Known as the “Mother of Fraternities,” Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, is recognized as the birthplace of five national fraternities, including three established in the mid-1800s. Although SigEp wasn’t chartered at Miami until 1948, the Ohio Eta chapter and one of its founding members, Myron “Tuffy” Potter, Miami (Ohio), have their own unique connection to the school extending back to the 1920s.

In 1922, Potter was a founding member of Phi Sigma Phi, a local fraternity. In 1925, it affiliated with Theta Upsilon Omega, a national fraternity. Twenty-three years later, Tuffy, a dedicated alumnus, became a SigEp and charter member of Ohio Eta after Theta Upsilon Omega was merged into the Fraternity in 1938.

Tuffy was highly involved in getting the Miami University chapter re-chartered as a SigEp chapter. During the Great Depression, Miami’s Theta Upsilon Omega chapter fell dormant and wasn’t rechartered after the merger. Tuffy wrote to alumni brothers about their chapter returning to campus as part of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Because of this, many Theta Upsilon Omega alumni attended Ohio Eta’s chartering ceremony so they could be formally initiated as SigEps.

By then, Tuffy was a fixture in Oxford and on campus, having served as city council president. He opened a sandwich shop in 1929 that was highly popular with students — the star of the menu was his variation on a sweet bun he called a “Toasted Roll,” which was buttered, cooked on the grill and sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar.

Tuffy’s Toasted Rolls were a hit, and his restaurant offered a casual alternative to the university’s more formal dining hall for students to eat and hang out. When his son closed the restaurant in the mid-’70s after nearly 50 years on campus, the tables and booths attracted much interest at auction. The 21 booths were covered in students’ initials, representing a treasure trove of university history.

Considering the nostalgia alumni continue to hold for Tuffy’s, Joe Hornsby, Miami (Ohio) ’06, thought it fitting for its proprietor to be permanently memorialized on campus, along with his unique connection to fraternal history. During his tenure as Ohio Eta AVC president, Hornsby spearheaded an effort to place a monument on campus to serve as the starting location of the University Historic District Walking Tour.

That hard work was rewarded during the university’s 2023 Alumni Weekend when the monument was unveiled and officially dedicated at the site where Tuffy’s once stood. Over 150 Ohio Eta alumni and other former students who had been regulars at Tuffy’s were on hand to celebrate and share fond memories.

Tuffy’s Toasted Rolls are still served at the university student center — with Tuffy’s blessing — and remain a cherished Miami University tradition.