The Beta Theta Pi - Spring 2016

BETA T H E B E TA T H E TA P I M A G A Z I N E

SPRING 2016

DREW ALLENSWORTH JUST ONE OF THE GUYS

12 CONTENTS 2 THE BETA THETA PI

A MAN OF STYLE AND SUBSTANCE There are many titles to define Jeff Rundle as a man and as a Beta. Brother. Son. Husband. Father. And now, Administrative Secretary.

CONTENTS CONTENTS

FEATURES

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28

38

In 1954, Bill Lowry became Beta’s first documented black member. Now, this Beta brother is called to lead again.

Go behind the scenes to see what happens when Beta’s editorial staff shows up for a seemingly straightforward discussion.

In November, another Beta solidified his place in Beta history after being named one of 32 U.S. Rhodes Scholars.

LIVING LEGEND

JUST ONE OF THE GUYS

THE RHODES TO OXFORD

DEPARTMENTS Newsworthy .............................................. 6

Campus Life ........................................... 40

Inbox ............................................................. 9

The Beta House.................................... 44

Darkening of the Hall.......................... 10

Promises to Keep ................................ 48

You Asked ................................................ 14

Parent Spotlight ................................... 50

I Am a Fraternity Man ....................... 20

Chapter Eternal .....................................52

Alumni News ..........................................22

Bridge Builder ........................................55

SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

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Once a year, Beta’s communication staff retreats for the singular purpose of vetting stories and subjects that can anchor each of the three issues of The Beta Theta Pi. The ideas are collected on a rolling basis and, typically numbering a couple dozen, the team moves through a process of elimination that is as messy as it is interesting, unscientific as it is rational.

Of course, the spring issue is particularly rewarding for the Fraternity because, even though it’s the only issue that doesn’t include 15 pages of chapter reports, it gives a charge of sorts to the editorial team to stretch and offer up features that dig deeper into the soul of Beta Theta Pi. In the last several years we’ve explored digital addictions like pornography and cell phone use and how those habits affect our brothers’ fraternal relationships, a first-ever demographical study of Beta’s undergraduates, and pushing back against the media for its unfair treatment of fraternity men who are nothing like the stereotypes they promulgate.

So, what can you anticipate in this, the spring issue of 2016?

4 THE BETA THETA PI L. MARTIN COBB EASTERN KENTUCKY ’96 MARTIN.COBB@BETA.ORG

EDITOR’S LETTER

EDITOR’S LETTER

For one, this is the 60th anniversary of the graduation of Beta’s first known African-American, Bill Lowry, Kenyon ’56. Having completed his service on Beta’s Foundation Board, it is appropriate to revisit the courageous actions of his white brothers of the ’50s who literally stood guard to ensure his initiation. A delicate topic he stepped forward to address his last year in office also deserves to be shared.

Second, during our retreat last summer, we had the list of magazine topics narrowed down to just a handful but were faced with a dilemma. Should we venture into a topic that, on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding gay marriage, explores how Beta chapters have adjusted to and are handling a more open tolerance for gay members? It was an unvarnished discussion, because our work has to have alignment and purpose, and it needs to continually advance the organization and brotherhood we all love.

And let’s face it, the readership deserves more every quarter than just Greek Week championships, tee-totter-a-thons, chapter installations and obituaries, appropriate and deserving as they may be. Ours is an organization of high-minded men and supporters who can handle reading about serious topics that, while uncomfortable for some, provide opportunity for intellectual exploration and personal reflection – not to mention better insight into the realities of our current Beta undergraduates on 135 campuses across North America.

So, in an unintentional but symbolic nod to Bill Lowry, a brother who was brought into Beta Theta Pi because of his character and, thus, not excluded because of his uniqueness from the norm, we dedicate this issue’s feature story to a young man and his chapter brothers who, like so many others in Beta-land, are as strong as ever – in large part because of their ability to respectfully and lovingly admit men of all types, including those who are openly gay.

If nothing else, we hope this issue is rooted in that cherished Proverb reserved for and read by the elder alumnus or chapter member in every initiation: “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding.” – Proverbs 4:7 Sincerely and yours in ___kai___,

ARCHIVES

ARCHIVES 5

THE BETA THETA PI The oldest continuously published college fraternity magazine, The Beta Theta Pi was founded on December 15, 1872, by Charles Duy Walker, VMI 1869.

EDITOR L. Martin Cobb, Eastern Kentucky ’96

PUBLICATION SCHEDULE Issue Deadline Winter 2016 October 15 Spring 2016 January 15 Summer 2016 April 15

SENIOR WRITER Justin P. Warren, SMU ’10

Mail Date December 15 March 15 June 15

SEND PICTURES, STORY CONCEPTS AND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: Beta Theta Pi Foundation & Administrative Office Brennan Hall 5134 Bonham Road PO Box 6277 Oxford, Ohio 45056 800.800.BETA or beta@beta.org

MANAGING EDITOR Michael J. Roupas, Iowa ’10

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sarah Shepherd PHOTOGRAPHY Nick Koch Weiler SuperHeroes for Kids

WHO GETS THE MAGAZINE? Upon initiation, each Beta is guaranteed a lifetime subscription to The Beta Theta Pi. That commitment by the Fraternity remains, although for a variety of reasons some no longer wish to receive the hard-copy version. So, who automatically receives the Fraternity’s magazine?

All undergraduates and parents, active Beta volunteers, donors to the Beta Foundation, and any alumnus who documents his preference to receive the hard copy with the Administrative Office in Oxford. One can easily do so at 800.800.BETA, beta@beta.org or my.beta.org.

HOW DOES ONE GET PUBLISHED? Content submissions for the magazine are always encouraged and certainly welcomed. While space constraints naturally make it difficult for the editorial staff to include every idea presented, a fair evaluation process is exercised in order to publish the greatest variety of chapters, age generations, geographical regions, events and unique member achievements and stories. Pictures should be submitted in high resolution at beta@beta.org.

The Beta Theta Pi, (USPS 052-000) official magazine of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, is owned by the Fraternity, edited and published under the direction and control of its Board of Trustees, published winter, spring and summer for a $30 one-time pre-paid subscription.

Standard non-profit class postage paid at Oxford, Ohio, and additional points of entry. Canada Post International Publications Mail (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 0397474. Copyright Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, 2016. Produced in the USA. WANT INSTANT ACCESS TO A PAST BETA MAGAZINE? Every issue of The Beta Theta Pi since its founding on December 15, 1872, can be accessed in Beta’s online, keyword-searchable digital archive: magazine.beta.org.

SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

John Hogarth Lozier (right), DePauw 1857, author of the Legend of Wooglin (written during his undergraduate days, 1852-57), is seated with his son Horace Gillette Lozier (left), Chicago 1894, author of “Loving Cup” and editor of the Song Book. In barely legible typeset included beneath the original photo in the Fraternity’s archives in Oxford contains the caption: “And thus from cherished sire to son, The links of our bond fraternal run.”

NEWSWORTHY

NEWSWORTHY

TRUE BETA LOVE

$95K AVAILABLE

AND THE WINNER IS

WELCOME BACK

NEW DIRECTOR

HOUSING PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW

On Valentine’s Day, Senator Lugar shared a story about giving his Beta pin to his Beta Sweetheart of 59 years. Visit beta.org/valentine to hear his incredibly endearing story.

This year, the Beta Foundation will offer $95,000 in 80 tuition-based Merit Scholarships to Betas and children of Betas.

Visit beta.org/scholarships to apply by April 15.

For the first time ever, color authority Pantone has selected two colors as its “Color of the Year,” and it’s none other than Beta’s delicate shades of pink and blue.

JOIN THE CLUB

The Sons of the Dragon Club is Beta’s annual giving program for Beta undergraduates. To join, donate $18.39 by April 1 at beta.org/sotdc and receive this year’s member incentives.

6 THE BETA THETA PI

On January 4 the Fraternity announced the return of Justin Warren, SMU ’10, to the Oxford staff as the Communication Department’s senior writer. justin.warren@beta.org

Cornerstone Director Anne Emmerth has been appointed

by Administrative Secretary Jeff Rundle, Kansas State ’03, as Beta’s new director of chapter services. anne.emmerth@beta.org

Three additional house corporations have joined Beta’s Cornerstone Housing Program insurance pool: Miami, Ohio State and Penn State. Helping leverage and protect the assets and interests of Beta house corporations across North America, 50 of 62 alumniowned properties now belong to the General Fraternity led coalition, representing $144 million in insured assets. Learn more at beta.org.

INTERFRATERNALLY SPEAKING Phi Kappa Psi Alumnus Clete Blakeman served as head referee of Super Bowl 50 after finishing his eighth season as an NFL referee.

Clete is an ’84 alum of Nebraska.

Delta Zeta celebrated the first anniversary of “Hike for Hearing,” its 5-year public promise to raise $5 million for the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Chi Psi celebrates the 175th Anniversary of its founding at Union College.

With a celebration event in Colonial Williamsburg this August, it is expected to be Chi Psi’s largest reunion ever.

UPCOMING EVENTS MARCH 31

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 70TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Los Angeles, Calif. gtbetaalumni@gmail.com

APRIL VIRGINIA TECH ALUMNI WEEKEND Blacksburg, Va. dcdavidcampbell@gmail.com

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SAN DIEGO 11TH ANNUAL BETA TOAST San Diego, Calif. sdbeta.org/toast

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ARKANSAS INSTALLATION CEREMONY & CELEBRATION Fayetteville, Ark. tdbarnes@email.uark.edu

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ST. LOUIS ALUMNI CLUB HONOR GUEST BANQUET St. Louis, Mo. cjspener@charter.net

AUGUST

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NORTHEAST OHIO ALUMNI ASSOC. 50TH BETA STEAKOUT Canton, Ohio BetaThetaPi.NEOH@gmail.com

In the last issue, Beta introduced the Re/Founding Father classes at LSU, Texas and Texas Tech. Since then, recruitment of the Re/Founding Fathers and advisors is currently underway at four more campuses, and Beta will be re/starting at a minimum of four additional campuses beginning Fall 2016. (Elon University in North Carolina pictured above.)

WINTER/SPRING 2016 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY Omega Colony | Berkeley, California ELON UNIVERSITY New Colony | Elon, North Carolina UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER New Colony | Rochester, New York ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY New Colony | Kansas City, Missouri

OCTOBER 7-9 MIAMI (FLA.) 10TH ANNIVERSARY Miami, Fla. pndarrow@gmail.com 14

CASE WESTERN RESERVE 175TH ANNIVERSARY Cleveland, Ohio jhg81@case.edu

2016-2017 MIAMI UNIVERSITY Alpha | Oxford, Ohio GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY Epsilon Mu | Fairfax, Virginia LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO New Colony | Chicago, Illinois THE COLLEGE OF NEW JERSEY New Colony | Ewing Township, New Jersey

7 SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

4-7 177TH GENERAL CONVENTION Renaissance Convention Center Hotel & Spa Oklahoma City, Okla. dan.fogle@beta.org

RE/COLONIZATION UPDATE

NEWSWORTHY

08

TOP STORIES OF 2015

A Look Back: Based upon analysis of Beta’s Facebook data related to engagement and reach, here’s a summary of the top 11 Beta headlines of 2015*.

with Them Following His Mother’s Passing From Cancer

NEWSWORTHY

3

Luke Skywalker’s Caretaker and Beta Alumnus, “Uncle Owen,” Phil Brown, Stanford ’37, Recognized on National Star Wars Day

8 THE BETA THETA PI

2 3

11

200,000th Beta Initiated, Warren Nitz, San Diego ’19

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President Lincoln’s Close Beta Confidants and Fellow Abolitionists Recognized on Anniversary of Assassination

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Beta Claims 85th Rhodes Scholar (Russell Bogue, Virginia ’16), Extending Record Among All Fraternities

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Oklahoma State Beta Undergraduate Brenner Milburn ’18, Proclaimed Hero During Homecoming Tragedy

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Beta Breaks Six Key Records Including GPA, Average Chapter Size, Undergraduate Membership and Volunteerism

6

Picture of Worldclass Crossfit Competitor Noah Ohlsen, Miami (Fla.) ’13, Embracing

Beta Sweetheart Before Competition

University of Oklahoma Beta Alumni Break All-Time Fraternity/ Sorority Fundraising Record With $10 Million House Renovation and Expansion

1

Beta-led “I Am a Fraternity Man” Campaign Releases Extensive Digital Recruitment Collateral, Making the Case for Fraternity Membership for All Fraternities Across North America



What will be the top stories of 2016? Be sure and follow Beta’s growing Instagram feed at Instagram.com/ betathetapi!

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Beta Recognizes Election of Interfraternal Friend and Delta Tau Delta Fraternity Member Paul Ryan, Miami ’92, as U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives

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94 Texas Tech Refounding Fathers Fly Pledge Brother Ryan Killian ’18, From Houston to Lubbock to Initiate

6 (* Eight stories related to the tragic passings of four Beta undergraduates, a White House senior tech advisor, an inspiring Beta father known as “BatDad,” an SAE police officer killed in the line of duty and five Beta alumni lost during 9/11 are not included due to the similar nature of those stories. They are certainly not forgotten. May they all rest in peace. ___kai___)

THE INBOX FOUNDER’S FAMILY

REACTIONS TO “HISTORIC TREASURES”

“WOW – What an amazing house [at OU].

Congrats to all our brothers out west who get to grow, develop and enjoy such an amazing facility.” — Brian Boardman, Rhode Island ’91 “So many happy memories with the OU Betas here! Sooo incredible to see this gorgeous transformation. Boomer Sooner!”

— Megan Lebre, Friend of Beta “[The OU house] looks a little different since I visited back in 2001!”

— Michael Vickers, Texas Tech ’05

betathetapi.org/linkedin

In “The Temple” feature article (p. 30-31) that recognized the historic renovation by the Beta Zeta alumni at St. Lawrence, Dr. Allen Splete ’60, should have been identified as the former Vice President of Academic Planning.

The title “Vice President for Student Affairs” belonged to fellow Beta Zeta alumnus Peter E. Van de Water ’58. In addition, while Temple benefactor Owen D. Young, St. Lawrence 1894, documented his preference for the Temple to be open for campuswide use from its very inception in 1926, that vision was only recently achieved.

In “Chapter Eternal” (p. 54), Gary W. Sitler, Wittenberg ’78 was mistakenly reported as deceased. The editorial staff apologizes for the error, and we’re happy to report Gary is alive and well.

facebook.com/betathetapi

I am a Beta from Johns Hopkins. It would have been nice to have known of my direct ties to Beta while an undergraduate at Hopkins!

— Hunt Banister, Johns Hopkins ’62

WHAT ABOUT ALPHA?

“What is the status of the Alpha chapter at Miami?

Is recolonization a priority? I think we would all love to see Alpha up and running and once again representing Beta Theta Pi at Miami.”

— Austin Auringer, Carleton ’17

 “We are working closely with a committed and energized Alpha alumni base and will begin the return of our Alpha chapter to Miami’s campus in the fall semester of 2016. The return of our Alpha is a top priority and we are all invested in making sure that the chapter will thrive over the long term.”

— Administrative Secretary Jeff Rundle, Kansas State ’03 See “You Asked” on page 14 to read the new Administrative Secretary’s answers to more questions posed by Beta undergrads.

twitter.com/betathetapi

instagram.com/betathetapi

9 SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

“The dog sled arrived here at the north Pole with the Winter Issue … another treasure of its own! The content, the history, the pictures, the layout truly are full of inspiration for each and every Beta.”

— Ron Helman, Miami ’55

CORRECTIONS

FROM THE LAST ISSUE

THE INBOX

“Great issue of the magazine. But it is made even greater by your excellent article on the Beta Zeta Temple. Many thanks for your personal involvement and the featured display in the magazine of what deserves to be called an historic event for the Fraternity and for Beta Zeta.”

— E.B. Wilson, St. Lawrence ’53



Amazing what a little genealogical research will uncover. I just discovered I have direct ties to one of our Founding Fathers!

Thomas Boston Gordon was my great, great, great uncle. His sister was Mary Elizabeth Gordon who married the Rev. Isham Hamilton Goss in 1840. Their daughter, Flora Margaret Goss, married Miles Hardy McGee. One of their children, Neta Irene McGee, married my grandfather, Garvin E. Banister. One of their sons, Florian McGee Banister, is my father!

DARKENING

OF THE HALL On December 28, General Secretary David Schmidt, South Florida ’92, announced the closure of the Fraternity’s treasured Beta Lambda Chapter at Vanderbilt University.

Schmidt’s letter to Betas and parents included the following excerpts: DARKENING OF THE HALL

“Unfortunately, while many individual undergraduate members have excelled in their own collegiate pursuits, risk management concerns and a deep sense of entitlement have continued to exist within the chapter’s culture which are incongruent with the values of Beta Theta Pi and Vanderbilt University.

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY

10 THE BETA THETA PI

Beta Lambda Chapter Nashville, Tennessee Chapter Motto: A grim crest Founded: Feb. 23, 1884 Lifetime Initiates: 2,311

Recent examples of the chapter’s disregard for safety occurred during its spring 2015 “Farm Party,” which included kegs, allegations of cocaine use and deception by the undergraduate leadership during the university’s investigation. The chapter’s laissez-faire attitude gave rise to similar alcohol violations and repeated drug-use allegations during the university’s homecoming in late October.

Even in the midst of an alumni-led reorganization this past August, including the hiring of a professional chapter development consultant (a technique implemented by other Beta chapters undergoing culture re-alignment processes), the chapter again had multiple risk management violations during their one sanctioned event of the semester in December.

Surprisingly, instead of working with the university and General Fraternity to find identifiable solutions aimed at remedying Beta Lambda’s issues and, thus, work toward a more sustainable future, the men met on December 11 and voted to disband rather than hold the brothers responsible for the ongoing behavioral problems. To quote one of the member’s social media posts that included a picture of the chapter in front of the chapter house with hands raised and middle fingers prominently positioned, “We’ll go down like the band in Titanic; well-dressed, affluent, and on our own terms.”

As a result of the chapter’s conduct, the Fraternity’s Board of Trustees and Vanderbilt’s administration have concluded that – in keeping with our commitment to the core mission of both institutions – a period of closure of the Beta Lambda Chapter is, indeed, the most appropriate course of action.”

The General Fraternity and Vanderbilt University have agreed to an initial period of suspension and disbandment of the chapter through the spring of 2018, at a minimum. The chapter’s re-establishment will begin at a mutually agreeable time frame sometime thereafter.

YOU ASKED 12 THE BETA THETA PI

A MAN OF STYLE AND SUBSTANCE Jeff Rundle’s Beta accolades are countless: chapter president, IFC president, leadership consultant and district chief among them.

But there are titles that better define him as a man and as a Beta.

Brother. Son. Husband. Father. And now, Administrative Secretary.

S

tanding on the second floor of Brennan Hall, a dichotomy unfolds before your eyes. To one side, at a desk in the center of a well-lit office, sits the Fraternity’s newly appointed administrative secretary, Jeff Rundle, Kansas State ’03. To the other, a much smaller, darker room which until recently he occupied as the director of chapter services.

What’s representative of Jeff and his journey as an Administrative Office staffer, though, isn’t the rooms themselves – it’s what’s in them.

AN ACCOMPLISHED PAST

A scan of his old office reinforces the Fraternity’s influence on his adult life. Anchored by his own shingle, Beta is everywhere.

While there, he met his Beta Sweetheart and future wife, Erica. “He put all of his time and energy into those boys,” Erica said. “He felt responsible for their struggles and cheered alongside them during their success.”

No one from his family was surprised. “Beta always seemed to reach out and draw him back home,” said Jeff ’s parents, John and Connie Rundle. “Beta provided a framework and outlet for living his values on a daily basis,” said Brett Rundle, Kansas State ’06, Jeff ’s brother. “The Fraternity gave him a purpose.”

A PROMISING FUTURE

Almost five years after returning to Ohio, Jeff is transitioning from director of chapter services to administrative secretary, a post recently vacated by his friend and mentor, Jud Horras, Iowa State ’97, who is now president

“Jeff Rundle is a well-rounded, gem of a leader who has the energy, passion and vision to take Beta to new heights.”

— David Schmidt, South Florida ’92 General Secretary

and CEO of the North-American Interfraternity Conference.

Still settling in to his office, he’s thus far opted to leave most of his mementos behind. Instead, alongside a line of portraits of the 11 administrative secretaries before him, he’s made room for pictures of those whose influence will carry him through this next phase of his Beta story.

“My family taught me about work ethic and integrity,” Jeff said. “Great Beta brothers like Steve Becker and Jud Horras taught me about principled leadership and the value of relationships.

Erica continues to teach me about loyalty and commitment.” And pictures of a young Beta in the making, his one-year-old son, Gabriel. “He shows me what joy looks like each day.”

Jeff ’s to-do list is already quite hefty. He wants to continue the Fraternity’s tradition as an interfraternal leader, and commits to improving the quality and competitiveness of our chapter

housing, supporting volunteers with greater resources, sustainably expanding and growing the Fraternity, and rebuilding the bridge between our alumni and their home chapters.

“The past 13 years of working for the Fraternity have prepared me for the opportunity at hand,” Jeff said. “Some experiences reinforced the value of our Fraternity. Others reinforced the challenges that we must continue to confront. Altogether, those memories provide the foundation for my next steps as administrative secretary.”

His biggest supporter agrees that he’s more than ready for the job. In addition to handsome and well dressed, his wife calls him consistent, committed and fair – a classic Midwesterner who genuinely cares about those around him.

A SYMBOLIC TRANSITION

Across the hall is an office with a perfect view of the Administrative Office grounds, and in the distance, appearing just above the tallest branches of snow-dusted trees, is a glimpse of Miami University’s campus – the undergraduates, alumni, volunteers and administration – and the Beta Campanile. Altogether, it’s symbolic of the everyday affairs of a director of chapter services. The Fraternity’s past and present.

From his new office, you only see the Hall of Chapters – a cozy building which serves to initiate the new members who will carry our brotherhood forward. This, too, is indicative of Administrative Secretary Jeff Rundle’s highest priority: setting a strong, sustainable vision for our Fraternity’s future.  — Justin Warren, SMU ’10

13 SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

As his time in State College came to a close in 2011, Jeff faced a major decision. With an offer to return to Beta’s Oxford-based staff, was it finally time to move on? “Ultimately, the professional opportunity to continue to serve the Fraternity, Erica’s opportunity to pursue her nursing degree and the personal opportunity to begin our life together in a great little college town drew us back to Oxford,” Jeff said.

20160211122128_001.jpg

RUNDLE

Still there in the dark are his degrees – a bachelor’s, master’s and juris doctor degree; undergraduate and staff awards; and a framed letter and photo collage commemorating his time recolonizing the chapter at Penn State. Nearby, a hand-written note reading, “Jeff, Alpha Upsilon will never forget what you did for us.”

YOU ASKED 14 THE BETA THETA PI

YOU. ASKED. Beta undergrads recently had a chance to ask Beta’s new Administrative Secretary, Jeff Rundle, some hard-hitting questions. Here’s how Jeff replied . . .

Do you think Beta’s reputation has been tarnished after removing so many chapters through the Men of Principle initiative, even though many have recolonized?

How does Beta’s expansion staff go about recruiting men of principle? Is there a way chapters can apply that strategy to our own recruitment systems and programs?

— Raim Izhar, Illinois ’16

— Kenny Bohannan, Truman State ’16

No, I believe that Beta’s reputation and the quality of our chapter experience has improved tremendously since we recommitted ourselves to being accountable to Beta’s values. Our transition through the Men of Principle initiative was filled with difficult decisions, but we have grown and thrived in so many ways because of our commitment to a healthier and safer chapter experience. Our membership has grown, our opportunities to expand or recolonize have increased and support from volunteers and donors has exploded in the Men of Principle era. Our reputation is only tarnished when we shy away from doing the right thing because it happens to also be the difficult thing.

Beta’s expansion staff attacks the recruitment process with a true “recruitment” mindset. Just like a college coach scours the high school ranks for talent and spends countless hours evaluating film, building relationships with athletes, making selective offers to the best candidates and securing a commitment, Beta’s team actively seeks unaffiliated leaders, gentlemen and scholars, and shows them what part they could play in building a fraternity.

Few of our Founding Fathers are taken through a passive formal recruitment process. We pursue and select men who demonstrate Beta’s values through their college life. This approach can certainly be replicated in our chapters but it requires time, effort, enthusiasm and organization.

“

YOU ASKED

My vision for our Fraternity is to strive toward the greater alignment of our actions with Beta’s principles and obligations each day, at each chapter and in the hearts and minds of each member.

”

15

—Jeff Rundle, Kansas State ’03 Administrative Secretary

What are some suggestions for chapters that are first trying to develop an alumni association?

What is the best way for undergraduates to stay involved with Beta after college?

— TJ Osborne, American ’16

— Trevor Coley, Connecticut ’16

— Alex Wu, Washington ’18

Just as the Fraternity allows a member’s mother, wife, daughter, sister or fiancée to wear the Beta Badge, so too are Beta Sweethearts and Friends of Beta welcome to wear our Beta letters (including screen-printed or stitched letters). We are proud to have great non-members supporting our Fraternity and they can certainly help represent the Fraternity in a positive manner.

Engage your alumni in the communication process. Creating an Alumni Relations Committee (ARC) with both undergraduate and alumni brothers is a great first step in coordinating communication efforts and events. You can find out more about an ARC at howto.beta.org.

When you settle into your area of employment or continued education, reach out to the local district chief or advising team to volunteer for a chapter.

Our Administrative Office staff is always happy to help connect you with a volunteer opportunity.

SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

What is the policy on Sweethearts/Friends of Beta wearing screen-printed, non-stitched Beta letters?

LIVING LEGEND Beta’s First Known African-American is Called to Lead – Again

By L. Martin Cobb, Eastern Kentucky ’96

“ . . . today’s young college-aged men who are joining our Fraternity should be able to see themselves in the men who lead and represent their interests.”

— Bill Lowry, Kenyon ’56

I

n April of 1954, weeks before the landmark Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision had even ruled school segregation unconstitutional, the men of Beta Alpha Chapter at Kenyon College defied the norm and initiated Bill Lowry ’56, a young African-American from the south side of Chicago.

Confirmed as one of the first black students ever admitted into a historically Caucasian fraternity, he would become an icon of Beta loyalty and

“The Kenyon Affair” documented as one of Beta’s greatest legends of unconditional brotherly love.

Fittingly, in 2011 the Fraternity would knock on Bill’s door again – this time for service on the Fraternity’s international Foundation Board of Directors.

Fast forward to 2015 in one of the most poetically symbolic gestures imaginable – as a virtual nod to his courageous white Kenyon Beta brothers of the ’50s – and this time, it’s Bill who would do the advocating.

From: Tuck Schulhof Sent: June 03, 2015, 3:37 p.m.

To: Bill Lowry Subject: Re: Call for Nominees . . .

Brother Lowry:

Sincerely in -kaiH. Tuck Schulhof, DePauw ’58 Former Beta Vice President and General Treasurer

A little more than 60 years ago, I was blessed to become a part of the brotherhood of Beta Theta Pi. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I continue to treasure my involvement that has included service on the Beta Foundation Board of Directors since 2011.

Of course, some may know that my Beta membership that began back in 1954 did not come without controversy. To our knowledge, Beta had apparently never admitted an African-American. Yet the men of Beta Alpha Chapter at Kenyon College felt we shared the necessary common denominators to live together. They felt I belonged.

Given the realities of the day, their determination certainly went against the grain – not only in Beta, but also society at large. Looking back, it was one of the greatest demonstrations of brotherhood I have ever seen.

To suggest that I am humbled and feel fortunate to have been a part of “The Kenyon Affair” would be the greatest of understatements. My love for Beta Theta Pi – and those men, as well as today’s Beta leaders – is immeasurable.

It is in that spirit that I am reaching out to the core of the General Fraternity’s current and past members of the Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors and Administrative Office staff, as the nominating and governance committee of the Foundation Board believes our board could and should be more representative of the 9,375 undergraduates who make up our 129 chapters across North America.

You may recall from the demographical study that was featured in the spring 2014 issue of The Beta Theta Pi magazine that just under 20% of our undergraduates are of minority races and international origins, not to mention a variety of religions, abilities and sexual orientations.

To be clear, while the recent University of Oklahoma SAE racist chant incident has been incredibly disappointing for and damaging to the entire Greek community, this conversation about board member diversity is a topic we have been discussing the last several years. So, this letter is not a knee-jerk response to that specific situation, nor is it centered on tokenism as to suggest that Beta Theta Pi must be politically correct in order to demonstrate value to her members and society at large. I am inclined to feel my existence authenticates the spirit of Beta Theta Pi.

continued . . .

17 SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

In my view, what you stated exceedingly well must continue to be an underlying theme of the General Fraternity and, as part of its “foundation” (no pun intended), the message needs to reach every member, not just those to whom it was addressed.

Dear Brothers and Friends:

LIVING LEGEND

I am remiss in not responding to your May 6th message.

I don’t have a nominee to suggest, but I did want to commend you on the content of the message . . . I believe it to be an extraordinarily well articulated message worthy of inclusion in the magazine.

May 6, 2015 Delivered via Email to: Advisory Council Members of Past Trustees and Foundation Directors, Board of Trustees, Foundation Board of Directors, and Former and Current Administrative Office Staff Members

continued . . . “. . . this letter is not a kneejerk response . . . nor is it centered on tokenism . . .”

— Bill Lowry, Kenyon ’56

This letter is, however, to acknowledge that today’s young college-aged men who are joining our fraternity should be able to see themselves in the men who lead and represent their interests. As recently as the 167th General Convention in 2006, the undergraduate delegates unanimously passed legislation broadening Beta’s membership eligibility requirements: Article II, SECTION 3, of The Code of Beta Theta Pi Membership Eligibility: Membership selection shall not, in any way, be affected by race, color, creed, religion, age, disability, ethnic background, sexual orientation or national origin.

LIVING LEGEND

Consistent with our support and belief in the undergraduates’ position on the matter, we are asking you to help our committee (members listed below) add additional depth to the list of candidates of diverse men who, through their own backgrounds and profiles, can add to the make-up of our Foundation Board of Directors. We are looking to add men to our ranks who can enrich the General Fraternity’s leadership and perspective on matters that affect our undergraduates, parents and alumni.

As you think about diverse Betas from your chapter or in your local Beta network who possess superior professional skillsets and interests, and could be considered for service on the Beta Foundation Board of Directors, please use this simple and brief online form (just four questions) and submit your recommendations by June 15, 2015.

18 THE BETA THETA PI

Yes, the subject of diversity can often be a touchy one, and you should know that we have spent time trying to make sure that any effort in this regard is measured and focused on the goodness that a healthy mixture of Beta alumni can and will bring to a Fraternity that, virtually from its inception in 1839, came to be known as “The Pioneering Fraternity.” We certainly desire to recruit and appoint the highest caliber of men possible to aid in the development and personal growth of our young undergraduate brothers.

Interested in Bill’s first-hand account of

“The Kenyon Affair?”

In this 60th anniversary year since his graduation, Bill Lowry, Kenyon ’56, reflects on his introduction to Beta Theta Pi and the men who challenged the norm in the name of friendship, just principles and lifelong Beta brotherhood. beta.org/thekenyonaffair

Sincerely and in ___kai___, William E. (Bill) Lowry Jr., Kenyon ’56 Chairman, Nominating and Governance Committee Beta Theta Pi Foundation Board of Directors

cc: Nominating and Governance Committee Members S. Wayne Kay, Virginia Tech ’73, Foundation Chairman Peter W.C. Barnhart, Miami ’66 Kendall R. Bryan, MIT ’88 H. Kent Mergler, Cincinnati ’63 Judson A. Horras, Iowa State ’97, Administrative Secretary Jonathan J. Brant, Miami ’75, Foundation Director L. Martin Cobb, Eastern Kentucky ’96, Editor & Director of Communication

JOSH FAIRCHILD

REACTIONS . . .

RICK BROWN Ohio ’65

Oklahoma State ’05

“I’m glad to see this push by the Fraternity! I don’t think we’ve done enough and am worried per the diversity article last year that we may have been patting ourselves on the back without challenging the complicated social norms and stereotypes that we are sometimes unwittingly complicit in continuing.

As you know, I have great pride in what we have achieved and wouldn’t change my experience for anything ... just always searchingly self-critical.”

MIKE MATTSSON Utah ’60

“I heartily applaud [your] well-worded letter. I had never heard about “The Kenyon Affair,” and during my years as an active in the Gamma Beta Chapter (1956-60), we stressed that Beta Theta Pi did not have a discrimination clause, and we were especially proud of that.

In fact, the Gamma Beta Chapter worked hard to achieve diversity at all levels, which wasn’t always easy in the homogeneous community of Salt Lake City.”

CHRISTIAN WEST Virginia ’09

“I am very proud to have received this email. As one of the few persons of color in my undergraduate chapter and during my time at the Administrative Office, it gives me great confidence that our leadership is having intentional, critical conversations on this topic. Cheers to steps moving forward!”

JOE TRONCALE Alabama ’63

Few have summarized the benefits of a diverse membership better than one of Beta’s first-known non-Caucasian members, Horatio Sato, DePauw 1881, who immigrated to the United States in 1877 and went on to become Japan’s ambassador to the U.S., Austria-Hungary and the League of Nations. Invited in 1917 by the Beta Club of Washington, D.C., to speak at a banquet honoring him, he concluded,

“This kind of meeting is agreeable to me because it breathes genuine friendship without any shadow of conventionality. I like it all the more because, banishing all worldly cares, forgetting our ages, politics, creeds, nationalities, varied or conflicting interests, and laying aside even diplomacy, we come here to have a good time together simply as brothers in the bonds of Beta Theta Pi, and to recall the sweet associations of the past and to form wider friendships for the future.”

– Amb. Horatio Sato, DePauw 1881, January 30, 1917

From 1839 to 1877 to 1954 to 2016, the Fraternity’s march for a brotherhood that is built by the hearts and character of young men continues – no matter the human vessels that contain their souls. In Beta Theta Pi, it’s hard to imagine it any other way. 

SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

L

19

“Great outreach and excellent plan!”

LOCKED ARMS CONTINUE TO INSPIRE ooking back, it’s hard to imagine that the young Betas at Kenyon could have predicted how profound their actions would come to be known 60-plus years after their principled stand. But isn’t it interesting that the extension of their hand and locking of arms in 1954 to ensure Bill Lowry’s admittance into the Halls of Beta Theta Pi would teach us still today about the power of brotherhood. The heart of a man. And the potential for an individual’s almost incomputable contribution.

LIVING LEGEND

“I agree completely. I have been active in trying to recruit for the College of Business and the Ohio University Athletic Committee. From my experience, “It ain’t easy!” From an undergraduate perspective, many minority students interested in fraternities receive flak from other minority students. My experience in dealing with the diversity issue is that the individuals I have contacted are usually outstanding in their own right and as a result are deluged with opportunities to serve on various boards and committee organizations.”

Who are fraternity men?

Men who open up their hearts and homes to children in need of a loving family and support system.

Both Greek alumni from Eastern Kentucky University, Jason and Kelly Crume adopted a little boy in 2007.

Two years ago, that little boy became a big brother, as the family doubled in size after adopting three young siblings who had been abandoned by their birth parents.

Learn more about the “I Am a Fraternity Man� campaign at IAmAFraternityMan.org. [ 20] THE BETA THETA P I | S P R I NG 2 016

kevin d.

I A MA F R AT E R N I T Y MA N . ORG | PHO T OGRAPH BY N ICK KOCK W E ILE R P H O T OGRAPHY | N ICK KOCH W E ILE R

ALUMNI NEWS

SIXTH BETA AWARDED PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM

22

By L. Martin Cobb, Eastern Kentucky ’96

ALUMNI NEWS

THE BETA THETA PI

On November 17, 2015, Beta brother Stephen Sondheim, Williams ’50, was announced as one of this year’s Presidential Medal of Freedom honorees, making him Beta’s sixth member to have been so recognized.

“Sondheim is one of the country’s most influential theater composers and lyricists, and has received eight Grammy Awards, eight Tony Awards, an Academy Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama,” remarked President Barack Obama.

The Medal of Freedom is the United States’ highest civilian honor, and Sondheim joins an esteemed group of PMOF Beta alumni, including: Army football coaching great Earl “Red” Blaik, Miami 1918, UCLA coaching legend John Wooden, Purdue ’32, Walmart’s Sam Walton, Missouri ’40, Defense Secretary William Perry, Carnegie Mellon ’49, and Senator Richard Lugar, Denison ’54. Here’s to brother Sondheim!

HOME OF THE BRAVE

You have to love when America’s best also take pride in their fraternity – two things that always seem to go hand in hand. As shared December 2, 2015, by Victor Turchany, Central Florida ’11 (left), “We are in an undisclosed location forward deployed supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

Behind us is an air defense launcher used to protect our location against any aerial threats or incoming missiles. I just wanted to send a military Beta shot from the front lines.

-kai- P.S. - If it flies, it dies.” Thank Vic for his service at victorturchany@gmail.com.

ALUMNI NEWS

LESSONS IN HISTORY Ed O’Malley, Kansas State ’97, recently spent an evening with author Doris Kearns Goodwin in Buckman Tavern, Lexington, Massachusetts, learning how minutemen gathered on the eve of their historic encounter with the British army. Nights later he had the privilege of visiting with American historian David Hackett Fischer in the house John Hancock and Samuel Adams were hiding the night Paul Revere rode and warned them of the approaching British army. eomalley@kansasleadershipcenter.org

23 SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

TEN-HUT! The Fraternity is proud to recognize newly promoted Army Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Willis, South Dakota ’98, including his induction into the Army’s Order of Military Medical Merit for “integrity, moral character, selflessness and contribution to the betterment of Army medicine.”

(Beta Trivia: Did you know the man credited as the “Father of Battlefield Medicine” is fellow Beta Dr. Jonathan Letterman, Washington & Jefferson 1845?) With Abdul’s son (right) being named “Kai,” it’s certainly safe to say that brother Willis is a Beta through and through.

Congratulate him at abdul.r.willis.mil@mail.mil.

UVA BETAS ARE ROLLIN’!

In November, Beta’s Omicron Chapter at the University of Virginia added another Rhodes Scholar to the legion of Beta honorees (see pages 38-39), and now Starwood Hotels (Westin, Sheraton, W, etc.), owner of more than 1,200 hotels worldwide that employee some 180,000 people, has tapped Tom Mangas ’90, to serve as its new CEO. Must be something in the water in Charlottesville.

Good luck, Tom! tbm_istanbul@hotmail.com

FAITHFUL ALUMNI NEWS 24

NIC APPOINTS HORRAS CEO

THE BETA THETA PI

Following four months of concurrent service as interim CEO of the North-American Interfraternity Conference, Judson A. Horras, Iowa State ’97, was appointed to that full-time role and concluded his service on January 31 as Beta’s eleventh administrative secretary. Co-founded in 1909 thanks in part to Francis W. Shepardson, Denison 1882/Brown 1883 and Willis O. Robb, Ohio Wesleyan 1879, and headquartered in Indianapolis, the NIC is a trade association representing 72 inter/national men’s college fraternities.

“Judson is the ideal candidate to lead the NIC into its next generation,” remarked Mark Timmes, CEO of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and chairman of the NIC Governing Council Search Committee. “He brings an impressive track record of success at Beta, and he led and sold the creation of a bold new strategic vision for the NIC at a time of critical need in the fraternal industry. In doing so, he gained the trust and confidence of the NIC membership and the higher education community. We see a bright future of renewed interfraternal collaboration and accountability under his leadership.” Congratulate and thank Jud at jud@nicindy.org.

Former Beta Associate Editor turned Monk Tim Herrmann, Dayton ’10, recently promised vows of obedience, stability and fidelity to the monastic way of life for a period of three years. He entered the seminary on February 1 to start a five-and-a half-year journey towards his ordination.

“I submitted three names to the Abbot...Simon, Titus and Michael...as we take a new name at first profession. He gave me the name Simon (of Cyrene; who helped Jesus carry his Cross).”

Simon Herrmann, your Beta brothers are here to help carry you all the way too, good friend.

Congratulations! tsherrmann@gmail.com FROM BOOK TO WIDESCREEN Directed by Angelo Pizzo of “Rudy” and “Hoosiers,” and based on the true story “Courage Beyond the Game: The Freddie Steinmark Story” by bestselling author Jim Dent, SMU ’75, the movie “My All-American” was released November 13, 2015, in theaters across the land. Way to go, Jim!

HERE’S TO YOU

ALUMNI NEWS

Resulting from his enthusiasm in starting a Toastmasters chapter on campus, Matt Martinez, Chapman ’15, was recently invited to the Southern California headquarters to film his perspective on what it means to be a millennial.

Connect with Matt at marti370@mail.chapman.edu.

25

DUKELOW ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY Josh Dukelow, Lawrence ’02, recently stepped forward to serve his fellow citizens by running for mayor of Appleton, Wisconsin. Not surprisingly, the bonds of brotherhood don’t stop at graduation’s door: Daniel Martin ’07, is serving as his campaign treasurer, and Nathan Litt ’08, is assisting as campaign director. Good luck, brothers!

Recently featured in an extensive Bloomberg Business feature, “How Dow Chemical is Converting Sewage into Drinking Water,” Snehal Desai, Michigan ’85, Dow Chemical’s global business director for the water division, is helping revolutionize water purification and, in states like California, solve the ongoing drought concerns. “Desai has the kind of mind that churns out ideas so fast you can almost hear it humming. The son of Indian immigrants, he grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where his father was a civil engineer for Bechtel. While a pre-med student at the University of Michigan, he decided he preferred chemistry to biology; he didn’t like laboratories, but he loved business. ‘I was the guy who was the social chairman of my fraternity, and I worked my way through college as a bartender,’ he says. ‘I wasn’t cut out for a lab coat.’” Read more about this fascinating interview with the personable yet equally intelligent brother Desai at beta.org/desai.

SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

ALUMNI NEWS 26

“BETA ROSE, CRIMSON ROSE …”

THE BETA THETA PI

As the old sayings go, “A good chapter is a singing chapter,” and “A chapter that sings together sticks together.” That’s probably what makes this Beta serenade at the wedding of Will Pett, Northeastern ’14, and his Sweetheart Ashley so heartwarming. In Beta Theta Pi, the singing tradition continues no matter the age or location. pett.william@gmail.com

“BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT I’VE EVER RECEIVED.”

KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR This gem was caught beachside, as past chapter president and UCF Knight Nat Jones, Central Florida ’15, proposed to his Beta Sweetheart. ncj715@gmail.com

Those Betas can be charmers, can’t they? As shared by Angela Cho announcing the proposal she received from John Pontius, St. Lawrence ’11, with “Chopper” the bulldog by their side, “Yes to a lifetime with my best friend – the most compassionate, thoughtful and considerate man I’ve ever met. Doesn’t hurt that’s he’s very handsome too!” #meettheponchos

SO, SO GOOD On October 19, 2015, George Washington University announced that Anderson Good, St. Lawrence ’15, had been appointed assistant coach on the Colonials’ squash coaching staff. Good, a Pennsylvania native, served as team captain as a senior in 2014-15, helping lead the Saints to a No. 2 national ranking, the highest in program history. Congratulations, brother! ajgood11@stlawu.edu

HELLO, ALEX. A fan of Jeopardy? The first and second week of January Beta brother and Columbia, Missouri attorney Adam Hoskins, Truman State ’08, competed on the game show to demonstrate his intellectual prowess.

Knocking off the reigning champ with his own three-game streak, Hoskins won $42,402. adamjhoskins@gmail.com

Southern Mississippi Head Coach Todd Monken, Knox ’89 (left), was recently named the new offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Fittingly, John Wozniak ’00 (right), his fellow Beta brother from Knox College, was elevated from Southern Miss’ special teams coach to offensive coordinator. Prior to Southern Miss, Wozniak coached under Brother Monken in a variety of roles at LSU, Oklahoma State and UAB. Continued well wishes on the gridiron, brothers!

ONE OF WOODEN’S BOYS Keith Erickson, UCLA ’66, was inducted into the PAC-12 Hall of Honor during this year’s basketball tournament in Las Vegas, March 9-12. Erickson helped lead the Bruins to their first two NCAA basketball titles in 1964 and 1965, which launched the historic run by coaching legend and Beta John Wooden, Purdue ’32. Erickson (right), pictured here with Wooden and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was one of 11 UCLA Betas to play for the “Wizard of Westwood.”

27 SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

As announced by Miami University, “One of the most decorated swimmers in Miami men’s swimming and diving history, Tim Winans, Miami ’85, was a 10-time MAC Champion for the Red and White from 1982-85.” Winans was inducted into Miami’s Athletics Hall of Fame as a part of its 47th class this past winter.

BETA COACHES PROMOTED

ALUMNI NEWS

MIAMI BETA SWIMMER INTO HALL OF FAME

Just One of the Guys

by Mike Roupas | Iowa ’10

THIS STORY STARTS IN NORMAN, OKLAHOMA.

In September 2015

, four members of Beta’s editorial staff and video crew flew from Los Angeles, Chicago, Oxford and Tuscaloosa to Oklahoma City with the objective of capturing a weekend’s worth of footage at the University of Oklahoma chapter house. With a van full of camera equipment, we moved inside and split into two teams: Team One captured footage of the historic chapter’s $10 million house renovation and expansion, while Team Two zeroed in on a seemingly straightforward topic: Drew Allensworth.

DREW ALLENSWORTH | OKLAHOMA ’15 A recent alumnus of the Oklahoma chapter. Currently pursuing a career in higher education, Drew works for the university of oklahoma.

I knew a bit about Drew before flying to Oklahoma. I knew he grew up in a small town north of Tulsa where his father was the President and CEO of the town bank, and his grandfather was the town doctor. I knew he was raised on a farm, enjoyed hunting and went to church every Sunday. He was a star athlete on his high school’s football and track teams, and upon graduation, he upheld the family tradition and attended OU where he joined the cheerleading team and pledged Beta, just like his older brother.

But I wanted to drill down beneath the surface. With two boom mics and three cameras aimed and ready to capture a discussion, I sat across the table from three young men – Neal, Aaron and Boone – and was ready to get to the bottom of a list of questions I had about their chapter brother, Drew.

NEAL JOHNSTON | OKLAHOMA ’15 Drew’s close friend and two-year roommate.

Originally from Tulsa, Neal pledged Beta at the same time as Drew.

AARON MURRAY | OKLAHOMA ’16 Oklahoma’s recent chapter president.

The son of a pastor, Aaron grew up in a small town in Oklahoma.

ANDREW BOONE | OKLAHOMA ’15 Drew’s pledge brother and former vice president.

Boone was pledge class president and grew up with neal.

I asked the trio, “How did you first meet Drew?” Neal and Boone met Drew during their pledge semester in 2011. While Neal didn’t really care for Drew at first, the men eventually developed a strong friendship and even spent two years as roommates. But Aaron, being a couple years younger than everyone, had a different perspective. “Drew was one of the directors for University Sing my freshman year, so pretty much everyone in my pledge class knew Drew from that,” he said.

JUST ONE OF THE GUYS I 31 | BETA.ORG

“he was always the first involved in everything. He was always doing something to put back into Beta . . .

And he made some awesome t-shirts.”

— Neal Johnston, oklahoma ’15

“The first time I met him, it was clear he took U-Sing very seriously,” Aaron continued. “I thought it was going to be really relaxed and he said, ‘We’re here to win.’

Right then, I saw his passion for Beta and for giving back. Drew is the most competitive guy. I immediately had a good impression.”

At this point, I felt the interview was going well, and all three men were candid with their responses to each question I threw their way.

Thirty minutes into the conversation, I paused when Boone mentioned the name, “Shelly.”

SHELLY JONES | “PSEUDO-HOUSE MOM” A longtime fixture in the Beta house, Shelly oversees the chapter’s meal plan and is dear to the chapter and brothers.

“we show Shelly as much respect as we can possibly give, and that’s because of the example drew set for us.”

— aaron murray, oklahoma ’16

While I had intentionally created an environment for the trio to discuss among themselves without my interference, I stopped them to clarify: “Did you say Shelly?

Talk to me more about who she is and her relationship with Drew.”

“Yeah,” Boone replied. ”Shelly. She ran the kitchen. She cleaned our bathrooms. She took care of all of us. That woman took the time to know

each and every single person in and out of the house.” He continued, “She’s a friend to all of us – but, Allensworth took care of her. I mean, that guy would always help her in the kitchen. He would go out of his way to make sure she was happy – that she was comfortable and having a good day.”

Neal jumped in, “Without Shelly, this house would have fallen in on itself.

Shelly was always there and she never asked anything from us, but Drew was always the first to say, ‘Hey, what can I do to help you?’”

“Drew set the example for us,” Aaron said. “He told us, ‘Anything you can do to help Shelly, you do it.

She gives so much to us – there’s not enough we can do to help her.’”

I listened as the men discussed how Drew developed a pattern of educating each new pledge class on the importance of treating Shelly with the utmost respect. For a moment, I took in how Drew’s simple gestures had made such a profound impact on the chapter’s culture. But I needed to move on. After all, we weren’t here to talk about Shelly.

THE BETA THETA PI I 32 | SPRING 2016

WHY ARE WE HERE?

By this point

in the interview, Drew’s chapter brothers revealed a couple additional character traits of his:

1 |DREW IS A GENTLEMAN. A gentleman with a great respect for womEn, Drew loves to make someone else’s day better.

2 |DREW IS A LEADER. An influential leader with a competitive spirit, Drew makes others want to give their all.

And that’s all great. But these two traits aren’t surprising, and they’re not that unique. After all, he sounds like a pretty standard fraternity man, right?

Now, before this interview with Neal, Aaron and Boone started, our editorial staff was finishing up a lunch break and happened to walk in the house behind two Oklahoma Betas who had just finished playing basketball outside. On the way in, we overheard their exchange related to our story on Drew. “What’s so special about Allensworth,” whispered one in a puzzled tone. “You know … ” the other hinted. Still perplexed, the first one responded, “Yeah, I know. But no one cares about that … ” The chapter was well aware we weren’t there to tell a story about Drew being a gentleman or a leader. Yes, these two traits appeared on a laundry list of ways Drew left his mark on the chapter, but we were there to explore a third trait – a trait that, in that moment, I began to realize was largely a non-issue.

CONTINUED

the night before

the interview with Neal, Aaron and Boone, I had spent two full hours talking directly with Drew about his sexuality. He is gay.

Drew told me that when he first realized he was gay, he feared the rumor mill in town and resolved to keep his sexuality under wraps. “I was mortified. I internalized it,” he said. “Growing up in a small town, it’s like a game of telephone. Who knows what will be said.”

DREW IS GAY.

But Drew had larger concerns than his neighbors to consider. “I was most afraid about coming out to my parents and grandparents,” he said. “You hate to disappoint them, and to me, I was going to.” Eventually, Drew met a guy with whom he could relate. “Nobody can really understand unless you’re living it,” he said.

“There was a lot of sneaking behind my parents’ and friends’ backs, regretfully.

This person was saved in my phone as ‘Jenny.’” But the sneaking around came to a head when Drew was a senior in high school. “My parents found emails between him and me, so I was discovered. The response was absolutely not OK at first.”

His candor throughout the interview proves a lot has changed since then within Drew, who now considers his father his biggest supporter. “You can’t commit yourself to someone you know you aren’t made for,” he said. “Plain and simple, I was just not made for females.”

Attributing much of his growth to Beta, Drew said, “It’s easy for me to pinpoint the time I was OK with being gay. It was in this Fraternity, sitting within these very walls that surrounded me and my brothers.”

[Continue to the Q&A on page 35.]

THE BETA THETA PI I 34 | SPRING 2016

Q & A|IN DREW’S WORDS

Drew answers questions about being a gay fraternity man. to hear more highlights from the interview, visit beta.org/drew.

JUST ONE OF THE GUYS I 35 | BETA.ORG

What is one of the biggest lessons you’ve learned?

A quote one of my pledge brothers told me: “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” It wasn’t something that made sense in my mind, because I was most definitely sure everyone who mattered would in fact mind. But this quote has proven true time and time again. People who care about you don’t care about your sexuality. They understand who you are, and know there is more to you than who you love.

What is appealing about fraternities to a gay man?

There is nothing more appealing to me as a gay man than to a straight man. You have a sense of brotherhood. You have a home. You have this unbelievable support system. Beta pushed me to be a better me.

Whenever you come to college, you don’t know who you are or where you’re going to fit. But then you find your group, and for me, it was a fraternity.

Tradition was important to me. I was a legacy here, and it fit — it’s who I was.

What are the challenges of being gay in Beta?

Self-acceptance. That is something most people struggle with. It’s heartbreaking. When I look back on it, the issue wasn’t Beta, it was me.

Once I got past the selfacceptance, I realized acceptance within the Fraternity was always there. Anyone here will say the same thing: this is just as much my home as anyone else’s, but I wasn’t willing to accept that then.

Has a brother ever defended your sexuality?

The guys within the walls of Beta were a web of support. One time I was out with one of my pledge brothers and we overheard someone say, “He’s the gay Beta.” That never really bothers me, because it’s the truth, but my pledge brother wasn’t fond of it. He walked up to him and said, “I used to be like you and thought the way you do.

Maybe someday you’ll

understand and can appreciate the fact that he’s a human being.”

Have you ever changed someone’s perception?

My roommate junior year wasn’t aware I was gay before we lived together, but we hit it off from the beginning and became good friends. He wasn’t fond of gay people. He grew up in a small town and didn’t understand it or think it was OK. When I first came to college, my dad’s request was to always be honest with roommates and let them know. So I sat down and talked to my roommate about it. He said, “I don’t care. If gay people are like you, then I don’t have a problem with it.” It’s funny because you could see a light bulb go off in his head. All of a sudden, he knew someone he cared about who is a good friend and pledge brother and he realized it’s OK.

CONTINUED

we already knew

I asked the men when they first found out Drew is gay. Neal and Boone recalled the scene when Drew came out to them early one morning around 4:00 a.m. During their sophomore year, Neal, Boone and Drew were all talking and listening to music. Then it happened: Drew, in a matter-offact tone laid it out for the guys. “It was a cool moment to know that Drew trusted us enough to tell us something that was really weighing on him,” Boone said. “It really took our friendship to a deeper level, one that was much more emotional and built on a stronger foundation.”

I didn’t have anything against gay people, but I had no intention of ever befriending them. Sorry, I’m going to be frank with you. I didn’t have any gay friends and I didn’t plan on having any. I thought they didn’t enjoy the things I did. I thought they didn’t see things the same way I did. And when I look at Drew, I know that if anything ever happened to me, he’d be there in a heartbeat to help me. His views of me didn’t change because I’m straight, so why should my views of him change because he’s gay?” In fact, Aaron’s views were so affected by Drew that he became a “Greek Ally” on campus where he (along with 130 other members of the OU Greek community) volunteers and provides resources and support to the LGBTQ community.

While it was clear Drew’s coming out strengthened their friendships with him, I was curious if they had a pulse on whether or not Drew helped change anyone’s opinion on what it meant to be gay. “Mine,” Aaron said bluntly before I could finish the question.

“If I’m being honest,

Boone agreed, “I didn’t know gay people growing up and didn’t know what to think of them. Once Drew came out, I was like ‘I know this guy.

He’s my friend.’ It really opened my eyes that we’re all people. We’re all friends. We’re all brothers.”

that Neal, Aaron and Boone thought Drew was a gentleman and a leader.

But what did they think about his sexuality?

“drew opened up all of our eyes and helped us understand something we might not have ever had the chance to.”

— anDrew boone, oklahoma ’15

JUST ONE OF THE GUYS.

THE BETA THETA PI I 36 | SPRING 2016

FINAL THOUGHTS every chapter of beta theta pi is A support system that will not fail you.

In the fall1993 issue of the Beta magazine, a former chapter president submitted a note to the editor: “After I graduated, I lost contact with Beta. This was my own fault. When I came out as a gay man, I assumed there was no place for me at Beta. I think I’m wrong.” Another brother responded in Winter 1994: “I am extremely distressed that the national organization has chosen to publish that one of our brothers is gay. This letter has tarnished our reputation.” While both of these comments are more than 20 years old, it represents conflicting views still visible in our world and Fraternity. For some alumni, the idea of a gay Beta was likely unfathomable when they were students. For others, being gay is likely such a non-issue that it’s surprising it is even being covered in this magazine.

AND CERTAINLY NOT ALONE.

But the reality is, it’s relevant today. In a 2014 survey of Beta undergraduates, the Fraternity found that 7.1% identified as gay/bisexual, and 60.1% reported having at least one gay/bisexual chapter brother.

A recent survey by the American College Health Association reported 8.1% of collegians do not identify as heterosexual.

Gay or straight, Beta has always been about friendship and fidelity, and the Beta experience at Oklahoma reflects that notion. “This is a huge support system and you have to trust in it,” Drew said.

“There’s no telling where I’d be without Beta.” Likewise, it was obvious Drew enriched his brothers’ lives too. According to Boone, “Drew opened up all of our eyes and helped us understand something we might not have ever had the chance to.” 

Cecil J. Rhodes

As his fellow finalists swarmed him to extend their hands and express their congratulations, Russell Bogue, Virginia ’16, remained in a state of overwhelming shock. Moments before, in a room inside Google’s New York headquarters, he was named one of 32 U.S. Rhodes Scholarship recipients for 2016.

Considered one of the world’s most prestigious awards, the scholarship covers all costs and fees associated with 2-3 years of study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, in addition to a stipend that covers living expenses. This year, 868 candidates were evaluated alongside Bogue on their academic achievements, character, commitment to others and leadership potential.

Established in 1902, the Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest international fellowship awards in the world. Each year 32 young Americans are selected as Rhodes Scholars through a decentralized process representing the 50 states and District of Columbia.

ley

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n Sta

85 RHODES SCHOLARS

BETA’S RECORD-BREAKING

1930 | 1920 | 1910 | 1904 |

RHODES

TO OXFORD THE

by Justin Warren, SMU ’10

“You have received a well-deserved honor and, even more importantly, an extraordinary opporunity for developing a life of achievement and service. More power to you.”

TOP THREE

RHODES SCHOLAR CHAPTERS

West Virginia Willamette Wisconsin

1 1 1

1940 |

Despite his merits in each of the judging areas, he figured winning a prize this big was a pipe dream. “I wasn’t sure I’d be qualified enough to apply,” Bogue said. “It wasn’t until I successfully applied for a Truman Scholarship in my third year that I thought maybe I had a chance.”

1,000 WORDS Of course, Boogue was more than qualified for the scholarship. An honors student and politics major at UVA, he founded Seriatim, the University’s first journal devoted to American politics and political theory. He’s also a Truman Scholar, serves on the UVA Honor Committee, acts as opinion editor of The Cavalier Daily, plays on the school’s squash team, is a policy chair for a men’s sexual assault prevention organization, bible study leader and Beta Theta Pi scholarship chairman.

He has a laundry list of accomplishments, but says the

1950 |

hardest part of his scholarship application came when he had to boil his story down into a 1,000 word personal statement. “There’s no real prompt – you’re just given 1,000 words to try and present yourself the best way possible,” Bogue said. “You can’t imagine the writer’s block that occurs when you sit down for the first time to try and write something like that.”

A PLACE IN BETA HISTORY Although Bogue didn’t yet believe in himself, his Omicron Chapter brothers were some of his biggest supporters. “I wasn’t super public about the fact that I was applying to these scholarships, but several of the brothers knew and were consistently more optimistic about my chances than I was,” Bogue said.

Russell Bogue, Virginia ’16 39

and former Canadian Prime Minister John Turner, British Columbia ’49, as award recipients. He adds to the Fraternity’s extensive roll of Rhodes Scholars, the largest of all 72 NIC-affiliated inter/national college fraternities, and he now has the same opportunity And rightfully so. Bogue is Beta’s 85th Rhodes Scholar. He as his brothers before him to change the world with the now joins the likes of retired values of Beta Theta Pi. Sen. Dick Lugar, Denison ’54,

1960 |

SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

8 6 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

RHODES SCHOLARS

British Columbia Yale Wabash Idaho Kansas Missouri MIT Virginia North Carolina Sewanee Washington Denver Kansas State Kenyon Minnesota Mississippi Toronto Amherst Bowdoin Cincinnati Colgate Dartmouth Davidson Denison Hanover Illinois Lawrence Miami Michigan Oklahoma South Dakota St. Lawrence Texas UC Berkeley Utah Washington and Lee Washington in St. Louis Washington State Wesleyan

— Sen. Richard G. Lugar, Denison ’54, Beta’s 63rd Rhodes Scholar

1972 1985 2016 | | |

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CAMPUS LIFE Whether on the field, in the classroom or out of the goodness of their hearts, the accomplishments of today’s Beta undergraduates are at the same time compelling and encouraging. Whether fun or inspirational, these stories exemplify the true meaning of Beta Theta Pi.

By Justin Warren, SMU ’10, justin.warren@beta.org

 MAKING IT OFFICIAL

CAMPUS LIFE 40 THE BETA THETA PI

Beta left its mark on the Steel City on February 6, when its newest chapter, Eta Nu at the University of Pittsburgh, held its installation ceremony and banquet. With General Secretary Dave Schmidt, South Florida ’92, designated as the installing officer, the Fraternity unveiled a series of gifts, including portraits of John Reily Knox, Miami 1839, and “Old Main,” the chapter’s new coat of arms – featuring as its heraldic device a portion of the arms of William Pitt, for whom Pittsburgh was named – and official chapter motto, “Quiet Victory.”

 BACK IN ACTION The charter of the Beta Kappa Chapter at Ohio University was reinstalled on November 21, at an event attended by 125 students, alumni, General Fraternity Officers and guests. All undergraduates attended the banquet for free, thanks to the generosity of distant alumni who opted to support brothers and their friends by paying for their plates in their absence. General Secretary Dave Schmidt, South Florida ’92, traveled to Athens to preside over the event as the Fraternity’s installing officer.

 ALL FOR ONE

— David Greis, Kentucky ’14 Texas Tech Colony Development Coordinator

CAMPUS LIFE

After Ryan Killian, Texas Tech ’18, lost his mother to cancer, his Delta Mu brothers all signed a Beta flag and chipped in to fly him (center, white hat) from Houston to Lubbock so he could initiate with his 94 fellow refounding fathers. “This made me extremely proud of our men, as it displayed compassion and a willingness to help their brother in a time of need,” said Colony Development Coordinator David Greis.

“I talked to Ryan after the brothers decided to do this and he broke down in tears saying how much it meant to him, and how getting initiated with the rest of his brothers will be so special, especially after losing someone so close.”

“... HE BROKE DOWN IN TEARS SAYING HOW MUCH IT MEANT TO HIM ...”

41

 A WINNING CAUSE

 SHUTOUT CANCER

In October, brothers of the Delta Omega Chapter at the University of Maryland held the inaugural “Home Runs for Lowell: Knock Cancer Out . . . of the Park” philanthropy event, in memory of their late chapter brother Lowell Ensel, Maryland ’17. Ensel passed away unexpectedly last spring from what doctors believe was undiagnosed testicular cancer.

The home run derby saw participation from 13 Greek and campus organizations, all coming together to support a brother who served his chapter as recruitment chairman, his campus as an honors student and tour guide, and his country as an intern on Capitol Hill.

“From the first time he could swing a bat until his passing in May, Lowell was a baseball fanatic,” said Trevor Gibson, the chapter’s philanthropy chairman. “He was the greatest brother and friend a person could ask for.”

Participants raised more than $4,500 for testicular cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. For more information on the event or to make a donation, contact Trevor Gibson at trevorRgibson@gmail.com.

SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

With a passion for changing lives, Arkansas’ RJ Macalanda ’16, received a $7,432 grant from the school’s Women’s Giving Circle. The Delta Professional Development Project will teach students in the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta region how to build resumes, conduct interviews and raise their personal standards of professional etiquette in order to compete better in the workplace. Macalanda’s project was one of only 11 selected this year to receive funding. If you’d like to hear more about the work he’ll be executing with this grant, Macalanda can be reached at rmacalan@uark.edu.

AS SEEN ON INSTAGRAM

1

SOUTH FOR WINTER

By January, cold temperatures leave most students yearning for warm air and sand between their toes. Ryan Moo, Purdue ’20, however, traded his swim trunks for scrubs and spent his break on a medical mission in Honduras.

Through Purdue Medical Brigades, the pre-pharmacy student worked alongside pharmacists in a temporary clinic providing dental care for a rural community without access to healthcare.

To talk more about his trip, Moo can be reached at yoo67@purdue.edu.

CAMPUS LIFE

2

A BETA HERO “In my book, this young man is a hero,” said Sara Wyatt, referring to

ROTC cadet and Beta brother Brenner Milburn, Oklahoma State ’18, who came to the rescue of her daughter, Hadley, after she was injured in a horrific drunk-driving tragedy at the school’s homecoming parade in October. “Wherever God has placed you is where your mission field is,” Milburn said in a Facebook post.

3

FINISHING STRONG In his senior season, tight end Anthony Corsaro, Indiana ’16, had 11 appearances, six starts and caught 10 passes for 142 yards, including a careerlong, 38-yard reception against No. 1 Ohio State. Corsaro has also been named an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, and finished his fall semester with a 3.85 GPA.

42 THE BETA THETA PI

3

1 2

4

///betathetapi Championed to much fanfare thanks to the incredible loyalty of his Beta brothers, Luke Hogue, Central Florida ’17, was crowned the 2016 Mr. UCF last Friday night. Way to represent, Luke. Go Zeta Psi Chapter! @betaucf

///umn_ifc Here’s a great picture from Power Play on Cancer between Delta Chi and Beta Theta Pi #DeltaChi #BetaThetaPi #GoGreek (Photo courtesy of James Best)

4

MANUAL LABOR Following in the footsteps of several Beta chapters and colonies before them, the men of the Gamma Sigma Colony at Willamette got their hands dirty at a service project with Habitat for Humanity. More than a dozen brothers spent their weekend compacting the foundation for a driveway and sidewalk for a local family. Find out more about what the new colony is up to by visiting facebook.com/willamettebeta.

7

5

ENCORE PRESENTATION Brian Hunca, Kenyon ’17, was named to the All-North Coast Athletic Conference football team for the second year in a row after leading the league in receiving yards per game. He accumulated more than 1,000 yards for the season, finishing in the top five single-season totals in the history of the Kenyon Lords football program. To see Hunca’s 2015 season stats, go to beta.org/hunca.

7

43

9

SCIENCE RULES Science can oftentimes be intimidating, but it certainly becomes more interesting when news surfaces that a Beta, Hunter Gabbard, Mississippi ’16 (far right), is on the team of individuals that co-authored the study/experiment that discovered gravitational waves, proving Albert Einstein’s century-old general theory of relativity. Congratulate brother Gabbard at hagabbar@go.olemiss.edu.

8

BREAKING RECORDS The Kettering B men of Delta Eta Chapter held a brotherhood event last fall that literally left them locked in a room with no way out. The sleuths used clues, secret passageways and hidden compartments to find an exit to The Great Escape Room, ultimately setting

a new national record escape time of 29 minutes, 20 seconds – shattering the previous record by more than two minutes.

9

SYMBOLIC In January Beta brother Raheem Kareem, Central Michigan ’16, was invited by the NAACP to provide the closing speech at the MLK CommUnity Peace March in downtown Mt. Pleasant. The classic Psalm so often referenced by Beta Theta Pi certainly rings true: “How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.” To learn more about brother Kareem’s experience, send him an email at raheemk94@gmail.com.

SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

6

6

CAMPUS LIFE

8

5

BRRR-OTHERS IN SERVICE Folks across much of the U.S. Eastern seaboard found themselves huddled inside for days on end as they faced the January blizzard dubbed “Snowzilla.” But a record 29.2 inches of snow wasn’t enough to keep the brothers of Johns Hopkins University from community service. The men delivered hot chocolate to essential campus staff who trekked into work to keep students comfortable and safe, and gained attention from their local CBS affiliate for shoveling snow at a popular local brunch spot, Pete’s Grille. See what else the Alpha Chi Chapter is up to by visiting facebook.com/JHUBetaThetaPi.

THE BETA HOUSE 44 THE BETA THETA PI

Photo Credit: Grant Martin, ’67

THE

BETA HOUSE INSIDE PURDUE

by Justin Warren, SMU ’10

RECOLONIZATION INSPIRES CLASSIC BETA MAKEOVER

In 1927, Albert Arbogast, Purdue ’29, and Luzern Weileman, Purdue ’29, authored a front-page story in The Beta Theta Pi, painting a vivid picture of the Fraternity’s newest crown jewel: a four-story home situated along a bluff in West Lafayette, Indiana, that would house the Beta Mu Chapter at Purdue University. In their article, “Beta Mu’s New Home,” the men describe an estate with a great manorial hall occupying both the basement and first floor, a fully functioning telephone booth and extravagant furniture and draperies colored in gold and deep red. Altogether, such a project required an investment of $110,000.

“

Eighty-nine years later, the property looks quite different. Ellsworth Street no longer crosses the Wabash River into West Lafayette, and the sand flat which occupied the flood plain due east is now home to a Starbucks and Buffalo Wild Wings. More than 2,000 members later, the chapter looks quite different, too. After a series of hazing- and alcohol-related risk management incidents, the chapter was disbanded for a two-year period in 2012.

Chapter alumni knew that a successful return to campus was contingent upon a recalibrated Beta Mu culture – a revitalized home for a revitalized chapter.

The project was extensive – full of expansions and renovations that stood to wipe away the charm and history left behind by generations of Betas. Yet teams

45 SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

”

— Griffin Hoover, Purdue ’18

FAMILIAR FEELING The alumni spared no expense to bring the facility up to date and up to code, installing a grand staircase leading to the Great Hall – or as today’s colony calls it, the Big Room; a state-of-the-art professional kitchen; and overhauling the entryway, bathrooms and more.

THE BETA HOUSE

Visitors are always really impressed when they see the house from the outside, and now they’re wowed even more on the inside ... especially how modern and nice the interior design is.

RETURN TO DOMINANCE Renovating the facility at 150 Littleton Street is one focus area for the chapter alumni’s “Return to Dominance” campaign, led by Campaign Manager and Beta Theta Pi Board of Trustees Vice President Cary Wood, Purdue ’89. The $5 million initiative also pays for recolonization expenses, funds a new scholarship program and subsidizes undergraduate attendance at Beta’s leadership programs.

As of November 25, 2015, more than 180 contributors had committed in excess of $3.8 million – a far cry from the $110,000 invested in the chapter back in 1927.

“The Purdue Chapter house

literally stands ‘on the banks of the Wabash.’ The storied stream is not ‘far away’ either. Between it and the Beta house lies only Ellsworth Street, the North River Road to Battle Ground, a short distance away, where the famous Battle of Tippecanoe was fought.”

— Albert A. Arbogast, Purdue ’29, and Luzern H. Weileman, Purdue ’29

brought on by White Lodging Chairman and CEO Bruce White, Purdue ’75, a leading donor, found a way to maintain – albeit modernize – the home’s Gothic architecture and design.

The house was put on display at a rededication ceremony on November 7, 2015. With the full membership of the Fraternity’s Board of Trustees in attendance, the house overflowed with the comforting feeling of home. “Despite the scope of work, the house retains its familiarity to those who haven’t been back for decades,” said Wood in a campaign statement. “What they came home to was an unbelievable home worthy of representing Beta Theta Pi.” 

THE BETA HOUSE

$110,000

$3.8 million

19,400

Total cost of the four-story home in 1927.

Total committed by contributors thus far in the campaign.

Total square footage of the house and patio areas.

46 THE BETA THETA PI

A

“Alumni are thrilled to see the

house full of men of principle again. The colony makes grades and leadership top priorities, and it’s great to see the caliber of our house match the caliber of our members.”

— Grant Martin, Purdue ’67

B A custom Beta pool table is one of many high-

C New dining room furniture and a state-of-the-art

kitchen and serving buffet provide space and functionality for the 60 men who can live in the house.

D Aside from jaw-dropping amenities, the house also boasts new finishes to the living quarters, including bathrooms that rival even the most refined homes.

B A The Beta dragon

overlooks campus from atop the Beta Mu house. The home’s original coat of arms has been moved from the front door and now adorns the newly constructed portico.

E

C

D

47 SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

E The view of the Wabash River remains the same from the east, except now brothers and guests can enjoy the scenery sitting under a pergola or near a fire pit.

THE BETA HOUSE

end touches introduced during the renovation. The alumni and undergraduates have agreed to an alcohol-free facility to protect the multi-million dollar investment.

1.5

$

MILLION CHALLENGE GIFT

“If you want to go quickly, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together.”

— African Proverb

In 2004, Carol and Jim Collins, UCLA ’50, endowed Beta’s hallmark program, the John and Nellie Wooden Institute for Men of Principle, named for fellow Beta, longtime friend and coaching legend John Wooden, Purdue ’32.

Now, they are offering a $1.5 million challenge gift for The Promises to Keep Campaign, the Beta Foundation’s $20 million campaign to advance the Men of Principle initiative across North America.

With $17.2 million pledged toward the $20 million campaign goal, stay tuned on how you can maximize your support during the final phase of this historic effort.

LET’S GO FAR. TOGETHER.

“Practically every superhero legend is the story of an ordinary person who finds a power that he/she didn’t know they had. An ordinary guy named Lenny B. Robinson learned if he dawns his cape and climbs into his Batmobile he can change the lives of sick children.”

PARENT SPOTLIGHT 50

Every family has its secrets. In the case of Justin Robinson, Emory ’13, his father’s was really more a case of secret identity. His dad was Batman. Lenny B. Robinson, 51, traveled Baltimore and Washington, D.C., roads for more than 11 years before he gained notoriety as the Route 29 Batman thanks to a routine traffic stop.

THE BETA THETA PI

On March 21, 2012, Lenny’s black Lamborghini was pulled over for failing to display proper tags – his rear license plates only showed the Batman symbol. The cop light-heartedly jests about the man in the driver’s seat. “You can send me Robin, if you wish,” he calls to dispatch requesting for back up. Within moments, the policeman learns that Lenny is en route to visit sick children at Georgetown University Hospital. By

sheer determination and will, and so could they. Once his identity went public, Lenny took his hospital trips more frequently and upgraded to a $300,000, 1960s-era Batmobile replica. He even embarked on a national tour of sorts, leaving Batman toys and his inspirational message behind for those in need.

In a tragic accident last August, Lenny pulled over on a Maryland highway to check the engine of his Batmobile.

Shortly thereafter, another car struck the Batmobile, and Lenny died at the scene.

The public response to the caped crusader’s death was overwhelming, with celebrities and Batman fans worldwide sending messages of support. After visits to Emory’s campus and the Gamma Upsilon Chapter house, Justin’s friends and brothers were also quick to recognize the loss of a man that, although he never had a roll number, was a living example of the values upon which the Fraternity was founded. How ironic that Adam West, Whitman ’51, the original Batman, was indeed a member of Beta Theta Pi.

BatDAD A FALLEN (SUPER) HERO the end of the stop, the officer is singing the well-known Batman theme song and requesting to take Lenny’s photo.

The video received millions of views on YouTube, and gained international media attention.

After a successful business career, Lenny began visiting children in local hospitals in 2001 with a simple message of hope – Batman wins long and hard battles through

By Justin P. Warren, SMU ’10

As reported by The Washington Post, Justin and his two brothers delivered their father’s eulogies while wearing yellow yarmulkes stitched with the single word that had become synonymous with the hero that Lenny Robinson had become: “BATMAN.” A moving tribute for the BatDad Beta Dad who meant so much to so many.

RUNDLE 51 SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

Photo Credit: Superheros for kids

IN LOVING MEMORY

CHAPTER ETERNAL Flags indicate those who have served in the United States or Canadian armed forces.

CHAPTER ETERNAL 52

Forever remembering these men and the love they had for Beta Theta Pi and their fellow brothers, notices of their passing were reported to the Administrative Office between November 10, 2015 and February 2, 2016. For assistance locating an obituary, or to report a brother’s death, please contact Phyllis Bowie at 800.800.BETA or phyllis.bowie@beta.org.

Asking loved ones to donate your Beta badge and important Beta artifacts to the Fraternity’s archives and museum in Oxford is always welcomed and appreciated.

Alabama Denver Frank H. Weick Jr. ’44, Edward J. Planz Jr. ’70, Oct. 11 Oct. 14, 2014 Amherst DePauw Prescott W. Gould ’45, Nov. 19 James W. Gladden Jr. ’88, Nov. 3 Bethany Rodney B. Hurl MD ’52, Nov. 30 C Dickinson A. R. Blair ’54, Dec. 14 Matthew C. Klutka ’02, Dec. 11

THE BETA THETA PI

Brown William G. Pritchard ’52, June 16

Eastern Washington Corey Lee ’17, Dec. 9

Carnegie Mellon William W. Ege Jr. ’47, Nov. 27 C William H. Knoell ’47, Nov. 16 C

Emory Jonathan S. Bernson ’02, May 25 David A. Levine ’02, Sept. 7

Cincinnati Donald R. Knab ’45, Sept. 5, 2014

Georgia Tech George T. Eatman ’62, Sept. 12 C

Colorado Mines

John H. Nesbitt ’57, Jan. 8 C

Idaho Robert L. Culbertson ’51, Dec. 3 William M. Lodge ’53, Dec. 13 C Lawrence R. Meech ’49, Jan. 16 Philip D. Rietze ’76, Dec. 10

Columbia Henry M. Brown ’40, Oct. 31 C Cornell Thomas S. Croskey ’53, Jan. 28 John A. Nelson ’58, March 19 Dartmouth Hardwick Caldwell Jr. ’44, Oct. 25 Davidson W. E. Gallant Jr. ’46, Nov. 12 C Denison Jay T. Kornrumpf ’66, Aug. 5, 2014

Illinois Frederick S. Brightbill ’60, March 4 Indiana James K. Allerdice ’48, Nov. 9 Thomas F. Dobson ’70, Oct. 24 Norman E. Eggers ’42, Jan. 12 C Charles E. Oswald Jr. ’43, Sept. 30, 2014 Iowa Craig T. Harper ’51, Dec. 9

Iowa State Merle O. Evers ’43, April 16 Johns Hopkins

John B. Irwin MD ’45, Nov. 3 Kansas Ronnie R. Broun ’61, Oct. 20 Larry D. Horner ’56, Dec. 29 Arthur H. Nelson ’44, Nov. 28 Kansas State Grant B. Sherwood ’41, Dec. 2 C Kenyon Jim W. Vahey ’55, Dec. 14 C Lawrence Phillip G. Prange ’57, Nov. 28 C Jerrold A. Walecka ’51, Nov. 21, 2014 Lehigh Peter S. Hagerman ’61, Jan. 6 Maine Charles R. Furlong Jr. ’54, Nov. 27 Miami William V. Dovenbarger MD ’51, Nov. 4, 2014 John R. Smoot ’47, Aug. 5 Minnesota Patrick R. Fallon ’68, Nov. 13 Justin M. James Jr. ’48, Oct. 14 Missouri Thomas E. Briggs ’67, Oct. 26 Charles O. Davis ’44, May 11, 2014

The Foundation is often asked how one can memorialize a dearly departed Beta, while also supporting the goals of the Fraternity. Memorial gifts can be made online at beta.org/gift or by phone at 800.800.BETA. In lieu of flowers, consider naming the Beta Leadership Fund in your own obituary: beta.org/gift.

Lon G. Orr ’56, Dec. 30 Kenneth F. Wilhelm ’56, Nov. 7 MIT Stephen W. Bishko ’68, Nov. 23 Walter J. Sawyer ’51, May 27 John C. Zimmer ’55, April 19 Nebraska David K. Kauf ’54, Nov. 30 North Carolina Thomas E. Bass III ’55, June 1, 2014

Northwestern Taylor French ’51, Jan. 14 C

Ohio State J. B. Bonner ’71, Jan. 5 Frank L. Renner ’70, July 12 Ohio Wesleyan Robert F. Hall ’49, Dec. 17 C Milton C. Irvin ’55, Nov. 25 Russell C. Patterson ’49, Jan. 19 C Ned J. Speasmaker ’50, Jan. 25 C Charles P. Woods II ’58, Jan. 10 Oklahoma Frank L. Bollinger ’63, Jan. 7 C John T. Fields ’55, Nov. 16 Charles S. Graybill MD ’42, Dec. 28 C John W. Meikle ’61, Dec. 26 C Frank G. Mitchell ’56, Dec. 18 C

Oregon Patrick W. Casey ’67, Jan. 13 Anthony E. Crish ’43, June 12

Wabash Mikel S. Arnold ’95, Nov. 6

Oregon State Albert T. Barnhold ’42, Sept. 25 Nicholas B. Welsh Jr. ’55, March 28 Pennsylvania Michel T. Huber ’53, May 1 Purdue Herbert C. Krauch Jr. ’49, Jan. 24 Thomas F. Moran III ’59, Nov. 15 Rutgers Edward J. Kohler ’58, Jan. 11 South Dakota Warren C. Anderson ’43, July 19 William M. Barton Jr. ’44, April 14

Washington Gene H. Knapp Jr. ’52, Oct. 18 Washington and Lee Hayes C. McClerkin Jr. ’53, Jan. 6 C Washington in St. Louis Robert W. Mackey MD ’58, Dec. 31 Washington State Anthony C. O’Keefe ’91, Nov. 28 Kenneth E. Storey ’56, Nov. 23 C Wesleyan Malcolm Gorin MD ’56, Nov. 28

South Florida Benjamin M. Swanson ’03, Dec. 27

West Virginia James W. Banks MD ’43, Jan. 8 Thaddeus D. Kauffelt Jr. ’50, Dec. 10 C

Southern California Paul R. Parrish Jr. ’52, Dec. 27 C

Westminster Edward B. Wentz ’63, Jan. 13

53

Texas Wishard S. Lorimer MD ’41, Jan. 9 Melville R. Rose ’62, Dec. 21

Wichita State Steve M. Dekker ’87, Jan. 9 John W. Kniseley ’66, Jan. 13 Todd R. Luke ’87, April 10, 2014 Dean W. Personne ’66, Dec. 14

SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG

Ohio Edward J. Schott ’49, Aug. 1

Vanderbilt Larry H. Spalding ’64, March 22, 2014

CHAPTER ETERNAL

North Dakota John W. Achttien ’50, Nov. 11 C Richard G. Bjorklund ’43, March 14 Robert G. Lander ’46, Dec. 23 Hugh P. Robinson ’74, Dec. 22

Oklahoma State Charles O. Gibson Jr. ’62, Nov. 8 C Robert N. Stafford ’64, Nov. 11

Texas A&M Stephen B. Hughes ’94, Nov. 22 UC Berkeley Paul W. deFremery ’44, July 12, 2014 Barnabas B. Smith ’58, Nov. 17

Wisconsin James D. Woodburn ’47, Jan. 5 Yale Ronald S. Davis ’44, Sept. 26, 2014

COREY LEE

Eastern Washington ’17

Found unconscious in his residence hall room after an overdose during the Thanksgiving holiday, Corey Lee remained in a coma until December 8 when he passed under the care of hospice with family by his side. An accomplished athlete who loved the outdoors and adventures, Corey was pledging the Fraternity’s Epsilon

Omega Chapter. In the midst of the family’s grief in the days that followed, his mom remarked on Facebook, “Corey was proud to be [pledging] Beta and we are honored by your display of sympathy and support. Echoed by his father, “Thanks guys.

You were great friends to Corey and he loved being a Beta.”

Brendan Hargrave, Eastern Washington ’16, responded, “We loved him so much.”

THE RENAISSANCE CONVENTION CENTER | OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA

OKLAHOMA CITY 177TH GENERAL CONVENTION

B

eta’s first-ever convention in the Sooner State will include presentation of the Oxford Cup to acclaimed Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds, Kansas State ’59, and Shepardson Award to former General Secretary Lloyd Kirk, Kansas ’55, as well as a convention-wide pilgrimmage to Beta’s iconic chapter house at OU, a visit to the National Memorial and an all-convention night at the Oklahoma City Dodgers baseball game.

BETA.ORG | AUGUST 4-7, 2016

DR. ROBERT HEALY, MISSOURI ’64 For almost 40 years, my involvement as a Beta Theta Pi alumnus meant making the occasional trip from Houston to Columbia, Missouri, to see old brothers and friends of the Zeta Phi Chapter. Like many Betas of my time, I had no real connection to the General Fraternity.

That changed in 2002 with one call from former Foundation Board of Directors Chairman Tom Hook, Miami ’81. The son of fellow Zeta Phi brother and Oxford Cup recipient Harold Hook, Missouri ’53, Tom asked if I would travel to Oxford, Ohio, and learn about the Fraternity’s newest initiative: Men of Principle. Little did I know that those three words would not only be the intervention we needed to save our Fraternity from obsolescence, but also restore Beta as a leader among Greek organizations.

The Men of Principle initiative allowed for the creation of our award-winning leadership programs, which thousands of Betas attend each year, and I give in part because I know there are others who still wish to make their own connections to Oxford and the General Fraternity. Tom gave me my chance, and I hope to give them theirs.

Through the Beta Foundation’s capital campaigns like Promises to Keep, we’re developing future leaders for Beta and society. By including the Fraternity in my estate plans, I’m supporting programs that will secure the future of Beta Theta Pi and our 135 chapters and colonies for generations to come.

“

I know there are others who still wish to make their own connections to Oxford and the General Fraternity.

Tom gave me my chance, and I hope to give them theirs.

”

Dr. Robert Healy, Missouri ’64, obtained his bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri, where he now serves on the Dean’s Engineering Advisory Council and Planned Giving Advisory Committee after a long and successful career at ExxonMobil. Additionally, he serves on Beta’s Foundation Board of Directors. Robert and his wife, Marcia, live in Houston, Texas.

THE BETA THETA PI | SPRING 2016 | BETA.ORG/BBS

Beta Theta Pi Foundation & Administrative Office Brennan Hall PO Box 6277 5134 Bonham Road Oxford, Ohio 45056

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

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Permit No. 1534 Oxford, Ohio

www.beta.org

“I sincerely believe that today — maybe more than at any other time in Beta’s 177-year history — it is vital that the Fraternity foster a new generation of principled men. Men who will lead our Fraternity, our campuses, our communities and even our world.”

— (Ret.) Senator Dick Lugar, Denison ’54 Men of Principle Initiative Spokesman

1.5

$

MILLION CHALLENGE GIFT

Help our young men shine like the diamond in our badge and, as featured on pages 48-49, learn how Beta brother Jim Collins, UCLA ’50, is helping one’s gift go further than ever before in this final phase of The Promises to Keep Campaign.

ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE.