Alpha Delta Phi - University of Washington

e Washington Alpha Delt 4 H eading into college, Lars Andersen '68 had rowing on his mind more than fraternity life. When fellow oarsmen at the University of Washington compelled Lars to join Alpha Delta Phi, he discovered a unique brotherhood that prepared him for lifelong success. F R O M T H E W AT E R T O T H E T E M P L E As a member of Washington Chapter, Lars enjoyed the rewarding experience of serving as recruitment chairman. Meanwhile, he continued to develop lifelong bonds with rowing team members as they gained priceless wisdom from historic oarsmen. "My freshman year, my coxswain steering the boat was named Bob Moch," Lars mentioned. Rowing with the son of Olympic gold medalist Bobby Moch gave Lars and others the chance to meet members of the 1936 gold medal crew. A L U C R AT I V E C A R E E R Lars' close relationship with his father compelled him to follow in his dad's footsteps and pursue aerodynamics. After graduation, Lars moved to Hartford, Connecticut, to spend five years working for Pratt & Whitney while earning a master's degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. "Alpha Delta Phi was foundational for my life going forward. e interactions and socializing rounded out my personality and core values while boosting my career value." Lars went on to work at Boeing, where he eventually earned a head position in propulsion. His success at Boeing led to Lars becoming program manager for the 777-300ER while making connections with engine company executives like former Ford CEO Alan Mulally. The team behind the 777-300ER faced significant time-crunch challenges when working with Mitsubishi's engineers building Boeing's fuselage. Lars and his "breakfast club" met every morning for six months to get caught up on engineer drawings, sharing their work with Mitsubishi engineers and collaborating for timely project completion. Today, the 300ER is Boeing's most successful model. Lars retired from Boeing in 2007 but was asked to return and lead the design on a more efficient 777 model, the 777X. After the project, Lars retired again in 2017. He is now being nominated by Alan Mulally and fellow colleagues for a Pathfinder Award from the Museum of Flight. S TAY I N G C O N N E C T E D Lars recently mentored undergraduate Alpha Delt Brothers, sharing his keys to success: "I had a fear of failing. I emphasized to the guys that when you're out in business, the key is to respect fellow employees and listen to them while commiing to schedules. at's how you develop a solid base going forward for future promotions—you will get noticed for that capability." Lars is still close friends with fellow rowing crew members from Alpha Delta Phi as well as former Chapter President Jack Hand '68. In his spare time, he enjoys visiting his daughter and granddaughter in Sun Valley and his son and grandsons in Maui. You can connect with him at lqandersen46@gmail.com. W O R K I N G H I S W AY U P Lars Andersen '68 on Fraternity Life, Boeing , and the Boys in the Boat Lars' University of Washington rowing team.

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