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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].

« PDT-SAE Mud Bowl 1934 - 1997 | Main | Sword & Shield Spring-Summer 2010 »

Announcements and News in Brief

 

*  Homecoming 2010 on October 16

If you're in town for Homecoming 2010 when the Wolverines take on the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big House at 3:30 p.m., be sure to stop by our Homecoming Open House in the morning.  The chapter house will be open for viewing, and complimentary breakfast food, coffee and juice will be served.  There will be a short ceremony at 10 a.m. to dedicate pictures of Cmdr. Phil Craig '63 and Lt. Scott "Harv" Waldinger '86 for display in the Trophy Room. As always during football Saturdays, free parking on the front lawn is available for PDT alums.

*  2nd Annual Box Car Derby a Great Success

PDT-MA-2010-Box-Car-Derby1 A big round of applause for the active chapter co-hosting with Ann Arbor Active Against ALS (A2A3) a very successful 2nd Annual Box Car Derby fundraiser held on Saturday, March 20 to benefit research fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS).  The well-attended derby featured 40 children racing cars on South University (closed to traffic) near the Phi Delt house with a BBQ and award ceremony after.


 *  Active Chapter Co-Hosted 2nd Annual Box Car Derby to Raise Funds for ALS Research

On March 20, 2010, the active chapter co-hosted with Ann Arbor Active Against ALS (A2A3) the 2nd Annual Box Car Derby fundraiser to benefit research fighting Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS). Alums were encouraged to support and attend this outstanding philanthropy event.

A good article about the Derby in the event was recently published in Ann Arbor's online newspaper Ann Arbor.com.


*  Alumni Updates Wanted for the Sword & Shield Fall 2010 Issue

Whether you recently got married, expanded your family, received a promotion, moved, saw old pledge brothers, remembered a great memory to share or just want to say hello, please feel free to submit anything you want (including pictures) to the Sword & Shield by e-mail at [email protected].  We look forward to hearing from you!

 

*  Alumni Association Board of Directors Welcomes New Member Cameron Young '08

Congratulations to Cameron Young '08 who was recently elected to the Alumni Association's Board of Directors. The Young family is a significant part of the heritage of Michigan Alpha with a total of five Brothers in the Bond (possibly the record for one family). 

In addition to Cam, Young family members include Richard Young '51 (Cam's grandfather), Doug Young '76 (Cam's father), Bruce Young '78 (Cam's uncle) and Mackenzie Young '12 (Cam's younger brother). 

 

*  Heritage Project Update:  Please Send Us Your Pictures!

The Alumni Association established the Heritage Project to ensure that the rich history of Michigan Alpha and its members is remembered and understood.  We are interested in obtaining pictures that will help us to tell the story of the fraternity (e.g., pictures of the house exterior, rooms in the house, Mud Bowl, IM sports, social events, composites, distinguished alums, military service, etc...). 

The Alumni Association has placed an especially high priority this year on obtaining pictures of fraternity members engaged in military service.  We would like to recognize all alums who have served in the armed forces and establish a memorial in the Trophy Room to Phis killed while serving our nation.

We do not have a complete list, but we are aware of two brothers killed in the line of duty:  Cmdr. Philip C. Craig '63, U.S. Navy (fighter pilot killed in action over North Vietnam in 1967) and Lt. Scott "Harv" Waldinger '86, U.S. Navy (fighter plane navigator killed during a training mission in 1992, combat veteran of the first Gulf War).

If you have pictures that you would be willing to share (we can make copies and send originals back to you), please contact Alumni Association Secretary Greg Karmazin '87 at [email protected].

 

*  Sign Up for the Sword & Shield E-news

In order to keep alums better informed about alumni news and the achievements of the active chapter, the Alumni Association established an electronic version of the Sword & Shield that is published several time per year (view the archive of past e-newsletters).  You can sign up for this free publication by CLICKING HERE.

 

*  Join the Phi Delta Theta Michigan Alpha Alumni Association's Facebook and Linked-In Groups

Many alums use Facebook and Linked-In to make it easier to keep in contact with friends and colleagues.  With more than 1,000 living alums, Michigan Alpha has a tremendous network that spans the nation and literally around the globe.  The Alumni Association established a page on Facebook and Linked-In to help us to reconnect and stay connected.

 

*  Rush Recommendations

Know a well-rounded young man heading to U of M who may be interested in joining a fraternity?  If so, encourage him to find out what Phi Delta Theta has to offer.   For more information, please contact Michigan Alpha Recruitment Chairman Carl Stanhope at  [email protected].

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