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Michigan Alpha Centennial 1964

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    The Centennial Celebration 1964 jointly hosted by the Michigan Alpha Alumni Association and active chapter.

Homecoming 2013

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    Homecoming 2013 at 1437 Washtenaw.

Harmon BBQ 2013

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    BBQ at the chapter house to honor Tom Harmon '41.

Homecoming 2012

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    BBQ revives tradition attracting strong alumni attendance.

Mud Bowl

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    A PHOTO HISTORY OF THE MUD BOWL 1934 to 1997 ~ MICHIGAN'S GREATEST FRATERNITY ATHLETIC RIVALRY During the fall of 1934, Phi Delta Theta (PDT) active member E. Reed Low '37 challenged the "house across the street" (Sigma Alpha Epsilon -- SAE) to a friendly game of "touch" football on the morning of Homecoming in a little used valley in their side yard along South University. Low is considered the founder of the Mud Bowl. The men of PDT and SAE fought a close match which SAE narrowly won 8 - 6. Given the intense rivalry between the two fraternities which were located only a couple hundred feet apart, it was decided that the Mud Bowl would be an annual event. The Mud Bowl became a revered Homecoming tradition as PDT and SAE fiercely battled each year for nothing more than pride. In the early years, the game essentially was a rough intramural football match played on a field that was wetter and shorter than regulation. As the annual contest matured, it was decided that the challenge and entertainment value of the game could be enhanced by tilling the ground and flooding the field. Eventually, the Ann Arbor Fire Department contributed to making the mayhem on the field even more muddy by pouring approximately 10,000 gallons of water into the valley shortly before the game. By kickoff of games played in the 1970s through the 1990s, it was not uncommon for the mud to be more than one foot deep with water covering the west end of the "field." The PDT-SAE rivalry series in the Mud Bowled ended in 1997 after the 60th game between the two fraternities was played. The records about these 60 games are a combination of fact and myth, but no one disputes that this was the greatest fraternity athletic rivalry in the State of Michigan if not the entire nation. The Mud Bowl grew into such a spectacle that crowds numbering in the thousands showed up each year to witness the game. The game attracted coverage by Sports Illustrated, ESPN, ABC Sports as well as campus, Ann Arbor and Detroit media. The Mud Bowl became so popular that national brewing companies -- at first Stroh's, and then Miller -- sponsored the event. Of course, some people have speculated that the presence of sororities playing football, or speedball in some years, during the half-time may have garnered most of the great public interest in the event. Nonetheless the athleticism and intensity of the PDT-SAE matchups proved to be very entertaining for the fans. While the exact win-loss tally is subject to dispute, it is believed that PDT rightly boasts a few more victories in the series than SAE. Given that SAE hand picked the referees for each Mud Bowl, a PDT victory typically required overcoming the opposing players plus the men in stripes. For this reason, PDT's hard fought "losses" remain as much a source of pride as its many victories. If you have pictures or memories of the Mud Bowl to share with the Alumni Association's Heritage Project, please contact us at [email protected].

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Heritage Project Update
 
Michigan Alpha's 1947 Championship Inter-Fraternity Singing Team
 
We recently obtained a digital recording of Michigan Alpha's singing team that took top honors in the 1947 inter-fraternity singing contest.  To hear the "Drums of Phi Delta Theta" and other classic fraternity songs, please CLICK HERE.
 
Chapter President Bob Chappuis '48 (originally class of 1945, the WW II veteran graduated in 1948) is pictured below with the trophy from the contest.  Members of the illustrious team were later invited to perform this winning song live on a Detroit radio station. 
 
Bob Chappuis singing contest
 
 
Preserve Our Heritage, Tell Your Story
 
Here are some topics about which we've been collecting information for Michigan Alpha's Heritage Project:
 
- Mud Bowls.  Did you beat that "house across the street"?  Do you know the score from games during your years in the chapter?
 
-  IM sports championships, sports stories and Greek Week competition.  Were you a member of a winning Phi Delt team (or at least one that had fun competing)?
 
-  Life in the chapter house, house renovations and house rules.  What was your experience living in the chapter house?
 
-  Philanthropy and special projects of the chapter on campus.  Did any good deeds?
 
-  Memorable social events, formals and general activities.  Enjoyed the college life?
 
-  Phis who were campus leaders or members of a Wolverine team.  Contributed to making Michigan the leaders and the best?
 
If you wish to submit materials (photos and other items can be copied and returned) or memories for this initiative, please contact the Alumni Association at [email protected].
 

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