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© 1999 The Auburn Plainsman |
Spade: a 'circular' society of 10
By Jennifer Page and Charlotte McIntosh Staff Writers
Librarian Timothy Dodge recently discovered someone has shown "bizarre behavior" by carefully cutting out certain parts of microfiche documents in the Ralph Brown Draughon library. The missing documents, published by the Mobile Register in 1995, contained a two-part series examining the "strange ways" of the secretive Auburn student honorary, Spade. Though, according to its charter, its members are composed of the "10 most influential students in the senior class," Spade has traditionally been a secretive organization, holding meetings in the woods and giving code names to members. Spade is defined by the Tiger Cub as the "10 outstanding members of the senior class selected by the present group for their actions and accomplishments." This simple definition of one of Auburn's most low-profile honoraries is, for most students, the only concrete indication of the group's existence on campus. Spade, or the Circle, as it is referred to by its members, has been set apart from other groups on campus for past accusations of power-monging, hazings involving firearms and gross mismanagement of funds. But the power the group actually wields on campus is widely debated. Ching-Wei Tzeng, SGA vice president and a Spade, said the only action the organization takes each year is selecting members for the next year. However, during its history, Spade has been named in a wide variety of activities. Former Spade and 1986-87 Auburn Plainsman editor Chris Roush, said one of the accomplishments of Spade was the establishment of educational scholarships. However, Jan Clifford Stephens, 1994-95 Plainsman editor, said she knows of instances in which the group successfully pressured Plainsman editors to pull stories the group disliked. Although no purpose for the group is explicitly stated in the Spade charter, insiders and outsiders alternately paint its mission from completely altruistic to secretly manipulative. Although some people distrust the Spade organization because of its secrecy, members have historically taken pride in being able to do anonymous "good works" for Auburn. E.L. Spencer, president of Auburn Bank and a 1952 Spade, said the mission of the organization when he was a member was "to better the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. "We fostered the student spirit," he said. "We encouraged students to participate in campus activities." Jim Phillips, 1960-61 Plainsman editor and a Spade, said the Spade organization evolves over a period of time, not from year to year. J. Ford Laumer, associate professor and director of marketing and transportation, has been adviser to Spade since the early 1990s. Laumer, himself a 1962 Spade, said, "Each year, it's up to each individual group to make it what they want." When asked what this year's group has done for the betterment of Auburn, Tzeng said the group only meets once a week to hang out and eat together. "Individual members have done that (acted for the betterment of Auburn), but the group hasn't done much but help Guthrie's and The Grille make money," he said. Tzeng's fellow Spade Warren Beason has a different understanding. When asked if the group holds weekly meetings, Beason said no. All other current Spade members were contacted about this story, but did not respond. Spade, with a history spanning more than 84 years, also claims some of the state's most influential figures as former members, known to the current Spades as "Old Men." Some Old Men have made their marks through political involvement. These include Fob James Jr. (1956), former Alabama governor; and George McMillan (1966), former Alabama lieutenant governor. Old Men who have become prominent business leaders include Richard J. Scott (1956), IBM senior marketing representative; Stephen D. Baum (1984), First Union National Bank, vice president; Robert E. Sims (1970), Merrill Lynch senior financial consultant; and Harry R. Wilkinson (1964), managing director-Hong Kong regional manager for Manufacturers Hanover. Old Men have also been prominent in the Auburn community. Some of these include William Hitchcock (1938), for whom Hitchcock Field is named; G.W. Jeff Beard (1932), for whom the Coliseum is named; and Linwood E. Funchess (1935), for whom Funchess Hall is named. Some Old Men can still be found around Auburn's campus. These include athletics director David Housel (honorary 1973), journalism department head Jerry E. Brown (1967), assistant accounting professor Norman Godwin (1991), English professor Walter Hitchcock Jr. (1963) and Laumer. Spade members historically come from a candidate pool formed by the SGA president and vice president, SGA administrative vice president, SGA treasurer, Interfraternity Council president and vice president, War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen president and vice president, editor and managing editor of the Auburn Plainsman and presidents of various fraternities. Although archives show Spade members are typically picked from the same leadership positions year after year, Tzeng said members are "tapped" for membership in the elite honorary based solely on their individual character. Laumer disagreed. "(Selection) is based more on positions than the individual's accomplishments on campus," he said. As for the microfiche, Dodge said the documents have been reordered.
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