Sigma Chi - University of Mississippi

FINDING A FOREVER BROTHERHOOD After growing up learning about the teachings of Sigma Chi from his father, a member of Zeta Psi Chapter at the University of Cincinnati, Sam Haskell III '77 headed to Ole Miss with his sight set on the fraternity. Although he kept an open mind during recruitment, he kept accepting invitations to come back to Sigma Chi and was thrilled to become a part of Eta Chapter. "The next four years as a Sigma Chi were some of the best of my life," Sam shared. "My wife, Mary Donnelly-Haskell, was president of the Sigma Chi little sisters." With many fantastic Eta memories, there's one that stands out the most— the three semesters he served as magister. He loved sharing his values and principles with his younger brothers, and the strong bond they shared grew stronger as he watched them succeed. They remain close to this day, and Sam is proud of the impact he had on their lives. "I believe that being a part of Eta Chapter, and the Sigma Chi fraternity in general, gave me instant friends and a brotherhood of guys who were like me, who had the same ambitions and the same sense of humor I had. Sam continues to stay in touch with his brothers, and he and Mary even recently held a reunion for 100 Sigma Chis from the '70s at their home in Magnolia Hill. PURSUING PASSIONS Sam's dream was to work in Hollywood. During college, he researched ways of breaking into the film industry, and all roads led to the William Morris Agency. After a series of successful interviews, he was grateful to get his foot in the door through a position in the mailroom, and it was all uphill from there. He moved up through the ranks, becoming an agent and representing stars from George Clooney and Dolly Parton to Tony Danza and Martin Short. He worked with Ray Romano and was especially proud to put together Everybody Loves Raymond, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Sam left the William Morris Agency in pursuit of his dream of becoming a producer, and in 2012, he started Magnolia Hill Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Sam's passion is creating movies that bring families together, which is especially important in today's world. . Dolly Parton, who had been one of Sam's clients, joined him as a producing partner, and together, they have produced 12 movies, including Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors and last year's Christmas on the Square, which won an Emmy for Best Television Movie. "It's just been a great journey for me, and I feel very blessed," Sam shared. "I think the teachings and the lessons learned as a Sigma Chi in those formative years were a great part of setting me on the path to success." PAYING IT FORWARD "My mother taught me as a little boy that a blessing that comes to your life is not really a blessing unless you can share it and push it forward." Sam has always known that philanthropy is important, especially in success, and he is dedicated to giving his time, talent, and treasure to his community. He is chairman of the Mary Kirkpatrick Haskell Scholarship Foundation, created in his mother's memory to provide deserving children the opportunity to attend colleges and universities in the state of Mississippi. He has also supported Sigma Chi, the brotherhood that helped shape him to be who he is today, through the Building on a Tradition of Excellence campaign. You can connect with Sam at samhaskell@magnoliahillproductions.com to learn more about his career. WATCH SAM'S NEW MOVIES: The Waltons' Thanksgiving airs on the CW Network on November 20. Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas airs on NBC on December 1. 2 Sam Haskell III '77 Credits Sigma Chi for His Success SAM'S TOP THREE BUSINESS LESSONS: • Maintain and foster great relationships. "You never know when those relationships might come back to help you." • Lead with character and integrity in business. "I believe that, when you have all the leverage in making a deal, you should still leave something on the table for the other side, even if you don't have to." • Nurture the two types of power: character and learned skills. "If you can nurture those, you can do anything you want, and it will come back to you tenfold." A D r e a m C ome T r u e "I chose Sigma Chi because the values they showed correlated with my values. Being a part of the brotherhood gives me the opportunity to do something meaningful in my community, but it also gives me leadership skills that will help me when I am older. I wanted to be surrounded by people who were going to push me to be my best self, and in return I'd push them. Sigma Chi is a brotherhood that is recognized around the world, and to be a part of it means a lot." –Hayes Olin Why Some of Our New Members Joined Sigma Chi A SUPPORTIVE BROTHERHOOD "I chose to join Sigma Chi because I wanted to experience a brotherhood that would last me well beyond my college years. I saw it as a place where I could get involved and make an impact and build skills and connections that would help me later in life. I wanted to be surrounded by people who support me and would push me to be successful and ambitious." –Cooper Law "I chose Sigma Chi because it was clear that this chapter is about something bigger than myself. This fraternity has similar morals to my personal life and will set me up with many opportunities in the future." –Ashton Frankel

• Cover