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 me for “The Chuck Sturdley Story,” a one-act musical. The theatrical event won a college award for best presentation at the inter-fraternity theatrical contest sponsored by the college, and was subsequently awarded a spot at a college Variety Show in Webster Hall adjacent to Baker Library across from Dartmouth Row. The musical reflected events Chris Miller, Dartmouth ’62, dramatized in the movie “Animal House” years later. Here is our hit song:
We Are College Guys
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 student 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!
If the producers of the “Animal House” Broadway musical ever want to co-op the song, it’s available. — RICHARD PRESS
Thanks once again, Mr. Press. That video is outstanding. I loved every second of it, especially the way the Dean Chamberlain and the other professors spoke back then. It’s interesting to me how much they showed the professors interacting closely with the students in all sorts of settings because that is exactly that the school advertises today. For me, the undergraduate instruction and liberal arts focus were the best parts of the school. Safe to say none of the students and few of the professors dress as well as they did, though.
I’d love to see the “The Chuck Sturdley Story” sometime.
The verse you mention ends “in their muscles and their brains.” The final verse,however, ends with, “the granite of New Hampshire is a part of them til death.” You decide the winner!
There’s a great video on Youtube that is just like this video, except it’s for Princeton. It’s called “An Undergraduate View of Princeton University”, from 1962. Maybe Ivy-Style should do a post on that video as well. 😀
Thanks once again, Mr. Press. That video is outstanding. I loved every second of it, especially the way the Dean Chamberlain and the other professors spoke back then. It’s interesting to me how much they showed the professors interacting closely with the students in all sorts of settings because that is exactly that the school advertises today. For me, the undergraduate instruction and liberal arts focus were the best parts of the school. Safe to say none of the students and few of the professors dress as well as they did, though.
I’d love to see the “The Chuck Sturdley Story” sometime.
I love it. “This… is DAHT-muth…”
Okay, I’m getting a little deaf, but did that song end “with the granite of New Hampshire in their muscles and their brains”?
The verse you mention ends “in their muscles and their brains.” The final verse,however, ends with, “the granite of New Hampshire is a part of them til death.” You decide the winner!
Fellow Chi Phi? Who’s a Chi Phi? I’m Epsilon Delta Chapter, class of ’86!
Let’s just admit at this point that Dartmouth always ways and still is the best undergraduate college in America.
I’m a Chi Phi, Kappa (U. of Wisconsin), ’65.
Is Chi Phi still active at Dartmouth?
I go to Franklin and Marshall (Brother of Chi Phi- Zeta Chapter). Always looking to visit another chapter.
Fun post.
There’s a great video on Youtube that is just like this video, except it’s for Princeton. It’s called “An Undergraduate View of Princeton University”, from 1962. Maybe Ivy-Style should do a post on that video as well. 😀
Indeed, we posted that video some time ago:
http://www.ivy-style.com/princeton-1962-as-take-ivy-as-it-gets.html
But thanks for the reminder. I’ll go see if Princeton has uploaded anything new recently.
Je ne regrette rien ?