Sigma Chi - University of California-Berkeley

3 Sigma Chi Chapter Officers Consul Robert Khoury '15 Palos Verdes, Calif. (310) 850-5534 / robertkhoury@berkeley.edu Pro Consul Graham Laver '15 Vancouver, British Columbia Quaestor Dylan Reef '15 Agoura Hills, Calif. Magister Nimesh Chakravarthi '15 Fairfax, Va. A Lifetime of Giving U.C. Berkeley Alumnus Stephen Mather 1887 Makes Mark on History D uring the 1880s, California was growing in population and sophistication. With the riches of the gold boom and the development of active ports and railroads, California's leading families demanded educational facilities that would rival the East Coast schools. The University of California at Berkeley was a direct result of these demands. During the post-Civil War period, a former confederate general and member of Sigma Chi named Harry St. John Dixon settled in Fresno. He was aware of the establishment of these universities and decided that Sigma Chi had a place on these campuses. In 1886, with Harry's help and guidance, the Alpha Beta Chapter of Sigma Chi was chartered with seven initiates. Stephen Mather 1887, the first director of the National Park Service, was initiated exactly a year to the day after the chapter was chartered (the chapter being established in 1886 and Stephen being initiated in 1887, the same year he graduated from U.C. Berkeley). Upon graduation, Stephen went on to work in New York and Chicago for multiple borax companies, a business that mines a variety of detergents and compounds from California. During his time in Chicago, Stephen was credited with creating and branding the famous 20 Mule Team Borax, a household name at the time. From this success, he went on to become the president and owner of Thorkidsen-Mather Borax Company, founded with his longtime friend Thomas Thorkidsen. A trip to Europe in 1904 reinvigorated a passion in nature for Stephen, and after running a prominent business for many years, he returned to his true love: preserving the environment. He was instrumental in the campaign to create a federal agency to oversee national parks, holding many of the committee meetings and general membership conventions in the Alpha Beta chapter house. After many tireless years of working to achieve his lifelong goal, Stephen was the first director of the new agency, the National Park Service (NPS) in 1917. During his tenure as director, Stephen was able to use his passion to turn the NPS to one of the most respected departments in the United States government, introducing concessions to the national parks, promoting the National Park to Park Highway, and working with the railroads to increase public visitation. From all this, Stephen was able to stir a passion for the outdoors, not seen since the Teddy Roosevelt era. Stephen retired from his position in 1929 after falling ill at the age of 62. He entered Chapter Eternal a year later, but his life is well summarized by the series of bronze markers cast in his honor posthumously, quoting, "He laid the foundation of the National Park Service, defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved, unimpaired for future generations. There will never come an end to the good he has done." The passion held by Stephen Mather is still evident in the members of the fraternity today. He exemplified the qualities in every member of Sigma Chi, and we are proud to have such a giving man as a historical figure in the United States and the walls of Alpha Beta. Annotator Maxwell Benjamin '15 Sammamish, Wash. Kustos David Geisinger '15 Palos Verdes, Calif. Recruitment Chairmen Kevin Graham '15 Huntington Beach, Calif. (714) 917-5141 / kevin.scott.graham@gmail.com Matthew Ruetten '16 Escondido, Calif. (760) 644-4054 / matt.ruetten1@gmail.com Ritual Chairman Per-Erik Voegt '15 Munich, Germany Philanthropy Chairmen William Harkin '16 Granite Bay, Calif. Thomas Roccanova '15 Concord, Calif. Scholarship Chairman Alex Caravan '15 Pleasanton, Calif. Social Chairmen Eric Garcia '14 Thousand Oaks, Calif. Elliott Steele '16 Newport Beach, Calif. House Manager Clay Carey '16 Palo Alto, Calif.

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