Gone, but Not Forgotten: Phi Sigma Epsilon Alumni Remember the “Glory Days” on Campus

Written by Doug Goodnough

The house is no longer standing. The fraternity is no longer active. But the memories, passion, and brotherhood remain.

Phillip “Trip” Banks and Doug McPherson, both from the Class of 1976, are part of a strong contingent of Phi Sigma Epsilon alumni who are trying to keep the memory and legacy of their fraternity alive at Hillsdale College. They both attended the recent White & Blue Weekend, and many of the event’s festivities were conducted at the site where so many Phi Sig memories were made.

In fact, for many years the Phi Sigs have gathered during special events like Homecoming at the plot of land where their house once stood across from Broadlawn. Fraternity members eventually approached the College about donating the land for a proposed permanent facility that would serve not only Phi Sig alumni, but also the entire College community. An agreement was reached, and fundraising for the Phi Sig Alumni Pavilion project is under way. Construction is scheduled to begin once the $600,000 project goal has been achieved.

But what were the Phi Sigs like back in the day?

“We had a very good, eclectic association of brothers,” said Banks, who attended Hillsdale toward the end of the Vietnam War era. “The group ahead of us was really strong. They were athletic and smart. I went through rush and checked out all the other houses. I just kind of hung out at the Phi Sigs. It was a home right away.”

McPherson, who currently serves as the alumni chapter president, said the pledge classes during his time were some of the largest on campus. And they said the Phi Sigs often were leaders on campus with events like car washes for cancer and the annual on-campus blood drive. In fact, Phi Sigs once held the presidencies of three major student leadership groups all at the same time.

“That’s a big deal,” said Banks, who was the Student Federation president.

As far as Phi Sig life, McPherson especially remembers “Manion’s March,” which was a special ritual for Phi Sig pledges at the beginning of the second semester in January. “Work Week” was the culmination of the pledge process, where pledges would complete a daylong household improvement project before being installed as full members.

Banks said the Phi Sigs were the only fraternity that didn’t have a kitchen, so members would gather at “Saga,” the College’s cafeteria.

The house itself was small by fraternity standards, with only two bedrooms and a breezy enclosed patio serving as home for up to 16 members. Reportedly part of the Underground Railroad, the two-story brick structure had a nice oak staircase that greeted people in the entranceway. And there was one other distinctive house feature.

“We had a telephone booth in there,” Banks said. “Any time the phone rang, the pledges had to run over and answer it. They had a routine they had to go through. How many places have a phone booth?”

Banks said fraternity members took pride in being organized. In fact, the chapter received the highest honors from its national organization for completing its paperwork on time and having its financial affairs in order. But in the 1980s, the chapter fell into some financial hardship. When Phi Sigma Kappa came in and absorbed Phi Sigma Epsilon in the mid-1980s, McPherson said it was a very sad time for Hillsdale chapter alumni.

“We said, ‘We are Phi Sigma Epsilon. We will never be Phi Sigma Kappa.’”

The Hillsdale chapter was dissolved in 1985, and the Phi Sig presence on campus was fading until fraternity alumni decided to do something about it.

“That’s why we are where we are with the Phi Sig lot and Homecoming,” said McPherson, who makes the trip up from his Tennessee home to attend. “When I started coming back, (there were) people I didn’t know…now we are a good, close group.”

Banks, who started coming back to campus regularly from his Chicago-area home, said the lessons he learned from activities like weekly chapter meetings remain a valuable life lesson.

“You learn how to agree and disagree. You learn how to speak up and shut up,” Banks said.

He said he hopes the Phi Sig Alumni Pavilion will set an example for the positive aspects of college Greek life.

“Greek life gets a bad rap across the country,” Banks said. “Here’s an example of the cooperation that exists. Let (Hillsdale’s) campus be used as a template for other schools around the country.”


Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s new director of Alumni Marketing. He’s looking forward to connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.

 

 


Published in July 2022