SAE NY Honors
 George R. Pfann '24
(born October 6, 1902, died December 19, 1996)

When George R. Pfann Sr., class of '24, died on December 17, 1996, at the age of 94, he was the oldest living member of the College Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.

During his undergraduate days, Pfann was a true "student-athlete" before the term came into being. He was a quarterback who led the team to 24 straight wins from 1921 to 1923, earning All-America honors as the captain in 1923. He also won three letters in lacrosse and was on the basketball squad for three years.

After graduating with honors, he continued his education at Cornell Law School for two years before accepting a Rhodes Scholarship to complete his legal education at Brasenose College of Oxford University. During his law school days on the Hill, he was an assistant football coach and was the freshman basketball mentor.

When WWII came, Pfann served in the European Theatre through the worst of the fighting. As secretary of the general staff of the United States Seventh and Third Armies under General George Patton, our George figured in the electrifying tank warfare that changed the attack from a slow, grinding "first-down" offensive to "carry-the-ball all the way" through the defenses of the opposition. He was decorated with the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defender of the Fatherland, seven battle stars, and one Arrowhead (amphibious landing).

As a civilian, Pfann was general counsel for the Cooperative Grange League Federation, now called Agway, until his retirment. He was a professor at Cornell Law School and a member of the University Board of Trustees and then seved as Trustee Emeritus.

Pfann was named to the College Football Foundation and Hall of Fame in 1957 and was a charter member of the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame. In the 1980s, Pfann could still be seen going to the Teagle Pool for his exercise.
An All-American quarterback at Cornell in 1923, Pfann was short and chunky at 5-foot-9 and 172 pounds. In the single wing of his era, the quarterback was often called the blocking back, but he also had to carry the ball on plunges into the line and was sometimes used as a pass receiver.


In Pfann's three years as a starter, Cornell won all 24 of its games and scored 1,051 points against 81 for its opponents. The school's most important games were against Pennsylvania. In 1921, Pfann was featured as a blocker in front of Edgar Kaw, who scored 5 touchdowns in a 41-0 victory. Pennsylvania was watching for Kaw in 1922 and Pfann did most of the ground gaining as Cornell won, 9-0. Kaw graduated in 1923. Pfann, captaining the team that fall, caught a 30-yard pass for one touchdown and ran 5 yards for the other as Cornell again beat Penn, 14-7.

George Trevor of the New York Sun put Pfann on the all-time All-American team he selected in 1938.

Pfann studied law after graduating and then spent a year as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford. He became U. S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and, during World War II, was on Gen. George S. Patton's staff. He coached football at Swarthmore from 1931 through 1935.

SAE NY Honors
Douglas D. Crowe '61



A portrait of Crowe

Harold "Spike" Kunz at the rededication of the Crowe Memorial at Hillcrest during reunion.

Spike was the only member of his class to make reunion, but others in his class visited earlier in the year.




Plaque honoring Doug Crowe at Hillcrest.



Doug Crowe studies at the chapter house.



SAE NY Honors
 Anthony C. Treadwell '65

A True Gentleman - June 11, 2005
On December 1, 2006, we lost a True Gentleman who was very special to NY Alpha, was a chapter adviser to many of you, and was a close friend to many Alumni Board members with whom he served as well as numerous other alumni over several generations.

After several years of illness but never giving up the fight or lacking hope Tony Treadwell '65 left us forever.

We all express our humble gratitude for what he did and for his significant commitment over a great number of years. We also express our deepest condolences to his family and especially his wife and partner, Nancy.

"Celebrate life" is how Tony wanted to be remembered, and on April 7, during the Masters Tournament, please pause and remember our brother Tony Treadwell and Nancy.

Tony Treadwell BA '69, MBA '71

To understand Tony Treadwell's contribution to the chapter, it is critical to reflect not only on the activities he conducted, but also on the times in which he accomplished them. The late seventies and early eighties were a tough era for the Greek system. Several houses were failing and it seemed that few cared.

During this period, Hillcrest's financial status was grave. In a desperate attempt to save the Chapter, several brothers, led by Brother Bob Dean (True Gentleman Award recipient 2004), negotiated the 1985 Agreement, which governs our relationship with the University to this day. The agreement provided a reprieve from pending insolvency, but did not ensure Hillcrest's future. Indeed, the agreement required involvement by both the active brotherhood and alumni association-and the extent to which we were to meet our obligations and begin to re-build was as yet unknown.

It was at this point, in 1984, that Tony began his service as chapter adviser.

By way of background, Tony is known by his friends and classmates as a guy who worked hard and played harder. "A solid guy" who got along well with everyone in what has been described as "a close but diverse house."



Copperplate plaque presented to Tony Treadwell on June 11, 2005, at ceremony.

Peter Heylin '65 remembers Tony as "studious--at least when they weren't playing Photoelectric Football." Tony was also active in house politics, rising to the office of Eminent Archon in the Spring of '65.

Nearing graduation, Tony paused for a period of personal reflection in what he calls his "Travels with Charlie," a reference to a similar trip taken by author John Steinbeck. At the time, his absence from Hillcrest was no small mystery to the brothers. To all, it seemed he just vanished. Tony traveled and took a series of odd jobs working his way across the Midwest. But with the conflict heating up in Vietnam, and now no longer enrolled in a degree program, Uncle Sam offered to assist Tony in finding himself. Drafted into the Army, but his volunteer offer to serve in Vietnam turned down, he served stateside until he received an early discharge to return to Cornell to finish his BA and get his MBA. It seems that this personal reflection worked-in 1971 Tony graduated summa cum laude from Cornell's Johnson School of Business.

After graduation Tony took a series of jobs--in Ohio working in the energy industry, and then in Illinois with Belson Steel. But it was in 1984 that he had a chance to return to Ithaca working for Wallace Industries in the $20 billion metal recycling industry. It was about that time the he met his wife Nancy -- on a blind date -- and realized they shared many interests. They were both avid golfers and lovers of classical music. And Nancy claims she had one skill that really won him over - "I laughed at all his jokes-even the ones I've heard more than once."

It was about this time that the VP of Campus Affairs, Bill Gurovitz conspired with the actives to enlist Tony as the chapter adviser. And in this role he served with distinction from 1984 to 1993. Tony is particularly remembered for his consultative, mentoring style. Jake Schaible '89 attests that Tony was always available, ready to offer calm and thoughtful advice but never overbearing. He comments, "It was obvious that Tony derived a great deal of satisfaction from his mentoring role. He saw himself as there to guide and support - not to force his opinions on others, and that made quite an impression on me." Lance Peters ('89) recalls long visits to Tony's Ithaca office at Wallace Industries to discuss house issues.

His most important contribution was his insistence that actives understand their obligations for future service, which he himself established by example. The best evidence of his profound influence is the current make-up of the board-most of whom were actives during his tenure, and whose example we all follow. Take a look around Tony-we're here because of you.

Tony served with distinction until he was lured away by another love -- golf. As he was turning 50, he followed his dream to be a pro golfer and moved to Florida to qualify for the Senior PGA Tour. A scratch golfer before, he improved over the qualifying rounds to a handicap of 2 to 6 under par. Though he never qualified, as they say in golf, "never up, never in."

Tony returned to the metal recycling industry without any regrets. Nancy says the experience taught them a lot about golf, business & life. Tony is currently the VP of Finance & Administration and CFO of Consolidated Scrap Resources. Tony and his wife Nancy live in York, Pennsylvania. Tony is indeed a True Gentleman.

By Kevin Merriman '88
and Jasper Schaible '89


Tony Treadwell golfing in 1987.



SAE NY Honors
Bob Crosby '65

Brothers celebrate Robert Crosby Memorial Day
NY ALPHA BROTHERS GATHER IN HAMILTON, MASS., TO CELEBRATE BOB CROSBY

Dear Brothers:
A few months ago, I received an email from Terry Boone. Terry runs the Virtual Wall website, which is dedicated to the memory of Swift Boat and other Americans who died in Vietnam.

Our 40th Reunion in 2005 was dedicated to Bob Crosby, and Terry's website enabled us to find several Vietnam and high school friends of Bob's
Together, we put together both the very meaningful dedication exhibit in the dining hall at Hillcrest. Bob's Swift Boat flag is flanked by an SAE flag and a Cornell flag with his plaque is below. We also raised more than $50,000 for the Crosby Memorial Fund
Back to recent history: Terry called me. He is placing special permanent medallions on the graves of Swift Boat guys who were killed in Vietman and was having trouble finding graves. He asked for our help. I asked class of '65 brothers and although John Sharpe and Bob Matthews both answered that they had attended the ceremony 40 years ago, they could only recall that it was near Bob's home in South Hamilton.
to help kick off the rebuilding project at Hillcrest.

I checked the old obituary and found Bob's old address which I "reverse directory" searched and got a phone number. I called, and Marylou Groessbeck answered. She didn't know the Crosbys, but she did know Bob's story and wanted to help. Long story short: We found the grave and Terry affixed the medallion during a celebration on Memorial Day 2009. The celebration included several of Bob's friends from elementary school, Lenox School, and NYA SAE [Nick Wilder, Tony Anderson and Frank McGuire from '65.

Phi Alpha!
Peter (or as you guys seem to say, "Pete") Heylin


A Letter To Brother Robert L. Crosby '65
(from The New York Alpha News, Spring 2005)


Bob Crosby '65


Robert Crosby (top row, third from left) with his unit.

Sorry, Bob. We all know this story should have been written 35 years ago. That was when most of your SAE brothers heard that you had been killed in Nam. Something about getting shot by accident during a routine Swift boat training mission.

We all felt the tragedy. You were one of our favorites. It might be said that you were the only one of our pledge brothers to absolutely get along with everyone at all times, to be liked and loved by all. You were smart, you were loyal, you were patient, you were funny. I can still picture you at the infamous square dance party on Spring Weekend 1964, the one that the House wanted to back out of because word got out on campus that SAE was doing a ding-a-ling thing like a square dance. The one where the Kopff brothers, led by Papa Milo Kopff playing a six-foot-tall, coffin-like wooden box by brushing it with steel wool, made some real knee-slappin' music. The one where Sharpie stirred his screwdriver with a cigar. And there you were, regaled in a flowing white sheet, either as a Roman or Jesus we guessed, and you flew around the dining hall dance floor like a spinning orchid bird. What fun!

Your class of 1965 will be having its 40th reunion in a few months. The five-gallon tins may be dragged out for the milk punch. We'll try to get Germy to chug the "Pais Is Nice" trophy again. Or maybe Tones will recite us some real hip Blake. Or Jim Staid could tell one of his soap opera-like Montana tales like the fishing story: one hour and fifteen minutes, minimum, and all it amounted to was that a fish he caught got maggots. We'll remember things, like when we all went out to Cunningham's on the Lake and heard that new "She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" British group for the first time; bare-handedly moving the gravel around in the driveway; B.M.O.R.'s; our green Ale Man jackets; driving up Triphammer and hearing that President Kennedy had been shot; hustler Tony T as the master of the half-inch jump that made playing pool on the house's cracked slate more like a game of chance or an exercise in trigonometry.

But that pool table served us well. Can you recall 260-pound Mickey Trimberger lying on it dead under a sheet during the solemn chapter eternal part of the initiation ceremony? You could see his stomach jiggling and hear his tiny squeals of repressed laughter. We knew credit was due to every EA who kept a straight face through that! Do you remember when my Dad-an SAE brother-put the pin on me? The best of times was made even better because we all had a brother like you.

And now, in June, we're going to return to revisit a few of those memories and reattach some bonds. And Croser, you will be there in more than spirit. The flag from your boat, PCF 21, bullet-holed and frayed from the patrols you made in An Thoi Province, will be framed and presented to the chapter along with a generous gift in your name. With this gift, our class of 1965 will kick off the most ambitious rebuilding project in Hillcrest's history-a total and necessary renovation to be completed by our 50th reunion in 2015. And we'll sing Violets and Her Loveliness and maybe A Horse's Ass. We'll check out our old rooms. We'll laugh and cry and make promises to stay closely in touch that we'll hope to keep. And if we're lucky, maybe we'll see that orchid bird whirling around us.

Phi Alpha, brother,
Peter Heylin '65
pelican2001@sbcglobal.net



Bob Crosby '65 with Swift Boat crew members. Note Senator John Kerry at right.


Click to see full-size plaque


Crosby plaque positioned below the American Flag from Crosby's boat.



SAE NY Honors
Eamon McEneaney '77


A Tribute to Brother Eamon J. McEneaney '77

The following two items are photos of framed plaques on our Tribute Wall at Hillcrest.



Plaques honoring Eamon McEneaney at Hillcrest.