Claggett, Morgan “Morgan/Boyd” Posted: 10/16/2012 1:22:11 PM
Class of 1953
(P.O. Box 176m, Charlevoix, MI 49720; [email protected]) Here is an amusing, but true story about how my membership in Ohio Zeta made me a better person. After I graduated I was an artillery officer in the Third Infantry Division and later became President of the Checkerboard Foods Division of Ralston Purina.
During the outbreak of the Korean war I joined a reserve unit and I attended the University of Virginia where first year students had to wait until their sophomore year to join a fraternity.My first year my reserve unit was called up so I called Dean Ivy Lewis and asked to join their limited ROTC program so I could stay in college. He replied “You and ten thousand other students,you must go to a land grand college where ROTC is required.”
So I then drove up to Cleveland to join my family and stopped off at Miami University of Ohio where I applied.The Director of Admissions, Harry M. Gerlock Jr.,interviewed me (I found out much later he was a scholarship Director of Phi Delta Theta).
After going through my papers he said you are an honor student and a member of the soccer team, but “What’s this, you got a letter you took too many unexcused absences?” I told him the University of Virginia has a very strict Honor Code where students must not cheat or lie about anything. If you miss three classes you get a warning letter (like mine, since I went up to Princeton for a party week-end), three more and you are on probation and three more and you are dismissed. I said everybody in the school got a letter like mine but I don’t think he believed me. He replied “We don’t cater to playboys at Miami”.
So I then traveled to Columbus in the middle of fraternity rush week. Since there wasn’t much time to see a lot of their fraternities I asked their Dean of Admissions who he would recommend. He replied “I can’t recommend any fraternity, which ones did you like at Virginia.?” I said St.Anthony and St.Elmo (Delta Phi and Delta Chi). He said we don’t have those fraternities here so I suggested Beta, Phi Delt and Sigma Chi (The ones founded at Miami University) so he arranged that.
I attended the Phi Delts first when they asked me to postpone my dinner with the Betas later that night to be with them for a fun event. The next morning they came by and asked me to pledge Phi Delta Theta. I said there are 52 fraternities here and i have only been to one. They replied, didn’t you have such a great time here with all the Phi Delts you got to know? They convinced me so I joined.
Several years later when I was President of Ohio Zeta our chapter won the Barrett Herick Scholarship Award given out at Miami University. When I came down to accept the award for our outstanding chapter, Harry M. Gerlock Jr said to me “You look familiar”.
I said yes “I’m the playboy from Virginia you turned down”. I told him Ohio Zeta turned out to be one of the very best chapters of Phi Delta Theta so I am proud to accept it on their behalf.
William Morgan Claggett (formerly Boyd)
President of Ohio Zeta, 1954 (884)
As a footnote, the facts are very true. My name at the time was W.Morgan Boyd but when my stepfather(because of my mothers divorse)died my real father asked me to please take back my born name of William Morgan Claggett, but my college friends all just remember me as “W. Morgan”. These name change facts are all verified by the Mayflower Society where I am a Director of their colony in southern Florida.
“How did Ohio Zeta contibute to my business success?
(Here’s a shorter version of that)
After Ohio Zeta I was a fire direction Artillery officer in the Third Infantry Division, then account executive in a well known advertising agency and later joined Ralston Purina company, a
large food company in St.Louis.
At Ralston Purina company I was hired as Director of New Products, later Vice President of Marketing and Advertising Services and then President of the Checkerboard Foods Division.
The Chairman of Ralston asked me “What do you owe your rapid. success to?”. I told him the same procedure I used back in college
at Ohio State University when I was President of the Ohio Zeta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta. He asked what that was.
I told him ” learn how to select well qualified people who are smarter than me and delegate to them since we had so many members like that in our fraternity chapter.” He burst out laughing and said “Nobody else would admit that!”
Smith, A. Posted: 8/14/2012 5:00:14 PM
Class of 1952
This is to notify you that Robert C.Winzeler, Jr. class of ’55 died on the 29th of April this year.
Jonson, George Posted: 5/8/2012 7:45:46 AM
Class of 1956
We have four grandchildren all involved in sports. I am in my 31st year on the Hamilton City Board of Education and am still active in the practice of law.
Falke, Lee Posted: 2/8/2012 2:49:53 PM
Class of 1952
I have been thinking about the Phi Delts recently. I have a nephew who is going to Miami Ohio this coming year and I recommended that he try to join Phi Delta Theta. This caused me to think back on my experience at Ohio State’s chapter which I joined as a senior after I transferred to Ohio State in my senior year. My plan was to continue to be active while I attended law school at Ohio State. When I got into law school I found I did not have time to participate in the Phi Delt activities so I was not active after my first year. Having said that, I was very happy that I spent one year in the fraternity. I tried to explain that to my nephew. I am not sure I convinced him yet but I will keep working on that.
I would like to let my class mates know that I recently received my 26th year rating as an AV Preeminent Lawyer by Martindale-Hubble. Time goes fast when you are having fun. I was pleasantly surprised that it has been that long. I thought I would pass this information along in case any of my class mates are still practicing or am I only one who hasn’t earned a retirement yet?
Smith, A. Posted: 9/2/2011 8:43:10 AM
Class of 1952
Back in March I and another old Phi and our wives cruised from L.A to Ft. Lauderdale through the Panama Canal. One of our stops was Cartagena, Columbia where we took the attached O-H-I-O photo in Bolivar Square.
We are: L to R. Sally Koepp Smith (DG ’51) Jackson Smith (PDT ’52) Bob Winzeler (PDT ’54) and Jo Call Winzeler (TriDelt ’53).
Acquired a few Panama Hats along the way. Curiiously all Panama hats are made in Ecuador.
Roemer, Wellington “Tod” Posted: 9/2/2011 8:42:00 AM
Class of 1959
I joined the fraternity in the spring of 1955 and became “Bond # 991”, so as you might imagine, what I have done in the last 56 yrs would be voluminous and quite boring.
There were ten of us who “went active” that spring and I would love to hear anything about those great guys.
I owned and operated an independent insurance agency in Toledo, Oh for over forty years turned the reigns over to my son in 1997 ( stayed on as a consultant and honorary board chairman) During this time I lived in a little town west of Toledo (Berkey, Oh) for twenty-seven years during which time I served on council and also as Mayor for eight years.
I now reside in Conner, Mt, a very small village seventy miles south of Missoula, Mt (second largest city of only 65,000) and love the “BIG SKY” country. (fourth largest state with less than one million people, one congressman and one area code 406.)
I am a HUGE BUCKEYE FAN and am a life member of the OSU Presidents Club, the Buckeye Club and a life time alumni club member as well. I love Jim Tressel , STILL. and would want a son or grandson to play for him anytime.
One of my granddaughters just became a fourth generation “Buckeye” this summer!
At seventy-four years old, I still ride snowmobiles, atv’s and even horses (not as much as I used to)
Also , big time boater, with a boat in Montana and Pompano Beach Fl (very small boats which wouldn’t impress anybody but me.)
Teegardin, Dwight Posted: 9/25/2009 4:26:57 PM
Class of 1962
Please visit the Obituary for Dwight Teegardin
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dispatch/obituary.aspx?n=dwight-teegardin&pid=133434711
Obituary for Dwight Alan Teegardin is in Columbus Dispatch as of 9/25/09. Would you please include the information in your next newsletter.
Sandy Miller (wife)
775 720-5576
email: [email protected]
member #: 292107