Not the same Ricketts; File #8

Ricketts House (or Ricketts Hovse) is one of the four original fraternity houses at Caltech. Its construction was funded by Louis Davidson Ricketts. Members of Ricketts House are called Skurves (or Scurves) due to a play on the similarity of the name Ricketts to the disease rickets and the fact that scurvy is another vitamin deficiency disease.^[1]

Ricketts traditions include fire related activities and the brakedrum. Prior to 2003, the Ricketts courtyard housed a large concrete firepot, in which massive fires were often enjoyed during cool Pasadena evenings. However, due to tightening of Pasadena fire codes and the Caltech administration's recent focus on liability concerns, the firepot was removed. The brakedrum is a contest between the freshman class and the sophomore class over ownership of the brakedrum.

Ricketts House was known for athletics and student government in the 1950s, but in the past decades Ricketts has been known less for these activities, and more for activities which push the motto "Take me as I am" to the limit. Scurves have in recent years assumed the role of agents provocateurs on campus, confronting a growing legalism on the part of campus administration with increasingly envelope-pushing displays of self-expression. A recent example has been the inverted pentagram which Ricketts had displayed for years on the front wall of its dining room. While Ricketts views this as a symbol of the primacy of individual expression over political correctness, administrators have long requested its removal, citing a potentially hostile work environment for custodial and food service employees. During the recently completed renovations, the mural was painted over, and a new mural policy has been put in place which effectively prohibits its return. In 2005, the administration pressured Ricketts to make their website private because many of the pictures and quotes on the website were considered to be potentially offensive.

These frat-boys REALLY don't have anything to do with Ricketts, Iowa- but the rest of this website does! Ricketts is a quaint, quiet, picturesque little town in Wester Iowa. Sure, some of our folks have been known to raise a little Hell once in a while, but most of the time, we're pretty kind, well-behaved and God-fearing.

If you grew up in Ricketts, be sure to plan on coming to our annual reunion, the third Saturday in July. If you have memories or pictures of Ricketts to share, email them to our webmaster: ted.mallory -at- gmail.com

If you have other funny, kitsch, or corny "Not the same Ricketts" ideas, send them too. Help put Ricketts on the map!