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DEAR BROTHERS
Knight Commander's Message
Dear Brothers,
Summer is here, and with it will come our 80th Convention. Active Chapters have completed the spring term, our Commissions have initiated their new members, and 103 members attended a successful Emerging Leaders Academy.
You might very well receive this edition of the Journal while we are in session in Orlando, August 10–12, at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes. It was at the 78th Convention in New Orleans, four years ago when I took the oath of office of Knight Commander. The prelude to that oath reads in part:
The office of Knight Commander is arduous. … There will be times of joy and times of distress … In hours of travail turn to our ritual and read it for strength and consolation, remembering ever that the good of the Order must always take precedence over individual concern. May your term of office be filled with pride and inspiration, true leadership, wise counsel, and genuine growth of our beloved Order.
The Kappa Alpha Journal (ISSN #0888-8868, USPS #014-747) is an educational journal published four times a year by Kappa Alpha Order, 115 Liberty Hall Rd., Lexington, Virginia, 24450. Periodicals postage paid at Lexington, Virginia, and additional mailing offices.
C. Douglas Simmons III (Beta Tau–Mississippi State ‘95)
Truer words could not have forecasted the past four years, yet we have accomplished much for the good of the Order. We have lost many dedicated volunteers and have initiated future leaders. Despite the tumult our members faced coming to college, our chapters initiated 10,212 men. I’ve had the honor to charter eleven new and returning chapters. I’ve bestowed 11 Knight Commander’s Accolades upon deserving alumni for their leadership and service. Many more chapters and individuals have been recognized for excellence in their efforts. A strategic alliance was established between the Order and the George. C. Marshall Foundation. We exceeded the Crimson & Gold Campaign goal with the KAOEF and have done it again, increasing scholarships, grants, and internship opportunities. The Convention met in person in 2021 and we streamlined and modernized several components of the Constitution and Bylaws. The Advisory Council also undertook a historic realignment of the province structure.
The Order faced extraordinary challenges, but we remained steadfast in the face of contemporary headwinds. I have received counsel and support from several current and former leaders, general alumni, and most especially, from the undergraduates themselves. We have grown, learned, and adapted for the benefit of our chapters. New staff positions have been created and best-in-class programs deployed to equip our members for success in the world. As such, we are stronger as an organization and have a clarity of mission to guide us. This much we are obligated to provide, as a moral compass, to our newest members.
Our spiritual founder Robert E. Lee said, “You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more. You should never wish to do less.” As the 41st Knight Commander, I am proud to have discharged my duty, I am proud of our members, I am proud of our accomplishments, and I remain, always, proud to be KA.
May God continue to bless Kappa Alpha Order.
The Kappa Alpha Journal seeks to reflect the Kappa Alpha experience by presenting news of active and alumni chapters, individual members, and the national organization; by addressing current issues facing the Greek system and the Order; by educating and entertaining those interested in the welfare of Kappa Alpha; and by serving as a historical record.
The Kappa Alpha Journal has been published since 1879. From 1883 to 1885 it was known as The Magazine of Kappa Alpha.
Kappa Alpha Order was founded in 1865 at Washington College (Washington and Lee University) in Lexington, Virginia. Today, Kappa Alpha boasts 114 undergraduate chapters and more than 60 alumni chapters across the nation.
SPRING 2023
Letter From the Editor
While every issue of The Journal takes energy, organization, and teamwork to pull together, this one is near the top.
VOLUME 10,212
NUMBER 1
HOW TO CONTACT: Editor, The Kappa Alpha Journal
P.O. Box 1865 Lexington, VA 24450 (540) 463-1865 jlyons@ka-order.org
TO CHANGE AN ADDRESS: Fill out the Alumnus Update on the website or send both your new and old address to Lorin Wilhelm at the above mailing address or to lwilhelm@ka-order.org.
MEMBER:
Copyright © 2023 Kappa Alpha Order
KAPPA ALPHA ® is a registered trademark of Kappa Alpha Order.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Kappa Alpha Order, P.O. Box 1865, Lexington, Virginia 24450
For weeks in the spring, an effort was underway by the Knight Commander, C. Douglas Simmons III, Executive Director Larry Stanton Wiese, Irwin Province Commander Hunter Lipscomb, and alumnus Jeremy Nagoshiner (Gamma Gamma–Lambuth ’95) to arrange a simple photo—three sitting governors who are alumni members of Kappa Alpha Order. Having one alumnus in an office of such stature is a feat, and three is highly uncommon (but not unheard of, just check out page 34). Arranging the picture took several texts, emails, and phone calls for a nexus day when the men would be in the same location in Washington, D.C. The work paid off—everyone met for longer than their staffs clearly planned, discussed higher education and fraternity affairs, exchanged a story or two and a few laughs, and stood for what turned into be several photos. This editor was proud to take those shots and proud of all our alumni who succeed in their chosen field. I hope you enjoy their interviews and the significant research into past KA governors along with interesting vignettes about many of them. How many governors have been KAs you ask? The answer is twenty-one.
Don’t skip the “Moral Compass” department this issue. J. Cal Mayo (Alpha Upsilon–Mississippi ’83) spoke in January to the assembled Number Is at the Number I’s Leadership Institute. His family’s tragedy of losing a son to a fentanyl overdose has become too common in America. Efforts are underway at the state and federal level (and should be increased) to fight this drug trafficking head on. Meanwhile, he and his family, through efforts at Ole Miss, are working to find a better way to address young people’s behaviors that lead them to use and misuse drugs and alcohol to begin with. This is not a drug that anyone wants to take—it can “accidentally” take the life of both a first-time user or hard-core abuser. We greatly appreciate his willingness to share his story, and for writing his heart wrenching essay that appears on page 32.
Additionally, you’ll find the biography of former Executive Director Dick Barnes, who passed away earlier this year, successes of chapters fundraising for track chairs for severely wounded veterans, advice from a real estate all-star on the current housing market, and a profile of a dedicated local alumni chapter volunteer, Luis Garcia.
I want to personally thank Affinity Licensing’s President Dan Shaver, their marketing manager Alan Brown, and their graphic designers Jason Murray and Marcus Torres. They stepped in as industry partners and interfraternal friends to help produce this issue. For that we are very, very grateful.
I hope you enjoy this issue of The Journal!
Fraternally,
