Alpha Tau Chapter
at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Chapter Founders

Harley P. Mathewson Jr.

  • Appears first on all documents related to petition for AT
  • Never initiated
  • 1938, (50th) anniversary of AT, arrangements were made to be initiated, never made the trip from California

Oscar Van Pelt Stout

  • Born: November 14, 1865
  • Died: August 4, 1935
  • Hometown: Beatrice
  • Major: Civil Engineering
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Dean of engineering college, 1912-1920
  • Former science building named after him (Stout Hall)
  • General Manager of Union Pacific Coal Co.

Frank Austin Manley

  • Born: March 13, 1867
  • Died: 1938
  • Hometown: Lincoln
  • Major: Civil Engineering
  • Captain Co. E Battalion (UNL)
  • Mining Engineer for Union Pacific Coal Co.
  • General Manager of Union Pacific Coal Co.
  • First formal AT president

Harry Allen Reese

  • Born: February 19, 1869
  • Died: 1939
  • Hometown: Lincoln
  • Lawyer, practiced with father
  • Father was Chief Justice of Nebraska Supreme Court
  • Senior Battalion

Ralph Platt

  • Born: 1868
  • Hometown: Grand Island
  • Spanish American War
  • First Lt. USV
  • Lawyer

Conrad Frederick Schermann

  • Born: September 8, 1867
  • Died: September 8, 1938
  • Hometown: North Platte
  • Major: Civil Engineering
  • Major 3rd regiment USV
  • Spanish American War
  • Union Pacific Coal Co.

James Boyd McDonald

  • Born: September 12, 1869
  • Died: 1967
  • Hometown: North Platte
  • Major: Literacy
  • Uncle became Governor of Nebraska
  • Second formal president of AT

Edward Everett Nickolson

  • Born: February 9, 1872
  • Died: 1949
  • Hometown: Lincoln
  • Major: Science
  • Sgt. Major USV
  • Spanish American War
  • Father was a distinguished professor at UNL

 

William McArthur (Ohio Westleyan 1886) was also key in the petitioning of Alpha Tau