balcerski, Historian Brad Ayres, Capital Campaign
davidklesh@hotmail.com tbalcerski@gmail.com bja27@cornell.edu
(646) 643-6744 (201) 327-0668 (607) 731-9338

We look forward to seeing you there at Ithaca in 2007!

Monday, October 16, 2006

Centennial Horizon - Vol. 2, No. 1 - Fall 2006

Here are pages 3 and 4. The Traveler will include this mailing, scheduled to be shipped next week via USPS.

Centennial Horizon - Vol. 2, No. 1 - Fall 2006

Brethren,

Here's a sneak preview of the new Centennial Horizon for all those who follow the weblog! For a complete list of all those brothers who have signed up so far, just e-mail me. There are over 25 brothers already signed up, ranging from class of 1942 to class of 2006, with several more in between!

HOOVER
#1063

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Friday, July 28, 2006

Doc Bradley Portrait


Portrait of Robert Claude "Doc" Bradley that hangs in the Thompson Library (chapter room). Doc was one of the first Award of Merit winners in the inaugural class of 1954. He was also instrumental in the purchase and financing of Northcote, the construction of the Wing, and the expansion of the national fraternity. Note the Cornell Class ring on the left ring finger and the Award of Merit medal across the tie.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Centennial Horizon...please note!

In the last Centennial Horizon, there was a discrepancy between the lead article and the cut-out form as to where to send the form. Please send the form directly to AFF and not to the chapter. This was corrected in the digital version in the entry below on the blog. I am hearing a positive response to this mailing, and I encourage everyone to send in their form today! Thank you!

Friday, June 30, 2006

Centennial Horizon Summer 2006

Please click on each image for a larger view. To print, click on the image and press print button on your browser.

If you did not receive a paper copy or have a new address, let us know!

Friday, May 26, 2006

Finalized Centennial Logo

Please take a look at this finalized Centennial logo designed by Brother Igor Dolgalev. The triangles have been corrected to the appropriate dimensions (3-4-5), as have the hands on the clock. The "Since 1907" text is also an addition. This logo will be printed on the next Centennial Horizon, scheduled to be mailed at the end of June as part of a separate mailing. In that issue, all necessary information as it relates to the Centennial will be made available, as will a Centennial reservation of interest form.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Acacia Brothers, 1947-1948


There have been many pairs of brothers at Acacia. The two Showacres are at the right.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Jim Van Der Hoef and his brother Bob at the Foundry, early 1910s

Jim Van Der Hoef was one of the founding brothers of the Cornell Chapter. He can be seen on the left of this picture. His brother, possibly his twin, Bob, is on the right. They were both instructors in the Foundry at Sibley College.

Jim was known to give great bear hugs to all his friends, and they could take your breath away, as Jim was a big man! A dedicated member to the fraternity, he acted as trustee in the chapter's purchase of its house at 708 E. Seneca.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Plans for 1924 Proposed rennovations by Harriet Williams





Click on each image to see a larger view. These were old plans designed by Arthur N. Gibb '90, architect of Northcote, and later Mayor of Ithaca. Harriet Williams rented Northcote to Delta Zeta sorority in 1919-1920, but the group did not stay long. In 1920, Delta Zeta moved next door to the boys of Acacia on Buffalo Street. Why did they stay only one year? Perhaps the notoriously fussy Harriet was too much for the women of the sorority, or perhaps Harriet could not stand riotous college girls roaming her family's home. In any case, these plans call for an apartment addition to be built over the old kitchen area on the first floor, and changes to be made to the second floor for bedroom space. In this way, Harriet could rent out an apartment to a tenant while maintaing her privacy in the other rooms of the house. Or, vice versa, she could live in the apartment while renting the rest of the house to a professor and his family. In any case, these plans were never implemented. I wonder, if they had, would Acacia ever have come to 318 Highland Road?



Post on Centennial Horizon, spring 2006

The next issue of the Traveler, due sometime this month, will contain the second number of the Centennial Horizon, the alumni publication designed to update Cornell Acacians on our centennial celebration in 2007. Be on the look out for this newsletter, as it contains all the important information you will need to start making your plans for 2007 today!

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Cornell Acacia Centennial Logo

Logos designed by Igor. I would be interested to hear which one you like better. The first has the phrase "Cornell Acacia" which I like, but the second one makes it clear we are a fraternity. Let us hear from you.














Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Acacia Fraternity at Cornell: The First Century

Due to legal considerations involving the phrase “Cornell Acacia,” the title for the book about the chapter’s history will now be called Acacia Fraternity at Cornell: The First One Hundred Years. I like this title, as it retains the essential points of what group the book is about and the forward-looking nature of this being only the first century of the chapter’s existence.