Bros. Samuel Bartlett, Martin Scott and Halleck Butts
in 1920, outside the Delta Phi Epsilon fraternity house in Tokyo, Japan.
For the remainder of its first semester, Delta Phi Epsilon followed a program that included regular smokers at the New Ebbitt Hotel. The first of these smokers, on Saturday, March 6, 1920, was opened to the entire School. The speakers were Mr. Chauncey D. Snow, the former U.S. Commercial Attaché in Paris, and Mr. Basile G. Beaugency d'Ouakil and Mr. Chinfu Wangshia, instructors in French and Chinese, respectively, at the Foreign Service School. A second smoker, on Saturday, April 17, 1920, was also opened to the entire School. The speakers then were Alfred R. Thompson, the former U.S. Consul at Omsk in Siberia, who talked on the situation in Russia prior to the Bolshevik take-over, U.S. Trade Commissioner Paul B. Whitham, who spoke on the need of economic transportation in the Far East, and U.S. Consul G.D. Hopper, an Assistant to the U.S. State Department's Foreign Trade Adviser.
On Tuesday, April 20, 1920, Delta Phi Epsilon was incorporated. Originally the Washington group had planned on obtaining a charter from Congress through the good offices of their friend, the Honorable David I. Walsh, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. When it seemed that this approach would be too time-consuming, the group chose instead incorporation by the District of Columbia. Dr. Richard S. Harvey, a faculty member in both the GU Law and Foreign Service Schools, assisted them in their efforts. The incorporators of the new entity, which was named just "Delta Phi Epsilon" and simply described in its Articles of Incorporation as "a society to promote foreign trade," were Bros. John Brown, Harry Sorensen and John Walsh. The Washington group soon began searching for a fraternity house.
The Fraternity's second initiatory banquet was held at the New Ebbitt Hotel on Saturday, May 1, 1920. Twenty new initiates were welcomed by all the Fraternity's existing student brothers and by five guests of honor: Fr. Edmund A. Walsh, S.J., the Regent of the Foreign Service School, Fr. John B. Creeden, S.J., the President of Georgetown University, the Honorable Edwin F. Sweet, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce, the Honorable Huston Thomson, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, , and the Honorable David I. Walsh, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. At this banquet, Delta Phi Epsilon's first President, Bro. Halleck A. Butts, announced that he had been appointed U.S. Trade Commissioner in Tokyo (the youngest man ever to hold an office of that kind) and then Bro. Martin G. Scott, after being assisted to his feet, revealed that he would be accompanying Bro. Butts to Japan to act as assistant to the U.S. Commercial Attaché. On making this announcement, Bro. Scott read a farewell poem he had composed for the occasion. From that poem comes the words of the Fraternity's Toast.
Bros. Butts and Scott set sail on August 5, 1920, for Japan, where they found Sam Bartlett and formally inducted him into the Fraternity. These three Brothers, Bartlett, Butts and Scott, thereupon organized the Fraternity's first Alumni Association and established Delta Phi Epsilon's first fraternity house, at #17, Kasumi-chu, Ozabu-ku, Tokyo.
The first steps towards the Fraternity's nationalization were made in April and May of 1920. when Bro. Edward Breyere sent a letter of introduction to Prof. A. Wellington Taylor, the Director of the Wall Street Division of the New York University School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance. Dean Taylor expressed himself to be in full accord with the aims and purposes of Delta Phi Epsilon. But because the school year was almost over, nothing further could be done until the following fall.
Delta Phi Epsilon's first academic year ended on Saturday, May 22, 1920, with a third initiatory banquet at the New Ebbitt Hotel, at which Dr. William S. Culbertson, a member of the United States Tariff Commission, and Mr. Herman G. Brock, the Assistant Director of the U.S. Commerce Department's Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, were initiated as brothers. At this banquet, the Fraternity elected its new officers for the following school year: John J. Walsh, President; Edward J. Breyere, Vice-President; Wesley O. Ash, Secretary; and Edwin Bates, Treasurer. A committee, composed of Bros. Edward Sullivan, George Shaw and Walter Donnelly, was appointed and directed to write a history of the Fraternity's first year.
In October 1920, at the start of the Fraternity's second academic year, negotiations with New York University were re-opened by two members of the Washington group who had moved to work in New York City, Bro. Herman G. Brock, a Foreign Trade Advisor for the National Bank of Commerce, and Bro. James W. Ryan, an Assistant United States Attorney specializing in admiralty cases.
Also in October of 1920 the Washington group was finally installed in its first fraternity house, located at 1335 Connecticut Avenue, NW, close to Dupont Circle. The building had formerly been the Calvert Club and was two doors south of the Royal Serb, Croat and Slovene Legation and two doors north of the home of Alexander Graham Bell (who died there in 1922). The many financial difficulties encountered in establishing that fraternity house were only overcome through the assistance of Dr. Constantine E. McGuire, who acted as a surety on the lease. Bros. John Walsh, Karl Prickett, Harry Sorenson, Alfred Arseneau, Edwin Bates, Thomas Keating and Gustav Ulrich also made notable contributions in establishing and furnishing that house. Bro. Harold DeCourcy became Delta Phi Epsilon's first House Manager. The first smoker in this house took place on October 22, 1920, when Dr. William F. Notz of the Federal Trade Commission and Dr. Richard S. Harvey of the G.U. faculty both spoke. An even better attended house-warming party was held on November 27.
The first initiation of the 1920-21 academic year occurred on December 5, 1920. Because of the impending installation of DPE's Beta Chapter at NYU, the fifteen new GU initiates were designated the 1st Line of DPE's Alpha Chapter. Among them were three distinguished members of the faculty of the School of Foreign Service: Dr. William F. Notz, Mr. Charles E. Herring, and Dr. Richard S. Harvey. Their initiatory banquet was held at the new Alpha Chapter House on Connecticut Avenue, with Fr. Edmund A. Walsh, S.J., the Regent of the Foreign Service School, Dr. Paul S, Reinsch, the former U.S. Minister to China, Dr. Frank Rudder, the recently returned U.S. Commercial Attaché in Tokyo, and Hon. Huston Thompson, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, as the guests of honor..
During the Christmas vacation of 1920, Delta Phi Epsilon at last became a national organization when Beta Chapter at New York University was installed in a ceremony held on December 30th at the home of Bro. Herman G. Brock on Staten Island. The Washington group, now known as Alpha Chapter of the Fraternity, was represented at the installation by Bros. Walsh, O'Connell, Weitz, Gallagher, Owens and Cromelin. The six charter members of Beta Chapter were Bros. Raymond Z. Fahs, Henry Gully, Maurice R. Hahn, Richard E. Lambert, Francis S. Seymour, and Leonard L. Sutter. The first president of Beta Chapter was bro. Raymond Z. Fahs. A few days later Beta Chapter initiated as faculty brothers Dean A. Wellington Taylor and Prof. Charles Hodges. Two further initiations were held by Beta during the spring semester of 1921. Beta Chapter was incorporated in the State of New York on July 14, 1921, as "Beta Chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon, Incorporated."
On Saturday, January 22, 1921, Alpha Chapter held in its fraternity house the first smoker of the spring semester. The speakers were Hon. Huston Thompson, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, and Mr. George Otis Smith, the Director of the U.S. Bureau of Geological Survey.
On Sunday, February 27, 1921, Alpha Chapter initiated its 2nd Line. The initiatory banquet was held at the Fairmont Inn. Thirteen new brothers were brought into the Fraternity. The guests of honor were Rev. Edmund A. Walsh, S.J., the Regent of the Foreign Service School, His Excellency Maximo Zepeda, the Nicaraguan Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Federico Alfonso Pezet, the Peruvian Ambassador to the U.S., Consul Roger C. Tredwell from the U.S. State Department, and Dr. Ernest L. Bogart and Dr. L.Y. Chin, the instructors in money, banking and foreign exchange and in Chinese, respectively, at the Foreign Service School.
On Sunday, April 16, 1921, a special initiation was conducted for Wesley Frost, who was due to leave the city shortly to assume the position of U.S. Consul General in Marseilles. On Saturday, April 30, 1921, the Fraternity hosted its first formal Dance, with Bro. Raymond Cahill in charge.
Negotiations meanwhile had begun between the Fraternity's Alpha Chapter at Georgetown University and its Beta Chapter at New York University on the subject of a national constitution. On May 8, 1921, a constitutional conference was held at the Alpha House on Connecticut Avenue near Dupont Circle. The three representatives from Beta were Bros. Raymond Fahs, Richard Barnwell and Horace Cutler. The three Alpha representatives were Bros. Roy MacElwee, John Walsh and Karl Prickett. A temporary constitution was drawn up and the following week was agreed upon in New York City, to remain in effect until a permanent constitution could be approved at the Fraternity's first national convention, scheduled to be held at the end of that year. Bro. Roy S. MacElwee of Alpha was elected the first National President of Delta Phi Epsilon Foreign Service Fraternity.
In the meantime, Bro. Francis E. O'Connor designed a Fraternity Badge, which he and Bro. John W. Brown on May 12, 1921, had copyrighted (#62807, Class G, XXc) by the Library of Congress.
On Saturday, May 21, 1921, Alpha initiated its 3rd Line. Four students became brothers. The initiatory banquet was held at Alpha's new house. Several weeks later, on June 16, 1920, another special initiation was held, at which Frederick Simpich, a former U.S. Consul General who was then working on the staff of the State Department and teaching at the Foreign Service School, was inducted.
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