Lambda Chi Alpha - Oregon State University

Page 3 Y oung men join fraternities for a variety of reasons. For Bob Madsen '47-532, there were several reasons. He grew up hearing his father (Alvin Madsen 1921-89) and two of his uncles (Victor Madsen 1922-94 and Harold Larson 1924-116) sharing their fond memories of Lambda Chi Alpha at Oregon State. When he arrived at OSU himself, he and a close friend looked into Alpha Lambda and found that they had a great location near campus—and that it was less expensive than the men's dorm. "ose things, and the fact that we were readily accepted, helped me decide to pledge and move into the Lambda Chi house," Bob recalls. For Martin Nygaard '49-583, the motivation was brotherhood and academics. He joined Alpha Lambda along with several students from his hometown of Astoria, Oregon. "I wasn't the brightest student in the room, and I felt that maybe those brothers could help me get through." Martin attended Pacific Lutheran University for his first year of college then transferred to Oregon State, where he graduated three years later. Bob and Martin had something in common besides Lambda Chi: both were in the School of Forestry— Bob in forest management and Martin in forest engineering. ey recently spoke on the phone and enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect. n Life in Forestry Martin spent his career in the private sector, starting by logging with his father and uncle on the Columbia River until their retirement. He started logging on his own at the age of 25 in his own company, M. Nygaard Logging. He later had two sons, Dave and John, and a daughter, Marty; his sons now run the company—now called Warrenton Fiber Company—which makes chips for the pulp mills on the Columbia River. Martin was elected president of the Oregon Logging Congress in 1995, later followed by his son Dave in 2005. Bob had a long, enjoyable, and varied career with the Oregon Department of Forestry, spanning over a 50-year period. He began as a seasonal forest fire crewman in May 1943, working in many more roles through the decades—Forest Warden, Assistant District Warden (one of the youngest in the state at the time), Chief Inspector for Eastern Oregon, Service Forestry Program Coordinator (statewide), and many more. He retired as Service Forestry Program Director for the state in 1992, having worked in that role since 1987. In 2016, Bob was awarded the Oregon Society of American Forestry's Lifetime Achievement Award. n School Days Both men learned a great deal about etiquette and manners in Alpha Lambda; Bob feels this served him well in his management career when it came to banquets and formal dinners. Martin added, "We had to wear a necktie to dinner every night, so maybe that shaped me up!" Bob fondly remembers many games, such as ping pong and pool in the basement, as well as the Interfraternity Sing. One of Martin's favorite memories was buying a car in December 1950. He parked it at the house, and it didn't move for a month because it was covered in snow! He also married his high school sweetheart in the spring of 1951. Where Lambda Chi truly helped him, however, was his studies. A forest engineering advisor encouraged him to seek another track, warning him he would be there an extra year. "And I said, 'No—I'm going to be here for three years,'" Martin remembers. When he struggled with grades, the chapter president and vice president spent a semester studying with him five nights a week, making sure he didn't flunk out. "ey gave me help that was hard to find outside of a fraternity." n For Lambda Chi ese positive memories and lessons inspired both men to contribute to the Building for Our Second Century campaign. "When I was attending Oregon State, we had a very nice facility to live in that Alpha Lambda alumni had made available to us," Bob said. "Out of gratitude, I wanted to contribute to the long-term, successful future of Alpha Lambda." "I met a lot of great people through Lambda Chi and the School of Forestry," Martin added. Bob and Martin have kept up with various alumni over the years through reunions, phone and mail, and other means. Both men knew another fellow forestry student in the chapter: the late Karl Byers Jr. '49-581. Martin continued to work with Karl aer college in the Oregon Logging Conference; Bob got to know Karl better over the years at many alumni reunions. Bob and his wife enjoy spending time with their large family as well as lots of travel—including more than half the states and many countries. Martin likes to check in on his sons at the office in addition to helping his nephew tend to his 100-plus cows and mow their fields. He also held Oregon State football season tickets for 60 years with seats on the 50-yard line. You can reach Bob at madsenrg@comcast.net and Martin at marive@aol.com. Lessons from Lambda Chi Forestry Graduates Bob Madsen '47-532 and Martin Nygaard '49-583 Discuss Their Support for the Chapter Bob Madsen '47-532 Martin Nygaard '49-583

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