Still Pledging: Sixty-Two Years of Brotherhood From Allegheny College’s Phi Delts of ’66

In the fall of 1962 and spring of 1963, 29 first-year students from the Class of '66 walked through the doors of the Pennsylvania Delta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Allegheny College.

They were 18 years old.

Sixty-two years later, what began as a pledge class has become something more enduring, living proof that college friendships don't just last. They grow.

Two years ago, Craig Toedtman '66 reached out to classmates Gordon Starr, Rick Harris and Chuck Ungar with an ambitious idea: Let's find everyone. Track down the entire pledge class. Not simply to reminisce about the "good old days," but to reconnect in a meaningful way.

They searched far and wide, gathering contact information for brothers they hadn't heard from since graduation. Out of the original 29, four had passed away and four could not be located. Of the 21 contacted, 18 now regularly log in for virtual gatherings every few months.

Those participating include Pete Baggerman, Tom Baxter, Bill Cowles, Doug Ellis, David Finn, Don Fontana, Rick Harris, Gifford Lawrence, Randy Pock, John Reed, John Rydquist, Lou Schultz, Bob Schwartz, Gordon Starr, Chris Tarr, Craig Toedtman, Don Truesdell, and Chuck Ungar.

The format is simple: How are you? Where are you? What have you been doing since 1966? What has life taught you? What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

From there, the conversation deepens.

If you imagine a string of aging fraternity brothers replaying pledge pranks, think again. The discussions tend to move quickly beyond tray sledding in Meadville winters, Greek Sing victories under John Rydquist's direction, or the lively Phi Delta parties of the mid-'60s.

Today's conversations explore fuller territory, including the joys and challenges of marriage, parenting, and grandparenting. Career milestones. Setbacks. Health struggles. The small habits that seem to sustain vitality, and the ones that clearly don't, as the group drifts into its eighties.

Lifelong learning, a hallmark of their Allegheny experience, still binds them. Doctors, lawyers, educators, and business leaders share insights gained over decades. Each Zoom session has a theme. Each gathering has a purpose. Agendas are assembled collaboratively, and every meeting ends the same way, with another date circled on the calendar and a thoughtful topic for next time. Every call comes with the familiar refrain: Let's meet again.

The roots of these bonds run deep from their days in Meadville. Lazy Sunday mornings with music filling the fraternity house. Chuck Ungar's ever-present camera. Meals managed by Dave "Dizzy" Dalzell, Denny Andrews, and Bill Cowles, and the unforgettable Katy the cook.

"Our class was, and is, a special group," Toedtman says. "That was our feeling then and now."

The connections formed at Allegheny carried into adulthood. Brothers stood in one another's weddings. They roomed together after graduation. They collaborated professionally, designing logos, making introductions, and offering counsel from afar. The habit of building and sustaining relationships became second nature.

David Finn emphasized the importance of connections. To that end, "The '66 Phi's developed the importance of connections, making them, and keeping them," Toedtman says.

The group shares its story with intention. They hope other Allegheny circles, including teammates, classmates, ensembles, and roommates, might consider reviving their own bonds not simply to look backward, but to continue learning from one another.

Because friendships are not static. "Friendships form and are further developed as each year passes," Toedtman says. "Live them to their fullest."

For the Phi Delts of '66, that mutual pledge is still very much in effect.