Beta Theta Pi - University of Missouri

page 3 Beta Theta Pi overall fabric of the team will be tested, but the great organizations find a way to come out on top. Zeta Phi: We are no different. Adversity for us comes in the form of risk management issues. If we do our basic blocking and tackling (and eliminate the unnecessary penalties), then we will enjoy continued success. In closing, I must recognize Bill Toalson '70. As our property manager, Bill maintains an office in the Beta house. This unique opportunity to have boots on the ground has served us well. As a respected advisor, Bill is readily accessible and able to give a steady stream of advice. We are very fortunate to have a wise leader so close to the action! Our chapter strives to make good men better. Bill and our advisory team challenge them to become great. In_kai_, Jason Swindle '93 swin@theinsurancegrp.com Alumni Advisors Work to Make Good Men Great (Continued from page 1) Dr. Robert Shamberger '71– from Beta to Boston I t wasn't the structure of the house or the location on campus, but the people within the organization that drew Robert Shamberger '71 into Beta Theta Pi. "The Betas seemed to be a very agreeable group of individuals. They were leaders on campus, athletic, and had the ideals and goals that were most consistent with my own." Robert balanced his roles in the fraternity, including serving as president, with his studies in zoology—preparation for medical school, which laid ahead. As he went through the process of applying to medical schools, it was his efforts outside of the classroom that Robert believes set him apart from other candidates. "Being a leader in the fraternity and on campus served me well when I was applying to medical school. It demonstrated an interest and capacity beyond academics. Additionally, having a role model and advisor in Dr. Stephenson '43 while I was in the chapter was a tremendous asset as I spent time talking with him about the options surrounding medical school. He maintained an active interest in my career throughout his lifetime." Robert moved from Columbia to Harvard Medical School and has remained in the Boston area ever since. During his studies, Robert found the technical aspect of surgery to be his fit, and, while a resident at Shriners Hospitals for Children, a specialty in pediatric surgery emerged. He is now the Chief of Surgery at Boston Children's Hospital, the Robert E. Gross Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, the past president of the American Pediatric Surgical Association, and past chairman of the Section on Surgery of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "My biggest piece of advice to those just starting out is to choose a career you enjoy. I've worked very hard in my life, but I've enjoyed what I've done and achieved, so the hours spent in the hospital have never been a negative for me." Amidst the demands of his own career, trips to Columbia still occur and Robert visited the new chapter house upon its dedication. "Being a Beta, there's a bond of friendship that you develop which is very enduring. That time in life provides a unique opportunity and the fraternity facilitates long lasting relationships with people." Robert and his wife, Kathy, make their home in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and have three children: Jason, Patrick, and Lindsay. Robert can be reached at robert.shamberger@childrens.harvard.edu. Alumni Update Chapter Eternal Robert E. Francis '39 entered Chapter Eternal on January 7, 2014, at the age of 92. In his career, Robert served as director of public relations at Ripon College in Wisconsin and as chief advancement officer at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Robert was the former owner and publisher of the Commercial Record, a legal and financial newspaper in Palm Beach County, as well as the Green Lake County newspapers in Wisconsin, the Nisswa-Pequot Lakes newspaper in Minnesota, and the Lakeville Journal in Connecticut. Robert was a resident of Palm Beach, Fla., for over 35 years and spent summers in Green Lake, Wisc. He was devoted to his family and was predeceased by his wife, Patricia. He is survived by three sons: Mark, Kent, and Tod, and four grandchildren. Alumni News Bob M. Sweeney '48 reports that at the age of 90, he is still in good health and plays golf with the "kids" in the senior group. He and his wife, Norma, live in Salisbury, Mo., and his daughter and her family live in St. Louis. Bob shares, "I enjoy the Zeta Phi publication and am glad to know Beta is still number one!" Ray P. Ward '64 is excited that his grandson, Blake Hoover, pledged Zeta Phi. "He is now a third generation Zeta Phi, after my son, Tim '97, and me." Ray lives in Wildwood, Mo., with his wife, Joyce. E-mail: rward@hlkagency.com Matt R. Gibbs '04 and his wife, Katie, welcomed their first child, Jack, on June 12, 2013. They live in Fairway, Kan., where Matt is the vice president at RED Legacy LLC. E-mail: mgibbs@redlegacy.com

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