By Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose
The Cornell fraternity scandal has sparked new questions about fraternity culture and the treatment of women. Now, a former college student is sharing her experiences from more than 50 years ago.
Sue Matthews attended Elmira College in New York in 1974. She was just 17 years old when she began her freshman year.
Cornell University was about 30 miles away.
Matthews says Cornell fraternities regularly sent buses to Elmira College. Their goal was to bring young women to weekend fraternity parties.
What happened after those parties sometimes left students in vulnerable situations.
Exclusive interview: A former student speaks out
In an exclusive interview with Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose, Matthews describes her experiences attending Cornell fraternity parties.
She recalls a time when young women had few transportation options.
There were no cellphones, rideshare services or easy ways to contact someone for help.
Matthews says fraternity members sometimes refused to provide rides back to Elmira College.
They blamed heavy drinking or dangerous winter weather.
As a result, some young women had to remain at fraternity houses overnight.
Matthews describes situations that made her uncomfortable. She also recalls the pressure young women faced at those gatherings.
Watch my exclusive investigative report below. Matthews shares her firsthand account and explains why she believes these experiences deserve attention today.
Cornell fraternity parties in the 1970s
Elmira College had a long history as a women’s college.
By 1974, the school had begun admitting male students. However, women still made up much of the student population.
Matthews says Cornell fraternities took advantage of that environment by arranging weekend transportation.
For freshmen, the parties offered an opportunity to socialize away from campus.
But returning home could become a problem.
Matthews recalls occasions when students were told the bus could not take them back.
Some fraternity members cited snow-covered roads. Others said they had consumed too much alcohol.
The students had limited alternatives.
Allegations bring renewed attention to Cornell
The recent Cornell fraternity allegations have brought national attention to the university’s Greek life culture.
The documentary IMPACT x Nightline: The Cornell Seven, available on Hulu, examines allegations involving fraternity members and group-chat messages.
Those allegations concern events decades after Matthews attended Elmira College.
Matthews does not claim that her experiences involved the individuals named in the recent allegations.
Instead, her account offers a historical perspective on fraternity parties and the treatment of visiting female students.
Her interview raises questions about how long certain behaviors may have existed within college social environments.
A former student’s account, decades later
More than five decades have passed since Matthews attended those parties.
Yet she still remembers the circumstances that left young women dependent on fraternity members for transportation.
She also describes the persistence of men at some of those gatherings.
Her story provides a firsthand account of what she experienced as a young college student.
The recent allegations have renewed interest in fraternity culture. Matthews hopes sharing her experiences will contribute to that discussion.
Watch the full exclusive interview above for her account of Cornell fraternity parties in the 1970s.
Reporting by Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose.
The experiences described in this report reflect the interviewee’s account. They do not establish wrongdoing by any individual or fraternity involved in the current Cornell allegations.
My new book is now available
My new book, When Two Worlds Collide During WWII, follows two families on opposite sides of World War II and the remarkable events that eventually brought their lives together in Wisconsin.
Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no additional cost to you.