Cross & Crescent a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication
INSIDE: NBA Nets’ 1-2 Punch
Yormark, Frank: partnership drives success
Rising Hollywood Star
Jonathan Sadowski, rising star in Hollywood
Decorated General Remembered October 2007 . XCIV . Issue 10
Cross & Crescent a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication Features Chapter News 3 Chapter and Alumni News History 6 Form 25: Unique in the Fraternity World? Fraternity News 8 Alumni training program
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NBA Nets’ 1-2 Punch Together, Brett Yormark and Lawrence Frank have partnered to reinvent the culture of Nets basketball. Ironically, they both grew up in New Jersey, attended Indiana University, joined Lambda Chi Alpha, but never actually met until they began working together at the Nets in 2005. By Tad Lichtenauer (Butler 1987)
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Decorated General Remembered Retired Gen. Russell E. Dougherty, former commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command, died September 7, 2007. In addition to his numerous professional achievements and military honors, he was a charter member and first president of the Louisville chapter, an Order of Achievement recipient, and served on the Educational Foundation board and Grand High Zeta. By Tad Lichtenauer (Butler 1987)
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Credits
Rising Hollywood Star With his role in the summer blockbuster, “Live Free or Die Hard,” Jonathan Sadowski is quickly moving up the ranks in Hollywood. In addition to his TV and film work, he also sold his first movie script, “This Bill Smith,” to Columbia Pictures. By Chris Barrick (Butler 2004) 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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Cross & Crescent October 2007
CHAPTER NEWS
Chapter News Chapter news, alumni news, and reports of death Akron (Gamma-Alpha)
Chapter members and alumni held a planning and leadership retreat on September 8, 2007, focusing on the positive and productive steps the chapter will take to regain strength and vitality on campus. Associate Director of Chapter Services Tim Reuter (Simpson 2003) and Chapter Adviser Richard Coblens (Georgia Tech 1987) helped lead the discussion and interaction with alumni who attended.
Richard D. Case (1948) died September 4, 2007. A World War II veteran and retired civil servant, he founded Rich-Mar, Inc., a design and luxury homebuilding company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Paul J. Kunkler (1948) died July 29, 2007.
Colonial Conclave
Alabama (Alpha-Phi)
Chapter members from High Point University and North Carolina A&T State University hosted the Cole Recruitment Institute on High Point’s campus. More than 70 men from High Point, East Tennessee State University, North Carolina A&T, University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and Wake Forest University participated in the all-day event, which was facilitated by Ray Lutzky (Rensselaer Polytechnic 2002), High Point Chapter Adviser Todd Shoemaker (1993), and North Carolina A&T Chapter Adviser Dr. Clifford Lowery (Wake Forest 1965).
Chapter members served as event volunteers for the Easter Seals Walk With Me charity event on September 8, 2007, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Angelo State (Beta-Alpha)
Chapter members served as event volunteers on Saturday, September 22, 2007, at the Cheyenne Fiveash Memorial Motorcycle Rally in San Angelo, Texas. The event benefited the Children’s Miracle Network.
East Carolina (Iota-Upsilon)
Robert E. Turner (1970) died August 30, 2007. After serving as a U.S. Secret Service agent for 27 years, he worked as a branch manager with ASET Corp.
Ball State (Iota-Alpha)
Approximately 120 chapter alumni participated in the ninth annual golf event that was organized by John Schmitz (1983) and held on September 14, 2007, at Ironwood Golf Club in Indianapolis, Indiana.
East Tennessee State (Iota-Omicron)
Kenny Chesney (1990) released his new CD, “Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates,” on September 12, 2007.
Butler (Alpha-Alpha)
Eureka (Theta-Chi)
Cincinnati (Gamma-Gamma)
Gettysburg (Theta-Pi)
Chapter members collected items to send to military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan as a part of the “Operation Santa” Christmas stocking project sponsored by the Central Illinois Proud Families of Marines.
Former chapter President Tony Antonopoulos (1990) is a marketing consultant at Eli Lilly and Company, a leading innovation-driven pharmaceutical corporation based in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Joe Gurerri (2008) organized the second annual For Jake’s Sake 5K held on September 15, 2007, at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, benefiting the Jacob C. Gurreri Memorial Fund.
Twenty-five chapter members, plus 10 members from the Miami University-Oxford colony, participated in the Cole Recruitment Institute. Coordinated by Chapter Adviser Kevin J. Garbarino (2001), attendees discussed the need for having strong commitments to recruiting men of value. Clemson (Delta-Omicron) Chapter News
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Cross & Crescent
October 2007
CHAPTER NEWS
High Point (Iota-Phi)
President Ryan Bradshaw (2008) led the retreat and incorporated an open discussion with the Director of Chapter Services John Holloway (High Point 1993) via conference call.
Kevin Clement (1990) hosted the eighth annual “Fore” Morgan Golf Classic mon September 29, 2007, at the Furman University Golf Course in Greenville, South Carolina, to raise money and awareness for Aicardi Syndrome.
New Orleans (Lambda-Alpha)
Illinois State (Beta-Omicron)
Chapter President Cody Comfort (2008) was elected president of the Student Government.
Chapter members and alumni attended a Chicago White Sox game in Chicago, Illinois.
Chapter Vice President-Membership Brett Hornsby (2009) was elected secretary of state for the Student Government and president of the Blue Krewe. Chapter Vice President-Community Service Jonas Dominique (2010) was elected treasurer of College Republicans and selected as a varsity cheerleader.
Jacksonville (Delta-Upsilon)
Chapter members met with ELC Matt Roy (Drury 2007) to revisit previous recruitment tactics that had become ineffective and unproductive. Roy presented the Cole Recruitment Institute to members committed to moving towards a values-based strategy, which inspired and reinvigorated the attendees.
Chapter Ritualist Adam Hogan (2009) was elected president of Campus Crusade for Christ. Chapter Education Chairman Christopher Saybe (2009) was elected corresponding secretary for UNO Ambassadors and supreme court justice for Student Government.
Louisiana State (Upsilon)
Michael Wascom (1988) was named managing director, international and government affairs for American Airlines. In his new role, he will work with members of U.S. Congress and other government agencies on issues related to domestic and international aviation. He previously served as counselor to the under secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Chapter Fraternity Educator Justin Cottrell (2009) was elected president of the Student Activities Council. Chapter Social Chairman Eric Gallatin (2009) was elected president of the IFC.
North Carolina-Charlotte (Beta-Upsilon)
Mercer (Zeta-Omega)
Chapter members hosted Watermelon Bust on September 29, 2007. The event raised funds and food donations for the 2nd Harvest Food Bank.
William Bowden (1959) died August 20, 2007. He was retired from Financial Automotive Inc.
Michigan State (Gamma-Omicron)
Northeast Conclave
Chapter members celebrated their move into a new house on September 15, 2007, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, tailgate event, and open house.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute chapter members hosted a comprehensive overview of the True Brother Initiative at the Northeast Conclave on September 15, 2007. Roger Grice (Polytechnic 1964) and Eric Berger (Boston 1985) served as key facilitators along with the ELC Aaron Wright (Southeast Missouri State 2007). Attendees also participated in discussion about incorporating values-based decision making into chapter operation with Executive Vice President Bill Farkas (Butler 1988). Attendees included chapter members from Boston University, University of Connecticut, University of New Hampshire, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Worcester Polytechnic.
Mississippi State (Epsilon-Chi)
Chapter members held their annual Watermelon Fest event on September 19–20, 2007. The event raised money for The Salvation Army.
Missouri-Columbia (Gamma-Kappa)
Chapter members held their annual Watermelon Fest on September 8, 2007. The event raised money and food for several organizations, including The Salvation Army and the Central Missouri Food Bank.
Nebraska-Lincoln (Gamma-Beta)
Chapter members hosted a retreat on August 25, 2007, regarding the implementation of the True Brother Initiative with Chapter Adviser Steve Foral (Nebraska-Omaha 1968). Chapter
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Cross & Crescent
October 2007
CHAPTER NEWS
Ohio (Alpha-Omega)
Southeast Missouri State (Delta-Phi)
Shannon Bibbee (1999) is a first lieutenant serving as the logistics officer in the U.S. Army’s 384th Military Police Battalion at Camp Bucca, Iraq. He was deployed in May 2007 for a 12-month combat tour.
More than 30 chapter members attended a presentation of the Cole Recruitment Institute by Ray Lutzky (Rensselaer Polytechnic 2002). Attendees asked good questions and the concepts associated with values-based recruiting resonated with the brothers and reinvigorated the chapter’s commitment to growth.
Oklahoma (Gamma-Rho)
Syracuse (Alpha-Upsilon)
William R. Hogge (1950) died September 9, 2007. He spent 38 years working for the City of Plainview, Texas, as a city engineer director of public works.
Approximately 90 alumni members attended a reunion held on September 14–15, 2007, in Syracuse, New York.
Tennessee-Chattanooga (Zeta-Phi)
Penn State (Zeta)
Chapter members recruited 60 new associate members, the chapter’s largest class ever and the largest of any Greek organization on campus.
Chapter members renovated their lounge, which included new carpet, new clear coat on wood walls, new furniture, electronic dartboard set and television. In addition, alumni members helped restore several chapter composites from 1966 to 1991, as well as other pieces of historic artwork and memorabilia. The chapter also opened an archival account at the university’s Paterno/Pattee Library in order to safely preserve some of the chapter’s oldest items.
Texas-San Antonio (Phi-Upsilon)
Director of Chapter Services John Holloway (High Point 1993) conducted a retreat with chapter members to discuss operations for the fall 2007 semester, as well as addressing plans for comprehensive Fraternity education and implementation of the True Brother Initiative. Chapter Adviser Rob Mendiola (2000) helped coordinate and organize the retreat.
Purdue (Psi)
Former chapter President Lance Emery (1994) is the global human resources business partner with Towers Perrin, a global professional services firm that helps organizations around the world optimize performance through effective people, risk and financial management. Previously, he spent the past 12 years as a human resources executive with Accenture.
Washington (Alpha-Psi)
In honor of the $50 million donated to the University of Washington by Michael G. Foster (1960) and The Foster Foundation, the university’s business school was renamed the Michael G. Foster School of Business .
Rocky Mountain Conclave
The University of Denver chapter members hosted a retreat for the Rocky Mountain Conclave on September 22, 2007, on the Denver campus. Senior ELC Michael Blow (Pittsburgh 2006) and ELC Curtis Sullivan (Northern Colorado 2007) worked with Mike Smith (Denver 1976) leading the lively and interactive presentations, including discussions about implementing the True Brother Initiative. Attendees included chapter members from Colorado State University-Pueblo, Denver, University of Wyoming, and University of Northern Colorado.
Washington State (Tau)
ELCs Jordy Miller (Miami-FL 2007) and Jay Hedgspeth (Alabama 2007) are helping members reform and revitalize the chapter and address critically low membership. The increased support from Headquarters staff began with several days of help from Director of Chapter Services John Holloway (High Point 1993) in August 2007, focusing on values-based recruiting and successful operations based on the Fraternity’s ritual.
San Diego State (Zeta-Pi)
Andrew Roy (2007) sailed around the world as a participant in the Summer 2007 Semester at Sea program.
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Cross & Crescent
October 2007
FRATERNITY NEWS
Form 25: Unique in the Fraternity World? Displayed on an undergraduate’s wall, this color version of the coat of arms introduces everyone to the beauty and depth. Members of Lambda Chi Alpha quite possibly take this 8 1/2by-11, color rendition of our coat of arms on heavy card stock for granted, ordering quantities from Headquarters at will, while not fully realizing just how special it really is.
Many years following initiation, alumni still proudly display those signatures alongside their membership certificates. Special commemorative editions are also regularly printed by Headquarters for Ritual Exemplification during General Assemblies and Leadership Seminars. They are then signed by the International Ritual Team in what has become a mini-ritual in itself.
Do other fraternities have something similar? A student of fraternities, attempting to collect an example from each organization, would not get very far. If Lambda Chi Alpha is unique in having such an item then, why do we have one while others do not? Finding Answers The answers to these questions take us back to October 4, 1913, when the improved coat of arms was officially copyrighted. John E. Mason (Pennsylvania 1913) originally described a shield of green and purple on his first design, engraved by C. H. Elliott, but changed the colors on the improved version, engraved by E. A. Wright, to the present ones. Even though early yearbook engravings were in black and white, colors were represented by a variety of shadings.
Over the years, at least four versions have been designed. The earliest depicted a helmet similar to the one in E.A. Wright’s 1913 engraving, but showed a different badge — one with only nine pearls in the Lambda. A thick gold line separated the quadrants and surrounded the shield, and opposing tips of the mantling were lined with green.
Warren Cole’s (Boston 1912) ritual did not include any description or explanation of a coat of arms during the ceremony. The 1913 ritual did. Certain conclusions can be drawn from administrative manuals originating as far back as 1918. Particularly noteworthy are the numbering of forms and the recommended quantity of each that constituted a chapter’s normal supply. Although most pertained to the High Gamma (chapter secretary), the High Phi (chapter ritualist) was to be concerned with Form 24, Chart A Outer Circle, Mystic Delta and Delta Pi (50), and Form 25, Chart B Coat of Arms (10). Referring to both forms, the 1929 Expositor noted they are to be “used for ritualistic purposes only as directed in the third degree of the undergraduate Ritual.”
The helmet on the next, and all versions to date, was of a much simpler design. The gold borders disappeared, but the badge still had only nine pearls.
The fact that only one-fifth as many Forms 25 as Forms 24 were needed attests to its strictly ritualistic application at that time. Indeed, by comparison, a chapter was urged to have on hand twice as many Reports of Death. Clearly, Form 25 was originally intended as ritual equipment.
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Following the merger with Theta Kappa Nu in 1939, a third version, remarkable for its pink collar and pea greens, became the standard for close to 50 years. It did, however, finally have a badge with 11 pearls in the Lambda. The lower banner was supplanted
Increased Demand With increasingly larger groups of initiates came larger hand-painted versions for better visibility, but Form 25 did not entirely leave the chamber. For many chapters, it has become a custom for each brother — or in some cases just the ritual team — to sign a Form 25 for each man being initiated.
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By Jono Hren (Florida Tech 1975)
Cross & Crescent
October 2007
FRATERNITY NEWS
with the Latin motto, Vir Quisque Vir, and an inescutcheon portraying a lion rampant, holding a white rose, was added to the shield. Since the early 1990s, a fourth design has been making the rounds, bringing back royal purple and rich greens. In an incongruity, the banners are less graceful, with sharply cut edges, while the letters XOAZ appear almost handwritten. The pearls lack shading and therefore don’t exhibit a three dimensional appearance. End of an Era In a final farewell to its original significance, the designation “Form 25” has disappeared from the lower left corner. In the past, some brothers trimmed the chart to fit a standard 8by-10 picture frame, but with the popularity of computer printers, the availability and choices of document size frames have increased dramatically. Whether gazed upon for the first time by a potential new member, or every day for many years by initiates, the beautiful Form 25 keeps the vital elements of our Fraternity constantly before our eyes.
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Cross & Crescent
October 2007
FEATURE
2007 Neville Alumni Advisers College Graduates Training program teaches alumni about best practices for mentoring undergraduates
By John Holloway (High Point 1993)
For alumni serving as chapter advisers, housing corporation officers, alumni control board members, or alumni advisory board members, the Ronald A. Neville Alumni Advisers College is essential training. The Neville Alumni Advisers College curriculum is motivating and fast-paced, focusing on the ever-changing role of strong, supportive, and positive alumni members mentoring and modeling the way for our undergraduates. Advisers College, Level I Graduates The Advisers College Level I is the development track intended for first-time advisers. The program is focused on basic advising skills, including working with the campus Greek adviser, preparing for Fraternity ELC visits, advising the chapter in a time of crisis, as well as an overview of the Fraternity’s True Brother Initiative program. This level also provides new advisers with the skills and confidence to make a difference in their chapters and to have fun doing it. The following alumni graduated from Neville Alumni Advisers College Level I at the 2007 Stead Leadership Seminar: • • • • • • • • •
Paul Anderson (Eastern Michigan 1985) Gregory Bader (Bowling Green State 1999) Bryan Bannick (Eastern Michigan) James Beard (Penn State 1973) James Bell (Truman State 1991) Christian Berle (George Washington 2002) Terry Bowlin (Akron 1999) Greg Braun (North Carolina- Chapel Hill 1998) Mark Brenneman (Shippensburg 1994)
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William Buchanan Jr. (Eureka 1985) Ben Buckley (Maryland-College Park 1998) Richard Burch (San Diego State 1966) Daniel Bush (Auburn 1971) William Carter (Jacksonville 2002) Charles Chedester (Simpson 1999) John Claya (Michigan State 2007) Michael Clemons (Eastern Michigan 1995) Alan Cooper (Texas A&M-College Station) Mike Crawford (Florida Southern 1986) Nickolas DiBartolo (Eastern Michigan 1999) Kent Donaldson (Truman State 1988) Brian Egee (Penn State 2006) Craig Emerson (Austin Peay State 1999) James Epperson (Appalachian State 1988) Brian Feller (Wittenberg 2000) Steve Foral (Nebraska-Omaha 1968) Kenneth Furton (Central Florida 1984) Milo Gonser (Northern Michigan 1965)
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Cross & Crescent
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Ron Graves (Missouri-Columbia 1987) Ken Greenman (Southern California 1965) Scott Hammonds (Maryland- Baltimore County 2007) Travis Hogan (Delaware 2005) Andrew Holcomb (Eastern Michigan 1993) Robert James (Miami-OH 2001) Jason Jessie (Northeastern State 2000) Mark Joyce (North Carolina- Charlotte 1981) Chris Leach (North Dakota) Dave Leathers (Cal State-Fresno 1982) Drew Ledbetter (Northeastern State 1997) Stephen Litteral (Eureka 1981) Kirt Long (Tennessee-Chattanooga 1994) Robert Luce (Michigan State 1957) Michael Malter (Widener 1979) Brian Maxey (Mississippi State 1999) Cleveland May (Tennessee- Knoxville ) Frank McNally (Wake Forest 1974) Rob Mendiola (Texas-San Antonio 2000)
October 2007
FEATURE
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Ed Miller (Cincinnati ) David Milner (Eastern Michigan) Patrick Morrissey (St. Joseph’s 2001) Steven Orr (Lock Haven 1990) John Palmer (Kettering-A 1975) Michael Park (Ohio State) Steve Parsons (Randolph-Macon 1961) Mark Perks (Ohio State 1980) David Rebmann (Eureka 1981) Randall Rossi (Penn State 1977) Rick Scauzillo (Southern Methodist 1974) Spencer Schmerling (Cal State- Northridge 1991) John Schweikert (Nebraska-Omaha 1981) Ted Serbinski (Cornell 2004) Thomas Settles (South 1973) Shawn Smee (Murray State 1997) Brian Tatro (Illinois State1997 1985) George Taylor (High Point 2001) Cody Whittenburg (Southeastern Oklahoma 2006) Cliff Williams (Mercer 2004) Robert Williams Jr. (Spring Hill)
Advisers College, Level II Graduates The Neville Alumni Advisers College Level II is for those advisers who have already completed Level I. As the name suggests, this track covers more complex advising issues, advanced skills for teaching and mentoring, facilitation skills, as well as leading and managing change. Participants also receive a detailed overview of True Brother’s inner circle component.
Program Name Honors Alumnus Program Name Honors Alumnus
In addition to the separate tracks, three joint sessions are held, covering ethics in advising, understanding undergraduates, and chapter finance basics.
In honor of Ron Neville’s (Drury 1969) many contributions to the Fraternity, the alumni advisers college has been named the Ronald A. Neville Alumni Advisers College.
The following alumni graduated from Neville Alumni Advisers College Level II at the 2007 Stead Leadership Seminar:
A 2006 Order of Merit recipient, Neville has served for numerous years as the Drury University chapter adviser, an Educational Foundation board member, and has been a generous financial supporter of the Fraternity.
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Michael J. Kellar (Simpson 1990) Andy Ackfeld (Texas A&M- Kingsville 1994) B.J. Berhorst (Culver-Stockton 2002) Jim Bond (Central Missouri State 1978) Alexander Davie (Pennsylvania 2000)
Formerly the chief financial officer of American Century Companies in Kansas City, Missouri, he now works as a private investor. Neville also serves on the Drury Board of Trustees, and the board for the Boys and Girls Club of Springfield, Missouri. His son, Scott Neville (Denver 2004), also is a Fraternity member.
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Cross & Crescent
Bill Foltz (Illinois State 1977) Danny Gargus (Memphis 1994) Frank Maez (New Mexico 1970) Kenneth Schultz (Iowa State 1965) Richard Vasser (Texas State-San Marcos 1964) John Zelenka (Cornell 2003)
October 2007
FEATURE HISTORY
NBA Nets’ 1-2 Punch Together, Brett Yormark and Lawrence Frank have partnered to reinvent the culture of Nets basketball. One man led an NBA franchise to its best business season in team history in 2006, enjoying unprecedented marks in season-ticket renewals and setting new standards for both new ticket sales and corporate sponsorships.
with NASCAR. “What Brett has done a great job of is coordinating the business and basketball sides and mixing them together and integrating them,” Frank says. “Where in many operations in the NBA, they are very, very separate, he’s done a great job of tying them together.”
The other man is the youngest NBA head coach and began his head coaching career with a 13-0 record in 2004, setting an NBA mark for the most consecutive wins by a head coach to begin a coaching career.
In January 2004, Frank became the interim head coach of the Nets, succeeding Byron Scott, after serving as an assistant coach with the team since the 2000–2001 season.
They are Brett Yormark (Indiana 1988), president and CEO of Nets Sports and Entertainment, and Lawrence Frank (Indiana 1992), head coach of the New Jersey Nets.
Before the Nets, Frank spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the NBA’s Vancouver Grizzlies, and before that he was an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee and Marquette University.
These two men approach professional basketball from very different perspectives but together they recognize that they must act as partners to ensure the franchise’s overall success.
Yormark says that after he graduated from Indiana he first learned about Frank from his former roommate, Manny Lopez (Indiana 1989), who told him about a new associate member who also was a manager for the Indiana basketball team.
Ironically, Yormark and Frank both grew up in New Jersey, attended Indiana University, joined Lambda Chi Alpha, but never actually met until they began working together at the Nets in 2005.
Little did Yormark realize at the time what an important role Frank would later play in his life and career.
Mutual Admiration In early 2005, Yormark re-joined the Nets after a successful six-year stint with NASCAR, where he helped build the stock-car racing company into a major sports property.
“Shortly after I arrived at the franchise in late January ‘05, [Frank] and I truly bonded,” Yormark says. “I think we share a lot of the common goals and approaches in life. Obviously, he’s the coach of the team, but I look at him as a dear friend.”
His NASCAR experience was highlighted by overseeing the $750 million deal with Nextel Communications in 2003 — changing the name of stock car racing’s premier circuit to the NASCAR Nextel Cup — still the largest sponsorship agreement in the history of American sports.
Yormark’s College Days Yormark decided to attend Indiana, in part, because two of his high school friends decided to go there.
Frank says he knew about Yormark’s from the work he did with the Nets earlier in his career and his many sports marketing achievements
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By Tad Lichtenauer (Butler 1987)
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Cross & Crescent
October 2007
FEATURE
Iba’s Coaching Tree Another connection Brett Yormark (Indiana 1988) and Lawrence Frank (Indiana 1992) share is their time learning leadership skills from then Indiana University Head Coach Bobby Knight.
“I knew I wanted to go to a university that would continue to expand my horizons,” Yormark says. “I wanted to go to a state school, big university, in some area of the country. So Indiana just seemed right.”
Yormark took a class taught by Knight and Frank was the men’s basketball team manager for four years. Knight is considered a member of Henry P. Iba’s (Westminster 1929) coaching tree, which includes coaches who typically use a physical manto-man defense, and an offense predicated on ball movement and passing, and are linked to Iba through their mentors.
His freshman year, Yormark lived in a dorm where he met Victor Roos (Indiana 1988). Roos joined Lambda Chi his freshman year and he kept encouraging Yormark to consider joining.
Iba coached at Oklahoma State University for 36 years until his retirement after the 1969-1970 season. He is thought to be one of the toughest coaches in NCAA history.
“He said I needed to take a look at the Fraternity,” Yormark says. “So I [joined] the second semester of my sophomore year.”
Under Iba, Oklahoma State became the first to win consecutive NCAA titles (1945 and 1946), and he is the only coach in history to win two Olympic gold medals (1964 in Tokyo, Japan; 1968 in Mexico City, Mexico).
As a big intramural basketball player, Yormark also met many other brothers at the gym, and he soon realized what a great decision he had made.
He was elected to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, the Missouri Hall of Fame, the Helms Foundation All-Time Hall of Fame for basketball, FIBA Hall of Fame (in 2007), and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame at Springfield, Massachusetts.
“I loved the Fraternity life,” Yormark says. “For me, it did a lot of different things. It gave me the opportunity to meet some incredible people from across the country, many of whom I still stay in touch with.” During his junior year, he served as the chapter’s social chairman during a challenging time on campus.
“I also think it really instilled in me the value of teamwork and relying on your fellow man, fellow brother,” he says. “And that’s how I’ve always lived my life, it’s team first. Even in my job today, I tell 138 people that report to me that ‘I work for you.’”
“We weren’t the best but we weren’t the worst,” Yormark says. “We were kind of on the cusp of re-inventing the Fraternity house. So I think myself, and my fellow officers at the time, truly had to sell our story to the sororities, to the campus, to the new recruits.”
Frank’s College Days Unfortunately for Frank, Yormark graduated the year before Frank enrolled as a freshman. Frank’s main reason for choosing Indiana was to study under then men’s basketball Head Coach Bobby Knight.
He says his experiences taught him an early lesson about how to succeed as the underdog and how to sell a compelling story.
“I always knew from when I was 12 or 13 that I wanted to be a basketball coach,” Frank says. “I basically went there for the education I could receive -- not just academically -- but to me, if not more importantly, was the opportunity to learn from a great coach like Coach Knight.”
“If you look at my career, I’ve always been with the underdog but that’s never stopped me, never been a deterrent to me,” Yormark says. “I’ve always overcome. At Lambda Chi, that part of my career got started there.”
At the time, the competition for basketball manager was fierce with only three to five spots awarded out of the 50 to 60 applicants.
He says that he believes he has always been a bit of a salesperson at heart, and that the Fraternity experience, and the people he interacted with, helped him hone his skills.
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“So I went there with no guarantees...and if the opportunity hadn’t worked out I probably would have transferred,” Frank says.
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Cross & Crescent
October 2007
FEATURE Fortunately, he was selected and spent the next four years learning about basketball and coaching from Knight and his staff.
People sometimes refer to what Yormark has done with the Nets as NASCAR-izing the franchise, which he sees as a compliment. In order to achieve his goals with the Nets, Yormark knew right away that basketball operations and business operations needed to be seamless. One of Yormark’s most nationally acclaimed initiatives has been the Nets Ticket Influencer Program in which select season-ticket holders host catered cocktail parties at their homes, often in their backyards, for prospective season ticket buyers.
“It was great...as a young man coming into a situation where you learn a great deal about work ethic, accountability, responsibility, commitment...just many, many tools I learned from coach and from the program that have helped me have a chance to be where I am today,” he says.
“I could not have been successful, and I could not have launched that program, had coach and I not been on the same page,” Yormark says. “And had he not understood the fact that in order for us to truly make a difference from a business perspective, to fill the seats, to have an exciting environment, I would need the help of the players. And they have been fabulous to work with. Coach has been fabulous to work with.”
Even though Frank’s schedule had little time for any extra commitments, he investigated Lambda Chi Alpha at the suggestion of some of the other chapter members who were involved with the basketball program.
The players and coaching staff also have enjoyed participating in Yormark’s new marketing and fan-friendly programs, and Frank says he completely agrees with the Yormark’s direction for the franchise.
Although Frank spent a majority of his time with the basketball team, he says he is very glad he also decided to join Lambda Chi.
“We have a common vision in terms of what we’d like to get done,” Frank says. “We work very, very well together. I think some of that has a correlation to know that there was something that drew each of us to Lambda Chi at Indiana.”
“The experience, especially at Indiana...fraternity life has an opportunity to make a big school smaller,” he says. “You develop relationships and close ties with people you never would have had the opportunity to.”
Brooklyn Bound In the next few years, the Nets are planning to move to Brooklyn, New York, where they are building a new arena. This event will create all kinds of new selling and marketing opportunities for the Nets organization.
One of the lessons the Fraternity taught Frank concerned leadership. “The really special leaders understand that there is no job that it too small for them,” he says. “But I think you really earn respect when you’re put in a position of leadership and you lead by example.”
About the move or his success thus far, Franks says he doesn’t look too far into the future and tries to appreciate every day and live in the moment. He also knows that he loves his career and that he works for a great organization. “I’ve just been very, very fortunate to be where I’m at but at the same time I just think you focus on the task at hand,” Frank says. “I’m not very retrospective. We all have a role to play and job to do and I absolutely love what I do.”
Nets Teamwork When Yormark arrived at the Nets in January 2005, one of his goals was to make the franchise and environment more fan-friendly like it was in NASCAR.
Yormark says he can’t believe that he’s come full circle with the Nets -from selling tickets in 1988 at the start of his career to now being the president and CEO.
“NASCAR is obviously known as a very accessible sport, industry,” Yormark says. “Fans get close to drivers. Drivers get close to the fans. I wanted to bring that same mindset obviously to the Nets, and I wanted the Nets to be known as one of the most accessible franchises in all of pro sports.”
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“I’m living my dream and there are not a lot of people who can say that,” Yormark says. “It’s not necessarily about what you take out, it’s about what you put in. I’ve lived my life accordingly ever since and it’s worked out really well for me.”
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HISTORY
Decorated General Remembered Retired Gen. Russell E. Dougherty, former commander in chief of Strategic Air Command, died September 7, 2007. Retired Gen. Russell E. Dougherty, former commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command, died September 7, 2007, at his home in Potomac Falls, Virginia.
He led the association until 1986, when he returned to law, joining the international firm McGuireWoods LLP. He retired from the firm in 1999. Service to Fraternity In addition to his many military achievements, Dougherty also made time to serve Lambda Chi Alpha and make our teachings an ongoing part of his life and philosophy.
A Kentucky native, he advanced from a 15-year-old bugler for the 123rd Cavalry of the Kentucky National Guard to the top tiers of leadership as a four-star general in the U.S. Air Force.
He was a charter member and the first president of the Louisville chapter, a 1978 Order of Achievement recipient, and he served on the Educational Foundation board from 1985 to 1991, and was the Grand High Phi from 1980 to 1982.
He was buried September 27, 2007, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
In his Order of Achievement acceptance speech at the 37th General Assembly in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, Dougherty made several poignant comments that are remarkably still relevant to our struggles and challenges today.
Service to Country He graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1941, then moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the FBI, leaving to serve as a pilot instructor and combat pilot in the Army Air Forces during World War II. He was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force in 1947, and earned his law degree from the University of Louisville in 1948.
The first was about the postVietnam era and the ongoing Cold War conflict.
His early military assignments included pilot, judge advocate, trial attorney and squadron commander at joint military and international military posts, notably the U.S. European Command Headquarters in Paris, France, and Stuttgart, Germany, and the Far East Air Forces in Japan during the Korean War.
“It’s easy to be dead and free,” he said. “It’s easy to be alive and enslaved. But the thing that we’re going to have to pull off, in the face of a threat unlike any we’ve experienced since World War II, is to see that we live free and able to achieve individually.”
In the 1960s, his assignments encompassed working for the U.S. Air Force deputy director for war plans. He then became assistant director for plans at the National Security Council.
The second comment was about the role Lambda Chi played in his development as a man and his appreciation of being recognized by the Fraternity.
He became U.S. Air Force deputy chief of staff, plans and operations in February 1970, then was promoted to four-star general on May 1, 1972, and assigned to NATO’s Allied Command Europe headquarters as a chief of staff.
“I’m so proud to be a man among you men, to be a man whom you have designated as one of your achievers,” he said. “I assure you, I couldn’t have done it solely with Lambda Chi Alpha, but whatever it is I’ve done, I couldn’t have done it without Lambda Chi Alpha.”
In 1974, he returned to the United States to become the eighth commander in chief of SAC. In this role, Dougherty oversaw America’s nuclear arsenal and deterrent force at the height of the Cold War. In July 1977, he retired from active duty.
Dougherty is survived by his wife Barbara; son, Mark; and daughter, Diane (DeDe) Ralston. A son, Bryant, and first wife, Geralee Shaaber, preceded him in death.
In 1980, he took a post as executive director of the U.S. Air Force Association, an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes education about aerospace power and national defense. www.crossandcrescent.com
By Tad Lichtenauer (Butler 1987)
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FEATURE
Rising Hollywood Star With his role in the summer blockbuster, “Live Free or Die Hard,” Jonathan Sadowski is quickly moving up the ranks in Hollywood. Jonathan Sadowski grew up in the same building as his grandmother in the inner-city Chicago, Illinois, area call Bridgeport. He had two older brothers with whom he would always compete.
The Break Sadowski says, “I was bartending at a rock ‘n’ roll bar in Hollywood and Susan came in one night and said, ‘one more month of bartending then we are done.’” Within that month, he was booked as the lead in a pilot, sold a script, and landed a role in the feature film, “She’s the Man.”
“My brothers and dad and mom instilled a competitive spirit in me,” Sadowski (Illinois 2001) says.
“I was scared to leave my house because I thought I would get hit by a bus,” he says. “It was too good to be true.”
In high school, his football coach put up a sign in the locker room saying, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” As Sadowski works up the ranks in Hollywood, California, he often thinks about this message.
Sadowski left the country for the first time in his life to travel to Vancouver, British Columbia, to shoot “She’s the Man” for three months.
“Looking back it is kind of cheesy but you take something from every opportunity,” Sadowski says. “You learn from your mistakes and try not to make the same ones again. Out here it is all about perseverance.”
“It was great doing my first studio feature with such a great cast, such as Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum. And having Andy Fickman direct made it even better.”
College and L.A. Sadowski entered the University of Illinois as a finance major, with plans to become a banker. His sophomore year, he decided that wasn’t the future he wanted, so he gathered up his courage and made the jump to acting.
Though Sadowski jokes about having played a hairdresser in the film, he says he learned a lot. “Every time you are on set you learn something different -- whether it’s the right or wrong thing to say to an actor in a certain situation, how to get a note from a director, or how to adjust to a note,” he says. “Every time you work, you keep your eyes and ears open for something that can help you.”
“I always wanted to be an actor but when you find out the average income for an actor is $10,000 a year, you have second thoughts,” he says. “I just wasn’t super excited about working at a desk the rest of my life, so I took a chance and made the jump into theatre.” He graduated in December 2001, and began working for his college roommate’s brother as a handyman in an apartment in Chicago, Illinois. A month later on January 24, 2002, Sadowski left the Midwest for Los Angeles, California, with $300.
Making ‘Die Hard’ Sadowski originally auditioned for the role of Matt Farrell in this past summer blockbuster, “Live Free or Die Hard.” He got a call back from the director saying he didn’t get the role but wanted to know if Sadowski was interested in another part.
“I do not miss those days, lots of Ramen Noodles,” Sadowski jokes. “I was really fortunate, the University of Illinois has a great network of people out here and I was living on the couch of a guy from my theatre program.”
Sadowski never got the message as he and some friends were on a ski trip. As soon as they got back, his agent called and told him to change his upcoming audition plans.
Sadowski quickly met his manager, Susan Yoo, and began working two jobs at a mall and restaurant to survive.
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By Chris Barrick (Butler 2004)
His agent said, “I think we are going to pass on the audition. You begin shooting “Die Hard” on Monday.”
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FEATURE “It was four months after the initial call that I found out about it and it absolutely just blew me away,” Sadowski says. “So I got the call on Friday and ran in to get my costume lined up and started shooting on Monday.” “Live Free or Die Hard” shot for seven weeks. “I remember sitting in this van with Maggie Q, Justin Long, and Tim Olyphant and thinking what am I doing here? I am working with Bruce Willis,” Sadowski recalls. “It’s moments like that when you feel a sense of accomplishment and now you are doing what you really want to be doing.”
Noted Hollywood Veteran Randall Wallace (Duke 1971) is a veteran screenwriter, producer, and director. He was nominated for an Oscar for best original screenplay with his script for “Braveheart.”
The premiere party is what seemed the most surreal.
He also has written, directed, and/or produced several TV shows and movies. His work includes “We Were Soldiers,” “Pearl Harbor,” and “The Man in the Iron Mask.”
“We were all back at Bruce’s house in New York and it was amazing because you don’t envision him standing on his furniture singing karaoke with the cast and crew.”
Wallace was raised in both Tennessee and Virginia throughout his childhood. He began writing stories at the age of seven, and by the time he graduated from high school, he had a great basis to begin a career in film making or as an author.
Sadowski says that many parts play into his rush for success. He says representation and learning from mistakes are key elements, but it often all boils down to luck. Other Projects
However, he had planned on becoming a minister or a songwriter, never a filmmaker. Wallace graduated from E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, Virginia, attended Duke University, and has a black belt in karate.
Sadowski has worked on several TV pilots, including “Pool Guys,” “My Exlife,” “Miss Guided.”
At the time Sadowski joined the chapter, it was on a down slope. The chapter had been the largest house on campus but for various reasons, a great deal of the membership had been asked to leave and they were down to only 40 members.
“I have been fortunate enough to be a part of the community to get a pilot every year,” he says.
“When people ask me about acting, you do what you want to do and success will come,” he says. “When I graduated there were over 100 guys, and it was just the most amazing experience of my life.”
In addition, he has made appearances on numerous other TV series, including “Entourage,” “LAX,” “The Division,” and on the network TV debut of “Chuck.” He also has a recurring role in the upcoming TV series, “The Sarah Connor Chronicles.”
Sadowski served as both external vice president and ritualist as an undergraduate. As vice president, he says speaking in front of sororities and campus leaders helped his confidence.
He also has a movie coming out next summer called, “Spring Breakdown.”
“Being ritualist was cool,” he says. “I remember the feeling of when I went through. Everybody in my class was gunning for the position. It was such a respected position in the house especially for the new guys.”
When Sadowski isn’t acting, he’s writing. He sold his first script, “This Bill Smith,” to Columbia Pictures. The story is about a 60-year-old man with terminal cancer who travels the country meeting some of the other 70,000 Bill Smiths.
Sadowski says that all undergraduates should make the most of their Fraternity experience and not let it pass them by. “The Fraternity experience is never over but when you graduate you just want it back,” he says. “It’s the Al Bundy syndrome -- you want to be a high school football player again. You don’t want to look back with regrets.”
The Fraternity When he entered college, Sadowski says he was anti-Greek. He did visit a few houses but never went through rush. Ironically, he then ended up going out with a bunch of the “Lamb Choppers” one night and the next day signed a bid card.
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