Sigma Alpha Epsilon - Michigan State University

Gamma Phone G rowing up in the 1950s was a fun time," says Bob Leich '61. "The country was flexing its muscle and we were privileged. The sun came up every day and life was terrific." It was in this timeframe that Bob made his way to Michigan State and found SAE through a friend from high school. "I didn't have any knowledge of the fraternities going into college, but I found that all the activity was at SAE. I was convinced that was where I wanted to be." College was a time of learning and exploring for Bob, both inside and out of the classroom. While getting his degree took longer than the typical four years, with time spent working for his father and in the Army reserves, Bob doesn't regret the path he took. "Your education is important, but college is also a place to grow up. Some of the most important things you take from college are the experiences you have and the people you meet." Bob's studies in engineering and production management took him on a manufacturing path starting with the Ford plant in Dearborn, Mich., followed by two years as a manufacturer's representative. He soon started his own business, an endeavor that has lasted 48 years. His company, Camdex, provides automatic ammunition systems to ammunition markets all over the world. His job led him back to SAE as an alumnus when his steel provider turned out to be Bill Fiscus '50. "When Bill learned that I was an SAE, he brought me back to Lansing and got me active assisting the chapter as an alumnus. Bill was instrumental in keeping the alumni group together and acquiring a house for the fraternity after the house on Bogue Street had been lost. When Bill got sick he asked me to continue working with SAE. I stayed with it for 15 years as a personal commitment to him and it was always fun." Those SAE friendships have stuck with Bob throughout the years and hold a special place. "When you're with people who you spent a lot of time with, it's just comfortable. There's no one-upmanship and you don't have to explain things. It's just fun to be with people who you've experienced so much with." Looking back on the years since college, Bob shares, "I've got no regrets. All of the experiences I've ever had that felt awful at first have turned out to be favorable when I take a second look at the circumstances. All of the obstacles make you a much stronger person. I try not to look to the negative because I know there's a positive coming in front of it." Bob lives in Bloomfield, Mich., with his wife, Linda. They have three daughters and seven grandchildren. Bob spends his free time cooking, traveling, and enjoying and restoring classic cars. He can be reached at camdexload@aol.com. And as Bill always said, "Fraternity starts after the bills are paid." The Journey of Growing Up Spotlight on Bob Leich '61 Social Side of Fraternity Prepared Ron Reame '67 for success T hough he didn't know any SAEs at the time, the quick meetings during recruitment gave Ron Reame '67 the peek into fraternity life that he needed. "I went through rush at Michigan State and went to what I thought were the best houses at the time. I felt that SAE was the very best. I selected them and, fortunately, they selected me. They just seemed like the coolest fraternity and I wasn't disappointed." Ron left his mark, coming up with uniquely themed parties that were soon copied by others. Florida parties and hay parties topped the list and Ron's position as social chairman boded well for his career path when college ended. "The experience of being an SAE really helped me from a social perspective as far as interaction with others, getting along with people, and entertaining new people. That was a big part of business when I started my career and knowing how to handle customer interactions and entertainment was certainly an advantage." His work experiences began in larger companies, including GM, Comerica bank, and IBM, where he caught the entrepreneurial spirit and realized that he wanted to start a business of his own. Working for American Natural Gas and Michigan Consolidated Gas further increased that desire. Remaining in the realm of technology, Ron started several companies in the tech sector including hardware, software, training, and equipment leasing companies. "I didn't feel that it was a fit for me to be in a large organization, although I got along well and the large environments helped me to develop my sales skills and management abilities. If I felt enough things in those places didn't make sense to me, then maybe I should be making my own decisions. It was risky going out on my own, but I was willing to take those risks." For those looking to explore their own path in business, Ron has this advice, "If you have an entrepreneurial bent, find out what it takes to run a medium or larger organization. They can give you a perspective of how to run a company. Then when you're out on your own, you'll have that experience to guide you. You'll have to be very disciplined and prepared for the rigors of being an entrepreneur." Now, mostly retired, Ron stays involved in his training business and travels between Michigan, Florida, and New York with his wife, Nancy. He's been the driving force in keeping the SAEs from 1963-72 in touch and has planned many reunions, sometimes seeing as many as 100 brothers return. "We've had several reunions and it always seems like it was only yesterday that we were all in school. All of the memories are there and it's fun to see guys who were reluctant to come say that they couldn't believe how much fun they had and how great it was to see everyone." Ron can be reached at rreame@nhboston.com.

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