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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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Active Chapter Leaders Meet U of M Sports Legend Don Lund '45

Discuss Establishment of New Harmon-Chappuis-Lund Award

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[Posted August 30, 2013] Yesterday in Ann Arbor, active chapter president Patrick O'Connor '15, and Vice President Drew Nikolai '15, met with U of M sports legend Don Lund '45 to inform him about the newly established Harmon-Chappuis-Lund Award. The award will annually recognize the active chapter member who is most valuable to the success of Michigan Alpha's intramural sports teams competing in the U of M Fraternity League.

Lund earned 9 varsity letters playing football, baseball and basketball at U of M. After graduation, he played professional baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers. Following his career as a pro player, he was head baseball coach at U of M where he won the NCAA World Series in 1962. He was an assistant coach for the Tigers when they won the 1968 World Series.

Lund went on to become the U of M Athletic Department Associate Athletic Director under legendary AD Don Canham. He was elected to the Michigan Hall of Honor in 1984 and Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2013, the Michigan Alpha Alumni Association board of directors established the Harmon-Chappuis-Lund Award to honor three Michigan Alpha Men -- Tom Harmon '41, Bob Chappuis '48 and Don Lund '45 -- who brought great honor to the fraternity for their outstanding achievements in U of M athletics and careers after college.

In addition, Harmon and Chappuis actively supported Phi Delta Theta throughout their lives, and Lund continues to do so to this day. The Alumni Association tasked the active chapter with the responsibility of nominating eligible men and choosing the winner of the award each year. The first recipient of the award was announced during the active chapter-alumni social event -- the Harmon BBQ -- during the day of the 2013 Michigan vs Notre Dame football game at which Harmon will be named a "Michigan Football Legend" by the U of M Athletic Department.

Zach Sprintz '15 was presented with this honor in recognition of his leadership as PDT's Intramural Sports Chair during the 2012-2013 school year. Under Sprintz's direction, PDT won the 2012-2013 All-Sports IM Championship for the Fraternity League. This was Michigan Alpha's first championship since the 1984-1985 school year although PDT only narrowly missed this outstanding achievement a couple of times in recent years.

Posted in Active Chapter, Alumni Updates and News |

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