Beta Theta Pi - Purdue University

2 BETA MU LINK I first encountered Beta eta Pi through General Fraternity President Francis M. "Chub" Rich, Illinois 1925, who was also living in my hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia. We had many conversations about the Fraternity, and during recruitment the members of Purdue's Beta Mu seemed the most genuine of all the men. Since then, I have continually realized what a good decision I made 60 years ago. Beta Mu gave me some of my fondest memories, including attending Orchid formals, winning intramural sports trophies, taking road trips with Gordon Ulrey '68 and Jim Byron '68, and being thrown into the Wabash River when I got engaged. I also enjoyed the responsibility of being house manager for two years and working in the kitchen. As an undergraduate, Beta Mu taught me to learn from people with different perspectives and diverse cultural, environmental, and socio- economic backgrounds. We had members from Mexico, the Bahamas, London, and Holland as well as men from California, New York, and the upper Midwest. I would one day directly apply those lessons when interacting with congressional members. My career in politics began with an interest in the state legislature. My theme then and now is "Do we want to be part of the solution or part of the problem?" West Virginia was hungry for new perspectives, so I was privileged to serve 14 years in the WV legislature and lead the state GOP as its chairman. I spent the bulk of my time as the ranking minority member of the Finance Committee. In 2011, I ran and prevailed against a 14-term incumbent to represent West Virginia in the U.S. Congress. (ere were three other Betas in that election: Nevada, Illinois, and Philadelphia!) We had a tremendous staff that proved its effectiveness by getting 36 of our pieces of legislation signed into law and over 100 amendments voted onto other bills. Now that my tenure in Congress has come to an end, I spend much of my time writing. I have published a book recounting our achievements in Washington. I also have two in the works; one traces the genealogy of the McKinleys from Scotland to Wheeling and the other focuses on making the Old Testament easier to understand and highlighting Judaism's impact on modern Christianity. My final book will be co-authored with Congressman Bobby Rush of South Chicago—he as a Black activist and former Black Panther and I as a conservative Republican from Appalachia. We want to tell the story of the bipartisanship we forged in Congress and the successes and opportunities for our country that were derived from that relationship. David and his wife, Mary, have four children and six grandchildren. David enjoys restoring his 1928 Studebaker and traveling. He and Mary have also restored his grandparents' historic 1920s home to its original charm. If you'd like to know more about David's career or upcoming books, you can contact him via email at davidmckinleywv@gmail.com. BROTHERHOOD AND BIPARTISANSHIP How David McKinley '69 Brought Beta Mu Values to Capitol Hill A lthough Beta Mu remains near the top in academics and is No. 1 in philanthropy, poor decisions made by a few undergraduates have resulted in the whole Chapter being held responsible, with Beta being placed on probation. is probation is enforced by both the university and the General Fraternity. e most serious incidents involved alcohol, while there were also risk management problems involving pledge education and social events. Most sanctions of the probation involve the elimination of social functions for this calendar year, then limited social functions through spring 2025. e General Fraternity also has some educational directives that must be completed during the probation. We are cooperating with the university and General Fraternity and are involved in negotiating fair sanctions. e house corporation has lost some confidence in the Chapter's ability to self-govern, so we are even more hands-on at this point to make sure there are no further incidents. Two years ago, they were awarded the Chapter of the Year Award on campus, but we've seen a change in culture by some brothers who seem to be defiant of the rules. We have spoken with the executive team twice this semester face-to-face, and I am confident in their commitment to lead the house through this transition and come out stronger. An important piece of the recovery is to improve the relationship/transparency with the university—that has been prioritized. Another part of the solution is an improved disciplinary process (i.e. Kai board), which has lost some power as a deterrent. I have also spoken to the full Chapter and demanded an immediate change in behavior. I truly believe that a majority of the house is filled with good brothers, and there's an incredible demand to be a Beta on campus: 750 rushees, 45 accepted bids, 40-plus new members, and an all-time high in anticipated live-ins next year approaching 70-plus. As mentioned earlier, the house is near the top in academics and is No. 1 in philanthropy, so there is reason to be optimistic about returning to the top very soon. Yours in _kai_, Tom Hoover '82 Beta Mu House Corporation President Beta Needs Your Support A lumni support is needed now more than ever to sustain our great Chapter. As mentioned before, we are saving up and looking for your support to eventually replace the roof as it approaches the 100-year mark. We are delaying this as long as possible so we can have the funds to support this in a fiscally responsible manner. Please scan the QR code or visit purduebeta.com to make your gi today. We truly appreciate your support! BETA MU WORKING TO REGAIN UNIVERSITY'S CONFIDENCE

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