| |
|
Troy Chapter History
In the fall of 1992, Brian Willbanks visited Mississippi State University. While there he learned about a different fraternity, FarmHouse. After asking many questions and meeting some of the brothers of that chapter, Brian decided to try to find out more about FarmHouse and its unique value to its members and to the greek community. He returned to Troy and talked with his roommate, Matt Larrison, about the idea of bringing FarmHouse to Troy State University. After much discussion, Matt and Brian along with Keith Stokes, their next door neighbor, decided to pursue relations with FarmHouse International.
On March 8th 1993, Brian received the contact information for Frank Fabijanic who was the acting interim Director of Expansion for FarmHouse International. He returned Brian's call with little optimism and explained that in order for Troy State to have a FarmHouse Colony there would have to be a bachelor's degree in science and agriculture offered at the university. Troy State's curriculum does not include this degree to this very day, underlining the initial struggle to gain attention at International’s executive level. After discussing Troy State with several executive officers of FarmHouse it was decided that Frank would visit Troy. On April 12th, 1993, Frank flew to Troy for the first time and met with Brian and Matt and conducted an interest group meeting in room 211-A Alumni Hall.
Over the next few months many people weighed the decision of a commitment to the new fraternity but only seven remained as the group continued on toward colony status. These seven were Brian Wilbanks, Matt Larrison, Keith Stokes, Matthew Warren, Bryan Hay, Terry Tucker and Blair Andress.
In the Fall Quarter of 1993, rush parties were held and the pledge class from the quarter consisted of six members. Fall of 1993 was a trying time for the members of the colony and poor attitudes and geographical locations began to separate them and take their toll. Believing that not having a house would be detrimental to the success of social events, the men insisted on being extra creative and word on campus was they had the best sorority swaps. Horseback riding with the Chi Omega pledges, roller skating with the Alpha Delta Pi pledges, a hayride with the Phi Mu pledges and bowling with the Kappa Delta pledges all proved to be highly successful which only boosted the confidence of the colony at just the right time. During this same Fall Quarter, Kristy Galbraith was pinned as the first Sweetheart of the new colony.
The 1994 Winter Quarter pledge class consisted of 3 new members. Brian Wilbanks flew to Kansas City, Missouri to take place in a precedent setting moment by attending the President's Conference as the head of the only "non-ag" colony. The colony began to shape up and weekly meetings were held in Room 224 of the Adams Center. On February 17, 1994, the first social was held with the sisters of Chi Omega. The first intramural team was fielded in this same quarter when the men of FarmHouse participated in basketball.
In the Spring Quarter of 1994, the pledge class consisted of 8 new members. The colony participated in its first Greek Week as well as in intramural softball. At the end of Spring Quarter, they received word from the university that they would be getting a house that was formerly occupied by Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. This was amazing news and rewarded the members for their hard work, dedication, sacrifice and as an answer to their prayers. Several men moved in early over the summer of 1994 to help with repairs to the house and to get ready for Fall Rush. During the summer of 1994, Brian Wilbanks and Matthew Warren also took on a 30-hour “road trip” to Phoenix, Arizona to attend the 1994 FarmHouse Fraternity Conclave. The buzz was that this colony was for real and with 20 new members, they were taking FarmHouse International by storm.
Fall Rush in 1994 turned out to be a game changer for FarmHouse at Troy. 21 new members pledged almost doubling the size of the chapter. The Epsilon class pledge ceremony was the first one held in the new house and the size of the house allowed well over half of the fraternity to live under one roof. During this quarter, Jamie Bone was pinned as Sweetheart and pledge swaps, socials and the traditional Iron Bowl Cookout, brought new life to the growing chapter and fueled the fires of success.
The 1995 Winter Quarter saw 7 new pledges and the new colony president, Matthew Warren, fly to Kansas City, Missouri to participate in what would be the “colony’s” last President’s Conference. The next year would see Andy Szymendera attend as the president of the Troy State Chapter of FarmHouse. The colony saw its goals accomplished when on May 20, 1995 the Chapter received its Charter as the 40th chapter of FarmHouse Fraternity International.
The chapter today enjoys a full house, success in the classroom, success on the playing field and a rich tradition of leadership success on campus and in the world. Progress shall mark our every step…
Our Founders
|
|
 D. Howard "Daddy" Doane (1883-1984) was a true Renaissance man - a student, a teacher, a writer, a business man, a poet, a farmer, a public servant, a devout Christian. Most widely known as the founder and long-time Chairman of the Board of Doane Agricultural Services, which is the oldest and for decades was the largest farm management, appraisal and agricultural research organization in the United States. Among his many life accomplishments, Doane served on an agriculture task force appointed by President Herbert Hoover that was charged with reorganizing the US Department of Agriculture. He wrote four books and numerous articles for the leading agricultural journals and magazines. He provided leadership to dozens of civic and professional organizations throughout his lifetime. He received a B.S. in agriculture in 1908 and M.S. in agriculture in 1909 at the University of Missouri. He received three Honorary doctorates as well.
 Robert F. Howard (1883-1963) spent the first 15 years of his professional career as an educator before owning and running a large beef cattle operation and commercial pecan farm in Texas for the better part of his life. Howard was a professor and chairman of the Department of Horticulture at the University of Nebraska from 1914-24 after teaching previously at the University of Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. He moved to Wharton, Texas, in 1924, where he ran a 2,000 acre ranch with cattle and thousands of pecan trees. He provided leadership to many local and statewide civic organizations and initiatives in Texas for the last 40 years of his life. Howard received his B.S. in agriculture from Missouri in 1908, a masters in 1912 while teaching at Nebraska.
 Claude B. Hutchison (1885-1980) was an educator for more than 40 years of his life, teaching at the University of Missouri, Cornell University, University of California-Davis, University of Nevada and spent more than 20 years as a Vice President (1945-52) and Dean of Agriculture at the University of California - Berkeley (1930-52). For four years in the 1920s, he was the associate director of agricultural education for Europe. In 1946, he was the chairman of an agricultural mission trip to China by the US Department of Agriculture. He retired from instruction in 1954, serving his last two years as Dean of Agriculture at Nevada. And from 1955-63 he served as mayor of Berkeley, Calif. Hutchison received honorary degrees from Missouri, Sofia, Bulgaria and California.
 Henry H. Krusekopf (1886-1979) was a leading expert on soils, spending 48 years as a professor and researcher in the College of Agriculture at the University of Missouri. He received his B.S. in agriculture in 1908 and his masters in 1916 from Missouri. He did graduate work at Illinois in 1931-32. He was the author of numerous publications and journals on soil development and soil survey. "Krusey" was a member of a number of scientific, honorary and professional societies. He also consulted a number of federal and international agencies on agriculture, flood control, forestry and Indian land claims. In his spare time, Krusekopf owned and operated a farm in southeast Missouri.
 Earl W. "Farmer" Rusk (1885-1968) spent most of his career as a farmer and farm manager, yet enjoyed a variety of other professional interests. He briefly taught an Animal Husbandry course and served in the Farm Loan department of a large insurance company. He was farm service director of two Chicago radio station for four years, was agricultural agent for a railroad, and was supervising salesman and farm service director for a rock phosphate company for 14 years. He raised hogs and cattle on a farm in the Missouri Ozarks before retiring in California. Farmer Rusk graduated from Missouri in 1909. His son, William D., was the first son of a FarmHouse man to be initiated into FarmHouse in 1933.
 Henry P. Rusk (1884-1954) spent most of his professional career on staff at the University of Illinois, including the last 13 years of his career as Dean of the College of Agriculture. He received a B.S. in 1908 and M.S. in 1911, both from the University of Missouri. He served in the Department of Animal Husbandry at Illinois from 1910-1939. He was head of the department from 1922-1939. Among numerous accomplishments, he was the chair of President Hoover's commission on agriculture from 1948-1954. Rusk provided leadership to multiple national, state and local boards and organizations. He received honorary doctorates from three universities.
 Melvin E. Sherwin (1881-1924) was head of the soils department at what is now called North Carolina State University when he died at age 42. After graduating with a B.S. in agriculture in 1908, he received an M.A. in agriculture from the University of California-Berkeley in 1909. He spent one year as an agronomy instructor at the University of Maine before he joined the staff at NC State in 1910.
|
|
| |
| FarmHouse International History |
|
Our Fraternity was founded upon the hopes of a few men who sought fellowship within the College of Agriculture at the University of Missouri. Three men, D. Howard Doane, H. P. Rusk, and Earl Rusk, conceived the idea of forming the Agricultural club. They then proposed to rent a house and live together in the spring of 1905. The seven men considered to be our Founders are Earl Rusk, Henry P. Rusk, Claude B. Hutchinson, Robert F. Howard, Melvin Sherwin, Henry Krusekopf, and the Founder of FarmHouse, D. Howard Doane. They laid the foundation for the soon-to-be fraternity on April 15, 1905.
The club house came to be known as the Farm House. By the fall of 1907, the Agricultural club had become the Farm House Club and remained as such until 1915. In 1916, FarmHouse was listed as a professional fraternity and in 1924, with its admission to the Pan Hellenic Council, it was classified as a social fraternity by the University of Missouri.
The second chapter at the University of Nebraska had formed independently of the Missouri chapter without a name, but adopted the name FarmHouse because of the similarity of purposes, aims, and constituency. With the installation of the third chapter on October 15, 1914, at the University of Illinois, the process of nationalization had begun. Nationalization was officially recognized in early 1921.
In 1948, FarmHouse explored the possibility of a merger with Delta Theta Sigma Fraternity and agreed to a trial merger. Both fraternities worked closely with each other for two years and published their publications together. Because of a disagreement on what their new name should be, both organizations agreed at the 1950 conclave that it would be best for both to go separate ways.
FarmHouse Fraternity continued to thrive, starting independent chapters all across the United States.
However, on April 20th 1974, FarmHouse achieved a new mark of excellence when it became an international fraternity with the installation of the University of Alberta Chapter in Canada.
|
|
|
|