Chapman Succeeds Ladue and More Omega News - The Rattle, Winter 1948
As appeared in The Rattle - Vol. XXXVI No. 2 - Dec-Jan-Feb 1948
Movie Star Selected as Dream Girl
Theta Chis at Penn State unanimously elected Virginia Mayo, motion picture star, official "Dream Girl of Omega Chapter for 1947." The selection was a result of Sammy Kaye's song, "The Dream Girl of Theta Chi." Carl Post, publicity director of Goldwyn Inc., Miss Mayo's company, notified Omega that this choice will gain national publicity.
Victim of Hit and Run Driver
Fatally injured by a hit-and-run drivers, Robert L. Weaver, ex-'48, Oklahoma A&M, ex-'48, died November 15 at Norristown, Pa., without regaining consciousness. Although cap prying a lighted flashlight, he was struck by a speeding sedan while he was walking against traffic on the highway near the house of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Kennard Weaver, the former a Philadelphia attorney.
Robert, was was 25 years of age, became a Theta Chi at Penn State where he was active in athletic affairs, serving at one time as football manager. As he was interested in animal husbandry, he transferred to Oklahoma A&M, where he was largely responsible for the founding of the local group which was installed as Gamma Zeta Chapter May, 3, 1947; as president of the chapter he received this charter. He did not return to college last fall because of a throat difficulty.
As his service to Theta Chi was so outstanding the Grand Chapter awarded the Reginald R. Colley Trophy to him posthumously as the outstanding Theta Chi undergraduate of 1947.
The following tribute was part of a letter received by Robert's father from Daniel Harris, the roommate of Robert.
"A group of boys will meet this week and every week in a acuity far from Bob's home. This group will live together for an ideal he believed to be right. New members will come in a continuous stream to catty in this ideal, even though they will have never met Bob personally. I think you are fortunate in knowing that, though Bob has passed physically front he scene, he will actually always be a dynamic park of Gamma aZeta Chapter. The number of men who can create anything worth while in a lifetime is extremely small. Bob created in less than half a lifetime."
Military Honors
Col. William I. LeVan, Penn State, '32, who left the Army after overseas service of four and a quarter years and with the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star, as well as other decorations is working for his Ph. D. degree in electrical engineering at the University of California.
Chapman Succeeds Ladue
- this story has been edited down to the George Chapman part from how it appeared in the Rattle -
The resignation of Frederick W. Ladue, Colgate, ‘12. recently an executive secretary brought to an end a remarkable record of almost continuous service to Theta Chi Fraternity in the past thirty-five years, moat of it in official capacities. His successor is George W. Chapman, Penn State, '20, who has also served the fraternity in various ways.
During Ladue's absence, George W. Chapman handled the work of executive secretary on a part-time basis; his appointment as executive secretary was made effective as of February 1. He has a background knowledge and experience which should serve him and Theta Chi well in his new work.
A graduate of engineering of the Pennsylvania State College, he was resident of the local fraternity which became Omega Chapter, and he continued as president after its installation. As an alumnus he served a number of terms as president of the Omega Alumni Corporation and as president of the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter. He has represented his chapter as active or alumnus delegate at many national conventions. In his college days he was active in sports and college publications and became a member of Pi Delta Epsilon.
As chairman of the Regional Plan Committee he helped to work out and put into effect Theta Chi‘s Regional Plan and was the first regional counselor appointed by the Grand Chapter in 1935 and served as counselor of Region III until 1937. At the Spring Lake convention in 1937 he became a member of the Grand Chapter and was national marshal until 1939. From 1939 to 1946 he was national treasurer, holding this important position through the critical war years. He was a member of the committee which worked out the merger with Beta Kappa Fraternity.
In 1939 Secretary Chapman organized and conducted the first School of Fraternity Practices and has directed the school at each convention since then. being given the title of director of leadership training in 1939.
Many of the progressive steps in the life of Theta Chi in the last fifteen years are due to the hard work and the intelligent planning George Chapman. He was largely responsible for the writing and adoption of the Objectives of Theta Chi Fraternity; he edited the Handbook of Theta Chi Fraternity, considered one of the outstanding works in the national fraternity world, and he was responsible for the establishment of the Distinguished Service and Alumni Awards, both of which he holds. He edited and compiled the Manual of Theta Chi Fraternity which has recently been published and is being accorded high praise from every quarter.
For the last ten years Secretary Chapman has been in the motion picture business, producing industrial, advertising, public relations, and training films. In the war period he wrote the scripts for and directed many training films for the Navy Department, the Army Ordnance Department, and the United States Office of Education. He was recently awarded a citation from the Bureau of Aeronautics of the Navy Department for his war work on navy training films.
He has been active for many years in the Boy Scouts of America and has just completed a ten-year term as district chairman in the Philadelphia Council. He is at member of the Philadelphia Council, has served for a number of years as a member of the National Council, and holds the Silver Beaver Award. He is a member of the National Executive Committee of the Order of the Arrow, the Scout honor society, of which he was a charter member and the first chief.
In 1925 George Chapman married Mary E. Craley, a graduate of the Pennsylvania State College. They have three children. George, Jr., a former B-29 navigator, who is a Theta Chi at Pennsylvania State College; Ann B., a member of Delta Omega Theta Sorority at Wilmington College, Ohio; and Philip C., now in high school. The Chapman live at Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, not far from the Executive Oflice at Trenton. They are members of the Society of Friends (Quakers).
George Chapman is a veteran of both wars, having served in the Naval Reserve in World War I and as an officer in the U. S. Coast Guard Reserve on part-time active duty in World War II. He is a member of the Coast Guard League and a past vice-commander of his chapter, and also a member of the United States Coast Guard Reserve.