For decades, the big Georgian house that frames Baker Library and College Street had borne the letters Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Following whirlwind years of bad press and legal battles, those letters are now on their way out, replaced by a single Sigma turned sideways, to look like the letter “w”. This temporary symbol will soon be taken down and replaced with the new name of the fraternity once they acquire enough letters. Reports from members have confirmed that the new name of the house will not be SAE, as it was for more than 100 years, but it will be hereafter known as Scarlett Hall. The desire to change the name of the fraternity came from the members’ desire to distance themselves from their national chapter, and begin to redefine their image on campus. They are choosing “Scarlett Hall” specifically as the name because of Andrew J. Scarlett, a Dartmouth Class of 1910, who was a founding SAE brother that later became a Dartmouth professor of chemistry. Scarlett, along with other members, helped affiliate their local fraternity Chi Tau Kappa with the national fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Chi Tau Kappa had been created in 1903, but it was not until 1908, Scarlett’s sophomore year, that it became SAE, when the national organization granted them a charter and declared them the New Hampshire Alpha chapter. It was because of their affiliation with the national fraternity, and the funding that they were given by national, that they were then able to buy the house on School Street. It was in 1916 that SAE moved its location to where it currently stands.
The house today, with its large American flag and twin stone lions, has been an important part of the campus scene at Dartmouth for quite some time, known for their wealthy, preppy brotherhood and close alumni ties, especially to finance. In 2012, the fraternity received an unexpected blow when Rolling Stone magazine published a piece called Confessions of An Ivy League Frat Boy. The article, written by a disgruntled SAE brother, Andrew Lohse, contained shocking accusations against the fraternity, alleging that the fraternity made pledges, among other things, eat egg and vomit mixtures known as “vomlets.” Although parts of the story were later discredited, the resulting controversy sent shockwaves across campus and beyond, resulting in new scrutiny of practices that had long been considered part of the Dartmouth brand, just as inextricable as Winter Carnival or the New Hampshire woods.
Four years after the article was published, the national chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, under pressure from the fallout, revoked their charter, and indefinitely suspended the memberships of all brothers. The national organization is no stranger to controversial behavior, as it has been connected to 9 hazing, drinking, and drug-related deaths, more than any other national fraternity. SAEs across the country have also been connected to numerous racist incidents, including the Oklahoma University chapter of SAE, which was kicked off campus in 2015 after videos surfaced of them singing songs about lynching African-Americans, becoming an overnight media sensation.
Following the derecognition, the College quickly terminated their affiliation with SAE, leaving the house in a unique and precarious legal situation. Although the physical building is owned by the fraternity and not the College, it is situated within a Town of Hanover zoning area deemed “I”, for “Institutional”. Prior to the derecognition, SAE had been approved as student housing through a loophole which allowed buildings that were not strictly “institutional,” but which “worked in conjunction with an institutional use”, and thus avoided zoning violations. In 2017, a proposed change to the town’s zoning ordinance came before the town meeting. SAE, employing the Revolutionary War-era motto “Join or Die,” rallied Dartmouth’s Greek Life in an attempted hijacking of Hanover’s town meeting. While they ultimately failed, partially due to dissent among some of the other Greek houses, the incident set the stage for conflict. Following derecognition, the Town of Hanover swiftly revoked the zoning exemption, and threatened the house with legal action or fines if they continued to use the house for residential use. After an initial legal challenge, the case finally made its way to the highest court in New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Supreme Court, which delivered a mixed blessing for the fraternity’s legal woes. Under their ruling, the court upheld the institutional zoning restriction, but held that the Zoning Board had not fairly considered the fraternity’s claim to be an institution, which if approved, would give Scarlett Hall residential rights. These claims must legally be reevaluated by the Town of Hanover, and a determination must be made about the status of the fraternity. According to a report from The Dartmouth, the town’s definition of institution includes religious, educational, and governmental use. Fraternity members are still awaiting the decision of the zoning board, but given the hostility of the town towards the fraternities in general, this could prove an uphill battle, and one especially weakened by the history of the fraternity operating under the non-institutional loophole.
as a visitor and fellow SAE from the Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill I remember their welcoming couch during the summer of 1971. what is going on?
The Review is correct in that the National Sigma Alpha Epsilon has become gunshy of controversy and a gutless organization which panders to speculation, innuendo and unsubstantiated hearsay, which is what the Rolling Stone article is all about. As a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Alpha Chapter, and former Rush Chairman and Pledge Trainer, I know that the worst I was compelled to do was to swallow a goldfish, which was squiggly going down but only did permanent harm to the goldfish. Both the College and the National are full of pin-headed liberals who do not care for fundamental rights, such as the right to assemble peacefully, associate, and live quietly with no harm to anyone else. New Hampshire Alpha has always been a racially and inclusive organization by gender. The College, on the other hand, does not brook dissent or freedom of expression which only harms its pin-headedness. For example, the College has virtually banned liquor at alumni events, I guess because the Alumni have engaged in forcible illicit sexual activities with co-eds. I asked the President of our Class what would happen if I brought hard liquor to an alumni event, would I go to the Hanover liquor jail or be otherwise sanctioned? i did not get a satisfactory response. I will defend the constitutional rights of the Brothers to the death. Disclaimer: I am not licensed to practice law in New Hampshire.
I, Reed Greene, affirm my former statements and would show the following.
In 1968 and 1969, Dartmouth College systmatically doscrimimated against white males w reg to financial aid. I was accepted but denied any scholarship money because I was a white guy from Texas . The tacit assumption was that I was not needy enough, although my mother stayed at home and my father was mid-level civil servant. This is unfortunate because I could have gone to Abilene Christian College on a football scholarship. Doug Meyer, my classmate, had the same thing happen to him, but his family called and said that Doug, an accomplished swimmer , would not go without a scholarship. Mirabile dictu,they found money for Doug.
Now they say Alumni may not drink hard liquor on campus. What hogwash!!! I’m response, I calculated the $1100 I should have received is a debt unpaid or offset north of $4,000, at 3% per annum. Stick that in your white clay pipe n smoke it, you liberal p——s. Reed Greene ‘73