Beta Theta Pi - Oklahoma State University

Big Red Island NEWS 3 Reflections and PeRsPectives fRom foRmeR PResidents We solicited experiences, feelings, and opinions of our alumni. See what they said! F ormer President John Grant '64 gives us his thoughts back when he was an "active" brother, life's challenges, and how his Beta brothers have played and continue to play a significant part in his life. "My years in the Beta house at 1207 were formative in many ways. The 'caldron' of life among 80 brothers prepared me for various paths ahead, both professional and personal. Life has been a rollercoaster for me, but now I am happily and busily supporting various global, ecological, and sustainability activities from the Front Range of Colorado, more specifically through www.FutureEarth.org, and as a visiting Fellow at Colorado State's School of Global Environmental Sustainability. Although many of the brothers were skeptical in the spring of 1960 that I would 'make a good Beta pledge,' I was eventually elected president in the spring of 1964. That transition was due in large part to the leadership exhibited by many in the house, but particularly Randy Roark '64 and Jim Tarter '64, presidents during the year ahead of ours. Earlier, I had seen the costs of leadership as one of my pledge brothers tried very hard to lead our pledge class, but ultimately did not make his grades until the second semester, so he slid back in the initiation sequence. But as most brothers meet their challenges head-on, he subsequently became a very successful D.D.S. in the DFW area. His warmth and bonding with everyone was always there—in the house and throughout life. If I had not been a Beta, I doubt that I would ever have met my wife of the last 50 years, Ruth Blackstock, as she lived across the street in the Kappa house. When I became frustrated with the Big Eight accounting firm that I had joined, who should appear in Tulsa but Dick Heath '50, the CPA who had been financial advisor during my time as treasurer in the house. The late 1960s proved turbulent in Stillwater as it was in many places across the U.S., so I decided to return to graduate school, and during the process found myself being 'challenged' by Jim Tarter to apply to bigger name schools. Following his advice and with the strong support of three key faculty members from OSU, I was fortunate to be accepted into a B-school that would change my life again. After passing doctoral preliminary exams, who should write me but Randy Roark, asking if I could help with a public real estate project in North Georgia. Our subsequent discussions and activities gave me new perspectives regarding constructive use of the land for the people in the development of a state park, which is still significant 45 years later. Now, Randy and I discuss sea level rise at Florida's coast. In recent years, another pledge class member, Admiral Bill McDaniel, M.D. '64, has shown me other means for positive leadership as he participates in humanitarian activities from the Pacific Northwest. May the Beta years never end!" Former President Tom Hendrickson '64: "'Life is what happens to us while we are busy making other plans!' This famous quote is so true with all the stages we go through after graduation: career, marriage, military, religion, parents, empty-nesters, grandparents, retirees, etc. But the qualities that we carry with us through every step of this journey are our character and our core values. We all arrived at 1207 University with a set of values that were primarily influenced by our parents and our early surroundings. Then each of us had an unlimited opportunity for development during our years at the Gamma Lambda Beta house. And, in those few years, surrounded by individuals of high character, led by individuals of high intelligence, and learning the principles and values of our great fraternity, we developed our own individual set of core values and excellence of character. These embedded standards continue to guide us through life's journey. While some refinements are to be expected along the way, the core beliefs and basic character remain constant. I continue to be proud that I am a Beta. For a number of years, life and logistics have made it difficult for us to visit Stillwater and 1207 University. However, all reports are that the men of Gamma Lambda Beta are no longer distinguished 'by just a little warmer and stronger fraternity feeling' but 'by a significantly greater warmer and stronger fraternity feeling than any of the others.' This speaks very highly of them and those who have gone before them, and bodes well for those who will come after them. When reflecting on the physical plant at 1207, I relate to the last line in the poem, 'The Bridge Builder'—'Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!'" Former President Robert Roark '68: "Almost five decades after leaving 1207 University Avenue, I am still amazed at not only how frequently my memory harkens back to those years, but also how vivid and relevant that experience remains. We can see or hear about brothers in the house when we were there with whom we have had no contact for many years, and yet the connection we feel seems undiminished by the passage of time. That speaks volumes about our fraternity experience. There is not one among us who does not think that our fraternity was different and better than any other. Willis O. Robb had it right: we have a fraternity spirit that was, is, and apparently will continue to be unique. The lessons learned as both a pledge and a member still guide many of my actions and thoughts: friendship and fidelity, cultivation of the intellect, excellence in all endeavors, responsibility and sacrifice for the good of the whole, pride and loyalty, and an appreciation for diversity of personalities and talents. What a remarkable phenomenon that four years of our lifetime could have such lasting value and effect. One of the interesting facets of many of our memories is how they come to life because of the physical environment of 'the house.' We can all picture our various rooms, decorating for parties, house cleaning, enjoying the brotherhood on late Saturday nights, the varied dining room activities, and the reverence of the chapter room. Gamma Lambda even relished in its image of the 'Big Red Island.' 'The house' was not only where we lived but where our brotherhood activities thrived. Although there have been changes in the fraternity system since we were there, the house remains a centerpiece of the fraternity experience. The current active chapter has distinguished itself in all endeavors, but it has done so with the handicap of an aging fraternity house that is sadly behind the times. They need the support of a competitive housing structure if they, and we, expect Beta to continue to attract the best young men coming through rush. So, as discussions and efforts proceed to address this vital issue in the coming year, let us recall the significance of our own experiences and do what we can to pass those opportunities on to future generations." Former President Tim Wright '73 writes in with his reflections from the early '70s through today. "I was president of the house in 1973 and we celebrated our 50- year anniversary as a chapter. I remember the event we hosted for this celebration and my speech to the alumni when I brought up the need for much work to be done to the physical structure. That was 42 years ago, and it is basically the same structure today with a lot of Band-Aids. The new house was built with a 20-year life that was over 50 years ago. When I took on the task to recolonize the chapter in 2001, the physical structure was a mess and the building corporation has done a good job of (Continued on page 4)

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