Di-Phi
Celebrates Anniversary
Jim Pate
Chapel Hill
Newspaper September 26, 1975
The
Dialectic and Philanthropic Society of the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its restoration
this year.
The
Di-Phi Society is the oldest student organization in the South and the second
oldest in the nation.
The
Di-Phi Society has its origins in the founding of the university itself. When
UNC opened its doors in 1795, the first students to enroll immediately
organized the Debating Society. It is from this nucleus group that the Di-Phi's
grew.
The
Debating Society soon split, however, into two splinter debating organizations,
the Concord Society and the Dialectic Society. The Concord Society later became
the Philanthropic Society and finally, the Phi Assembly. The Dialectic Society
eventually evolved into the Di Senate.
In
1868, the University was forced to close its doors because of the unstable and
disruptive politics of Reconstruction. During the seven years the University
lay dormant, the Societies placed their valuable art collection, chamber
furnishings and archives in the hands of Society alumni.
When
the University reopened its doors in 1875, alumni immediately called the
Societies into session. On September 15, the Dialectic Society was called to
order by State Supreme Court Judge William Horn Battle. North Carolina's former
war governor Zebulon Baird Vance was in the audience. North Carolina Secretary
of State William L. Saunders presided over the meeting of the Philanthropic
Society the same evening.
In
1959 the Societies merged into the Di-Phi Society marking the end of 164 years
of separate meetings.
The
History of Di-Phi was presented recently by Dr. Albert M. Coates when the
Society met in its chambers to celebrate its 100th restoration anniversary. Coates, 1917 president of the
Phi Society and founder of the UNC Institute of Government here, was one of the
honored speakers of the occasion.
The
financial history was discussed briefly by Dr. Coates wife Gladys. Although not
a member herself, Mrs. Coates has done extensive research into the history and
past business affairs of the Society.
She
recalled with special relish having dinner with the President of Princeton
University, where she reminded the president that it was UNC's Di-Phi Society
that provided money to pull the Princeton Library out of a financial hole in
the 19th century.
The
second featured speaker was the honorable William L. Bobbitt, recently retired
Chief Justice of the N.C. Supreme Court, President of the Di Society in 1921
and winner of the Willie P. Mangum medal for oratory in 1922. He delivered a
few remarks and reminiscences of his impressions of the University and the
Di-Phi Societies during his years in the Di Chambers.
Commenting
on the decline in the student interest in the Di-Phi Society in recent years,
Bobbitt pointed out that the availability of the automobile could largely be
responsible for this.
"When
I was a student here," Bobbitt said, "Kids didn't take off every
weekend. They had to stay in town because most did not have money or the means
to leave town, except on holidays. In those days, the Di-Phi debates were a
preferred form of entertainment for students, faculty and citizens alike."
Bobbitt
spoke of fines being imposed on members for a variety of offenses such as
negligence of duty, unexcused absences from meetings and profanity. He said in those days if a student had to be
in Carrboro for the evening, it was considered a justifiable excuse for missing
a meeting.
Author
Thomas Wolfe was president of the Di Senate during Bobbitt's first year in the
Society. Bobbitt illustrated Wolfe's inclination for verbal mischief with a few
anecdotes about the great writer.
For
instance, a meeting over which Wolfe was presiding was interrupted by a
gentleman coming in and announcing to Wolfe, "Mr. President, a lady waits
without."
"Without
what?" Wolfe asked sternly.
'Without
food or clothing, sir."
"Well,"
said Wolfe, reflecting momentarily, "Feed her and show her in."
Roger
N. Kirkman of Winston-Salem, a graduate student in Geography, is this year's
chairman of the Di Society. Chairman of the Phi Society is George T. Blackburn II, a law student from
Henderson. Eliot Warnock, a journalism major from Chapel Hill, is the President
of the Di-Phi Senate.
Keeping
up the Societies' tradition, Di-Phi will sponsor a special bicentennial debate
on Oct. 16 by faculty members on the issue, "Resolved, that the American
colonies should declare their independence from the British Crown." The
public debate will start at 8 p.m. In the Di-Phi Chambers in New West.
The
DI-Phi Society also is sponsoring talks this fall by Dr. John Allcott, Judge
Hamilton Hobgood, Vermont Royster, and State Attorney General Rufus Edmisten.
On
Oct. 2, Allcott, retired UNC art professor, will discuss the topic,
"Robert Donaldson, the First North Carolinian to Become Prominent in the
Arts." Alcott will speak at 8 p.m. in the Di-Phi Chambers.
Edmisten
will speak in Gerrard Hall at 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 to talk about the rights of
minorities in our state.
Judge
Hobgood will be in the Society's chambers in New West on Nov. 20 to discuss the
recent and controversial Joan Little trial. Hobgood was the trial judge in
those proceedings.
On
Dec. 4, UNC journalism professor Vermont Royster, former editor of the Wall
Street Journal, will deliver a lecture on the presidency since Roosevelt at 8
p.m. in the Di-Phi chambers.