“The Rest of the Story” Behind the Bridge Builder
By Larry Matthews (Epsilon-Nu 375, William Jewell), High Pi (University of Richmond), Master Steward
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I suppose it was a favorite high school English teacher, plus an education at a classic liberal arts college, that led me to admire people who could recite poetry in support of important topics. Unfortunately, that admiration did not manifest in my becoming one of those poetry masters. Sure, I memorized Abou Ben Adhem in high school, as you probably had to do, but after that, I lacked the discipline to conquer another.
That changed after 2010 when I took on my second tour as a High Pi and was introduced to The Bridge Builder, part of the Fraternity’s Pre-Initiation program. After reading it to associate members for a year or two as part of Lambda Chi’s pre-initiation week, I resolved to memorize it and did so over a summer. I carried a wrinkled copy in my pocket and worked line by line until I had it.
Here’s the version that appears in Lambda Chi’s materials:
The Bridge Builder
An old man, going alone on a highway, came at the evening, cold and gray, to a chasm vast deep and wide, the old man crossed in the twilight dim, the sullen stream had no fear of him; but he turned when safe on the other side and built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near, “you are wasting your strength with building here; your journey will end with the ending day, you never again will pass this way; you’ve crossed the chasm deep and wide; why build you this bridge at evening tide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head – “Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said, “there followeth after me today, a youth whose feet must pass this way; this chasm that has been naught to me, to that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be; he too must cross in the twilight dim, good friend I am building this bridge for him.”
***
This wonderful story of an old man late in his life who contributes to those young men who will follow him speaks volumes about our obligations as Lambda Chis for Life and our responsibilities toward our young brothers. Associate members always reflect that surely the “Old Man” is a lifetime Lambda Chi while the “fellow pilgrim” does not share our core values. The Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation adopted Bridge Builder as its symbol with its Joseph T. Charles Mentor Program. Most certainly, the Bridge Builder poem is central to the teachings of Lambda Chi Alpha.
But let’s go deep and find out who wrote this poem that is intertwined with the teachings of our fraternity. What do we know about the author? A bit of Googling reveals that Will Allen Dromgoole wrote The Bridge Builder. Thanks to the Poetry Foundation and Wikipedia, we learn that Dromgoole (1860-1934) was a remarkably prolific writer, authoring thirteen books, over 7,500 poems, and 5,000 essays! Born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and writing a column for the Nashville Banner titled “Song and Story” for nearly 30 years, Dromgoole’s wide popularity was marred somewhat by a few unflattering articles on the Melungeons, a Southeastern mixed-race ethnic group living in the hill country of northeastern Tennessee.
Dromgoole was educated at the New England School of Expression in Boston, studied law, and was elected Clerk of the State Senate in 1885 and 1887. Achieving national prominence in 1911 with the best-selling novel, The Island of the Beautiful, the author later served in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War I as a Warrant Officer, lecturing sailors on patriotic topics. Dromgoole was appointed “poet laureate” of the Poetry Society of the South in 1930 and served in that post until death in 1934.
The most surprising part, though? And it’s a blockbuster! It reminds one of those “The Rest of the Story” shockers made famous by our now departed Lambda Chi Brother and distinguished broadcaster, Paul Harvey.
Will Allen Dromgoole was a woman! After attending Clarksville (TN) Female Academy, Will Allen studied law with her father at a time when women could not be lawyers. She taught school for a year in Tennessee and later in Temple, Texas, where she founded the Waco Women’s Press Club. When she served as a Warrant Officer in the Naval Reserve, she was one of the first women to do so.
The following is the true version of her powerful poem, with differences from our Pre-I version highlighted, including one line left out completely from what we use:
The Bridge Builder
An old man going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide.
Through which was flowing a sullen tide
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day,
You never again will pass this way;
You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head;
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followed after me to-day
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been as naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!”
Source: Father: An Anthology of Verse (EP Dutton & Company, 1931)
The Bridge Builder represents for me, and hopefully now you, a wonderful cornerstone in the structure of a reflective life meaning that we share in Lambda Chi Alpha.
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Larry Matthews
Brother Matthews is the High Pi (Chapter Advisor) of Alpha Chi Chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity at the University of Richmond. He is the recipient of Lambda Chi Alpha’s highest alumni honor, the Order of Merit, and serves as a “Master Steward” for the Fraternity.
He was initiated into Lambda Chi Alpha at William Jewell College (Epsilon-Nu) in Missouri. Brother Matthews was elected High Phi and then High Alpha of his chapter. In fact, he was High Alpha for a longer than normal term, serving for one and a half years. In college, he was chosen as one of the five members of the Aeons organization, the college’s senior men’s honorary and was selected to Who’s Who.
After college and facing the draft while in graduate school, Brother Matthews volunteered and served a tour of duty in Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Air Force Commendation Medal (Battle of Khe Sanh), and the Vietnam Service Medal with three battle stars. He attained the rank of Captain.
Following military service, he earned a Master’s Degree from Southern Illinois University and worked for several years on private and public college campuses. While at the University of Central Florida, he was High Pi of Beta Eta Chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. His last campus job was Director of Admissions at the University of Arkansas.
After his on-campus experience, Brother Matthews joined the College Board, the organization that sponsors the SAT, PSAT, and AP. He had several roles with the College Board, including Director of the guidance software product, ExPan. In later years, he headed the College Board’s Midwestern Regional Office (responsible for 13 states). He retired from the Board in 2005 and moved from Chicago to Richmond to be near his three children and six grandchildren, all of whom live in the southeast. Brother Matthews resides with his wife, Suzanne, near the University of Richmond campus.
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