TAU TALK
ALPHA TAU OMEGA AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
FALL 2020
G
reat things are happening at Gamma Upsilon. Of the
124 brothers in the active chapter, 20 earned 4.0s
and 52 made the Dean's List for the spring semester.
The men of Gamma Upsilon had a cumulative 3.58 GPA,
which is the highest mark in our chapter's history.
Another True Merit Bowl was added to the trophy case
this year. That makes five years in a row and 22 total
for our brotherhood. National awards of Excellence in
Scholarship and Excellence in Communication were also
presented to the active chapter. It has been great to see that
the undergraduates have been rewarded for their academic
achievements with scholarships from Gamma Upsilon,
which you can read more about on Page 2. A great thanks
to all alumni who have helped make these life-changing
awards possible.
There are 41 members living in the chapter house, 46
out-of-house actives and a new member class of 37. Of
the 130 students who went through an abbreviated formal
recruitment this fall, 82% had ATΩ in their top three
preferences. Prior to this formal recruitment, 30 potential
new members had already signed bid cards. Gamma
Upsilon could have had 80-plus new members, but only
extended bids to the best of the best.
The chapter's finances are strong, as past rent obligations
have been satisfied. Reserves are being built as well. With
your generous contributions, major renovations have
occurred over the past six years. Smaller projects like the
revamping of the laundry room took place this summer.
New furnishings and floors were installed in the laundry
room and basement hallway to go along with new washers
being donated by a member's family. New projects to
further enhance your beloved home at ISU are in the works.
The chapter house looks great and the undergraduates take
pride in its appearance and upkeep. The American flag and
the ATΩ flag are flown proudly in the front lawn.
ATΩ alumni should be very proud of the status and
condition of the chapter house. It is because of you that
Gamma Upsilon has experienced so much growth over the
past 112 years.
It has been an honor and privilege to have been part of this
amazing ride. Thank you for allowing me to
share in it.
Sincerely,
Mike Kelly
House Director
ACADEMICS AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH AT ATΩ
Gamma Upsilon Has a Strong Start to Fall Semester
Alpha Tau Omega Brotherhood
Gamma Upsilon Helped John VanderLinden'79
Succeed in College and Beyond
W
hen John VanderLinden '79 came to
Ames from Des Moines, he wasn't far
from home, but it was the first time he
was truly on his own. He'd always thought
about joining a fraternity, and while going
through rush, it was the impression the ATΩ
brothers made on him and the feeling of home
that made it the right fit. Once a member of
Gamma Upsilon, he had the support he needed
to be successful in college—support from
brothers that helped him at ATΩ and beyond.
"You find your people, and they support you.
Just being a part of that group of people looking
out for each other was what helped me through
college," he said. "I didn't have a straight line
through college—it was more of a zig-zag, but
through it all, I always stayed in touch with my
fraternity brothers."
Alpha Tau Omega was a touchstone for John
and provided him with the tools to succeed
at Iowa State, as well as in his post-college
endeavors. Summers during college, John had a
job at Bankers Trust in Des Moines, where he
ended up working in bank operations following
graduation. From there, he obtained a research
job with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago;
he worked there for 10 years. During that time,
he took night classes and earned his MBA
from the University of Illinois-Chicago. After
(Continued on page 4)
John VanderLinden '79 with his children,
Jason, Ethan, Brendan, and Emma.
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Alpha Tau Omega -
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