THE HISTORY OF FARMHOUSE FRATERNITY

1975-1984 Expansion a Priority of the Decade

The late 1970s and early 1980s were prosperous times for men's fraternities and for FarmHouse. The Vietnam War was over and college enrollment began to steadily increase. As the US celebrated its bicentennial in 1976, a year later the fraternity movement also celebrated its bicentennial.

Hollywood's way of celebrating the fraternity movement's 200th anniversary? The release of “Animal House” in 1978. One might argue that never has a movie had more of an impact on a collective group of organizations than this film did on fraternities.

Fraternity membership soared after the release of the film, which depicts the crazy, wild, free-spirited delta-kegger stereotype of
what fraternities are about. However, some 27 years later, the negative fallout from the film is still being felt.

FarmHouse Expansion

The decade saw considerable growth within FarmHouse. Six new chapters chartered between 1975-84—including Texas Tech in 1978, Montana State in 1979, West Virginia in 1981, Cal Poly-Pomona in 1982, and Tennessee Tech and Illinois State, each in 1983. To better support our chapters, FH first
added a part-time expansion consultant, Roy Wilson (PU '73), and later a full-time assistant executive director to assist executive director Bob Off (CO '64). David Morford (IA '73) and Mike Goolsby (OK '73) later served as full-time assistant executive directors, before C.J. Gauger (IA '37) led the expansion efforts on a part-time basis from 1981-84. In 1984, Ken Converse (SD '81) was hired as director of expansion.

Loss of Our Founders

The decade also saw the loss of the final three living founders. Krusekopf died in 1979 at the age of 94. He was professor emeritus of soils at the University of Missouri. Hutchison died in 1980 at the age of 95. He was retired dean of agriculture at the University of California and former mayor of Berkeley, California. And lastly, Doane died in 1984. He was 100. Doane's impact on agriculture was most noteworthy, founding Doane Agricultural Services and serving on several presidential commissions.

Each man was widely respected and admired as a leader in agriculture. Fortunately, the Fraternity was able to capture Krusekopf's and Doane's reflections on FarmHouse on video in the late 1970s.

Women in FarmHouse

Debate and discussion continued throughout this decade about the role of women in FarmHouse, with members looking at how the FH experience could be duplicated for women.

In 1978, the International Board prepared a proposal for FarmHouse Fraternity Women's Chapters.

Each of the five Conclaves during this decade discussed the issue at great length. Students and alumni alike had strong opinions on the topic, as voiced at Conclave and in letters to the editor in Pearls & Rubies . Much of the debate focused on the impact that a women's agriculture fraternity would have on the sister groups that existed to support many chapters.

A proposal was passed at the 1980 Conclave that pilot women's FH clubs be formed on select campuses. The committee that was investigating also conducted an extensive survey of FH chapters and associations, with 65 percent in support of a women's agricultural fraternity.

Much of the debate centered on FarmHouse losing its name recognition as a men's organization. An alternative proposal for the “establishment of an agricultural-related women's sorority” with a name other than FarmHouse that would be “formed in the image of FarmHouse” was unanimously approved by delegates at the '84 Conclave.

Through the survey and brainstorming, the ladies involved and a committee of FH men selected the name Ceres Fraternity for the separate women's fraternity. Ceres is the Roman Goddess of agriculture.

In 1985 Ceres became a reality with the chartering of its first chapter at Colorado State.

Liability Issues

As the decade came to a close, fraternities were seeing all-time highs in membership. Like it or not, “Animal House” had helped propel fraternity membership during this decade and paint a picture of the fun-loving, wild times one could experience in a fraternity.

The decade ended with a national 21-year-old drinking age being implemented in all 50 states in 1984 and several landmark fraternity lawsuits that provided a glimpse of the liability and risk management challenges that lay ahead.