We Are College Guys

In 1958 Larry Elliot, fellow Chi Phi at Dartmouth and trombonist leader of the Dartmouth Indian Chiefs Dixieland Band, wrote the music and co-authored the book and lyrics with yours truly for “The Chuck Sturdley Story,” a one-act musical that brought down the house. Actually, several houses. 

The show won a college prize for best presentation at the annual Inter-fraternity Theatre Contest and was subsequently offered a spot at a campus variety show sponsored by the college in majestic Webster Hall overlooking the Dartmouth Green adjacent to Baker Library. The leading role depicting romantically luckless plugger Chuck Sturdley was winsomely portrayed by fraternity brother John Hamilton Miller, post-college, News Editor of The Wall Street Journal.

Our frothy kerfuffle was a distant cousin of “Animal House,” co- incidentally scripted by Dartmouth ‘62 alum Chris Miller.

Here is the blockbuster opening and closing number:

We are college guys, with bloody blood shot eyes,
Everybody loves us, so do we.
Colorful til death, with whiskey on our breath,
Fraternity, virility, sexuality.
Inhibitions we hate
When seducing a date,
A clever remark,
A hand in the dark
Everything else can just wait.
Rah, Rah, Rah.

 

Singing and dancing and studiously romancing,
But to academic epidemics we’re immune.
As students we admit
We’re slightly out of fit,
But you can get an “A” in any way
If you remember to write in pen,
That’s the reason
We are college men!

Before COVID struck I spotted a newspaper squib reporting a contemplated Broadway musical production of “Animal House.” Should it ever come to pass and the producers care to co-opt our song, it’s available.

 

 

RICHARD PRESS

11 comments

To Mr. Press,

…… Or do a story about Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Salmon P. Chase of Dartmouth College, Class of 1826. “For his defense of people arrested in Ohio under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, Chase was dubbed the ‘Attorney General for Fugitive Slaves.’” He replaced Roger B. Taney of Dickinson College who held that position from 1836 to October, 1864 and wrote majority opinion for the Dred Scott decision. He tried to deny what Thomas Jefferson said in 1776, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Carson 4月 19, 2021

I am a brother Chi Phi, Kappa chapter

Richard Meyer 3月 13, 2021

And nowadays, all that light-hearted, good-humored frivolity would bring down the wrath of the Woke.

Boy, was life better back then!

Gerald Brecher 3月 13, 2021

Who came up with J. Squeeze?

Seth Hoyt 3月 13, 2021

Richard, This is my only communication venue with you. We may have a mutual friend who like yourself was a Dartmouth man, David Replogle. You and I also have a lot in common concerning the clothing business. Feel free to contact me at the above email. Thanks for your posts. VB

Bill Vanderbeck 3月 08, 2021

as a Dartmouth man, and jpress fan, I am pleased the Indian chief band and animal house days are now only the stuff of history. Perhaps you could do a story on great Dartmouth grads like Thaddeus Stevens.

rhporter 3月 08, 2021

Remember Blackie’s Black,Black,Black?

Ken Brasted 3月 08, 2021

From an ETA chapter alum of CHI PHI…what happened to the Dartmouth chapter? Why the decision to go “local”?

Albert Pickett 3月 08, 2021

Next time sing it!!!!!

David OB 3月 08, 2021

Dear Mr. Press,
As you well know, “co-op” is short for the noun cooperative, while “co-opt” means to take for one’s own use. That “t” is crucial.

Man in the White Pinpoint 3月 08, 2021

Richie,
Loving “Threading The Needle.” You are a very accomplished author…who would have thought in those halcyon days of yore?
Keep it up!
Bob

Bob Jaffe 3月 08, 2021

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