THE • PI • KAPPA • PHI • FRATERNITY
Omegalite JULY 2005 Omega of Pi Kappa Phi, Inc. Housing Corporation P.O. Box 2700 West Lafayette, IN 47996-2700 Chapter web address: www.expert.cc. purdue.edu/~pikapps (includes alumni info) Corporation Officers JAY SEEGER PRESIDENT 3817 Old Farm Road Lafayette, IN 47905 765/742-4529, work 765/474-1986, home jay@seeger-forbes.com
BRANDT HERSHMAN VICE PRESIDENT 7429 North 200 East Wheatfield, IN 46392 219/843-2000, home 219/583-9819, work 801/791-5779, fax b.hershman@insightbb. com STEVE BOHNER TREASURER 194 Twin Springs Ct. Carmel, IN 46234 317/846-3008, home 317/844-2250, work 317/844-2296, fax steve@langdonan company.com PAT KUHNLE SECRETARY 720 Chelsea Road W. Lafayette, IN 47906 765/743-1111 ext. 205, work 765/743-6087, fax 765/743-1256, home pkuhnle@purdue exponent.org
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
‘Griffiths Brothers Trio’ enhances Omega’s singing tradition for decade The “singing” fraternity of the 1960s might not have had its most famous trio if it hadn’t been for one brother’s wedding. At David Griffiths’ wedding reception, brothers Jim and Bob Griffiths sang. That performance caught the attention of the daughter of Purdue Musical Organization’s longtime leader, Al Stewart. Bob had finished his second year at Indiana University, where he played the tuba in the Marching 100. Jim, who had graduated from high school, was following his brother to IU to play in the band. Continued on Page 2
Act soon! Homecoming tickets likely to be scarce Single game football tickets are getting more scarce and that’s particularly true for homecoming. Purdue officials expect a record 45,000 season tickets sold this year when students return in the fall. Ross-Ade Stadium seats 62,500. As in the past, the chapter will purchase a block of
The original “Griffiths Brothers Trio,” poses in U.S. Air Force attire from this 1962 photo. The group, which has its roots from the Omega chapter, performed at Purdue and internationally. Shown are Ted Gruwell, Bob Griffiths and Jim Griffiths. tickets for alumni and guests for homecoming. This year’s homecoming game features Northwestern at noon, Oct. 15. Tickets are priced at $43 each and it is unlikely that group discounts will be honored for Big Ten games. In order to get a ticket in the Pi Kapp alumni group, we must have your ticket order prepaid by Aug. 1. Send a check for $43 per ticket payable to Pi Kappa Phi and send it to: Omega of Pi Kappa Phi; P.O. Box 2700; West Lafayette, IN 47996-2700.
The schedule for that day will be: • 9 to 10:30 a.m., Open house. • 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., box lunches served in dining room • 11:30 a.m., food distribution discontinued • Noon, Purdue vs. Northwestern in Ross-Ade Stadium • 5:30 p.m., 85th anniversary planning meeting (anyone interested in assisting with the 2007 chapter anniversary planning and execution, should attend) Continued on Page 4
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Jim and Bill Griffiths sing with Dan Ludwig as the Trio was reconstituted. Stewart changed all of that. “Al Stewart heard them and litDavid (Omega No. 552) was the erally recruited them like you oldest of eight children – six boys would football players,” David said. and two girls. Six of them attended “So they came unbeknownst to me Purdue. Only one of the brothers to Purdue and then to the chapter who attended Purdue, John, did as well.” not become a Pi Kapp. Bob, Jim (Omega 661) and Ted David joined Pi Kappa Phi Gruwell (Omega 629) – all membecause of music. bers of the Glee Club – formed The “I pledged right out of high Griffiths Trio. school and Bill Sanders (Omega “We would be gone three and 522), someone from our hometown four nights a week in Chicago, Fort (of Oxford, IN) who was a cousin Wayne, Anderson, Louisville or and was in the Glee Club, recruited someplace where someone had conme,” David said. “We had 14 or 15 tacted PMO and wanted entertainmembers in the chapter who were ment,” said Bob, a financial consulin the Glee Club. We had a strong, tant for Merrill Lynch in Lafayette. strong singing tradition.” “We were busy.” David was almost the only Bob said he and his brother Jim, Griffiths to be an Omega Pi Kapp. also a pledge brother, would miss “In August, we made the decision duties. His defender in the chapter to enter Purdue and David had was Harvey Peggs (Omega 591), already been in the house,” Bob also a Glee Club member. (Omega 643), said. “David got a Harvey Peggs had two blood real hard rush from (the late) brothers in the chapter as well, Terry Rose (Omega 609) who was Dave (Omega 490) and Chuck a Glee Clubber and there was no (Omega 716). Chuck, the youngest second choice (to Pi Kappa Phi for Peggs brother was a pledge brother David).” of the youngest Griffiths brother, David had little knowledge that Bill (Omega 712). three younger blood brothers would Bob said that he more than made follow him. up for missing pledge duties on the
PURDUE UNIVERSITY weekends when he didn’t have offcampus engagements. “If there were Saturday nights that we were there, the seniors wanted us at the piano entertaining when they brought the gals over,” Bob said. The Griffiths Trio sang their way into the military as well. In 1961, they joined the Air Force and traveled the world singing. “We were flying out of Andrews Air Force Base (in Washington, DC) virtually every weekend,” Bob said. The Griffiths Trio performed on multiple continents. It did a tour of nearly every Royal Canadian base, sang in Africa and spent three New Year’s Eves in Bermuda. Then there was Germany and a U.S. State Department gig for the Shah of Iran and the president of Ireland. The group also performed for a diplomatic engagement for President John Kennedy. The military experience for Jim, retired from Inland Container Co. (now Temple-Inland Inc.), meant that he had to delay his Purdue graduation to join the Air Force. “It was pretty remarkable how things pull together to your benefit as you go through life,” Jim said. “Bob and I have often said it was a whole lot better standing on the stage singing (with the Glee Club) than it is walking around a frozen football field with your mouth in a tuba.” As Jim was finishing his military assignment, another brother, Bill (Omega 712), had become an Omega chapter member. “I had actually been rushed by another fraternity,” said Bill, now a financial officer for Eberle & Associates, a political fundraiser located near Washington, DC. “I was at that fraternity for a couple of days and somehow someone at Omega had learned that and shanghaied me over to the house and I stayed there and visited with people. That convinced me.”
OMEGALITE The group, The Griffiths Trio, took a three-year hiatus from Purdue while they were in the military, but youngest brother Bill was making his own way singing. “I was singing with the Glee Club and there was no Griffiths Brothers Trio, but I did sing in a duet with Jerry Lambuth (Omega 721),” Bill said. However, when brother Jim returned from the service to finish his undergraduate degree, the Trio was reconstituted. This time it was with Jim, Bill and Jim Bradley (Omega 718) composing the Trio for
Jim and Bob Griffiths in fraternity attire (not what they look like today).
JULY 2005 one year. The next year was the first when a non-Pi Kapp made up the Trio (Dan Ludwig of another fraternity substituted for Bradley). Later, eldest brother David, who is retiring in September as president and chief executive officer of Citizen’s Gas and Coke Utility in Indianapolis, got his chance to be one of three. “I didn’t hook up as part of the Trio until we were all out of school and having fun around Indianapolis,” David said. Their undergraduate singing brought them to numerous significant events. David was in the Glee Club that performed for President Dwight Eisenhower’s second inaugural. Bob and Jim sang for President Kennedy. Bill, who joined the Navy and was in the reserves for 13 years, was a social aide in President Richard Nixon’s administration. His responsibilities included working on Nixon daughter’s wedding at the White House. “I was in charge of the timing of things on her wedding day,” Bill said. The common ties for the four
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Bob and Jim Griffiths in Glee Club attire. brothers, who spanned 13 years, were the Glee Club and Pi Kappa Phi. David graduated from Purdue in 1957, Bob in 1961, Jim and Bill, a co-op student, in 1966. “I think that being in the Glee Club and the chapter at the same time was almost like being in two fraternities simultaneously,” Bill said. Jim said, “We gained so much from the chapter. We came in at the last minute, so the people in the house were real significant to us socially.”
Griffiths legacy extends to second generation The four Griffiths brothers’ legacy did not end when youngest brother Bill graduated. David’s son, Doug (Omega 1211), joined the chapter. David, Bob, Jim and Bill’s sister, Sarah – a Pi Beta Phi – had a son, Ryan Morgan (Omega 1334), join the Omega chapter as well. Doug, is editor of Gold and Black Illustrated, a news magazine covering Boilermaker athletics. “It means a lot to me to be a second generation Pi Kapp,” Doug said. “What my dad and three uncles started at the Omega chapter is certainly something to be proud of. When they were in the house, Pi Kappa Phi was known as a singing fraternity and the ones to
beat at U-Sing, and they should've been since they were so involved with the Glee Club.” Doug said he didn’t understand the concept of being a legacy coming out of high school, so he was not pre-destined to being a Pi Kapp. He said he was more interested in being in the same chapter with two friends from high school – Dan Witherspoon (Omega 1164) and Dave Jones (Omega 1163). “All agreed that Pi Kappa Phi was without a doubt the best fit for the three of us,” he said. “We really seemed to bond well with the Pi Kapp brothers and as it turned out pledging Pi Kappa Phi was certainly one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.”
Ryan is a manager for Gander Mountain, a specialty retailer serving outdoor sporting enthusiasts. He works in the Denver, CO area. “That’s kind of neat that they found the same comfort that we did in the chapter,” uncle Bob Griffiths said. “I was proud of them. They saw the same thing in Pi Kappa Phi that we did.” Jim said, “Having generations follow us was very significant (to the family).” Ted Gruwell, one of the Griffiths Brothers Trio, also left his legacy with the chapter. Ted had two sons join Purdue’s Pi Kappa Phi chapter, John (Omega 1092) and Jim (Omega 1220).
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Chapter initiates pledges from eight years ago A pair of Fall 1997 pledge brothers who left Purdue achieved something they didn’t anticipate. Eight years later, they became Pi Kapp brothers. John Kipta (Omega No. 1646) and Jerry Ban (Omega 1647) were initiated on Feb. 5, as their pledge brothers Tom Moretti (Omega 1495) and Brian “Boston” Shea (Omega 1526) watched. “It meant a lot to me, especially being older,” Kipta said. “A lot of the time when I was at Purdue, I really didn’t appreciate what Pi Kappa Phi stands for. I can much more fully appreciate it now.” Kipta, who majored in history while at Purdue, came to the attention of the Omega undergraduate members in the last Omegalite. There was an article in the newsletter that explained that Kipta joined the Marines and served served in the Persian Gulf theater from December 2002, to May 2003. His assignment was as an electrician for aircraft doing
missions in Iraq. Ban, who transferred from Purdue to Indiana Weslyan in Indianapolis, has serviced the Pi Kappa Phi account in his sales territory for HP Products in Indianapolis. Both were offered to be initiated last fall, but Kipta’s had to finish his military commitment. Having Moretti and Shea with them as they became Pi Kapps was meaningful to Kipta. “Them being there meant a lot to me,” Kipta said. They’ve been among the best guy friends that I’ve ever had in my life.” He also shared his news of being initiated with Jake Fehrman (Omega 1491) and Travis Conley (Omega 1497). Kipta lives in Evansville and attends the University of Southern Indiana majoring in engineering. His plans last year were to finish his history degree and enter teaching as a career. “My experience in the military
Homecoming...
Almanac MARRIED: 1461 Kevin and Becky Johnson June 11, 2005, Paradise Island, Bahamas
1516 Bob Kramer and Erin Weber June 4, 2005, Terre Haute, IN DIED: 980 Phillip M. McArthy, Jr. Died 9/19/02
Kevin Johnson wedding party on the beach in the Bahamas. 1506 Phil Leslie and Rebecca Growney April 30, 2005, Chicago, IL
with electronics and such led me to engineering,” he said. “Being in Evansville and having the program just getting started gave me an opportunity.” Ban’s path to becoming a brother was a bit different. He transferred from Purdue with the hopes of playing college soccer, which he did for one year at Indiana Weslyan University. He later graduated from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). For Ban, the bond with his pledge class eight years earlier never left him. “The fact that I finally got to join my pledge class in a more formal way and at a deeper level completes what I sent out to do earlier,” he said. Ban shared his excitement of becoming a brother with others including Brent Wunderlich (Omega 1488) and Rob Woods (Omega 1469). “They were excited,” Ban said of Wunderlich’s and Woods’ reaction.
CHAPTER STATISTICS SPRING 2005 • 87 Members (14th of 41 fraternities in size; average membership: 71) • 2.905 Member GPA (8th of 41) (2.744 all-men’s average; 2.730 all fraternity average) • 6 Members with 4.0 • 20 Members on semesters honors • 40 Members with 3.0 GPA or higher
Continued from Page 1 • 9 p.m. to ?, post-game informal alumni gathering at a campus bar (location TBA). Hotel arrangements should be made on your own. The Lafayette-West Lafayette Chamber of Commerce maintains a master list of hotel availability (updated weekly). The Chamber can be reached at 765/742-4041. A Lafayette-West Lafayette Visitors Bureau Web page has hotel information as well. It can be viewed at: http://www.lafayette-in.com/lodging.html. The bureau can be reached at 800/872-6648. Remember, if you want homecoming tickets, we must receive your order by Aug. 1.
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PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Chapter house maintenance continues Alumni support crucial to efforts As has been the housing corporation long-standing tradition, summer repairs are in full swing. This summer, however, has been more expensive than others. Two major projects have accounted for more than $25,000 improvements. The first is upgrading the chapter house’s electrical system. The 400 amp service installed in 1987, has reached its capacity. In order to meet competition from other Greek housing and off-campus housing, improvements need to be ongoing. To double our electrical capacity to 800 amps, we had to order new service boxes inside and outside the house. The electrical improvement cost alone is $10,000. Another priority is to air condition common areas of the house. Last summer, for example, central air was added to the second and third floor sleeping rooms (aka cold air dorms). This summer, AC is being added to the basement for a second $10,000 investment. Air conditioning is not considered a luxury any longer. Most of the residence halls, for example, have added air throughout the facilities. Cary Quadrangle has been gutted in a four-phase project that will be completed this fall. Each of those halls have AC and semi-private bathrooms. While nearly every sorority has been air conditioned for years, recently renovated fraternity houses have followed suit. Other summer projects include installing fabricated wood flooring to the third floor hallways for $5,000 as well as other much needed maintenance to other areas. This summer’s projects will cost nearly $30,000. Next summer, we hope to expand the air conditioning to the first floor.
Funds for these improvements are primarily coming through undergraduate rent to the housing corporation. Those funds are supplemented by alumni donations for specific projects. During 2004, total alumni donations were $10,116.10 from 150 total gifts. Designated gifts (counted as part of the total donations) included: • $2,126 toward mortgage reduction (the mortgage balance stands at $270,455). • $1,230.10 toward air conditioning. • $880 for non-designated chapter improvements. • $235 toward a ritual bell replacement. Non-designated gifts (the difference between total donations and designated gifts) of $5,645 were made. The top two priorities for non-designated funds is to cover the cost of the Omegalite communication and homecoming expenses. Alumni communication cost $2,269.02 (printing and mailing Omegalite, communications including mailing thank you letters and maintaining a Post Office Box). Homecoming cost $446.92. Other expenses included $100 to maintain alumni association with the national organization. The balance at the end of the is then made available for summer improvement projects by the housing corporation.
2004 Alumni Giving Report NON-DESIGNATED
224 263 335 370 438 464 509 546 632
GIFTS
UP TO $25 Charles Hofmann Rolund DeHoog J.A. Holman Frank Funke Don McFee Robert Rust Duane Davis Jim Snyder J. Michael O’Reilly
707 720 727 863 991 1423 1461 1488 1493
James Cridge Warren Cline David R. Davis Rikard Hill Bryan Freed John Reidelbach Kevin Johnson Brent Wunderlich T.J. Aubin
477 520 528 573 613 636 643 672 712 727 751 843 1272 1390 1340 1367 1429 1459 1517 Psi
$25 TO $49 George Fassnacht Harold Johnson Bruce McCandelss Clark Armstrong William Swager E. Miles Swarts R. William Macbeth Ted Michaud Ken Wark Ralph Ormsby Jack Powers Mrs. Jack Wagner in memory of Jack Wagner C. Richard Zobel Al Kirchner Larry Hines Roger Roach Don Katter Fred Lyijynen Robert Griffiths Ronald Lema William Griffiths David R. Davis John Lovell Michael O’Neill Todd Spaulding Jeff Lampe Eric Nachtrab Matt Bouma Jason Morin Nathan Damasius Brad Eckerle William Newell
282 420 436 464 485 528 584 585
$50 TO$99 Edward Masline Clarke Thornton Richard Lowe Robert Rust Bob Whitford Larry Hines Robert Roth Robert Bartels
115 159 203 289 295 317 385 425 429 445 449 466
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589 596 613 724 819 853 956 1041 1090 1181 1256 1306 1366
Gordon Shaw Jerry Davee Donald Katter Mike Ohaver Jim Berlien Mike Tyrrell Larry Metzler Greg Robertson Jeff Egilsrud John J. Hess Brent Buroker Brian Schurter Jeff Tang
89 355 435 571 827 852 1135 1197 1201
$100 TO $249 Herman “Gus” Riggs Donald Swager Tom Hahn John Weaver Phillip Newhouse Kim Tubergen Laz Hertelendy Pat Kuhnle Russ Dagon
580 722 882 969
$250 OR MORE Larry Reed Jack Berlien Sony O’Drobinak James D. McMath DESIGNATED AIR
509 528 863 1461 1488
UP TO $24 Duane Davis Larry Hines Rikard Hill Kevin Johnson Brent Wunderlich AIR
317 1459
CONDITIONING FUND
$25 TO $49 E. Miles Swarts Nathan Damasius AIR
355 449 1366 1516
CONDITIONING FUND
CONDITIONING FUND
$50 TO $99 Donald Swager Jack Powers Jeff Tang Bob Kramer
852 919 1179
Kim Tubergen Richard Price Carl Gerlach DESIGNATED
282 355 464 835 852 727 863 919 1030 1077 1197 1244 1090 1488
RITUAL BELL Edward Masline Donald Swager Robert Rust David Lane Kim Tubergen David R. Davis Rikard Hill Richard Price Lars Kneller Steve Bohner Pat Kuhnle Larry Peach Jeff Egilsrud Brent Wunderlich
DESIGNATED CHAPTER IMPROVEMENTS 464 Robert Rust 509 Duane Davis 546 Jim Snyder 632 J. Michael O’Reilly 634 David Davis 822 Nick Anjanos 838 Mark Laurent 852 Kim Tubergen 862 R. Michael Little 1090 Jeff Egilsrud 1135 Laz Hertelendy 1277 Pat Lyons 1340 Eric Nachtrab 1390 Jeff Lampe 1436 Tom Bentley 1459 Nathan Damasius 1461 Kevin Johnson 1488 Brent Wunderlich 1493 T.J. Aubin DESIGNATED MORTGAGE REDUCTION $1-24 115 George Fassnacht 263 Rolund DeHoog 509 Duane Davis 1488 Brent Wunderlich
DESIGNATED
AIR 436
CONDITIONING FUND
$100 OR MORE Richard Lowe
159
MORTGAGE REDUCTION $25-49 Harold Johnson
PURDUE UNIVERSITY 509 672 751 838 869 1122 1272 1390 1517
282 295 355 438 464 634 643 852 853 1022 1129 1367 1519 Psi
Duane Davis Ronald Lema John Lovell Mark Laurent Bernard Graser Jeff Kasko Todd Spaulding Jeff Lampe Brad Eckerle MORTGAGE REDUCTION $50-99 Edward Masline William Swager Donald Swager Robert McFee Robert Rust David Davis Robert Griffiths Kim Tubergen Mike Tyrrell Jeff Blevens Joe Engles Matt Bouma Pat Schweigel William Newell
MORTGAGE REDUCTION $100 TO $250 464 Robert Rust 490 David Peggs 492 David L. Johnson 520 Al Kirchner 621 Hugh Flanagan 722 Jack Berlien 882 Kim Tubergen 919 Richard Price 1017 Bruce Halley 1054 Dave Mitzner The Omega of Pi Kappa Phi Housing Corporation, Inc., thanks all financial supporters! Those who wish to donate, can use the return envelope provided in each Omegalite mailing or by sending it to: Omega of Pi Kappa Phi P.O. Box 2700 West Lafayette, IN 47996-2700 Questions or comments can be forwarded to any corporation officer listed on the front page of the Omegalite. Your housing corporation thanks you again!