1940 - 1959

 

The 40s were a hard time for everyone and the minutes for that decade show this fact. Although little was said at the start of the War (the Weekly did not even carry the news), it had its effect. The size of every fraternity on campus dropped as more and more young men were called to war. Alumni attendance at homecoming reunions was sparse, and finally reunions were simply dropped until the end of the war. This was due not only because of the small number of Alumni which attended, but also because of the dwindling number of actives on campus. Finally, in 1945, the Gustavus Administration requested all fraternities on campus to form one Men's Club for the remainder of the War. The remaining four Eppies complied along with the other fraternities and the next academic year, from 1945-46, the Eppies were inactive as a fraternity at GAC.

 

In the fall of 1946, the Eppies once again became an active fraternity and by the end of the War brought students back to Gustavus, the Eppies were thriving once again. Things changed, however. Although some things such as the homecoming reunions and serenades survived the war, others, like the "Gay Nineties" and the "Meller Drammer," sadly did not. Other problems began to spring up also. As the War ended, many soldiers went back to school and many of them rushed fraternities. Bill Robetz (1951) remembered that, "pledges (after W.W.II) were often older than those who initiated them" and that this often lead to some difficulties and not a few laughs.

 

Despite the war-torn times of the 1940's, the Eppies still managed to have some fun. In 1941, Percy Grainger, a well-known concert pianist, while on campus accepted an offer to become an honorary member of the Eppies. In the same year, the tradition of serenading was reestablished. After the War in 1948, the members voted to adopt a war orphan for a year. Dominico Agostino, an Italian war orphan tragically crippled in a grenade accident, was adopted for a year and received aid from the Eppies from 1948-49. These along with many outings to Lake Emily and Robert's Glen social gatherings, and a few banquets gave the Eppies a small measure of fun in a decade with vary little time for such things.

 

The 1950's were a time of change for Gustavus and for the fraternities as well. Many of the fraternities began to be labeled: the Omega Kappas (OK's) were the jocks on campus and the Kappa Sigma Chi (Sig's) fraternity were the ones with the money; but according to the Reverend Dallas Blenkuch, however, the eppies managed to avoid that:

 

"If any label at all could be given to the eppies, it might be "gentleman," there was enough scholarship for things to be creative, there was enough polish so things were always done well and in good taste. There was enough devil in the fraternity to guarantee that things were exciting."

 

The Eppies of the 1950's were a well rounded group with diverse interests, yet they still managed to keep together and do things as a fraternity. Group activities started in this period, such as fish fries and canoe trips, many of which are the foundations of the activities enjoyed by the Eppies today.

 

Unfortunately, not a lot is recorded of the 1950's, as the minutes of this period have mysteriously disappeared. Thorough the use of the Gustavus yearbooks and others sources of the time, it is possible to see that the Eppies were an active group on campus. Being active in the Student Senate and making award-winning floats (1st place from 1957-59) kept the Eppies in the eye of the campus and out of trouble. Toward the end of the 50's, fraternities were beginning to run into trouble with the administration and the non-greek members of the student body. A demand for change in the greek system was being heard on campus, and in 1960 was met when the administration announced that an investigation into the Greek system was in place.