[15356] in APO-L
a word on 19974 & 1976
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Dennis R. Hickey)
Fri Nov 8 10:29:09 1996
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 09:59:59 EST
Reply-To: "Dennis R. Hickey" <71542.2142@COMPUSERVE.COM>
From: "Dennis R. Hickey" <71542.2142@COMPUSERVE.COM>
To: Multiple recipients of list APO-L <APO-L@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
This is in response partly to Peter Caracappa, who imagined (not having been
there) that coed chapters happened because the Fraternity believed it was the
fair thing to do. That's not the way it happened at all. I was there, working
floor services since women, of course, were not allowed to participate in the
floor debate at that time.
Briefly, in '74 federal Title IX pushed the issue of allowing chapters that
wanted to, to legally accept women as full members. It was very much an issue of
survival for some chapters, for they would be kicked off their campus if they
continued to discriminate. In APO, as you know, no campus support means no
chapter at all. Some chapters (like my own) wanted to be and were in fact,
already coed, of their own choice. There was also strong opinion that women
shouldn't be allowed in anywhere, and of course, many other views as well.
They just barely came up with a sort of affiliate concept then. In 76, women
were allowed to join for real. (BTW there were a *few* more of us around besides
Betsy & Diana and me :) The debates were long loud and bloody. Imagine ~two
hundred of Mr. Stallion (no insult intended, he just typifies the opinions
expressed then), locked in a room with ~one hundred of the opposing side for
two days, all fighting for what they believe is the future of their chapter and
Fraternity. Twice. (If you think the toast song debate is bad - that's *nothing*
compared to 'the coed issue'.)
APO, like any organization, is a reflection of the current culture. From 1925
through the '60's, women were by and large expected to do and be interested in
women-things, and men did men-things. This meant careers (or lack of them),
sports, activities, etc. Hence, we were all- male for several decades. In the
70's that started to change, and APO started to change, too. If APO had refused
to change, it would likely be dying out today.Though the climate has been more
conservative through the 80's, we are all still changing, and will continue to
do so.
YILFS,
mrn
AX '74
