Delta Tau Delta - University of Oklahoma

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA W hen Ben Byers '73 joined Delta Tau Delta with two of his closest friends, h e d i d n ' t r e a l i z e a t t h e t i m e t h a t he would become part of something much bigger than himself. Ben reflects on his undergraduate experiences in D e l t a A l p h a a s s o m e o f h i s m o s t cherished memories and he values the friendships, brotherhood, and life skills that the chapter provided him. "The meaningfulness of my undergraduate experience has changed dramatically over time. Initially, it was meaningful to get to know fellow undergraduates and enjoy collegiate experiences with them. Over time, this meaningfulness has deepened and has grown richer," he says. The lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories that Delta Alpha provided have kept Ben permanently invested in the chapter. Having demonstrated tremendous leadership by serving as the house corporation president for Delta Alpha for the past 15 years, Ben truly values the importance of alumni involvement and support in order for the chapter to thrive for years to come. He says, "Through the dedication of John W. Nichols '36, John Brock '53, Fred Gist '73, Ron McCord '73, and Dan Evatt '74, Delta Alpha has made significant strides in rebuilding the powerful membership and alumni base that we are proud to have today. I would like to thank each and every Delt alumnus who has supported Delta Alpha over the past 15 years, and thank the undergraduate men of Delta Alpha for continuing a tradition of excellence at the University of Oklahoma. The fraternity is bigger and more important than any one of us. I know each of you will agree that Delta Alpha has given us more than we can ever repay. The chapter would not exist today without your support." As an alumnus, Ben maintains strong connections with Delta Alpha brothers, and he encourages alumni to do the same. He thoroughly enjoyed the Delta Alpha pledge class reunion that took place a few years ago, and is eager to attend the alumni luncheon in Oklahoma City for Delts from all chapters to stay in touch. "Staying connected is a win- win situation. Alumni can revisit their Delt experiences through the lives of the current u n d e r g r a d u a t e s . T h e u n d e r g r a d u a t e s c a n benefit by seeking the advice and counsel of successful alumni." When asked what message he would write to his Delt brothers and put in a time capsule for them to read 20 years from now, Ben says, "I would love to learn about their lives, families, and careers. More Delt, Less Self!" Ben has enjoyed a fulfilling career in the trust and investment field as a senior officer and shareholder of the Trust Company of Oklahoma. TCO is a private trust company serving families, individuals, foundations, and businesses, with more than $4 billion dollars under management. The company has offices located in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. "My family is my proudest achievement. The most important decision I ever made was asking Terry Green, who is a Kappa Kappa Gamma alumna, to marry me. We have been married for 43 years and have two daughters who have blessed us with four grandchildren. John Nichols '36 was fond of saying that he attributed everything meaningful he ever accomplished to his wife, Mary, his faith, Delta Tau Delta, and the University of Oklahoma. I look at my life the same way." When he is not hard at work, Ben and Terry enjoy spending time with family, traveling to their home in The Villages, Florida, playing g o l f , c o o k i n g , e n t e r t a i n i n g f r i e n d s , a n d restoring classic cars. Their oldest daughter, Brooke, is an OU undergraduate and OU Law School graduate. Brooke and her husband, Travis, have two sons, Jacob (12) and Benjamin (7). Their youngest daughter, Meredith, and her husband, Jason, have two daughters, Madeline (5) and Landry (3). You can contact Ben at bbyers@trustok.com. More Delt, Less Self Ben Byers '73 Dedicated to the Success of Delta Alpha " " "Staying connected is a win-win situation. Alumni can revisit their Delt experiences through the lives of the current undergraduates. The undergraduates can benefit by seeking the advice and counsel of successful alumni." Page 3 David Authier '18 • Colleyville, Texas Cy Bergner '19 • Dallas, Texas Camden Boudreau '18* • Tulsa, Okla. (Grandfather Rex Boudreau '68) Connor Bridges '19 • Lawton, Okla. Austin Brown '19 • Wichita, Kan. Austin Colby '19 • Greenwood Village, Colo. Frank Colin '19 • Fort Worth, Texas Ben Cooper '19 • Houston, Texas Mason Crook '19 • Norman, Okla. Adam DeLaney '19 • Kingsville, Texas Miller Donham '19 • Dallas, Texas Will Farish '19 • Midland, Texas Reilly Freeman '19 • Fort Worth, Texas Dylan Graves '19 • McKinney, Texas Grant Haggard '19 • Oklahoma City, Okla. Kevin Helm '19 • San Antonio, Texas Christian Hill '19 • Aledo, Texas Spencer Hutka '19 • Colleyville, Texas Dillon Hyden '19 • Norman, Okla. Zach Kelley '19 • Oklahoma City, Okla. Karsten Kenworthy '18 • Edmond, Okla. Joe Krodel '19 • Norman, Okla. Reed Marchino '19 • McKinney, Texas Chris Matula '19 • Highlands Ranch, Colo. Jansen Matzell '19 • Oklahoma City, Okla. Travis McDonald '19 • Keller, Texas Austin McKee '19 • Flower Mound, Texas Andrew Miller '19 • Tulsa, Okla. Tre Neil '19 • Norman, Okla. Taylor Nicholas '19 • Stratford, Texas Elliot Nichols '19 • Keller, Texas Jay Nickell '19 • Wadsworth, Ill. Matt Peace '19 • Oklahoma City, Okla. Holtan Pierce '19 • New Braunfels, Texas Trey Pruett '19 • Argyle, Texas Zach Seabrook '19 • Wichita, Kan. James Skelly '19 • Houston, Texas Luke Snowden '19 • Coppell, Texas Austin St. Denis '19 • Houston, Texas Cody Thurman '18 • Tulsa, Okla. Michael Tonielli '19* • Boca Raton, Fla. (Brother John Tonielli '14) Chris Vanston '19 • Houston, Texas Michael Vascil '19* • Frisco, Texas (Father John Vascil, Gamma Upsilon '83, Brothers Garrett Vascil '14 and Joshua Vascil '15) Benji Vasquez '19 • Fort Worth, Texas Rhett Wallis '19 • Edmond, Okla. Thomas Wimberly '19 • Houston, Texas Zach Zembraski '19 • Argyle, Texas *Legacy; relative in parentheses Welcome, New Members

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