DEKE the
quarterly
Reflections on
Mr. Deke Forgotten Greats of DKE DEKES under 30
Charlie Blaisdell
CHAI RMAN’S LETTE R
Dear Brothers in DKE, We’re pleased to provide you with the newest edition of The DEKE Quarterly and hope you enjoy it. The cover story about Charlie Blaisdell is of personal interest to me, because he’s been such a consequential figure in the history of DKE over the past nearly half-century. Having had the opportunity to meet Charlie, I can say with pleasure that the accolades he receives in this issue and elsewhere are not exaggerations; his enthusiasm and pride for DKE are palpable. DKE is an important factor in Charlie’s life, and we are a better fraternity because of it. He has poured heart and soul into DKE, and not just from a rah-rah standpoint. While Charlie is DKE’s greatest cheerleader, he is most definitely not just a cheerleader. When tough decisions needed to be made, he made them. And he’s still making them as a member of the DKE Club’s Board. As president of the fraternity in the early 1970’s, he approached it as a business first, but never forgot the Brotherhood aspect. It’s an honor for me to have my signature on the membership scroll for each new member... where Charlie’s signature once was. (Many of you reading this had your scroll signed by Charlie!). Enough said about my thoughts regarding what Charlie has meant to DKE; I’ll let you read the article and decide for yourself. The second point I would like to address concerns the changes we are seeing in the University environment in the U.S. and Canada. Everywhere we go, we see less tolerance at every level for the kinds of behavior that was once considered acceptable. Society has changed, and the expectations of fraternity men are necessarily higher than they were even as recently as three or four years ago. DKE must be ever vigilant in emphasizing the need for our chapters to protect the health and safety of their members and their guests, and to comport themselves in a manner which will bring credit to the individual, the chapters, and DKE in general. We expect Dekes - undergraduates and alumni alike - to be gentlemen in all aspects of their lives. That means in their treatment of New Members (formerly called pledges), treatment of women guests to any DKE event, respect in how they deal with fellow DKE Brothers, not to mention other people on campus such as faculty, other students, the IFC members, Greek Life advisors, and so on. By doing so we will remain true to our founding principles. We are a fraternity with a proud tradition, and we want to extend that tradition by acting in such a way that commands the respect of everyone with whom we come in contact. This doesn’t mean Dekes can’t be “Jolly Good Fellows,” far from it. But a jolly good fellow is also a gentleman of whom we can all be proud. A chapter can be full of jolly good fellows, and still be a high achieving and successful chapter in the process. We hope you enjoy the issue.
In the Bonds,
Samuel (Sam) Heffner
Psi Omega -RPI ‘56
Chairman, Delta Kappa Epsilon
2 The Deke Quarterly | FALL 2016
Fa ll 2 0 1 6 Volume 134, No. 3
table of
CONTENTS 8 SPECIAL NEWS
6
staff update cover story
the Grand Old man of dke
7
dekes under 30
departments
16
2
Chairman’s Letter
feature story
4
Stanley woodward
18
HQ Report
welcome to the dke house
20
Alumni News
22
Mystic Circle
PUBLISHED BY Delta Kappa Epsilon International PO Box 8360 Ann Arbor, MI 48107 (734) 302-4210 dke.org DKE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sam Heffner, Psi Omega ‘56, Chairman Peter Tripp, Phi Gamma ‘93, Vice Chairman Michael Peters, Delta Delta ‘90, Treasurer Neilson Brown, Beta ‘67, Mid American Regional Director Grant Burnyeat, Phi Alpha ‘65, Western Regional Director Cory Crenshaw, Tau Lambda ‘09, Southern Regional Director Bob Green, Eta ‘69, Member At Large Dan Johnson, Sigma Alpha ‘77, Member At Large Stan McMillan, Gamma ‘89, Mid Atlantic Regional Director John McNeil, Psi ‘79, Member At Large Mason Morjikian, Lamdba ‘88, Midwest Regional Director Kevin O’Bryon, Tau Lambda ‘77, Southeast Regional Director Luther Soules IV, Tau Chi ‘18, Undergraduate Member Terry Stewart, Phi Chi ‘69, Member At Large Ross Wigle, Alpha Phi ‘79, Member At Large Billy Treadway, Zeta Zeta, ‘74, Honorary President DKE HQ STAFF Executive Director: Doug Lanpher, Gamma ‘77 Administrative Director: Sarah Christensen Director of Marketing & Technology: Eric Holland, Kappa‘13 Chapter Consultants with areas of responsibility: Craig Dick, Phi Alpha ‘16; Michigan, South & Southeast US Daniel Lyon, Omega Mu ’16; New England & Midwest US, Central Canada Turner Spears. Lambda Tau ’16; Pennsylvania & Northeast US Clayton Trette, Iota ’16; Southwest & West US, Western Canada Education Consultant: Jen Haidet, Miami University DEKE QUARTERLY STAFF Co-editor: Robert Alvis, Gamma ‘74 Co-editor: Kevin Cuneo, Gamma ‘77 Design: Scott-Goodman Design CONTRIBUTORS Kevin Cuneo, Gamma ‘77 Eric Dubowsky, Beta Phi ‘03 Alex Hurley, Iota ‘14 Michael Kelley, Rho ‘14 The DEKE QUARTERLY is an educational journal published by the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, PO Box 8360, Ann Arbor, MI 48107, in Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: DEKE Quarterly, Ann Arbor, MI 48107.
For change of address please contact:DKE HQ and provide Full Name, Chapter, both old and new address
Correspondence: Send to DEKE Quarterly, PO Box 8360 Ann Arbor, MI 48107. Manuscripts, literature, and letters should be addressed to the Editor. Submissions will not be returned. Please mark CONFIDENTIAL if material should not to be published. Copyright ©2016 Delta Kappa Epsilon w w w.d ke.o rg
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HQ
REP
Positive Chapter and Colony news
ow that we’re approaching the new year, I thought this would be a good time to review some of the chapter success stories from the last academic year. It’s always satisfying to see chapters make great improvements, just as it is to see our strongest chapters continue performing at a high level. So I’ll use this space to give you a few quick updates on some of the good things happening in DKE Chapters. These are not the only exciting developments; you’ll read about more in upcoming issues of the Chevron newsletter.
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Our Lambda Tau Colony at the University of Tennessee also secured a large house right in the middle of fraternity row last year and will occupy it again this year. Although UT’s IFC narrowly rejected our application to join the officially recognized Greek system, we’re hopeful of a more positive vote this time around, which should result in a very successful recruitment season.
This spring, two DKE Colonies became chartered Chapters, at South Carolina and McGill. Both are reactivations -- McGill is our Tau Alpha Chapter, and it becomes our sixth active Canadian chapter (the others are at Toronto, Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia, and Victoria).
The University of Missouri is another Colony that has become very successful, very quickly. DKE has become one of the better fraternities on campus, even in the midst of the major controversy roiling Mizzou since the fall semester. We hope the Missouri colony can be chartered this year.
South Carolina is our Delta Chapter, technically a reactivation but it’s been 150 years since we’ve had a chapter at USC. We’re thrilled to have active chapters at these two great universities.
Some of our older Colonies, at RPI, Ithaca, and Texas are moving toward becoming more stable organizations capable of succeeding as Chapters, while our newer colonies, including Western (Phi Delta), Texas Tech and Colorado, are early in the stages of growth and development.
To keep the focus on our Colonies for a moment, the Dekes at the University of Delaware (Kappa Chi Colony) progressed well and we hope to charter them in the fall. Likewise at Illinois, where the Colony has rented a large and beautiful chapter house for the upcoming year, which should help in recruitment. That’s a revival of our Delta Pi Chapter, mostly inactive since the mid-1980’s. 4 The Deke Quarterly | FALL 2016
We had a very unique and very positive thing happen this year at NC State, when the members of our Delta Rho Colony, which we had de-recognized last year, reconstituted themselves and reapplied for recognition, and now they are doing great.
The revival of Alpha-Harvard is being challenged by trying to determine how the restrictions on single-sex organizations by Harvard’s president will affect their development. And finally, on the West Coast, the Deke Colony at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver continues to make a name for itself at a school where the Greek system is in its infancy.
PORT Several well-established chapters also saw tremendous improvement this year. Among them is Alpha Tau-Manitoba, which recruited one of its largest pledge classes ever. Delta Psi - Indiana has an earnest group of young leaders who are making big changes, including banning hard alcohol from the chapter house, in order to create a more positive culture. At Yale, in spite of operating without a house during the past academic year, DKE recruited over 20 new members, and the chapter is eager to move back into the houses in 2016-17. Tau Chi - Texas A&M continues its ascent as one of DKE’s stronger chapters, with excellent leadership, strong recruitment results, and a strong image on campus. A great Deke chapter success story over the past few years has been at Union College, our Theta Chi Chapter. DKE has risen to the top tier of IFC fraternities at Union, which is a strong Greek school. Another one has been at Phi GammaSyracuse, where Dekes have a strong presence on the IFC and on campus. The IFC president is a Deke as was last year’s. At Virginia Tech, our Sigma Alpha chapter passed a big hurdle by being recognized by the IFC in late spring, after operating for about five years without recognition; this should be a boost to fall recruitment efforts. Our Beta Gamma chapter at NYU also became recognized this year after two years of having lost recognition; the chapter is rebuilding and is on its way back. Several perennially strong chapters continued their excellent performance, including Cal-Berkeley (Theta Zeta), Alabama (Psi), Virginia (Eta), North Carolina (Beta), British Columbia (Phi Alpha), Lafayette (Rho). Within the next two years we hope to reactivate chapters at Cornell, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt, all of which are closed or suspended now.
Doug Lanpher, Gamma ‘77, Executive Director
A great Deke chapter success story over the past few years has been at Union College, our Theta Chi Chapter. DKE has risen to the top tier of IFC fraternities at Union, which is a strong Greek school. Another one has been at Phi GammaSyracuse, where Dekes have a strong presence on the IFC and on campus. We hope you enjoyed reading just a small fraction of the goings-on at our chapters and colonies. Sorry we couldn’t report on every chapter, because there is plenty more news we could be sharing but for lack of space. We’ll get the Chapter Report section started back up after the fall semester begins, so you can read more about the rest of our chapters. Anyone wishing for a quick update on his own chapter can certainly call the HQ office and we’ll be happy to fill you in. Our phone number is 734.302.4210. As always, DKE is looking to expand. Please call us if you know of a young man attending a school where we don’t have a chapter, but should have one. Best wishes for the remainder of the summer. w w w.d ke.o rg
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HQ REPORT Five New Consultants Join DKE International Staff DKE welcomed four new Chapter Consultants in early June, and one new Education Consultant. Joining the staff as traveling Consultants are Craig Dick (Phi Alpha-UBC), Daniel Lyon (Omega Mu-Oklahoma State), Turner Spears (Lambda Tau-Tennessee), and Clayton Trette (Iota-Centre). And our new Education Consultant is Jen Haidet, who graduated from Miami University and was a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. Each traveling consultant will handle about 18 chapters and colonies.
ROTC all four years at UT, and after a one-year stint traveling for DKE, he’ll go into the Army full time as a Lieutenant. He also hopes to attend Law School after his Army obligation. Turner will cover chapters in the New York-New Jersey metro area, upstate New York, and Pennsylvania.
Craig Dick Craig is a dual citizen of Canada and the US; born in Connecticut but he grew up mostly in Qatar while his dad was in the oil business. Craig majored in Political Science at UBC, and held the office of Rush Chair. He’ll cover chapters in the Mid-South, South, and Southeast U.S. Craig says he’s “really looking forward to getting to know the guys in my chapters and is very excited the school year has started.” Daniel Lyon Daniel has been an Oklahoma kid all his life, and really enjoyed his time at his young Chapter at OSU, helping DKE get established at a really strong Greek school. Daniel’s eventual career goal is to teach Biology (and perhaps Chemistry or Physics) at the high school level. He’ll be covering chapters in the Midwest U.S. (except Michigan), Ontario & Quebec, and New England. This summer he’s already had a chance to get involved with three of his chapters at various events.... Delta Pi-Illinois, Delta PsiIndiana and Phi Delta-Western. Turner Spears Turner is from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, attended UT-Knoxville and pledged DKE in his 3rd year. At Lambda Tau (by the way, Turner is our first hire from a Colony), he held the office of Rush Chair and New Member Educator. He was in Army 6 The Deke Quarterly | FALL 2016
Clayton Trette Clayton, who’s from Texas, will cover chapters for DKE in Michigan, the Southwest U.S., all Canada west of Ontario, and the Far West US. Clayton majored in Psychology at Centre. He says “I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to help out my chapters and make DKE stronger all over the map.”
Jen Haidet Finally, Jen Haidet will fill a newlycreated position for DKE this year, Education Consultant. Jen’s role will be to develop educational materials and programming for our undergraduate chapters and alumni advisors. She majored in Psychology at Miami, and is excited to expand the educational programming offered by HQ. Although she wasn’t an officer, Jen was very involved in ADPi, and says “I realize fraternity and sorority educational programming isn’t going to be identical, but I think there are a lot of similarities.” The four departing DKE staff members are Charlie Cubberly (Sigma Alpha-Va Tech), Andrew Denney (Rho Beta-Richmond), Alex Hurley (Iota-Centre), and Kevin MacDonald (Phi Rho-Penn State). We appreciate the service of all of them to DKE and we know they’ll do well in future endeavors, including as Deke volunteers.
DEKES U nder
30
Jose Barrios, 29 runs successful online company
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hen Jose Barrios was 14 and living in his native Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, he won a scholarship to an elite American school in the town. Only problem was that Jose spoke no English, and in five of his seven courses, the teachers spoke only English. “I had to learn the language quickly in order to make good enough grades to keep my scholarship,” says Jose, now 29 and the co-founder and CEO of Cognilab Technologies. The company is an online service that enables researchers to create tests, collect data and analyze results in days, instead of months. The rapidly growing Cognilab is used by top research institutions such as Harvard University, McGill University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Nottingham University. Jose, who now speaks perfect English, says he enrolled at the University of Victoria after determining that “it was the warmest place in Canada.” He studied computer science and psychology, taking full advantage of what the university had to offer. He also served on the board of directors of a student activities committee that oversaw a $10 million budget. It’s where he came to learn about the Beta Tau Chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon. “They were a terrific group that made me feel right at home,” Jose says. He pledged, became a full Brother and eventually served as chapter president. He said his experience at the Deke House, where he oversaw chapter operations and provided strategic planning and direction, served him well once he started his own company. After designing and implementing a web interface that enabled researchers at
He said his experience at the Deke House, where he oversaw chapter operations and provided strategic planning and direction, served him well once he started his own company.
Vanderbilt University to create, collect and publish experiment data online, Jose went on to serve as a technology consultant for the Vancouver Island Health Authority. “It dawned on me that I could create a new system to help researchers gather information in a fraction of the time it had been taking them,” Jose says. “Such a system might put me out of a job, but wouldn’t it be better if researchers could create their own tests? Essentially, our system means that researchers don’t have to hire IT personnel. “We created a pool of 635,000 participants in 295 countries, and research can be tested on them.” In 2013, Jose and his partner started Cognilab, which has offices in Victoria and San Francisco. “We’re a small company, but business is very good and the outlook is quite promising,” Jose says. Even though he spends virtually every day and night working at Cognilab, it hasn’t prevented Jose from taking a little time for a social life. “In December, my fiancé, Camille, and I plan to marry,” he says with enthusiasm. It’s proof that Joe Barrios is a Deke who fulfills the role of a gentleman, scholar, and jolly good fellow in equal measure.
The Under 30’s is a new Quarterly feature that focuses on up and coming Dekes under the age of 30. These are young Brothers who are on the move and have much to offer other Dekes. If you’d like to nominate a Brother who fits this mold, and would like to see him receive some recognition, please send an email to quarterly@dke.org. Feel free to nomimate yourself!
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Cover story
Charlie Blaisdell, Pi ‘37
The Grand Old Man of DKE
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t 100 years young, Charles O. Blaisdell still has a crushing handshake. Ask him how he’s doing, he’ll smile, and, with a twinkle in his eye, take your hand in his. Then, he’ll undoubtedly say, “Never better.” A man with a rich history in Delta Kappa Epsilon, Charlie Blaisdell is synonymous with the Fraternity. Fiercely proud of DKE, Charlie will give you the names of hundreds of people who have made DKE what it is today, never once mentioning his own role in the process. Perhaps it is because, in his words, the greatest lesson he ever learned from his Fraternity was to step back, show a measure of respect, and understand your role. In typical fashion, Charlie brushes off his involvement in the mission to save Delta Kappa Epsilon years ago. A gentleman, scholar, and jolly good fellow, Charlie 8 The Deke Quarterly | FALL 2016
By Eric Dubowsky, Beta Phi ‘03 epitomizes what it means to be a Deke. His broad shoulders, even as a centenarian, hint at the athletic ability of his youth. The top football recruit from New York City during his senior year in high school, Charlie turned down scholarships to places like Syracuse and Bucknell to attend Dartmouth. His storied career as a fullback there includes playing against the likes of Larry Kelley, Phi ’36, the only Deke to win the Heisman Trophy. Coached at Dartmouth by the legendary Earl “Red” Blaik, who after leaving Dartmouth would go on to coach Army to three National Championships and three Heisman trophy winners, Charlie would, decades later, represent Dartmouth at Blaik’s funeral at West Point. Dartmouth is where the DKE story begins for Charlie. But why DKE, given the number of fraternities he could have joined? For Charlie, the reasons were clear: all the guys on the football team
were Dekes; the president of the college was DKE; the dean of the college was DKE; the dean of freshmen was DKE. In short, it seemed that everyone of note at the college was a Deke, and in his words, Charlie “wanted to be a part of the elite organization.” Getting there wasn’t easy. According to Charlie, he was at first “too outspoken” for DKE, and was denied a bid to pledge until his senior year. But never one to hold a grudge, Charlie can look back now and understand the rationale of the Brothers who made him wait. And if he could, Charlie says he would thank them. “Having to wait to pledge was one of the greatest lessons I have ever learned,” he says. While the wait was tough, it proved well worth it, for DKE ignited a passion in Charlie that continues to burn brightly today. He has forever been changed by DKE, and the Fraternity the same by him.
After Dartmouth, Charlie returned DKE Leadership to New York City and enrolled at Columbia Law School. Upon graduating as Award Named the president of his class, he was soon After Charlie approached by a former classmate who n 2010, DKE named its top underhad gone into the FBI. Recognizing that graduate award after Charlie Blaisdell, Charlie “fit the profile” of an FBI agent, now officially the Charles O. Blaisdell he asked him if he would consider joining DKE Leadership Award. The award goes the Bureau. Anticipating that the United to the undergraduate who exhibited the States would inevitably become involved top leadership qualities during his time in in World War II, and that the Bureau college, not just in his DKE Chapter but in might play a significant role, Charlie acall aspects of his collegiate career. cepted the challenge. He was appointed It’s appropriate that this award be to the Bureau in late 1941, and then named for Charlie, because it’s very spent over a year training in Quantico, reflective of his life. The Award says that Va. Charlie then put in five years in Charlie is the “most consequential leader the field on assignment. Smiling, as the in the history of DKE.” Charlie has made memories come flooding back, Charlie rea point of having lunch with the winner of members the FBI as a brotherhood of its the Award at the Yale Club whenever posown. “My time with the FBI was a great sible, a great tradition and very meaningexperience,” he says. ful for the young Dekes fortunate enough In 1946, Charlie opened up his own to meet him! law firm, Blaisdell and Dunn, and he would run the firm until he turned 65. That was the year he also joined the DKE Club of New York. Five years one of my greatest accomlater, Charlie was elected to plishments at the law firm,” the club’s Board of Govhe says. “The story was great, ernors, a role in which he the outcome was great, and it still actively serves. Charlie had very good international would eventually become flavor to it.” As a result of involved with DKE InternaCharlie’s efforts, he eventually tional, but not before some became a member, and later excitement in his law career. the president, of the organizaWidely respected throughtion, Circumnavigators of the out New York’s legal commuGlobe. nity, one of Charlie’s fondest Not everything during that memories stemmed from a period would turn out so well. case that took him literally When Charlie was at Dartaround the world not once, mouth in 1937, DKE was the but twice. “A client of mine Charile, Bob Skallerup (DKE Club president 1999-2000), only place he wanted to be. was charged with murder in and Clint Blume III at Charlie’s 100th birthday party But 32 years later, he found the Philippines, and he came himself in the unenviable posiback to the States,” Charlie innocence, and the charges were eventution of having to confront the recalls. “There was no extradition treaty ally dismissed. I had performed the duties Brothers at Pi about many serious issues. between the U.S. and the Philippines, for which I was retained, and in the proIt was the very chapter that had initiated so they couldn’t get him back there. He cess, I circumnavigated the globe twice.” him into the lifelong Brotherhood, yet he came to me one day and said he had a The man eventually gave Charlie a ultimately recommended that the chapter problem -- he had been charged with blank check with the instructions, “You be closed. “It was very hard for me to murder. I replied, ‘Yes, you certainly do fill it in.” It’s a memory that still makes do,” he says. “I met with the guys when have a problem!’ I was able to confirm his Charlie laugh as he recalls it. “That was I got up there on a Saturday night, and
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the grand old man of DKE
then again on Sunday, and I said to them, ‘I was encouraged to come up here to convince you guys to be a credit to DKE, not a discredit. But I’m going back to tell [DKE International] to pull the charter. In my opinion you aren’t worthy.’ I went up there having been told that they were disgracing the fraternity. They were so unlike what DKE had been when I was an undergraduate, and I had to come back and tell the truth.” The DKE Council considered Charlie’s report and eventually revoked Pi’s charter. Charlie speaks softly and seems a bit forlorn as he remembers the experience. “I miss it,” he says. “Eventually, the DKE Club became something of a replacement for my chapter.” In 1970, Charlie was asked to become President of DKE International. He is the only man to serve as President of the DKE Club of New York and President of DKE International. Times were tough in the fraternity world in the years leading up to that point. The war in Vietnam had triggered an anti-establishment movement among many of the nation’s youth, and especially on college campuses. “Young people were rebelling all across the country. It was a very difficult period to try and keep the Fraternity alive, because there was opposition to the establishment, and everything was being questioned. For DKE it was a very difficult five years. As I went around to the different chapters and met with the Brothers, I had to convince them that they should look beyond the disappointments that they were encountering as a result of the Vietnam War. I asked them to think about all the great traditions of our country.” Charlie drove to 18 different chapters in his attempts to rekindle the Fraternity’s spirit and get DKE back on the right track. Always a convincing speaker, Charlie said, “I think the principles which have helped this country prosper were easy for me to sell. You have to convey what is important to you. You have to be inspired first.” There were financial struggles, too. DKE International had hit hard times, 10 The Deke Quarterly | FALL 2016
Charlie’’s contributions to DKE and his influence on Dekes throughout the decades are clear from coverage in the DEKE Quarterly.
Charlie is proud of the
recognition he has received, most notably that associated with DKE.
having run a budget deficit for years, and its debt was increasing. The fraternity’s International headquarters was based in New York City, within the DKE Club, and there was no distinction between the two organizations, which led to financial problems. “DKE International and the DKE Club were one and the same in the mid60s,” Charlie recalls. “It was challenging to support both groups financially, which blurred the lines between the two. We had a huge deficit. Within three months we took DKE International out of the Yale Club. We licked our wounds, paid our bills, and reorganized the whole system. New chapters started to come in. We revised the corporate structure of DKE, and made it a New York non-profit organization.” Charlie laid the groundwork to rebuild the spirit and finances of the Fraternity. Delta Kappa Epsilon might not have survived had Charlie not acted so decisively. Refusing to take credit for his role in saving the fraternity, Charlie says, “I want to make it clear that the fellows I convinced to sit with me and help me, felt the same way about DKE as I did. I never wanted to let them down. DKE should be grateful to all of those guys who came in and helped us save the fraternity.” Today, Charlie remains active, not only in DKE, but also as a practicing lawyer. His attempt at retirement in 1980 proved short-lived, and he was approached later that year by a firm that wanted his services. Thinking it might be a short, five-year stint, Charlie agreed to join the firm. But here is today, more than 35 years later, still working two days a week for the firm, making the commute
Above: Charlie with Michael Jabo and Jim Bishop at DKE Club annual meeting in 2015. At left: Charlie’s 100th Birthday cake.
from Manhattan to White Plains, N.Y. Visit him in his office and you’ll know he belongs there. It’s decorated with memorabilia marking the accomplishments from his long career, and Charlie is proud of the recognition he has received, most notably that associated with DKE. Charlie’s legacy and the history of DKE are so tightly intertwined that it is hard to tease them apart. “I think the nicest contribution that I made in the latter part of my life was to meet the young guys from NYU. They had the same flavor, the same respect and the same adoration for tradition. It was a privilege for them to say ‘I’m a Deke.’” With the assistance of DKE International, Charlie helped to charter the Beta Gamma Chapter. When the crest of the new chapter was drafted, Charlie says with fondness, “They knew I had lost my chapter, and they drew up a crest that has a little Pi. I thought it was important not only for me,
but much more important for the new people who come in to hear those stories.” Even though he has given so much more to our Fraternity than he has received over the past 79 years, Charlie remains humbled by his involvement. “I consider it a tremendous privilege, at my age, to be able physically to attend the meetings and perhaps contribute a little bit. For me, it’s been a two-way street.” Asked why he has remained so involved, so connected to DKE after all these years, Charlie replies, “The DKE Fraternity at Dartmouth was so involved in the college, and I said to myself, if I could join this kind of fraternity, I would owe a great debt to it. Whenever I was asked to help, I was happy to do so. I would say that the most important part of it all is that I’ve never been disappointed. I have found such great companionship, and I have such admiration for all the guys I’ve met w w w.d ke.o rg
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the grand old man of DKE
So what would Charlie
Blaisdell say about the future of Delta Kappa Epsilon in general? Two words – “Never better.”
and have been engaged with.” As for the future of the DKE Club of New York? “The present board is the finest one we have ever had, and it’s a privilege for me to be here with them,” Charlie says. So what would Charlie Blaisdell say about the future of Delta Kappa Epsilon in general? Two words – Never better.
R E FL E CTIONS Bea Blaisdell says DKE is a Family to Charlie The DEKE Quarterly spoke to Charlie’s wife Beatrice to ask her about her husband’s involvement with DKE. Bea immediately emphasized how important DKE is to Charlie. Her first comment was that “DKE is a family to Charlie more than anything else; it’s not just a hobby or a side interest - DKE means the world to him.” She noted that “he has two children of his own, but so many of the young Dekes have become like sons to him.” Asked about his commitment to DKE, she said “Charlie is TOTALLY dedicated to DKE. He loves DKE. He supports what DKE is all about, and what it means to all its members, young and old. We continue to meet so many nice young men who are involved in DKE, and he becomes so enamored of them.” Bea, too, feels like DKE is part of the family. She attends many of the DKE Club events in New York City. “I’ve become so very fond of the Dekes myself and met so many fine men through DKE. It’s part of my family as well.” 12 The Deke Quarterly | FALL 2016
Blaisdell Award winner, Luke Wetton, Iota ‘14 One of the greatest honors that I have ever received was the Charles O. Blaisdell Leadership Award for my work in Delta Kappa Epsilon. I remember first learning of the award as a new member, and being interested in one day applying for it myself. While the recognition that came with the award was certainly fulfilling, it paled in comparison to the experience of meeting the man behind the name. As a young man in the South, I grew up in a family that emphasized manners and good behavior. I was told how important it was that I could sit down with someone twice my age and make them feel special. As I’ve grown older, though, I’ve realized a skill that is perhaps more important: the ability to make someone half (or in Bro. Blaisdell’s case, one fourth) your age feel special as he did for me. When I first met Mr. Blaisdell, it was in the lobby of the Yale Club in New York. While it was an honor just to meet, I was taken by surprise at how kind and accessible Brother Blaisdell was. His stories about working cases against crime syndicates, building a law career, and how he continues to enjoy life everyday were fascinating, to say the least. Considering the long life he has lived and the vigor he still possesses, it’s no wonder that he is one of the most consequential Dekes of all time. At conventions, reunions, and International events, a common talking point is, “Have you met Charlie?” It’s no wonder, given the contributions he’s made and the way connects with people. It’s an honor to be associated with a man of such caliber, and a strong reminder of the kind of Brother we should all strive to be.
One of the “Young Guns” Recalls Charlie’s Dedication When Charlie became President of the DKE Board in 1971, he assembled a team of “Young Guns” to help him make some
of the changes he thought were necessary, not only at DKE International but also at the DKE Club of New York and the DKE Foundation. One member of the team he put together was Patrick Kelly, Gamma Phi-Wesleyan, who had just graduated in 1969, and was working for Merrill Lynch as a young broker in New York. Charlie hired Pat to handle some of the brokerage work for Charlie’s clients, and quickly got Pat involved in DKE as head of the Foundation. Pat recalls, “I met Charlie for the first time in Fall of 1971, and he had recently taken the reins at DKE to turn things around. Here I was, a 24-year old kid from Ohio, wet behind the ears, just moved to New York, and this successful lawyer is asking me to help out. He was very friendly, very warm, just a wonderful guy who was so dedicated to DKE in spite of managing his own midtown law firm. His enthusiasm was infectious.” Despite being so new to the scene, Pat says, “I was taken in by Charlie’s charisma, his flair for making everyone feel the same sense of dedication for DKE that he felt.” However, says Pat, Charlie was not just a delegator. “Far from it... he rolled up his sleeves and went to work, and he expected us to commit to DKE as much as he did. I mean, it seemed like he lived and breathed DKE, so we had to live up to his expectations.” Charlie’s goal was to break down the barriers that had come to be created between the three DKE entities. “To be honest,” Pat recalled, “there was some distrust between the various Boards - some vestiges of the ‘old’ DKE, and not everything was smooth sailing. I think that’s why he wanted to bring some young guys onto the team, because we didn’t have any built-in animosities. Charlie wanted to unify all the groups, for the betterment of DKE as a whole. We had a sense of shared purpose, and it was all because of Charlie’s leadership. I’m proud I was able to play a small role in the achievements DKE made in those days with Charlie at the helm.” Pat concludes, “I stayed involved with the DKE Foundation into the mid ‘80’s,
and I always appreciated Charlie getting me involved at the International level. He was such an inspirational leader - with Charlie we knew he had DKE deep in his soul. I had all the respect in the world for him then, and I still do today.”
Matt McQueen notes Charlie’s contributions to Beta Gamma
Luke Wetton with Charlie
I have had the pleasure of knowing Charlie Blaisdell for all of my adult life. As a freshman undergraduate at NYU and newly inducted member of DKE I was invited to the annual meeting of the DKE Club of New York. At that meeting, I first met Charlie, who introduced himself as a former president of the International Fraternity, and Dartmouth alum. At the time, the NYU chapter was in its infancy, having been founded only 5 years earlier. Given its youth, the chapter at NYU faced many challenges recruitment, organization, financial, and otherwise. Particularly in New York, with real estate at an unrealistic premium for a group of college students, we lacked physical group living space among our many other challenges. As we began to grow and develop the chapter amid these challenges, it became clear that strong alumni support was a key to achieving many of our goals. Naturally given the new nature of our group, this was something we lacked. On Charlie’s offer, I reached out to him seeing if he could use his experience and relationships within the fraternity to help give our chapter the support we so badly needed. Meeting with Charlie, I was struck by a few key characteristics. In addition to being a charismatic and warm person, he had an unwavering belief in the strength and quality of DKE. From that meeting on, Charlie took it upon himself to advise me and the chapter with our growth and challenges. At the time, it seemed the retention rate of many newer chapters was lower than anybody would have liked. We were determined not to see that hapw w w.d ke.o rg
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the grand old man of DKE
pen to NYU and coordinated a plan with Charlie to see the chapter succeed. Charlie introduced myself and others to the DKE Club of New York, a group that has altruistically supported the NYU chapter since, and was critical to its success. Charlie provided sound counsel on many matters macro and micro. Whether we were discussing the overall educational climate and how that meshed with our interests, or simply giving anecdotal lessons on how to recruit individuals befitting of DKE. Within two years of meeting Charlie, chapter membership had grown over 200%, and DKE moved into fraternity housing at NYU - a status that would promote the chapter’s relevance among the campus community and allow the group to grow further. That fall, we had a housewarming at the new location, where we hosted the board of the DKE Club of New York. Front and center at the event was Charlie, who we went on to make an honorary brother of NYU’s Beta Gamma chapter. As a graduate of Dartmouth, Charlie was a member of the Pi chapter, which had been inactive for nearly 30 years at the time. Personally, I found it somber, that somebody who had given so much to DKE, did not have a chapter to call home. Three years after we moved into our housing at NYU, Beta Gamma won the Lion Trophy. Around that time, there was a dinner in Manhattan’s East Village to celebrate the achievement. As an alumnus, I came to the dinner to see many alums, undergraduates, and advisors. Again front and center, there was Charlie. At that dinner, we unveiled a chapter crest for Beta Gamma, something most established DKE chapters had but not something that was traditionally on the radar of newer groups. In the bottom corner of the crest, a Pi was stenciled; as a tribute to Charlie, his lineage from Dartmouth, and now part of our heritage as a chapter. Through the years, Beta Gamma has had its share of ups and downs, as many chapters have. In 2016, the chapter celebrates its 22nd year at NYU. Clearly, 14 The Deke Quarterly | FALL 2016
this was a feat that could not have been accomplished without the support of Charlie Blaisdell. Beyond Charlie’s work with the chapter and maybe more importantly, I am honored to call him a true friend. Over the years we have shared a relationship which has taught me much about so many things.
Executive Director Doug Lanpher Remembers their First Meeting I pledged DKE in 1974 during the time that Charlie was President, so my scroll was signed by him, a fact that I’m still really proud of. This was just a few years after Charlie became President of DKE, in the midst of a difficult time for the fraternity, and led a major turnaround, restoring DKE not only financially, but in spirit as well. My first time meeting Charlie was in ‘76 at the Deke Convention in New York City, which was held between Christmas and New Years, he was “Mr. Deke” even back then. Of course there were other great leaders of DKE in those days, Duncan Andrews, Tony Skorupski (Executive Director), Pat Kelly (DKE Foundation), Bob Johnson (President, replacing Charlie whose term had ended by 1976), Bill Henderson (Tony’s predecessor as Executive Director), Fred Baxter, Sandy Young, and many others. As undergrads attending the Convention, we didn’t know much about the inside scoop at DKE HQ, or what had gone on in the past, but we could tell from the accolades Charlie received from all the other Board members that he was held in very high regard by them. As impressionable collegians, we looked up to him because not only was he was a big-time
lawyer and former FBI Agent, but also because he still cared deeply about DKE. I got the impression that he was a lot more than a figurehead or symbolic leader for DKE, but rather very hands-on. Not only that, he was very kind to all of us undergraduates, knew a lot about each of our chapters, and asked us how he could help with anything. I remember being impressed with his iron-grip handshake and irrepressible positive attitude about DKE. He gave a speech at one of the Convention events, and I’ll never forget when he said “DKE is not good because it’s old, it’s old because it’s good!” (We used that line at the Gamma Chapter from then on!) We left that Convention very charged up to go back to our chapter and work hard to make DKE better. It was almost as if we wanted to do well, if only to make Charlie proud of us. Fast forward to my return to staff in 2009, and it’s been really great to get reacquainted with Charlie. He’s been a rock of support for me as we had to go through some difficult times of our own. I’ve called him for advice on a few occasions, and am still impressed by his grasp of the issues and his suggestions for the right way to approach a tough situation. Just like in 1976, he’s not just a figurehead for DKE; even now at age 100, Charlie is still contributing to DKE in meaningful ways. What a thrill for me to have been invited to his 100th birthday party last summer, perhaps even more so to march behind him with my hand on his shoulder during a Lion Club march at a DKE Club event recently, singing the Phi Marching Song! One more thing about Charlie. You might expect a 100-year old man to be always talking about the “old days,” or how “we used to do it.” Not so with Charlie - his eyes are firmly fixed on the future. He’ll tell you old stories if you ask him, but he’d prefer to talk about how to make DKE stronger in the future. Pretty amazing, and pretty cool in my book. We looked up to Charlie in 1976, and we still look up to him today. It’s a high honor for me to be friends with Mr. Deke.
COMING IN THE WINTER 2016 DEKE QUARTERLY
Recap of the 172nd DKE Convention
2016 DKE Chapter & Personal Awards Special coverage of The Road to Charter for DKE’s three newest chapters Look for it online in December
THE DKE WINE BROTHERHOOD The DKE Wine Club is going strong with membership growing daily. This is a very special wine club run by Dekes in the wine industry, exclusively for DKE Brothers. Here is how it works. Every quarter for only US$99, wine writer and expert Chris Kern, Zeta ’97, will curate and select three small-batch, limited-edition, highly-rated wines. These are top wines from exclusive and elite boutique wineries around the country, including winery-exclusive selections and rarities you will not find in your local wine shop. You’ll receive full tasting notes, winery histories, and food pairing suggestions on all three wines, written exclusively for the club by WorldsBestWineClubs.com founder Chris Kern. Moreover, if you have any questions about the wines, Chris will be available to club members via email, phone, Facebook or Twitter to answer your queries and provide additional information. The September lineup included the following three small boutique wines, all from family-run wineries in California:
Sculpterra 2014 Paso Robles Estate Viognier Front Nine Wines 2015 Paso Robles Primitivo Bianchi 2011 Paso Robles Estate Petit Sirah
As with every shipment, 50% of the profits will go directly to Delta Kappa Epsilon where the money will be used to provide scholarships to current brothers and assistance to active and charter chapters To sign up (if you haven’t already), go to: http://www.pasosbestwines.com/dke.html. There is no obligation or long-term commitment; club members can skip or cancel a shipment at any time with advanced notice. w w w.d ke.o rg
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feature story
The Forgotten Greats of DKE
Stanley Woodward
remembered as America’s best sports editor By Kevin Cuneo, Gamma ‘77
T
he passage of years has obscured the memory of even some of our greatest Dekes. But a few who are not widely known today have been rediscovered, including one who is considered by many to be the greatest American sports editor of the 20th century -back when newspapers were king. Stanley Woodward died 50 years ago, but his skills and contributions are still recalled with great affection by many of the famous writers he mentored or inspired. This profile of Brother Woodward is an entry in an occasional DEKE Quarterly series on “The Forgotten Greats of DKE.” “Paper Tiger,” a delightful memoir written in 1964 by newspaper legend Rufus Stanley Woodward, has been out of print for years. But, thanks to Amazon and other online services, copies of that book and Woodward’s respected “Sports Page” have resurfaced in recent years, prompting journalism professors to reintroduce to their students some of Woodward’s theories, practices, and philosophies about the media. Surprisingly, many are as relevant today as they were back when “The Coach” pounded them into his reporters and columnists. Woodward, born in 1895 in Worcester, Mass., attended Amherst College, where he pledged DKE’s Sigma Chapter in 1914. 16 The Deke Quarterly | FALL 2016
In his memoirs, Woodward said he was accepted into DKE “principally because I was a legacy, the son of a member.” He said when grades came out during his first term as a freshman, he was urged by the president of the house to try for Phi Beta Kappa. “I had modest marks, three B’s and two C’s, as I recall, but that was good for DKE, which enjoyed the lowest academic standing on campus.” Woodward neglected to mention that three Deke Brothers from Sigma of that era went on to become presidents of Amherst.
But he recalls with warmth and fondness in “Paper Tiger” the antics of his closest friends, who were also Deke Brothers, and although he pokes fun at his own academic prowess, Roger Kahn, in his best-selling book “The Boys of Summer,” said Woodward was respected in New York literary circles as something of a scholar. “He could flawlessly quote the English poets and Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost,’ and at Amherst had studied non-Shakespearean Elizabethan drama under Robert Frost,” Kahn wrote. In “Paper Tiger,” Woodward confesses that he had little interest in the course taught by Frost, adding that “neither did Frost.” What had hooked him from an early age, however, were baseball and football. Woodward, who stood 6-foot-3 and weighed in the vicinity of 225 pounds, pitched for his college team and played guard on Amherst’s football team — this despite numerous operations on his eyes for cataracts that had nearly blinded him. Woodward wore thick glasses all his life, but they never prevented him from noticing even the most minute details on the sports pages of the New York Herald Tribune. He served as the newspaper’s sports editor for nine years until 1948, and then again from 1959-62. During those periods, Woodward assembled what were widely considered America’s most talented sports staffs. Kahn,
who worked as a copyboy during Woodward’s first stint as sports editor, remembers his disdain for cliches and for what he considered to be shoddy writing. “When one of the baseball beat guys wrote that Joe DiMaggio had belted a home run, Stanley whipped off his belt and demanded to know how it could be used to propel a ball over the fence,” Kahn said. “I’ll never forget the day when Stanley roared at one of his best writers, ‘Sir! Never, ever again refer to Chicago in my sports section as the Windy City,’” Kahn recalled. Woodward would not tolerate “horrendous clashes of fearsome Tigers and snarling Wolverines, concluded in purple sunsets.” Kahn said Woodward wanted to present his department “in such a manner that it would be intelligible to the non-sports reader, should one happen to fold back the paper at the wrong places.” The Herald Tribune’s sports writers were considered the best on the newspaper, Chicago sports columnist and newspaper historian Jerome Holtzman wrote. Red Smith, the famous sports columnist Woodward scouted and hired after World War II, told Holtzman for his book “No Cheering in the Press Box,” that “Stanley was the most thoroughly competent, allaround newspaperman I’ve ever known. He was a fine reporter, a great editor, and a man who could do anything on the paper. He was direct, blunt, uncompromising and honest. I’m convinced Stanley would have been a great managing editor, but he was impolitic and could not suffer fools.” Smith recalled his first year on Woodward’s staff when the sports editor was handing out assignments for the World Series. Everyone received a specific assignment, except Smith. “What do you want me to write about?” he asked. “Write about the smell of cabbage in the hallway,” Woodward replied. Smith told that story for the rest of his life, always with a smile, Ira Berkow, of the New York Times, remembered. Kahn believes Woodward’s sports staff was so superior to the other New York newspapers because the editor maintained a strict personal policy to hire
Woodward’s respected
“Sports Page” have resurfaced in recent years, prompting journalism professors to reintroduce to their students some of Woodward’s theories, practices, and philosophies about the media. only reporters and columnists who could write better than he could. “And Stanley was no slouch at the typewriter,” Kahn said. He kept clippings of other writers’ work, and was always searching for talented people to add to his staff. In a similar vein, Stanley loved football and had a keen eye for not only the most skilled players, but also for the ones he considered the best players.
One such player that Woodward observed, according to legend, was Joe Paterno, young quarterback and safety for Brown University in the 1940s. Like Woodward, Paterno was also a Deke, but neither man knew it at the time. “Stanley supposedly wrote about me ‘he can’t run, he can’t pass, all he can do is think and win,’” Paterno recalled in 2008. “It became an oft-quoted line, but the truth is I never saw it in print and am not even sure Woodward wrote it about me. But the fact that it was attributed to Stanley Woodward gave me special standing all up and down the East Coast at a young age.” In 1948, when Woodward refused to print the golf scores of women who were friends of the Herald Tribune’s publisher, he was fired. “Stanley could be stubborn,” Red Smith said. “But he was the most ethical man I ever knew.” During World War II, Woodward editorialized that major league sports should be suspended until hostilities ceased. He took a leave from his post in the newspaper’s sports department to become a foreign correspondent of note, often parachuting behind enemy lines. “It was a risk, because if I lost my glasses I would be virtually blind,” Woodward wrote in his memoir. “But I felt I needed to be on the scene to report accurately on the war.” In the 1950s, Woodward rebuilt the sports departments at two other major newspapers and was still considered America’s best sports editor when the Herald Tribune called him back. “Almost immediately he improved the newspaper, but after a three-year run, he decided to retire to his farm in Connecticut,” Smith said. The author of three books, as well as a college football prospectus he published annually from 1948-1961, Woodward died in 1965 at the age of 70. “All these years later, he’s still the greatest sports editor I ever knew.” Kahn said. w w w.d ke.o rg
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Welcome to the DKE House Rho, Lafayette finishes renovation project by Michael Kelley, Rho ‘14
Y
ou’ve probably heard of the term rubbernecking, most likely in regards to accidents on the side of the road. Well on the campus of Lafayette College, situated right on March Field, there’s a rubbernecking problem brewing and thankfully, no one’s been injured or arrested. Rather, the root of the problem is the newly erected DKE House and passer-bys are reporting a particularly hard time not stopping and staring at this glowing new beacon of the Rho Chapter’s strength at the college. It’s oddly fitting for the oldest standing fraternity at Lafayette - that’s Rho of course (would you expect anything different from a DKE chapter?) - to have the newest and shiniest fraternity facility on campus. It’s a result of years of planning and coordination with top officials at the college, in particular by our Alumni Association President Mike De Lisi ‘03. Now, on the heels of our 160th Anniversary celebration at Homecoming in October 2015, the new house serves as the best tangible representation of the college’s 18 The Deke Quarterly | FALL 2016
commitment to Greek Life after an intensive three year assessment period. That’s no accident. Rho DKE, through its strategic planning, set out on a very conscious effort to make its positive impact felt
It’s oddly fitting for the
oldest standing fraternity at Lafayette ... to have the newest and shiniest fraternity facility on campus. on campus. There was much time devoted to building relationships with campus officials, many of who were involved in approving the final construction plans of the house. Then there was the time and energy devoted to recruitment efforts, because that is after all the life and blood of any fraternity. Then there were the philanthropy and other event
facilitation projects - from our annual Jeremy Saxe basketball tournament to our faculty reception and speaker series. The list goes on and on and as proud as we would be to share those lengthy details with you, our brothers, the point of this article is to detail for you the new house, one we hope you come visit and engage with if you’re ever in the area. We like to think, and have been told as such, that this new house was a result of our efforts and without them, many other paths could have been chosen. It starts with the state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, the only operational residential dining facility on campus, occupied by our chef and friend Walter Luby. Then there’s our newly done chapter room, the site of the weekly meeting complete with brand new furniture and wall decorations consisting of Rho’s history and most prominent members. Take a walk down the stairs into the basement area and to the delight of brothers spanning many graduating years, this is the part most untouched - Brother’s
Bar and its revered aesthetic and musk will carry over into this new DKE House, keeping an important part of the house tradition intact. The upstairs area has been completely redone, with each of the bedrooms becoming individual suites as opposed to the old setup where one brother would have to walk through another one’s room to get to his own. The trophy on the second floor is the solarium featuring study tables and overlooking March Field. After all, Dekes are gentlemen, scholars and jolly good fellows, key word here being scholars. It is by design constantly filled with natural light. The third and final floor of the house isn’t lacking in the natural light department either in case you were worried. That’s thanks to the cupola, which you’ll see in the pictures. The third floor contains its own study lounge in addition to two common rooms as well. Overall, 25 brothers occupy the house now. The class of 2016 was the first senior class to be able to live in the new house. We could not ask for better partners at the college throughout this whole process and are looking ahead to many years in the house. The outpouring of support from folks at the college as well as the brothers, families, and friends of DKE has been nothing short of tremendous. This was most notably on display at Homecoming, with an appearance from college President Alison Byerly and other top ranking campus officials. To the readers here and brothers all over, please do give us a shout if you find yourself in Easton - that is, knock and one of our undergraduate brothers would be happy to give you a proper tour. You’re always welcome!
Upper Left, Lafayette House dining room. Below right, study room. w w w.d ke.o rg
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ALUMNINEWS Focus on Alumni Advisors Most great chapters have one thing in common... an actively functioning Alumni Council that helps advise the chapter. Alumni advisors do not run the day-to-day operations of a chapter, but they can help keep the Active members focused on the right goals and overall strategies to keep the chapter consistently successful. Alumni advisors can help fill the gap of knowledge, with their business experience and sometimes simply their life experience, to help guide the Actives. These Advisors are not paid and are rarely given due recognition for the hours they put into helping the chapter (and the Alumni Association) keep going strong. It’s entirely appropriate, then, that The DEKE Quarterly carry stories on these men, who are so important to the success of DKE all over North America, to recognize them and thank them for their service to DKE. One such Adviser is Carmen Davoli, Phi Gamma - Syracuse ‘62. Without the selfless service of men like Carmen, DKE would not be in such a strong position all around the map. Carmen, featured here, won the William Henderson Award in 1993, given annually to a Deke who performed outstanding service to a Chapter. Not only has Carmen devoted countless hours to his chapter, he also serves on the Rampant Lion Board of Trustees. We hope you enjoy reading the feature on Carmen, and understanding the impact he’s had on Phi Gamma over the years. At DKE’s Phi Gamma Chapter at Syracuse University, Carmen Davoli has played a positive role in the success of the chapter since he graduated in 1962. “In the beginning, I assisted my good friend, Mel Zimmer, a New York state assemblyman, who lived and breathed DKE,” Carmen says. “I’m lucky that I’ve been living in Syracuse all these years, surrounded by family, friends, and all my Deke Brothers.” A commercial real estate developer, Car20 The Deke Quarterly | 2016 FALL 2016 20 TH E DE KE QUARTE RLY | Fall
Syracuse House men, 78, is a skilled negotiator, which has come in handy over the years, as he’s helped his fraternity hammer out deals for several Phi Gamma homes. “When Syracuse University forced us to sell our beautiful home at 1011 Walnut Avenue in the 1970s – today, it’s the faculty and alumni center – they offered to lease us another house, which was owned by the university,” Carmen says. The chapter called that property home for nearly a decade before the university decided to build the Case Center on the site. “We negotiated for about two years before Syracuse finally agreed to give us a lot and a tidy sum of money to build a new DKE House,” Carmen says. “An architect drew up plans for the new house, much in the style of our original home on Walnut Avenue. Unfortunately, estimates for construction costs soared to $2 million, which proved too high.” A savvy negotiator, however, never gives up, and when the owner of the Phi Delta Theta house, situated in a handsome mansion at 703 Walnut Avenue, that had been built in 1903 by a wealthy industrialist, put the home up for sale, Carmen and his team swooped in. They bought the property in 1991 for $750,000. Strong alumni groups consist of brothers from all walks of life and from over the span of many years, Carmen said. In 1991 the Phi Gamma group enlisted the help of Louis Bantle, then chairman of the board of U.S. Tobacco Co., who, in turn, connected with entertainment mogul, Dick Clark, another
Carmen Davoli Phi Gamma Brother. “A fundraiser was arranged, and when Lou and Dick landed at the airport, they were met by a group of undergraduates and alumni. We had a parade to the university, where they toured the campus. Then we had a great night at the Sheraton Hotel,” Carmen says. Enough funds were raised to renovate the house. “But when your taxes are $25,000, and annual utility costs and insurance exceed $30,000, it’s a struggle,” Carmen says. When Clark died in 2012, his will bequeathed $1 million to the chapter, which is used primarily for scholarships. It also eased the chapter’s financial burden. Today, with 32 Brothers of the 50-plus members living in the main house and remodeled carriage house, Syracuse’s DKE House is again on solid footing. “We have an outstanding group of undergraduate Brothers, who make me feel young again,” Carmen says. “It’s a pleasure for the alumni to work with them. I almost feel like the grandfather-caretaker.” Carmen says the Phi Gamma alumni meet once a month with the undergraduates, “and we both learn a lot from each other. My involvement with Delta Kappa Epsilon all these years has been a blessing.”
Scores of Dekes gather at alumni events By Alex Hurley, Iota ‘14 As Delta Kappa Epsilon gears up for our Fraternity’s 175th anniversary in 2019, DKE Headquarters is working to connect with alumni Brothers across North America. Since last December, 10 alumni events have attracted scores of Dekes to cities with large populations of our alumni Brothers. Facilitating these events helps DKE to connect with alumni Brothers who are still interested in their Fraternity experience. Another goal is to help establish selfsustaining alumni chapters that are based in these, and other large cities across the continent. Having alumni chapters that are locally run is beneficial for several reasons, but primarily so that more frequent events can take place and more robust organizations can be developed. In addition to supporting the 175th anniversary, the alumni chapters can help support local undergraduate chapters, encourage professional networking and mentoring, welcome recent Deke graduates into a new city, support DKE International initiatives and communications, nominate members for DKE Board positions, identify and initiate Honorary Members for DKE, and just keep the Fraternity experience alive for alumni Brothers of all ages. In December in Dallas, where an alumni association already exists, and event took place to help further develop the identity of that association. Two events took place in Florida in January, attracting some Deke alumni Brothers who are dedicated to the Fraternity, including Gregg Desilvio, Lambda Kenyon ‘74, a longtime supporter of DKE International; and Jim Berry, Kappa Miami ‘65, who has been heavily involved with the Kappa Chapter alumni association. Those events took place in Miami and Naples, Fla. In February, California’s coast buzzed with DKE activity. A large gathering of alumni Brothers from Theta Zeta (Berkeley) and Sigma Rho (Stanford) turned out for a February 16 event. There was plenty of excited talk about hosting Bay Area DKE events on a regular basis. The next day in San Diego, alumni Brothers were joined by two pledge brothers from Sigma Alpha, Virginia Tech, and, again, a strong desire emerged
DKE Alumni gathered in San Francisco, above; and in San Diego, right.
to establish an alumni association. Finally, on February 18, alumni Brothers met in Los Angeles where they set a goal to establish an undergraduate chapter (or chapters ) in the L.A. area. In addition to the alumni, two pledge brothers from Sigma Tau, MIT also attended the gathering. In Boston on April 20, alums from Gamma Phi Wesleyan discussed at length the lawsuit between the Fraternity’s alumni association and Wesleyan. Beta Phi, Rochester was also well represented at the gathering, and an undergraduate from DKE’s Alpha Colony at Harvard joined the group. A diverse group that is eager for more DKE alumni activity met April 22 in Washington, D.C. The Brothers would like to see the establishment of an undergraduate chapter in the D.C. area.
On April 27, Greg Miarecki hosted a gathering of alumni Dekes at the Chicago Yacht Club, where Greg serves as the Club’s Commodore. Many graduates of DKE’s Omicron, Michigan chapter attended the event, as did alumni and undergraduates of Delta Pi, Illinois. Actor and DKE Brother Harry Hamlin (Theta Zeta, Berkeley ‘74) attended a second meeting of Fraternity alumni in Los Angeles on April 27. Jonathan Ler, an undergraduate DKE Brother at Omega Chi, Texas, helped host the event. If you or your group of Deke alumni Brothers is interested in hosting a gathering, please call DKE headquarters at (734) 302-4210 or send an email message to DKE Executive Director Doug Lanpher at dlanpher@dke.org. w w w. d kwew . ow.d rg ke.o 21 rg
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MYSTIC CIRCLE JOHN GIFFEN WEINMANN, TAU LAMBDA ‘50 1928-2016 John Weinmann, a New Orleans lawyer and businessman who reigned as Rex, king of Carnival, and represented the United States as ambassador to Finland during the first Bush administration, died June 9, 2016 at the age of 87. A lifelong New Orleanian, Mr. Weinmann was a lawyer for 30 years with Phelps Dunbar. He managed family-owned businesses, mainly those involving oil and land, in Louisiana and Oklahoma, the native state of his wife, Virginia Eason Weinmann. He also was commissioner general for the 1984 World’s Fair. In retrospect, that post might be regarded as a rehearsal for his diplomatic work because, Mr. Weinmann said in an interview, “they would trot me out whenever they had a visiting dignitary.” Mr. Weinmann, who possessed a perpetually upbeat demeanor and an ever-present smile, “was a true Southern gentleman,” former President George H.W. Bush said June 10 in a statement. “He loved his family and the United States of America. . . . Barbara and I send our love and condolences to all who loved him, especially his wife, Virginia, who was a wonderful partner in all his adventures.” Ambassador to Finland from 1989 to 1991, Mr. Weinmann was also chief of protocol from 1991 to 1993. In 1990, while in Finland, he had to arrange a summit for Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. He served chocolate chip cookies. In 1996, Mr. Weinmann reigned over Carnival season as Rex. Though ruling as a make-believe monarch involves dozens of details, including costume fittings, picking gifts for the court and drawing up lists of people to invite to the ball, he said such tasks paled in comparison to the minutiae 22 The Deke Quarterly | FALL 2016
involved with being a diplomat. “This will be a piece of cake,” he said a few days before his reign. Mr. Weinmann earned undergraduate and law degrees at Tulane University, where he amassed a long list of activities and honors. He was student body president, commander of the Navy ROTC battalion, co-manager of the football team and a member of the Tulane Law Review. He was elected to three honor societies: Phi Beta Kappa, Order of the Coif and Omicron Delta Kappa. In recognition of Mr. Weinmann’s philanthropy, the Tulane Law School’s building is named for him. In discussing Mr. Weinmann’s long list of accomplishments, Ashton Phelps Jr., retired publisher of The Times-Picayune and a longtime friend, said: “His sharp mind, tireless dedication to the task at hand and acute attention to detail all helped to ensure his success, no matter what the matter at hand. And he cared deeply about the communities he served, serving them with both his time and financial generosity.” In addition to his wife, survivors include four sons, a daughter, and 16 grandchildren.
PHILIP H. TANGEMAN, ALPHA ALPHA ‘60 1938-2016 Philip H. Tangeman died June 27, 2016 at the age of 78. He was the loving husband of Carol (Scheaf ) Tangeman. The couple married Sept. 8, 1962 and had 53 wonderful years together. Mr. Tangeman was born in Worthington, Ohio, in 1938. He graduated from Worthington High School in 1956 and Middlebury College in 1960 as a Delta Kappa Epsilon Brother. His daughter Lisa noted, “He loved Middlebury College and talked about it endlessly, especially his time at DKE as he was always proudly showing off his DKE brand”. While spending his career in sales, he had a passion for the outdoors, specifically for boating and swimming in the New York Finger Lakes. He leaves his wife, two daughters, and two sisters.
JOE BOB GOLDEN, JR., OMEGA CHI ‘54 1933-2016 Joe Bob Golden, Jr. was born February 15, 1933, in Wichita Falls, Texas, and died May 27, 2016 in Jasper, Texas, surrounded by family. A longtime resident of Jasper, he was a 1950 graduate of Vernon High School in Vernon,Texas and a 1954 graduate of the University of Texas. While attending UT, he was also a member of the Men’s golf team, coached by legendary teacher Harvey Penick. Later, Penick would entrust Golden and hired him to be the first assistant coach at the University of Texas. He went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force as an intelligence officer in England. While there, he continued his championship caliber golf and competed in several European championships, including four British Amateurs and three British Open Championships. After military service, Joe Bob returned to Texas to attend the University of Texas School of Law and met the love of his life, and married, Suzanne Collier. Graduating from law school in 1960, he served as the first law clerk for Federal District Judge Joe J. Fisher, later establishing a private practice in Jasper until 1988, when he was elected a State District Judge. Upon retirement in 2008, Judge Golden was the founder and Executive Director of the 1st Judicial District Alternative Dispute Resolution Corporation and Director of the Jasper Mediation Center. Judge Golden was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church of Jasper, on the Board of Regents of Stephen F. Austin State University, and past director of the First National Bank of Jasper. An avid golfer, Judge Golden took great pride that he and his daughter Kate were the only parent and child to have won individual championships in Southwest Conference history.
CHAPTER ROLL SCHOOL PHI Yale University ZETA Princeton University PSI University of Alabama BETA University of North Carolina ALPHA Harvard University KAPPA Miami University DELTA University of South Carolina LAMBDA Kenyon College ETA University of Virginia IOTA Centre College OMICRON University of Michigan RHO Lafayette College TAU Hamilton College BETA PHI University of Rochester THETA CHI Union College ZETA ZETA Louisiana State University PHI CHI Rutgers University GAMMA PHI Wesleyan University PSI OMEGA Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute DELTA DELTA University of Chicago PHI GAMMA Syracuse University THETA ZETA Univ of California, Berkeley PHI EPSILON University of Minnesota SIGMA TAU Mass. Institute of Technology ALPHA PHI University of Toronto DELTA KAPPA University of Pennsylvania TAU ALPHA McGill University SIGMA RHO Stanford University DELTA PI University of Illinois OMEGA CHI University of Texas, Austin ALPHA TAU University of Manitoba DELTA PHI University of Alberta PHI ALPHA University of British Columbia TAU DELTA University of the South PSI DELTA Wake Forest University SIGMA ALPHA Virginia Tech University PHI DELTA University of Western Ontario PI BETA Troy University ALPHA MU Rowan University EPSILON RHO Duke University NU ZETA Pace University THETA UPSILON Arizona State University PHI SIGMA Bryant College PHI RHO Pennsylvania State University CHI RHO Bloomsburg University ZETA CHI Bentley College BETA GAMMA New York University SIGMA KAPPA Michigan State University DELTA PSI Indiana University MU CHI Maryville College RHO BETA University of Richmond TAU CHI Texas A & M University BETA TAU University of Victoria SIGMA XI St. Joseph’s College OMEGA MU Oklahoma State University PHI MU Manhattan College CHI BETA Univ of North Carolina, WiIlmington GAMMA IOTA Gannon University ZETA GAMMA Hampden-Sydney College PI ALPHA Unversity of Missouri
DKE ADDRESS ACTIVES 73 Lake Place, New Haven, CT 06511 25 Uses university facilities, Princeton, NJ 16 946 University Blvd, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401 141 132 S. Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 71 Colony Status, Cambridge, MA 12 325 E Sycamore, Oxford, OH 45056 66 Uses university facilities, Columbia, SC 59 Old Kenyon dormitory, Gambier, OH 23 173 Culbreath Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 55 600 W. Walnut Street, Danville, KY 39 1004 Olivia Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 127 719 Sullivan Trail, Easton, PA 18042 63 Uses college facilities, Clinton, NY 17 597 Fraternity Road, Rochester, NY 14627 33 N. Wing Fox dormitory, Schenectady, NY 47 13 Dalrymple Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 51 Uses private facilities, New Brunswick, NJ 59 276 High Street, Middletown, CT 06459 50 Colony Status, Troy, NY 23 Uses private facilities, Chicago, IL 23 703 Walnut Ave, Syracuse, NY 13210 55 2302 Piedmont Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704 55 1711 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414 27 403 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139 49 157 St. George St, Toronto, ON, Canada M5R2M2 22 307 S. 39th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 32 Uses private facilities, Montreal, QC, Canada 34 Uses university facilities Stanford, CA 19 Colony status, Champaign, IL 27 Colony status, Austin, TX 23 Uses private facilities, Winnipeg, MB, Canada 40 11003 87th Ave., Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G0X5 34 #8-2880 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Can V6T253 72 735 University Ave, Sewanee, TN 37383 23 1101 Polo Road, Winston Salem, NC 27106 64 302 E. Roanoke Road, Blacksburg, VA 24060 49 Colony status, London. Ontario, Canada 20 414 Fraternity Circle, Troy, AL 36081 29 68 N. Main, Glassboro, NJ 08028 30 Craven AA dormitory, Durham, NC 15 Uses private facilities, Pleasantville, NY 7 Uses private facilities, Tempe, AZ 51 Uses private facilities, Smithfield, RI 18 328 E. Foster Ave., State College, PA 16801 65 Uses private facilities, Bloomsburg, PA 16 Uses private facilities, Waltham, MA 49 Uses university facilities, NY, NY 23 505 Albert Ave., East Lansing, MI 48823 22 518 E. 1st Street, Bloomington, IN 47401 34 Uses private facilities, Maryville, TN 20 Uses private facilities, Richmond, VA 30 3200 Callie Circle, College Station, TX 77845 50 Uses private facilities, Victoria, BC, Canada 56 Uses College facilities, Patchogue, NY 11772 19 1225 W. Third Ave., Stillwater, OK 74074 32 4513 Manhattan College Pkwy, Bronx, NY 33 Uses private facilities, Wilimington, NC 31 109 University Square , Erie, PA 26 Uses college facilities, Farmville, VA 17 912 S. Providence, Columbia, MO 65203 60
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