Beta Theta Pi - Purdue University

2 BETA MU LINK A Legacy of Leadership Michael Wells '75, Terri Earnest '66, and Stephen Poe '77 for their generosity to the Chapter and making his difficult job as treasurer much easier. He's also thankful for the board presidents he had the honor of working with, Bob Hall '72, Cary Wood '89, and Tom Hoover '82. As a true Man of Principle, Beta wasn't the only organization that benefited from Kevin's hard work and talents. Upon graduating from Purdue, Kevin was a computer systems analyst and COBOL programmer, working for Shell Oil and International Harvester in Chicago. He then moved back to his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana, and bought into his father-in-law's wholesale business. Following his father-in-law's retirement, Kevin became a co-owner with Jerry Solloway. Together, they grew the business to sales of more than $3 million over 13 years. While Kevin and Jerry were very successful, they decided to sell the business and embark on other endeavors. "I decided to go back to school and took 30 additional hours of course work to get the prerequisites to sit and pass the CPA exam. I then worked for a local CPA firm for five years," Kevin said. "My final career was working for Delphi Electronics Corporation as a CPA/ financial analyst for more than 13 years. I retired in January 2009." Amid all Kevin's accomplishments and lifelong dedication to Beta, he was blessed to have the full support of his first wife, Sene, whom he proposed to during his junior year Orchid formal dance. He'll never forget his Beta brothers throwing him into the Wabash River on December 13, 1969, to celebrate. "Sene and I were married for almost 43 years until she died of cancer in 2013," Kevin said. "My family is very important to me. Sene and I were blessed to raise three wonderful children." Family remains of the utmost importance in his marriage with his second wife, Sandy. They enjoy traveling and spending time with their 11 grandchildren. You can connect with Kevin at kmcomer111@aol.com. (Continued from page 1) Alumni Support Is Key to Beta Mu's Success Thank You for Your Commitment to BΘΠ! Howard Harman '51 Robert Knepper Jr. '55 John Young '56 Clifford Dunton '57 James Eibel '58 David Thompson '64 Dr. John DeVries '65 Steven Overbeck '65 Phillip Ward '65 Terri Earnest '66 John Mitchell '67 Richard Shoemaker '67 William Horton '70 Kevin Comer '71 Michael McCoy '73 William Irish '74 William Elmore '75 Michael Wells '75 George Cooper '78 Richard Bond '79 Thomas Lupfer '79 Andrew Stephens '79 Thomas Hoover' 82 Jay Merrell '82 John Miller '82 Patrick Shanahan '82 William Tippet '83 Michael DeMasie '86 Kent Whitaker '86 D. Page Hoover '91 Darren Lueking '93 John Tyrpin '94 Andrew Bauer '95 Nathan Weis '98 Chad Zamarin '98 Matthew Bundy '99 Byron Wheeler '99 Grant Hoover '14 W hen it comes to being a Man of Principle for a Principled Life, few Beta Mu Betas have been more successful than Stephen Bechtel Jr. '46. We're sad to share that Steve Jr. passed on to Memory and Our Mystic Shrine on March 15, 2021, but his legacy will never be forgotten within our brotherhood. Along with having several Beta brothers to look up to when he was at Purdue, Steve Jr. had two excellent role models in his grandfather, W. A. Bechtel, and his father, Steve Bechtel Sr. Steve Jr. cherished every moment he spent with his grandfather and father, as they built an extremely solid foundation of their family's renowned global engineering and construction company, Bechtel. "Hoover Dam was a make-or-break proposition for my grandfather," Steve Jr. stated on the history page on bechtel.com. "It became the birthplace of many of the great traditions of the present Bechtel organization." Steve Jr. began his decorated career with Bechtel as a field engineer in 1948 after he'd earned his engineering degree from Purdue and MBA from Stanford. As Steve Jr. stayed true to Beta's core values of mutual assistance, intellectual growth, trust, responsible conduct, and integrity in the early stages of his career, he proudly worked his way to succeeding his father as Bechtel's CEO in 1960. Steve Jr. took Bechtel to exponentially new heights during his 30 years as CEO. Signature projects that were completed under Steve Jr.'s leadership included the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in the San Francisco area, the King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, and the early stages of the Channel Tunnel between England and France. Bechtel has remained in great hands with Steve's successors, his son, Riley, and now his grandson, Brendan. "My grandfather leaves behind a remarkable legacy of accomplishment, integrity, excellence, and commitment to customers and communities," Brendan shared in a press release on bechtel.com. "In every aspect of his life, he was driven by his strong values and a vision for helping to build a better world, which continue to guide us in partnering with customers today." Family truly meant everything to Steve Jr. He and his wife, Betty, had five children, 16 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren. His family helped instill in him the importance of giving back. Steve Jr. founded the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation in 1957 to significantly enhance science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and the environment throughout California. According to Forbes, his foundation's $25 million gift to San Francisco's Presidio in 2013 was a record gift given to a national park. The New York Times also reported that S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation donated $50 million to help launch the Summit Bechtel National Scout Reserve in West Virginia in 2009. Amid Steve Jr.'s astounding accolades and charitable commitments, he remained dedicated to Developing Men of Principle for a Principled Life at Beta Mu. His generous contributions to the Beta Mu Chapter House Association and Beta Theta Pi Foundation will have a profound impact on Betas at Purdue for generations to come. Thank you, Steve Jr., for showing us what being a Beta is all about. A MARVELOUS BETA MU BUSINESSMAN Remembering Stephen Bechtel Jr. '46 B eta Mu extends its sincere thanks to the following brothers who supported Beta Mu since our publication last fall with dues and donations. Your commitment to our brotherhood means so much to our undergraduate brothers as they navigate an academic year unlike any other. To join these loyal brothers in supporting Beta Mu, please visit purduebeta.com and make your gift today.

• Cover