Beta Theta Pi - University of Kansas

2 W hen you ask Al Martin '68 about his favorite memories from 1425 Tennessee, it's hard to narrow it down to one choice. But that's a good thing. Like many brothers before and aer him, Al enjoyed the German and Turkey Pull parties in particular. "When Brother Bobby Douglass '69 was on lookout duty as the chapter house was open and being decorated inside with evergreens for the Turkey Pull, he caught some Phi Gams trying to steal trophies from the chapter house," Al says. "ere are shared experiences that are always a part of you. It is fun to reminisce and lie a bit about how great we were in the good ol' days. It is also enjoyable to hear about pledge brothers' kids, spouses, and what they are doing." Alpha Nu's pledge training was tough and time consuming, Al recalls, but it taught the men discipline and bonded brothers for life. When he ran for student body president, his brothers were right there supporting him. "KU Betas attracted me because of their focus on good grades and achievement generally, and I liked the guys I met, which was quite a few," he says. "e guys in the chapter house were great fellows and many were achievement focused, which created a healthy, friendly rivalry to do well that carried over in life aer KU." Following graduation, Al was draed into the Vietnam War and was sworn into the Navy Judge Advocate General program, requiring him to go to law school and pass a state bar exam before going into active duty. He worked on Wall Street in a law firm while waiting to see if he passed the bar. He was a Navy JAG from 1972-75. Al has worked in private practice since. Al has accomplished much in his expansive law career. From working with profit shares to writing a book, he has seen it all. Al wrote three books: one on Kansas corporation law (including tax aspects), a national book on limited liability companies, and a national book on what employers need to know about healthcare reform. "I like the client contact and dealing with the business owners about decisions of tax planning, buying and selling businesses, hiring employees, draing pension and/or profit sharing/401(k) plans," he says. "I have very much enjoyed my tax and business law work with closely held businesses and professional practices. Writing that first book and the NYU tax law program gave me a great foundation for much of the work I do." Al believed that there was too much focus on corporate law and decided to go back to NYU Law and take 12 courses on tax curriculum at the best tax program in the country. His advice to undergraduates and younger alumni is to find something you like and focus on it. Since 1985, Al has written a monthly newsletter for his national study group of tax lawyers. He stays active in this group by attending two meetings a year. e meetings are as much for enjoying professional friends as their content. For nearly three decades, he served as president of a small business tax lobbying group, the Small Business Council of America, a non-partisan and a strong influence on Capitol Hill. He remains a board member and vice president. Al lives in Lenexa, Kan., with his wife, Yona. ey have three sons: Scott, Brad, and Reid. He stays in contact with several Alpha Nu brothers, as many live in the area. ey had their 45th reunion last fall the week of Late Night in the Phog at Allen Fieldhouse. He enjoys playing golf, reading, watching KU basketball, and spending time with his three sons and grandchildren. Al loves being at an ocean with a good beach, and he and Yona have a condo in Naples, Florida, that they enjoy using. Al Martin '68 Remembers His Time at Alpha Nu Congratulations, seniors! Max Bagby '16 Major: Accounting Max will go into an accounting master's program. Charlie Bakula '16 Major: Finance Charlie will work at Hallmark. Ryan Ball '16 Major: Petroleum Engineering Ryan Ball is working for BWAB Oil & Gas in Denver. Corbin Barnds '16 Major: Finance and Economics Corbin will work at Bank of America/ Merrill Lynch. Parker Conlin '16 Major: Masters of Accounting Parker will work at KPMG in New York. Andrew Craig '16 Major: Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration Andrew will intern at CPChem in Houston. Reid Hildenbrand '16 Major: Accounting and Finance Reid will work at Kansas City Fellows. Andrew Howard '16 Major: Chemical Engineering Andrew is working for Westar Energy in Lawrence. Congratulations to our graduating seniors!

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