Operation Family Tree

Over the years, many trees have become inactive, but we are tracing these trees as well. If you are an alumnus of EN and do not see your name (or tree) listed, please email us at trees@jsusinfonia.org. Let us know your big brother (and as much above him as you remember) and the names of any little brothers you took while active. We will add this information to our database and see that your tree gets added to this list.

How the Trees Got Their Names

In the early 1990s, the EN Chapter began an attempt to trace the lineage of our Chapter's "Family Trees" as far back as possible. This undertaking was christened "Operation Family Tree" by Alumni Secretary Paul Sparrowhawk (Fa 88). Although progress was made, the brothers were handicapped by the technology of the day. There was no efficient method of processing all the data and weeding out incorrect and conflicting information.

In 1996, as computer technology improved both the collection and processing of information related to the trees, Alumni Secretary John Boyd (Fa 94), working with brothers Tony Inglis (Sp 93) and Gary Lewis (Sp 95), produced the first attempt at standardized trees which were entered on the House computer. In order to keep the computer files straight, each tree was given a name, following the example of The Oak Tree, which had been so named for 15 years or more.

As new information poured in, thanks to the chapter's new website and alumni feedback form, many errors and omissions began to be uncovered, causing these trees to break apart, merge with one another, and break apart again. When the dust cleared, The Oak Tree had been split into three distinct trees, with nearly all the other trees having changed so much that they barely resembled the trees that were originally given names in 1996. It was clear that new names were needed.

Since even older alumni in the fragmented Oak considered themselves members of The Oak Tree, those trees were named Oak I, Oak II, and Oak III. It was assumed that all three were possibly branches of the same tree, although the connection remained unclear. In time, this assumption proved partially true, as Oak I turned out to be a branch of Oak II. The reunited tree was once again officially christened The Oak Tree, and is the largest active tree in the Epsilon Nu Chapter.

Oak III still existed as an orphaned branch until March 2002, when it was discovered that this tree was actually a branch of The Cedar, which had been thought inactive since 1990. Another smaller orphaned branch was also reconnected to this tree at the same time. When the dust settled, the newly reunited Cedar Tree once again joined the ranks of the active trees, if only temporarily.  However, a recent addition in the fall of 2005 has brought the The Cedar back to life.  

The Redwood gained its name because -- with the exception of The Oak Tree -- it is the largest active tree in the chapter. The Cypress received its name due to its overwhelming number of low brass players. (Cypress trees are only found at low elevations. It's a bit of a reach, but it works.)

The inactive trees were assigned names arbitrarily for organizational purposes. Only branches with more than 5 known members were named, and as new information comes in, it's very possible that some of these names may change. Partial branches contain 5 or fewer known members and are not given names.

The Bonsai is the only tree, active or inactive, traced in its entirity so far. The brother listed at the top of this tree, Jon Usher, is an alumnus of the Nu Beta Chapter at West Georgia. His little brother at NB transferred to EN in 1984. Several other transfer students since then have been "adopted" into existing EN trees (see The Oak Tree) rather than starting new family trees.