Cross & Crescent a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication
INSIDE: Super Bowl V Hero
Jim O’Brien kicked the game winning field goal in Super Bowl V
Telling Marshall’s Story
David “Muddy” Waters describes the powerful experience of shooting the movie “We Are Marshall.” Febuary 2007 . XCIV . Issue 2
Cross & Crescent a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication Features Chapter News 3 Chapter and Alumni News Fraternity News 8 Increasing Alumni Participation History 10 Kappa Kappa Psi Founders
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Super Bowl V Hero The last time the Colts were in the Super Bowl the franchise was in Baltimore not Indianapolis, the quarterback was Johnny Unitas not Peyton Manning, and the the kicker wasn’t Adam Vinatieri but Lambda Chi named Jim O’Brien. It was O’Brien’s game-winning field goal kick that brought home the trophy. By Chris Barrick
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Telling Marshall’s Story With his recent powerful experience shooting the movie “We Are Marshall,” David “Muddy” Waters has his sights set on becoming one of Hollywood’s top assistant directors. He has worked on a wide variety of movies, including “We Are Marshall,” “About Schmidt,” “Mission Impossible III,” and “Miss Congeniality.” By Chris Barrick
Credits
Contributions
Publisher: Bill Farkas Editor: Jason Pearce Assistant Editor: Chris Barrick Assistant Editor: Tad Lichtenauer Illustrator: Jeff Reisdorfer Podcast Voice: Fuzz Martin Photographer: Walt Moser Assignment Editor: Jon Williamson Historian: Mike Raymond Contributing Editors: Jono Hren Aaron Jones George Spasyk
Content for consideration should be submitted by the fiftenth of the month. Lambda Chi Alpha 8741 Founders Rd Indianapolis, IN 46268-1338 (317) 872-8000 editor@lambdachi.org www.lambdachi.org www.crossandcrescent.com
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CHAPTER NEWS
Chapter News Chapter news, alumni news, and reports of death Ball State (Iota-Alpha)
Denison (Gamma-Iota)
Tom Cochrun (1968) was appointed to a two-year term as Grand High Rho on the Fraternity’s Grand High Zeta. Cochrun recently retired as the general manager of WISHTV in Indianapolis, Indiana, a position he held for the past three years. He is the former president and CEO of Nineteenth Star, a television and video production company. Previously, he completed a distinguished career as an Emmy-winning broadcast reporter and news anchor.
E. Clark Morrow (1930) died January 20, 2007. Morrow was a founding member of the Morrow, Gordon & Byrd law firm and served as a visiting professor in law and government at Denison University. He also was the law director and city council member for Granville, Ohio. In 1994, he was awarded the Fraternity’s Order of Meri
Denver (Alpha-Pi)
Dan Cooper (2007) serves as IFC vice president of recruitment and Joey Ham (2009) is a senator in the student government. The chapter earned a cumulative 3.4 GPA for the fall 2006 semester.
Bowling Green State (Phi-Mu)
Bill Auld (1994) is a flying director for Hall Associates Flying Effects. Auld is currently taking a leave of absence from his job to make his Broadway debut in New York City, New York, as the technical director for the production of Lookingglass Alice at the New Victory Theater.
Edinboro (Beta-Delta)
On January 20, 2007, the Grand High Zeta authorized the re-colonization at Edinboro University as Beta-Delta colony.
Florida (Epsilon-Mu)
Bucknell (Delta)
Andrew Holcomb (2008) was appointed to a one-year term as the Council of President’s chairman and Grand High Psi on the Fraternity’s Grand High Zeta.
The chapter earned a 3.17 GPA for the fall 2006 semester.
California-Davis (Delta-Gamma)
Alex Garfio, Adam Cook, James Amos, and Tyler Pringle were named Division I-A & I-AA First Team Honorable Mentions for the North-American Interfraternity Council’s 2006 All-Fraternity All-American Football Team.
Florida Southern (Epsilon-Xi)
California State-Northridge (Beta-Rho)
John G. Bennett (1989) died November 17, 2006.
The chapter earned a 2.52 GPA for the fall 2006 semester, better than the all-fraternity GPA.
Gettysburg (Theta-Pi)
The chapter earned a cumulative 3.12 GPA for the fall 2006 semester, highest of all fraternities, and Roger Hack had a 4.0 GPA.
Central Florida (Beta-Eta)
Former Educational Leadership Consultant Matt Bonin (1994) was relocated to Boulder, Colorado, and is currently working as an executive producer for broadcast production at Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
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Hanover (Theta-Zeta)
William L. Isley (1941) died on January 9, 2007. Isley was captain of Hanover’s football team and served in both World War II and the Korean War, retiring as a decorated paratrooper pilot at the rank of lieutenant colonel. Isley was vice president and co-owner of L.E. Isley & Sons, Inc., a plumbing company located in Indianapolis, Indiana.
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Illinois (Chi)
Louisiana-Lafayette (Iota-Omega)
James Watts (1948) died January 3, 2007. He was the owner of Watts Christmas Tree Farm in Zionsville, Indiana.
Bill Auld (1994) is a flying director for Hall Associates Flying Effects. Auld is currently taking a leave of absence from his job to make his Broadway debut in New York City, New York, as the technical director for the production of Lookingglass Alice at the New Victory Theater.
James Madison (Phi-Eta)
Phil Horton was honored for the highest GPA (4.0) of all fraternity men.
Mercer (Zeta-Omega)
Kansas State (Gamma-Xi)
Mark “Fletcher” McElreath (1987) was appointed to a two-year term as Grand High Epsilon on the Fraternity’s Grand High Zeta. McElreath is a partner in the New York City office of the law firm of Alston & Bird. A former ELC and past High Pi at Mercer University, McElreath is an Impact Leadership coach trained at all levels and he has trained more than 500 brothers and led a session at the Maryland Leadership Seminar in 2005.
Derek Wassom (2009) was selected to the Golden Key Honor Society. He also is the chapter president and a firefighter with the Manhattan Fire Department.
Former Educational Leadership Consultant Steve Swafford (1985) was awarded the California Society of Association Executives’ 2006 Associate Member-of-the-Year Award. Swafford is a consultant for Leadership Outfitters, Inc. based in Santa Monica, California.
Miami-FL (Epsilon-Omega)
Darren Dupriest (1991), owner of Clarence M. Kelley & Associates, has changed the company’s name to Validity Screening Solutions. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the company is a leading national provider of background checks and drug testing.
Louisiana-Lafayette (Iota-Omega)
Lt. Jim Cowan (1989) was awarded a doctor of science degree in physical therapy from Baylor University. Cowan is currently on active duty with the U.S. Navy, having just relocated to San Diego, California.
Miami-OH (Zeta-Upsilon)
The chapter earned a cumulative 3.15 GPA for the fall 2006 semester.
McGill (Iota-Iota)
The chapter raised more than $8,000 for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation and has a cumulative 3.6 GPA.
Memphis (Zeta-Theta)
Dale Berryhill (1980) is head of OTVS, L.L.C., a new company formed to develop e-commerce websites. Two of the company’s investors are also Lambda Chis. The company’s first project, launched January 1, 2007, is On This Very Spot, a unique website that serves as a travel guide to history and pop culture. Todd Hopkins (1987), founder and CEO of Office Pride Commercial Cleaning Services, is the author of “Five Wisdoms For Entrepreneur Survival.”
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CHAPTER NEWS
Michigan State (Gamma-Omicron)
Montevallo (Sigma-Epsilon)
The chapter was named Chapter of the Year for 2006, and finished first in Greek Week. During the Junior 500 Push Cart, chapter members raised $1,100 which went to the North American Food Drive.
Brandt Montgomery (2007), a member of the Fraternity’s Student Advisory Committee, was featured in two commercials as part of a local TV station’s “Take Pride in Central Alabama” campaign. Brandt was featured alongside Montevallo’s new president, Dr. Philip C. Williams.
The chapter earned a 3.14 GPA for the 2006 fall semester, better than the all-undergraduate, all-Greek, all-men’s, and all-IFC GPAs. More than 60 percent of the chapter members finished at or above a 3.0 GPA.
Morehead State (Beta-Lambda)
Sam Mason (1995), an instructor of manufacturing technology at Morehead State University, was named chairman-elect for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Lexington chapter 154, for the 2007 term. At the end of 2007, he will automatically assume the position as chairman for 2008.
Joe Mansella is the IFC vice president of extension and Matt Flynn is the vice president of communication. Austin Bernstein is the director of Outreach for the Lester J. Morris Hillel Jewish Student Center.
Murray State (Lambda-Eta)
Scott J. Ellison (2007) was named Outstanding Senior Man for December 2006.
More than 15 alumni from the 1950s attended homecoming and visited the chapter last September.
New Mexico State (Zeta-Gamma) Sam Vaskov (1961) died January 18, 2007.
North Carolina-Greensboro (Phi-Theta)
Millsaps (Theta-Eta)
Elliott Pood (1972) died January 17, 2007. Pood was the dean of the College of Arts and Letters and a professor of speech communication at the University of Southern Mississippi.
The chapter hosted a stocking stuffer philanthropy for the Good Samaritan Center with Kappa Delta and an angel tree toy drive with Phi Mu. Ben Cain (2009) was elected IFC vice president for programming and Brian Hall (2008) was elected IFC vice president for finance.
North Dakota (Epsilon-Zeta)
Drew McDowell (2008) was elected president of the Student Body Association and chapter president.
North Texas (Iota-Zeta)
The chapter earned a 3.01 GPA for the fall 2006 semester, above the all-fraternity and the all-men’s GPAs.
The chapter earned a cumulative 2.86 GPA, above the all-men’s GPA and second among all fraternities. Clint Hill was elected IFC president and homecoming king.
Kyle Doherty (2008) was appointed editor-in-chief of the Purple & White, the university’s newspaper. David Smolkin (2008), Alex Pieschel (2010), Luke Darby (2009), and Ben Cain (2009) were appointed department editors.
Greg Coon (1988) is the owner of Eyecon Video Productions basedin Dallas, Texas.
MacDougall Womack (2008) and Chris Spear (2007) were named as Ford Teaching Fellows for the spring semester and will begin team-teaching undergraduate curriculum with tenured professors.
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Northwestern (Alpha-Iota)
The chapter earned a 3.47 GPA for the fall 2006 semester, second among fraternities and above the all-men’s and all-fraternity GPAs.
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Purdue (Psi)
Southeast Missouri State (Delta-Phi)
Robert J. Landino (1964) died December 28, 2006.
Chris Lakenburger (2007) received an internship with the Illinois State Police Department.
Rhode Island (Eta)
Southern Methodist (Gamma-Sigma)
Chris Ferretti (2000) was accepted into the The Actor’s Studio, a membership organization for professional actors, theater directors, and playwrights located in New York City, New York. Only 1,160 artists have been accepted into its membership since its founding in 1947.
The chapter earned a fall 2006 semester 3.277 GPA, highest among all fraternities and higher than the all-Greek average. Matt Jensen serves as the director of SMU’s Emerging Leaders Program.
Southwest Missouri State (Beta-Psi)
Earle Doman (1968) was recently promoted to vice president of student affairs.
San Diego (Delta-Kappa)
Syracuse (Alpha-Upsilon)
Eric Bakhtiari (2007) was named Division I-A & I-AA First Team for the North-American Interfraternity Council’s 2006 All-Fraternity All-American Football Team.
Frank Armani (1948) has written two books, Privileged Information and Moral Compass.
San Diego State (Zeta-Pi)
Texas Christian (Iota-Pi)
The chapter made the IFC Academic Honor Roll for the fall 2006 semester with a 2.79 GPA, above the all-men’s and all-fraternity GPAs.
Chris Manfredini (2008) was named Division I-A & I-AA First Team Honorable Mention for the North-American Interfraternity Council’s 2006 All-Fraternity All-American Football Team.
South Dakota (Alpha-Gamma)
James L. Larson (1969) died December 28, 2006. Larson was a supervisor at Gold Dust Casinos in Deadwood, South Dakota.
Jeff Malonson (1995) was named a partner in the Houston, Texas, law firm of Vinson & Elkins.
Southern California (Zeta-Delta)
Rear Adm. Carlson M. Merrill “Biff” LeGrand (1966) died July 16, 2005. In 1986, LeGrand was assigned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as force judge advocate for the Pacific submarine fleet. His performance in Hawaii, which involved prosecuting national security cases, resulted in a Legion of Merit with two gold stars. In 1992, LeGrand assumed command of the Naval Legal Service Office Southwest in San Diego, California. Promoted in 1994 to deputy judge advocate general, he was placed in charge of the Naval Legal Service Command. In 1998, a year after retiring from the U.S. Navy, LeGrand was appointed deputy attorney general for the California Department of Justice in San Diego. After five years, he left the position to become attorney adviser to the deputy administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Washington, D.C.
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Texas Tech (Sigma-Nu)
Washington (Alpha-Psi)
Chris Rohland (1989) is currently the publisher of Boston’s Weekly Dig in Boston, MA. He has been involved in publishing for more than 16 years and has worked with the Fort Worth Weekly, the Las Vegas Weekly, the New York Press in Manhattan and of course Boston’s Weekly Dig.
Jim Mora, Jr. (1983), former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, was named an assistant coach with the Seattle Seahawks.
Union (Lambda-Zeta)
Andrew Bramlett (2009) was appointed to a one-year term as the Council of President’s vice chairman and Grand High Nu on the Fraternity’s Grand High Zeta.
West Texas A&M (Iota-Xi)
Steve L. Sanvi (1988) is the owner of Glazing Rubber Products, Inc. based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Western Carolina (Beta-Zeta)
Gibbs Jones (1990) is the owner of Global Service Connections, which helps companies with customer service operations.
Valparaiso (Iota-Sigma Colony)
Western Ontario (Delta-Eta)
The chapter earned a 3.109 GPA for the fall 2006 semester, above the all-IFC and all-men’s GPAs. The chapter also contributed 1,442 community service hours, which was the most by any fraternity.
The chapter held a dinner after its fall initiation to honor former High Pi N. Earle Taylor (McGill 1974) who received the Fraternity’s Order of Merit at the General Assembly last summer. The award was presented by Jack Walker (Alberta 1974), a former Grand High Zeta member.
Wabash (Alpha-Kappa)
Adrian Pynenberg (2008) was named Division IIIII First Team for the North-American Interfraternity’s 2006 All-Fraternity All-American Football Team.
William Jewell (Epsilon-Nu)
The chapter earned a 3.23 GPA for the fall 2006 semester, above the all-IFC and the all-men’s GPAs.
Mark W. Rutherford (1982), an attorney with Thrasher Buschmann Griffith & Voelkel, P.C., of Indianapolis, Indiana, was recently selected secretary of the Valparaiso University School of Law’s National Council for 2007.
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Increasing Alumni Participation New initiatives encourage alumni to become more involved.
By Josh Lodolo (California State-Northridge 2004)
For nearly a century, Lambda Chi Alpha has produced some of the brightest, most well-balanced leaders of society.
Regional alumni associations are not for a specific chapter but instead exist for any area alumnus, no matter his chapter.
Over the years, numerous alumni have found a way to give back to the Fraternity by volunteering their time and talent for the growth of current undergraduates.
To highlight a few of the recently established groups, the Los Angeles Alumni Association held its first social event on November 2, 2006, in honor of Founders’ Day.
In June 2006, the Fraternity’s leadership decided to allocate additional resources to increase alumni participation -– in addition to maintaining our mission focusing on undergraduate growth.
More than two dozen local alumni attended the event and several brothers stepped up to volunteer for future efforts, including hosting additional events in 2007, and distributing a newsletter to more than 3,000 regional alumni.
With the support of a new full-time staff member, the Fraternity is soliciting a greater number of alumni to encourage them to become more involved.
A second group to mention is the New York City Metropolitan Alumni Association. This group began as an online community and has since grown to include more than 150 alumni.
With an estimated 200,000 living alumni across North America, and only a few hundred of those alumni actively involved with local chapters and alumni affairs, there is no doubt that there is room for increased alumni participation.
Members of the group consistently send messages about events and job opportunities around the city. The group’s leadership, chaired by Ray Lutzky (Rensselaer 2002), is planning for a busy spring including an alumni reception in midtown Manhattan.
New Alumni Associations The first step to developing an expanded alumni network is the development of a network itself. For the Fraternity, this formal system will occur through developing more regional alumni associations.
Another outstanding group is the Central Florida Alumni Association. However, don’t confuse this with the University of Central Florida Alumni Association because the two are different. The Central Florida Alumni Association, chaired by Mike Foristall (Central Florida 1993), encompasses the seven counties in Central Florida. Like the other regional alumni associations, the Central Florida group plans to distribute a newsletter to more than 2,000 regional alumni and they already hosted a successful reception last November.
With the General Fraternity’s support, four new associations were formed in 2006: Los Angeles, California; New York City, New York; Central Florida; and, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Established Alumni Associations According to our records, the first two city alumni associations trace back to Providence, Rhode Island, and New York City, New York, as early as 1913.
These new regional alumni associations are unique — primarily because of the demographic differences of the alumni — while at the same time they all carry a common theme of bringing a greater number of alumni back in contact with Lambda Chi Alpha.
Although our records from that era are not very good, the information gathered from today’s operating alumni associations have helped the staff better understand how to develop and support new regional alumni groups.
The two simple ways alumni associations strive to engage local alumni is by communicating with them and creating opportunities for them to come together in a social setting.
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The oldest operating regional alumni association is located in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. In 1990, a group of 65 alumni came
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FEATURE together with the primary intent to support two local chapters, Texas Wesleyan and East Texas State, both of which are now dormant. When the chapters closed, alumni realized there was a greater need in the region to create a central group for alumni who had relocated to Texas. Currently, about 80 to 85 percent of the Dallas/Ft. Worth alumni association members are from chapters outside of Texas. When asked to identify the greatest thing he has taken away from involvement with local alumni association, John Pierce (Louisiana State 1966) responded, “I have gained a greater appreciation for Lambda Chi Alpha as a whole because we have such an important purpose; to keep alumni connected when they are hundreds or thousands of miles away from their home chapter.”
Successful 2007 Winter Retreat Grand High Zeta members and about 150 undergraduates attended the 2007 Winter Brotherhood Retreat held at the T Bar M Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas, from January 18–20, 2007. Traveling to the event turned out to be an unexpected challenge as a rare winter ice storm shutdown most of Central Texas. Nonetheless, the event was very successful and the attendees participated in a variety of interactive activities and group discussions that explored the challenges and learnings of becoming a better leader.
Two other well established alumni associations exist, one in San Antonio, Texas, and the other in San Diego, California. These two groups are unique because three undergraduate chapters exist within their county limits.
In addition, Dr. R. Richard Rubottom (Southern Methodist 1929), a former member of the Fraternity’s staff, the Grand High Zeta, and an Order of Achievement recipient, spoke to the attendees about his life experiences.
The Fraternity plans to continue developing alumni associations by identifying several alumni volunteers willing and able to lead the effort in different cities. For the most part, this reaching out will come through numerous upcoming receptions scheduled in a variety of cities across the country.
Also formalized at the event, Andrew Holcomb (Florida 2008) was appointed to a one-year term as the Council of Presidents’ chairman and Grand High Psi. Andrew Bramlett (Union 2009) was appointed to a oneyear term as Council of Presidents’ vice chairman and Grand High Nu. To help offset the costs of the winter conference, the Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation granted $40,000 to the General Fraternity.
Other Opportunities At the chapter level there are multiple opportunities for alumni involvement. One is the chapter alumni advisory board, which exists to advise undergraduate chapter operations.
In addition, the Joseph T. Charles Mentor Leadership Program is a networking program intended to bring undergraduates in touch with our alumni mentors. This opportunity was made possible by the generous gift of Joseph T. Charles (Culver-Stockton 1960). Through this connection, alumni can help an undergraduate build his resume, learn about a specific field, and provide important career advice.
In a perfect world, each chapter would have an alumni advisory board consisting of 12 alumni volunteers — one for each advisory board officer. The board chair is the chapter’s chancellor, known as the High Pi, appointed by the Fraternity’s Grand High Pi.
Lambda Chi Alpha will turn 100 years old in less than three years and our alumni have always been a key factor in our Fraternity’s ability to generate continuity and make our organization better day after day. Our new alumni recruitment initiatives will only come to fruition with the support and volunteer time of you, the alumni brothers, all around the world.
Another opportunity for alumni is volunteering to serve on the chapter’s house corporation, which is responsible for maintaining the physical assets and insurance needs of a chapter house.
For more information on the Fraternity’s spring alumni receptions or anything else related to alumni involvement, please visit the Lambda Chi website or contact Josh Lodolo (California State-Northridge 2004) at jlodolo@lambdachi.org.
This board consists of alumni and undergraduates and meets on a regular basis to adequately manage the finances and insurance needs of a chapter house.
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FEATURE
Founders of Kappa Kappa Psi Oklahoma State brothers helped found national honorary band fraternity
By Mike Raymond (Miami-OH 1967)
Music, especially singing, has been associated with Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity from its earliest days as an organization.
John Philip Sousa; composers Hoagy Carmichael and John Williams; musicians Count Basie, Ray Charles, Van Cliburn, John Denver, “Dizzy” Gillespie, Lionel Richie, and Lawrence Welk; and, former President Bill Clinton.
Jack Mason (Pennsylvania 1913), John M. Conkey (Boston 1925), and E. Harmon Friel (Pennsylvania 1923) were early contributors to the 1929 edition of Songs of Lambda Chi Alpha. In the past, our chapters routinely participated in campus songfests, Mother’s Day musicals, and serenades. Our Fraternity sponsored song writing contests and commissioned songs to celebrate special events. It was rare to find a chapter that did not have a strong tradition of singing prior to the 1970s. Many of our older members still have vivid memories of participating in the serenade of a “pin mate” or fiancée of a fellow Lambda Chi. On most campuses, a serenade was an elaborate event with its own traditions and rituals. Special songs, formal dresses, flowers, blue blazers and gray slacks, and lit fires contributed to a magical moment in time. Songs like “I Love You Truly” and “The Sweetheart of Lambda Chi” were so popular that they remain Fraternity standards to this day. Each General Assembly features a musical program where these and many other Lambda Chi classics are once again performed. In addition to our tradition of singing, it is a little known fact that Lambda Chis played a major role in founding the premier band fraternity in America.
Kappa Kappa Psi Founding Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity is a prominent student organization established on approximately 180 campuses throughout our nation. The organization was created to promote high quality college and university band programs by providing leadership, recognition, and service opportunities to its members. Kappa Kappa Psi was founded at Oklahoma A&M College, now Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on November 27, 1919. The fraternity has maintained its national headquarters in Stillwater, Oklahoma, to this day. Legendary Band Director Bohumil Makovsky was the guiding spirit behind the founding of the group. Makovsky personally selected the 10 students who are recognized as the founders of Kappa Kappa Psi. For many years, Makovsky was the moving force behind the growth and refinement of the fraternity. For his dedicated and tireless work, he was officially recognized as “The Guiding Spirit of Kappa Kappa Psi.” Kappa Kappa Psi has many well-known alumni in it ranks including, bandmaster
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At least one prominent Lambda Chi was a member of Kappa Kappa Psi. As an undergraduate student at the University of Denver, Tozier Brown (Denver 1936) played first chair clarinet in the band. A past Grand High Alpha, Brown was recognized as a fine swing clarinetist by his fraternity brothers and friends. The Boys in the Band The stories of Kappa Kappa Psi and Lambda Chi Alpha fraternities intersect at our chapter in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The chapter was installed as the first national fraternity chapter at Oklahoma A&M College on September 15, 1917. Brother Charles H. Stone (Chicago) was the local leader who organized a group called Chi Alpha with the express purpose of becoming a chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha. Stone, the college librarian at the time, was also instrumental in forming the Lambda Chi chapters at the University of Georgia and Vanderbilt University. In less than two years after its founding, the chapter would supply five of Kappa Kappa Psi’s 10 founders. Three of the original founders of the Lambda Chi chapter were also founders of Kappa Kappa Psi: William Houston Coppedge (Oklahoma State 1920) grew up in Grove, Oklahoma, played in the college band, belonged to many clubs and organizations, and was
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notable for being the principal designer of the Kappa Kappa Psi membership badge. Later in life he would become a respected member of the Auburn University faculty. Andrew F. Martin (Oklahoma State 1920) also grew up in Grove, Oklahoma. Martin, known as “Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi,” was an influential student who held many important campus offices as an undergraduate. After graduation, he spent time as the warden of a reform school located in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. Martin was the first grand president (1919–1922) and third executive secretary of the fraternity. He was the executive secretary of Kappa Kappa Psi from 1939 until 1964. Dick Hurst (Oklahoma State 1922) was born in Oklahoma City. Hurst played in the college band for four years and served as its drum major for two of those years. He was grand secretary of Kappa Kappa Psi for one term. Two other early members of the Oklahoma Lambda Chi chapter are also credited as founders of Kappa Kappa Psi:
Iron Hawthorne Nelson (Oklahoma State 1921) was the fifth and final Lambda Chi to found Kappa Kappa Psi. Born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Nelson was also a member of Chi Sigma Chemistry Fraternity. Nelson’s brother, Ivo Amazon Nelson (Oklahoma State 1925), was also a member of our Fraternity. Iron Hawthorne Nelson would later become a successful physician in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is interesting to note that all of these men were members of the Oklahoma State Lambda Chi chapter at the same time Chester Gould (Oklahoma State 1921), famous creator of the Dick Tracy comic strip, was also a member. And The Band Plays On The next time you see a college football halftime show or attend a band concert, keep in mind that Lambda Chi Alpha played a significant role in the creation of their honorary band fraternity. Kappa Kappa Psi and Lambda Chi Alpha will be forever connected through the work of five young band members of Oklahoma A&M College, now Oklahoma State University, in 1919.
Clayton E. Soule (Oklahoma State 1921) was born in Nowata, Oklahoma. Soule played the tuba in the band and was an active member of the Engineering Society. Eventually, he became the chief electrician for the Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company.
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Founding Alpha Pi Mu Lambda Chi has many members involved in many other fraternal organizations. One of our brothers, William R. Wilson (Georgia Tech 1945), was a founding member of Alpha Pi Mu honorary for industrial engineering, which today has more than 70 chapters. Founded at Georgia Institute of Technology, now Georgia Tech University, in January 5, 1949, Alpha Pi Mu confers recognition upon students of Industrial and Systems Engineering who have shown exceptional academic interest and abilities in their field. The honorary fraternity also encourages the advancement and quality of industrial and systems engineering education and unifies the student body of the industrial engineering department in presenting its needs and ideals to the faculty. Students of industrial and systems engineering who rank scholastically in the upper one-third of the senior industrial and systems engineering class and the upper one-fifth of the junior industrial and systems engineering class are considered for membership on the basis of leadership, ethics, sociability, character, and breadth of interest. Graduate students and alumni may be elected to membership if they meet the requirements. Faculty members and professional industrial and systems engineers may be elected to faculty and honorary membership respectively have proven themselves outstanding professionals in the field.
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Photo Credits in Order of Apperance © Courtesy Lambda Chi Alpha. Some Rights Reserved. © Copyright Kappa Kappa Psi. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright Kappa Kappa Psi. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright Kappa Kappa Psi. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright Kappa Kappa Psi. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright Kappa Kappa Psi. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright Kappa Kappa Psi. All Rights Reserved. © Courtesy zyphichore. Some Rights Reserved.
FEATURE
Super Bowl V Hero Jim O’Brien kicked the game winning field goal in Super Bowl V the last time the colts were in the Super Bowl the franchise was in Baltimore, Maryland, not Indianapolis, Indiana, the quarterback was Johnny Unitas not Peyton Manning, and the kicker wasn’t Adam Vinatieri but Jim O’Brien (Cincinnati 1970). In fact the only similarity between the two Super Bowl Colt teams is that the big game is being played in Miami, Florida. The Colts’ move from Baltimore to Indianapolis is one of the most documented stories in sports, but O’Brien believes it is taken a little overboard. “I just think it would have been better for us if the Colts logo was left in Baltimore because it leaves us as men without a team,” says O’Brien. “But I still root for the Colts to win; they still have a horseshoe on the helmet.” O’Brien just hopes that his Colts successful Super Bowl will carry over to this year’s team. The Lead In O’Brien had gone to the U.S. Air Force Academy Prep School and thought he was going to play basketball there. Unfortunately, he developed an ulcer that wasn’t getting better. “They gave me an option: I could either leave the academy with a medical discharge, or they could take half my stomach out and then I could go into the regular service,” he says.
By Chris Barrick (Butler 2004)
O’Brien chose to leave and enrolled midyear at the University of Cincinnati. He received a partial basketball scholarship for the rest of the year. He soon realized that his (lack of ) height was too big a disadvantage, so he switched to football. The next fall, he walked onto the football team. He did really well the first season and earned a scholarship the next year playing receiver and kicker. The team enjoyed offensive success led by future pro quarterback Greg Cook. “Greg was one of the first of the big kids. He and Terry Bradshaw were the first big quarterbacks,” explains O’Brien. Turning Pro Following college, O’Brien was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the third round of the 1970 NFL draft. His rookie year, he barely made the team. “I think the only reason I made the cut was that I not only had good distance on my kicks, I also played wide receiver,” says O’Brien. “They saved a roster spot because I could do two things, even though I was a back-up receiver.” Coming in as a rookie and being on a team with Johnny Unitas, Earl Morall, Ted Hendricks, Billy Ray Smith, and John Sandusky, gave him a little shock and awe.
it becomes like a fraternity. In that sense, football was very fraternal. “You like some guys, but you don’t care for others,” explains O’Brien. “You know that you may not hang around with them, but you know that you do rely on them and they rely on you.” O’Brien played three years with Baltimore and was then traded to the Detroit Lions. He played there a year, then an off-season eye injury forced him from the game. Super Bowl V In his rookie season with the Colts, O’Brien had the opportunity to play in Super Bowl V. The game was held in Miami, Florida, on January 17, 1971, and was being played on AstroTurf, which was new and not nearly as common as it is today. “I had kicked on AstroTurf, but just didn’t like kicking on it,” he says. O’Brien was a straight-on kicker or toe puncher. So for the game, he took his front cleat and sawed it down to the metal stub so that it was exposed. “When kicking on grass, it’s almost like golf, where you almost take a divot,” explains O’Brien. “In our day, our fields were so worn
“It’s quite a thrill to say that you played with Unitas. I was in awe the first week there,” says O’Brien. “But then you’re out there twice a day and you’re so darn tired that you don’t care about awe any more.” O’Brien believes that any time you get a group of people that live and die together
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FEATURE by the middle of November that I called it AstroDirt. If it rained, you were really (in trouble) because then it was just mud.” O’Brien says that Super Bowl V happened before Hollywood and advertisers got a hold of it. “You wanted to get to it because it was the championship game, but the Super Bowl wasn’t quite the deal it is today,” explains O’Brien. “Tickets were $15 and the first few Super Bowls didn’t even sell out.” Early in the game, Dallas kicked two field goals and took the lead 6-0. In the second quarter, Baltimore got into the end zone, but O’Brien’s extra point was blocked. “I was nervous out there and didn’t put it on automatic,” says O’Brien. “I was a little slow and the guy got in and blocked it.” Both teams would score another touchdown, tying the game in the closing minutes. With nine seconds left in the game, O’Brien lined up for the game-winning 32-yard field goal. “During the kick I concentrated really, really well. I didn’t think about other things and what-ifs. I just went on automatic,” says O’Brien, “I don’t remember hearing any noise. I don’t remember seeing Earl Morall, who was the holder. There was no sound. I didn’t even see the ground, all I saw was the ball.” Following the successful kick, O’Brien had to kick off to Dallas and time expired. The Colts had won Super Bowl V.
Building a New Career After leaving football, O’Brien took a job with Pony Sporting Goods based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He quickly decided that sales was not for him and realized his interest was in construction. “My stepfather was an industrial arts teacher and I was probably the only kid in college prep classes that took shop classes, too. I had learned some engineering, construction, and how to use tools.” His wife’s father was a builder, so he began working for him and built numerous things around Minneapolis, Minnesota, and learned the trade. About three years later he decided to move out to California for the warm weather. He has been in California ever since, holding numerous positions in different real estate development companies. He has most often worked as a project manager or vice president. Currently, O’Brien is a project manager for Trimark Pacifica. He is building an 82unit loft project in Long Beach, California, and a 48-unit single family housing project in Monterey Park, California, with each unit having an elevator. Fraternity When O’Brien started his freshman year in January of 1967, he and a couple of his high school friends looked around at all the different fraternities. They chose to go with Lambda Chi, in part because of its connections to athletics. “The house didn’t have all the athletes, but they had a good number of the swimmers, some basketball players, one football player, and some in other sports.” O’Brien says he enjoyed the experience throughout his entire college career. He admits that he didn’t get to participate in a lot of the activities because of football, and his late decision to switch from pre-med to economics. “I was taking a lot of hours every quarter, so that diminished some of the social life
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Super Kicker Wersching Ray Wersching (California-Berkeley 1973) might have never played a game in the NFL if it weren’t for current Indianapolis Colts offensive line coach Howard Mudd. Fortunately, Mudd was Wersching’s college coach. After joining the San Diego Chargers’ staff, Mudd invited Wersching to training camp. After kicking for San Diego from 1973 to 1976, Wersching didn’t know if he would ever play pro football again. But Mudd had moved to the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff and called Wersching. It was in San Francisco that Wersching defined his legacy. In the 1982 NFC Championship game, the 49ers made a miraculous comeback against the Dallas Cowboys. The game was tied after a touchdown on the final drive that was capped by a third-and-three from the six yard line, a play best known as “The Catch.” Wersching’s extra point secured the victory and a trip to Super Bowl XVI. In the Super Bowl, he led the 49ers to victory by tying a still standing Super Bowl record four field goals. Wersching also received a ring for Super Bowl XIX, and holds the Super Bowl record for most career field goals. He became only the 12th player in NFL history to score 1,000 points in a career, and in 1987, retired with the 49ers’ records for points, field goals and extra points.
that I would have had. Plus, I never really got to live in the house,” says O’Brien. One attribute O’Brien did take from his fraternity days was time management. He points out that the fraternity brothers would give their time to do different charity work and have social events, while still maintaining their academics. “To be able to work your schedule and make sure that you obviously get your social life done but also get your academics and your casual time, takes a lot of discipline.” All Photos © Copyright Associated Press. All Rights Reserved..
FEBUARY 2007
FEATURE
Telling Marshall’s Story After shooting the movie “We Are Marshall,” Waters is set on becoming one of Hollywood’s top assistant directors.
By Chris Barrick (Butler 2004)
david ”Muddy” waters was in high school when he received the nickname “Muddy,” after the great jazz musician. Unlike most college nicknames, his stuck.
to begin his career in films; a profession he admittedly knew little about.
assistant director needed to transfer his membership to the Los Angeles DGA.
“My first round of working in the movies was really a flop, because I didn’t take it seriously. I was still in the college ‘having a good time’ mode.”
“If some directors and assistant directors heard of me as David Waters, they’d say ‘Who?,’” laughs Waters (Elon 1993). “Even Tom Cruise called me Muddy on the set of ‘Mission Impossible III.’”
After a couple years of small film jobs, Waters decided to get serious about his career in film.
Climbing the Show Biz Ladder There are three assistant directors on every movie: first assistant director (1st AD) second assistant director (2nd AD) and a second second assistant director (2nd 2nd AD). Just like set production assistants joining the DGA, assistant directors have to qualify before moving up to a higher level with greater responsibilities.
While Waters has some musical talent as a pianist, his true abilities lie on the silver screen. Serving as second assistant director for the December 2006 movie “We are Marshall,” Waters is perfecting the art of working on the sets of blockbuster movies. Finding His Passion When Waters was selecting a college, he knew he wanted to get away from his home outside of Boston, Massachusetts, and to learn to live independently. He had visited family in North Carolina many times while growing up, so he had a connection to the state. He visited Elon and knew it was the right fit. Waters started college as an English major. A fraternity brother named John Marsh (Elon 1991) was in communications and got him interested in video and films.
“I moved back to Wilmington and did an internship on a feature film,” says Waters. “I was a prop assistan. But more importantly, I met a bunch of good people and learned a lot.” Through those positions, he decided to set his sights on joining the Directors Guild of America, formerly known as the Screen Directors Guild as an Assistant Director. To join the New York DGA, he worked 600 days as a set production assistant. This allowed Waters to work anywhere in the United States — anywhere except Los Angeles, California because there are additional requirements. It wasn’t until he worked as an assistant director on the films “Miss Congeniality” and “About Schmidt” that he was able to gain the additional 150 days as an
Waters is currently a 2nd AD. He has completed the 500 days needed as a 2nd AD in order to move up to the role of 1st AD. In his role as second assistant director, Waters is responsible for the daily call sheets. He lays out all of the work for the next day, including actors’ schedules, who’s working, who’s not working, departmental needs, transportation needs, props, and all other aspects of the shooting day. He has to have all of the next days schedule completed and passed out in time for company wrap at the end of each day. “I also deal with a lot of agents, managers, and actors directly,” explains Waters. “When someone is hired, I call their agent. I call them directly and tell them what we’re doing.” The key to Waters’ job is organization. He claims he would be a mess if it weren’t for his Palm Pilot and trusty pocket day planner.
“Marsh would come home and edit videos,” remembers Waters. “Soon he was showing me how to edit. It was fun, so I switched majors.”
Waters says he is interested in running the sets and being the first assistant director, and may also be interested in special effects makeup someday.
Following graduation in 1993, Waters went to Wilmington, North Carolina,
“It would be a great second career,” says Waters. “Right now, where I am is pretty
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FEATURE good, so I’m going stick here for a little while longer.” The Power of Marshall The most recent movie release Waters worked on was “We Are Marshall”. Waters was the second assistant director. “It was just an amazing story, a more powerful story than someone could write,” says Waters, referring to the 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 Marshall University football team players and staff. “It destroyed a community, so being able to win the first home game the next season in the NCAA Division 1 playing freshman is pretty much impossible. It really was a miracle.” The crew shot the film in the town of Huntington, West Virginia, where Marshall University is located and Atlanta. Huntington provided the obvious location shots while Atlanta provided the football stadiums for the game shots. Atlanta had several old high school stadiums that more closely matched the college football stadiums back in 1970. While the tragedy occurred more than 30 years ago, everyone was still kind of touchy. “It had been a long time since the incident,” says Waters. “While shooting the film we would run into people all the time who still had a lot of memories or were affected by the tragedy.” It was especially difficult to obtain permission to shoot the plane crash scenes. The film crew built a lifelike replica of the historic wreck — with smoke, rescue crews, and all — located near the airport. The model wreck was so lifelike, inbound pilots had to tell their passengers that it was not a real plane crash. The production
crew also used the local TV News shows and local papers to inform the community that their set was not real. To further increase the movie’s authenticity, the crew and actors worked with many of the players and staff who were responsible for rebuilding the football team after the 1970 tragedy. “The first meeting when assistant coach Red Dawson met actor Matthew Fox, the guy who was playing him, was great,” recalls Waters. But it was interactions like this that helped make “We are Marshall” so special. “Doing a movie like ‘We Are Marshall’ was a little different than shooting a regular feature, because it’s so sports heavy,” says Waters. “We basically had to organize a huge football program in a short amount of time. To pull it off, we brought in a football coordinator Mark Ellis who has his own team and trainers and specializes in movies and television.” Elon Founding Father Starting off in college, Waters wasn’t the fraternity type. His friends didn’t like fraternities either. But one day, they decided to start their own group — their own fraternity. Waters and 35 others became the founding fathers of the Elon (Delta-Pi) chapter. While the idea of starting their own fraternity was sounded fun, making it all the way to receiving a charter proved to be a lot more work than first anticipated. “When you’re not in a fraternity, you really don’t know what to expect and how involved it will be,” says Waters. “Once we got into it, creating a Lambda Chi Alpha chapter turned out to be pretty complicated.” Creating a new fraternity is somewhat like creating a movie. Both require many individuals to come together in a short period of time for a common goal. Perhaps Waters learned some of his networking and organizational skills in the process. He served the colony as vice president, ritualist, and social chairman.
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We Are Marshall When the movie We Are Marshall hit the big screen on December 22, 2006, it conjured up deep memories for Don Gillman (Marshall 1972) and Thomas Feeley (Marshall 1975). The movie tells an inspiring true story set in Huntington, West Virginia. In 1970, while traveling back to Huntington after a game in North Carolina, 75 members of Marshall’s football team and coaching staff were killed in a plane crash. Gillman was the football team’s manager and trainer. His job was to prepare the practice field and tape ankles, among other duties. He could have been one of the six trainers on the plane, but it wasn’t his turn to travel for this away game. “The sheer devastation of losing that many people at one time was difficult,” Gillman says. “It was very sad and traumatic to experience something like that at that age.” The university debated whether to continue with the football program. It decided to continue on, this time allowing freshmen to play. Feeley walked on as a freshman and barefoot kicker. “The ball went straighter and farther than when having a shoe on,” says Feeley. “I kicked a straight-on kick, it wasn’t soccer style.” “It was very emotional playing on the team right after the crash,” he says. In the team’s first game against Morehead State, Feeley missed a 20-yard field goal. “Boy, oh boy, I sure hope they don’t show that in the movie.” Gillman now serves as the principal at Rock Hill’s Applied Technology Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Feeley is the supervisor of a construction firm on Long Island, New York.
It was these roles that Waters believes changed his whole college experience. “Instantly, you have a whole bunch of people you can rely on and fall back on,” remembers Waters. “It’s a great network to have when you’re in college and obviously when you’re out, too.”
Photo Credits in Order of Apperance © Courtesy David “Muddy” Waters. Some Rights Reserved. © Courtesy David “Muddy” Waters. Some Rights Reserved. © Courtesy David “Muddy” Waters. Some Rights Reserved. © Copyright Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
FEBUARY 2007