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Little known leaders of Lambda Chi Alpha
By Mike Raymond (Miami-OH)
Most members of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity recognize the names of Cole, Mason, Dyer, McIntosh, and Lightner.
These men made their mark from the earliest years of our Fraternity. They have taken on a legionary status among our members. Their contributions were many and fundamental to the growth and development of Lambda Chi Alpha in its earliest years. However, between 1909 and 1919, there were other men who made more modest yet essential contributions to the creation of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.
In the October, 1919 issue of the Purple, Green and Gold Bruce McIntosh identified seventeen men who laid the foundation of our Fraternity. As mentioned above, many of these names are familiar to us. Their stories have been recorded many times in magazine articles, speeches, and history books. McIntosh’s article, written in celebration of the tenth anniversary of our Fraternity, identified a few more men whose names have been practically lost to us today. This group included men with the names of Mayer, Czubak, Smith, Nichols, and Gaskill. These men served in various capacities often cut short by the call to military service in World War I. Some made greater contributions than others but all served when called upon to help our fledgling Fraternity. Just who were these men?
Albert Rosaire Mayer (Rhode Island 1918)
Mayer was a pioneer leader who established himself immediately upon entering Rhode Island where he served four years as the class treasurer. He also served as editor-in-chief of the Beacon, played in the college orchestra, became a non-commissioned officer in the student battalion, and served on the Interfraternity Council. He was an often mentioned character in the college yearbook.
Mayer was admired for his adaptability and as a man of action. His musical accomplishments were so liked by his brothers that his playing the violin at parties, while puffing away on his pipe, became an important part of social life at Eta Zeta. Mayer also served as Eta Zeta’s High Beta and later in life High Pi.
Mayer left Rhode Island in his junior year to join the Navy as the war in Europe heated up. He graduated in 1918. Shortly after his graduation he became the Grand High Beta until the Grand High Zeta was reorganized in 1919. He later served as Grand High Gamma.
Zygmont John Czubak (Boston 1915)
Czubak started his college career at Brown University in 1910. He transferred to Boston University in 1911 where he joined Lambda Chi Alpha. He was listed as AZ-10 in the 1930 edition of our Official Membership Directory. After graduation, he returned to Rhode Island where he passed the bar and established a highly regarded law firm. Czubak was a devoted member of Alpha Zeta often returning to help them with recruitment and to show his support of our national organization.
His chapter activities and interest in national affairs caught the attention of the Grand High Zeta. He was appointed the Grand High Beta in charge of scholarship in 1914. It is interesting to note that his appointment was made while he was an undergraduate. At the Philadelphia convention in 1915 he was elected as Grand High Gamma.
On the local level Czubak served on the house corporation of Iota Zeta and was the secretary of the Providence Alumni Association.
He gave Lambda Chi much of his time and energy in a period, World War I, when active leadership was sorely needed. He was assigned many matters that came up unexpectedly and needed an experienced brother to do the job. He is an example of the often overlooked brother who stepped up when needed at the national level and then returned to assist a local chapter.
Henry Griggs Weston Smith (Bucknell 1913)
Henry G.W. Weston initially joined a local fraternity at Bucknell named Sigma Alpha. This local fraternity became Delta Zeta of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity in 1913. He was the first member of Sigma Alpha to pledge his loyalty to Lambda Chi. He is listed as DZ-1 in our official membership directory issued in 1930. Upon graduation Smith was elected at the Ithaca Assembly as the Associate Editor of the Purple, Green and Gold.
He was known for his love of fraternity and wrote the following sentiment when he was serving as the Associate Editor of the Purple, Green and Gold:
“My Fraternity is my college home – never a mere political organization to put me ‘in line’ for anything but life. Its purpose in relation to me is to make me a bigger and better man. Therefore, in return, I owe at the very least, this much: first, to be a man myself; second, to go even so far as to make a great sacrifice, if necessary, to get the right men in and to keep the wrong men out; and third, to do my part always to see that the social and intellectual and moral life of the Fraternity is kept to a high level of the ritual.”
This sentiment, written over 100 years ago, rang true to his brothers then as it does to our brothers now.
Later in life Smith became a prominent Baptist Minister whose written work and sermons appeared many times in the publications of the Baptist Church.
Clyde Kingsley Nichols (Boston 1912)
Nichols is definitely a part of the early mythology of our Fraternity. McIntosh writes of Nichols being remembered as one of the three men who signed the constitution of Lambda Chi Alpha. In his article about Nichols, McIntosh states: “Since the day when Brother Nichols’ autographed that most important document in Lambda Chi Alpha history, thereby recording his participation in the founding of the Fraternity, little has been heard from him….”
While Nichols may have signed the document the rest of the story seems to be a fabrication. At the supposed signing of the document Nichols was 15 years old and living in Taunton, Massachusetts. Taunton is located some 35 miles from Boston. More importantly, no record has been found that indicates that Nichols attended or graduated from Boston University. However, he is listed in the 1930 Official Membership Directory as AZ-3 and as a 1912 graduate of Boston. His membership and involvement in our Fraternity is just one of a number of questionable aspects of our early years. However, as McIntosh pointed out in this article, if Nichols did nothing more than signed our constitution we owe him our gratitude.
Myths are powerful as long as they are not taken literally.
Ralph Hicks Gaskill (M.A.C. 1913)
Gaskill was included in McIntosh’s article because of his long time involvement in Gamma Zeta affairs. He was not a charter member of Gamma. He became a member in his senior year and quickly rose to the chapter’s highest office. Credit is given to him as High Archon for the firm foundation upon which Gamma Zeta rested in its first decade. His leadership moved his chapter from a young, small, and rather insignificant fraternity to a campus leader in many respects. He was considered a progressive thinker and man of common sense by his brothers. Gamma Zeta prospered under his leadership.
A unique contribution that he made to his chapter was convincing his parent that they should allow his chapter to use their house! They consented and Gamma used their house to hold meetings, social events, and initiations. His persuasiveness helped to bring the chapter together and helped to secure their place on campus.
His leadership at M.A.C caught the attention of our national officers. Gaskill, along with Ellis, Dyer, and Mason, was made a National Counselor to the G.H.Z. Though his service was short lived it came at a time when his service was needed by our Fraternity.
In later years, Gaskill and Lewis F. Drury (M.A.C. 1913) gave financial assistance to the chapter so that they could buy their own house. He continued his commitment to Gamma Zeta for years after his service on the national level.
What are we to make of these men? Four of the five men, Mayer, Czubak, Smith, and Gaskill, were major contributors to the early successes of their chapters. All four of these men served in some capacity on the national level of our organization. Some of them, particularly Smith, were inspirational and dynamic leaders. On the other hand, Nichols’ involvement in our early years was at best marginal. After supposedly signing our new constitution, he simply disappeared and made no more contact with Lambda Chi Alpha. His record, when compared to the 17 men that McIntosh identified as our early leaders, is almost non-existent.
Our Fraternity has been very fortunate to have so many great men, some better known than others, who took Cole’s work and forged it into a modern organization with a superb Ritual. As members of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity we can be proud of the contributions these leaders, even the less heralded ones, made on behalf of today’s members.
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