Historian's Report:

The Decline and Fall of the Dialectic Senate and Philanthropic Assembly

1956-1959

 

Ever since the drastic decline in membership during the Second World War, the Di Senate and Phi Assembly had struggled to maintain themselves as individual societies. The period from 1956 until May of 1959 recounts the last years of the Societies as separate institutions. In 1959, a merger took place, whereby the Di Senate and the Phi Assembly joined to form the dialectic and Philanthropic Societies.

 

Beginning in 1956, each society contained about 15 active members. The Di recognized the problem of membership, and the membership committee chair cowed more fliers and publicity. The phi lacked quorum constantly during its last few years, and the Di was hampered by a slew of resignations and leaves of absence.

 

Both Societies, however, still commanded some attention, as evident from their lending out of portrait, furniture, and the Di and Phi halls to various groups. Inter-Society debates took place, and inter-Society rivalry was also still strong. In April 1956, the Di moved to refer to the Phi only as the "Corrupted Rib of the Senate," and later  moved to make Elvis Presley a member of the phi. Various traditions were also maintained, i.e. the honorary vote for president given to James K. Polk, and allowed seniors unlimited speaking time in debates.

 

Guest speakers for inaugurations of new presidents came frequently until the last years, ranging from north Carolina Governors to Justices of the State Supreme Court.  Debates at this time covered a wide range of topics, many of them political. There were debates on foreign policy and the presidential election of 1956, arguments over whether the Democratic party of the Republican party is better, as well as segregation, NC agricultural policies, and the place of women in society. Most debates were hotly contested, and about the only thing members agreed on was that Vice President Nixon was an incompetent pretty boy.

 

Once again, reading the minutes of the Societies caused me to wonder about passing judgments on the ethics of previous generations. The debates over segregation and race at this time are numerous and vociferous. For the most part, the debate is even-sided, but occasionally Senators are recorded as having made some pretty harsh remarks. Senator Lambeth, in 1956, came into the chambers carrying a sign marked "KKK," he was asked to remove it. Senator Shaw, during the same meeting, argued that segregation was necessary to 'preserve the purity of Anglo-Saxon blood." In February 1957, discussion over the Negro question" in the Phi was postponed indefinitely. The debate picks up in October, with the following Executive session minutes recorded: [minutes attached]. To what extent should we fault these people for their racist viewpoints? Who among us can say, without any doubt that they should have acted better? Perhaps, I will simply let the record speak for itself.

 

We begin to see the Societies decline in a number of ways. First of all, there is a steady decline in the quality of inauguration speakers, The Societies went from having governors, to state representatives, to chancellors, to professors. On January 8, 1957, Dr. Poteat gave a speech in which he noted that he had been called the night before to come and speak on anything he wanted. The Di even went so far as to ask a prominent ex-Phi to come and speak.

 

Secondly, the number of guests who attended meetings steadily declined to one or two per meeting. Thirdly, the activities of the Societies in the UNC community slowly declined. The annual Di-Phi Awards, given to prominent students and faculty, was gone by 1959. The annual Inter-Society debate was changed to a Di-Phi versus Debate Club debate, and finally dropped altogether. Eventually, rather than having the Di and Phi recruit members from the Debate Squad, Debate Squad members were attending Di and Phi meetings encouraging people to try out for their team.

 

Fourthly, respect for the Societies and for other members began to break down. Numerous Critic's reports and comments made in Executive Sessions attested to the lack of decorum present during the meetings. The Critic of the Phi, in December 1958, commented that that night he had seen the worst speeches ever given in the Assembly. One clerk of the Di, Senator Moss, kept increasingly sarcastic minutes, criticizing people's speeches, and often lapsing into bitter personal attacks. Though most likely humorous in intent, actions such as these show little respect for the traditions of the societies. The Phi clerks show a similar lack of respect in their keeping of the minutes. The Phi minutes go from neatly hand-written pages in large ornate books, to hastily scribbled notes written on the backs of old financial reports.

 

Finally, there is the matter of finances. In December 1956, the Di reports that finances would be in order if everyone just paid their dues. The Phi reported in October that : "Finances not so good." They improved in 1956 from being $30 in debt, to being only $15 in debt. Outstanding debts to the Yacket-Yack seem to have been a major problem, and as one Phi noted: 'It is customary to pay our bills to the Yack a year late." When the Societies merged, the collective debt was reported as being only $7.

 

Numerous stop-gap solutions and comments by concerned Senators do not seem to have influenced the steady decline in membership. Reports in executive session for both Societies acknowledged the problem, but little seemed to be done. Several members commented that the Societies should have more debates and fewer executive sessions. The Di, in December 1956, cancelled one meeting for the sole purpose of allowing members to spend that night searching for guests to bring to the next meeting. The Phi tried to impose a 10 cent fine on anyone who didn't bring a guest to the meetings, but the bill failed. The inauguration of the president of the Di in 1956 stressed the duty of all Senators to bring in new members. Various guest speakers familiar with the Societies offered hope by saying the best was yet to come. Chancellor House, in an address to the Phi in 1956, claimed that they were at "the renaissance of the literary society ideal." However, both societies continued their downward trend. In one meeting in 1959, four Phi Assembly representatives engaged in a heated debate, with the president forced to break a 2-2 tie. The Di appears to have broken down sooner; enclosed is a photocopy of the last page of the final recorded minutes of the Dialectic Senate: [minutes attached].

 

The Di Senate minutes end in late 1957, so only in the Phi records can we investigate the final days of the Societies as independent entities. On March 31^st 1959, there was discussion regarding handing over "operational authority" of the phi Chambers to the Student union. The next meeting was scheduled to be held at the "rat" on Franklin Street. May 12^th was the last recorded minutes of the Phi Assembly. It is noted that three members of the Dialectic Senate were present to present a bill that would join the two Societies. Meetings were agreed to be conducted in the Dialectic Chambers, while using the Philanthropic Constitution for proceedings. Representative Black urged the combination, noting that the chambers would be taken away if nothing was done. Representative Jackson felt that the merger would not change anything. Representative Mathews wanted to see how "rush" went in the fall, and then make a decision. Before the 1:19 am adjournment, the Phi voted to merge with the Di. The Dialectic Senate and Phi Assembly had ceased to exist-- in their place, the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies.

 

Di-Phi met regularly in a Joint Senate beginning fall semester 1959. As the first page of the minutes states, they would meet as such, 'until such time that the growth in membership shall require a division into the component Societies." In the first year of the joint Senate, membership was only up to about 15 total members. Debates continued as before, similar in organization to those of the Phi Assembly the previous semester. There wee hopeful signs that the new arrangement would work out.

 

In 1960, Di-Phi was invited to furnish judges for the local high school debates.

 

In March 1960, the Governor of North Carolina ( A Di Alumnus) accepted an invitation to make an address at the Societies. He was introduced by Chancellor House, and a commissioned portrait of Gov. Hodges was given to the Societies. Though not quite up to the standards of its distinguished pasts, the Di and Phi Societies had survived, re-born in the Joint Senate which continues to this day.

 

Respectfully Submitted

Senator Max A. Spitzer, Di

 

 

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