Beta Theta Pi - Oklahoma State University

Big Red Island NEWS 2 MEET GAMMA LAMBDA'S BUILDING CORPORATION Brad Black '77, President B rad Black '77 began thinking about joining a fraternity during his senior year of high school after meeting Jim Carey '76 at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, pizza shop. "He asked if I had considered rushing a fraternity when I went to college. My friend David Williams '77 pledged Beta Theta Pi the summer before our freshman year, and I knew that is where I wanted to end up, as well." As an undergraduate, Brad was influenced by alumnus Phil Wilber '26, whose work had a positive impact on him. "He was an early Gamma Lambda and the OSU architect whose office established the Georgian style that graces the OSU campus." After graduating, Brad remained close with his pledge brothers and the chapter. What started as attending a meeting to select carpet transitioned into Brad seeking a more involved role with the house corporation, and now he serves as president. Brad brings knowledge to the house corporation from his professional experience. He is an architect in Oklahoma and has worked as a project architect on PHF Research Park and healthcare in Oklahoma City, Utica Place in Tulsa, and Big Red Island. He also holds an MAI designation with the Appraisal Institute and has started doing commercial real estate appraisals. In addition to his bachelor's degree in architectural studies from OSU, Brad earned an associate's degree in engineering technology from OSU- Oklahoma City and a master's of architecture from the University of Oklahoma. Brad and his wife, Judith, live in Oklahoma City, and they have two daughters, Allison and Meredith. E-mail: bradblack@juno.com Rick Smith '85, Secretary R ick Smith '85 traveled 900 miles west to his parent's alma mater, Oklahoma State University, from Worthington, Ohio in 1981. He was immediately contacted by his father's childhood neighbor, Daniel Strong '57, who asked Rick if he had considered fraternity life. Within 20 minutes of speaking with Dan, Rick received a call from Recruitment Chairmen John Smith '82 and Joe Greenhaw '83, and after speaking with them, Rick couldn't sign fast enough. Rick jumped in serving the chapter as pledge class house manager, assistant house manager, and house manager for three years. He supervised the atrium, living room, and dining room image upgrades in 1983. Since graduating with a bachelor's degree in construction management technology in 1987, Rick has worked in the design and construction of high-performance shotcrete for tunnels and ground support, blast resistant concrete for bank and military protection, and high tolerance concrete floors, pavements, and bridge decks for over 25 years. He has worked on every continent except Africa and Antarctica. Rick moved to Dallas in 2000, joined a small consulting engineering firm, and was elected president of Structural Services Inc., in 2013. He evaluates millions of square feet of industrial floors and pavements each year throughout North America, South America, and Asia, and was named one of the Top 5 Most Influential People by Concrete Construction in 2008. Rick's children returned to their parent's roots at OSU, which rekindled his love for the University and Beta. After assisting the Parent's Club with fall cleanups and reconnecting with brothers from his college era, many of whom he mentored, he volunteered to serve on the house corporation to help his brothers' sons grow and succeed. "My education would have been incomplete without my Beta experience and I am drawn to seeing it flourish." He and his wife, Betty, an Alpha Chi Omega, live in Allen, Texas, and have two children, Libby (Alpha Chi Omega '11) and Jacob '14. E-mail: rsmith@ssiteam.com Greggory T. Colpitts '87, Treasurer G reg pledged Beta as a sophomore in the fall of 1984. Having experienced the GDI and dorm life his freshman year, he vowed there must be something better. Greg said that even his pledge year was better than his experiences (or lack thereof) as a freshman living in the dorms. When he graduated from OSU in December 1987 and went on to attend law school at the University of Tulsa, and then obtained a master of laws in taxation from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University. In 1993, Greg started his own law practice, where he focused on tax and bankruptcy matters. After over 22 years of practicing law, he still has his own law practice. Greg is board certified in consumer bankruptcy, and has a premier bankruptcy practice in Tulsa where he handles simple to complex bankruptcies for individuals and bankruptcy litigation. On July 9, 1988, Greg married Andrea Rene Bisett. In 2013, they celebrated their 25th anniversary. The couple has four children: Lauren, Tommy, Marybeth, and Lindsey. Lauren is in her first year of law school. Tommy is a sophomore and a Beta at OSU. Marybeth is a freshman at Bishop Kelley and learning to drive. Lindsey is in seventh grade at St. Mary. In 1993, Greg joined the building corporation because he wanted to return something to the house from which he gained so much. In the 21 years that Greg has been on the building corporation he has seen the lows and highs of a fraternity, and had a front row seat as president when the Chapter made the hard decision to close the house in 1998. Since then, he has watched the Gamma Lambda Chapter recolonize and rise again to be one of the best and strongest houses at OSU and within the Beta Theta Pi General Fraternity. Being a member of the building corporation has taken a lot of time, but it has given him the opportunity to build friendships with Betas from other years. They all had different experiences at 1207, but it is amazing how they are all the same.

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