ALPHA NU
Westminster College

FOUNDED ON
10.14.1939

LOCATION
New Wilmington, PA

HISTORY
Westminster College was founded on January 21, 1852, as the Westminster Collegiate Institute. Westminster College had fraternities prior to 1900, but in that year they were banned by the college. Social clubs replaced the fraternities, but most had little stability. In the Fall of 1906 members of two clubs, the McAuley and the Eagle (that had sprung up after the ban on fraternities) combined to form the Crescent Club. In 1920 the ban on fraternities was lifted, and all of the clubs except the Crescent Club were replaced by local fraternities. The older Crescent Club was able to compete because it had purchased its house on Waugh Avenue in 1919. The date from which the Crescent Club began to use the Waugh Avenue house may be lost, but it was sometime between 1906 and 1916. Counting its use by Phi Pi Phi and the Crescent Club, the Alpha Nu Chapter house on Waugh Avenue is the second longest used chapter house in Alpha Sigma Phi. Only Iota’s “Rockledge” has a longer documented history of use.

On February 12, 1927 the Crescent Club was chartered as the Nu Chapter of Phi Pi Phi. William Thomas, last president of the Crescent Club and first President of Nu of Phi Pi Phi, served as toastmaster. An alumni corporation was organized in 1928, Dr. Hugh Hart became president of that organization by 1930, and served the chapter for many years. With the merger of Phi Pi Phi and Alpha Sigma Phi, the chapter’s designation was changed to Alpha Nu of Alpha Sigma Phi in ceremonies on October 14, 1939. In the late 1940’s undergraduate membership soared to over 100. The chapter earned many scholarship awards in the 1960’s, including the Grand Council Scholarship Award in 1964. Alpha Nu had consistently placed above the all men’s GPA for eight years, and was the highest of any group in 1962-64. Gary Alan Wood, Westminster ‘60 was Alpha Sigma Phi Scholar of the Year in 1962. Major renovations of the chapter house were made in the early 1990’s.

Dr. Hugh M. Hart, Westminster ‘39, served as National President of Phi Pi Phi, a National Inter-fraternity Conference member fraternity, and later as Grand Senior President of Alpha Sigma Phi, a charter member of the National Inter-fraternity Conference. He is the only known man to serve as president of two NIC member national fraternities. In 1974, Gary “Andy” Anderson, Westminster ‘71, joined the fraternity staff as a consultant and served as Executive Director from 1976-78, succeeding Ralph F. Burns, Ohio Wesleyan ‘32.  In 1977, Kevin Garvey, Westminster ‘75, joined the fraternity staff, and he succeeded Anderson as Executive Director in 1978 and served until 1981. Kevin Garvey also served on the Grand Council of Alpha Sigma Phi, including two terms as Grand Treasurer and a term as Grand Senior President. Brother Garvey also served as a Trustee and as President of the Alpha Sigma Phi Foundation. In 2004, Brother Garvey was awarded the Distinguished Service Award. In 1980, Robert M. Sheehan, Jr., Westminster ‘76, became a chapter consultant, and in mid-1981 became Executive Director of Alpha Sigma Phi, serving until 1990. In 1990 Brother Sheehan received the Distinguished Merit Award of Alpha Sigma Phi. Dan Arnett, Westminster ‘97, served as Undergraduate Grand Councilor in 1999-2000. G. Alan Sternbergh, Westminster ‘48, received the Distinguished Service Award in 1993. Stuart Spizak, Westminster ‘78, served on the Grand Council of Alpha Sigma Phi including a term as Grand Senior President. Bob Lauterback, Westminster ‘42, and William Kegel, Westminster ‘47, led the alumni corporation in the 1950’s, and 1960’s. Tom Welsh, Westminster ’81, has also served Alpha Sigma Phi as a chapter consultant. Michael F. Anthony, Westminster ’75 received the Distinguished Merit Award in 2002. Twelve alumni of the Chapter have received the Delta Beta Xi Award. The Chapter’s newsletter is “Alpha Nu’s Letter.”

CHAPTER AWARDS
Records show award name and year(s) received.

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Records show brother's name, initiation year, and award received.