Sigma Phi Epsilon - Oklahoma State University

PRIDE IN OUR PAST, ENSURING OUR FUTURE: THE CAMPAIGN FOR OKLAHOMA ALPHA P rior to attending Oklahoma State Univer- sity, then called Oklahoma A&M, Jerry Tyson '58 had no knowledge of Greek life or had even considered joining a fraternity. When his high school classmate and friend, Donald Paul Patterson '58, pledged Sigma Phi Epsilon, he invited Jerry to the chapter for dinner. "The fraternity then invited me to join and I became an official member. I have appreciated the member- ship ever since." Jerry fondly remembers how diversified the mem- bership was and the copious amount of awards they received, including the best Homecoming float, the All Sports trophy, and various honors in the College Sing. He is not only proud that the chapter today maintains this legacy of achieve- ment and academic accomplishment, but also proud of alumni involvement. Following in their footsteps, Jerry has remained an active alumnus to expand his horizons, meet more people, and participate in a myriad of activities. Not only has Jerry attended the annual T. Bone McDonald Golf Classic, but he has also attended tailgates and is planning on attending more. "The benefit of remaining involved is you will meet new brothers and may see some brothers you went to school with. My advice is to try one thing because if you attend one activity you will definitely attend more." From sitting down to a formal dinner and enjoying engaging conver- sations to watching TV with his brothers, Oklahoma Alpha Chapter has left a major imprint on Jerry's life. "It made me less shy and more prepared to take on new challenges. Being in Sigma Phi Epsilon even helped me in both of my careers." Jerry joined the Naval Reserve his freshman year and applied for the Navy's Officer Candidate Pro- gram upon graduation. Once completed, he was commissioned and received orders to a ship in Pearl Harbor. After completing three years in ac- tive duty, he returned to the mainland for civilian life. He strived for two years to establish his interior design trade, but ultimately found his way back to service in the form of logistics management with the Air Force at Kelly Air Force Base in San An- tonio. Jerry continued his Naval Reserve career until his retirement in 1985 as a commander with 32 years of service. He retired from his career in logistics management in 1993. Ultimately, he advises undergraduates to follow a path that is associ- ated with their interests. Jerry still pursues his interests with the Joint City County Commission for the Elderly where he advocates for the elderly and represents his county commission. He is also an active member of the Texas Silver Haired Legislature, which writes resolu- tions and forwards them to the Texas legislature. "I have always been interested in art as well. I create art pieces and have donated to numer- ous fundraisers. I am doing what I have always wanted to do!" Jerry lives in San Antonio, Texas, and can be reached at jerry.r.tyson@ gmail.com. Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love How Jerry tySon '58 ServeS HiS Country and fraternity T he Oklahoma Alpha annual T. Bone Mc- Donald Golf Classic was held in May in Tulsa, Okla., at the Page Belcher Golf Club. This year's event turned out to be one of the largest T. Bone Golf Classic's the alumni brothers of Okla- homa Alpha have ever seen. With more than 60 alumni and friends of SigEp teeing it up in honor of our late T. Bone McDonald, it was a day filled with fun, competition, and SigEp camaraderie. What made this year's event so special was the amount of support we received from our sponsors, with a record number of sponsors, all of which were alumni of Oklahoma Alpha! Because of our loyal sponsors we were able to provide our golfers with everything they need- ed to have a great day, leaving them to focus on the heated competition on the greens. This year's winning team, with a score of -17, was Nick O'Hara '15, Trace Drum- mond '15, Matt Brauer '14 and Jake Floresca '15. They were able to post a score low enough to be the first team inscribed on the new T. Bone McDonald Golf Classic trophy that will be displayed in the new Okla- homa Alpha chapter house. With this annual tournament, we are able to raise funds for an educational scholarship in the name of our late Leon "T. Bone" McDonald '48. In continuing with T. Bone's great legacy we were able to raise $2,750 this year in one of the largest donations ever to the scholarship fund. In the words I'm sure T. Bone would endorse, "everyone who played and donated to this year's event are STUDS!" Congratulations to this year's winning team. We hope to see everyone join us next year as the tournament rotates back to the Okla- homa City metro area. Dates are being dis- cussed but our focus is to keep the tournament between mid-April and Memorial Day weekend. Stay tuned for more info! Fraternally, Chas Schoolcraft '14 T.Bone's Memory Honored on the Greens "The benefit of remaining involved is you will meet new brothers and may see some broth- ers you went to school with. My advice is to try one thing because if you attend one activity you will definitely attend more." Don't miss the next T. Bone McDonald Golf Classic!

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