Sigma Chi - Oklahoma State University

p. 3 Sigma Chi T he 2022-23 school year has been a good one for our Gamma Delta of Sigma Chi Endowed Scholarship Fund at the OSU Foundation. The fund's principal balance has grown to over $1.22 million. Combined with the Watson, Berryhill, Stout, and Butts Family endowment funds (for which we manage the award process), a total of $1.44 million is supporting Gamma Delta scholarships and transformational leadership development. With outstanding pledges, continued annual giving, and the possibility of a partial Pickens Estate matching grant, our principal balance could easily grow by $400,000-$500,000. At our second annual Scholarship and Transformational Leadership Dinner last August, we awarded over $61,000 in academic and leadership scholarships and cash awards: • $40,000 in grants to 21 recipients, funded by our Endowed Scholarship Funds. • $15,000 in special grants from the Endowed Scholarship Fund to 40 underclassmen (predominately fall 2022 and spring 2023 initiates) to participate in the second Leadership Journey Workshop, produced for us, on-site in Stillwater, by the Sigma Chi Leadership Institute. • $5,100 in cash awards from the Parents Club to 71 deserving undergraduate brothers. Thank you to the approximately 130 alumni who continue to give their financial support to our Endowed Scholarship Fund. Each one of these donors has done so out of a love for Sigma Chi and recognition of the contribution that our Fraternity and Oklahoma State University have made to their lives. In hoc, Ken Klein '65 Scholarship Fundraising Chairman Business and Brotherhood Walter Stallcup '61 on Entrepreneurship and Fraternal Reconnection N o matter how long it's been since college, alumni brothers always manage to keep their fraternal spirits alive. The same goes for lessons learned as an undergraduate that are carried through long careers. Looking back on his active years in Gamma Delta, Walter Stallcup '61 recognized how much Sigma Chi impacted his life. Gamma Delta Growth "Things we did as a group back in the pledge days were actually very formative in how you carried out your life," Walt said. "Every Friday night, we had a house-cleaning party. It went on until the house was perfected." By learning to fulfill duties as a pledge, Walt relishes those responsibilities that shaped his professional development. Going into ROTC at Oklahoma State, Walt furthered his growth while finding his way into a unique business opportunity. Fast Food Franchising "I went into flight training, and when I completed my cockpit obligation, I was supposed to do some graduate work at USC," Walt said about his time in Los Angeles. "I stumbled onto an idea that is today known as Taco Bell. I had never envisioned entrepreneurship—I didn't even know what the word meant because it wasn't known in those days." Walt stopped in for his first taco at one of Taco Bell's original five locations. After speaking with the manager about the restaurant, Walt acquired Glen Bell's phone number and contacted the company's owner about expansion. "At one point, I was the largest franchisee in the system," Walt mentioned about his impact on Taco Bell's growth. Later on, Walt met with Ray Kroc of McDonald's and eventually became a franchisee for the company, greatly expanding business operations in Idaho. Walt's franchisee career concluded with Wendy's ownership in Southern Idaho and Northern California, though he still owns and operates commercial property to this day. Life Beyond Business Alongside entrepreneurship, Walt remained dedicated to his military path. Serving in the Air Force Reserves and Idaho Air Guard, Walt eventually retired as Lt. Colonel in 1982. He earned many awards through hard work, including the Air Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Oklahoma State's Distinguished Alumnus Award, and OSU Hall of Fame nomination. Decades after college, Walt still reunites with brothers like James Boyd '60, Steve Lew '61, Jack Hill '62, Michael Little '62, David Rose '62, and Paul Pitts '63 to share old memories. "We went to dinner with Steve Cortright '63, and it was just like I saw him last week. We went along various paths in life, but we can come back together. It's just very refreshing to just pick up like no time passed." Walt's career wasn't just by chance—it was a product of his development through Sigma Chi and the lessons he learned in college. Nowadays, he is grateful for the opportunities to reconnect with his brothers and rekindle fraternal bonds. A lum ni Generosity M akes a Difference Continued Scholarships Made Possible by You! "That was the "That was the camaraderie we camaraderie we built, and that built, and that all came from all came from what I learned what I learned in Sigma Chi." in Sigma Chi." You can connect with Walt at waltswen@aol.com

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