True Gentlemen: The Broken Pledge of America's Fraternities

by John Hechinger

College fraternity culture has never been more embattled. Once a mainstay of campus life, fraternities are now subject to withering criticism for reinforcing white male privilege and undermining the lasting social and economic value of a college education.

No fraternity embodies this problem more than Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a national organization with more than 15,000 undergraduate brothers spread over 230 chapters nationwide. While SAE enrollment is still strong, it has been pilloried for what John Hechinger calls "the unholy trinity of fraternity life": racism, deadly drinking, and misogyny. Hazing rituals have killed ten undergraduates in its chapters since 2005, and, in 2015, a video of a racist chant breaking out among its Oklahoma University members went viral. That same year, SAE was singled out by a documentary on campus rape, The Hunting Ground. Yet despite these problems and others, SAE remains a large institution with strong ties to Wall Street and significant political reach.

In True Gentlemen, Hechinger embarks on a deep investigation of SAE and fraternity culture generally, exposing the vast gulf between its founding ideals and the realities of its impact on colleges and the world at large. He shows how national fraternities are reacting to a slowly dawning new reality, and asks what the rest of us should do about it. Should we ban them outright, or will they only be driven underground? Can an institution this broken be saved? With rare access and skillful storytelling, Hechinger draws a fascinating and necessary portrait of an institution in deep need of reform, and makes a case for how it can happen.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, History, Sociology, American, American History

Audiobook

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Nancy Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and easily digestible. Hechinger examines fraternity involvement in excessive drinking, hazing, sexual assault and racial discrimination and contrasts it with one Greek organization's professed creed of good will, propriety and self-control. Sigma Alpha Epsilon's Dartmouth chapter is said by the author to be the inspiration for Animal House's Omega Theta Pi; SAE and many of its chapters are the primary subjects of True Gentlemen because "the running tally of infractions on its website" made it possible for Hechinger to gather and write about objective data. A legal settlement required the incidents to be documented there.

The first horrific incident Hechinger documents happened at my own alma mater; the last in my home state (both northern states). The last one, about how Ohio State's chapter is rising from the ashes, is joyful and (tentatively) inspiring. The suspension last month (November 2017) of UT Austin's SAE chapter for hazing shows that rejuvenation and rehabilitation continues to be an uphill battle.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who was in Greek life I found this book to be very one sided and bias in many ways. One main area it failed to delve into were the various positive and very awesome experiences Greek life can bring to kids leaving home for the first time. Such as the thousands of dollars raised each year for philanthropies.
Are their risks associated with attending college parties? Of course. But the threats are by no means limited to fraternity parties. This book made fraternities out to be monsters without giving the other side of the coin. Overall, I didn't get the vibe that the author was unbiased and therefore made it hard to trust the facts being reported were accurate and complete.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting in depth look at fraternities across America and the increase of binge drinking on campus. It was pretty interesting until about 3/4 of the way and I felt like I had had enough of the statistics and the stories.

It was amazing that it seemed to be only one fraternity that was having the alcohol problems for the most part. As I never got the chance to go to college (I did take night courses), I pretty much requested it just to check it out.

A very informative book that you could tell the author did a lot of research for and interesting for the most part.

Thanks to Perseus Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

True Gentlemen: The Broken Pledge of America's Fraternities by John Hechinger (Public Affairs 2017) (371.85) (3404).

As the parent of a first-semester freshman who was just initiated into a prominent national fraternity at a large southern state university, I have a highly vested interest in learning about the current state of the Greek system. This book seemed like a good place to start gathering information. A disclaimer: the best thing I ever did in college in the late 1970's was to pledge a fraternity. I realize full well that participation in Greek life is not necessary for every student to enjoy a fulfilling and enriching college experience. Not every student needs the support that Greek Letter Organizations (hereinafter GLO's) provide. My two older children are recent college grads; while they listened respectfully when I described my own personal bias in favor of fraternities and sororities, neither of them felt any desire to participate. They both had extremely positive college experiences filled with social interaction without “going Greek”, and that was just fine with daddy.

Author John Hechinger, a Yale grad, has his bona fides in order as a writer. In considering whether Hechinger is qualified to serve as an impartial commentator on the fraternity system, I detected no inherent bias in his perspective either for or against GLO's. I note that Hechinger does not disclose whether he was in a fraternity.

This book focuses exclusively on the fraternity known as Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE). SAE is an old, wealthy, and influential fraternity. The author uses SAE as an example of the things that are both right and wrong with college fraternities. According to John Hechinger, these are the things that are right: brotherhood, tradition, bonding, a network of alumni brothers. These are the things that are wrong: excessive drinking / alcohol abuse, racism, and misogyny.

It's impossible to disagree with the author's assessment of the positives and negatives. But anyone could have created this list without doing any research on the topic much less writing a book.

My rating: 7/10, finished 12/11/19.

[Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and thought-provoking. I think it worked to start the book with the bad stereotypes of fraternities, to get it out of the way and dig deeper into the other issues, many of which I wasn’t aware of. The author paints fraternities as going through the identity crisis so innate to our collective national thinking—the conflicts of racism, a wealth gap, and gender inequality, among others. All throughout, though, he balances that with the potential for good these societies offer.

[Carter Aakhus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m planning on writing something that involves a fraternity and this provided a good foundation for my research. I’ve always found the idea of Greek life to be a bit strange with how antithetical they are in practice to their stated purpose of building social skills, improving communities and setting an example of what it is to be a “true gentleman.”

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

A second disclaimer is that I was a fraternity man in college (not an SAE, but a fraternity which was mentioned in this book), and I currently serve on my chapter's alumni advisory council. These two facts have not created an adversarial relationship (except for a line or two in the conclusion) between this book and me. In fact, I feel that this background has bestowed upon me a greater conviction in favor of what the book is trying to accomplish. The majority of the issues addressed in this book are viable threats to the college community, and especially to the Greek system. I remember having discussions relating to several of these issues while I was president of my chapter, and trying to explain why I reacted in such a swift and harsh manner whenever violations were discovered.

While several incidents in the book are appalling, what I have not been able to shake the most is the cavalier attitude by these alumni towards the heinous acts described. I cannot imagine being so clouded by the majesty of my own fraternity to turn a blind eye to criminal and immoral activities, and then complete a vigorous campaign of victim blaming and bullying to get your way. Also, the one defense attorney in the non-member rape case infuriated me.

All fraternities are not evil, and certainly there are a majority of fraternity members across the country who are true gentlemen and an asset to their campus. However, there are too many cases in which a fraternity and its members act in a manner not becoming of a human being, and these situations should be rectified, punished, and hopefully avoided in the future. This book can help in this process. I am going to purchase this book for leaders of the chapter I advise, as well as the other members of our advisory council.

[cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

In lieu of a review of my own, I give you the most salient paragraphs from a review by the CSM (available here in its entirety https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/Book-... )

"Hechinger is quick to point out the very fact that fraternities can provide such advantages indicates another reason they are problematic institutions. Most fraternal organizations’ memberships skew white and upper-class. Annual membership dues can be as high as $7,000 a year and are out of the reach of many undergraduates. Furthermore, successful pledges are often children of members or attended the same high schools as members of the chapter they pledged. Even if a minority student could afford the membership fees and had the right contacts, it’s unlikely they would feel welcome at organizations such as SAE, which holds theme parties that celebrate the antebellum South."

and

"Hechinger has written a damning indictment of the institutions that profoundly damage the lives of young men and women across the country. Yet implicit in "True Gentlemen" is the assumption that at one time, fraternities were better. Hechinger almost seems to believe the late-middle aged alums who, when confronted with evidence of brutal behavior at frat chapters, protest, “But that’s not what we were about.” The more likely explanation for such reactions is not that Greek life enjoyed some more virtuous past, but that rape culture, sadism, and institutional racism have been part of our national life so long they were largely invisible to previous generations. By further exposing these profound problems, Hechinger has made a far more valuable to contribution to American college life than any fraternity ever could."

[Marya · Rating 4 out of 5]

By focusing on one specific fraternity, SAE, and by investigating that fraternity for instances of sexual assault, alcohol poisoning, and hazing, John Hechinger aims to confront the Animal House image of the modern fraternity. SAE gets the privilege of serving as an example due to law suits that forced it to keep records of such incidents and make them easily available to the public. I can't really blame the author for going where the data is. But the argument isn't really with SAE itself. The argument is with the drinking cultures of fraternities in general, or at least that perception of it.

Towards the end of the book, Hechinger acknowledges that not every frat house in the nation is blacked out every Saturday. He uses the analogy of the States' relationship to the Federal government before the constitution. Each one really governs itself independently from its national headquarters. This can result in drastically different chapters throughout the country. Hechinger acknowledges that the fraternity can be so much more than Animal House- he just wonders what can be done about those chapters that still act that way.

I don't really think of this book as an anti-fraternity book. It's more of an anti-hazing, anti-alcohol poisoning, anti-sexual harassment book. But while college student dorms can ban alcohol and do not have initiation ceremonies, that's not the case for fraternities. Some fraternities have chosen to have "dry houses" (and in part, that decision is motivated by drastically lowering both insurance claims and the events that trigger them), but not all houses wish to do this. Why?

Hechinger quotes the fraternity members against dry houses as saying that basically that everyone else is doing it, and it just happens when boys are young and dumb. He even insists that some fraternity members want to fight for their right to party. Needless to say, none of these answers come across well. Just because everyone else in your neighborhood is a racist doesn't give you license to provide the gasoline to light up some crosses. If there is a more compelling reason, Hechinger doesn't recount it in this book. Perhaps it is time for a counterpoint to be made, equally supported with data?

[Jock Mcclees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and written book. I found I was crying at the end on the lion story at the end of the book. (I won't go into detail so it won't spoil the story.) Despite being aware of some of the problems with fraternities, the book made me realize the problems were more widespread than I had realized.

It was shocking to realize that besides hazing that led to death from overconsumption of alcohol, that it was common to take a wooden paddle to recruits and hit so hard that it could leave permanent damage to the skin. What is the appeal? Why didn't recruits turn around and slug the person or just leave. There is a lot of behavior that just makes no sense to me. It is twisted and sick.

Then there is the political power of alumni of fraternities that is used to protect them from punishment and control by the universities. These alumni should be ashamed of their misuse of power but that seems to be part of the culture.

Ironically, they espouse this idea of a true gentleman and then most of their actions go completely against this ideal. How hypocritical.

Considering that most fraternities were founded in the South just before and after the Civil War, it is not surprising that these fraternities were and in some cases still are all white and have had trouble with racial and misogynist attitudes and misbehavior, sometimes criminal behavior. In many cases most of the members fought on the side of the South in the war. It seems the fraternities are just one more example of institutional racism put in place after the South lost the war.

However, the book points out changes for the better that are slowly being made by the fraternities. It is probably not surprising that these changes are happening slowly considering how slowly race relations have improved in the US.

[Ozy Frantz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went to a small liberal arts college that didn't have fraternities, so all of this was shocking and new to me. I'd thought that the Animal House stereotype was completely inaccurate and that frats were probably fine places which happened to involve rather more drinking than I personally find tolerable. Unfortunately, judging by this book, that is not the case.

To its credit, True Gentlemen does not present a one-sided picture of fraternities. It emphasizes that many fraternities-- particularly coed fraternities and smaller and quieter fraternities-- do not have the culture it's criticizing. True Gentlemen also emphasizes the efforts of many people within the frats to reform fraternities and create a healthier culture.

Unfortunately, when fraternities are bad, they are very very bad. True Gentlemen marshals a good deal of evidence that many frats-- including SAE, which it focuses on-- have a culture of sexual assault, violent hazing, and excessive drinking. While the level of racism seems to be particularly dependent on the individual chapter, many frats also have a very racist culture, including one famous incident where frat brothers sang a song that included the n word and positive mentions of lynching. I found the hazing chapter particularly startling and upsetting: I hadn't realized that people were forced to do things like drink until they puked and then eat their own vomit.

While True Gentlemen does an excellent job exposing sexual assault in fraternities, I would have appreciated more discussion of sexism. For example, while True Gentlemen discusses how "men need an invite, women get in for free" parties create an environment full of rape, it does not discuss other ways that these parties may create an objectifying and degrading environment for women even if there is no sexual coercion. I would also have appreciated more discussion of how frat culture encourages sexist beliefs.

[Scott Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Audiobook) (3.5 stars) A unique look into the lives and actions of the modern college fraternities. In particular, this work focuses on the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, one of the larger and most controversial fraternities out there. Hechinger looks at the history and current actions of fraternities, from the hazing, partying, sexual actions (from hookups to sexual assaults) and over all power “Greek” organizations have on campuses and society writ large. Overall, it is far from a positive analysis. Even as Hechinger tried to thread the needle on presenting the whole story of fraternities, much of the work looks at the negatives, and for frats like Sigma Alpha Epsilon, there are no shortages of negatives.

Likely this work is not going to be one that is required reading for pledges, at least those that still have pledging. One wonders how the pandemic and the evolution of colleges, as more move away from the traditional models to on-line and distributed learning will impact fraternities/sororities in the years ahead. The social connections and built-in network opportunities will still make “Greek” organizations viable, but there are so many other negatives that make orgs like Sigma Alpha Epsilon as much a detriment as a benefit. A decent read, but maybe not one that would replace watching “Animal House” on the shelf.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following up on a series of Bloomberg News articles about America's "Deadliest Fraternities," this book contrasts the headline-making bad behavior of one fraternity with its professed ideals. Historical research about the fraternity's origins reveals how racism can and still does exist within the structure and culture of the group. The book concludes on a hopeful note, showing how the organization has already responded, and proposing actions that might lead to revitalized Greek organizations in the future.

I was initially frustrated by the sensational subject and tone of the book, which is similar to the 2014 Atlantic Monthly piece, " The Dark Power of Fraternities." A not-so-shocking origin story in the Antebellum South helps to explain why the fraternity has remained largely white. But many organizations (including churches and the US military) have shameful legacies of racism. Singling out a fraternity for this does not seem fair when the legacy of racism has so profoundly shaped our entire nation's history. That having been said, the research speaks for itself. I would recommend the book for anyone interested in fraternity culture.

[Deborah Yaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meticulously reported and lucidly written, this is an alarming look inside a powerful and secretive American institution: the college fraternity, which defines the higher education experience for hundreds of thousands of undergraduates and millions of alumni, many of whom hold important positions in politics, business and finance. Hechinger focuses on Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), one of the nation's oldest and wealthiest frats, exposing its ugly history of racial exclusion and the culture of misogyny, violent hazing and alcoholic excess that permeates too many of its campus chapters. The picture is not entirely negative: Hechinger makes clear that frats attract members and inspire loyalty by forging genuine bonds of community and friendship in a fragmented and isolating world. And he expresses some cautious optimism that frats may be able to embrace reforms, from gender integration to prohibitions on alcohol, that will permit them to live up to their highest ideals. A must-read for anyone interested in youth culture and American higher education.

[Reyna Gentin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a departure from the reading that I usually do, although it was a engaging as any novel. Hechinger, a journalist, has written a well-researched, thoughtful and fairminded expose on Greek life, focusing on one large national fraternity that had numerous deaths related to pledging, hazing, and alcohol consumption. As the mother of a senior in high school, this was a very sobering examination of an institution that could provide a productive, life-long social and service oriented bonding experience for these young men, but so often does not. Although Hechinger gives fair coverage to the reforms and advances the fraternities have made in their policies for gaining admittance (in terms of process as well as diversification of the students admitted), it seems to me they have a long way to go before I would feel comfortable allowing my child to be involved. This was an excellent, if alarming, read.

[Annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well-written and meticulously researched tour of SAE at the national and local level. Some things I read shocked me, some (sadly) did not, but I would recommend this to anyone interested in the inner workings and cultural power of fraternities. Many of the stories left me feeling angry or disgusted, a few left me hopeful, and everything was presented in a balanced and thorough manner. The book was published in 2017, so a lot of the accounts of the inner "culture" of the organizations are very up to date. It covered a variety of topics including drinking culture, hazing, sexual assault, lawsuits, power, racism/diversity, and visions for the future. Most of the book was pretty interesting to read, but the chapters about racism in Southern chapters were particularly salient. I'll leave you with this "fun" fact: the founding chapter of SAE at the University of Alabama has, to this day, never had a black brother.

[Mary Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an eye-opening read. I went to a college that didn't have any fraternities or sororities, so my understanding of Greek campus life has always been limited. This journalistic account did a great job of depicting the culture and goings-on of one particularly notorious frat, SAE, and exposing a couple of things about fraternity life in general: Its boys' club nature (once a member, always a member), and the hidden hypocrisy and violence embedded in its history and practices. I had no idea the power of Greek culture and the amount of adversity between fraternity chapters and campus administration.

The author highlighted very interesting, sometimes heartbreaking stories. He interviewed a woman who was raped at a frat party at the age of 17 and recounted her subsequent trial and the effect the experience has had on her life; a pledge who, horrified by the hazing rituals he was subjected to, backed out of SAE (and was then ostracized); and a college president who met with particular adversity from SAE and was in essence run off the campus. Maybe the most memorable story in the book is that of a young man who worked for an SAE chapter and found inspiration, pride, and a sense of true brotherhood in it, and who felt truly comforted by the young men in the chapter during his dying days.

I will recommend this title to anyone who enjoys a riveting journalistic story with heart, and who is interested in exposes in college life or other organizations. Great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering me an advance copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Lissa00 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an really interesting (and I thought fair) look at the fraternity system at U.S. colleges with insider interviews and lots of historical research. It acknowledges the horrific racist history of the institutions along with their current atrocious behavior of binge-drinking and occurrences of sexual assault but also gave instances of fraternities that have devoted themselves to changing their image and creating a place of community for all genders, races and social classes. I work on a college campus and while it is so easy (and appropriate) to disparage the fraternity as an organization, it is also easy to notice the inherent loneliness that some students face on big college campuses. This opened my eyes to the problems and possible solutions to the Greek system. I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the rare times I read a book that I didn't seek out. I saw a copy laying in a spot for hot topics and decided to give it a shot. I'm a sucker for social science books and this was a pretty simple book.

Overall the book isn't a takedown, but more of a call to action. Hechinger starts out by highlighting issues in Greek life and particularly those in Sigma Alpha Epsilon. These chapters are hard to get through, especially the chapter on sexual misconduct. The middle section of the book goes in depth in fraternity history. The book closes with a call to do better and adapt to societal changes or get left behind.

I think the argument for doing better is in good faith and needs to be heard. Also as a Boy Scout I feel like there are plenty of lessons that can be learned from this book and applied to the BSA.

[Claire Fry]

A deeply thoughtful examination of Greek life and fraternity culture in the United States. It provides an in depth analysis of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), arguably the most notorious frat in America due to its large media presence over the years with dozens of student deaths and racist outbursts. This book sheds light onto masculine culture in the US and how it develops in college years and bleeds into adult life. Interesting read for anyone affiliated with Greek life culture. I wish it had discussed how masculinity as a construct affects campus culture and had discussed the female equivalent, sororities, more in depth as well. I think the fraternity/sorority dynamic is fascinating and extremely important to understanding frat culture.

[Jeff Mauch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very well researched and informative read that questions the current issues with fraternities, how they are adapting to a more diverse world, and how they are facing opposition from within. While I do have to state that this a mostly a one sided look at fraternities, there's a lot of good information within these chapters. I'd like to have heard a bit more of the positives of Greek life, but that really wasn't the point of this book. Fraternities have been facing uncertain times for the last couple decades as they struggle with issues such as hazing, lack of diversity, alcohol abuse, cultural sensitivity, and lawsuits. This was a good summary of the issues, offered solutions, and perspective from those representing the organizations past and present.

[Charlie Presar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author used the very public records of ΣΑΕ fraternity to explore the negative attributes of fraternities that often directly conflict with the values, pledges, and commitments that are required for men to make prior to becoming members. He did a good job of finding all sides to the stories and especially did a great job of giving a voice to the often-voiceless families of those who have been killed from fraternity activities. While there are some thoughts or suggestions of his that I generally disagree with, I do believe that this book is a good conversation starter to address nation-wide how we can make fraternities even more of a benefit to the men in them, the campuses that host them, and the communities wherein they exist.

[Jason D · Rating 1 out of 5]

Politically correct garbage. Very biased and sorry I even purchased the book. The chapter "Sing brothers, sing" is a perfect example of the anti European American sentiment happening in our country today. The author is some kind of self loathing libtard with no self identity. It mentions not a lot of blacks in "Historically White" (European American) Fraternities as if they don't have THEIR OWN Greek letter organizations that are EXCLUSIVELY black. But no, no, no, European Americans aren't allowed to have their own spaces. This is why the Alt-Right is growing.

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful, deeply researched look at the state of historically white fraternities today. Hechinger covers the binge drinking, hazing, racism, and sexual assault, but what impressed me the most was the interesting discussions about the complicity of universities in perpetuating class reproduction for those who are already the very most privileged. The book won't please fraternity boosters, but most of them are so deep in that they can't have a rational conversation about the subject.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hechinger looks at fraternity culture and the problems that are increasingly coming to light by doing a deep dive with Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapters at various universities across the country. It's maddening and again makes me say that people are garbage. The members and alumni still always seem to claim that they are better people because of their fraternity experiences, but reading this one seems hard pressed to see how.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a disturbing, enlightening, and ultimately hopeful book about fraternity culture on American college campuses, told through the experiences of Sigma Alpha Epsilon -- one of the nation's most prestigious but also notorious Greek organizations.

Anyone who, like me, finds value in fraternities (I'm a member of Alpha Sigma Phi) but recognizes their behavior is too often destructive should read this well-written and meticulously reported book. Fraternities need to do better.

[Alicia Helbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. As someone who was in Greek life in a school in the northeast, it was interesting to look into the world of southern fraternities and see both the bad (there's a lot) and the good (some). I thought he did a fair job of talking about the horrors of fraternities without coming across as biased. I appreciated the care, thought, and research that went into making this book. I highly recommend !

[Hailee Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Digestible exploration into some of the stuff we already know about Greek life. I enjoyed the way chapters were formatted (pairing topics with segments of SAE's creed). My only complaint is that there seems to be a clear bias that exists prior that the author seeks to confirm rather than genuinely assess. Claims are backed up with peer-reviewed research so I am less bothered by that than I would have been if it was from a lens of being purely anti-Greek life.

[Luke Scarano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hechinger’s criticisms of the Greek life systems are all very well-founded. An easy read, I believe this is important reading for any who profess the great benefits of these systems. As a member of a fraternity I believe that the extreme harm that can be done by these organizations, as highlighted in this volume, will always outweigh the good. I wish that Hechinger could have gotten deeper into the systems and had more samples to pick from.

[Annie Wilt · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn’t really anything new that I hadn’t heard before. Very one sided and an indictment of SAE, while going a lot easier on other chapters, such as Phi Delta Theta. This would be a good book to introduce contemporary issues of fraternity life to those who are not already well-versed in the issue, but offers nothing new to the conversation for those who are already knowledgeable on the topic.