The History of Sigma Alpha Epsilon in the World War
Evanston, IL [?]: Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity, 1928. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Hardcover. xxiv, 929, [3] pages. Format is at times two columns per page. Color Frontis illustration. Foreword by James E. Chapman, Grand Treasurer. Illustrations (including fold-out). Index. Cover has some wear, spine tear and soiling. Overweight and 44 years old, Levere was unable to get a military post in 1917. He applied to the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) and, to his delight, was accepted. Billy Levere had found his niche with the YMCA. He operated a canteen in France and served the American “doughboys” in much the same way he provided care and comfort to collegiate fraternity members across the country. His involvement with the YMCA was so significant that Katherine Mayo dedicated an entire chapter to Levere in her 1920 book on the YMCA in World War I entitled That Damn Y. When the war ended in November of 1918, he threw himself into fraternity work. When he came home, he wanted a national headquarters building to also serve as a national memorial for SAEs, who died in the Great War. At SAE’s 1920 convention, it voted to centralize the government and offices of SAE, fund the construction of a “Central Office Building,” and create a fundraising program to cover the costs. The author, who died shortly before the history was published, gathered and compiled the service records of over 7000 members of the fraternity and set down a few of the notable deeds of S. A. E.'s in 'the titanic conflict'. During the war, an ongoing collection of information was preserved in the Fraternity's periodical The Record, which formed part of the foundation for this more comprehensive history. Sigma Alpha Epsilon ( ), commonly known as SAE, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South. Its national headquarters, the Levere Memorial Temple, was established on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in 1929. The fraternity's mission statement is "To promote the highest standards of friendship, scholarship and service for our members based upon the ideals set forth by our Founders and as specifically enunciated in our creed." When Harry Bunting founded the Northwestern University chapter in 1894, he initiated as a charter member William Collin "Billy" Levere. Bunting passed the torch of leadership to Levere, and for the next three decades, Levere's high spirits brought the fraternity to maturity. When Levere died on February 22, 1927, the fraternity's Supreme Council decided to name the new national headquarters building The Levere Memorial Temple. A key part of Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s mission is to provide young men with the leadership and service experiences needed to excel beyond college campuses. The Fraternity’s commitment to service was highly evident during World War I, when approximately eight thousand brothers joined the call to arms. More than one hundred and fifty of those men died. Condition: Good.
Keywords: World War, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Fraternity, Military Service, Gold Star, North Sea Mine Barrage, Lost Battalion, Ambulance, War Camps, Armistice, Prisoners of War, Military Aviation, Naval Operations, Combat Operations, SAE
[Book #80597]
Price: $150.00