Cross & Crescent a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication
INSIDE:
Emmy-Winning Actor Powers Boothe Star of “24,” “Deadwood,” and “The Final Season”
Successful Entrepreneur and Author Todd Hopkins’ newest passion is writing
Retired Chaplain Honored
Christman, received Wake Forest’s top honor Lambda Chi Alpha Badge Evolution July 2007 . XCIV . Issue 7
Cross & Crescent a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication Features Chapter News 3 Chapter and Alumni News Fraternity News 6 Lambda Chi Alpha Badges History 8 75 Years Ago in ‘Theta News’
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Emmy-Winning Actor Powers Boothe Powers Boothe stole the show last season in the Fox TV hit series “24,” and for three seasons in HBO’s critically acclaimed “Deadwood.” He also is starring in “The Final Season,” a family movie about a legendary high school baseball team from Norway, Iowa. By Tad Lichtenauer
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Successful Entrepreneur and Author After growing Office Pride into a successful company with more than 100 franchises, former Fraternity staff member Todd Hopkins now enjoys being a bestselling author. His latest book, “The Janitor,” will be released in the United States on July 17, 2007. By Chris Barrick
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Retired Chaplain Honored After a remarkable career at Wake Forest University, Chaplain Emeritus Ed Christman received the university’s highest honor, the Medallion of Merit. As a spiritual leader for nearly 50 years, he touched countless lives as a friend and counselor to generations of students. By Tad Lichtenauer 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 Butler (Alpha-Alpha)
Denver (Alpha-Pi)
California-Santa Barbara (Zeta-Eta)
Drury (Theta-Sigma)
Bill Lynch (1977) was named the head football coach at Indiana University for the 2007 season. Since 2005, Lynch has served as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator.
Steve Shotsberger (1996) is the new resort manager for Malliouhana Hotel and Spa on Meads Bay, Anguilla, in the British West Indies.
Keith M. Carter (1961) died April 25, 2007. Carter was an attorney, a former U.S. Navy judge advocate, and an accomplished clarinet player.
John B. Garber (1950) died June 9, 2007. A U.S. Navy veteran, he worked in education for nearly 30 years and retired from his job as a community education specialist for the Michigan Department of Education in 1981.
Bucknell (Delta)
Eureka (Theta-Chi)
The chapter won the 2006 IFC Recruitment and New Member Education Award. John MacFeeters (2007) won the IFC Outstanding Athlete Award.
Frederick W. Millard (1949) died August 7, 2005. He was a U.S. Army veteran and served in World War II, where he earned the Bronze Star Medal. Millard later became a teacher and retired in 1983. He was a member of the Greater Peoria Area Sports Hall of Fame, the Illinois Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Athletic Directors Association, and the Eureka College Athletic Hall of Fame.
Cincinnati (Gamma-Gamma)
Don J. Allen (1957) died June 6, 2007. He was chapter president, student body treasurer, and also received the Alpha Rho Chi medal for the student with the highest combination of grade point average and contribution to the university. He later founded the Allen House Interior Design, where he worked from 1971 to 2002.
Florida State (Zeta-Rho)
James V. Hilburn (1966) died May 4, 2007. A U.S. Army veteran, he began practicing law in 1971, and was most recently a partner in the firm of Hilburn & Sumner, LLC. In addition to his legal practice, he was actively involved in developing residential, commercial, and professional real estate, and served as a director of the Morris State Bank.
Cornell (Omicron)
Approximately 200 alumni, chapter members, and guests gathered on April 21, 2007, in Ithaca, New York, for the centennial celebration of the “Mug & Jug.� Notable attendees included Grand High Iota Dr. Ralph Wilhelm Jr. (1967), Executive Vice President Bill Farkas (Butler 1988), Fannie Mae Chairman of the Board and Cornell Trustee Stephen Ashley (1962), Cornell President David Skorton, Cornell Dean of Students Kent Hubbell, and Cornell Associate Dean of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Travis Apgar.
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Georgia (Nu)
Charlie Gatlin (1970) was named deputy commissioner for tourism and marketing for the Georgia Department of Economic Development. In addition to his new position, he also will continue to serve as executive director of the Georgia Allies, a public-private marketing partnership of 15 statewide economic development organizations that markets Georgia to select target industry sectors.
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CHAPTER NEWS
Gettysburg (Theta-Pi)
Mercer (Zeta-Omega)
Chapter members earned a cumulative 3.09 GPA, first among all fraternities and better than the all-men’s average.
Timothy F. Palmer (2006) works as a research engineer for the Georgia Tech Research Institute.
Geoff Cramton (2008) serves as IFC president, previously serving as vice president.
Miami-OH (Zeta-Upsilon)
Chapter members earned a cumulative 3.2 GPA, fourth among all fraternities, and better than the all-men’s, all women’s, and all-campus averages.
Hartford Area Alumni Association
Approximately 12 alumni members attended the Hartford Area Alumni Association reception held on May 8, 2007, at the Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Hartford, Connecticut. The event was hosted by John Kowalsky, father of Adam Kowalsky (Washington & Lee 2007).
Michigan State (Gamma-Omicron)
Approximately 45 alumni members participated in a golf event on June 9, 2007, at the Brentwood Country Club in White Lake, Michigan, followed by a dinner and awards ceremony. Robert Esquinas (1977) and Al Fracassa (1954) received the Claude Erickson Founders Award for outstanding professional careers, and Mark Hoag (1971) was named Alumni of the Year.
Houston Area Alumni Association
Approximately 25 area alumni and chapter members from Sam Houston State University attended the Houston Area Alumni Association reception held on June 14, 2007, to recognize the undergraduates for receiving their charter. This event also marked the formal launch of the area alumni association.
Robert M. Scheifele (1955) died February 17, 2007
New Orleans (Lambda-Alpha)
Chapter members participated in the New Orleans University’s Relay 4 Life benefiting the American Cancer Society. Led by team leader Christopher Saybe (2007), the chapter placed first in all event competitions, and Jonas Dominique (2010) was recognized as the overall highest fund-raiser. Chapter members raised nearly $4,000, winning the Bronze Team Award.
Indiana State (Iota-Epsilon)
Charlie DeMaio (1973) is the new director of development for the Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation, with responsibilities for planned giving, major gifts, and estate planning. Previously, DeMaio held positions within the packaging industry for 30 years, including vice president of sales, division manager, and national accounts manager. Having served as chapter secretary and vice president, he also is a past president of the Indiana State Alumni Board of Directors.
New York City Metro Area Alumni Association Approximately 50 alumni from 35 chapters attended a New York City Metro Area Alumni Association reception held on May 9, 2007, at the law offices of Alston & Bird. Hosted by Grand High Epsilon Mark “Fletcher” McElreath (Mercer 1987), other notable attendees included Executive Vice President Emeritus George Spasyk (Michigan 1949), Executive Vice President Bill Farkas (Butler 1988), Associate Director of Alumni Relations Josh Lodolo (California StateNorthridge 2004), and the chairman of the New York City Metro Alumni Association Ray Lutzky (Rensselaer 2002). The alumni association currently has 250 members.
Kansas (Zeta-Iota)
Chapter members won the 2007 fall softball intramural championship with an undefeated record. After being down 11-1 in the final game, the Lambda Chis made an incredible comeback in the last three innings highlighted by Cory Nelson’s (2009) three home runs. Former Fraternity staff member, Scott Zerger (2000) was named the executive director of the Johnson County Library Foundation in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Previously, he served as the executive director of the Olathe Public Schools Foundation in Olathe, Kansas.
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North Carolina-Greensboro (Phi-Theta)
John Bryant (2008) was elected student body vice president for the 2007–2008 academic year. The chapter also was named Interfraternity of the Year and Fraternity of the Year.
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CHAPTER NEWS
North Texas (Iota-Zeta)
Washington, D.C. Area Alumni Association
Michael Conn (1992), of Leslie Higgins Advertising, and Dr. Chris G. Jordan (1994), of The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, received the honor of being named to the Ft. Worth Business Press “40 Under 40” for 2007.
Hosted by Rand Goodman (Cincinnati 1982), approximately 46 alumni attended the Washington, D.C. Area Alumni Association reception held on May 10, 2007, at JW Marriott Hotel Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.
Jovan Porterfield (1952) died September 22, 2006. Since 1973, he served as the president and principal broker of Tartan Properties, a commercial and industrial real estate firm in Northern Virginia.
Western Kentucky (Lambda-Lambda) Approximately 18 alumni members participated in a golf event held on May 18, 2007, at the Seneca Golf Course in Louisville, Kentucky. After golf, the alumni enjoyed dinner together at the Coach Lamps Bar and Grill.
Northwestern (Alpha-Iota)
At the 2007 Greek Awards, the chapter won the Outstanding Scholastic Programming Award and was selected as the Interfraternity Council Chapter of the Year. In addition, President Ryan Vogt (2007) was named Fraternity President of the Year.
William Jewell (Epsilon-Nu)
Grand High Alpha Dr. Ed Leonard III (1979) was appointed the 13th president of Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas. Previously, he served as vice president for college advancement at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio, since 1998. During his tenure at Wilmington, Leonard’s accomplishments included directing the largest fund-raising campaign in the college’s history, doubling annual giving, expanding the number of donors by 71 percent, and securing the largest gift in the college’s history — $3.5 million to build a Quaker Heritage Center.
Phoenix Area Alumni Association
Approximately 12 alumni members from the Phoenix Area Alumni Association held a reception on June 14, 2007, at the Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona. This was the association’s second social function since its inception in January 2007.
Sewanee-South (Iota-Nu)
One of only 50 college seniors, Joshua B. Harris (2007) was awarded a post-graduate fellowship from the Thomas J. Watson Foundation. As a result of his winning proposal, Harris will spend the next year in Eastern Europe studying train travel and the social impact of ice hockey.
Worcester (Pi)
Joe Klimek (1994) has accepted a position with CSI, a computer software reseller. A Fraternity staff member for the past three years, Klimek served as chief financial officer for Lambda Chi Alpha, Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation, Lambda Chi Alpha Properties, and chief operating officer for Lambda Chi Alpha Properties.
Southern Methodist (Gamma-Sigma)
Andrew C. Moreton (2007) was selected as a finalist for Southern Methodist University’s A. Kenneth Pye Outstanding Greek Leader Award. Started in 1996, this award recognizes students with the outstanding balance of scholarship, community involvement, campus involvement and a personal commitment to the ideals in their fraternity and sorority rituals.
Washington (Alpha-Psi)
Grand High Gamma Dr. Greg Smith (1962) announced his retirement from the University of Florida after a 40-year academic career. During a retirement party held by the Florida College of Dentistry, the dean announced that Smith was being promoted to professor emeritus after his official retirement date on June 30, 2007.
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FRATERNITY NEWS
Lambda Chi Alpha Badge Evolution In just one year, our Fraternity badge evolved from a prototype to the standard design still used today.
Many believe that only four members at Boston owned Johnston badges. The men at Massachusetts ordered the eight just described, at $3.50 apiece. Lewis Drury (Massachusetts 1913) ordered a replacement for one he’d lost, bringing the total number of badges known to have been made by J.G. Johnston to 13 pins.
as incredible as it may seem, the early development of the Lambda Chi Alpha badge — from plain to jeweled to pearled; from having Delta Phi to having Delta Pi — took place within the short span of just one year. From December 1911 to December 1912, the badge evolved from a prototype to the standard design still used today.
Why Johnston badges could be obtained for one chapter and not the other is a question that may never be answered.
J.G. Johnston In the fall of 1911, our founder Warren A. Cole (Boston 1912), had been living with his wife of one year at 22 Joy Street, Boston, Massachusetts. By the time of his 22nd birthday on November 15, 1911, however, he was rooming at 35 Hancock Street with Ralph S. Miles (Boston 1914) and Harold W. Bridge (Boston 1914).
Wm. Thegen’s Sons On May 25, 1912, Cross took Cole’s Johnston badge to William Thegen’s Sons at 618 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, just half a block from Independence Hall, and ordered eight pins for the Pennsylvania chapter. Thegen’s — like Johnston — was not known for making fraternity jewelry, but rather Masonic items and military medals.
On Saturday, December 23, 1911, the first four Lambda Chi Alpha badges were purchased by Cole, Miles, Bridge, and Percival C. Morse (Boston 1912) from the neighborhood jeweler J.G. Johnston, located at 79 Sudbury Street in the vicinity of the current John F. Kennedy Government Offices.
Discussions with the jeweler led to the decision, with Cole’s approval, to replace the enameled grapes and olives with arrangements of tiny purple and green jewels, thus retaining the Fraternity’s colors. When the pins were ready on June 17, 1912, at a cost of $9 each, they instead had six large stones in the crescent.
Johnston was known for producing athletic and high school pins, but was not a major supplier of jewelry to college fraternities.
As early as June 9, 1912, questions arose concerning the use of the letters Delta Phi for the secret Latin motto in the constitution, and with the Delta Phi Fraternity being prominent on the Pennsylvania campus, the men at Lambda Chi chapter had particular reservations about using those letters on their badges.
The badges cost $3.25 each. Cole, Miles, and Morse also bought fobs at Johnston’s for $.50 apiece. That same day, Cole and Miles bought pipes at the nearby United Cigar store. Several months later Cole would write to Albert Cross (Pennsylvania 1913) on the importance of “pins, hat bands, [and] frat pipes” in rushing prospective candidates.
John E. Mason (Pennsylvania 1913) suggested that using Delta Pi would solve the problem and, in fact, be more accurate. On September 19, 1912, Cole authorized the change from Phi to Pi on the first coat of arms, known as the Gamma Plate, and on the pins. He re-confirmed that decision on October 30, by stating that it “will remain so.”
The chapter at Massachusetts Agricultural College (University of Massachusetts) was installed on May 18, 1912. The following day, Cross at the University of Pennsylvania inquired about obtaining pins. On May 21, Cole replied that the men at Pennsylvania would have to have their pins made locally, and sent his own Johnston badge to Cross “as a model from which to get out the die.” Curiously, however, just three days later, Cole accepted an order from Massachusetts for eight pins — an order that was filled during the summer.
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By Jono Hren (Florida Tech 1975)
As it happened, news of the change from Phi to Pi did not reach the Massachusetts chapter in time to be incorporated into the Gamma Plate. On October 15, 1912, the chapter received the proof of the engraving from the Chas. H. Elliott
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FRATERNITY NEWS
Co. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The graphic of the badge was a stylized depiction of the original Johnston pin.
Brothers Miller, Hoffman, Rush, and Hartman were initiated on December 1, 1912. Three days later, William Richards (Pennsylvania State 1912) also was initiated. Since Brother Hartman’s crown set Hoover & Smith badge is known to exist, it would be reasonable to assume that the other four men also wore the Hoover & Smith badges. They were priced at $18 for the crown set and $14 for the model with close set pearls.
Edwards, Haldeman Co. The third company to make our badge — and the first to specialize in manufacturing fraternity jewelry — was Edwards, Haldeman Co. of Detroit, Michigan, which made badges for the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. In early September 1912, Cross ordered an ornate pin, which he received on November 4, at a cost of $15. The badge was adorned with pearls on the Lambda, and six, alternating amethysts and emeralds on the crescent, which in turn was edged with crown set opals.
It is the Hoover & Smith badge that is depicted on Mason’s first coat of arms, engraved in late 1912 by Chas. H. Elliott, and on the final version, adding “Per Crucem Crescens,” engraved by E.A. Wright in early 1913.
Other versions may have been set with pearls around the crescent in place of the opals. A badge known as the “White Elephant” was most likely one of those made by Edwards, Haldeman Co.
By 1914, the Hoover & Smith Co. was listed as the official jeweler of Lambda Chi Alpha.
The Hoover & Smith Co. Cross and Raymond H. Ferris (Pennsylvania 1912) visited the well-known fraternity jewelry supplier of Hoover & Smith, next door to Thegen’s at 616 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 1, 1912, to obtain estimates on future badges.
L.G. Balfour Co. The L.G. Balfour Co., founded by Lloyd G. Balfour in 1913, made the first Lambda Chi Alpha badges for the Cornell University chapter in October of that year. The original order called for eight pins at $10 apiece. The Cornell chapter members preferred the overall quality and price over that of Hoover & Smith.
Their chapter was about to initiate four new members that day and install the Pennsylvania State University chapter the following day. The eight (possibly nine) purchased Thegens badges would ultimately end up in the hands of the Penn State chapter members.
The original Balfour pins were likely copied from a Hoover & Smith sample, with the dies being superseded later on by those provided by Cole. In 1920, Balfour became the sole official jeweler of the Fraternity — a distinction it held until 1970.
Charles I. Clegg, manager of the Fraternity Department at Hoover & Smith, worked with Mason and Ferris on an idea for a design modification Ferris had come up with the previous summer, and which Mason had sketched.
Photo Credits in Order of Apperance Photo by Robert McLaughlin Photo by Robert McLaughlin Photo by Robert McLaughlin Photo by Robert McLaughlin Photo by Robert McLaughlin Photo by Robert McLaughlin Photo by Robert McLaughlin Photo by Robert McLaughlin Photo by Jono Hren Photo by Jono Hren Photo by Jono Hren Photo by Jono Hren
The new design featured eight close set pearls on the crescent and 11 on the Lambda, which was to be made as a separate piece and riveted to the underlying letters Chi and Alpha. The three men also experimented with the black enamel oval, changing the upper and lower convex edges to a concave shape that would fit more snugly around the two largest pearls. Thus was born the standard Lambda Chi Alpha badge as we know it today. The first of these badges were finished on December 1, 1912. Versions with a plain Lambda also were made. Originally intended for use only at Pennsylvania, Penn State chapter members also wore the Hoover & Smith badge. www.crossandcrescent.com
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HISTORY
75 Years Ago in ‘Theta News’ Highlights of a 1932 speech given by Theta Kappa Nu Grand Archon Leroy A. Wilson. This is the first in an occasional series looking back at articles from the Theta Kappa Nu’s Theta News newsletter.
Theta Kappa Nu has now successfully passed through two most important periods in its history. During the early years our program was largely one of expansion, carrying the message of Theta Kappa Nu to the many new campuses on which we located. This was followed during the past four years by a period of adjustment consisting principally in stabilizing our activities and maintaining the farreaching influences that had been established. With the blare of the horns and the beat of the drums it is easy to march in step and move forward. However, when the parade becomes just a shady memory there comes the difficult task of retaining the courage, the fervor, and the vision of the march without even an echoing note of the music to guide us on our way. And so it has been in Theta Kappa Nu. We have had our parade of expansion progress as evidenced by our remarkable growth during 1924, 1925, and 1926. And now during the past several years you men, your chapter brothers, and our officers have been working diligently to build the fraternity strong, both from within and without, with the purpose that we can better continue to be an influence in forming character and developing purpose in life.
Nearly 75 years ago, Theta News published a state of the fraternity speech given by outgoing Theta Kappa Nu Grand Archon Leroy A. Wilson (Rose Hulman 1922) who served as archon from 1928 to 1932. The speech was given by Wilson at the Sixth Grand Chapter annual meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, at the Kansas City Athletic Club. Later records show that Wilson also was one of the first to suggest and to support proposals for the union of Theta Kappa Nu with Lambda Chi Alpha, which occurred in 1939. He was later named to Lambda Chi Alpha’s original board of trustees in 1946.
We have been called by many the “Miracle Fraternity.” No doubt all of us have experienced some feeling of pride at the sound of those words, Theta Kappa Nu -– The Miracle Fraternity. The name probably originated in recognition of our remarkable growth and success. However, more satisfying to me is the realization that in the past year or two, and particularly during the past few months, we have really earned this super name given to us for the manner in which we, though an infant fraternity, have functioned under the stress of problems caused by hard times. All credit is due to the wholehearted enthusiasm and response which has attended each chapter in meeting the problem of adversity on its own campus. Truly we brothers of Theta Nu cannot help but be proud to acclaim the steady progress that has been made in the face of most discouraging economic conditions.”
The following excerpts from Wilson’s speech include his introduction, four objectives, and closing remarks. Introduction “Brothers in the covenant: Heartiest greetings to you who are here helping to make this Sixth Grand Chapter a most successful milestone in the history of Theta Kappa Nu. It is both a serious and joyful occasion which calls us together; serious because of the grace responsibility which rests upon us as representatives of over 5,000 brothers in the fraternity; joyful because of the fellowship we will enjoy and the opportunity for developing friendships which will wear throughout the years.
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By Tad Lichtenauer (Butler 1987)
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HISTORY Four Objectives “In the fall of 1928 shortly after assuming officer as grand Archon I prepared a program of activities for the fraternity for the four years in which I was to serve. These objectives were published in the 1928 fall issue of Theta News. I will list them again for your information. 1. Every chapter on a firm financial foundation. 2. Marked improvement in the scholarship average of each chapter. 3. Expansion in new sections and only in approved schools.
Need for a Creed
4. Inter-chapter contacts and activities.
During his speech at the 1932 Sixth Grand Chapter meeting, Grand Archon Leroy A. Wilson (Rose Hulman 1922) also stated the need for a fraternity creed:
In general the chapters have responded well in meeting these objectives and the chapters are for the most part in a most favorable condition. During the past two years most of them have strengthened their financial position and today are enjoying a period of strong internal improvement. The attainment of high scholarship standing is nor generally considered by our chapters as one of its real necessities and creditable scholarship achievement by the individual members is being sought more diligently that ever before. Expansion has developed well in spite of the ties which bind intelligent extension and our new chapters have added considerable to our standing. Province meetings have been held in all provinces and have resulted in binding the nearby chapters close together. Needless to say that the Grand Council appreciates the hearty co-operation of you men in making these splendid results possible. Constant attention is necessary however to insure the continuance of this progress....”
“Most fraternities have in the course of time found it worthwhile to adopt a creed. Although the need of a creed for Theta Kappa Nu has been discussed from time to time, nothing has been done toward the preparation of such a statement of ideals. Here indeed is an opportunity for some gifted brother to evolve a permanent contribution to the building of the fraternity.” Wilson’s call was soon answered, and in the Winter 1933 Theta News the Theta Kappa Nu creed was published: This is my fraternity. Where I find an opportunity to be frank and open in the expression of my true self; but if in so doing I digress from the highest standards of society, I know that my brothers will not cease to guide me. Here I work and play in the advancement of the common good.
Closing Remarks “It is manifest that to succeed we must emphasize the intangible and spiritual objectives of fraternalism. They represent the enduring foundation of this and every other brotherhood which has survived throughout the years. The ideals as set forth in our rituals are the promotion of friendship and brotherly love, the stimulation of desire for knowledge, the observance of patriotic duties, and the development of character. As never before the youth of our institutions need the best in fraternalism in order to see the light through the maze of our existing conditions. The opportunity and challenge in Theta Kappa Nu spreads before us. So long as we are faithful to our ideals, we can hopefully anticipate a successful and enduring existence. If their traditional purposes are altered we may expect chaos and disorder.
I realize it is no credit to me to be a part of an organization which does not lift me up beyond my normal self. I know that the ideals of my fraternity are such that if I strive to attain them I shall be lifted up. May I ever be mindful of the relationship I hold to my fraternity. As a member I owe it allegiance. I must work for its welfare, support its institutions, and live within the bonds of true fellowship and brotherhood. I am the fraternity.
will be, no one can say. We may however be confident that in our ever changing environment we will be effective and enduring as long as we stand squarely within the triangles. In serving Theta Kappa Nu for the past four years I have attempted to give it the same type of treatment that I give to my job. I believe that our fraternity has become a huge business administration at all times. I want you to know that I have enjoyed serving Theta Kappa Nu as its Grand Archon. Although I pass officially from the picture I assure you that I shall always maintain an active interest in the fraternity. The official family has worked most harmoniously and perfect co-operation has been obtained. To those of you who have contributed to the success and pleasure of the administration I offer you my most sincere thanks.”
The Greek-letter fraternity is ever at the crossroads; the system is ever on trial; its place in the structure of education is to be determined in the future, as in the past, by the contributions which it may make. What the future of Theta Kappa Nu
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FEATURE
Emmy-Winning Actor Powers Boothe Powers Boothe stole the show last season in the Fox hit series “24,” and for three seasons in HBO’s critically acclaimed “Deadwood.” By Tad Lichtenauer (Butler 1987) powers boothe’s decision to attend decision to attend Texas State-San Marcos (at the time called Southwest Texas State College) was pretty simple.
Emmy-Winning Role Only a few years after making his Broadway debut, Booth moved to Los Angeles, California, and soon landed the role that would launch his Hollywood career.
“Well I’d like to tell you that there was some great and long searching process, but there wasn’t,” he says. “As you recall we had this ‘little’ thing going on then called the war in Vietnam.”
In 1980, Booth unexpectedly won an Emmy for his portrayal of crazed cult leader Jim Jones in the CBS TV movie “Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones.” Boothe says he approached his role of playing Jones like it was another role in repertoire theater. “I made no judgments about the guy until afterwards,” he says. “Fortunately, there was a lot of documentary footage on him so I could watch all of that. And I had a really good cast to work with and that was very helpful.”
Born and raised on a farm in Snyder, Texas, Boothe (Texas State-San Marcos 1970) was very fortunate to be able to make the easy choice to enroll in college instead of the military.
When he won the Emmy he beat out some very stiff competition that included Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, and Tony Curtis.
Because his small hometown was so close-knit, several of his classmates also decided to attend Texas State and to join Lambda Chi Alpha.
“For a kid from a farm in West Texas, New York and L.A. seemed like going to the moon,” he says. “And to come out here (Hollywood) and do a project and be recognized by your peers and be nominated, much less winning, was pretty amazing.” Love of Westerns Booth has played a wide range of characters in TV and film since his Emmy-winning performance but he particularly has enjoyed his role in Westerns.
Budding Young Actor Boothe says he never sought out to become an actor. He did a few plays in high school and then got involved with the theater department at Texas State, but he initially planned on becoming a teacher.
“I’m a huge Western fan,” he says. “I grew up in Texas, for goodness sake. I’m a John Ford freak. I love all those movies.”
One summer in college he performed in summer stock and there were a couple of people there from Southern Methodist University who suggested he apply to the school’s graduate theater program. “They had a great program there,” he says. “It was a very, very talented group of students. We’ve had out of that bunch Academy Award winners, Emmy winners, Tony winners, and Pulitzer Prize winners.” After earning his master’s degree, Boothe spent the next 10 years working in theater, playing different roles from Shakespeare and eventually making it all the way to Broadway in New York City, New York.
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His performance as Curly Bill Brocius in the 1993 hit movie “Tombstone” gave Boothe a great opportunity to leverage his Texas roots. Tombstone was his first opportunity to do “a real, full out, bonafide Western,” he says. “One of the interesting things about that, among many, was that it was a very large cast, lots of principals.”
FEATURE The award-winning show was created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran in 2001, and it is set in a fictional anti-terrorism unit. In this season’s show, Boothe’s character assumes the presidency when the president is injured in a bomb explosion and the United States is being threatened by terrorists. “I certainly enjoyed this year,” he says. “It came as a bit of a surprise to me. We had been told that ‘Deadwood’ wasn’t coming back and a couple weeks after that, I got a call from (Fox) and they asked me to come in and discuss a part.”
In addition to Boothe, the movie starred Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton, Sam Elliott, Thomas Haden Church, Charlton Heston, and many others.
A big fan of “24,” Boothe thought the role created for him was a good fit.
“Everybody involved cut their money to do it because they just loved the script,” he says. “There was some trouble getting it made. We were shooting into it about two weeks and they fired the director, who was also the writer.”
“It came easily in that I’m sort of politically astute,” he says. “No matter whether I like the president or not, I like the presidency.” The plot for next season is still in development so Boothe is not sure yet if his character will return, but he remains hopeful.
‘Deadwood’ Ending About another 10 years after “Tombstone,” Boothe was approached to play a feature role as brothel-owner Cy Tolliver on the HBO series “Deadwood.”
Lambda Chi’s Influence When Boothe arrived at Texas State and shortly thereafter joined Lambda Chi Alpha, he knew he had made the right decision.
Created by David Milch (who also created “NYPD Blue”), “Deadwood” quickly became one of most critically acclaimed dramas on television, winning multiple Emmys and Golden Globes between 2004 and 2006.
“It was wonderful for me,” he says. “It was a great experience. It certainly enriched my college life. It was my family away from home. I can’t imagine what undergraduate school would have been without it.” During his Lambda Chi days, Boothe served as the ritualist and he says he definitely understood the importance of this role. “I took it quite seriously,” he says. “It meant a lot to me when I went through it when I was initiated. And I wanted it to be something the new initiates would remember and respected. And that would kind of unify us all.”
Unfortunately, after three successful seasons, HBO canceled the show, much to Boothe’s surprise.
At the time, his chapter also became the first fraternity to have a chapter house. They set the standard that ultimately allowed other fraternities to have houses.
“It was stunning to us all because we finished our third season — and it wasn’t a matter of negotiating a fourth season — they had already said we were going to do that. They were negotiating our fifth season,” he says.
Boothe says this challenge of obtaining a chapter house was a prime example of how the brothers came together to achieve a common goal.
The series had all the necessary ingredients required to be successful: critical success, good ratings, and great foreign and DVD sales. At this point, one possible option may be to make one or two TV movies to allow for “Deadwood” to have an official ending. “I would love to do that because I think the audience deserves it,” he says. “But unfortunately the way things are...the longer they wait, the more difficult that becomes because people get other jobs.”
“I know I would not have had as successful a life there socially or academically or anything else without the Fraternity,” he says. “We took care of one another and challenged one another, whether it was intramurals or charity events or to make grades.”
Surprise Star of ‘24’ This past season, Boothe played Vice President Noah Daniels on the sixth season of the Fox Network’s smash hit “24 .”
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Photo Credits in Order of Apperance © Copyright Courtesy HBO. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright Courtesy HBO. All Rights Reserved. jULY 2007 © Copyright Courtesy HBO. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright Courtesy HBO. All Rights Reserved. ©2007 Fox Broadcasting Co. Cr: Kelsey McNeal/FOX
FEATURE
Successful Entrepreneur and Author Office Pride founder and former Lamdba Chi Alpha staff member, Todd Hopkins, has found a new passion in writing. Todd Hopkins transferred to the University of Memphis his junior year in college. He says the only person on campus he knew was a friend from high school, who happened to be a member of Lambda Chi Alpha.
By Chris Barrick (Butler 2004)
“I guess how Headquarters found out about me was this big wooden crate they got by FedEx with a Tozier Brown application,” he says. Lambda Chi Teachings Hopkins traveled as an ELC for a year and he was then hired as the Fraternity’s associate director of development and conference coordinator. He was then promoted to director of development, where he worked for the last two and a half year of his four years on staff.
“I was pretty set on doing my own thing and concentrating on my grades,” Hopkins (Memphis 1987) says. “I really had no plans on joining a fraternity.”
Hopkins says he made great friends while at Headquarters and learned a lot of things that are a big part of who he is today.
Through his high school friend he quickly met members of the chapter and developed friendship with many of the brothers. He realized that the group was something he wanted to be a part of and associated.
“I learned a lot from chapter alumni,” Hopkins says. “There really are a lot of people who believe in Lambda Chi, and relationships they made with Lambda Chi brothers play a significant role in their development.”
“I didn’t even know what rush was, I never went through rush, but they were rushing me without me knowing,” joked Hopkins. “I just wanted to play on their softball team.”
He compares managing a chapter to being on an executive team and young men learn how to manage it like a business.
As a senior, Hopkins ran for and was elected vice-president. He knew the position had a strong focus on community service, which he enjoyed. He decided to get the chapter really involved.
“As an officer you receive the benefits of the brotherhood that all the members are receiving but at the same time you can get significant advance training on what it’s like to manage an organization,” Hopkins says. “That is huge.”
“We did 29 community service projects that year,” Hopkins says. “(Once) we had three community service projects going on the same weekend.”
Launch of Office Pride After giving nine months notice, Hopkins left the Fraternity staff in June 1992, and started Office Pride, a cleaning business. The idea to start the company actually came from class project he did while working on his master’s degree in business at Butler University.
The chapter put different members in charge of each event and often times they had to divide their teams to cover all the activities. As a result of their efforts, the chapter decided to apply for the Fraternity’s Tozier Brown Community Affairs award and they made a rather unorthodox scrapbook of their philanthropy work for their submission.
His first customer was Lambda Chi Alpha. He would come into the Headquarters office late at night to vacuum the carpets and empty trash cans. He earned just $500 a month.
“It was about three feet wide by two feet tall and was made out of wood,” he says. “You’d open it and it would have these big giant sheets of paper that had all our stuff the chapter had done in it. My dad actually had to build a wooden crate to ship it in.”
“I would come in around midnight because the younger staff members would ask why a staff member had turned into the janitor,” Hopkins says. “I had a vision and I knew all along that I wasn’t just mopping floors but building a business.”
The chapter won the award and as a result of Hopkins making some connections with the Fraternity staff, he soon was hired to become a Fraternity ELC.
Office Pride quickly grew and today the company has grown into a multimillion dollar janitorial franchising company. It has more than 100 franchises and collectively they clean thousands of businesses.
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FEATURE
To this day, Office Pride remains the cleaning service for 8741 Founders Road. Recently, Hopkins rekindled a friendship with fellow former staff member Rick Torrison (Coe 1987), and Torrison now owns his own Office Pride franchise. His Newest Passion Hopkins now lives in Pensacola, Florida, where he has found a new passion — writing. His first book “Five Wisdoms for Entrepreneurial Survival: Practical Experience and Biblical Perspective” was self published. He then began work on his next big book idea — “The Janitor.”
‘Super Lawyer’ Former Fraternity ELC from 1987 to 1988, Grand High Epsilon Mark “Fletcher” McElreath (Mercer 1987) was ranked by his peers as a “New York Super Lawyer” in 2006. The selection was based on the opinion of lawyers who have been practicing for five years or more and who have been asked to identify “the best attorneys they have personally observed in action.”
“The Janitor” is a story about an old retired janitor who had once been a business person himself. His wife had died and really just for something to do he is cleaning office buildings. Late at night the janitor meets a young CEO and develops a friendship. Before too long the janitor is counseling the CEO on how to live life and business to the fullest. It helps him turn his life around at a time when he thought he had no hope.
McElreath is currently a partner with the law firm of Alston & Bird LLP in New York City, New York. Besides serving as the co-leader of the firm’s Financial Services Group, his practice focuses on debt and equity securities offerings, both domestic and cross-border, and public and private mergers and acquisitions activities. In his post career experiences, McElreath has handled a wide variety of securities matters including basic initial public and follow-on offerings of equity securities, as both issuer and underwriter’s counsel; Rule 144A and registered offerings of debt securities, and exchange offers for debt securities; and, public and private tender offers of equity and debt securities. Besides being a former Fraternity staff member, he also has served as a chapter adviser at Mercer University.
“Being a business owner for 15 years, I have seen people get so wrapped up in business success that they lose their family on the way,” Hopkins says. “Work would end up driving them and consuming them. People who looked successful on the outside were miserable on the inside. That’s the message I want to convey.” The book was picked up by Thomas Nelson Publishing and is being published in English, Spanish and Portuguese. It has already been published and released in Korea, where it was a bestseller — selling more than 100,000 copies in the first six weeks. It will be released in the United States on July 17, 2007. As for his future, Hopkins looks forward to the opportunity of doing more writing. He says that having a good staff at Office Pride allows him to pursue other interests. He has already finished the draft for his next book and is waiting for the opportune time to submit it. “I have shifted gears and just love to write, and teaching through that vehicle,” he says.
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FEATURE
Retired Chaplain Honored After a remarkable career at Wake Forest, Ed Christman received the university’s highest honor, the Medallion of Merit. On February 22, 2007, Chaplain Emeritus Edgar D. Christman (Wake Forest 1950) received the Medallion of Merit, Wake Forest University’s highest honor.
By Tad Lichtenauer (Butler 1987)
During a revival service held on campus in the spring of 1953, Christman says he felt a message from God that he needed to go to seminary instead of practicing law. “I had never thought about ministry before that week,” he says. “But with Wake Forest’s coming move to Winston-Salem and the sale of the old campus to Southeastern Seminary, it seemed like it would be no big deal to go.” In 1956, when Wake Forest moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Christman accepted the job to become Wake Forest’s new campus minister even though he had not yet finished his seminary degree.
With a Wake Forest career that spans nearly 50 years, he served 35 of those years as the university’s chaplain, from 1969 until his retirement in 2003. In addition to the Medallion of Merit honor, Christman also was presented with the first Wake Forest Divinity School Distinguished Service Award on March 22, 2005.
After three years, he left the position to return to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to finish his degree, and then he went to do graduate work at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, New York.
This award recognizes individuals who have offered “distinguished service” to the university, the church, and the world. The university’s faculty selected the former chaplain because of his many contributions to the work of the gospel.
In 1961, he again was offered the job of Baptist campus minister, which evolved into the job of assistant chaplain. In 1969, Christman became Wake Forest’s chaplain, a job he held until his retirement. “I never even had a resume,” he says. “God’s grace gives you gifts you don’t deserve. Having been given gifts like this, you shouldn’t look the gift-God in the mouth. The more I think about my life, I am beset by the word grace. Grace is gifts that you don’t deserve. My life has been a series of these kinds of events. I’m not a saint; I’m a person, but I have been given more than I deserve.”
Over the last decade, two scholarships also have been established in honor of Christman and his wife. In 2004, the estate of Kathleen McGill established a Divinity School scholarship and in 1998, the Wake Forest Ministerial Council established a William Louis Poteat Scholarship for North Carolina Baptist students.
Over the years, Christman became something of a legend on campus. His approachable nature, distinguishable white hair, and squinty eyes were hard to miss. He was born with crossed eyes, had four eye operations in childhood, and has lived with limited vision all his life.
Becoming a Chaplain In 1947, Christman arrived on the Wake Forest campus focused on becoming a lawyer. After finishing college in three years, he went to law school at Wake Forest, where he served as president of the bar association and finished third in his class in 1953.
Lambda Chi Memories As a result of completing his bachelor’s degree in three years, Christman was only an undergraduate member of the Wake Forest chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha for two years.
“I always thought I’d be a lawyer,” he says. “I always wanted to help people through the power of speech the way a surgeon helps people through the power of his hands.”
“Beginning my sophomore year, I lived in a small residence called Little Dorm,” he says. “Among the residents were several Lambda Chis. The trailer park behind our dorms also included members.
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FEATURE “The chapter used the dorm lounge for meetings. Thus, knowing these Lambda Chis made me interested in becoming a member and having a close relationship with them. One of them is now my cardiologist.” The others he says he remembers, in particular, were known as the “Barefoots from Wilmington,” which referred to men from the “port city of progress, pleasure, and prosperity.” Some years later, during his career at Wake Forest, Christman also served as the Fraternity chapter adviser. Former Chief Justice
Lasting Legacy Christman’s influence on students began almost from the time they first set foot on campus.
Like Edgar D. Christman (Wake Forest 1950), I. Beverly Lake Jr. (Wake Forest 1955) earned his bachelor and law degrees from Wake Forest University.
In 1955, he helped start the popular Pre-School Conference, still held before orientation each year, to introduce freshmen to religious life at Wake Forest.
Unlike Christman, Lake chose to pursue a legal career that was highlighted by being elected chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court in 2000. After working for several different law firms in the 1960s, he then served as North Carolina’s deputy attorney general from 1969 to 1976.
For years, he delivered a speech during student orientation entitled “What’s in a name?,” which included the name of many incoming freshman. This annual event became legendary but Christman says modestly that he only learned about 250 names each year out of the 1,000 new students.
In addition to his legal career, Lake also served two terms in the North Carolina General Assembly. In 1980, he ran but was defeated as the Republican nominee for governor against then incumbent Gov. Jim Hunt.
“My goal was to say that you matter enough for me do this,” he says. “I thought it made a few of the students feel good and think this white-haired guy who squinted a lot had a good memory.”
In 1984, after James G. Martin was elected governor, Lake served briefly as Martin’s legislative liaison before he was appointed to the state superior court in 1985.
In later years, he also dressed up as Wake Forest’s founder and first President Samuel Wait to educate new students about the university’s history.
Initially appointed to the North Carolina Supreme Court in 1992, Lake was defeated for election that same year. In 1994, he was then elected to a regular term as an associate justice on the court, and was subsequently elected as the court’s chief justice in 2000. By North Carolina law, he had to resign as chief justice in 2006, after his 72nd birthday.
He was consistently one of the most visible members of the university community for more than five decades.
“I like to ask people questions that don’t have answers,” he says. “God put us here to think and feel this life. My opportunity is to try to connect the Biblical stories to our modern lives and to make that work in a college setting. We have all this beauty and yet more anxiety than I can speak of.”
Today, he still remains a visible part of the university community and teaches Sunday school at Wake Forest Baptist Church. Adjusting to Retirement After retiring in 2003, Christman says he misses the students the most, whether it was working with them on the weekly chapel services, counseling them, or helping those with financial difficulties.
Working at Wake Forest was God’s gift, Christman says. He tried to make that gift mean something to the students he counseled. “The thing I like most is engaging people in meaningful conversation,” he says. “I like to ask people questions that don’t have answers. God put us here to think and feel this life. My opportunity is to try to connect the Biblical stories to our modern lives and make that work in a college setting.” Photo Credits in Order of Apperance
He still attends student recitals and other events, as well as meetings of the campus ministry.
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©2002 Wake Forest University Office of Creative Services. 336-758-5379. Photo by Ken Bennett. ©2003 Wake Forest University Office of Creative Services. All Rights Reserved. Photo by Ken Bennett. 336-758-5379.
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