volunteer spotlight
Unexpected Acceptance Lifelong brotherhood leads to lifelong volunteerism Weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, Bill Lowry, Kenyon ’56, was initiated as the first African American in Beta history. “In the 57 years that have passed since that time, I don’t think I have experienced another act of personal involvement displaying the courage and equity [my chapter brothers] displayed at that time,” said Lowry. “From that moment on, I was sold on the type of men that Beta Theta Pi produced.”
“I’m honored to be invited to serve, and I truly want to add to the already formidable strength of Beta Theta Pi.”
William E. (Bill) Lowry, Jr., Kenyon ’56 Residence: Chicago, Ill. Education: Bachelor of science in history, Kenyon College; masters in industrial relations, Loyola University; honorary doctor of laws, Kenyon College Service: U.S. Air Force (1957-60) Beta Theta Pi: Initiated April 27, 1954 as Roll No. 58
Interested in volunteering for Beta? Email or call Director of Chapter Services Jeff Rundle, Kansas State ’03: jeff.rundle@betathetapi.org or 800.800.BETA.
4
THE BETA THETA PI WINTER 2012
“My acceptance by the group was not expected, it wasn’t necessary, and frankly, was detested by many. However, despite the rather daunting times, the men of the Beta Alpha Chapter of Beta Theta Pi were able to exercise an objectivity and open-mindedness that I had never experienced,” recalls Lowry. “My undergraduate days of Beta are among the most pleasurable days of my life.” Since graduating from Kenyon College in 1956, Lowry has become a strong advocate for volunteerism, spending more than a decade serving as the primary ambassador for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in Chicago. Additionally, he has served as a member on several boards of directors, including the Boys and Girls Club of Chicago and United Charities of Chicago. At the age of 76, Lowry shows no signs of slowing down. He currently serves as special assistant to the president of Chicago Community Trust and recently joined the Beta Theta Pi Foundation Board of Directors. “I have been blessed in many ways throughout my life, but I have always been helped in some way by others,” says Lowry. “All I want to do is reciprocate and do the same for those who might feel they need some help.”
The Beta House
“We didn’t plan on building a house!” The story of the Beta house at the Colorado School of Mines One donation and a simple renovation. . .that’s all it was supposed to be. Now, nearly ten years and hundreds of man hours later, the members of the Beta Phi Chapter at Colorado Mines have a brand new house, built just for them. Discover the possibilities “We were fighting fires all the time,” shared Doug Barr, Colorado Mines ’89, then-president of the chapter’s house corporation. “It was always the electrical or the plumbing or the bathrooms or, or, or. . .and as we got into doing just a renovation, the scope of the project got bigger and bigger.”
“We didn’t know what we were doing . . . but you can’t let that stop you.”
After Barr and his team undertook a feasibility study with the help of Pennington & Company, a firm that specializes in fraternity fund raising, and months of scouring the country for Beta Phi alumni, mailing out letters and nailing down meetings, they discovered that there would be very little support for a renovation. “If we were going to have any success,” Barr said, “we had to build a new house from the ground up.”
First who, then what “We had a great opportunity,” Barr thought. “Building a new house in time for the chapter’s 100th anniversary was something we were confident people would get behind.” And they certainly did—38% of the chapter’s 750 living alumni contributed to the fund raising effort (the average participation is around 20%), and upwards of 50 men contributed their time throughout the course of the project. “There were things we would have never thought about if we didn’t actually talk to the undergraduates about their needs and how this new house could be perfect. I mean, who would think they would love a place to throw their bikes and skis after coming in off the mountain?” Beta Phis now have a “mud room” to dump their gear, instead of right inside the front door. The previous Beta Phi Chapter house, Est. January 1963
14
THE BETA THETA PI WINTER 2012
“Many alumni I talked to shared memories of eating meals together, so we wanted to maintain the dining room as a special gathering place.” Barr also mentioned how much fun it was to connect with Betas from all eras, hearing all the ways the chapter house meant something to their lives.