We wouldn’t be the same organization without one important, large resource housed inside the walls of the Levere Memorial Temple. We simply couldn’t provide the same level of service to our chapters, our alumni and our visitors without the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation Archives and Collection.

Far from being a mere cabinet of curiosities containing relics and souvenirs, the Archives are a vital resource used daily by staff, brothers and researchers from around the country. From the 19th century to today, we’ve been attuned keenly to the value that this collection brings to the organization.

The Archives have been with us almost since the beginning. The 1870 Memphis Convention realized that much of the 14-year-old Fraternity’s history was “involved in obscurity,” as referenced in records. And the delegates determined that “the members should be intimately acquainted with the past career of the Society and the history of its individual members.” To resolve this problem, the Convention created the office of Public Historian. Each of the chapters also elected a Private Historian for a one-year term. At the turn of the 20th century, Billy Levere took up the mantle of Historian and brought a deep commitment to the role. He began to sniff out, hunt down and acquire the core of the collection we see today. He was the first person to establish a fraternity museum and library in his offices in Evanston—and later both would become key features of the Levere Memorial Temple. With its creation in 1928, the Foundation became the custodian of the Archives.

Through the decades the Archives, as the sum of archival material (paper), photographs, artwork, and artifacts that make up the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation Archives and Collection is called, has grown through donations from chapters, alumni, and friends. The Archives contain more than 462 feet of correspondence, publications, brochures and photographs; more than 650 scrapbooks; about 150 blueprints; and approximately 1,000 artifacts, artwork and framed images. All of this material allows the Foundation to perform part of its mission: to collect, preserve and exhibit materials pertaining to the history of the Fraternity and its members. Today the Archives are the ultimate resource for information about ΣAE, its chapters and membership. This powerful resource is used extensively by three main groups: staff, researchers and Temple visitors.

Staff

In many ways the Archives function just like any other business archive. Staff members use it to research past events, programs and activities. Whether they’re digging up a classic photo from the 1930s or searching for archival material to research the root of a program, our Archives serve as a key resource for understanding out past and explaining how we’ve evolved over the years.

Chapters that open and close are part of the life-cycle of all fraternities and sororities. Recently, Sigma Alpha Epsilon was presented with the opportunity to recolonize Illinois Alpha at Monmouth College. Regional Director Deran Abernathy and Extension Coordinator Aaron Hill used the Archives to understand better the circumstances that lead to the chapter’s closure in 1981. This information allowed them to speak effectively with college officials and interested alumni who hope to see the rebirth of this chapter.

Researchers

The Archives are used frequently by researchers for a variety of projects and publications. This March, Bradley Williams (Cincinnati) spent his spring break at the Temple conducting research in the Archives. He used primary sources as the foundation for his undergraduate thesis about the construction and evolution of the James Gamble Nippert Memorial Lodge, Ohio Epsilon’s chapter house.

Information housed in the Archives is also able to help genealogists make a connection with their SAE ancestors. In February, George Paine, who is not a brother, was conducting research on a SAE brother in his family tree. The only information he had was a photograph and a military-commission certificate. Information in the Archives showed that Paine’s relative, John M. Thompson (Kentucky Military Institute 1872), was a cadet at the Kentucky Military Institute in the early 1870s and provided some biographical information in addition to an early chapter photo in which Thompson was front and center.

Visitors

Every year the Temple hosts thousands of visitors from all over the world who come to tour the building and view the artifacts it contains. Sometimes those visitors are looking to understand something about their SAE relative. Christina Moseley, granddaughter of John O. Moseley (Oklahoma 1916), visited the Temple for the first time when she was 13. As she went through the building, Moseley videotaped rooms and artifacts and then recorded her thoughts about the building where her grandfather had such a direct impact. Through her visit to the Temple, Moseley was able to experience the “schoolhouse” in which her grandfather established the first Leadership School and where he ended his professional career as Eminent Supreme Recorder.

In May, the Temple hosted a reception for the Fraternity Communications Association at the beginning of its Annual Conference. This was the first visit to the Temple for many of the guests, and most were awestruck by the building’s beauty. Guests found something special in the building, whether it was a room or painting or simply their organization’s coat-of-arms in the Panhellenic Room, with which they connected.

PastPerfect

As powerful a tool as the Archives have become, they can still be used more effectively. Until this year, there was no cataloguing system for the Archives. The ability to search for materials and locate information depended upon the familiarity of the Archivist with the collection. This year the Foundation purchased PastPerfect collections-management software. This database allows us to catalogue the contents of the Archives and will provide detailed search capabilities. Data entry began in February through a gift from Jim Mottern (Idaho ’70), who created the Arthur A. Cook Memorial Internship. For the implementation phase, 200 artifacts from the Archives were selected, which include some iconic pieces of the collection along with more recent acquisitions. This initial group of materials is now available online at www.sae.net/archives. New items will be added to the online catalogue as processing continues. Our goal is to bring as much of the Archives and building as possible direct to your computer, but due to the sensitive nature of some portions of the collection, not all material will be available online.

The implementation of PastPerfect and its online component, PastPerfect-Online, is a significant step in the continued development of the Archives and improves the professional standards that are used for its care. Not only does this innovation allow us to complete a long-term goal of providing greater access to the collection, but it improves the long-term health of the Archives through search capabilities that will identify the specific items required for research needs and prevent unnecessary handling of archival materials.

As we move into the future, the Archives will remain an important component of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. In an organization that experiences rapid change and a constant influx of new members, the Archives serve as our collective memory. It provides us with the resources to know the organization’s past and the resources necessary to shape the organization’s future.

The Arthur A. Cook Memorial Internship

The Arthur A. Cook Memorial Internship was made possible by a gift from Jim Mottern (Idaho 1970). Arthur A. Cook (Washington [Washington] 1909) served as Eminent Archon and as Province Lambda Archon from 1915-1923. He was a significant force in the Fraternity’s expansion in the Pacific Northwest, founding the Montana Alpha, Idaho Alpha and Oregon Beta chapters. In recognition of his contribution to the Fraternity, he received the Merit Key Award in 1949.

Your donation of $1,000 to the Arthur A. Cook Memorial Internship will provide 100 hours of time cataloguing material from the donor’s chapter. If the chapter’s material is fully catalogued, then time will be spent cataloguing other material in the Archives. Please contact Nanci Gasiel at ngasiel@sae.net or at (847) 424-3009 to make your donation.

Temple Endowment Fund
Ongoing building maintenance, utilities and insurance cost approximately $250,000 per year. To address these costs, the Foundation has established the Levere Memorial Temple Endowment with a funding goal of $5 million. To date, more than $1 million (unaudited) has either been donated or pledged to this fund. Your gift will help us reach our goal.

HVAC & Electrical System Upgrades
Technology has changed radically since 1930. Today, upgrades are available that will increase the Temple’s energy efficiency, significantly lower utility costs and improve the environmental conditions of the building. These improvements will also help to preserve the archives and the Temple itself for generations to come. While the exact installation cost will vary based on the components required, installing an HVAC system to control the temperature and humidity of the Temple will cost approximately $500,000. A gift of $14,000 will improve the Temple’s lighting for greater energy efficiency.

Peace Chapel Window Protective Glazing
The stained-glass windows in the Peace Chapel are the crown jewel of the Temple. In the 1960s protective Lexan® coating was applied to the windows. Over time, this material began to decompose and turn cloudy, marring the beauty of the windows. Heat buildup from the unvented Lexan® even caused some windows to bow. The barriers have since been removed and the windows replaced. A gift of $19,000 will protect a window from corrosion and damage with new vented, laminated glass.

Peace Chapel Fresco Restoration
Building Committee Chairman Alfred K. Nippert personally selected 25-year-old Munich artist Johannes O. Waller (Northwestern ’34) to illuminate the Temple. Waller’s command of various artistic processes and ability to work in a variety of styles earned him acclaim in his native country. To paint the ceilings of the Chapel, Waller employed a fresco technique and painted directly on wet plaster. Water damage has marred the beauty of his creation. A gift of $26,000 can restore the ceiling’s frescoes to their original state.

Tower Room Plaster Repair & Restoration of Decorative Painting
While the Temple was intended to be used by a variety of groups, the Tower Room was designed to be a special place, exclusive to brothers. Utilized for the initiation of hundreds of new members, it is the embodiment of our Ritual. Water has damaged the murals and walls periodically. Seepage has caused the canvas that covers the Tower Room walls to separate. A gift of $8,300 will restore the figural murals at the top of the stairs; $7,200 will restore the field of blue with stars at the bottom of the stairs; and $5,800 will restore three painted coats-of-arms that appear in other Tower Room murals.

Art Restoration
The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation has been fortunate to work with some wonderful artists. In addition to the works that line the walls of the Temple, the Foundation has also commissioned portraits of prominent members and received numerous other artworks as donations to the collection. More than 40 artworks in the collection require conservation to remove varnish that has darkened with age, accumulated dirt, scratches and tears or other adverse conditions. A gift of $3,500 will clean and remount a painting.

Collections Management System
The Foundation’s archives have been growing for more than 150 years. Each year, the archives are used to respond to about 100 research projects for staff, researchers and alumni. To facilitate use of the archives and make selected records available online, a gift of $2,500 will allow the Foundation to purchase Past- Perfect® collections-management software.

For more information about how you can sponsor one of the Temple projects, contact Associate Executive Director Christopher Speelman at (847) 424-3021 or at cspeelman@sae.net.

Additional Projects

• Completely rewire building: $391,000
• Install elevator for ADA compliance: $375,000
• Landscaping renovation: $50,000
• Security-system upgrade: $50,000
• Replace exterior doors: $35,000
• Repairs to exterior concrete features: $30,000
• Landscaping sprinkler-system upgrade: $16,000
• Plumbing upgrade: $10,000

2009-2010 Temple Facts

• The Temple welcomed more than 2,500 visitors.
• More than 40 chapters organized visits to the Temple.
• More than 350 brothers from across the country toured the Temple.
• Five fraternal groups and honor societies held meetings here.
• Five couples were married in the Peace Chapel.
• One congregation calls the Peace Chapel home each Sunday.

The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation is committed to bettering its undergraduate members. To that end, the Foundation awarded $66,500 in scholarships for the 2009-2010 school year. Miles McGinley, an undergraduate at Northwestern, received $3,000 through the W. Emil Forman Award for Community Service. He recently spoke to The Record about the role community service plays in his life.

How did you get involved with community service?
Community service was something I started in high school. I worked with the Red Cross as a first-aid team volunteer. We worked at the University of Oregon football games, and we were the first to respond in an emergency.

So the Red Cross played an important role in your life?
Actually, senior year of high school, my family’s house burned down. The Red Cross was the first to help as part of its community-outreach program, offering us support and providing some basic needs. Through the generosity of others, I realized how much that volunteer work means to the people who receive it. I was involved with the Red Cross before the house fire, but I have trained as a wildlands firefighter for the last two summers, helping to control fires in Oregon and California, because I know how much it means to lose your home.

How did you become involved with the Fraternity?
I was athletic in high school and was the captain of our varsity football team. When I arrived at Northwestern, I joined the club rugby team. Many of the guys on the team are brothers, so I learned about the great things Sigma Alpha Epsilon is doing. I wanted to be a part of that.

And that made you join?
Yes. And through a lot of the brothers in the house, I’ve branched out with my studies. I’m a junior, getting a degree in a program called mathematical methods in the social sciences. The other members are involved with the Kellogg [School of Business] certificate program, so I found out about opportunities to study in that field. I even got a job working for a private-equity firm last summer to get a taste of financial markets, finances and banking through my Fraternity connections.

So you have other work experience?
Yes, and that experience comes back to community service, too. I worked with a Kellogg [School of Business at Northwestern] professor as a consultant to a nonprofit group called the Child Care Network of Evanston, which helps kids find learning programs and care groups at a young age. I’m also the manager of the chapter house, so I’m getting leadership experience. Being the risk manager of the chapter helped, too, because having to discipline your peers isn’t easy.

What’s been the best part about the Fraternity experience?
We have a lot of international members in our chapter. One brother is actually from Jakarta, Indonesia, and we had an opportunity to visit him in his home country. That was an incredible experience and an incredible resource for my life.

What is the Phi Alpha Club?

Established in 1993, the Phi Alpha Club recognizes the generosity of those who give back while they are still paying their dues — our undergraduate brothers. When an undergraduate makes a gift of $25 or more to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation, he is recognized as a member of the Phi Alpha Club and receives an exclusive membership certificate and lapel pin in recognition of that generosity.

Many of the current Phi Alpha Club members joined at last year’s 73rd John O. Moseley Leadership School. Indiana Delta at DePauw can boast the most Phi Alpha Club members with ten, while Alaska Alpha and Wyoming Alpha are tied for second place. Five members from each of these chapters joined the Phi Alpha Club. Thank you to all of the undergraduate brothers listed below who already have stepped forward to become members of the undergraduate giving society.