It’s been called the most powerful—and most secretive—fraternity in America. For decades, a shadowy group known as The Machine has controlled student government at the University of Alabama through intimidation and backroom deals. And it matters—because its influence stretches far beyond campus and into national politics. For a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/campusfiles-transcripts To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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In 1992, Esquire magazine ran a cover story with the headline, The Most Powerful Fraternity in America. It was about a secret organization at the University of Alabama known as The Machine. It's so secretive that its own members deny it exists. And yet, its presence is everywhere. The article's subtitle reads, It controls life at the University of Alabama, but nobody can see it.
Its influence extends to the statehouse, but nobody can touch it. It reeks of corruption, but nobody can smell it. It is, simply, the machine.
It seems so silly for a college group that the stakes really are high. When you talk about the things they've been willing to do in the past to win, targeting people who went against them, when you talk about that racism is nurtured there, and when you talk about the power they continue to hold in the state and also in the country, then it isn't really as silly as you might think it is.
I'm Margo Gray. This week on Campus Files, we're pulling back the curtain on the most powerful and most secretive fraternity in America. Getting into college was a major milestone for Alicia. She'd be the first in her family to attend. Both of her parents were particularly excited about the University of Alabama, her dad for the football team and her mom for the Greek life.
I think that my mom was drawn to the Greek life and was interested in that for me because she saw it as a possibility to help me meet somebody to marry or to get a better job. And for her daughter to be a sorority girl in Alabama, to her, I think that was something special. So once I decided to go there, I knew that I would go through Rush.
Back in 1983, when Alicia was at Alabama, sorority rush was just as cutthroat as it is today. But she got into her top choice, FIMU. She still remembers the moment, known on campus as Squeal Day, like it was yesterday.
Everybody's literally squealing and running from the student center to the houses to meet the sisters on the lawn of the houses. And they give you a shirt with your Greek letters. And there's a party that night and it's all just right away. You're sucked into it. And at that time, they're so welcoming and they really made it feel special.
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