The Grandfather clock at Lambda Chapter has greeted brothers, family, friends and visitors to Delta Phi since 1904. Dedicated to a brother who left us too soon, the clock was restored after we moved into the Academy, our current Chapter house just off campus at the intersection of 13th and Congress Streets. The restoration was made possible by the generous contributions of a group of brothers and their wives who remembered the clock as an enduring presence during their time at the House.
Alumni from the 8 Sherry Road era or before will remember the Lambda Chapter grandfather clock. It stood in the entrance way at 8 Sherry Road and greeted everyone who entered the House.
The clock was dedicated in 1904 to the memory of Brother Robert Ker McMillan, L’00. Brother McMillan was initiated into Delta Phi in December 1900 and studied electrical engineering at Rensselaer. According to notes in Lambda chapter journals from the day, Brother McMillan returned to his hometown of Detroit, Michigan in the Spring of 1902 with serious health issues. After returning home, he helped run the family wholesale and retail grocery business. He passed away on April 14, 1903, at age 24, from heart failure.
The clock was disassembled in 1996 and has been stored with Bob Baldwin L’73 for the past 28 years.
Its absence at the grand opening of the new Chapter House was noticed, so last year, Bob, with some research help from Brian Leitten L’68, decided to find out if the clock could be properly restored and reinstalled at the new Chapter House. A master grandfather clock technician was located in Schenectady and agreed to work with us. We learned that we have a Seth Thomas mechanism that is indicative of a clock built around 1900.
The clock has now been professionally restored, not to a pristine, like-new condition but to the condition that it was in when Lambda was at Sherry Road [this means you can still see a couple of ring marks on the cabinet ledge where you or one of your brothers left a beer cup during a band party].
The process of bringing the clock back to life [the mechanism was heavily corroded and not working and the wood casing was in bad shape] began last year.
The 1st step was to have the mechanism soaked in an ultrasonic bath for several weeks to determine if it could be returned to working condition. It has now been completely cleaned, refurbished and tested and keeps time perfectly. The weight cables have been replaced and all the wood has been cleaned and conditioned.
Wood stain has been applied to all scratches and scuff marks. The wooden frames of the doors and the floor of the cabinet have been repaired. The Moon Wheel, the piece that goes behind the upper, semi-circular portion of the clock face and rotates with the phases of the moon, has been restored and looks spectacular! The restorers even added some age marks and patina to align the wheel with the overall look of the restored clock. New locks and escutcheons have been installed.
On June 4, 2024, the Lambda Chapter Grandfather Clock returned to the Chapter House and this historic Lambda icon is now on display in the main room. Our master technician is providing us with a tutorial on operating and maintaining the clock, and Bob is documenting the procedures and we have appointed an undergraduate Keeper of the Clock to maintain it in top condition.
We are excited to see our clock come back to life and to its rightful place of prominence in the new Chapter House.
Restoring the clock would not have been possible without the financial support of the following Brothers and spouses, who contributed $2,400 to the restoration fund:
Bob Baldwin L’73
Tom (L’67) and Lynn Conroy
Angelo Corridori L’66
Dan Hildebrand L’08
Brian (L’68) and Lynn Leitten
Roger Mike L’67
Ron Ricci L’62
Gregg Schubach L’83
Phil Tatro L’82
