In January 1958 during the tail end of the fall semester at San Jose State, some fraternity guys were getting nervous about their in-house election. A pair of brothers, supported by others, were not happy about the only candidate who would be elected president for the spring semester.

The connivers, however, had another candidate in mind, one Tom McClelland, who was working for a bank in southern California but would be returning to campus. So, without informing their candidate, Bob Crider and Ed Thibon put their campaign in motion. They didn’t have much time. Crider, with the aid of an English major, contrived a letter addressed to Theta Chi Fraternity with McClelland’s forged signature. The original is long lost, but this is basically what was written:

To the Brothers of Theta Chi,
I was told you might consider me to be your next president. Wow! What an honor that would be! Since pledging Theta Chi in the winter of 1953, I have been gung-ho about the group. I have made lifelong friends through our chapter, visiting brothers at their homes when I travel about California. If elected I will do my best to uphold the high standards that you will expect. I can think of no greater honor than to return to campus as president of the best fraternity at SJS.
Sincerely,
Your faithful Termite,
Tom McClelland

The instant campaign was like Campbell Soup, ready in a jiffy. They didn’t even have to add water. They told me later that, once my letter was read to the brotherhood, I was a shoo-in.

After work one evening when I returned to my parents’ home, Dad told me I had three telegrams. From his standpoint this was bad news. Telegrams might mean trouble. Wires often meant death or serious sickness. All three, however, had the word CONGRATULATIONS atop them. The first one read:
MC TERMITE: CONGRATS MOST WORTHY ON YOUR ELECTION STOP SEE YA AFTER YOU GIVE THE BANK GAS STOP THE ANNEX CREW AND THE WHIMP.

After reading it, I was a bit confused. The Annex Crew would be the brothers who lived behind the main house in a shack known as The Annex and others who lived nearby. Crider was one of them. But what election? “Most Worthy” was a term used for Theta Chi presidents, but I was not running for office, or I didn’t know I was. The Whimp was Randy Reinstedt. Others who did the campaign were Michael Willey, Darrell Adams and John Frederick.

The second Western Union gave it all away:
CONGRATULATIONS EL PRESIDENTO YOUR CABINET IS AWAITING STOP THE OLD CLUB HOUSE IS BEHIND YOU ALL THE WAY FOR A SUCCESSFUL YEAR STOP FRATERNALLY YOURS BROTHERS OF THETA CHI.

By this time, I knew something sinister was up. Unbeknownst to me, I had been elected.
To clear the air, I phoned Crider and Thibon, and they shared their campaign efforts with me.

The third telegram was from a girlfriend, Susan Pacheco:
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RECENT VICTORY STOP I AM SO VERY HAPPY AND PROUD OF YOU STOP SUSAN.
That was the first—and last—time I ever got three such telegraphed messages in one day. I could not turn down the offer. The brothers had spoken. I would return to campus as El Presidento. Nobody gets a telegram these days.