Phoenix Club May Question Sphinx Name

The newly approved Sphinx Club may be obliged to change its name if the Phoenix S. K. Club has its way. According to Edward C. Wilson, Jr. '49, president of the Phoenix, the name "Sphinx" is the name of a club already in existence.

In reply to Wilson's charge John K. Lally '49, one of the founders of the brand new club and "graduate adviser" said, "We are bigger than the Phoenix and I think we can take care of ourselves."

Lally also claimed credit for inventing the name of the new society.

Wilson Explains

Wilson went back in history in an attempt to prove that the new group cannot use the name "Sphinx." In 1914 two College eating clubs--the Sphinx and the Kalumet--merged to form the S. K. Club, Wilson said. In 1927 this club and the Phoenix merged to form the Phoenix S. K., a final club.

None of these clubs ever failed financially according to Wilson, but rather merged by mutual consent; hence they are all legally still in existence.

Old Members Would Object

Wilson said 294 living members of the old Sphinx Club would object to a new club using the name "Sphinx" because these alumni use the Phoenix as their headquarters when they return to College. Phoenix is objecting to the use of "part of its name" in the new one.

Wilson pointed out that members of the new Sphinx society called him up several weeks ago to determine the question of names. At that time he told them they could not call themselves the Sphinx. The was the last Wilson heard of the matter until last week when the Student Council took its first vote on the Sphinx's charter.

Yesterday Wilson paid a visit to the office of Associate Dean Robert B. Watson '37 in an effort to have the name changed by University action. No result of the visit was announced.

Meeting Today

A meeting has been scheduled to take place this afternoon at 2:30 p.m. among the ten final club presidents and Watson. Although the question of what to do with the Sphinx Club's name is not on the agenda Wilson expects the matter will be brought up.

Another issue slated for discussion is the status of the Sphinx as a final club. In the past, no club could become final without the unanimous consent of all other final clubs.