Epsilon Unity 1850 Call

On Tuesday the 28th July the Epsilon Unity 1850 group hosted an open call with the purpose of getting an update from both National and SATH on the status of the Epsilon reopening. After Jamie Harper, representing National and I, representing SATH gave our respective updates the meeting was open to questions. 

The Epsilon Unity 1850 group was lead by:

Suzanne Molinaro (E ’92)

Doug Loutit (E ’93)

Britt DeVeer (E ’95) 

Britt acted as the moderator of the call

Major Topics Discussed

• Trinity/National relationship: Trinity has softened its stance on Greek life generally but wants Epsilon to return as a club (modelled on Sigma at Yale) rather than a fraternity, operating outside the college’s Greek system but still under National’s bylaws and rituals — no change to the relationship with other St. Anthony Hall chapters.

• Alumni mentorship model: Drawing on the successful re-founding of the Phi chapter at Ole Miss, alumni will be assigned to mentor undergraduate officers with regular check-ins, and pledge committees will be asked to sign off on and be accountable for pledge-process guidelines.

• Facilities: Window restoration is the immediate priority; Ogilby (dining hall + 35 dorm beds) is a much larger, separate capital challenge — a seven-year-old estimate of ~$7M for envelope/interior work is expected to be significantly higher today (estimates offered in the $10–15M range, or roughly $400K/bed given ADA and asbestos-abatement requirements). Trinity’s deferred-maintenance backlog exceeds $200M campus-wide, limiting how much the college itself can contribute.

• Dues/membership confusion: Some major donors were incorrectly not recognized as “members in good standing” due to unclear communication of rules; Andrew Whitney has updated the donations page and apologized to affected donors, committing to fix this going forward.

• Fundraising approach: Leadership cited past success using two to three committed lead donors to build fundraising momentum, a model they intend to replicate for both window restoration and any future Ogilby campaign.

Individual Highlights

• Andrew Whitney (President, E '83) — Walked through the reinstatement timeline, board vacancies, dues/membership fix, and communications plans; described feeling “completely overwhelmed” but energized by the role and welcomed the idea, raised by Charlie Ingersoll of formalizing a nominations process prior to the annual meeting as one that will be implemented.

• David Duncan (building committee) (E ’77)— Gave a detailed history of prior conversations with Trinity administration about Ogilby, noting the college had at one point considered the site for a new ~250–280-bed dorm before conversations turned toward reconstitution instead; offered to do a dedicated follow-up call on Ogilby specifics.

• Rodney Day (E ’59) — Offered an emotional reflection on cross-generational bonds and the hall’s historic standing at Trinity and pledged financial support once the fundraising structure is finalized.

• Charlie Ingersoll (E ’80) — A veteran of a prior ~$2M capital campaign with Townsend Ziebold (E '81), stressed the importance of finishing the windows as promised to donors, recruiting board members willing to spend real time in Hartford, and proposed a formal nominations/curation process for board candidates.

• John Gates Jr (E ‘73) — A 16-year former Trinity College Board of Trustees member (facilities committee), gave a candid, detailed assessment of Ogilby’s costs (~$400K/bed) versus new construction, and urged the group to separate the fraternity restart from the Ogilby question, cautioning that major college financial participation in Ogilby is unlikely.

• Wylie Johnston (E ’08) — Represented a younger alumni cohort, noted many in his era were unaware dues even existed, and proposed a staggered board/undergraduate structure (e.g., five each of sophomores, juniors, seniors) to preserve institutional memory across pledge classes.

• Lisa Jackson (E ’98) — Shared her experience visiting the shuttered building during reunion weekend, praised the shift toward shorter, more digestible communications, and offered ideas on alumni re-engagement.

• Patrick Bayliss (E ’88) and Philippe de Laperouse (Epsilon 72) — Asked clarifying questions about the campus Greek environment, how the club model affects relations with other St. Anthony Hall chapters, and how Ogilby fits into the eating-club lifestyle.

• Greg Coward (E ’65)— Pressed on why SAF hadn’t addressed alumni mentorship and oversight over the past 20 years; Andrew Whitney acknowledged the point directly rather than deflecting.

• Frank Noto (aka Brooke Southall) (E ’82)— Raised pointed questions about board succession and whether alumni have a real vote, leading to a brief tense exchange with Andrew Whitney and John Gatsos, who confirmed members in good standing do have a vote at the annual meeting and that bylaws would be posted for review.

• James Harper (The National) (E ’85)— Addressed whether The National would recognize the reopened hall, describing his role visiting all chapters and emphasizing shared ritual and continuity across the fraternity.

As president of SATH, I want to say that we welcomed the call and it’s format. Our intent is to schedule further calls where we discuss specific items amongst those who attend. Two of the items raised, By-Laws and Finances, have already been addressed and for those who are curious, you may find them on the DeltaPsi.org website, though I do want to stress that this information should NOT be shared with anyone outside of the brotherhood.

YITB

Andrew Whitney