The 1970s were a continuation of the 15-year success of Alpha Phi Omega at Georgetown, with many traditional service projects remaining an integral part of the chapter’s program. Freshmen continued to be oriented, Ugly People on Campus continued to be elected, and parties continued to be sponsored for students. However, the 70s were also a time of change at every level of the APO experience. A fraternity movement to initiate women as full members went from being a liberal notion originating in fringe chapters to a realistic solution to the problem of dwindling membership at many APO chapters – Mu Alpha included. It was in an era of indifference to service and hostility to single-gender organizations that the chapter survived, adapted to, and thrived.
In 1970, Mu Alpha continued its signature programs such as freshmen orientation, parties for new students, information booths for transfer students, and ushers for campus events. The chapter’s leaders in 1970 were Phil Leas, President; Mark Schaefer, First Vice President; Mike Mason, Second Vice President; and Greg Russo, Treasurer.
On February 14 and 15, 1970 – a Saturday and Sunday – a campus-wide cleanup called “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre on Campus Ugliness” was cosponsored with the Student Government Association and the Collegiate Club in response to a campus litter problem. Phil Leas was chairman of the Cleanup Campaign Committee.
Mu Alpha chapter assisted with a paper drive for Boy Scout Troop Number 1496, based at 12th Street and Rhode Island Avenue in Northwest Washington, DC. The drive, held February 21 through March 21, 1970, was a precursor to modern day recycling. The campus was asked to collect its used papers, such as magazines, fliers, and newspapers, for collection by Alpha Phi Omega brothers and others. The paper would then be used by the scouts for deposit. In return, the scouts would receive 50 cents per 100 pounds of paper. The money would be used for new uniforms, books, and scout camp. Brother Roger Benson co-chaired this project with non-member Dave Nelson.
1970 continued to show the chapter’s expansion into new service territories: Children from a local Boys’ Club were sponsored by Mu Alpha to attend a Georgetown home basketball game. With the Collegiate Club, the chapter ushered for United States Secretary of the Navy John Chafee’s visit. The chapter provided manpower for InterAction’s Cinemobile Project, which showed free movies and other entertainment for underprivileged children in the District of Columbia.
No matter how many new projects the chapter would test out, it could always rely on its signature programs for strong results. The Ugly Man on Campus fundraiser celebrated its tenth year by benefiting the Howard University Mississippi Project (HUMP), in tandem with Zeta Phi Chapter at Howard. HUMP was established by a young Howard professor to provide social and medical services to the poorest counties in Mississippi. The goal of this particular drive was to establish a mobile health unit in Quitman County.
A car rally, held on Sunday, April 19, 1970, was also held to benefit HUMP, but this project was held between Mu Alpha and the newly chartered Phi Lambda chapter at Northern Virginia Community College. The rally began at the school’s Annandale campus, traveled the Northern Virginia countryside, and ended in Georgetown. Another car rally was held on Sunday, November 1, 1970, with the reverse route.
Wesley Clark was elected chapter President for the 1970-71 school year. The Alpha Phi Omega office was located in 30 Copley Hall at the time. Chapter operations would remain housed in Copley until the 1990s.
In the fall of 1970, Professor George R. Houston, Jr., of the School of Business Administration, was initiated as an honorary brother. In addition to being a full-time faculty member, Brother Houston also served as Chief Financial officer of the University.The chapter provided leadership for a Boy Scout troop and worked with handicapped children at the Arlington YMCA in the 1970-71 school year. The chapter also ushered at university events and helped with freshman orientation.
Mu Alpha participated in the International Relations Club’s 8th annual North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN) conference by serving as Sergeants at Arms in March 1971.
The 15th anniversary of the chartering of Mu Alpha was commemorated with an article in The Hoya in spring 1971.
Although no stranger to inter-chapter collaboration, the Spring 1971 Ugly Man on Campus Contest may have been the largest such example of Alpha Phi Omega chapters working together on one cause by that point. UMOC benefited Project Huerfanos, which assisted underprivileged orphans in the city of Tegucigalpha, Honduras. Epsilon Mu Chapter at the University of Maryland, Zeta Phi Chapter at Howard University, Eta Phi Chapter at American University, Theta Chi Chapter at The George Washington University, and Mu Alpha at Georgetown each committed to raising $1,000 per chapter. Joe Tennenbaum was the project director for Mu Alpha.
The 1971-72 chapter president was Wesley Clark.
Operation Clean-Sweep was supported by Mu Alpha on Saturday, October 16, 1971. This was a city-wide project sponsored by the DC Department of Environmental Services and supported by Chris Hansen, university Vice President for Planning and Physical Plant. From Prospect Street to P Street between 36th and 37th Streets, Georgetown students helped to beautify their neighborhood by picking up trash and literally sweeping the streets clean.
In the Fall of 1971, Mu Alpha began the first version of its after dark escort service as a result of increasing numbers of attacks on Georgetown women throughout the semester. The hours of the project were from 7pm to Midnight on weekdays and 7pm to 2am on weekends from Lauinger Library and Darnall/St. Mary’s Hall. Women students could also call the APO office directly in Copley Hall. The project coordinator was Paul Charlesworth, who told The Hoya “The ever increasing number of assaults on campus indicates that some sort of unusual action is required. We of Alpha Phi Omega felt that the students should take the initiative on their own to alleviate the situation, rather than simply complain to the administration.” Unfortunately, this program was discontinued in the spring of 1972 due to a lack of use by students.
On Saturday, November 13, 1971, The Georgetown University Reclamation Center (GURC) opens. GURC was essentially a paper recycling dumpster with proceeds benefiting the Community Scholars Program. Alpha Phi Omega volunteered to man the center on the weekends.
Throughout the fall of 1972, Mu Alpha visited Glencarlyn Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia for six consecutive Saturdays for an athletic program for children with special needs. Alpha Phi Omega brothers focused on the boys’ section of the program and young women from high schools and colleges focused on the girls section. Bill Ostan was the project coordinator. Says he: “The program is a really big thing for the children. Some are handicapped or brain-damaged, while others are just uncoordinated. They can’t do some of the things that others can do. Some of them just don’t have any confidence. Our job is to urge them on so they feel they’re getting somewhere.”
Although the 1972 edition of Ye Domesday Book reports a very negative attitude against fraternities of any kind at Georgetown, it still credits Alpha Phi Omega with organizing the first campus response to the “rape scare.” It also acknowledges the chapter’s work with handicapped children, manning phone lines for the fundraising telethon, and recycling newspapers. While it is currently the earliest known appearance of an overtly negative attitude toward Alpha Phi Omega at Georgetown, it is not known whether this article truly represented the sentiment of the campus or whether it was one unknown author’s opinion. In any case, it is true that the numbers of chapter initiates did decline during the 1970s to the point that living alumni from that era have attested to the general concern that the chapter would waste away to nothing.
A University Blood Drive held in the Bles Building on February 8, 1972 was heavily promoted by the chapter. Because of Mu Alpha’s successful recruitment of student participation, the Red Cross tripled their donor total from the previous November’s blood drive.
The President of Mu Alpha in 1972-73 was Art Wheeler.
In April 1973 Mu Alpha assisted with Admissions Weekend and was recognized for their cooperation by the Student Admissions Committee. This organization was a predecessor to the Georgetown Admissions Ambassador Program.
The 1973-74 Officers of Mu Alpha included Joe Tennebaum, President and Pete Diamond, Vice President of Projects.
In October 1973, Mu Alpha conducted the YMCA project in which they played with exceptional 8 to 11 year old children for an hour on Saturday mornings at Penn Ridge Elementary School in Annandale, Virginia. The project was sponsored by the Northern Virginia Association for Children with Learning Disabilities in conjunction with the YMCA. “Many public schools don’t pay attention to children with learning disabilities the way that they should,” said Joe Tennenbaum to The Hoya. “There are just too many pupils for a teacher to provide the individual attention that a handicapped kid needs. We try to give the kids a feeling of success in that they can do things and do them well. In the school’s Phys. Ed. Programs they’re often ridiculed and as a result can’t compete. Here they learn that they can compete, are praised for their efforts and learn to participate better with fellow classmates.”
Mu Alpha chapter is not exactly known for its sports program, even though the chapter participated in intramural basketball in spring 1974. Intramurals have been used occasionally in the chapter’s history as a method of fellowship.
Alumni recollections tell us that the earliest versions of the New Brother Parties seemed to take shape in the middle 1970s. The days of small affairs would soon end, to be replaced by mixers which included undergraduates, alumni, and their significant others.
Another successful blood drive was held on Wednesday, October 24, 1974. This time, the Red Cross Bloodmobile cane to the New South Faculty Lounge and was promoted by Mu Alpha.
In the 1974-75 school year the Scout Troop for the Retarded was organized with students attending the Concord School in Bethesda, Maryland. The program quickly became a signature Mu Alpha project. Hiring a Scout Master remained a problem for this troop through fall 1975, yet the brothers of Mu Alpha persevered in providing the troops a meaningful scouting experience. Brother Steve Pyrak was an early leader for this project.
Brother George Deutsch recalls:
One day when on a hike down the Canal Tow Path one of our most active/problematic boys suddenly turned and ran off directly onto busy Canal Road. I don’t think I’ve ever sprinted so hard to rush out and grab him from the middle of traffic. Steve Pyrak was even faster and reached him just ahead of me. I think I used up one of my nine lives that day.
In spring 1975 George Deutsch was chapter president.
On Saturday, December 6, 1975, a flea market was held in the Quad to benefit the Rev. Daniel E. Power Fund. Brother David Rideout was the flea market chairman.
In the fall of 1976, the Ugly Man on Campus contest benefited the Benjamin Banneker Scholarship Fund, a program which enabled needy DC students to attend Georgetown University.
The 1976 National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia marked a radical change for how Mu Alpha would govern itself from that point forward. This national convention voted to allow women full rights to be initiated as equal brothers of Alpha Phi Omega. Although each chapter would still have the right to determine its own membership, Mu Alpha immediately decided to waste no time in inviting women to rush and pledge the chapter.
The first women to join the chapter pledged in spring 1977 under the Presidency of Don Reilly. Although the decision was a contentious one and several men left the chapter, Mu Alpha was never in danger of inactivity due to this decision. On the contrary, the chapter was ultimately strengthened by the inclusion of women, though striking an equal gender balance among those who are initiated has been a concern since the chapter has been coeducational.
Mu Alpha alumnus Jerry Schroeder was called to serve as Section 84 Chairman in 1977 and did so until 1981. In fall 1977, Ugly Man on Campus again benefited Benjamin Banneker Scholarship Fund.
The Georgetown Emergency Delivery Service began on February 28, 1978. Co-sponsored by Alpha Phi Omega, the Ecumenical Outreach Coalition, and the Georgetown Hotline, this service provided drivers and dispatchers to coordinate the delivery of medicine, food, and supplies to the 50% of Washington shut-ins who lived in Georgetown.
On November 7, 1978, Mu Alpha alumnus Bill Clinton was elected Governor of the state of Arkansas. He was, at the time, the youngest governor in the nation.
In fall 1978, the Ugly Person on Campus proceeds went to the Power Fund.
Spring 1979’s pledgeline would mark the last all-male line in the chapter’s history.
On March 10, 1979, an 18 year-old freshman in the School of Foreign Service by the name of Maureen McGrath was murdered at Regent Place clothing store at 1641 Wisconsin Avenue where she worked part-time. The following day, a woman was assaulted in Harbin Hall – coincidentally Maureen McGrath’s residence hall. What followed in the midst of campus hysteria was the birth of Mu Alpha’s greatest service to the Georgetown campus. In spring 1979, the president of Mu Alpha was Ken Robbett. This is his story of the founding of the Escort Program, in his own words.
The Escort Program
(As told by past Chapter President Ken Robbett)The day after the murder, a couple of us were in the fraternity office in Copley basement. I think Chris Whitesell (Line 44) was there — I don’t remember who else. Andy Hoh (Line 36) phoned in from the library and said that there were a lot of anxious people who were afraid to walk home from the library, particularly those living off campus (the exact phrase he used was “people here are really freaking out”). Between Andy and those of us in the office, we decided to make up some flyers — hand made with a magic marker — for an APO Escort Service and post them in the library. If anyone didn’t want to walk home alone, they’d call the frat office. No cell phones of course. They either used a pay phone or the phone at the guard’s desk and we’d send over a few people to walk the person home in a group.
At one time, APO had some service armbands that brothers wore to service projects. They were seldom used by that time, but we had a few in a file drawer and we dug them out and put them on so that when we showed up to escort someone, they knew that we were the people they had called. I’m pretty sure that the first escort consisted of Andy Hoh, Chris Whitesell and I. Again, I might be slightly off in my recollection, although I do know that both Andy and I were there. We escorted a student from the library to her house across Reservoir Road in the Burleith neighborhood.
The escort service was very well used for a week or so, a little less as the overall anxiety subsided. Nevertheless, we kept the service going because there was a need for it, it was valued by those who did use it, and it gave APO a positive high profile on campus. As I recall, The Hoya (with which we shared Copley basement, along with WGTB) had a running display ad letting students know about the escort service and the fraternity’s phone number — 202-625-4658 in those days — funny how that sticks with you.
We set up a rotating schedule under which each undergrad brother (both male and female) in groups of 4 or 5 or so had a slot in which they covered the escort service. This created an additional internal advantage to the escort service: it forced brothers who were a little less inclined to do so to hang out and interact with brothers that they didn’t know as well as others.
It continued through the time I graduated in 1980. The conversion to a van escort service happened later in the 80s. I guess that using the van was more practical, but it was kind of fun to get to know other students — and for them to get to know APO — on a somewhat leisurely group walk back to their home. I know that we got at least a few pledges and brothers out of it.
On April 28, 1979, Mu Alpha conducted the initiation ritual at the installation Omega Omega chapter at Gallaudet University in Northeast Washington, DC. Omega Omega was the 600th chapter of Alpha Phi Omega to be chartered and as of 2008 was the last new charter in Washington, DC.
In fall 1979, the Ugly Person on Campus contest once again benefited the Power Fund.
| Line 29 | Line 30 | Line 31 | Line 32 |
| Spring 1970 | Fall 1970 | Spring 1971 | Fall 1971 |
| Pledgemaster: | Pledgemaster: | Pledgemaster: | Pledgemaster: |
| Dedication: | Dedication: Sidney B. North | Dedication: | Dedication: |
| Victor Matthews | Richard Pettinger | Joe Tenenbaum | Sam Talucci |
| James Meehan | Ed Venit | Art Wheeler | George Grossman |
| Morgan Dodd | Michael Slavin | Dan Coughlin | Clinton Scott |
| Paul Charlesworth | Michael Veasey | Gary Nitch | |
| Michael Vick | Charles French | Gordon Sauer | |
| Joe Sciabarrasi | Kevin Gleeson | ||
| Honorary Brother: | |||
| George R. Houston, Jr. |
| Line 33 | Line 34 | Line 35 | Line 36 |
| Spring 1972 | Fall 1972 | Spring 1973 | Fall 1973 |
| Pledgemaster: | Pledgemaster: | Pledgemaster: | Pledgemaster: Jess Jiuliante |
| Dedication: | Dedication: Aubrey B. Hamilton | Dedication: | Dedication: J. Franklin S. McMullan |
| Lester Washington | Glenn LaMuraglia | George Deutsch | (Not in Order) |
| Jess Jiuliante | Ron Lefrancois | James Hurley | |
| Allan Doo | Rich Knotek | Ron Boyadjian | Peter Brinkmann |
| Gerry Bonnette | Michael Petrides | Patrick Smith | Walter Cook |
| Willis Jasper | Peter Diamond | Alexander Haggis | Andy Hoh |
| Greg Belli | Michael Hryvniak | ||
| Lou Kallas | |||
| Appy Mateo |
| Line 37 | Line 38 | Line 39 | Line 40 |
| Spring 1974 | Fall 1974 | Spring 1975 | Fall 1975 |
| Pledgemaster: | Pledgemaster: | Pledgemaster: | Pledgemaster: |
| Dedication: | Dedication: Dr. H. Roe Bartle Memorial | Dedication: | Dedication: Joseph J. Scanlon |
| Ihor Kopka | Steve Pyrak | Steve D. | (Not In Order) |
| Jim Glassen | John McGuire | Jim W. | |
| Paul Basak | Miguel Vasquez | Craig Carlini | |
| Gene Mark | Bill Fung | Jeff Hrapsky | |
| Hank O’Donnell | Mark Ozello | ||
| John Limanek | Doug Skowron | *** | |
| Ted Sudol | Lou K. | ||
| Pete B. | |||
| *** |
| Line 41 | Line 42 | Line 43 | Line 44 |
| Spring 1976 | Fall 1976 | Spring 1977 | Fall 1977 |
| Pledgemaster: Mike Hryvniak | Pledgemaster: | Pledgemaster: Gene Mark | Pledgemaster: Peter Brinkmann |
| Dedication: | Dedication: LTC Lucius E. Young, Ret. | Dedication: | Dedication: Life Member Pledge Class |
| Chuck Nichols | Lenny Cohen | Ken Robbett | Gloria Alvarez |
| Sam Kubiak | Badri Radhakrishnan | Kathleen Daw | Cathy Capek |
| Don Reilly | Mike Smith | Lili Ming | Nick Russon |
| Gary Gray | Li Loriz-Lim | Leah George Dreves | |
| Honorary Brother: | Manuel Martinez | Carol Swift | |
| Bob Rokusek | Barb Puglisi | Mike Walsh | |
| Margaret Lord | Richard Wilson | ||
| Tim O’Malley | Chris Whitesell |
| Line 45 | Line 46 | Line 47 | Line 48 |
| Spring 1978 | Fall 1978 | Spring 1979 | Fall 1979 |
| Pledgemaster: Peter Brinkmann | Pledgemaster: Sam Kubiak | Pledgemaster: Chris Whitesell | Pledgemaster: Tim O’Malley |
| Dedication: | Dedication: Dean Lewis N. Jones | Dedication: | Dedication: Howard R. Patton |
| Maura Harty | Maryanne Fournie | Peter Hudson | Laura Flax |
| Kathy Smith | Jonathan Eldredge | Joe Saracino | Laurann Mastri |
| Janet Lee | Ken Hickox | John Thornton | |
| John Nilson | Paul Albergo | Janice Valitutti | |
| Frank Buttitta | Mark Gallo | Manuel Miranda | |
| Joe Hester | Jimi Martino | Bob Lattanzio | |
| Jose Ferrer | |||
| Jimmy Gouvela | |||
| Don Hubbard | |||
| Conwade Lewis | |||
| Dan Holmes | |||
| Kique Arsuaga | |||
| Frank Abbott | |||
| Tim Morris | |||
| Line 47.5 | |||
| Transfer Brother | |||
| John Sternlicht | |||
| Rho Chapter, UNC- Chapel Hill |