The Laurel Spring 2021

THE

OF PHI KAPPA TAU | VOL. 107 ISSUE 1 | MAY 2021

Good Samaritans ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

P. 5

P. 14

P. 20

AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER?

PHI TAU LAUNCHES PROGRESS

CHAPTER PERFORMANCE REPORTS

What does it mean to be a Good Samaritan, to selflessly help others, even strangers?

In this issue of The Laurel, read about how Phi Kappa Tau brothers go above and beyond in their compassion and altruism to serve their brothers, their communities, and the world.

[2] THE LAUREL || MAY 2021

good and loyal citizen. I shall try always to discharge the obligation to others which arises from the fact that I am a fraternity man.

Phi Kappa Tau, by admitting me to membership, has conferred upon me a mark of distinction in which I take just pride. I believe in the spirit of brotherhood for which it stands. I shall strive to attain its ideals, and by so doing to bring to it honor and credit. I shall be loyal to my college and my chapter and shall keep strong my ties to them that I may ever retain the spirit of youth. I shall be a good and loyal citizen. I shall try always to discharge the obligation to others which arises from the fact that I am a fraternity man.

Phi Kappa Tau, by admitting me to membership, has conferred upon me a mark of distinction in which I take just pride. I believe in the spirit of brotherhood for which it stands. I shall strive to attain its ideals, and by so doing to bring to it honor and credit. I shall be loyal to my college and my chapter and shall keep strong my ties to them that I may ever retain the spirit of youth. I shall be a good and loyal citizen. I shall try always to discharge the obligation to others which arises from the fact that I am a fraternity man.

16

FEATURE Last July, Jeremey Humphrey, Kent State ’98, heard a woman had gone missing in the nearby wilderness.

Humphrey set off on foot to assist in the search and rescue to find the missing woman and her dog.

FEATURES 5 PERSPECTIVES: AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER? National Chaplin Dave Lapinski, Penn State ’74, shares the significance of the parable of the Good Samaritan and what it means for the Phi Kappa Tau brotherhood.

14 5 MINUTES WITH: ALEX KOEHLER Alex Koehler, Mount Union ’07, is a passionate humanitarian. Read about how Koehler dedicated his career to the life-saving mission of the American Red Cross.

DEPARTMENTS

4 | COO’s Letter 6 | Expanding Our Mission 16 | By the Numbers 27 | Chapter Eternal 31 | Sidelights

20 PHI KAPPA TAU “LAUNCHES” PROGRESS In February, Phi Kappa Tau launched its newest virtual education program, Progress.

Designed for chapter leaders and advisors, this four-week series focused on recruitment, chapter finances, alumni relations, and other valuable leadership skills.

Inside cover: Illustration by Logan Lukacs, Baldwin Wallace ’10

THE LAUREL || PHIKAPPATAU.ORG [3]

COO’S LETTER

MAILBOX THE LAUREL IS INTENDED TO START A CONVERSATION with brothers and friends.

Content is carefully selected to engage and excite our readers. It is our hope that stories you read start a conversation with those in your life. Any comments are appreciated. You can submit your feedback— positive or negative, we want it all—to phikapptau.org/ laurelfeedback. ~

SIDELIGHTS Phi Kappa Tau launched a new monthly newsletter, Sidelights. Releasing on the 15th of each month, Sidelights is a compilation of stories and updates for Phi Kappa Tau alumni and undergraduates to gain some insight into the ongoings to the Fraternity and Foundation.

If you are not receiving Sidelights and would like to sign up, visit phikappatau.org/update-info to be added to the mailing list.

[4] THE LAUREL || MAY 2021

A WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICES

EVERY ACT COUNTS

W

hen I joined Phi Tau, it didn't occur to me I could be a leader.

My junior year, our chapter president approached me during elections. He said, “What position are you running for?” I laughed and said, “Me? I don’t know.” He responded, “You should, I think you’re the right man for the job.”

I had never thought of myself as a leader.

I didn’t think I had what it took to run for Chapter President – whatever that meant.

But his words stuck with me. He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself.

I ended up running for Chapter President and I won, which was a big deal to me. My time as Chapter President led me to a position at the Phi Tau Executive Offices after graduation, which lead me to other career opportunities, my wife, my family, and eventually back to Phi Tau. I am so grateful I took him seriously. Without his confidence, I don’t think I would have taken the steps to lead. I wouldn’t have run for Chapter President, which wouldn’t have led to all the opportunities later in my life.

Today, I think a lot about a Ted Talk “Everyday Leadership” (September 2010 by Drew Dudley). In it, he talks about the every day, life-changing moments you have on other people and they have on you. He says that we’ve

made the idea of leadership into something bigger than ourselves, but true leadership is the moments that leave an impression on the people around you. I think this is the essence of being a Good Samaritan as well. Leadership and being a Good Samaritan can mean changing someone’s understanding of what they are capable of or how powerful they can be – which is what my chapter brother did for me.

There’s no act too small to be a Good Samaritan. My chapter brother was a Good Samaritan and a leader by encouraging me to pursue something I didn’t recognize in myself. “You have made someone’s life better by something you said or did,” Drew Dudley says in the TED talk. Remember that you can change someone’s life with the smallest act.

I don’t know if my chapter brother remembers what he said to me, but I do, and it changed my life.

Go Far!

TRAVIS ROBINSON CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Above: Travis and his family.

PERSPECTIVES

DAVE LAPINSKI, PENN STATE ’74

AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER? Dave Lapinski joined the Omicron chapter in 1974 and has served as an advisor to the chapter since his graduation. He was appointed to two separate terms as a Domain Director, elected National Councilor, and currently serves as National Chaplain. Lapinski is an ordained Catholic Deacon and has served his parish since 1996. He and his wife, Diane, have been married for over thirty years. They have one daughter and three grandchildren. Dave’s “peak” Phi Tau experience was initiating his grandson, Steele, into Epsilon Rho chapter at Indiana University Pennsylvania in 2018.

A

m I my brother’s keeper? In the Bible, this is the first question asked by a human being. This is a striking statement as the speaker, Cain, had just killed his brother in the first act of violence against a fellow human. In making such a response, Cain denied that he has any responsibility for what happens to others.

Am I my brother’s keeper? This question has been asked in many ways, in many societies, over many centuries. Who is my brother? What is my duty to others?

The parable of the Good Samaritan is the best example of who is one’s brother and what is our responsibility to our brothers. In the story, a Jewish man traveling from Jerusalem is robbed and assaulted by thieves, leaving him injured along the road. Two people pass, fellow Jewish travelers, and do not stop to help the stricken man. Finally, a third person, a Samaritan, stopped to help and see to his care, thereby showing that he was the traveler’s true brother.

To grasp the significance of this parable you must understand the cultural situation in this region at this time in the first century. To put it

simply, Samaritans and Jews disliked each other intensely.

In fact, often people would travel around the other’s country rather than pass through. The roots of this conflict go back hundreds of years and include both religious and secular reasons.

Yet the Samaritan, the one who for cultural and historical reasons should have little to do with the traveler, does not see him as a Jew or Samaritan or anything else, he sees him as a fellow human being needing help and acts accordingly.

The lesson that we are to take from this story is the call for universal brotherhood. To respect each other as human beings created in an image and likeness that transcends any national, religious, political, racial, or other type of division or difference. As Brothers of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, we take a solemn oath to live by the Cardinal Principles expressed in our Ritual and Creed.

This oath has no expiration date, rather it is a promise to conform our lives to these principles.

Will we always live up to these principles? Perhaps not, for we all are fallible human beings, but the call to do so, to the best of our ability, must be our guide in fraternal life.

Cain’s answer is an example of a disavowing any responsibility for others. Such an attitude cannot stand as a way of life for an individual, much less, a society dedicated to the best interests of all. The call to us is not to wonder “Am I my Brother’s keeper?” but rather to live our lives by the axiom, “I am my brother’s keeper!”

THE LAUREL OF PHI KAPPA TAU APRIL 2021 VOL. 107 ISSUE 1

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lilly Steger COPY EDITOR Travis Robinson, Eastern Kentucky ’98 CONTRIBUTORS Travis Robinson, Eastern Kentucky ‘98 Tim Hudson, Truman State ’97 Dave Lapinski, Penn State ‘74

UPCOMING EDITIONS Phi Kappa Tau publishes The Laurel three times a year. Each edition focuses on an aspect of the Phi Kappa Tau experience.

The schedule below identifies upcoming delivery dates.

August 2021; November 2021 ADDRESS CHANGES Visit phikappatau.org/update-info to update your current mailing information.

LAUREL ARCHIVES Past Laurel publications can be found online at phikappatau.org/laurel. Individuals can browse and view all past editions that are available.

THE LAUREL || PHIKAPPATAU.ORG [5]

EXPANDING OUR MISSION

CHARTERINGS The following colonies have been approved to charter.

APPROVED CHARTERS

OMICRON COLONY Pennsylvania State University PI COLONY University of Southern California ALPHA GAMMA COLONY University of Delaware ALPHA RHO COLONY Georgia Technological University DELTA RHO Eastern Kentucky University

The following schools have an active Phi Kappa Tau chapter or colony.

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OMEGA COLONY University of Wisconsin-Madison

O

OMICRON CHAPTER Pennsylvania State University

COLONIES

OMEGA COLONY University of Wisconsin-Madison BETA THETA COLONY University of Kansas DELTA THETA COLONY Georgetown College

If you would like to volunteer with one of Phi Kappa Tau’s colonies, visit phikappatau.org/expansion.

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UNDERGRADUATE OF DISTINCTION

DYLAN TINZ, CHAPMAN ’18 ORANGE COUNTY, CA EPSILON SIGMA CHAPTER PRESIDENT “Where to even start? It was a tough year for everybody. I don’t think any chapter had it easy,” said Dylan Tinz, Chapman ‘18, the Epsilon Sigma President.

Along with the rest of the country, Tinz and the Epsilon Sigma chapter brothers faced massive uncertainties last spring. “In March 2020 we were all sent home,” Tinz said. “We had to cancel everything, we lost some of our down payments. Initially it was very discouraging. We just told brothers that we’re operating on a very low level.” They faced big, long-term problems like recruitment, retention, and finances.

But Epsilon Sigma wasn’t down for long. Shortly after being sent home, the chapter adapted to life virtually. They hosted Call of Duty tournaments, Zoom hangouts – they even rallied the entire chapter to submit videos for a Chapman dance contest. “We wanted to give guys the same experience they would have had during a normal semester,” Tinz explained.

Now that a return to normalcy is on the horizon, Epsilon Sigma is looking forward to the future. “It’s been a long year and very difficult, but we’re ready to come back on top,” Tinz said.

“Our last President Cameron Graylee did a really good job at keeping the chapter alive,” Tinz said. Now as sitting President himself, Tinz is ready to lead. “Last term we focused on survival, now we’re trying to adapt and grow.”

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H E R E

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Y E A R S

H E R E S C A N

D O N AT E TO T H E B R OT H E R H O O D F U N D TO D AY H E R E ’ S

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D O N AT E TO T H E B R OT H E R H O O D F U N D TO D AY D O N AT E TO T H E B R OT H E R H O O D F U N D TO D AY

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H E R E

FEATURE

ALUMNI OF DISTINCTION

DAVID RICKS, PURDUE ’86 INDIANAPOLIS, IN ELI LILLY CEO & CHAIRMAN Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks, Purdue ’86, has been instrumental in facilitating the distribution of a COVID-19 treatment across the country.

100,000 doses of Eli Lilly’s neutralizing antibodies have been purchased by the U.S government for distribution across the country.

The “combination therapy” drugs bamlanivimab and etesevimab have been successful in treating patients with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. The U.S. government has an option of purchasing an additional 1.1 million doses before November 2021.

“Every day, thousands of Americans are diagnosed with COVID-19, with many at high risk of progressing to more severe diseases. In our clinical trials, Lilly’s neutralizing antibody therapies significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization and death,” said Ricks in a press release. “The NIH recommendation provides additional guidance to clinicians treating high-risk patients with COVID-19, who now have another treatment option that could keep more people out of the hospital and save lives.”

Ricks, a Lambda chapter brother and alumnus of Indiana University’s Master’s in Business Administration program, became CEO of Eli Lilly in January 2017. In June 2017, he was elected Chairman of the Board. Ricks began his career at Eli Lilly in 1996 as a Business Development Associate and has held many roles within the company, including General Manager of Lilly Canada and Lilly China.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

P

hi Tau has always celebrated in style! On March 17, Phi Kappa Tau celebrated its 115th anniversary. Read the following excerpt from the 1956 edition of The Laurel shortly after Phi Kappa Tau celebrated its 50th anniversary.

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CHAPTER OF DISTINCTION

ZETA XI CHAPTER UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Zeta Xi Chapter is the first fraternity to achieve University of

“Does Not Meet Expectations” to “Exceeds Expectations

South Carolina’s Annual Chapter Expectations (ACE) Program

with Distinction.”

rating of “Exceeds Expectations with Distinction.”

The program evaluates chapters in multiple areas of chapter

The ACE program was developed to improve, grow, and

operations and community improvement, as well as safety. The

evaluate the quality of fraternity and sorority chapters on

Zeta Xi chapter scored a 90% on the campus rating scale. At the

campus. The program allows the Office of Fraternity and

time of evaluation, Zeta Xi Chapter boast 81 men with a 3.09

Sorority Life to evaluate chapter performance in relation

GPA and 252 service hours.

to university expectations and compile data for potential

Zeta Xi was chartered in 2017. Congratulations to this

new members. There are five possible distinctions from

young chapter!

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FIVE MINUTES WITH...

Koehler and crew in Florida following Hurricane Irma in 2007.

ALEX KOEHLER

U

pon graduating Alex Koehler, Mount Union ’06, began his career as a Recruiter for Phi Kappa Tau before serving as Director of Expansion. Since 2015, Koehler has worked for the American Red Cross. In 2018, he began his current role as Disaster Workforce Engagement Manger.

Koehler is a passionate humanitarian and, in addition to his work for the Red Cross, volunteers for Pelotonia – an annual cycling event that has raised over $218 million for cancer research since 2008.

• What does your role as Disaster Workforce Engagement Manager entail? I work to ensure the American Red Cross has the capacity to deliver on our life sustaining mission of “Preventing and alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers…”

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• What does the Disaster Workforce team do? We ensure that volunteers are brought into their positions efficiently, trained well, engaged in meaningful work, given opportunities for growth and development, and that we recognize and demonstrate our appreciation for their efforts. Simply put, we strive to facilitate extraordinary volunteer experiences. A specific example of our work is deployment of volunteers to Red Cross disaster relief operations.

During my time in this position, we’ve deployed over 1500 disaster responders to different operations across the United States and its territories.

• What draws you towards humanitarian work? After my grandfather passed away in 2005, there was a line out the door at his memorial service. I was stunned! He lived his entire life in one of those small, rural Ohio towns.

How had he made such an impact on so many people? I couldn’t understand it, but I knew in that moment I wanted to lead a life of such significance. It took me a while to realize that it was because he had led a life of service –

in the Army, with the American Legion, Kiwanis, and even with his family and throughout his career. He lived to serve others and he inspired me to do the same.

• You have been at the Red Cross since 2015. What stands out to you most from your time? My first personal deployment to a disaster relief operation amid the tumultuous 2017 hurricane season (Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria) stands out. The people you meet in the aftermath of a major incident can have a profound impact on you. The stories you hear and the things you see – it sticks with you! On a smaller scale, each time a volunteer shares an extraordinary experience with you, you remember why you’re doing what you do.

• How does humanitarian work tie to your experience as a Phi Tau? I’m a mission driven person. When our mission talks about “brotherhood”, of course it’s referring to our brotherhood in Phi Kappa Tau, but it’s also referring to the universal brotherhood

of man. When it talks about “ethical leadership”, well, leadership is service.

Humanitarianism is fundamental to the mission of Phi Tau. Our Fraternity was my first true platform to work in service to others, and it has led me to many other organizations since then.

• What does “being your brother’s keeper” mean to you? Many people and organizations talk about “the Parable of the Good Samaritan.”

The often-overlooked aspect of the parable is that the Samaritan was the least likely to do what he did. Yet he did it because, as he says, he “must”.

I believe he meant “If I didn’t, who would? What kind of world would we live in if I didn’t?” He did what he did because it was fundamental to his being. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in terminology such as “We’re all in this together.” Still true, but that’s been true since the dawn of time. Even in bumper to bumper, rush hour traffic. The guy laying on the horn behind you? Guess what. You’re in it together. Right now, each of us are navigating this thing called life – and we’re doing it together. The world sure would be a better place if we looked out for one another more often.

• What is the most challenging aspect of getting people engaged with philanthropy and service?

Nobel Prize winner Herbert Simon is credited for coining the term “attention economy,” arguing that the economy is driven by the most valuable resource at that moment in time. I believe that there has never been a time when more people have been more passionate about making a genuine difference

in the world. I also believe there has never been a time when there are so many organizations and purposes to choose from, AND so many other competing demands, priorities, and distractions. I get it. I’m a young professional and a new parent. Time and energy are precious. At the end of the day though, if you value something, you’ll find a way to devote time and attention to it.

• What is your advice for undergraduate brothers who feel their chapter brothers are apathetic towards volunteering? Odds are they just need to find their “why.” I choose to invest my resources into organizations that do something I’m passionate about, and my guess is that they would too.

As leaders, spend some time digging to find what makes them tick. What are the three most significant moments thus far in their lives? Why do those moments stand out? Who are the two people who have had the biggest impact on them? Why? Seek out organizations with a mission that in some way aligns with those experiences or the people who have impacted them. For example, my involvement with Pelotonia is largely driven by my grandfather’s battle with cancer. Every time I start to question why I’m pushing my body so hard, I

(Left to right) Alex and his groomsmen, Andrew Youtz, Mount Union ’06, his biological brother, Zach, Alex, AJ Meyer, Mount Union ’09, and Ryan Shannon, Mount Union ’06; Racing for Pelatonia (far right in gray and white)

think about him, and it reminds me why I’m out there.

• What are some of your other volunteer passions? In addition to volunteering with Phi Kappa Tau, my wife and I continue to find ways to support SeriousFun, especially the nearby Flying Horse Farms. For the past few years, Pelotonia has been my primary focus. All five men in my wedding (me + four groomsmen; three of whom are Epsilon chapter brothers) have either lost a parent or a grandparent to cancer.

These are people I personally knew and loved. It drives me forward each time I’m on the bike.

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FEATURE

PHI TAU “LAUNCHES” PROGRESS

I

n February, Phi Kappa Tau successfully wrapped Progress, a four-week virtual education series for undergraduate leaders and chapter advisors. Throughout Progress, participants set goals for themselves and increased their knowledge in areas like recruitment, chapter finances, alumni relations, and other valuable leadership skills. An entirely virtual program, Progress was focused on continuing undergraduate education while we are unable to meet in person.

Participants heard from the following speakers and facilitators: WEEK 1: MISSION BRIEFING Welcoming Session: National President Bill Brasch, Louisville ’67, and CEO Tim Hudson, Truman State ’97 Servant Leadership – Organizing Your Team: Steve Hartman, Muskingum ’87, and Mike Gabhart, Georgetown ’95

WEEK 3: HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM Be the Man – A Movement for Healthy Masculinity: Casey J. Cornelius Chapter Finances: National Councilor Michael Lummus, Belmont ’06 Working with your Campus FSA: Chad Warrick, Akron ’09 Risk Management Basics: Dr. Lori Hart & Megan Carlson

Advisor Panel Discussion: Stephen Rupprecht, Oswego ’91

WEEK 4: TO INFINITY

You Need to Post @fraternitysocialmedia: Guillermo Flores, Southern Illinois ’08

AND BEYOND

Strategic Planning: John Mountz, Penn State ’90

Ritual — A Way of Life: Dave Lapinski, Penn State ’74

Closing Session: Charlie Ball, Miami ’82

Breakout Goal Setting

WEEK 2: FIRST CONTACT Building Inclusive Leadership: Dr. David E. Jones Recruitment & Retention: Alex Koehler, Mount Union ’07, Alex Papke, Baldwin Wallace ’14, and Barry Mask, Auburn ’78 Philanthropy & Service: Matt Parker, Evansville ’93 Alumni Relations: Rob Reese, Kent State ’87 An Hour of Power with Dr. Lori Hart: Dr. Lori Hart

L e r oy C ha i o

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Officer Installation and Closing Keynote: National President Bill Brash, Louisville ’67, and National Vice President Dale Holland, Kent State ’87

Da le Ho l land

Thank you to our speakers, as well as our Deans, our National Council, our National Education Advisor, and our Foundation Trustees for making this program happen. We hope all our participants learned something valuable they can take back to their campus. Go Far!

BY THE NUMBERS

An Hour of Power with Dr. Lori Hart MOST POPULAR SESSION

458 PARTICIPANTS

20

by numbers the 5,608 PAGE VISITS

SPEAKERS

15

20 SMALL GROUP FACILITATORS

TOTAL HOURS OF CONTENT

100% OF CHAPTERS AND COLONIES PARTICIPATED

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FEATURE

Triumph & Tragedy Last July, Jeremy Humphrey, Kent State ’98, ’98 woke in the middle of the night to tumultuous thunderstorms outside his window. Waiting for the storm to pass, his wife checked Facebook and discovered a woman had gone missing in the nearby wilderness. Drawn to the obligation to help someone in need, Humphrey set out on foot to run the forest until he found the woman and her dog. The victim’s name will not be used to respect her privacy.

BY LILLY STEGER

[16] THE LAUREL || MAY 2021

M

cCall, Idaho is a small town of only 3,350 people nestled in the state’s Payette National Forest. It’s idyllic and a hub

for people who love to hike, run, ski, or climb – part of what drew Jeremy Humphrey, Kent State ’98, to it in the first place.

Humphrey is an ultra-runner, a high-intensity footrace that dwarfs a marathon’s standard 26.2 miles. Ultra-marathons – or “ultras” – can be upwards of 150 miles and run consecutively to the finish line. These races are all-terrain and often take place in harsh conditions to elevate the competition, such as the Hardrock 100 across the Rocky Mountains, or the Badwater Ultra, the 135-mile July race across California’s Death Valley. Then there’s the 103-mile Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc across the Alps, or the 153-mile Spartathlon from Athens to Sparta.

For ultrarunners, a marathon is warmup.

An Ohio native, Humphrey grew up running. At age five he was already extraordinarily competitive and had his sights set on the Olympics. His father, a steel mill worker, rearranged his own life for his son’s training and saw the Olympics as a ticket to a better life. He pushed his son, applying pressure to run faster, train harder, and win. “He tried to hold me to a standard I professed I wanted, but you can’t hold the words of a child to an Olympic standard,” Humphrey shared.

Dedicated and talented, Humphrey ran himself to burnout.

The years of high pressure training wore him down, as did injuries. Short-term, he endured a stress fracture that landed him in a cast for months, derailing his training, and long-term he battled exercise-induced migraines. “Becoming a champion at a young age is damaging, at age 12 I basically quit,” he said. He didn’t compete in high school or college and the shelved potential strained his relationship with his father. He continued to run in private, enjoying the solitude and closeness with nature that it brought.

In college, Humphrey joined the Beta Mu chapter. He was drawn towards the older members of the chapter, the ones who had life experience he could rely on. “It was good to be around people who had been living their life for a while, not kids straight out of high school,” he said. “I’m kind of a hermit by nature, I spent a lot of time alone running. It was a really good influence for me to be around positive role models that kept me social.”

Humphrey moved to Colorado and passed the bar. While practicing law, he discovered a love for mountain climbing and learned running was the quickest way to get from peak to peak. Through

climbing and a mutual love of the mountains, he repaired his relationship with his father. “That brought us back together,” he said. “We wouldn’t be competitive running, but we were pushing our standards as climbers.”

Then, in 2005 he lost his father to a climbing accident on Mount McKinley. “He passed as I was becoming very good at climbing, it was a big piece of my running journey,” Humphrey said. Running and hiking brought them back together, then he was gone. “The gift he showed me was I could marry the two – you can run in the mountains,” he said. “There’s this whole other sport.”

“More and more, I began to value endurance and moving fast, and linking lots and lots of mountains together and using running to do that,” he explained. “One day I was bored at work and I signed up for the Leadville 100. I wasn’t running consistently; I was built like a climber. But I finished in 28 hours or something.”

This was the start of the transition. Humphrey and his wife, Brandi, moved to McCall and he walked away from his career as a lawyer to build a life as a professional athlete. Now, he runs competitively again (and often wins), coaches other runners, organizes races, and manages sponsors. He trains hard for these races and spends more time than ever running in the mountains. “It’s my whole existence and it has been since I dived back in,” he said.

On July 9th, Humphrey woke in the dark to a howling thunderstorm and hail pelting the window. As he lay awake waiting for the storm to pass, his wife, Brandi, checked Facebook and saw the Sherriff Department posted a notice about a missing woman. There was no indication of how long she has been missing or under what circumstances. All they knew was the trailhead where she left her car.

Humphrey knew the spot well. He runs the area frequently and organizes the IMTUF100 (Idaho Mountain Trail Ultra Festival) through the region. “I’ve climbed all the peaks above that basin and looked down on it from above. I’ve seen from a perspective most people haven’t,” he said.

He decided to find her.

“I just had this really strange feeling,” he said. “I could see the whole day play out in an instant. I absolutely knew I was going to find her.” As someone who has spent a lot of time alone in the wilderness, Humphrey is more in-tune with the wild than most.

“I have a lot of intuition and sense about how things happen in the mountains,” he said. “I could just see the scenario inside her head even though I had no idea who she was.”

He threw some energy bars, powdered drink mix, and some binoculars in a small pack. “I told Brandi, ‘I’m going to find her’ and I was out the door.”

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FEATURE

McCall, Idaho (PHOTO CREDIT: BOB GOREN)

The plan was already to go on a long run that day. Although the races had been canceled due to COVID-19, Humphrey was training by seeing how far he could push himself. “I figured it was going to be a 40-mile day. The week before I had done a 50, so it’s not unheard of,” he said.

Setting out, he knew very little. He knew that the woman liked to hike to lakes and that a search and recuse crew had started at the area near her car, the north end of the trailhead. They were doing good work, but they have their disadvantages. “They’re heavy, they work in teams,” Humphrey explained. They moved slower and cover less ground, but Humphrey is quick. He could eliminate more terrain.

He started at the south end and ran north 20 miles, growing ever more-detail oriented as he approached the trailhead with her car. “Eventually I get within five-six miles and I know this is the real hot zone,” he said. “I wasn’t far from where I thought the search and recuse teams would have gotten to, but they rarely search off-trail.”

As he approached an area called Box Lake, he tried to get into her head. “It was COVID time, so I could anticipate her not wanting to go to the popular spots. I started to envision scenarios someone would take to get to a lesser known lake,” he explained.

At Box Lake he found nothing. Running around 7,000-ft elevation, he was already at a high altitude, but he needed a birds-eye view. “At that point I realized I needed to get higher,” he said. Humphrey scrambled up Rain Peak, an 8,500-ft granite-face mountain, to scour the area. He searched for tents, smoke – anything that would indicate where she was. But even with his binoculars, he couldn’t see anything. “The day was grinding on me, but I had a talk with myself to just go around one more time,” he said. “I knew that if I kept going it would work out.” He decided to check one more lake before making the 20-mile run back to his truck.

Humphrey moved down the mountain, shouting. “I’m yelling her name – calling and pausing, taking time to look instead of just moving,” he explained. The land he was covering was overtaken with brambles and bushes. “The lower you go, the denser the foliage [18] THE LAUREL || MAY 2021

is, it’s almost jungle-like. The thickets are big and there was a fire there a long time ago, so there’s dead timber everywhere.” Humphrey drops another 100 feet still calling her name – then he hears a woman’s voice.

“I start sprinting, bounding full of adrenaline down towards her through all these brambles, tearing myself up,” he said. “I couldn’t understand what she said, but I heard it and went in that direction.” First he spotted a dog, then he spotted a single woman.

“I get 20 yards away and ask if it’s her, and she says yes,” he said.

He approached the woman and learned she had been lost for a week and hadn’t had food in four days. Destroyed by sunburn with deep red bubbles covering her skin, the woman had no shade under the telephone-like pine trees in the relentless July sun. But her hydration was the immediate problem. She was surviving off water from a swampy, pothole pond nearby. She was filtering it, but it was still warm and brown.

For the malnourished, refeeding is a critical concern. A sudden onset of food or water to the system can induce an extreme reaction, even death. Cognizant of this, Humphrey was cautious. “I took a little envelop of 200-calorie sports drink and mixed it into some water,” he said. “I laid out the energy bars I had in my pack and said, ‘Don’t touch this until you finish the whole quart.’”

As she drank, Humphry wandered around the basin searching for cell reception. A hundred yards away he got a bar but continued to shout back instructions. “I kept yelling at her to do stuff, I was really trying to pump her up. In my mind, we were going to have to walk out over this impossible foliage. I didn’t want her to have to spend another night out there,” he said.

When he got dispatch on the phone, 911 helped triangulate a call and arrange for a helicopter. There was one nearby, but they had no place to land. “I seriously doubted they were going to be able to land,” he said. “I thought they were going to have to do a crazy long-ling rig to get her up and then they had too much fuel, so they circle and circle to burn it off.”

It took thirty minutes of circling to burn enough fuel and find a place to land. They finally found a spot on a small peninsula of land wedged between massive trees and a cliff.

Humphrey traded the woman his empty backpack for her 60-lb hiking pack, and the trio bushwhacked through the foliage to the helicopter where the pilots helped her and her dog climb in.

They offered a spot to Humphrey, but he refused it. “I’m pretty big on self-sufficiency, if I can finish I’m going to. I don’t want to be rescued, I want to exit on my own power,” he said.

Moments before take-off, they remembered the car and she gave Humphrey the keys. It’s a long drive from McCall to the trailhead,

so Humphrey drove the car back to town. “The north trail head was much closer and an easier end to my day,” he said.

The woman was flown to the McCall fire department where she elected not to go to the hospital. They checked her for injuries, but at the end of the day she returned home to sleep in her own bed.

Humphrey did not see or speak to the woman until the day before his interview with Phi Tau. “I was on my run and there she was. I could have missed her so easily. We had a lot to talk about and it was neat to do it in person,” he said. The woman and her dog recovered fine and were back to enjoying nature.

The woman was an experienced hiker. She had been exploring those woods for years, but once you get turned around, Humphrey explained, maps don’t help. “You walk in circles and all your landmarks start to look unfamiliar. You get dazed and your brain doesn’t work,” he said. After a few hours her phone had died, and she was left wandering to find her way home.

When the story broke, Humphrey didn’t think it would be a big deal. “I thought it would just be a local thing, but the requests kept coming,” he said. He gave an interview to Runners World and Backpacker Magazine – publications where he thought his message about outdoor safety would be heard. Humphrey wanted to share the collective knowledge of how people get lost and what it means to find someone and get them help.

But the story struck a nerve. He was asked to go on national talk shows, to share the experience with a huge audience. He declined. At the time it was disorienting, but now he understands why it caught traction. “Taking a step back now, all the news was terrible,” he said. “There was nothing good happening that anyone knew about. I kind of warmed to it, I thought it would be a little bright spot in the triumph and tragedy of 2020.”

For Humphrey, it was validating that all of his training and dedication to this sport could help someone. “Running usually doesn’t feed the hungry or cure cancer, but it was good to do something useful for someone,” he said. “I used the skills I selfishly honed over a lifetime and ultimately it felt good that all that self-interest and self-pursuit benefited someone.”

His decision to be a Good Samaritan was organic. For a man who lost his father to the mountains, he couldn’t ignore the opportunity to help.

“You see someone in immediate peril, most people are going to do something, you’re almost not human to see someone in need and not want to help them,” he said. “But on a bigger scale, I want to do my part. I want to play a good role in society and foster better relations with my fellow citizens.”

Care and empathy are what bind us together. “If you don’t care about your fellow humans, our society crumbles and we have nothing. That’s what being a Good Samaritan means to me,” Humphrey said. Being a good Samaritan is an obligation to help someone in need, and for Humphrey, when he woke up planning on a run, he seized an opportunity he couldn’t ignore.

Jeremy and Brandi welcomed their first baby this spring. Humphrey is organizing organizing races for 2021 and training for a 100 mile race in Colorado this July.

THE LAUREL || PHIKAPPATAU.ORG [19]

PERFORMANCE REPORTS

2020 PERFORMANCE REPORTS KEY

MEMBERSHIP

TOTAL PHILANTHROPY $ RAISED

TOTAL SERVICE HOURS

GRADUATION RATE

GPA

# OF INITIATED ALUMNI

# OF CURRENT LIVING DONORS

CEG BALANCE

B

OHIO

63 0

0

80% 2.878 2039 286 30,937.25

G

OHIO STATE

65

168.5

83%

D

CENTRE

38 185

3.5

93% 3.35 956 124 1,955.14

E

MOUNT UNION

42

2380.69

812

86%

3.28

1441

211

40,304.53

Z

ILLINOIS

53

0

594

N/A

3.3707

1392

174

6,844.70

Q

TRANSLYVANIA

28

50

0

86%

3.325

1167

145

4,615.92

I

COE

22 0

297.5 93% 3.364 932 122 2,330.40

K

KENTUCKY

58

0

89%

L

PURDUE

28 3000

637

67% 3.52 1537 313 96,919.26

N

CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY

41 1240

0

83% 3.74 1289 166 6,651.85

[20] THE LAUREL || MAY 2021

5087

0

3.36

1854

279

3.4655 1553 193

6,040.10

27,515.13

O COLONY

PENN STATE

P COLONY

40

1100

10

N/A

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 13 2166

627

N/A 3.59 1162 111 22,750.75

U

NEBRASKA WESLEYAN

57

2400.75

100%

F

BETHANY

24 603

C

NORTH CAROLINA STATE 78 7405

911

N/A 3.54 1100 182 374.52

Y

COLORADO

120 89.98

962

88% 3.26 1717 205 12,324.54

W COLONY

WISCONSIN

17 0

0

N/A 3.248 358 27 934.75

AA

MICHIGAN STATE

34

0

N/A

AD

DELAWARE

34 13270

260

N/A 3.42 1309 221 2,115.48

AH

FLORIDA

95 0

0

82% --

1951 272 12,949.15

AK

WASHINGTON STATE

87

0

N/A

1261

AP

WASHINGTON

21 0

0

88% 3.22 726 75 1,895.58

AR COLONY

GEORGIA TECH

35

0

200

N/A

3.36

999

199

4,742.77

AS

COLORADO STATE

23

375

60

N/A

3.4

1235

147

878.62

AT

CORNELL

44 800

306

100% 3.54 1035 122 25,424.86

AU0

COLGATE

61 6000

0

100% 3.67 809 44 604.02

AF

AKRON

25 0

80.5

56% 3.45 1222 194 1,066.09

AC

MISSISSIPPI STATE

67

168

N/A

4504

0

6335

3018

3.17

1407

3.56

1695

192

353

24,472.94

17,226.24

288 78% 3.16 921 155 3,549.75

--

3.312

3.55

1344

832

149

163

170

9,611.70

2,937.27

956,277.57

THE LAUREL || PHIKAPPATAU.ORG [21]

PERFORMANCE REPORTS

AW

BALDWIN WALLACE

17

BA

TEXAS

23 0

BB

LOUISVILLE

84 14000 0

BG

IDAHO

33 0

1181 N/A 3.38 669 119 313.42

BE

SOUTHERN MISS

29

0

91%

BQ COLONY

KANSAS

16 0

0

100% 3.31 569 96 4,112.94

BK

OKLAHOMA STATE

52

0

81%

BL

INDIANA

127 8000

77

85% 3.461 723 116 26,280.22

BM

KENT STATE

24

219

88%

BX

GEORGIA

69 2085

0

76% 3.49 1044 155 2,576.15

BO

MARYLAND

41 831

295

95% 3.531 780 143 5,179.96

BF

WESTMINSTER

13 9290

161.5

100% 3.349 1058 217 5,365.59

BC

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

32

212

71%

BY

CAL STATE-LONG BEACH 18 600

0

59% 3.378 772 127 190.12

BW

CAL STATE-CHICO

39

1225.8

89

87%

3.09

1236

112

213.54

GA

MICHIGAN TECH

34

2434.59

88.5

100%

3.614

851

229

278,657.38

GB

CINCINNATI

13 0

0

76% -- 573 128 6,048.10

GM

BRADLEY

39 0

0

91% 3.2 932 125 1,753.13

[22] THE LAUREL || MAY 2021

1695

220

0

0

90

0

65%

3.045

1143

130

13,535.74

0

93% -- 616 83 70,342.12

83% 3 1507 296 582.18

3.505

3.7149

2.95

3.058

1126

1097

650

711

144

182

111

92

6,114.81

3,403.83

3,333.07

5,707.47

GX

EAST CENTRAL OK

19

500

0

50%

3.08

523

53

1,563.70

GY

TEXAS STATE

56

575

0

75%

2.85

383

54

4,164.68

DB

EVANSVILLE

11 514

82

80% 3.37 577 103 13,548.68

DG

OLE MISS

68

0

N/A

DK

TENNESSEE

60 0

172.25 N/A 3.48 354 60 3,802.01

DL

MUSKINGUM

14 45

299

N/A 3.169 598 123 117.36

DP

MURRAY STATE

10

0

52

80%

2.71

194

32

5,600.79

DR COLONY

EASTERN KENTUCKY

20

1849.5

193.5

N/A

3.03

361

70

4,752.11

DT

CAL POLY-POMONA

37

5200

78

86%

2.81

466

60

3,314.03

DC

ROCHESTER

11 45

61

94% 3.4 360 46 484.01

DW

TRUMAN STATE

9

0

0

100%

2.87

414

48

3,679.08

ED

VIRGINIA WESLEYAN

24

0

0

N/A

2.989

227

21

1,280.03

EE

WILLIAM PATERSON

13

0

0

86%

--

289

36

496.37

EQ

SAN FRANCISCO STATE

23

0

0

40%

--

271

25

2,355.74

EK

RUTGERS

26 75

0

100% --

323 43 7,705.95

EL

LONGWOOD

25 0

0

100% --

314 50 1,035.55

EM

UNC-PEMBROKE

10 0

0

88% -- 200 14 403.50

ER

INDIANA U. OF PENN.

17

4

N/A

250

1938

--

2.87

983

174

113

6

1,245.68

69.15

THE LAUREL || PHIKAPPATAU.ORG [23]

PERFORMANCE REPORTS

ES

CHAPMAN

67 2517.49

0

67% 3.164 304 23 4,199.87

ET

ARIZONA

16 0

0

80% 3.35 177 37 2,719.26

EC

VIRGINIA TECH

30

0

74%

EW

SHEPHERD

9 0

0

100% --

ZA

BELMONT

49 0

482.5 76% 3.552 222 10 8,014.16

ZG

SAN JOSE STATE

9

119

ZE

LYNCHBURG

22 2100

344.5 84% 2.8 50 6 93.52

ZZ

ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD

19 0

0

88% 2.99 56 7 9.97

ZH

ALABAMA

52 0

0

82% -- 42 1 473.47

ZQ

NORTH TEXAS

36

0

N/A

ZK

KENYON

22 158

47

N/A 3.4 38 4 178.95

ZL

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE 25 0

148

N/A --

66 7

506.46

ZX

SOUTH CAROLINA

91

9659.34

1716

N/A

3.33

73

N/A

422.56

ZO

ARIZONA STATE

94

0

93

N/A

3.386

41

N/A

465.53

ZP

BOSTON

24 50

0

N/A 3.4 30 2 1,665.42

[24] THE LAUREL || MAY 2021

0

0

0

100%

3.591

3.147

3.36

218

15

90 6

68

51

2

4

45.51

1,245.95

1,113.58

94.44

LAURELS

LAURELS

~ ROBERT RIPPY, EAST CAROLINA ’71, was recognized by the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce as 2021’s Duke Energy Lifetime Achievement in Business Award winner.

Rippy is the owner and founder of Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park in Wilmington, North Carolina.

[1962] Thomas Mitchel III, Auburn, was named to the Avenue of Heroes in Coronado, California. A retired Naval Captain, Mitchel became a Naval Aviator in 1967. He completed nine deployments and accumulated over 5,000 flight hours in his 27 years of service. His personal awards include the Legion of Merit, three Meritorious Service Medals, Air Medals, and Navy Commendation Medals with a “V” for valor.

[1966] Ernie Harris, Kentucky, retired from the Kentucky State Senate in April. Harris has served Oldham County since 1995.

[1967] Dan Dauer, Old Dominion, was named one of the top 2% mostcited professionals in his field globally, along with 53 other researchers at Old Dominion.

Dr. Dauer is a Marine Biology and Hydrobiology researcher who began his career in 1972.

He has published 65 papers in the past 48 years.

THE LAUREL || PHIKAPPATAU.ORG [25]

LAURELS

JAY BUCKELEW, BETHANY ’78, was honored with a named trail in Bethany’s Parkinson Forest. The event was commemorated with a ribbon cutting by the Bethany President and a local artist creating a special painting to honor Buckelew. Buckelew, a Phi chapter advisor, spent 42 years as a professor of biology at Bethany before retiring in 2011. ~

[1981] Bruce Barkley Jr., Southern California, was named President and General Manager of KHBS-TV, KHOG-TV, and Arkansas CW, Heart Television’s ABC and CW affiliates in the northwest Arkansas market. Bruce was previously the News Director of WYFF-TV and has been a leader at Hearst TV for over 20 years.

[1983] Brian Breittholz, Ohio, is the newest Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations and Chief Alumni Officer at Florida International University. Breittholz is an accomplished higher education leader with a wealth of experience in alumni relations, development, student affairs, and communica-

tions. He joins FIU after serving seven years as Cleveland State University’s Assistant Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Executive Director of the University’s Alumni Association.

[1984] Mark King, Purdue, was announced as an Operating Partner of Vance Street Capital, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. King will work closely with leadership teams of portfolio companies in the medical vertical. Prior to joining Vance Street, King held numerous leadership roles in the medical device market both in branded product lines and in contract manufacturing.

[1984] Terry V. Williams, UCLA (Hall of Fame member), is now Senior Vice President for Global Fixed Asset Management at PENFED Credit Union. Williams comes to this role as a retired Brigadier General with 32 years of experience in the Marine Corps.

[1987] Jason Rosenberg, Florida, completed his term on the University of Florida Board of Trustees in January.

[26] THE LAUREL || MAY 2021

[1987] Don Stansberry, Ohio, won the Dynamic SSOA (Senior Student Affairs Officer) Newcomer Award from the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities.

The award highlighted Stansberry’s recent outreach initiative to ensure students wouldn’t slip through the cracks throughout COVID-19, which resulted in phone calls to 20,000 new and returning students. Stansberry serves as interim Vice President for Student Engagement and Enrollment Services at Old Dominion University.

[1988] Brian Stenberg, Florida, is running for Boca Raton City Council.

[1991] Mathew H. Maschler, Maryland, was appointed to the George Snow Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees. The George Snow Scholarship Fund is dedicated to helping deserving students within the Boca Raton community achieve their career goals through their pursuit of higher education.

Maschler is owner of RealEastateFinder.com and is known for his work as a realtor and philanthropist in Palm Beach County.

[2006] Will Baumgartner, Louisville, married Jacob Raderer, Centre ’07, in December.

BRENT MILLER, MIAMI ’86, was named one of the top 100 LGBT executives by Outstanding. Miller is a Senior Director for LGBT+ Equality at P&G and has been a leading voice in LGBT+ representation within the company. Miller is a winner of the Elfers Omega Scholarship and two Foundation scholarships. ~

[1991] Doug Suhr, East Carolina, joined Whitener Capital Management, Inc. as a Senior Financial Planner.

Suhr will be enhancing the firm’s wealth management offering by providing a customized and personal approach to financial planning. Suhr brings 24 years of experience in the financial industry to the firm.

[2006] Tyler Wash, Georgetown, began a new role as Executive Director of the McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Foundation in Oxford, Ohio. He was previously Executive Director of the Delta Sigma Pi Leadership Foundation.

[2007] Marty Dunning, Kentucky, married Cooper Couch last November.

Dunning was previously a staff member at the Phi Kappa Tau Executive Offices.

[1991] Tony Lawson, Eastern Kentucky, was promoted to Major in the Jeffersontown, Kentucky, fire department in December.

[2008] Guillermo Flores, Southern Illinois, was awarded the Steven B. Dealph Change Maker Award for an Outstanding Fraternity/Sorority Professional by the Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV). Flores is Associate Director for Fraternity & Sorority Life at Michigan State University.

THE LAUREL || PHIKAPPATAU.ORG [27]

LAURELS & CHAPTER ETERNAL

[2013] Dexter Horne, Centre, started a new role as Research Analyst for the Council of State Governments in Lexington, KY. He will be working on the Disability Employment team helping States develop robust programs to ensure that all residents, regardless of their level of physical or mental ability, can find gainful learning and work opportunities. Dexter is a 2016 William H. Shideler Award winner.

[2014] Ryan McKeough, Southern Mississippi, married Leah Hunt in February.

[2014] Darryl Thompson II, Old Dominion, got engaged to Lilly Steger in January and started a new role at Cintas. He was previously Philanthropy Coordinator for the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation.

[2014] Aaron Vance, Louisville, started a new position as Labor and Employment Associate at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP. Vance is a 2017 William H. Shideler Award winner.

[2018] Garrett Daniels, Arizona State, started a new position as Project Manager, Creative Services at the Phoenix Suns.

CHAPTER ETERNAL The following members were reported deceased to the Executive Offices between November 17, 2020 and March 10, 2021.

MIAMI Robert Edmiston, ’39 John Fisher, ’46 Richard Merriman, ’48 Norbert Wirkowski, ‘48 Larry Kurber, ‘51 Robert Kiger, ‘52 James Jones, ‘53 Peter Svanda, ’56

Thomas Haydon, ’58 Hugh Turner, ‘59 Michael Barr, ‘66 James Dowling, ’89

OHIO Robert Gabler, ‘45 Donald Hisey, ’45 Harold Armbrust, ’48 John Gillen, ’49 William Armstrong, ’59 Frederick Manson, ‘64 Francisco Muguruza, ‘65 Matthew Liptensky, ‘93

LAWRENCE Melvin Davison, ’47 Robert Dude, ‘61

OHIO STATE Shep Robertson, ’58

PENN STATE Lloyd Young, ’50 George Seid, ’53 Donald Rieco, ‘54 Roy Rosenberger, ’57 Harold Rose, ‘74

MOUNT UNION Walter Eyster, ’31 Joseph Cimillo, ‘54 ILLINOIS Roger Koontz, ’59 Carroll Pedersen, ’60 MUHLENBERG Kenneth Beers, ’49 TRANSYLVANIA Travis Feck, ’15 KENTUCKY William Hart, ‘43 William Schulenberg, ’48

[28] THE LAUREL || MAY 2021

PURDUE Howard Haberkost, ‘51 William Millner, ‘61 Scott Kell, 87

FRANKLIN & MARSHALL Paul Eyster, 40 Arthur Foresman, ‘53 Russell Park, ‘57 David Illingworth, ‘83

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Carlin Matson, ‘31 Aubrey Fraser, ’32 Frederick Ball, ‘33 George Hart, ‘34 Broox Hoyt, ‘34 Justin Radeck, ’34 Kenneth Yates, ‘35 Everett Vilander, ‘36 Gorton Demond, ’37 Maurice Martines, ‘37 F Robinson, ’38 Rowland Naye, ‘40

Bert Vance, ’40 E Garrison, ‘41 Charles Krugmeier, ‘41 Charles Cox, ‘42 Clyde Ellerman, ‘42 Norman Schneider, ‘42 Keith Adams, ‘43 George Cadd, ‘43 John Privett, ‘43 George Duncan, ‘44 Richard Gilson, ‘44 Robert Huntley, ’44 William Lachenmyer, ‘44 Harold LeSieur, ‘44 Martin Paquette, ‘44 Kenneth Runyon, ‘44 Clifton Scroggins, ‘44 Durward Cline, ‘45 Robert Cramer, ‘45 Wayne Crawford, ’45 Willis Kerr, ‘45 Leon Herbert, ’48 Brown McPherson, ’48 Donald Pettijohn, ‘46 Frederick Prill, ’46 Charles Rensenhouse, ’46 Richard Sandberg, ‘46 Henry Schoellhorn, ’46 Real Turmel, ’46 Theodore Vass, ‘46 Emrick Webb, ’46 Thomas Cutkomp, ‘47 Alan Doane, ’47 Stephen Kirchner, ’47 Raymond Mayer, ’47 Arlie Skelton, ’47 James Tweedie, ’47 Ralph Goers, ’48 Robert Henry, ’48 William Lyon, ’48

Donald MacBrine, ’48 Dale Norquist, ’48 William Sink, ‘48 William Zappas, ’48 Charles Donnell, ’49 Wade Evans, ’49 Orren Harris, ’49 Donald Miller, ’49 John Oliver, ’49 John Pulice, ’49 Fred Reed, ’49 Paul Seng, ’49 Vane Suter, ‘49 Jacob Tabacow, ’49 Jean Getty, ’50 John Meikle, ’50 Ova Lyon, ’50 Robert Peviani, ‘50 Donald Scheppers, ’50 William Scheppers, ’50 Neil Bourquin, ‘51 Thomas Hannason, ‘51 Albin Matthes, ‘51 Edwin Merwin, ‘51 Edgar Petty, ‘51 William Sackett, ‘51 Edwynn Schroeder, ’51 Bren Dehn, ‘52 Kenneth Iles, ‘52 Gerald Wolf, ‘52 James Boyle, ‘53 Truman Mergenthaler, ’54 Daniel Dirkes, ‘55 Chester Fremling, ‘55 Thomas Maurer, ‘55 George Urias, ‘55 Mark Mandala, ‘56 Frederick Gibson, ’57 James Mackel, ’58 Andrew Mershon, ’58 Dudley Raynor, ’59 Quinton Oneal, ’60 James Munce, ‘61 Arthur Porter, ‘61 Frank Barbaro, ‘62 Thomas Birkenhaed, ‘62 James D’Amato, ‘63 John La Mont, ‘63 Rodrigo Melendez, ‘63 Frank Piazza, ‘63

Keith Henderman, ‘64 Robert McComber, ‘64 David Pavlicovic, ‘64 Robert Fazakerly, ’69 Scott Fleming, ‘69 Curtis Timmons, ’69 Michael Ceiro, ’70 Kam Kuwata, ‘72 Gary Wills, ’75 MICHIGAN Robert Osgood, ‘34 Kenneth Hafer, ‘53 NEBRASKA WESLEYAN Wallace Hickey, ‘44 Chester Johnson, ’47 Harry Huge, ‘56 Alan Hill, ’59 Roger Bennett, ’60 Richard Carlson, ‘61 Richard Evans, ‘61 Bethany Karl Wassmann, ‘43 NORTH CAROLINA STATE William Futch, ’48 James Dempsey, ’56 Louis Aiello, ’69 Stephen Ferebee, ‘70 MICHIGAN STATE Ellis Phillips, ‘44 Dean Lidgard, ‘53 Paul Dekker, ‘52 Harold Keyes, ‘55 Delaware David Woodward, ‘54 CASE WESTERN RESERVE Harold Long, ‘43 KANSAS STATE Joseph Liska, ‘63 Joseph White, ‘95 OREGON STATE Carl Jacobson, ‘50 Dennis Brown, ’59

FLORIDA C Daniel, ’47 David Benson, ‘80 Steven Brown, ’88 WILLIAM & MARY Ronald Vilet, ‘54 WASHINGTON STATE Richard Fanning, ‘52 Robert Brenno, ‘53 Keith Lincoln, ’58 Kaspars Blums, ‘60 Bruce Becker, ‘65 Wayne Topinka, ‘76 Jack Gianotti, AM (20) AUBURN Louis Chateau, ‘42 Malcolm Kitchens, ‘57 John Lovejoy, ’68 Edwin Rudd, ‘71 Jared Jackson, ‘06 OHIO WESLEYAN Thronton Lynam, ‘52 WASHINGTON Ernest Steele, ’39 William Bond, ‘59 John Wilkinson, ’67 GEORGIA TECH Ralph Aikman, ‘63 Ronald Logan, ‘81 COLORADO STATE Floyd Baker, ’36 Gary Wetterberg, ‘62 Thomas Nytes, ‘63 COLGATE David Bowman, ’40 Ronald Schongar, ‘51 C Allen, ‘52 AKRON Robert Simpson, ’48 Robert Kmet, ‘49

MISSISSIPPI STATE William Wood, ’47 Keith Horne, ‘52 Zack Jenkins, ’60 Kevin Stewart, ‘90 TEXAS-EL PASO N. Rand, ‘45 Edward Bravenec, ‘53 BALDWIN WALLACE La Moyne Holley, ‘45 TEXAS Don Boesch, ’56 Thomas Boesch, ‘60 LOUISVILLE Robert Trautwein, ‘51 Harry Crisler, ‘58 Ray Ragsdale, ’58 Allan Morris, ‘62 IDAHO R. Cunningham, ’67 U OF MIAMI Kenneth Ryskamp, ‘54 NEW MEXICO STATE Richard Gilbert, ‘53 Donald Forrester, ‘56 KANSAS Jerry Sherman, 50 Robert Love, 54 Roger Dade, 90 INDIANA Jack Jones, ‘51 Kristopher Peterson, ‘05 Frank Bauer, ‘50 Bruce Billman, ‘69 John Loughlin, ’55 KENT STATE James Bippus, ‘49

Georgia John Burns, ‘64 Michael Charvin, ‘79 Maryland Robert Oring, ‘61 HOBART Howard Gowen, ‘51 Norman Hanna, ‘66 CAL STATE-CHICO Darrell Bates, ’65 MICHIGAN TECH John Weaver, ’58 Ludson, Worsham, ‘61 Craig Gierke, ‘70 ST. JOHN’S James Driscoll, ‘62 U OF THE PACIFIC George Tabuchi, ‘61 EAST CAROLINA John Jeter, ‘78 EAST CENTRAL OK Lionel Parker, ‘85 CAL STATE-FULLERTON David Hopkins, ‘66 YOUNGSTOWN Joseph Marino, ‘73 NORTHEASTERN Ronald Marsella, ’68 EVANSVILLE Michael Gullet, ‘85 OLE MISS John Harral, ’68 Gary Thrash, ’69 TENNESSEE Bryan Merrell, ’81

THE LAUREL || PHIKAPPATAU.ORG [29]

WHY I GIVE

Brotherhood Fund

F

ather Nicholas Rachford, Cincinnati ’64, a veteran Priest of 50 years and former National Chaplin, has been giving to the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation for 35 years. “I give because as an undergraduate, the Fraternity did a lot for me and I support the efforts of the Fraternity to help undergraduates develop into good men,” Father Rachford said.

Father Rachford initiated as a senior at the University of Cincinnati before joining the Seminary and his years as an undergraduate member were a self-described “reaffirming” experience. “It was instrumental in helping my self-esteem, that they would pick me to be a member of the chapter,” he explained. “It was also important in developing many friendships. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”

As an alumnus, Father Rachford returned to Phi Tau in the role of National Chaplin, a position he held for a quarter-century. He

[30] THE LAUREL || MAY 2021

said the most rewarding part of the position was helping undergraduate brothers deepen their understanding of the ritual. “Hopefully, I was able to help a lot of undergraduate men understand the values of the Fraternity and live those out,” he said.

During his tenure as National Chaplin, Father Rachford developed a small refection book based on the values expressed in the ritual for chapters to use. “It’s a one-minute reflection that chapters can use at the beginning or the end of a chapter meeting, or for individual use,” he said.

A man whose dedicated his life to service, for Father Rachford being a Good Samaritan means helping out. “Within the fraternity context, it’s helping your brothers and making them aware of the values we stand for and, hopefully, that continues after graduation,” he said.

SIDELIGHTS

SIDELIGHTS DIRECTORY NATIONAL PRESIDENT Bill Brasch Louisville ’67 bbrasch@phikappatau.org

LEADERSHIP MESSAGE

LIVING OUR OATH

B

y the time you are reading this, many in this country will have had an opportunity, or be very near their time, to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. As I sat down to type this message, I confess, I am scheduled to have my first dose of the vaccine later today. The opportunity for my dose has been a long time in waiting. That said, to have multiple vaccines that are available to help us move past this pandemic is a testament to modern medicine, countless funding efforts (private and public), and a massive effort to distribute doses across our nation.

But another reason we are each afforded the opportunity to receive a vaccine is because thousands of members of our society stepped forward to participate in research studies. A story about one of those volunteers, who happens to be an alumnus of our Fraternity, was shared with me. Brother Tom stepped forward late last spring, as he explains “For two reasons – 1) To do my part to help protect others and 2) “Selfishly, because I wanted protection from the virus.” Without revealing his identity – Tom was initiated in the early 1960’s, has remained, in his terms, “an active, older than dirt, asthmatic,” and was one of 50,000 people who participated in the Pfizer research group. Of those volunteers, one half were given a general saline solution. The other half were given the vaccine. Each of the participants reviewed materials and signed documents and, understanding personal risk, were subjected to several medical exams/tests. Their anti-body levels will be monitored for the next two years.

So, was it worth it? Short answer, yes. Longer answer – he knew people his age needed to be participants in the study, and it seemed like the right way for him to help. As brother Tom stated – “his grandkids don’t have the funny scar on their arms that many of his generation do, because the vaccines for smallpox and polio that he received helped eradicate two bad diseases.” Additionally, he notes that it came too late for a close relative and his best friend, both of whom succumbed to Covid-19.

Like so many of our members, Tom has helped play a role in supporting his fellow man. Our members learn about the call to serve and be our brothers keeper within our ritual. We proclaim it within the last line of our creed: I shall try always to discharge the obligation to others… And, more importantly, through the example of Tom and others highlighted in this magazine, we see our membership in-action – living those words. Well done brothers.

Go Far,

NATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Dale Holland Kent State ’87 dholland@phikappatau.org FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN Wes Fugate Centre ’99 wfugate@phikappatau.org FOUNDATION VICE CHAIRMAN Buzz Green Ole Miss ’66 bgreen@phikappatau.org CEO Tim Hudson Truman State ’97 thudson@phikappatau.org COO Travis Robinson Eastern Kentucky ’98 trobinson@phikappatau.org EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lilly Steger lsteger@phikappatau.org

Additional contact information for the Executive Office staff, Fraternity National Council, Foundation Board of Trustees, National Advisors, Domain Directors, and Educational Deans can be found at phikappatau.org/contact.

WM. TIM HUDSON CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER THE LAUREL || PHIKAPPATAU.ORG [31]

PHI KAPPA TAU FOUNDATION Ewing T. Boles Executive Offices 5221 Morning Sun Road Oxford, OH 45056 Change Service Requested

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Phi Kappa Tau

is 115!

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