Beta Theta Pi - University of Missouri

Building on a Tradition of Excellence Alumnus Gives to Zeta Phi Mark Bumgarner '83 Invests in the Future of Beta Theta Pi M ark Bumgarner '83 didn't know much about fraternities before attending the University of Missouri, and he wasn't sure he even wanted to join one. But through the influence of Charlie Brown '61 and Dave Spence '80, he was convinced to join Beta. "I recognized very early on the strengths of the chapter," Mark said. "The Betas were respected on campus. Everyone had ambitions. They were good guys and it was a great environment. From the beginning I was proud and thankful I joined. The Betas helped set me up to be successful." When he arrived at MU, Mark was unsure of what career path he wanted to take. But he believes surrounding himself with his ambitious, bright fraternity brothers motivated him to succeed. "I owe a lot to the Betas," Mark said. "I had no idea what I was going to do when I went to college. Just being around a group of guys, all who wanted to succeed, pushed me." Because of his Beta brothers, Mark landed a job as a bartender at Bullwinkle's, now called The Fieldhouse. Through this job and Beta connections (John Hillhouse '69 and John Hofman '82) he met some employees of PricewaterhouseCoopers, a company that works with clients around the globe. "A naïve kid from Lebanon, Missouri, has ended up living abroad and traveling all over the world due to my experiences with the Betas," Mark said. Mark's brothers influenced him during his undergraduate years and they continue to impact his life. Because of their commitment to Zeta Phi, Mark, along with pledge brother Tom McMillin '83, decided to give to the Building on a Tradition of Excellence campaign with a room named for them. "I believe that the Betas were one of the most important factors in my life. They gave a lot to me," he said. "Zeta Phi is one of the top chapters in the country, and I was happy to have the opportunity to give back to something that did so much for me." Mark gave to the campaign because he wanted to make sure opportunities were available to future members of Beta Theta Pi, including his son, Luke '15. "When Luke was talking about whether he wanted to be in a fraternity, I told him that he should look at Beta because they have good guys, good grades, and good athletics," Mark said. "I like the guys that Luke is around in the house—they encourage success. It's fun to see Luke experience many of the same things I did." Mark and his wife, Kenya, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma at MU, live in St. Louis. Their daughter, Anna, followed in her mother's footsteps and joined Kappa Kappa Gamma at Ole Miss. E-mail Mark at mark.bumgarner@ us.pwc.com. John McCoy '71 Encourages Alumni to Support Zeta Phi Chapter J Alumnus Contributes to Capital Campaign to Make a Difference ohn McCoy '70 was one of the few in his pledge class who participated in open rush. He met all of the fraternities on campus, but knew Beta Theta Pi was the best fit for him. "I can still remember the day I was accepted was one of my proudest moments as an undergraduate. One of my fondest memories was snake dancing from the quad to the house singing 'Marching Along.'" After joining Zeta Phi Chapter, academics became a top priority for John. At MU he earned a bachelor's degree in public administration and a master's degree in health services management. John's dedication to academics helped him earn a Ph.D. in healthcare administration at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, while also working there. "I quickly learned that I didn't want to be a four walls guy, so I started a small consulting business in healthcare administration." The McCoy Companies eventually focused on senior health and housing facilities and at one time had nearly 4,000 employees. "I always considered myself to be an overachiever. Once I became a Beta, I saw how driven and intelligent the other guys were. I am thankful for how they helped pushed me to become better." John feels it is important to give back to the chapter that greatly impacted his life. He has also encouraged other brothers to get involved. "I told them that if you can, then you should. In order to remain competitive, we need to have an attractive house. We had a great house when we were in the chapter, and we owe it to those who follow us to provide the same." When John joined Zeta Phi, the chapter house was only two years old. He wants members to experience a chapter house that is as uplifting now as it was then. "I expect Zeta Phi Chapter to be the best. When I found out about the capital campaign, I was totally in favor of it and willing to do my share." "We had a great house when we were in the chapter and we owe it to those who follow us to provide the same." John has lived in Florida for almost 40 years and has had many brothers visit him, one for 36 consecutive years. He and his wife, Rozzy, a Kappa at Mizzou, dated in college and now have two daughters. Whitney and Ali are both Alpha Delta Pis from Vanderbilt and the University of North Carolina, respectively, and were both chapter presidents. "The first three songs my daughters learned were 'Marching Along,' 'The Frog Song,' and 'The Mizzou Fight Song,'" John said. He lives in Celebration, Florida, and Highlands, North Carolina. He can be contacted at mccoycodrjam@aol.com.

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