“Ask an Archivist Day” took place earlier this week. “Why did you become an archivist?” is a common question that is asked of archivists. In my case, my love of fraternity history began with reading the bound copies of The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi. In some of the older issues there were ads for Banta’s Greek Exchange, a magazine featuring news about fraternities and sororities and in those pre-internet days, I looked for copies in antique stores and at library book sales. It wasn’t until graduate school that I had the opportunity to read decades worth of the magazine, in fact, all that were available at the University of Illinois. At about the same time, I discovered The Fraternity Month. I was fascinated by the information presented.
The October 1933 edition of Fraternity Month included this introduction:
Fraternity Month and its staff greet you. To tell you what kind of a magazine it is would be to be trite, for you may see for yourselves. We hope you find it all that you may expect of a new, interfraternity publication. Many of you have asked for one which will be read by undergraduates as well as by more mature members. This is the type of magazine we want to produce. Coming with regular frequency, our news will be current and vital. Our articles will be by persons prominent in their field. We will follow a policy of liberalism. Our articles will not reflect our own opinion for this is your magazine and each of you may direct the thought of it so long as you may direct the thought of it so long as you keep within the bounds of good taste. We welcome your contributions, your suggestions and, about all, your criticisms.
It will be our earnest endeavor to publish all the worthwhile news of all fraternities and all sororities all the time. You may help us by calling our attention to items which you wish to emphasize.
We want timely news, but we are alert to the splendid history and background that Greek-letter organizations have a right to claim. So there will be articles concerning the heritage of fraternities.
We expect our magazine to be read by prominent people who do not wear a badge, and we will feel it a privilege as well as an obligation to interpret the fraternity system to the outside world in a manner fair and honest.
Controversial articles will present both sides of the question. We do not strive to be smart, but to be intelligent with enough levity to be appealing to a public whose tastes are varied. Our magazine is, first of all, a fraternal and educational journal and we expect to keep it so. It is published without profit by the Fraternity Press in a desire to be of real service to the fraternity system.
The cover of this small (3×5) notebook, a favor given at the 1936 Pi Beta Phi convention, mimicked the covers of the larger magazine. The graphic may have even been used as the cover of an edition of the magazine.
Both magazines ended publication in the early 1970s. And, yes, I agree with Phi Gamma Delta’s Curator of the Archives, Towner Blackstock. It would be wonderful to have both magazines digitized and on-line!
