I was born in the fall of 1824, just north of Oxford, Ohio in a little town called Piqua. My parents had eight children, of which I was the fifth. My father used to tell me how his granddad led troops and fought for our independence in the Revolutionary War. In 1846, I figured it would be in my best interest to enroll in college, so I departed for Miami that fall. Two years later, I met up with Morrison and Wilson. Robert had the idea of forming a secret society. I had heard of the Alphas and the Betas, but they were in hot water with Ol’ Dean MacMaster for a little disturbance known as the Great Snowball Rebellion. Since Robert was my loyal friend and a man composed of strong moral convictions and values, I thought it would be a fine idea.

I graduated in 1851 and went back home to Piqua to teach. I moved on to St. Mary’s, Ohio, and finally taught in Brighton, Iowa. Just eight years after I helped pioneer this great and beloved Brotherhood, I caught Typhoid fever, which was quite common in those days. I was the first of us to join the Chapter Grand, and they buried me in Brighton, just south of where our Iowa Alpha Chapter would be founded in 1871.