Let's See How Far We've Come

This is a part of the Strategic Plan 2025 series. 

July 2022 marked the beginning of the new fiscal year for Phi Kappa Tau. The time period of July-October was focused on: 

1. Realizing the initial returns from our growth focus 

1. Vocalizing the value of membership that Phi Kappa Tau has the potential to provide 

1. Evolving the brotherhood journey with an eye towards greater lifelong ties 

1. Establishing a regular quarterly cadence to advancing achievement of the 2025 Strategic Plan 

With the departure of Tim Hudson as CEO in August, there was a lot of work to be done in solidifying the workflow at the executive offices and ensuring staff members and volunteers were supported in their efforts. While the organization is still actively seeking the next CEO of the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, there was substantial progress made in all areas of the strategic plan during the July-September quarter.  

The reestablished Epsilon Nu Associate Chapter.

Realizing the Initial Return of Growth Focus: A strong focus was on building on the success of the inaugural Growth Summit in May and executing a strong fall semester recruitment. The fraternity took a proactive approach to recruitment, offering new recruitment services to each chapter through the newly hired staff recruiters. Additionally, our growth department became fully operational again with a team of four recruiters hitting the road this past semester. This resulted in a remarkable success at Clemson University by reestablishing the Epsilon Nu chapter. While our opportunity at the University of Minnesota did not go as planned, vital lessons were learned in expansion planning and the department was able to pivot and seize opportunities at Wright State University and the University of Dayton.  

Newly developed recruitment marketing materials were published and accessed by hundreds of brothers, providing a more brand consistent appearance for our local chapters to leverage. Furthermore, analysis was completed to learn more about retention and attrition causes from association to graduation which will better inform the support available to chapters and membership strategies. Lastly, the fraternity developed a historical and future predictive membership forecasting model to inform our planning for future years. So far this semester, chapters have recruited over 700 new members.  

Vocalizing the Value of Membership: Providing brothers with the ability to speak quantifiably about the impact of Phi Kappa Tau is essential in advancing our vision. That is why through assessment efforts we were able to develop the initial version of a new speaker toolkit focused on the benefits of Phi Kappa Tau membership. These talking points are now available and provide brothers with statistics and impact statements on the positive value of Phi Kappa Tau for use at recruitment events, anniversaries, or any chapter engagement. This analysis was gathered by research from the North American Interfraternity Conference, our recently rolled Graduate Exit Survey, and general polls regarding the value of membership.  

2020 Presidents Academy, 2023 will see this program turn into “Zenith Officer Institute”

To provide more value to our membership a review of our educational programming was conducted, leading to the development of exciting new educational programs that will take place in 2023, such as the Zenith Officer Insititute. Additionally, the chapter services team has conducted a review of the Borradaile Challenge, both the metrics and the reporting structure. This will help the fraternity more accurately assess the needs of the undergraduate chapter operations.  

Evolving the Brotherhood Journey: A new and formalized Membership Journey has been defined as an organizing mechanism to focus our strategy, analysis, and initiatives to the specific areas that can most improve the membership experience. This new journey design maps the storyline of how members of Phi Kappa Tau progress through our brotherhood experience, as well as the touchpoints the national organization has with them along the way. It helps put us in the shoes of our members, so that we can see and understand the progression of their experience, as well as identify needs and areas of potential improvement.  

Click image to explore the membership journey.

A key piece of this journey identified for improvement is the graduation process. An enhanced experienced will be rolled out this semester to more smoothly transition graduating brothers taking their first step into their post-college life. This was informed by the graduate exit survey and by some very practical steps that will make life easier for recently graduated Phi Kappa Tau members.  

Another area of focus the development of our new membership orientation program, which is progressing towards a pilot rollout this coming spring. We also kicked off our new partnership with Dyad Strategies with the Phi Kappa Tau Brotherhood assessment, which will provide useful information to better tailor services to chapters in the years to come.  

Establishing a Quarterly Planning & Execution Cadence to Achieve the Strategic Plan:  In the most recent quarter a strong commitment was placed on regular check ins and leveraging our technology investments with programs like the Perdoo OKR tracking software. With the team engaged, it was possible to get a lot done in a brief period of time. This has also allowed for us to have increased transparency across departments and stakeholders with the progress made on the Strategic Plan. You can check out the Q2 goals by clicking here, which are currently well under way.

There’s still a lot to be done, but we’re well on our way to achieving our strategic goals by 2025. If you would like to check them out you can visit phikapptau.org/strategicplan. If you have feedback or would like to learn how to become involved with any initiatives, please contact communications@phikapppatau.org. 

It's Not Wrong, It's Wright: Delta Nu Returns

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11

Members of the newly established Delta Nu.

The Phi Kappa Tau Expansion Team is on a roll! Following the success at Clemson, another team of newcomers is making waves in Dayton, Ohio. Domenic Mularo, Mount Union '19, and Danny Baldwin, Akron ’18, arrived in Dayton this October and have established an outstanding foundation for the revitalization of the Delta Nu chapter at Wright State University. Through diligent work, Mularo and Baldwin were able to recruit an associate class of 11 men, holding the ceremony on November 12th.  With this strong start, there is hope that the chapter will be able to continue gathering new members throughout the Spring and next Fall, reaching around the campus average (mid-twenties).  

The first crucial win for this project was simply getting the name Phi Kappa Tau back onto the university’s campus. Historically one of the stronger fraternities on campus, the Delta Nu chapter has a rich history in a thriving greek community. The success of this project was strongly aided by the fraternity and sorority advisor, Gina Keucher, and the Panhellenic community. With the help of Keucher, Mularo and Baldwin were able to recruit their first new member and current chapter president, Dylan Collison, Wright State AM. Other key members in the current chapter are Kadyn Beckman, Wright State AM, Dominic Deluca, Wright State AM, and Donnell Smith, Wright State AM. These men were instrumental in boosting group morale and providing support and assistance to our recruiters throughout the project. The team was also thankful for Delta Nu graduate, Zac Ganger, Wright State '12, for connecting them with alumni around the area and Brooke Leppla, a Wright State-Zeta Tau Alpha alumni, for providing strong connections with the past group of Delta Nu men.  

Through their tireless work, Mularo and Baldwin have established a foundation on which this chapter can grow in the years to come. When ask what Delta Nu would need to do to be successful, the duo stated, “From what we have already seen out of the group, all of the current members have taken the initiative to research their positions, the fraternity, and how they can better the organization within Delta Nu. If they continue on this path, this chapter will easily be able to find success in the future.” 

Dr. Rob Butera, Jr., Georgia Tech '87, Honored by His Alma Mater

Robert Butera.

Another of our Georgia Tech alumni has been recognized for their distinguished life and career. Dr. Rob Butera, Jr., Georgia Tech '87, joins Steve Chaddick, Georgia Tech '70, as a member of the Georgia Tech Greek Hall of Fame.  

Completing his undergraduate studies at Georgia Tech in 1991, Butera left behind a distinguished four years as a member of Phi Kappa Tau—having served in several roles including Administrative Vice President, IFC Executive Vice President, and was inducted into the Order of Omega. Following his graduation, Butera returned to his alma mater in 1999, and has served on the faculty of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. Throughout his career, Butera has held the positions of Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering and Co-Director of the Neural Engineering Center. In 2019, he took on the role of Vice President for Research Development and Operations and with it came a myriad of responsibilities, including: supporting and developing the research enterprise; operating the internally funded research programs in collaboration with the colleges; overseeing core facilities and research space; and managing policies related to research administration and operations.  

Robert Butera receiving the Senior Undergraduate Research Mentor Award.

Paired with his tenure at Georgia Tech, Butera is an accomplished researcher in the neural engineering community. His work is focused on developing novel methods for peripheral and autonomic nerve modulation using electrical signaling—combining engineering and neuroscience to tackle clinically motivated problems. Robert has been awarded several patents. For much of his earlier career, he developed computational approaches to problems in systems and cellular neuroscience. 

When not being an accomplished faculty member and researcher, Butera is still a dedicated brother of Phi Kappa Tau; serving as the faculty advisor to the Alpha Rho Chapter for nearly 20 years in addition to serving on the Housing Corporation.

When House Becomes Home

This piece is from 2021-2022 Annual Report, to read the issue and subscribe to The Laurel click here.

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11, and Charlie Ball, Miami ’82

Beta chapter house at Ohio University.

One of the most significant ways the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation supports local chapters is through educational housing grants. While the Foundation cannot fund chapter house projects entirely, donors may support portions of chapter houses which are considered educational. Sometimes, this can account for forty percent or more of a house’s construction, renovation and ongoing operating expenses. 

For chapters that are housed, having a safe, comfortable facility that is conducive to the living-learning experience of study and chapter activities is a key component to an outstanding Phi Tau experience. First-quality housing also assures the competitiveness of our chapters in recruiting future Men of Distinction. Chapter housing must be competitive with other Greek housing and the increasing variety of college and university housing and dining options.  

Gamma chapter house at The Ohio State University.

In recent years, the Foundation has played important roles in providing a tax-deductible conduit for contributions to critical housing upgrades and construction projects. The Foundation partnered with two of our oldest chapters, Beta at Ohio University and Gamma at Ohio State to complete significant modernizations and improvements to iconic houses that were showing signs of age and are now providing a competitive edge to those chapters. 

Upsilon-Nebraska Wesleyan University 

At the Upsilon Chapter at Nebraska Wesleyan University, renovation of their National Register of Historic Places-listed home was spurred by a tragedy. Warren Mattox, Nebraska Wesleyan ’69, recounts the story of the November 17, 2006, fire that broke out in the Upsilon Chapter house, resulting in the death of Ryan Stewart, Nebraska Wesleyan ‘06 and the critical injury of three others. Mattox (now Vice Chairman of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation board) assumed a leadership role in reviving the chapter and rebuilding and improving the historic chapter house. Joined by John Green, Nebraska Wesleyan’60, Bill Bowmaster, Nebraska Wesleyan’53, and many other alumni volunteers, the group set out to raise the funds to rebuild. With the help of capital campaign consultants, Pennington and Company, the group was able to raise an additional $380,000 for their project through the Foundation. Now, as they near their centennial celebration, the men of the Upsilon are also celebrating ten years of a fresh start and new home with significant educational and safety improvements.    

Kappa-University of Kentucky 

Kappa chapter house at the University of Kentucky.

At the University of Kentucky, the campaign to build a brand-new Kappa Chapter house began with an unexpected and dramatic challenge from the parents of a new member. Following the chapter’s closure in 1990, the university demolished the distinctive house that had been Kappa’s home since 1966 in order to build a new library. When the chapter was rechartered, they purchased a much smaller house, far away from the prominent location they had enjoyed. Though the chapter prospered, winning the Maxwell Award in 2008, their housing remained uncompetitive with the top UK fraternities.   

In 2018, Darryl and Theresa Isaacs, parents of Lee Isaacs, Kentucky ‘18, approached the chapter with a challenge to make a major gift toward a new house if it could be completed by their son’s senior year. With the support of the Foundation, the local house corporation, led by Rob Lyons, Kentucky ‘96, and Patrick Keal Kentucky ‘04, jumped headlong into architectural design, fundraising and financing to meet the challenge. Construction of the impressive 55-man house was completed on-time and under budget, despite the constraints of building and occupying a new chapter house in a global pandemic. So far, gifts and pledges from Kappa alumni, parents, and the Isaacs family, which now includes a second Kappa member, Nathaniel, have allowed the Foundation to support about one-third of the $6 million project cost.  

Alpha Chi-Mississippi State University 

Barry Toney, Mississippi State ’85, has been the driving force behind the housing project at his chapter. Soon after he graduated, Toney donated to a campaign for a new house in the early 90’s. Eventually, a house was built on sorority row, but the celebration was short lived. The Alpha Chi Chapter closed in 1997, and the housing corporation was forced to sell the new house. In 2014, the chapter began anew, and Toney got involved with the Board of Governors and the journey to build a new house began.  

The re-chartered chapter was able to lease an existing fraternity house in Fall 2017, but with an eye to the long-term security of the chapter, the house corporation began a major fund-raising campaign. Campaign chairman, Bill Jones, Mississippi State ‘60, has personally made a series of challenge gifts to match the contributions of Alpha Chi members which have resulted in total gifts and pledges of $1.53 million to date. These funds are ready when the house corporation decides to purchase and renovate an existing house or to build new. 

Foundation staff are working in partnership with dedicated alumni volunteers from several other chapters who are in the planning stages of housing projects to assure the comfort, safety, and competitiveness of their chapters. To learn more about ways to support your chapter or how chapters can benefit from housing funds at the Foundation, contact Foundation director Charlie Ball at cball@phikappatau.org. 

Veterans Day Op-Ed by Terry Williams, UCLA '84

By Brigadier General Terry V. Williams USMC (Ret), UCLA ’84 

Brigadier General Terry V. Williams USMC (Ret)

We honor all former US military men and women who have served this great nation, especially as we near Veterans Day. It is right and fitting to honor them for the service and sacrifices they have made to secure our freedoms and way of life. Whether spending countless days away from families training, protecting our embassies afar, responding to contingencies or fighting in combat, we can never forget what veterans have done for this great nation. There are, however, other ways to honor a veteran; give them a job because they are more than capable and have the experience, skills and traits highly sought after in the civilian job market that will make them an asset for any company. 

Veterans make great employees—and I don’t say this just because I too am a veteran; I say this because I witnessed veterans, then on active duty, for over 30 years perform absolutely incredible feats, demonstrating the highly sought-after skills and traits employers’ desire. If you Google search the “top skills and traits sought after by employers," the lists of skills and traits represent much of what veterans possess. Some of the top skills include decision-making, multitasking, creative problem-solving, collaboration, communication, professionalism, integrity, management, initiative, empathy, leadership, and teamwork—just to name a few.  Many of these traits and skills are core principles of personnel development, instilled in entry level training curriculum and required for advancement. 

I watched Marines plan, rehearse and execute long haul resupply convoys on IED laden routes in Iraq, day after day after day, for six months—with many doing this on multiple deployments. Their ability to successfully plan these highly complex, life-threatening missions speaks to almost all the skills I laid out above and many others found on the Google search lists. I watched Navy, Air Force, and Marine contracting specialist faithfully and honorably solicit for, and acquire multimillion dollar service and contracts without incident in an activity where potential and temptation for improper and unethical behavior was large. 

I watched the logistics element of NATO's Headquarters during Resolute Support Mission, put their heads together to solve multiple complex force protection issues that solved the challenge faster and less expensive than the policy dictated method. This also demonstrated all the skills and traits as laid out above. In each case it took professionalism, exceptional communication skills in getting the NATO bureaucracy to approve the solutions.  

I watched Marines prepare to deliver condolences to the family of Marines killed in action and Marines serve natural disaster displaced persons at home and abroad. Their compassion, their professionalism, their capacity to work through these complex and highly emotional events cannot be captured in words but is nonetheless awe inspiring. 

I’ve watched two US naval vessels conduct an underway replenishment (UNREP); a method of transferring fuel, munitions, and stores from one ship to another while under way. This complex, highly dangerous and intense evolution requires the ships to come along side each other, matching speeds while moving on parallel courses; then transferring fuel line for fuel and supplies from one ship to another. No other country in the world can do this; it is an incredible event to witness. It requires incredible teamwork, dedication, planning, communication, management, and leadership to collectively coordinate and synchronize the two independent ships’ crews to make this successfully happen. The skills and traits it takes from all the members involved demonstrate those same skills highly sought after in the job market.  

These are just a few examples that demonstrate veterans possess several highly sought-after skills and traits that companies desire. So, this Veterans Day, let's honor our veterans with parades, speeches, documentaries, and other ceremonies with all the "pomp and circumstances". And let's also honor them, by considering them for employment, and not just on Veterans Day but every day. They have earned our thanks and admiration and they have developed the skills and traits to make a positive contribution to any company. 

Did you know Phi Kappa Tau has a pin specifically for Phi Kappa Tau Veterans? It is sent directly to you, complimentary of the Phi Kappa Tau Executive Offices. Click here to order.

Jim Upchurch, East Central OK '66, Honored for His Sacrifice

Jim Upchurch.

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11 

Long before he was a decorated hero and devoted Second Lieutenant of Echo Company, Jim Upchurch, East Central OK '66, was a friend, husband, brother of the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity, accomplished offensive tackle for the East Central Tigers, and an inclusive and charismatic presence to all those he touched. Affectionately known as “momma bear” during his time as an undergraduate member of Phi Tau, Upchurch was said to take care of everyone he cared for and was unrelentingly in his willingness to bring others into his fold. On a campus where it was common for athletes to stick within their own circle, Upchurch had no interest or patience for such norms. Ever kind and caring, Upchurch would make it his mission to build a connection with every new member of the fraternity and on the football team. One such individual was Bill Bailey, Jr, East Central OK '66, who was a freshman when Upchurch was a senior. The two became quick friends and even faster brothers as Bailey’s freshman class of 33 pushed Gamma Xi over the needed numbers to become an official chapter of Phi Tau. As both charter members and athletes, their bond continued to grow. After sustaining an injury during the season, Upchurch sneakily put his jersey on Bailey under the guise of helping him fit his own over his pads. That game Bailey remembers that each time he entered Upchurch would say, “don’t embarrass me,” and each time he came off the field, he would pat him on the back and say, “good job.”  

Memorial Plaque at East Central.

Following Graduation from East Central, Upchurch joined the Marine Corp and was quickly one of the top men in his OFC Class. Upon receiving Echo Company, he and his men went to Vietnam. As he was before the war, Upchurch was a valiant leader of men, commanding the company in eight major battles. In an unprecedented feat, Upchurch didn’t lose a single member of his platoon while acting as their Lieutenant. Echo company was a Presidential Citation Unit and Upchurch was a two-time Bronze Star winner for valor in combat. Similarly to Upchurch, Bailey began his service to this country immediately following the completion of his undergraduate education. Throughout his time in the Air Force, Bailey flew 265 missions as a Captain in Vietnam. As these two men—so similarly navigating their way through life—represented the very best our country and fraternity have to offer, only Bailey would return home and Jim Upchurch would pay the ultimate sacrifice. On March 25th, 1969, while acting as commanding officer of Echo Company, Upchurch was killed by a mortar round during a heated firefight on Dong Ha Mountain. Following his death, his Sargeant, Mac, wrote to Kathy Upchurch, and said, “on that day we lost our Lieutenant.”  

Jerry Fry, Kathy Upchurch, Bill Bailey and former ECU Head Football Coach Pat O’Neal at the Memorial Dedication.

Last weekend during the East Central University Veteran's Day celebration, Upchurch was immortalized with a plaque upon their stadium's flagpole. Through the diligent work of Jim’s widow, Kathy, Bailey, and fellow Gamma Xi brother, Jerry Fry, East Central OK '86, the university was able to pay lasting homage to one of its, and our, most honorable alumni. While this news piece is a far cry from the ceremony had at East Central, we hope that it acts as a conduit for all our brothers to reflect upon those within our organization and across this nation who sacrifice everything within themselves for our protection and safety. Upchurch and Bailey are just two of the men we thank deeply for their service to our country—today and all other days.  

Upon returning home from Vietnam, Bailey went on to serve as a Captain for Southwest Airlines. Flying for 25 years, he retired at the age of 60. In 2005, he bought a marina on Lake Texoma in Oklahoma, and has been running it with his family ever since.  

Did you know Phi Kappa Tau has a pin specifically for Phi Kappa Tau Veterans? It is sent directly to you, complimentary of the Phi Kappa Tau Executive Offices. Click here to order.

It's Time To Give Local

With the school year in full swing and our undergraduate brothers in the midst of another exciting semester, we are sharpening our focus to give alumni like you the chance to support their chapters directly. The Phi Kappa Tau Foundation is excited to announce the start of the Give Local Campaign.  

Over the next two weeks, the Give Local Campaign will highlight how easy it is to give directly to a specific Chapter Educational Grant fund (CEG). Designed to aid in the education of our chapters, CEGs can help local chapters to fund a long list of educational activities inducing scholarships, improvements to educational facilities in a chapter house and educational programs organized locally or by the National Fraternity. And local Boards of Governors control the use of funds in conjunction with the Foundation. Throughout this past year, CEGs were used to send our undergraduate brothers to programs like Growth Summit and Leadership Academy. These educational programs provided a wealth of knowledge in the areas of leadership, goal setting, and featured breakout sessions tailored to mental health and wellness.  

How do you Give Local? We are asking you to consider making a recurring monthly gift of $19.06 to the chapter of your choice. Setting up a monthly gift of any amount will go a long way in supporting undergraduate brothers around the country. As simple as signing up for a streaming service, this gift will benefit your chapter for many years to come.  

Honoring Brother Frank Marcon, Lafayette '48

Frank and Doris celebrating his 90th birthday.

Of our country’s greatest generation, fewer and fewer of those brave and self-sacrificing men who served in World War II are left with us. On July 12, 2022, we lost one of our own. Frank Marcon, Lafayette '48, passed away peacefully at the age of 96 with his wife, Doris, at his side.  

After completing his high school education, Marcon was drafted and served in the 30th Infantry Division—nicknamed the “Old Hickory” Division and recently awarded the Presidential Unit Citation in recognition of its heroic stand at the Battle of Mortain, France, August 7-12, 1944. Marcon’s service saw him land on Ohama Beach just four days after D-Day at the age of 18, and carried on as he and the 30th fought their way across France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany. Following the Battle of the Bulge, Marcon suffered a grievous shrapnel wound from an exploded 88m shell that landed fifteen feet from his position. Following surgery and a recovery period in France, Marcon returned to the front lines and remained there until the war ended.  

Upon returning home, Marcon used the GI Bill to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering from Lafayette. It was there that he became a brother of the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, while also playing football. Following graduation, Marcon’s career took him from Pennsylvania to Florida, then eventually settling in San Fransisco where he worked in the mining division of Bechtel Corporation. Through the years he was building his career, Marcon met and married Doris, and the couple raised four children.  

Frank and his daughters.

Frank was preceded in death by his son Peter, and his sisters Virginia Curto, Linda and Pierina "Buckie" Marcon. Frank lives on in the memories of his survivors: Doris, his wife; daughters, Rebecca Marcon of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, Mary san Marcon of Santa Cruz, CA, and Patricia Bower of Rancho Cucamonga, CA; brother John Marcon of Pen Argyl, PA; three grandchildren, Katie Kinne, Tommy Bower, and Erin Bower; two great grandchildren, Chase and Grady Kinne, and many nieces and nephews. 

Epsilon Nu: Tigers on the Road to Success!

Epsilon Nu Associate Chapter.

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11

Phi Kappa Tau has laid the foundation for its return to Clemson University! 

Two of our Executive Office’s newest staff members were sent out on their first project, laying the groundwork for the re-chartering of the Epsilon Nu chapter of Phi Kappa Tau. Ryan Callahan, Tennessee ’20, and Ethan Bunn, North Carolina State ’19, were no strangers to the diligent demands of starting a new chapter—both having been re-founding fathers of their own chapters. Under the guidance of the Associate Director of Organizational Growth, Hunter Pemberton, Akron ’18, our expansion team found resounding success in the Palmetto State. Bunn and Callahan were able to recruit 60 new members in just two months, who now comprise the Epsilon Nu associate chapter and have hopes of gaining their charter in the Spring of 2023. In addition to recruiting a strong class of distinguished young men, the expansion team were able to make strides in establishing their foundation on the Clemson campus. They’ve created intramural teams, had a parents and alumni weekend, filled social and recruitment committees, and have the standards board preparing bylaws and guidelines. 

Bunn holding a meeting with the men of Epsilon Nu.

The preparation for this project was extensive and played an integral part in the success. Speaking to and establishing relationships with potential alumni volunteers was one of the first steps in this process. The graduate members who played a crucial role in this project were: Bob Ragsdale, Georgia '66, now the current BOG Chairman; Joseph Doyle, Clemson '95, BOG Trustee; Chip Munn, III, Clemson '95, BOG Trustee; Adam Goetz, Clemson '95, Foundation Trustee; and John Cochran, Georgia Tech '89, BOG Member. Paired with the foundation that these volunteers provided, the expansion team spoke with Clemson Alumni to understand Epsilon Nu and Clemson University history, established relationships with many campus officials—particularly in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and the Interfraternity Council—researched campus statistics and trends, and created social media sites for the project. Through this process, Bunn and Callahan were able to find a group of undergraduate men who will be pivotal to the success of the associate chapter and will undoubtedly lead them to re-chartering. Among others, this chapter is being led by: Chapter President: Chris Horton, Clemson '19; Recruitment Chair: Riley Bartuska, Clemson AM; Risk Management Chair: Abraham Cagle, Clemson AM; Judicial Board Member: George Sprinkle III, Clemson AM.  

Chris Horton, Clemson ’19 and Collin Shealy, Clemson AM (Left). Callahan and Bunn (Right).

The men of Epsilon Nu are well on their way to success, and the smooth road ahead could have not been accomplished without the hard work of the undergraduates, alumni, and talented expansion team that comprised this project. Excellently prepared, encouraged, and supported by Pemberton, Bunn and Callahan were able to use their own experience to provide our organization with another potentially outstanding chapter. Congratulations to the men of Epsilon Nu, and fantastic work by all involved. We have no doubt you’ll make us all proud.  

Bob Lape's Adventures in Journalism and Dining

Bob Lape, Kent State ’52

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11 

Summarizing a person’s career in a list of achievements and awards is an effective way to paint the portrait of accomplishment, but it cannot capture the passion and innovation which made them great. Say you had a man who spent his seventy-year career as a broadcast journalist, writer, restaurant reviewer, and food critic—spanning four cities and two countries—and had received a multitude of awards, including: the Chevalier d'honneur Swiss Ordre du Channe, an Emmy Award for TV News Coverage, a series of UPI Tom Phillips Awards for radio news, and a Congressional Citation. However brief this summation, it’s undoubtedly impressive, but it fails to grasp the legacy of Phi Tau’s own revolutionary journalist, Robert Lape, Kent State ’52. To convey the impact Lape had on his peers, industry, and all those touched by his work, I’ll share with you a story from his early days in Providence, Rhode Island.  

 In 1956, Lape had recently been hired by WICE Providence—an up-and-coming station—and the pair were eager to make a splash throughout the city. The goal was expedition; Lape and WICE could establish themselves by getting their community the stories they desired faster than their competitors. With the 1956 elections in full swing, Lape would employ locals from 38 cities and towns to provide him with election results in real-time. As the elections carried on, a defining story presented itself. Now known as the “long count,” the 1956 Gubernatorial Race is the story of the Rhode Island Supreme Court invalidating 5,000 civilian, absentee and shut-in ballots cast prior to election day on the grounds that a constitutional amendment required such votes to be cast on, rather than prior to, election day. This national story brought reporters and outlets from across the nation and was drawn out over the course of eleven days. Amid the commotion, Lape was driving the WICE NEWSMOBILE back and forth from station to courthouse, providing continuous updates to the citizens of Rhode Island. As the decision neared, it was becoming apparent that Lape needed to figure out a way to beat his peers to the punch. With the results set to be handed out, the frenzy of media members would not allow for a traditional approach. Inspired by a journalist who covered the Bruno Hauptmann trial, Lape wrote two separate stories prior to the decision—one in red ink and one in black. Arriving in the early hours of decision day, Lape parked a fellow member of the WICE team in the NEWSMOBILE right outside the courthouse window. Standing with his peers, all clamoring and vying for the opportunity to receive the news first, he waited by to run to the window with a strand of black yarn in one pocket and a piece of red cardboard in the other. A landmark decision was announced, Christopher Del Sesto, the apparent winner, had lost the Gubernatorial race to Dennis J. Roberts. As the courthouse erupted in chaos, journalists fought to reach phones, typewriters and get on air as soon as possible, but Lape simply gathered the attention of his partner in this journalistic heist and waved the red cardboard. Going live from the NEWSMOBILE, WICE beat its competitors to the story and established itself at the forefront of news innovation.  

Lape interviewing former Congresswoman Bella Abzug.

While this story may appear to be the plot of Aaron Sorkin’s next screenplay, it is the true telling of the bold and ambitious foundation Lape had laid for his career. Just a short time after, Lape would garner an invitation to the White House and praise from President Dwight D. Eisenhower for his coverage of the Little Rock Integration Crisis of 1957. Following his departure from WICE, Lape joined WBZ in Boston, where he earned further praise and acclaim for coverage of the Great Northeast Blackout. Lape’s journey along the East Coast took him to New York City, where he first became a charter member of Eyewitness News on WABC-TV. While serving as a political and crime reporter, Lape created a segment called The Eyewitness Gourmet, which would run for twelve years, and was met with such high acclaim and ratings that it increased the revenue of the network. Becoming the Arts Editor, Lape would also cover film and theater for the remainder of his time at Eyewitness News. His foray into the culinary world would see the creation of Bob Lape’s Food Show on WABC, a restaurant review column that lasted 24 years in Crain's New York Business; Bob Lape's Dining Diary, a broadcast on WCBS Radio that focused on all aspects of dining and aired fifteen times per week; and stints as a media critic for Entertainment Tonight, food critic for the TODAY Show and anchor of Japan Today on USA Cable Network. Paired with his extensive journalism career, Lape is also author of Epicurean Rendezvous, Bob Lape's Restaurant Index, and co-author of Seduced by Bacon: Recipes & Lore About America's Favorite Indulgence.  

Lape and Geraldo Rivera (2019).

Among his many awards, Lape was most recently honored by his alma mater, Kent State University. A recipient of the 2022 Professional Achievement Award, Lape was honored with fellow alumni at a banquet surrounded by friends and family. Of the university, Lape stated, “My Kent State education did far more than help in my career. It made not only my career, it made my life.” His time in Phi Tau was met with equal acclaim, as he described how the experience of being an only child made him all the more excited to be amongst brothers from different and diverse backgrounds. Now settled down back in Ohio, Lape continues to write, partake in public speaking events, and happily spend time with his children and grandchildren.