Beta Theta Pi - University of Wisconsin

SPRING 2022 Waleed Bitar '25 | Austin, Texas Shravan Desikan '25 | Yorktown Heights, N.Y. Peter Desler '25 | Hillsborough, Calif. Lochlan Eaton '25 | Eagle, Wis. Evan Hartman '25 | Landenberg, Pa. Luke Hollander '25 | Aspen, Colo. JD Holzhauer '25 | Kettle Moraine, Wis. Imran Khan '25 | Plymouth, Minn. Will Lorenger '25 | Iowa City, Iowa Jack Mcgrath '25 | Yarmouth, Maine Gavin Reid '25 | New Canaan, Conn. Isamu Robinson '25 | San Francisco, Calif. Dominic Valentini '25 | Minnetonka, Minn. Paul Vallace '25 | Wellesley, Mass. Ali Vaseem '25 | Mequon, Wis. Luc Verard '25 | Katonah, N.Y. FALL 2022 Jack Belconis '26 | Park Ridge, Ill. Alex Buna '26 | Mountain Lakes, N.J. Dominic Burclaw '26 | Hartland, Wis. Tyler Etzel '26 | Delafield, Wis. Beran Evran '26 | Elm Grove, Wis. Jake Fern '26 | Basking Ridge, N.J. Luca Georgescu '26 | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Sebastian Gratson '26 | Berkeley Heights, N.J. Roman Hauch '26 | Bloomington, Minn. Jack Hertz '26 | San Diego, Calif. Alex Horgan '26 | Franklin Lakes, N.J. Jackson Knaus '26 | Hartland, Wis. Sam Knowlton '26 | Boulder, Colo. Carson Lindell '26 | Verona, Wis. Michael Mayeri '26 | White Plains, N.Y. Andrew McDonagh '26 | Winnetka, Ill. Erik Messmer '26 | Cleveland, Ohio Philip Micale '26 | Ridgewood, N.J. Benjamin Miller '26 | Naples, Fla. Jake Morris '26 | Burnsville, Minn. Reilly Parks '26 | Manhattan Beach, Calif. JJ Perez '26 | Mequon, Wis. Carter Powelson '26 | Geneva, Ill. Camden Schmidt '26 | Germantown, Wis. Joe Seurynck '26 | Grand Rapids, Mich. Sky Shaw '26 | Palos Verdes, Calif. Oliver Sherwin '26 | Cleveland, Ohio Jared Shimelman '26 | Framingham, Mass. Jacob Tomlinson '26 | Grosse Pointe, Mich. Charlie Van '26 | Oakland, Calif. Michael Vitale '26 | Barrington, Ill. George Wied '26 | Green Bay, Wis. Asa Wold '26 | St. Paul, Minn. Ryan Zunenshine '26 | Sharon, Mass. Gone, But Not Forgotten Honoring Brother John "Bauca" Pagel '73 5 ALPHA PI CHAPTER W hen Brother John Pagel '73 was growing up in Janesville, Wisconsin, he wanted two things in life: to play football for the Badgers and to be a United States Marine. He did both, and along the way joined Alpha Pi, where he was a much-loved brother. As a boy, John became enamored of the wonderful world of Disney 1958 TV miniseries, The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca, about a Mexican lawman in the old west. Whenever John would meet anyone, he'd introduce himself using his given name, and then boom out with, "Call me Bauca." Since we all grew up watching the same three channels in the 1950s, it was kind of like someone going through recruitment today saying, "Hi, I'm Bob Jones. Call me Ironman." It was a measure of his popularity that we all went along with it, and "Bauca" it was, even though he misspelled it. An all-state center in football at Janesville High School, Bauca received a football scholarship to UW and was a member of the team from 1969 to 1972. At the same time he joined the football team, he began another life goal by signing up for Naval ROTC with the intention of being a Marine officer. Bauca was a superb piano player and regularly regaled the brothers with his playing. I remember dating a girl from Kansas City back in 1972, and every time we walked into a room when he was playing, he'd break into a chorus of Wilbert Harrison's hit rhythm and blues song, "Going to Kansas City." He considered his singing on par with his playing. It wasn't by a mile, but we all liked him too much to tell him. As a naval aviator, Bauca qualified to fly fixed wing as well as rotary (helicopter) aircraft. His first love, though, was flying Cobra Gunships. Captain Howard Laurie USMC (Ret.), Bauca's close friend, flew with him—sometimes as co-pilot, sometimes as wing man. "He was what we call a 'good stick,'" he shared. "He had superb pilot skills and was a great leader who was good to his troops. We all expected him to make the Marines his career." Sadly, Capt. John Michael Pagel died February 23, 1981, in a crash while flying off the USS Iwo Jima. The ship was having a rest day with a barbecue for the Marines and sailors, and Bauca, with the commanding officer's approval, was giving crew members rides in his helicopter. "I remember the day his Cobra went down very well," Sgt. Peter Bellone wrote. "A very somber mood came over the whole ship, especially those in our squadron." Bauca's passing left his wife, Holly, whom he had met and courted at UW, as well as his daughter, Katie, born in 1975, and son, Jimmy, born in 1978. Katie is now a mother of two and runs a rock-climbing business. Her daughter, Rachael, was recently named Homecoming Queen of her high school. Jimmy is a father of two and is vice principal of a middle school. When those of us who were in the house first heard of his passing, we all thought, "We really have to do something to memorialize him." At the time, though, all of us who knew Bauca were in our early thirties, trying to manage mortgages and young families, and as a result, nothing got done. Happily, our recent fundraising success has allowed us a do-over. We initiated a pledge drive in his name last spring and raised $32,000. As part of our sesquicentennial in April 2023, we will dedicate the "Capt. John M. Pagel Recreation Facility" in his honor with a plaque. The Marines he so loved have a saying: semper fidelis; always faithful. We have our own saying: "Once a Beta, Always a Beta." It took us 41 years, but we finally came through for Bauca. Yours in _kai _, Roderick Taylor, #1448, UW 1972 (952) 607-9454 rst72badger@gmail.com WELCOME, NEW BROTHERS!

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