Sam Ayers: Cross & Crescent

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A YANKEE GOES TO MEMPHIS

When the time came for Bielich to choose a college, one friend of the family recommended Memphis State and Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. With thoughts that immediately turned to hazing, Bielich recoiled at the mere thought of life in a fraternity. His friend assured him that hazing was a thing of the past and introduced him to the concept of the associate program, told him how great the Fraternity was in sports and fraternal functions, and how huge Lambda Chi was on campus.

"So here's this Yankee kid coming down to Memphis, Tennessee. I mean, first time we're there, I stepped off the plane and it's thick humidity--you know, you're talking the mid-South." But after a tour of the chapter, a big brick house which was on what Memphis State was trying to develop as fraternity row at that time...the rest, as they say, is history. Bielich takes great pride, even today, that he was voted Associate of the Year in 1976. He said, "What was wild about the associate program was that you were already a brother, already accepted. Being a Yankee, they always wanted me to talk. You know, coming from Merrimack, New Hampshire, and sounding almost like a Kennedy...they took me right in."

Being 1,326 miles away from home, he made countless lifelong friends at Lambda Chi. One of these brothers actually pulled him out of the gutter later in his life and helped him get back on his feet.

"We had a 100-and-something man chapter and were very diversified. We were a dynasty. no one could touch this chapter in the Greek system, as we won intramural championship trophies every year in the fraternity championship and then campus championship. We were the Intramural Olympic Team one year, even breaking Olympic timing in some swimming events." While he admitted that he was never a great student, he did get involved in all aspects of fraternity life.

Bielich shared stories of Mrs. Flowers, an African-American woman, who had been the chapter's cook for the past 35 years. "Every year we'd celebrate her birthday--that day the food would taste a little funny--we figured she put a little sauce in there for herself."

"I remember one time, during my first visit to Mississippi--we were going down to Colonel Tom Curry's house--I told the fraternity brothers to stop the car, and they were all saying 'What are you talking about, you crazy Yankee.' I proceeded to get out in the cotton field and pick cotton for my first time. They said, 'Yankee, you're crazy.' I said 'I have to do this, guys.'"

"We had a good time and I always made them laugh."

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