cally by classes, or by the years in which they were initiated, with appropriate data indicating the political, civil, military or collegiate honors of the individual members, when they were so distinguished.
Death has commonly been denoted by an asterisk (*). Some of the fraternities have printed a series of private symbols composed of Greek letters, Hebrew numbers, astronomical and mathematical signs, etc., which, in a condensed way denoted the rank held in the fraternity, the college honors or prizes gained, etc., of the person to whose name they were attached. They also added a delightful air of mystery to the page and were awe-inspiring to the uninitiated. The cost of printing such symbols deterred all but the most wealthy from incurring such an expense, and down to 1879 a fraternity catalogue was considered to be sufficiently complete if it gave the name, residence, degrees, official titles, occupation, and class of each member with reasonable accuracy. Sometimes expensive illustrations were indulged in. As a rule, the information furnished was neither full nor accurate. The catalogues were compiled by college students usually unaware of the proper sources of biographical information, and possessing neither the time nor the ability properly to classify and arrange what information they did obtain.
In 1878 ΨΥ appointed Charles W. Smiley, of its Wesleyan chapter, to prepare its catalogue. He had previous experience in the compilation of the admirable alumni record of Wesleyan University, and, adopting the standard set by that population, he pro-
