Delta Tau Delta - University of Kansas

Eleven Eleven Report Gamma Tau Chapter of Delta Tau Delta university of kansas Attention: This newsletter is intended for alumni, undergraduates, and parents. If your son is still attending the University of Kansas, he will receive a copy at the chapter house. If he has graduated, please send his permanent address to ksdelts@gmail.com to update our records. Thank you. Delta Tau Delta Society P.O. Box 7223 Overland Park, KS 66207-0223 Address Service Requested L F Twitter - @KansasDelts Facebook - Kansas Delts Chapter Website - kansasdelts.org Alumni News Wayne Stallard '48 is 90 years old and still ac- tive in Rotary, church, and bridge club. Delta Tau Delta and KU meant a lot to him in his undergrad- uate years and still do today. He lives in Shawnee Mission, Kan. E-mail: delthank@yahoo.com William Federick Grosser III '51 and his wife, Wanda, are enjoying their retired years at the Sa- lina Presbyterian Manor in Salina, Kan. They en- joy following Jayhawks football and basketball games on TV. Vernon H. Shull '57 lives in a retirement home in Ridgecrest, Calif. He practiced medicine for 45 years. Vernon enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and watching birds and animals. E-mail: vernshull@mail.com Robert Kerlinger Jr. '60 volunteers with his lo- cal Kiwanis Club, which has been working with a school for disabled children in Mongolia. In the fall of 2016, Bob had the chance to visit the school as a guest at their 40th anniversary event. While there, he also had the opportunity to start the first Kiwanis Club in Mongolia. Bob lives in Poquo- son, Va. E-mail: robert.kerlinger@gmail.com One aspect of our chapter that many may not know is that the Delts have the only piece of property on university land that is privately owned by the Delta Tau Delta House Corporation. We all be- lieved that KU wanted to acquire the Delt house for the land value, and that KU was interested in the property for a new football dorm. They were hopeful the house would fail, be forced to sell, and close or move to a new location. Many of us heard this and made the statement, "Hell no!" We all wanted to preserve the Shelter and especially its premier location on campus. This is when the 1111 Fund was established. Cliff Jury '80 and I came up with the concept of the 1111 Fund to establish a pool of capital exclusively for the chapter restoration. We raised $335,000 from Delts who had the same com- mitment of preserving the house and bringing it back to what we all remembered: a fraternity and house that gave us so much, and laid the ground work of who we are today. Those generous Delts included Ed Ryan '80, TJ Rasmussen '82, Mark Rasmussen '84, Raul Brito '80, Fred Schaffer '82, Bart Baker '79, Pat McNerney '80, Mike Leach '80, Bill Horigan '71, Curt Evanson '81, Jeff Gelvin '78, and Buzz Har- rell '79. Cliff and I worked the financial issues, including restructuring the mortgage and spread- ing the capital around when needed. Implement- ing the restoration took a lot of work as well. Karl Bricker and Brad Elsten '92 were instru- mental in working with contractors, overseeing many of the restoration projects, and did an ex- cellent job spending the money wisely. Through- out this process, we recruited Dave Lady '80 to become the new House Corporation's president, and Dave assembled a solid board to bring the house back to its prior glory. I truly believe that without this group effort, the house may not have been in existence today. The 1111 Fund was also the beginning of the recent capital campaign. Many brothers came to the chapter's aid by contributing more than a million dollars, which was greatly needed for the ongoing success of the house. All participants should be proud of what you have committed, and everyone is thankful for your help! I know I am leaving out several brothers who were instrumental in turning the house around, with not only the commitment of time and mon- ey, but also the faith and love for the Delt house and what it stands for. I spent four years and two summers living in the house, and I believe they were some of the best times of my life and made me into who I am today. I am hopeful that every Delt shares the same commitment and passion for the house that I have, and continues to go by the house on game days, reaches out on occasion to your Delt brothers, and remembers the house with your commitment of time and generosity. I have a framed poem behind my desk in my of- fice, Rudyard Kipling's If. If you haven't read it, look it up! This is what I believe the Delt way of life to be. I know all who participated in the 1111 Fund believe this to be true. It ends with, "Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And – Which is more – you'll be a Man, my son." Fraternally, Jim Benson '82 The Delt Comeback (Continued from page 1)

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