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Fred Crawford # 313 Died

CRAWFORD Frederick Rufus Crawford -- Born July 3, 1932, in Pittsburg, PA, and a resident of Mobile, died Sunday, October 16, 2011, at his home. Mr. Crawford was a member of Dauphin Way United Methodist Church. He attended University Military School, Landon School for Boys in Bethesda, MD and Duke University. He held the rank of Captain in the U.S. Air Force and retired as Vice President of Mobile Gas Service Corporation. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frederick Rufus Crawford and Virginia Hill Crawford. Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Olivia King Crawford; two sons, Frederick Hill (Sylvia) Crawford and David Herbert (Lindsey) Crawford; two grandchildren, Louise Hill Crawford and David Herbert Crawford, Jr.; and his sister, Virginia Crawford Harris. A memorial service will be held from Dauphin Way United Methodist Church on Tuesday, October 18, 2011, at 11:00 a.m. The family will receive friends in McGowin Hall at Dauphin Way from 10:00 a.m. until service time. Memorial donations may be made to Dauphin Way United Methodist Church, 1507 Dauphin St., Mobile, AL 36604. Condolences may be offered at www.radneyfuneralhome-mobile.com.

From the Mobile Press-Register

How Not To Go About It

Click here for an article about how not to get Gamma Rho back at Duke.

Wil Weldon # 1070 and Reynolds Price (from the Duke Chronicle)

When Duke alum Wil Weldon saw Reynolds Price in mid-December for what he did not yet know would be the last time, his former professor gave him a stern warning.

“He pointed his finger at me and he said, ‘Don’t you tell anybody at Duke that I’ve been sick. I don’t want them to think I can’t teach,’” Weldon, Trinity ’96, recalled.

Price’s famed class on the Gospels was canceled only after he suffered a fatal heart attack Jan. 16

David Place # 678 Sentenced

Go here, and here for more on this miscarriage of justice.

Ken Derrick # 280 Died March 17. 2011

Go here for his obituary.

Keep TDB Going

TDB thanks the following Duke Betas who have recently contributed to keep TDB alive. Does not take much but some money is needed regularly to keep up the web site, locate the Lost and in general do the things that the unpaid staff refuses to do. Send your check to The Duke Beta, 465 Sheffield Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27104, please!

Frederick Hennighausen #94
Leroy King #379
Bill Losee #361
Carl Miller #342
Bryan Rudisill #196

Charlie Wendorf # 405

As all Duke Betas know Charlie is the man who dropped the H-bomb on Spain. Read Warren Sparrow's # 378 report of Charlie's outstanding presentation to the Fifties Group at the Lake Lure Reunion at chs54.net.

"To be an SAE"

One of the many interesting publications published by Duke is A Guide to Fraternity & Sorority Life.It is available to all students in an attempt to help those who are interested understand Greek life at Duke. One section has a paragraph or two about each fraternity assumedly by the Rush Chairman. Normally these are pretty straight forward sales pieces. Not so from our friends the SAE's. Exact articles from two editions quoted in full:

"Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Luxury, Prestige, Intrigue. Are you currently reading a fraternity pamphlet or the back of an Oliver Stone film? Should it matter? Exactly, Sigma Alpha Epsilon was founded deep in the heart of the antebellum south, a land where steamboats, seersucker, and Mart Twain-style iconography reigned supreme. Since these storied days SAE has become the largest, finest Greek-letter national fraternity in these United states. Whether we're holding a black-tie soiree with our illustrious alumni or merely enjoying imported tobacco and a round of croquet on the quad, our brothers always keep it refined. We tend to spend most of our time debating the merits of Phillips Exeter versus Andover, while fondly reminiscing about our grandfather's roles in the Bretton Woods conference. So if you'd sooner celebrate because your fraternity brother just got a Goldman offer than because you won a game of intramural kickball, you could possibly be...an SAE.

They say America was built on industry, but America was also built on fraternity. We are the brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, SAE, the first and finest Greek-letter fraternity founded in the antebellum South. Though the world has changed, our passion and commitment to upholding the ideals of the True Gentlemen have never wavered, and our desire to mold the future as we see fit has never faded. Our members are diverse but bound by the common desire to stay classy. Whether we are just chilling on the quad, taking a trip to the Carolina cup, or living it up at the beach, the brothers of SAE always keep it refined. So if the Belmont Stakes sounds like your kind of party, you could possibly be...an SAE?"

Can you believe this stuff? TDB could not make it up. Small wonder that Beta was always a better fraternity than SAE while it was at Duke .Web site, which is not nearly as good as the booklet is www.Studentaffairs.Duke.edu/Greek .Does have a signed copy of Duke's strong commitment to fraternities and sororities.

2011 All Duke Beta Tailgate Party

This annual event to which all Duke Betas, their families and their friends, and all other Betas are invited is set this year for the Florida State game, Saturday, October 15, 2011. Starts two hours before kickoff time TBA. Whitford Drive Lot, between the baseball diamond and the soccer and lacrosse fields. Look for the Beta flag.
Unless you have a Whitford Drive Lot Parking Pass you will have to walk from where you park so you need only bring yourself, a little food to share, and your own adult beverage. Everything, and this means everything, else is furnished, ice, napkins, salt & pepper, glasses, etc. Eveyrthing one needs for a great tailgate party. Game tickets are not a problem even if you have to buy them (unless Duke is unbeaten by that time).
For more details and suggestions as to what to bring, location, anything, contact the hosts, Jean & Bill Losee # 361, at chezlosee@yahoo.com or 919/383-4674.

There is finally some interest in bringing Gamma Rho back to Duke. Come to the tailgate party and meet other Duke Betas who might be interested in helping with this.Tom Todd # 294 is spearheading this effort.

Lake Lure Fifties Group Reunion a Huge Success

Thirty nine Duke Betas from the 1950's and their Beta Sweethearts met at Lake Lure May 17 - 20, 2011 for their eleventh reunion. A great time was had by all. Click here for a full write up. For the group picture with ID of all done by Dorothy Swartz, wife of John Swartz # 314 and for Dick Burton's # 358 pictures go to Picture Gallery.