Alpha Tau Omega - University of Oklahoma

Alpha Tau Omega University of Oklahoma P.O. Box 442100 Lawrence, KS 66044 Address Service requested T h e EACON B Alumni News Thomas N. Ambrose '47 got his B.S. in geology at OU while living in the old chapter house on Jenkins Avenue (built in 1928). He lives in Ocean Ridge, Fla. Email: realthora@yahoo.com Robert S. McKown '52 retired after more than 50 years as an independent insurance agent. He lives in a friendly, neighborly gated area in Edmond, Okla., with plenty of "neighborly mixing" activities. Email: robertsmckown@sbcglobal.net Stanley W. Alexander '53 and his wife retired, sold their home of 58 years, and moved into Statesman Club, a senior independent living center in The Village, Okla. Email: stan@3000ig.com Joel F. Thomas '55 is entering life as a retired Army officer and defense contractor. He lives in Round Rock, Texas. Email: jtsooner58@gmail.com Spencer L. Knapp '58 tries to stay active by golfing twice a week and attending church and three men's Bible studies. He lives in Laguna Niguel, Calif. Email: slknapp@aol.com Richard M. Leonard '59 retired to Florida after a 36-year international career with the Mobil Oil Corporation. He lives in Sarasota, Fla. Email: rmleona@aol.com Lawrence D. McFarland '63 is a retired Nowlin professor in photography from the University of Texas in Austin. He is also a John Simion Guggenheim Fellow in photography. Lawrence lives in Austin, Texas. Email: lmcf@austin.utexas.edu Stephen W. Davis '65 is a retired attorney and now working as a rancher. He lives in Holdenville, Okla. Email: unclestephen1946@hotmail.com E. Joe Lankford '66 retired in 2020 after 48 years of civil and criminal trials. He represented 10 defendants in first degree murder trials and many other criminal jury trials. Joe was successful in getting multimillion-dollar jury verdicts in four civil cases. The largest was $4.5 million in a libel and slander case in Beckham County. Joe lives in Norman, Okla. Email: ez5227@yahoo.com Fred L. Henneke '68 retired from law practice this year after triple bypass surgery. "Still trying to figure out retirement!" Fred lives in Kerrville, Texas. Email: hennekefred08@gmail.com Steven D. Porter '69 is a retired investor. He lives in Frisco, Texas, and enjoys playing golf, pickleball, and working out. Email: stevendporter@yahoo.com Gordon "Trip" Smith III '73 retired to become a gentleman farmer after selling The Lighting Gallery in Knoxville. His wife, Chris, is the chief health officer at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, in addition to director of the School of Nursing. They have six grandchildren from ages 2 to 23. Trip lives in Soddy Daisy, Tenn. Email: trip1114@epbfi.com Ralph S. Blackman '74 is an architect emeritus, retired after 35 years of practice. He now works in estimating for his son-in-law's commercial paint company. Ralph and Marsha are moving to a senior living community called Kissing Tree in San Marcos, Texas. They have three adult children; their twin daughters have three boys each, and their son has a son and daughter. Email: tsquare54@att.net Scott W. Vrooman '83 has owned his own architectural firm in Tulsa since 2004. He remarried in 2011 and has a 6-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, along with a 27-year-old son. Scott lives in Tulsa, Okla. Email: scott@tri-arch.com Zachary T. Berglan '07 graduated from the Army General Command and Staff College and headed to Navy Expeditionary Combat Command in Virginia Beach. Zachary lives in Ft Leavenworth, Kan. Email: zberglan@mac.com What three words come to mind when you think about Alpha Tau Omega? "Brotherhood, fellowship, friends for life." –Robert S. McKown '52 "Brotherhood, social, Sooner '58." –Joel F. Thomas '55 "Brotherhood, leadership, friendship." –Richard M. Leonard '59 "Friends, fun, belonging." –Fred L. Henneke '68 "VTL." –Gordon "Trip" Smith III '73 "Friends, loyalty, memories." –Scott W. Vrooman '83 What are your favorite memories from living at the Delta Kappa house and/or spending time with Alpha Tau Omega brothers at the University of Oklahoma? "After being moved around from post to post during my two years during WWII, it was nice to settle down in the chapter house, which seemed like home at OU." –Thomas N. Ambrose '47 "As a pledge, traveling to New Orleans with seven other pledge brothers, playing bridge, hearts, and other card games." –Stanley W. Alexander '53 "For a time, I was social chairman, which is how I met my wife—who was social chairman for Alpha Chi Omega. We met arranging blind dates for our new pledges." –Spencer L. Knapp '58 "All good fun parties and great friends." –David C. Malone '67 "Attending OU football games with my brothers, and parties!" –Steven D. Porter '69 "The bonding of pledgeship, lifelong friends, robust laughter." –Scott W. Vrooman '83 Alumni Update Chapter Eternal Boone D. Hazlette '48 – December 5, 2021 Harlan L. Reams '58 – October 2021 Stanley D. Brown '66 – January 12, 2022

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