Hillsdale, heritage inseparable for college legacy students (pt.2)
Four generations of two families build one college tradition
Nick Tabor
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: News
Freshmen Katie and Marianne DeLapp are second cousins and first cousins at once. They share a room in Olds Residence.
"We're double-related," Marianne said, laughing. "Our dads are brothers, and my dad then met my mother, who was cousins with Katie's mom Janet."
Katie and Marianne are part of the fourth generation of DeLapps at Hillsdale College.
Their great-grandfather, Albert A. DeLapp, graduated from the Hillsdale in 1914. Three of Albert's five children attended the college: his daughter Gwendolyn, known as "Mitsy," graduated in the 1940s. His son, Joe, graduated in 1950. Another son, Albert II, graduated in 1954. Albert II's nickname was "Bud."
Bud's sons, Dennis '82 and Stephen '85, both met their wives while attending Hillsdale. Dennis began dating Elizabeth Viviano '84 when he was a junior and she a freshman. Stephen came to the school a year after Elizabeth; when Elizabeth '87 brought Stephen to her home for Thanksgiving, he met her cousin Janet, who was then a senior in high school.
When Dennis and Elizabeth married after graduating, Stephen and Janet served as best man and maid of honor in the wedding. Four years later, Stephen and Janet were married after their own graduation from Hillsdale.
"They were great times in our lives," Stephen said. "Both my wife and I are proud of where we went to school."
Elizabeth agreed.
"We love the school and it was right for us," she said. "We don't force our kids to go there. We encourage each one of them to look at it, to give it a shake."
Greek heritage
Albert A. DeLapp and Albert II were each members of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, but Dennis was a founding member of Sigma Chi fraternity. Dennis' fraternity "little brother," Paul Viviano, became his brother-in-law. Dennis' biological brother Stephen was a Sigma Chi as well.
Of the five girls in Janet's family, four of them belonged to Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, including Janet herself. Elizabeth was also a member.
"There is a little pressure to go Sigma Chi and Kappa," Elizabeth said, grinning.
Katie and Marianne said they're not committed to any sorority just yet.
"We know we're gonna go Greek, but we're keeping an open mind about which one," Katie said.
Continuing the tradition
Katie and Marianne said they each chose the college independently, but the chance to live with a cousin was a bonus.
"The moment I signed the form, I called Marianne," Katie said.
"People think we're fighting when it's really just normal conversation," Marianne said. "That's how big families communicate."
Katie lives in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Marianne lives in Toledo, Ohio. Most of their mothers' family, the Vivianos, live in Detroit. They said they see the Vivianos about once per month.
"I'd definitely say they're Hillsdale people," Marianne said.
Six of Janet's siblings attended Hillsdale College as well.
Stephen said Hillsdale's conservative outlook was the biggest draw for him and his family members.
"I think it all goes back to how my grandfather raised his kids," he said. "You're raised to be independent, you're raised to take care of yourself, you're raised to take responsibility for your own actions."
"The DeLapp-Vivianos are just wonderful, big families," said David Kibbe '83, who married Dennis and Stephen's sister. Bridget '84. "They have the right perspectives in terms of their faith and family and what's important."
He said the families' attraction to the college goes deeper than ideology.
"The families are all very close-knit, and the Hillsdale community is, in some respects, like a family," he said.
"We're double-related," Marianne said, laughing. "Our dads are brothers, and my dad then met my mother, who was cousins with Katie's mom Janet."
Katie and Marianne are part of the fourth generation of DeLapps at Hillsdale College.
Their great-grandfather, Albert A. DeLapp, graduated from the Hillsdale in 1914. Three of Albert's five children attended the college: his daughter Gwendolyn, known as "Mitsy," graduated in the 1940s. His son, Joe, graduated in 1950. Another son, Albert II, graduated in 1954. Albert II's nickname was "Bud."
Bud's sons, Dennis '82 and Stephen '85, both met their wives while attending Hillsdale. Dennis began dating Elizabeth Viviano '84 when he was a junior and she a freshman. Stephen came to the school a year after Elizabeth; when Elizabeth '87 brought Stephen to her home for Thanksgiving, he met her cousin Janet, who was then a senior in high school.
When Dennis and Elizabeth married after graduating, Stephen and Janet served as best man and maid of honor in the wedding. Four years later, Stephen and Janet were married after their own graduation from Hillsdale.
"They were great times in our lives," Stephen said. "Both my wife and I are proud of where we went to school."
Elizabeth agreed.
"We love the school and it was right for us," she said. "We don't force our kids to go there. We encourage each one of them to look at it, to give it a shake."
Greek heritage
Albert A. DeLapp and Albert II were each members of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, but Dennis was a founding member of Sigma Chi fraternity. Dennis' fraternity "little brother," Paul Viviano, became his brother-in-law. Dennis' biological brother Stephen was a Sigma Chi as well.
Of the five girls in Janet's family, four of them belonged to Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, including Janet herself. Elizabeth was also a member.
"There is a little pressure to go Sigma Chi and Kappa," Elizabeth said, grinning.
Katie and Marianne said they're not committed to any sorority just yet.
"We know we're gonna go Greek, but we're keeping an open mind about which one," Katie said.
Continuing the tradition
Katie and Marianne said they each chose the college independently, but the chance to live with a cousin was a bonus.
"The moment I signed the form, I called Marianne," Katie said.
"People think we're fighting when it's really just normal conversation," Marianne said. "That's how big families communicate."
Katie lives in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Marianne lives in Toledo, Ohio. Most of their mothers' family, the Vivianos, live in Detroit. They said they see the Vivianos about once per month.
"I'd definitely say they're Hillsdale people," Marianne said.
Six of Janet's siblings attended Hillsdale College as well.
Stephen said Hillsdale's conservative outlook was the biggest draw for him and his family members.
"I think it all goes back to how my grandfather raised his kids," he said. "You're raised to be independent, you're raised to take care of yourself, you're raised to take responsibility for your own actions."
"The DeLapp-Vivianos are just wonderful, big families," said David Kibbe '83, who married Dennis and Stephen's sister. Bridget '84. "They have the right perspectives in terms of their faith and family and what's important."
He said the families' attraction to the college goes deeper than ideology.
"The families are all very close-knit, and the Hillsdale community is, in some respects, like a family," he said.
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