Delta Upsilon - University of Illinois

I n 1955, freshmen at the University of Illinois were given two housing options: attend fraternity rush one week before the semester began or ask for a dorm room. Hank Lang '59 chose the former, and the next thing he knew, he was exploring the fraternity neighborhood with a school-provided map. As Hank walked by the Delta Upsilon Chapter House, a local alumnus was working with a group of Boy Scouts in the front yard, saw him, and asked if he could help Hank with directions. "I was impressed by his friendliness and his desire to tell me something about the fraternity," Hank recalls. That strong impression put Delta Upsilon in Hank's top five choices for recruitment week, and ultimately, he felt most comfortable among the DU brothers he met. "They asked for me, I accepted, and it has been the right decision for me ever since." The Formative Years At age 84, Hank still feels fortunate to have lived in the Chapter House for all four years of college (which was the norm in those years). The brothers shared his belief in treating others as you would want to be treated, and the bonds they formed in those college years helped shape his self-confidence. Serving as vice president of the Chapter and as a representative on the Interfraternity Council helped Hank develop strong leadership skills as well. "Overall, those were some of the best four years of my life." Hank's professional life was put on hold as he was called for two tours of active duty between 1959 (soon after graduating) and 1962; he had a command in the Army and left with the rank of captain. THE DULINE D E L T A U P S I L O N • U N I V E R S I T Y O F I L L I N O I S I L L I N O I S C H A P T E R S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 T H E T R A D I T I O N C O N T I N U E S I recently came across the November 2004 issue of the DULine. In that issue, we announced the 100th anniversary celebration of the founding of our DU Chapter at the University of Illinois. We celebrated that event in Champaign on April 9, 2005, with a historical gathering of more than 100 DU alumni and current Chapter members. Here we are, 17 years later. Our beloved Chapter House is approaching a similar milestone, as our house opened in 1926. Think about that—almost 100 years of uninterrupted DUs walking through the iconic front door to bond with a diverse group of young men, beginning their adult lives as brothers. Aside from a short time during WWII when we leased our house to the Armed Services for soldier training barracks, our house has never closed. Over 2,000 young men have passed through that front door. If you haven't been to the house in a while, she is showing her age (and who wouldn't at 96?). Your Alumni Board has been engaged in serious conversations about next steps in upgrading our home so that future brothers can enjoy their college experience in comfort like we did. As we battled through COVID, I was amazed at how our brotherhood stayed connected through Zoom calls, email blasts, and NCAA basketball pools. Many thanks to Kim Cox '76, Mark Young '73, Tom Condon '78, and others for taking the time to keep their brothers informed. Save the date and mark your calendars for Homecoming on October 15 vs. Minnesota! Also, please keep alumni brothers Tony Sutton '77, Tom Bleck '75, and Jim Gurke '77 in your thoughts and prayers as they battle health issues. I am saddened to report the recent passing of brothers Robert Selby '66 and Gary Spirduso '72. May these brothers rest in peace. Fraternally, John Sladek '75 Vice President ICDU Alumni Board If you have alumni news you would like to share, please contact John Sladek '75 at john.sladekdu75@gmail.com. T H E H O U S E T H A T D U B U I L T T H E H O U S E T H A T D U B U I L T T H E H O U S E T H A T D U B U I L T (Continued on page 2) John's November 2004 issue of the DULine. Alumni from 1978 and 1979 at the Illinois vs. Wisconsin game in 2019. From left: Frank Gasparro '73, Rod Ayers '72, Robert P. Miller '73, and Mark Young '73 at Lake Geneva. BROTHERHOOD AND TRUE FRIENDSHIP W H A T D E L T A U P S I L O N M E A N S T O H A N K L A N G ' 5 9

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