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Nebraska Chapter

During the school year of 1904 - 1905, a group of Masons who were on the faculty of the University of Nebraska started a movement to organize a Masonic college fraternity like Acacia at Michigan. In December, a petition was sent to the Michigan Chapter, and in February, a chapter was granted to the fourth chapter of Acacia Fraternity. Originally the chapters were designated with letters of the Hebrew alphabet. But in 1913, this system was abandoned, and chapters were designated by the names of the institutions where they were located.

Fifteen men were initiated on February 14, 1905, as charter members of the Daleth (Nebraska) Chapter of Acacia. They were:

Erwin Barbor Avery Jennings Charles Poynter
George Chatburn Burton Moore Charles Weeks
George Condra Charles Payne John Westover
Orville Fee Leon Pepperburg Claude Wilson
Neil Fitchpatrick Roscoe Pound Henry Wilson

These first fifteen men were initiated by the Kansas Chapter and Harlan P. Rowe, Acacia's first national president. In an article entitled "Reveries of a Founder." in Volume XI of The Journal, Rowe commented on the installation of the Nebraska Chapter of Acacia as recorded in his diary.

"The trip to Nebraska was made in the coldest, most stormy week of winter . . . I wish there were more in this diary about the installation of the Nebraska Chapter. I find a few names noted: Dr. Pound, Dean of the law school, upon whom I comment naively as follows 'An in-house man with intellectual eye, wears glassy and has a round, smooth face, pleasant, but not impressively I was soon to learn that he was one of the most aggressive and powerful men in the University . . . There was enthusiasm; enthusiasm for Nebraska and the new Fraternity . . . so we were getting to be a real National Fraternity."

For the first year on the Nebraska campus, membership in Acacia was open to all Masons, including men who were affiliated with other Greek fraternities. At the National Conclave of 1906 a resolution was passed ending this dual membership. Orville Fee of Nebraska cast the only vote against this resolution.

During the college year of 1907 - 1908, honorary membership was bestowed upon William Jennings Bryan by the Nebraska Chapter. Bryan is considered by many to be Nebraska's greatest statesman.
The first chapter house was located at 1325 R Street and served until the school year 1921 - 22, when the chapter bought Colonel Bill's residence at 1503 H Street which was opposite the Capitol Building. At this time, Mrs. W. A. Brown was housemother, and continued in that position for 50 years.

Nebraska was one of several Midwestern chapters that were experiencing membership difficulties around 1920. The number of college men becoming Masons was decreasing each year, and these chapters, known as the Missouri Valley Chapters, had the choice of abiding by the rule and seeing their membership steadily decrease, or begin pledging men who were not masons. Most of these chapters chose the latter. This situation was brought into the open at the Conclave of 1925. Nebraska delegate, Lloyd J. Marti, proposed that a limited plan of pre-pledging be adopted whereby college men who were eligible to become Masons could be pledged. He argued that the Constitution prohibited 'initiation' of men who were not Masons. His resolution, known as the Nebraska Resolution, was defeated by a vote of 57 to 8. The conclave passed a constitutional amendment effect that chapters could only pledge Masons.

The practice of pre-pledging was continued at Nebraska and elsewhere. As a result, the Conclave of 1929 voted to suspend Nebraska's charter until the chapter eliminated the practices. Nevertheless, the Fraternity was not anxious to lose this member of its National family, and action was not complete until the early 3O's. The Nebraska Chapter became a local fraternity and adopted the name "Acacia of Delta Phi Gamma." Its colors were purple and gold, and its pin was a Roman Fasces, the upper and lower proportions of which were studded with pearls, with the Greek letters Delta, Phi, and Gamma. Membership was open to all protestant students.

Meanwhile, Acacia's problem of pre-pledging became more acute. As a result of the Estes Park Conclave of 1931, the Constitution was changed to allow sons of Masons to become members. Finally in the 'Emergency Hail Conclave of 1933,' an amendment was passed removing completely the Masonic membership requirements by a vote of 47 - 10. On November 10, 1933, 12 Nebraska men were initiated by national president Robert C. Lewis, National editor Herschel L. Washington and a team from the Kansas Chapter. A1l went well for the Nebraska Chapter until WWII. Then, many Acacians and potential Acacians left college to fight for our country.

After the college year of 1941 - 42, the Nebraska Chapter was forced to close down. The Chapter left in a blaze of glory. In that year, Brother Theil held the presidencies on both Innocence Society and the Student Council. The war ended and Acacia returned to campus. In the 1948 - 49 school years, a colony formed. On March 26, 1949 the Nebraska Chapter was reactivated with 27 new initiates.

At the time the chapter reactivated some of the members who were living in a small, off-campus house obtained a new chapter house at 334 N. 13th Street. Although Mother Brown was no longer active in the affairs of Acacia, she was still regarded as housemother until 1957, when Nellie Heine became the second woman to hold the position. In 1959, the chapter moved to a new house at 410 N. 17th Street, in 1960, Ann Armor became out third housemother after Mrs. Heine's resignation.

The chapter finally moved to its present location at 2255 Vine Street in the year 1968. Along with the new house came a new house mother, Katheryn Counter. Two years later, following her resignation, France Labrie became #5. In Jan. 1973, following Mrs. Labrie's resignation, Dave & Anne Zalewski became our first set of houseparents. (Dave was initiated as an honorary member on April 27, 1974.) In the fall of 1975, Gary and Susan Lawhorn became our second set of houseparents. They held the position until the spring of 1977, when the birth of a son forced them to retire. Nina Fischer took over for the school year of 77-78 an Norma story took the next 2 years. Helen and Wendell Counsel became our house parents in 1981 and served to the end of the 84-85 school year.

Rogene Andreason served as housemother from 85 to 89. Lynn Darling served for the 89-90 school year. Our housemother from 1990 to 1995 was Margaret Smith. She was followed by Martin Liphart an initiated member of the Nebraska Chapter, he served for the school year of 95-96. Martin was followed by Jay Nelson, who was also a Nebraska alumnus. Spencer Helms took the reigns as house parent from 2000-2002, and is followed by Shane Mares who currently holds the position.

The history of Chapter advisors begins with Floyd Goff, who gave up his position after the 58-59 school year to Don Maddox (for one year). The rest of the history is quite short, basically because Keith Sawyers, who replaced Mr. Maddox has been with us until this day. Mr. Sawyers was honored in 1985, marking 25 years of service to the Acacia house. The computer room in the house is named after him in his honor. Except in 65-66 when Robert Vannesta took over, and in 82, when Charles Godwin replaced him. Mr. Sawyer's concern for the house has been ever present, Wade Clement served as interim chapter advisor in Keith Sawyers absence in the spring semester of the 88-89 school year. John Dederman did the same during the spring, semester of the 95-96 school year.

House Parents
W.A. Brown  1905-1957
Nellie Heine 1957-1960
Ann Armor 1960-1968
Katheryn Counter 1968-1970
Frances Laurie  1970-1973
Dave and Zalewski 1973-1975
Gary and Susan Lawhorn 1973-1975
Nina Fisher  1977-1978
Norma Story 1978-1981
Helen and Wendell Counsel 1981-1985
Rogene Andreasen 1985-1989
Lynn Darling 1989-1990
Margaret Smith 1990-l995
Martin Liphart 1995-1996
Jay Nelson 1996-2000
Spencer Helms 2000-2002
Shane Mares 2002-


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