Sigma Phi Epsilon - Oregon State University

S IG MA PHI EPS IL O N t O R EG O N AL PHA CHAPT ER t O R EG O N S T AT E U NIV ER S IT Y SPRING 2017 Oregon Alpha Alumni Association Unveils Alumni Edition of Oregon Alpha Newsletter OAAA Evaluating Future Chapter House Needs T he Oregon Alpha Alumni Association (OAAA) is excited to kick off the new year with this special alumni edition of Oregon Alpha. In each issue of our newsletter, we will share reports from our outstanding undergraduates, financial data from the OAAA, highlights of recent chapter awards, and save the dates for upcoming events. INSIDE THIS ISSUE In response to your requests for articles on "whatever happened to," we will periodically feature more in-depth articles on various alumni. This edition of Oregon Alpha promotes the many wonderful things our alumni have been up to since leaving Oregon State University. You will find alumni spotlights on Wayne Ericksen '58, Marvin Pangborn '77, and Mike Fritz '88, details of our alumni mentorship program, and various alumni news entries from the biographical update form that was mailed in October. OREGON ALPHA CONTINUES TO THRIVE As alumni, we can all be proud of the strength and growth Oregon Alpha continues to maintain. We have detailed in previous newsletters our high academic achievements, national awards, and quality men who make up our chapter today and lead fraternity life on the Oregon State campus. At the end of the Fall 2016 term, Oregon Alpha again held the top grade slot for all fraternities with an average GPA of 3.31 versus the all-university of GPA of 3.01—and this with over 140 members! EVALUATING OREGON ALPHA'S FUTURE NEEDS The OAAA board continues to look at opportunities for improvement. At this time, three areas of opportunity are apparent: scholarship funds, leadership and mentoring resources, and chapter house upkeep. Student housing is changing on college campuses across the nation as the needs of college students are constantly shifting, and more fraternities are revamping their undergraduate educational and leadership programs to provide a well-rounded fraternity experience through graduation. In the upcoming months, we will begin to make strategic decisions regarding the physical condition of our chapter house and the resources we provide our undergraduate brothers. Fraternally, Steve Cook '72 President, Oregon Alpha Alumni Association THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE Wayne Ericksen '58 Attributes His Success to the Values of Sigma Phi Epsilon I n thinking back on his decision to join Sigma Phi Epsilon, there was one figure who had always served as an inspiration for Wayne Ericksen '58—legendary Oregon Alpha founding member, chapter advisor, and long-serving national scholarship chairman, Dr. Ulysses Grant Dubach, 1918. Dr. Dubach's focus on scholarship and being a good individual were values Wayne adopted as a collegiate. Overall, "There was a pursuit of excellence that was instilled in me, which I wouldn't have had without the fraternity experience." That pursuit of excellence started from his first day as a new member, and continued through Wayne's time as chapter president during his junior and senior year. As Wayne recalled, "When I got to be a senior, I had more credits, and I was intending to just take easy classes and goof off a little, when the dean of the business school called me in and said, "If you take 20 hours this year, you could get two degrees in business instead of one." Wayne followed the dean's recommendation, not knowing how much the hard work would pay off later. Wayne earned straight A's his senior year, graduated, and served in the Navy for three years. With the dual degrees he had earned at Oregon State, he was subsequently able to transition to The University of California at Berkeley for his MBA. After graduating, he intended to be a loan officer, but with his MBA, the bank encouraged him to pursue trust and investments instead. This was the start of Wayne's career at Columbia Management. In his tenure, he was a partner and on the executive board as the company became the largest investment firm in the Northwest. In 2012, Oregon State University recognized Wayne as a member of the College of Business Hall of Fame. Wayne attributes much of his success as an alumnus to his time as a SigEp, where the high standards set by the fraternity prepared him for everything else that followed. Since retiring in 1998, Wayne has served on several boards, including the Oregon State Foundation. He and his wife, Sandra, are both members of the Milton Harris Society at Oregon State, which recognizes outstanding philanthropic contributions to the university, such as their sponsorship of the Ericksen Family Endowed Professorship for Research at Oregon Health and Science University. Wayne tries to get back to Corvallis for university reunions every five years to reconnect with his SigEp brothers, and encourages alumni to stay connected to the chapter. Wayne and Sandra, a member of Pi Beta Phi, met during their sophomore year, and both served as chapter presidents of their chapters at the same time. They have been married since 1959 and live in Portland near their children and grandchildren. In his spare time, Wayne still plays around in the stock market, plays bridge, and golfs a little. You can e-mail Wayne at wrericksen@gmail.com. Alumni Edition

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