Alpha Tau Omega - University of Oklahoma

The Beacon 2 A s many of you know, Lew Ward '51 passed away on March 20. I had not met Lew before Greg Hall '70 and I drove to Enid, Oklahoma, five years ago to ask him to contribute to the capital campaign. However, I did know him by reputation, and that reputation was one of excellence in his work and adherence to strict, ethical standards. We did have two things in common: we were both ATWs and we both married beautiful women from Enid. Lew received us politely, listened attentively, and asked several excellent questions in his quiet, understated way. When we left, we were uncertain if he would contribute to the campaign, but he quickly made a large donation. I remember how proud and honored I was that he made his contribution in my honor. It was typical of Lew not only to give generously, but to do so in a way that made someone else happy. One could literally fill a book with Lew's accomplishments, which ultimately led to his induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. He founded Ward Petroleum and was one of Oklahoma's great Wildcatters. In the first year of NBC's Today Show, they aired a documentary in honor of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of oil in the United States, and Lew was chosen as the oilman to profile. He believed strongly in service to his community and country. In 2003, President George W. Bush asked him to go to Kuwait and assess their oil industry during a turbulent time in the Middle East. Lew flew from Paris to Kuwait in a commercial 747—he was the only passenger. He was a wonderful philanthropist, a great family man, and a man of principles. He once had a small oil spill on Boggy Creek. He cleaned up the spill, but the government fined him $250 based on the government's claim that the little creek was a navigable body of water. Lew knew this not to be true, and fought the fine in court. The case went to the United States Supreme Court. It was the principle. Lew obtained his petroleum engineering degree at OU. His dad jokingly told him if you drill a dry hole, they usually fire the geologist, but they keep the engineer on payroll. He was a proud member of the Delta Kappa Chapter of ATW. He believed strongly in leadership development and was so proud of our current chapter, their many awards, and their national recognition as the "leadership fraternity." I've been proud to call Lew Ward a friend of mine for these last five years since I met him. I am proud to call him my ATW brother forever. Love and Respect, Mel Clark, M.D. '70 mclark@plazamed.com Remembering Lew Ward '51 Welcome, Spring 2016 New Members Davien Berry Jake Callaham Jake Castleberry Martin Gonzalez Garrett Hobbs Devon Patel Recommend a Man for Alpha Tau Omega I f you know of any men attending the University of Oklahoma in the fall who are Delta Kappa legacies or who would make an outstanding ATW, please reach out to the recruitment chairmen below. Thomas Brown '14 Recruitment Chairman (214) 517-5016 tbrown7756@ou.edu Chip Conant '14 Recruitment Chairman (832) 474-9698 chip.conant95@ou.edu

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