Chapter news

Cross
&
Crescent
a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication
Features
True Brother
3 2008 Measurable Outcomes
Centennial News
4 Perspectives from the Sky
Fraternity News
6 Control Your Online Image
History
8 Legacies of Gettysburg
Chapter News
11 Chapter news, alumni news,
and reports of death
17
Hall of Fame Pro Wrestler
Tito Santana, a former professional wrestler and football player,
today teaches Spanish as a way of giving back to the community.
Recently, he published a book, Tito Santana: Tales From the Ring,
depicting his life in the spotlight and growing up in a poor
Hispanic migrant worker family in south Texas.
By Chris Barrick
20
Million Dollar Man
Opera singer Neal E. Boyd Won NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” on
October 1, 2008, earning a giant paycheck. A alumni brother from
Southeast Missouri State, he recently performed in Las Vegas at the
MGM Grand, and is beginning work on his first album.
Tad Lichtenauer (Denison 1987)
Credits
Contributions
Publisher: Bill Farkas
Editor: Tad Lichtenauer
Assistant Editor: Chris Barrick
Illustrator: Jeff Reisdorfer
Podcast Voice: Fuzz Martin
Photographer: Walt Moser
Assignment Editor: Jon Williamson
Historian: Mike Raymond
Contributing Editors:
Jono Hren
Aaron Jones
George Spasyk
Content for consideration should be submitted
by the 15th of the month.
Lambda Chi Alpha
8741 Founders Rd
Indianapolis, IN 46268-1338
(317) 872-8000
[email protected]
www.lambdachi.org
www.crossandcrescent.com
www.crossandcrescent.com
2
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
TRUE BROTHER
2008 Measurable Outcomes
Groundbreaking co-curricular educational program proves positive impact on chapter
and undergraduate brothers’ personal development
By Tim Reuter (Simpson 2003)
As a leader in the co-curricular Fraternity movement, Lambda Chi Alpha
has redefined and evolved the method of maturational development in
fraternity men. Working closely with psychologist Dr. Elgan Baker
(DePauw 1971), winner of the 2007 Hans H. Strupp award (his
profession’s highest honor), Lambda Chi Alpha is measuring the
developmental maturation of its members and comparing the outcomes at
a campus to campus level.
It is important that our undergraduate and alumni brothers understand
that the True Brother Initiative is promoting positive growth in the lives of
our active brothers. These early outcomes are extremely encouraging and
provide the brotherhood with affirmation that we are on a course that truly
makes brothers better men -- and eventually better husbands and parents.
Under the umbrella of the True Brother Initiative, a comprehensive
development program format and structure for undergraduate and alumni
members to actively live our core values in every aspect of their lives,
Lambda Chi Alpha is using the following instruments to assess member
development:
Chapter Performance
Chapters integrating True Brother scored higher on ALL measures of
performance
The general results from the 2008 participant survey results show:
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• The Self Consciousness Scale (Fenigstein, 1975)
• Self Esteem Scale (Rosenburg, 1965)
• Multidimensional Emotional Empathy Scale (Caruso and Mayer,
1998)
• Self Report Altruism Scale (Rushton et al, 1981)
• The Miller Social Intimacy Scale (Miller & Lecourt, 1982)
Chapters most fully and successfully integrating components of True
Brother showed significantly greater levels of change than other comparison
chapters.
Developed and piloted in 2006, this unique educational program was
made available to our nearly 200 chapters and colonies in 2007. Surveys are
currently administered to our members at the point of association and
initiation, with the intention of a third survey during their final academic
term before graduation.
Individual Development
Chapters integrating True Brother scored higher than national norms on
ALL measures of developmental maturation
A fully comprehensive development program, the True Brother Initiative
provides a format and structure to actively live Lambda Chi Alpha’s Seven
Core Values -- Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Service & Stewardship, Honor,
Integrity, and Personal Courage -- in every aspect of chapter function, as
well as in the individual development of young men.
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Results from the survey and assessment component of the True Brother
Initiative indicate that chapters implementing all components of the
initiative score above the national norm in the developmental maturation
related to self-esteem, self-awareness, empathy, altruism, and intimacy.
Self-Awareness
Self-Esteem
Empathy
Altruism
Intimacy
Chapters integrating True Brother demonstrated significantly greater
changes from association to Initiation on ALL measures of developmental
maturation than chapters not integrating True Brother.
The largest increases in developmental maturation were noted on empathy
and capacity for intimacy.
Through this groundbreaking initiative, Lambda Chi Alpha has reaffirmed
its role as educators and partners with administrators and faculty of our
colleges and universities.
Typical decreases in self-awareness and self-esteem noted in college
freshmen were not evidenced in chapters integrating the components of
True Brother.
As we enter into another century of Lambda Chi Alpha, the entire
brotherhood is excited about the Fraternity’s second century as our values,
ideals, and Initiation Ritual teachings inspire today and tomorrow’s leaders
in Lambda Chi Alpha and throughout society.
www.crossandcrescent.com
Recruitment Class Size
Retention to Initiation
Grade Point Average
Campus Involvement
Community Service
3
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
CENTENNIAL NEWS
Perspectives from the Sky
October celebrations included stops in Boston, Philadelphia,
Denver, Indianapolis, and Dallas.
By Dan Hartmann (Truman 2007)
It’s late October, the bite of winter has set in and another flight to see
our brothers is underway. My travels take me to the Denver Regional
Centennial Celebration. I am especially excited about catching up
with a brother who joined the fraternity with me, Vince Colletti
(Truman State 2007) who was with me through thick and thin
during my undergraduate years.
Fellow brother and Associate Director of Development Josh Lodolo
(Cal State Northridge 2004) is also on his way to Denver to assist
with the reception. Other staff members including Executive Vice
President Bill Farkas (Butler 1988), Director of Chapter Services Biff
Holloway (High Point 1993), Director of Communications Tad
Lichtenauer (Denison 1987), Director of Education Tim Reuter
(Simpson 2004), and Director of Risk Management Aaron Parker
(Hanover 2006) are already in Denver working towards the
advancement of our Fraternity.
However, that leads me to my next question. Was Lambda Chi Alpha
the fraternity of Honest Friendship back in the days of pledgeship?
After seeing Jim and talking with him briefly about his passion for the
fraternity, a fraternity that he experienced 2,200 miles from his
current home in Seattle, I have no doubt that the men who came first
were the brothers that led by example and thus we have held honesty
at the top of the list when it comes to Lambda Chi Alpha.
30,000 Feet View
This month’s article comes from a Boeing 737 flying 30,000 feet
above the Great Plains. The view up here is fabulous and there
couldn’t be a better place for this article about perspectives.
Grand High Alpha Ed Leonard
Another interesting perspective that I have recently been considering
is the growth of our fraternity. Grand High Alpha Ed Leonard
(William Jewell 1979) said it best at our reception at the Union
League of Philadelphia earlier this month when he declared, “we are
the only fraternity to initiate more than 250,000 brothers in our first
100 years!”
As other staff members and I have held receptions across the country
and witnessed the attendance increase from last years’ receptions by
an average of 12 brothers/guests, a lot of thoughts have been running
through our minds.
The average age range from the oldest participants to youngest at
every Regional Centennial Celebration we have had thus far is greater
than 50 years! I find it inspiring those brothers who attended schools
and were a part of chapters 1,000 miles from their current place of
residency, yet are compelled to come out to our various regional
celebrations because the fraternity played such an important role in
their lives as young men.
I believe that Brother Leonard’s statement has much more depth than
applause of agreement and satisfaction. Stepping back and putting
things into perspective, it is obvious that our fraternity, being
amongst the top of total initiated members in relation to other men’s
fraternities and being the youngest in that group by quite a few years,
has brought to the table a brotherhood and experience second to
none.
Jim Stubner, Illinois
One example that I am replaying clearly in my head was talking to
Jim Stubner (Illinois 1942) at our first reception in Seattle and
realizing that Jim lived in the same fraternity house that I visited
while a consultant in the northern midwest. Jim’s experiences on the
Illinois campus and in the Lambda Chi house differ from the current
undergraduates’ who live in a world with different societal norms and
fashions.
www.crossandcrescent.com
Brothers before us and brothers currently active have taken the oaths
and obligations of Lambda Chi Alpha to depths not even Jack Mason
and Warren Cole could have imagined. Did John Mason truly know
what he would leave in his wake after spending countless hours
revising, revisiting, and drafting our final Initiation Ritual (which
happens to be the 3rd version in Lambda Chi Alpha)?
4
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
CENTENNIAL NEWS
What 100 Years Means to Me
Lambda Chi Alpha…for life!
I recently completed my bio for my 50th high school class reunion.
Although it’s a quick trip, it has been a great one and looking back I
wouldn’t make many changes. While reflecting back I re-enforced what I
already knew; Lambda Chi was with me during all of those years.
I first fell in love with the idea of fraternity when I was a pledge and the
ideals of Lambda Chi Alpha followed shortly thereafter. A smile comes to
my face when I think of all the mischief and fun I was a part of with the
rest of the chapter. During my undergraduate years my personality
evolved as I became part of a team, and eventually the president of my
chapter. I was fortunate to have the honor of initiating my father, and our
initiation has always stayed with me. Two of my sons became Lambda
Chis and I had the honor of being part of their ritual teams too. Those
were incredible experiences that will last a lifetime. I have two grandsons
— one who shares my name — and I’m looking forward to another
brother of the bond in just eight years.
Initiation Ritual
This question leads me to my final point. Our Initiation Ritual says it
all! For all the 260,000 + brothers who witnessed its grandeur in the
first century of our existence and the next quarter of a million
brothers who will experience the ritual in our next hundred years,
everyone can agree that its message cannot be bound by time.
After graduation I began a hobby, my wife would call it an obsession, as I
began researching the history of Lambda Chi Alpha, reading and
re-reading all of the issues of the Cross & Crescent, identifying our
prominent members, beginning with professional athletes. Returning
from Vietnam, I was given the opportunity to interview some of our
noteworthy brothers for the magazine. That was so rewarding as I grasped
the love that these men still maintained for our great fraternity.
The modern takeaways for brothers are not that much different from
the takeaways our first brothers had, those nearly a hundred years ago.
And the best part is that every brother in our bond is invested. We
have all gone through, participated, managed, and played a key role
in the ritual experiences for the younger brothers on our campuses.
And henceforth, they will be the guides throughout the next century
of Lambda Chi Alpha.
The rewards of being in the circle of Lambda Chi Alpha are endless. The
life lessons learned helped shape us into who we are today. The common
threads of brotherhood and lasting friendships stay with us long after we
have left our chapters. The memories of our youthful journey sustain us in
difficult times. But most of all, we are able to pass along the principles and
traditions of our great fraternity to the next generations.
As the sun streams through the window of the airplane, I am
reminded of a flame that burns on altars late at night and into the
early morning on cold November days. That flame is growing
stronger as more brothers kindle its awe-inspiring power through
secret ceremonies that are truly the catalyst for our fraternity’s
advancement.
— Jon Williamson (Maryland 1965)
Jon is the retired executive vice president of the North American Interfraternity
Conference and has been a volunteer for the Cross & Crescent for over 35
years.
In the fraternity of honest friendship where a pure heart is the only
way to understand the greater good of Lambda Chi Alpha, we must
be thankful for those who have led the way and those that continue
on, lighting the way for brothers everywhere. From a young alumni
director who learned at his chapter to ask the question, “what have
you done for Lambda Chi Alpha today?” so do I ask my fellow
brothers reading this article.
It’s going to be a very bright second century of Lambda Chi Alpha!
www.crossandcrescent.com
5
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
FRATERNITY NEWS
Control Your Online Image
The decision of how you present yourself to the world is
yours.
By Jeff Reisdorfer (Wisconsin-Whitewater 1998)
The technologies of today may seem cumbersome and
omnipresent to some, while others see these tools as vehicles to move
their image and message across the globe with the push of a button.
In Settings>Privacy>Profile, I recommend setting everything to at
least “Only Friends.” And if you don’t want that pesky Wall to show
up, just set that to “No one.” Consider changing your Photo Album
Privacy Settings to only allow specific friends to access photo albums
in which they appear.
Like it or not, the accessibility of information on the internet allows
anyone the ability to find out information about you as an individual.
The decision of how you present yourself to the world online is yours.
In Settings>Privacy>Search, you have the option of letting only
Friends or Friends-of-Friends find you through a normal search. You
can then set the filter to let other specific groups of people find you,
such as people in college networks and so forth.
Why It’s Important
Your name and affiliations are easily found online. Consider what
your online image looks like friends, family members, (future)
employers, and other people. Every group, event, website, blog, and
fan club your name is associated with paints a very large picture of
you.
Also, think about the way you want people to be able to contact you.
When someone does find you, would you like them to be able to see
your friend list, see your profile photo, etc? Choose settings that make
the most sense for you.
Is this a fair and accurate depiction of who you really are? Probably
not, and as the old adage goes “life isn’t fair.” It is important to put
your best face forward, as the internet can make the best firstimpression to anyone who is seeking you out.
In Settings>Privacy>News Feed and Wall, you can select which
The ‘How-To’s
Membership numbers on social networking sites (SNS) have grown
exponentially in the past five years. Unlike regular websites and blogs,
social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn, offer
individuals ways to associate themselves with their friends and share
content across their social network. SNS are great places to find
long-lost friends, make new friends, and affiliate with organizations.
There are ways to control your image within these new pillars of the
internet.
Let’s look at Facebook, as it is used by more than 100 million people
worldwide. More than 13 million Facebook users in the United States
are over 25 years of age. This means that your parents, relatives,
employers, professors, administrators are on Facebook — and if yours
aren’t, they probably have a friend who is.
To control your privacy on Facebook, I recommend dialing back
privacy settings to the most stringent, then go through each of them
one at a time and decide which setting is best for your needs.
Privacy Settings are a great jump-off point. Privacy Settings are
system-wide settings that control the flow of your information across
the entire world of Facebook. Your settings will control the way that
other people see you, your profile, photos, videos and every other
item with which you associate yourself.
www.crossandcrescent.com
6
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
FRATERNITY NEWS
applications are visible when someone is viewing your profile. Do you
really want a potential employer to see your Retro Skateboard Sticker
application? In this section you can also dis-allow people from
commenting on photos, videos and posted items.
server. That record is then stored and kept for any number of years,
which is often found with a simple Google search. What someone
posts in a moment of lapsed judgment can be found and used by
anyone to whatever ends they choose. It is important for us to
remember who we are and how we want others to view us as
individuals and a Fraternity.
Use Setting>Privacy>Applications to change settings on how friends
see you through applications.
Words and photos that are meant to be funny with no ill-intentions
can often be misinterpreted by others who do not know us or the
context of our situations. Tone is lost on the internet, and often our
impact does not equal our intent.
Privacy Settings are great because they are easily changed and they
always follow the rules you create.
The hardest part of controlling your image on Facebook relies on your
own personal filter. This means controlling what type of content you
add to your profile. Status Updates that include vulgarities, posted
photos showing lewd situations or illegal conduct, derogatory
comments on photos, racy applications, and unsavory posts are all
items that have to be controlled by your own personal filter.
Your Chapter Website
A chapter website is a great resource for members as well as recruiting
new members. It can serve as a source of information about
upcoming events, officer and member contact information and other
useful items.
“People can’t use things from my profile against me, that’s an invasion
of privacy.”
Chapter sites are available 24–7 and allow potential members to see
how great Lambda Chi Alpha is at your school and across North
America. Chapter websites can be a great public relations tool. They
can be a way to show your chapter’s involvement at your school and
within your community.
No, it’s not an invasion of privacy. The moment someone posts
something to a social networking profile, they are putting that
information into the public arena. That information can be accessed
by anyone who you have given access to your profile. As recently as
this summer, a 20-year old was sentenced to two years in prison for a
drunk driving crash that injured a woman. Photos that the defendant,
himself, posted on Facebook were used as character evidence against
him.
On the flip side, a chapter website can do the exact opposite of all of
those great things. It can destroy a chapter’s image and reputation on
campus in an instant. Our websites are accessed by our brothers
world-wide, potential members, the media, school administrators,
professors, community members and parents. Consider what your
chapter’s website says about your chapter — about what it says about
you as a brother.
“This is my personal account and I can do what I want with it.”
Yes, you can do what you like with your account. But remember,
more than 100 million people have a Facebook account. Consider
that (future) employers, school officials, police officers, as well as
people who do not have your best intentions at heart have accounts
on Facebook and other social networking sites.
The look & feel of the site’s design as well as the content that is
presented are important. If your chapter’s site hasn’t been updated in
quite some time, consider making an update or taking the site down
until it can be done properly.
Once you post a photo, a comment, or any other item which could
be considered inflammatory, you have created a digital record which
says something about who you are and what you believe in. Photos
can easily be downloaded and circulated outside of your control.
Comments can be printed or even copied and pasted into emails. It is
important to think about what you are posting to your profile and
consider what it says about you, your friends and your affiliations.
Personal Blogs/Websites
Modern technology allows everyone to have a voice on the internet,
which is outstanding. Anything that is posted on the internet is
instantly accessible to anyone with a computer — anywhere. These
are very powerful tools...we should consider how to wield such
responsibility.
The moment someone uploads a photo, story, blog post, comment, or
a video a digital record of it is made on a (at least one) computer
www.crossandcrescent.com
7
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
HISTORY
Legacies of Gettysburg
Curiosity from finding a Phi Sigma badge leads to some
unexpected discoveries.
The badge was silent. Nevertheless, as we searched for its
history, we could begin to imagine the sounds of college debating
contests, of a professor speaking in a lecture hall, perhaps even the
sound of bands playing patriotic music and voices delivering heartfelt
speeches, or the firm rap of an oak gavel calling a meeting to order.
much more about their relationships to each other, and also to
Donald Lybarger (Gettysburg 1919).
Lybarger was one of the 12 founders of Phi Sigma, a signer of the
original League & Covenant of Theta Kappa Nu, its first Grand
Treasurer as well as a Grand Archon, and then Grand High Omega of
Lambda Chi Alpha following the 1939 union. Now our curiosity was
at a peak.
We had found a
badge of Phi
Sigma, a local
fraternity
established at
Gettysburg College
in 1916, which
later became one of
the 11 founding
fraternities of Theta
Kappa Nu, and
that is now
Theta-Pi Zeta of
Lambda Chi
Alpha. Its ancestry,
by itself, gave this
artifact special
status but the
history of fraternities is also the story of the individuals who helped
shape them. We hoped to determine the original owner to see what
could be learned from it; and we were not disappointed.
At this point we contacted the Musselman Library at Gettysburg
College. Ms. Karen Drickamer, director of special collections and
college archivist, took an immediate interest in our quest and assigned
a student assistant to help us. This is what their records disclosed.
Faust and Lybarger entered college in the fall of 1915, when there
were only six national fraternities and two locals. “It was quite natural
therefore that a group of boys who were good friends should come
together and talk over the possibility of establishing another
fraternity,” Lybarger later recounted. He also joked that he took it
upon himself to take notes at their first meeting, whereupon someone
else nominated him for secretary. That marked the beginning of his
lifelong association with fraternal offices. A second meeting was held
within a week.
Lybarger’s notes show 12 names, including his own and that of
Martin Faust, as signers of the new constitution for the establishment
of Phi Sigma. Lybarger goes on to mention the names of “a number
of brothers who came in shortly after the founding and had just as
much to do with the establishment of the chapter as did the dozen
original members.
The back is engraved with the initials “M. L. F.” and with what
appears to be a stylized numeral 7. This sharpened our interest. If this
were an initiation number it would designate the owner as an early
member; perhaps even a founder. Since Phi Sigma was active for only
the brief eight years, from 1916 to 1924, there was a good chance of
finding a matching name.
They were deeply interested in the fraternity and gave so much of
themselves to its establishment.” Among those he so credits is Max
Floto. Although Floto’s initials did not match those on the badge,
what we stumbled upon was totally unexpected.
We referred to the Gettysburg section of the 2003 Lambda Chi Alpha
Directory, and, out of 45 last names beginning with the letter “F,”
found only two with a first name beginning with the letter “M”; Dr.
Martin Faust 1919 and Max Floto 1918, although neither listing
included a middle initial.
The Father of Veterans Day
Max C. Floto (Gettysburg 1918) grew up in Connellsville,
Pennsylvania, and was the oldest of these three men. Floto and Lybarger
were elected officers of the Chess Club in 1916 and also faced each
other on the inter-class debating team as sophomore and freshman,
respectively. Floto was on the 1917–18 championship debating team.
Later, in 1927, and after the chapter became Pennsylvania-Alpha of
Theta Kappa Nu, they continued their close association and their
support by serving on the chapter’s Alumni Association Board.
Internet name-searches to determine middle initials for Faust and
Floto produced immediate information on both men and their
distinctive accomplishments after graduating from Gettysburg
College (known as Pennsylvania College until 1921), and revealed
www.crossandcrescent.com
By Jono Hren (Florida Tech 1975)
Bob McLaughlin (Purdue 1963)
8
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
HISTORY
Floto graduated in 1918 with
a degree in accounting; a year
before the other two. He’d
also been active in ROTC and
was immediately drafted into
the U.S. Army in June 1918.
“I was a member of the largest
band of draftees that ever left
Connellsville,” Floto once
said. He also remembered that
he was one of only three
draftees wearing a uniform
that day because it had been
required by ROTC. The war
ended with an armistice,
signed on November 11, 1918.
Max Floto died January 13, 1985.
Martin Luther Faust
Martin Luther Faust was from Ambler, in eastern Pennsylvania, and
was the youngest of the three men in our story. With the initials
“M.L.F.”, we now knew the badge belonged to him. Faust and
Lybarger became roommates, eventually traveling together to
Washington D.C. in March of 1917 for the second inauguration of
President Woodrow Wilson.
By May 1917 both men were active in the Phrena Literary Society,
with Lybarger elected vice president and Faust as secretary. Faust’s
undergraduate activities
also included athletics,
debate, student
government, and editing
the campus newspaper,
The Gettysburgian. After
graduation he completed
work on a Master’s
Degree at Gettysburg,
instructed at the
University of
Pennsylvania and
Western Reserve
University, and earned
his Ph.D. at the
University of Chicago in
1924.
In 1919, Floto made a motion
before the Milton L. Bishop
Post 301 of the American Legion in Connellsville to make November
11 a holiday and to be known as Armistice Day. The motion passed
on September 11, 1919, but Floto wasn’t satisfied to stop with
convincing just his hometown. He and another veteran successfully
petitioned the first-ever American Legion state convention in
Harrisburg, and lobbied the State of Pennsylvania to declare it a legal
holiday. It was approved by the legislature on March 31, 1921.
They then moved their petition to the national level. “We had a
dozen or so Congressmen working on it,” Floto said in an interview
with the (Connellsville) Daily Courier in 1978. A resolution was
presented in practically every session of Congress until it was finally
passed, and then signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on May
13, 1938.
He then became an
assistant professor of
Political Science at the
University of Pittsburgh
before moving on to the
University of Missouri
where he became chairman of the political science department and
spent the rest of his career teaching and writing books on economics.
“I think a political scientist should have some concern in improving
state and local government, and as much as I’ve had time, I’ve tried to
help,” he said.
The name was changed to Veterans Day in 1954. Then Congress
voted in 1971 to shift
the observance to the
fourth Monday in
October and Floto
immediately became
part of a committee that
battled to have the
holiday returned to its
original date of
significance, Nov. 11. In
1975 they were
successful. A Certificate
of Appreciation signed
by Congressional Rep.
Hamilton Fish, Jr., was
presented in 1978 to
Max Floto and
designated him “Father
of Armistice Day.”
www.crossandcrescent.com
Dr. Faust did not limit himself to just the theory of government but
found opportunities to work on local and state government
committees. Reflecting on his most significant accomplishments he
said, “The biggest and most important...was the revision of our
(Missouri) State Constitution in 1943–45.” For this project he
prepared materials for the delegates including eight informational
manuals plus one more to organize the convention itself.
Dr. Martin L. Faust died on August 13, 1996.
9
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
HISTORY
Cuyahoga County as Recorder, and was elected Judge of the Court of
Common Pleas. In 1967 he was chosen Chief Justice of the Court.
Donald F. Lybarger
Donald F. Lybarger is a
prominent figure in the history
of our fraternity. Since his
involvement has been well
documented in many other
sources we will only touch the
highlights here. He founded Phi
Sigma, was one of the four
founders of Theta Kappa Nu,
presided over many sessions of
that fraternity including its very
last, and went on to serve with
distinction in the new,
combined organization.
In 1958 the Gettysburg chapter held a mortgage-burning celebration
and invited Judge Lybarger to be the keynote speaker. His
reminiscences that day that day are worth repeating. Consider that
this was a man who had founded two different fraternities and then
watched as their name and, seemingly, their identity had been
eclipsed. His words are especially resonant today as we approach our
Centennial Celebration.
“I sometimes ask myself whether Phi Sigma died when it helped
found Theta Kappa Nu. I ask again whether Theta Kappa Nu no
longer lives since, by its union with Lambda Chi Alpha, it lost its
identity. I ask myself what is a fraternity? Is it a name? Is it a house, a
national organization? Is it a group of alumni? Is it the active chapter
of undergraduates? Of course, it is no one of these; but by the same
token it is the sum total of them plus that unending spirit of
brotherhood which binds us together.”
He entered Gettysburg College
in 1915, earned varsity letters in
track and debating, was a
president of student
government, an officer in the
military training corps, and graduated valedictorian in 1919.
Donald Lybarger died November 6, 1970.
Summary
This Sigma Phi badge, that was so silent at first, eventually told us a
story of three men who met in college and founded a fraternity at
sunrise on May 30th, 1916, then known as Decoration Day. It speaks
of a brother who cemented Veterans Day, and
of service by all three men to their community,
to our country, and to our fraternity.
In 1923 he earned his law degree from Western Reserve University
and was admitted to the bar. He was in private law practice, served
Judge Lybarger concluded his 1958 speech by
quoting an ancient Greek philosopher: “Reach
ever with thy right hand toward those who
climb before thee and with thy left steady
those who follow in your path.”
Gavel used at national Theta Kappa Nu meetings. It was cut out of a tree and has a bullet lodged in it from the Battle of
Gettysberg. This is one of the artifact om traveling to Centennial Alumni Receptions this year.
www.crossandcrescent.com
10
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
CHAPTER NEWS
Chapter News
Chapter news, alumni news, and reports of death
Akron (Gamma-Alpha)
Associate Director of Alumni Relations Josh Lodolo (Cal State
Northridge 2004) visited Boston for the Centennial Celebration
reception on October 21, 2008. The keynote speaker was Board
Member Fletcher McElreath (Mercer 1987). More than 40 alumni and
undergraduate brothers were in attendance, including former staff
member Kelley McCormick (McGill 1980) and Order of Merit
recipient and Master Steward Eric Berger (Boston 1985).
Jeff Sumner (1991) was selected by the Greater Akron Chamber as one
of the “30 For The Future” 2008 award winners. These recipients were
chosen for their accomplishments in their industries in the greater
Akron community.
Alberta (Epsilon-Rho)
The chapter held its 23rd Alumni Celebrity Dinner with guest of honor
Executive Vice President Bill Farkas (Butler 1988). This was Farkas’
second visit to the Canadian chapter, his first being in 1989 as an ELC.
Forty-one alumni and undergraduate brothers also attended the event,
including past staff and Board Member Jack Walker (1972), Order of
Merit recipient Ron Holland (1966), and former staff members John
Orpe (Calgary 1990), Pat Haney (1998), and Ryan Haney (1999).
Bowling Green State (Phi-Mu)
Anthony E. Snyder (1992) was named the manager of member
engagement and community relations for Thrivent Financial, a Fortune
500 financial services organization in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Cal State-Northridge (Beta-Rho)
An Associate Member
Ceremony was held for
20 new members on
October 5, 2008. The
ceremony was witnessed
by nearly 30
undergraduates, 5 alumni
and about 15 parents and
guests.
Angelo State (Beta-Alpha)
The chapter placed first in the Homecoming Tailgating Contest and
second place in both in the Parade Float Contest and Think-Fast Game
Show.
Chapter members held their second annual alumni tailgate and
barbecue.
Thirty Alumni and
undergraduate members participated in the annual Alumni-Active
Softball Game and Picnic on September 21, 2008, at Northridge Park.
Once again, the alumni prevailed 8-5, but the chapter kept the score
close with the help of four of its 28 new associate members.
Arkansas (Gamma-Chi)
Chapter members participated in the “Walk a Mile in her Shoes” to
raise awareness of violence against women.
Arkansas State (Iota-Theta)
Michael Creason (2010) was elected the 2008 homecoming king.
Boston Area Alumni Association
Executive Vice President Bill Farkas (Butler 1988), Educational
Foundation CEO Mark Bauer (Cal State-Northridge 1974), and
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11
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
CHAPTER NEWS
Drexel (Epsilon-Kappa)
Connecticut (Zeta-Lambda)
Recently profiled in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Brian Gleason (1989)
serves as a managing director and shareholder at Phoenix Capital
Resources, and has managed or participated in more than 40 turnaround
engagements since joining Phoenix. Gleason has been responsible for the
successful turnaround of many of Phoenix’s clients over the past 10 years
using his operational, financial and negotiating skills.
Christopher Hickey (2009) was elected IFC Vice President of
Programming-Internal and Brendan Schlander was elected to the IFC
Standards Board, and serves as the chapter’s IFC delegate.
At the 2008 homecoming, the chapter teamed with the UConn Kickline
Team and placed first in the Greek Parade March and third for the Lip
Sync competition.
Drury (Theta-Sigma)
Culver-Stockton (Kappa-Mu)
The chapter won first place in the homecoming float competition, earned
the highest GPA of all fraternities and above the all-male average, and
added 18 new associate members.
Eastern Michigan (Sigma-Kappa)
David E. Gallagher (1979) died October 20, 2008. He was a mental
health social worker and enjoyed being a christian musician.
Dallas Area Alumni Association
The Dallas/Ft. Worth Area Alumni Association held a Centennial
Celebration reception on October 28, 2008, at the Brookhaven Country
Club in Dallas. Former Grand High Alpha Dr. Murphy Osborne (High
Point 1958) was the fraternity speaker for the evening. Staff members
present included Educational Foundation CEO Mark Bauer (Cal
State-Northridge 1979), John Hauser (Theil 1971), Tad Lichtenauer
(Denison 1987), and Dan Hartmann (Truman State 2007). Order of
Merit recipients Larry Brinkley (North Texas 1968) and Wayne Gossard
(Southern
Methodist 1973)
were also present.
A big thank you to
John Pierce
(Louisiana State
1966) for assisting
the Fraternity with
hosting the event.
Florida International (Pi-Phi)
Henric Boiardt (2007) and Chris Rodriguez (2008) started a NASA
satellite design project at Florida International University. Chapter adviser
Dr. Kenneth Furton (Central Florida 1984) served as the mentor for the
competition.
Gettysburg (Theta-Pi)
Former chapter officer Bryant Pappas (1995), a New York police sergeant,
is an undefeated professional boxer.
Hanover (Theta-Zeta)
Lawrence Gloyd (1954) died September 6, 2008. He was the former
president and CEO of CLARCOR and served numerous contributions to
the community including serving on the Rockford College board of
trustees, the United Way of Rock River Valley, and Big Brothers and Big
Sisters.
Denver (Alpha-Pi)
George C. Aucoin (1955) died October 15, 2008. A former IFC
president and vice president, he played goalie for the University of Denver
hockey team. He served as a deputy district attorney in Colorado and was
elected president of the National Association of County Civil Attorneys.
Denver Area Alumni Association
John Dunn (Butler 1975) hosted the Denver Centennial Celebration
reception on October 21, 2008, at the Columbine Country Club in
Denver. Approximately 60 alumni, guests, and undergraduates attended,
including seven staff members. Board Member Lynn Chipperfield
(Drury 1973) was the featured speaker and he gave feedback to all present
on the strength of the Fraternity. Other notable attendees were Executive
Vice President Bill Farkas (Butler 1988), Order of Merit recipient Jeff
Esbenshade (South Dakota 1969), Lambda Chi Alpha Properties
President Mike Smith (Denver 1976), 2008 Duke Flad recipient Joey
Hamm (Denver 2008), and two former staff members Ken Cope
(Montana 2000) and Clint Wheelock (Washington & Lee 1992).
www.crossandcrescent.com
The chapter held its annual Watermelon Fest to raise money for the Ozark
Food Harvest.
12
Indianapolis Area Alumni Association
The Columbia Club in downtown Indianapolis played host to the
Centennial Celebration for Indianapolis area alumni, undergraduates, and
guests. Ted Grossnickle (Wabash 1973) was the main speaker for the
evening and gave great perspective about where Lambda Chi Alpha is
today. Former Educational Foundation CEO Chris Molloy (Texas
Christian 1980) brought Kennon Shank (Simpson 1942), a former Theta
Kappa Nu pledge now living in Bloomington, Indiana. The Columbia
Club also was blessed with the presence of Executive Vice President
Emeritus George W. Spasyk (Michigan 1949) and a host of other notable
alumni. The Indianapolis Area Alumni Association is looking to pick up
more steam in the coming year especially with the International
Centennial Celebration occurring in downtown Indianaplis next summer.
Indiana State (Iota-Epsilon)
At the annual Indiana State Police department ceremony, Master Trooper
Frank Smith (1973) received a Silver Star Award for a rescue that occurred
26 years ago. On January 23, 1982, Smith was off duty when he rescued a
mother and child caught in high floodwaters.
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
CHAPTER NEWS
Iowa (Iota-Chi)
North Carolina-Charlotte (Beta-Upsilon)
Chapter members and members of Delta Zeta spent 72 hours from
October 16-19, 2008, on an 18-foot teeter-totter to help local charities
in their second annual Teeter-Totter-athon. Proceeds benefited the
Johnson County Crisis Center.
Jeremy Wilkinson (2001) is the owner of Innovative Color Solutions .
Jack Stack (1983) has opened his own residential real estate brokerage
firm in Winston-Salem, North Carolina under the name, Jack Stack
Properties.
Massachusetts Inst of Tech (Lambda)
North Carolina-Greensboro (Phi-Theta)
About 100 people attended an
event on October 4, 2008, to
commemmorate the 50th
anniversary of the unofficial unit
of measurement known a
Smoot. Notable attendees
include guest of honor Oliver
Smoot (1962), Cambridge
Mayor Denise Simmons, State
Rep. Marty Walz, and MIT
president Susan Hockfield.
Chapter members attempted to break the Guinness world record for the
largest Twister board ever played, all in charitable support of the
American Red Cross.
North Dakota (Epsilon-Zeta)
Approximately 20 alumni brothers joined with undergraduate brothers
and the two representatives from the International Headquarters to
make improvements to the chapter, including: building an outdoor
storage shed, tearing down an old wood deck, erecting a new volleyball
court and wood deck, touching up landscaping, cleaning mold in the
chapter room and upstairs shower and repainting, volleyball recruitment
event, chapter house Wii tournament recruitment event, Hungry Eye
Alumni brick painting, and organizing assistance to undergraduate
brothers.
Miami-FL (Epsilon-Omega)
Darren Dupriest (1991) is the president and owner of Validity
Screening Solutions, a national provider of background checks and
drug testing. Validity Screening Solutions announced the acquisition of
Fairfield Information Services, a Lancaster, Ohio-based provider of
background checks and drug screening.
The chapter doubled its membership by adding 10 new associates
members.
Miami-OH (Zeta-Upsilon)
Ohio State (Gamma-Tau)
John Stulak (1989) serves as the co-CEO of EthoTech, Inc. Prior to
forming EthoTech, he built his experiences in the Microsoft Business
Solutions channel by leading channel management and consulting
services efforts and participating on executive leadership teams for two
Solution Developers, both of whom are ranked in the top 1 percent of
Microsoft Business Solutions partners.
Jeffrey Stevenson, president and founder of Crazy Uncle Jester’s Inferno
World, won the The Golden Chile Award at the Fiery Food Challenge
on September 5, 2008. They also won second place in Mustard with
Crazy Uncle Jester’s Blazing Hot MustardT, 2nd place in XXX Hot
Sauce for Crazy Uncle Jester’s Spontaneous CombustionT, and 3rd place
in XXX Hot Sauce for Crazy Uncle Jester’s Select ReserveT. The
competition is sponsored by Chile Pepper magazine and pits products
against one another in more than 80 categories. Professional judges
evaluate hundreds of sauces, salsas and other spicy treats and award first,
second and third prizes in each category. Awards are proudly displayed at
ZestFest, a spicy food event held the same week as the Fiery Food
Challenge, at the Will Rogers Center in Fort Worth.
Jim Boughter (1966) retired five years ago after working as a software
engineer for 34 years.
Tom Blunk (1970) has spent eight years with BCBS of Indiana, and
the rest with various employee benefit consulting groups.
Jim Smekal (1974) has worked in marketing as a merchandiser for
eight different companies in many regions of the United States.
Oklahoma (Gamma-Rho)
Ben Bigbie (2009) was named 2008
homecoming king. Eddie Coates
(2008), the 2007 homecoming king,
presented Bigbie with his scepter and
crown during halftime of a recent
football game.
Brian Kandell (1991) works for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati.
Dr. Mark S. Dorfman (Hon) died December 22, 2006. During his
30-year career, he served as a professor of risk management and
insurance for four different universities. He began his teaching career at
Miami University and also served as the chapter adviser from 1970 to
1976.
Chapter members teamed with
Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority and
Delta Tau Delta Fraternity for the
homecoming competition. The group
placed second overall.
Montevallo (Sigma-Epsilon)
The chapter added 22 new associate members, doubling the chapter
size in one semester.
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13
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
CHAPTER NEWS
Oklahoma State (Alpha-Eta)
Arthur E. Irish (1940) died May 1, 2007. He operated a fruit orchard
in the Hood River Valley for more than 50 years. Irish served as a first
lieutenant in the U.S. Army infantry during World War II.
The chapter held its annual Watermelon Bust, accumulating more than
8,500 pounds of canned food in support of the North American Food
Drive.
William W. “Woody” Woodworth (1940) died June 12, 2008. He
served in World War II as amphibian engineer shore unit commander,
592nd engineer boat and shore regiment, U.S. Army. He was decorated
several times for valorous actions in battle. He later served in the Korean
War and remained an active reservist, retiring from the U.S. Army with
the rank of lieutenant colonel. When he returned from World War II,
Woody began a 34-year careerwith Crown Zellerbach Corp.
For the first time in seven years, the chapter participated in the
Oklahoma State homecoming celebration. With help from the women
of Delta Delta Delta Sorority, chapter members constructed a
monumental house dec and took 1st prize in the sign competition.
Steven Zamsky (1987) was recognized as one of the top 100 graduates
of Oklahoma State University. He is a portfolio manager for Pequot
Capital out of Westport, Connecticut. He went from OSU to a San
Francisco CPA firm. He completed his MBA in finance at the
University of Chicago in 1995 and began working as a securities analyst
at Fidelity Investments. He then went to New York with Morgan
Stanley as a credit strategist and was appointed a managing director in
2000. He became a portfolio manager for Pequot Capital in 2002
where his hedge funds pursue several credit-oriented strategies on an
asset base of around $800 million.
Bob D. Downing (1949) died December 27, 2006. After serving in the
U.S. Army for two years, he worked as an educator, a coach, and a
farmer.
Charles W. Harrison Jr. (1949) died July 31, 2007. During World War
II, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was a mechanical engineer for
American Sheet Metal for 27 years. When the timber industry slowed
down, he went to work for Rader Company.
Robert J. Laughter (1949) died October 4, 2006. He was a professor at
the University of Nevada-Reno before moving to Portland in 1992.
Oregon (Zeta-Omicron)
Lt. Col. James L. Wiley (1984) died September 18, 2008. He died in
Afghanistan from injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident.
He was assigned to the 27th Brigade Combat Team, New York Army
National Guard.
C. Roderick Kvistad (1949) died November 10, 2007.
Charles “Chuck” Van Ummersen Jr. (1956) died January 3, 2007.
Oregon State (Alpha-Lambda)
John W. Anderson Jr. (1965) died September 1, 2006.
Teaming with members of the Alpha Phi Sorority, the chapter won the
IFC-All University Sing Competition. Serving as song leaders this year
for the chapter were Cody Palmer (2010) and Zak Holt (2009). In
addition, the group received recognition for the Best Costumes Award
and the Committee’s Choice Award.
Edward R. Gustamante (1984) died on April 18, 2006. He was
controller and office manager for Food Chain Films and most recently a
computer systems salesman for HTP in Vancouver.
Philadelphia Area Alumni Association
Albert H. Bryan, (1925) died November 25, 2006.
A Philadelphia Centennial Celebration reception was held on October
7, 2008, at the Union League of Philadelphia. Approximately 90
alumni, guests, and undergraduates attended. Grand High Alpha Ed
Leonard (William Jewell 1979) spoke about the state of the Fraternity
and why Lambda Chi Alpha is the best. Also present at the event were
Executive Vice President Bill Farkas (Butler 1988) and former staff
members and area alumni chairmen Jeff Glauser (Jacksonville 1999)
and Joe Schneggenburger (Kentucky 2000), who helped make the
event unique by providing four box tickets to a 76ers basketball game
and a Flyers hockey game. Frank Bockius (Drexel 1953) and Brendan
Ledwith (St. Joseph’s 2008) were the recipients of the raffled off tickets.
Lloyd H. Griggs (1929) died December 18, 2007. He was a rancher
and tree farmer, a life member of Cottage Grove Lodge #51, A.F. &
A.M. and a life member and past Potentate of Hillah Shriners in
Medford, Oregon. Lloyd served on the Cottage Grove School Board
for 24 years. He served as chairman of both Districts 14 and 15, and he
was a member of the Cottage Grove Hospital Board of Directors. He
was honored as the Cottage Grove Chamber of Commerce’s First
Citizen in 1964.
Kenneth K. Kutch (1929) died December 20, 2005.
Clyde K. Sherman (1935) died February 10, 2006,
Richard L. Taylor (1937) died March 31, 2006. He became a
prominent architect in Montana and served in the U.S. Navy, studying
Naval Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
William D. Dennis (1940) died May 10, 2007.
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Cross & Crescent
November 2008
CHAPTER NEWS
Purdue (Psi-Zeta)
Jeremy Crozier is teaching in Texas and completed his Master’s degree
this past year. He is now working on his Ph.D.
Sam Utley (2009) was voted the 2008 homecoming king at the
October 25, 2008 Purdue football game against Minnesota. He is a
member of the chapter’s Executive Committee and is the current IFC
president.
Craig Irvin is continuing his career in opera.
Charlie Chedester recently purchased his partner’s shares in their
business and is now the sole owner of Mortgage Innovations in Des
Moines.
John Osborn is currently in production singing in The Barber of Seville
in Vienna and will be returning to Des Moines (DMMO) with John
Michael Moore next summer performing in the same opera.
Southeast Missouri State (Delta-Phi)
Billy Garrett (2008) was
named SEMO Man of the Year
through an award process that
recognizes outstanding student
leaders who are balanced
between academics and their
service to the campus and
community. Following James
Wells (2006) and Matt
Knickman (2007), Garrett is the third consecutive member of Lambda
Chi Alpha to earn this outstanding distinction; a feat which is
unprecedented at SEMO.
San Antonio Alumni Association
The San Antonio Alumni Association
held its 3rd Annual LXA Open at
The Golf Club of Texas on October
5, 2008. Tournament Directors
Jonathan Rivera (Texas-San
Antonio 2000) and John Arias
(Texas-San Antonio 1984) ensured
a fun-filled day of golf for area
alumni. Walter Hidalgo (Texas-San
Antonio 1998) flew in from Minnesota to participate in the activities.
Proceeds from the tournament will benefit all three local chapters’
scholarship programs. The Texas-San Antonio, Incarnate Word, and St.
Mary’s chapters assisted with the closest to the pin, longest drive, and
the hole-in-one contest. The next SAAA event will be November 20,
2008, at Suede Lounge near the famous San Antonio Riverwalk for
more information, send an email to [email protected].
Chapter officer Matthew Huber (2008) was one of four recipients who
received the 2008 Jim Wilkins Excellence in Education Scholarship
during a ceremony held on October 14, 2008. The award selections
were based on accomplishments in human resources, academics,
campus and community involvement and recommendations from
professors, advisers, and/or employers.
Neal E. Boyd (2001) kicked off the chapter’s particiption in
homecoming weekend when the university presented him with the
Distinguished Service Award. This award is presented to alumni and
friends who have brought distinction to SEMO. Boyd recently won
NBC’s hit series, “America’s Got Talent.”
Former chapter president Jackson Seemayer (2009) was elected IFC
vice president of risk awareness and Nolan Ryan was elected as IFC vice
president of community relations.
Simpson (Theta-Lambda)
Joey Begovich is now a cruise director aboard the M/S Carnival Glory.
He was promoted to full time cruise director earlier this year after
serving as acting cruise director for a number of years. His
responsibilities include managing a crew of 65 performers while
keeping the guests on board Carnival’s newest cruise ship entertained.
South Carolina-Aiken (Pi-Alpha)
Chapter members cleaned the pathway and road and participated the
following day with nearly 200 North Aiken Elementary School
students, parents, teachers and other guests in the International Walk to
School Day observance.
Ed Guthrie is a buyer for Macy’s Corp. and has been recently
transferred to their corporate headquarters in New York City.
Patrick Anderson currently works in Minneapolis as a buyer for Target
Corp.
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Cross & Crescent
November 2008
CHAPTER NEWS
Southeastern Oklahoma (Pi-Sigma)
Wisconsin-Whitewater (Lambda-Iota)
Chapter members participated in the 18th annual Domestic Violence
Ceremony at the Southeastern Student Union. The members repeated
a pledge promising that they would speak out against rape and all forms
of sexual violence.
Tom Kempfer is participating in Stuck
in a Truck. a contest with 96.3 Star
Country WMAD, where he is trying
to outlast other contestants by
spending his days and nights inside of
a truck. The winner takes home a Ford
F-150. The contest began on October
2nd and will go until there is one
contestant left inside of the pickup
truck. Track Tommy’s progress on his Facebook Fanclub or follow him
on the contest webcams.
Texas A&M-Commerce (Iota-Kappa)
The chapter held its annual Watermelon Bust philanthropy event in
Spence Park. Eight sororities participated in events that included the
crowning of a watermelon patch queen and outdoor competitions. All
proceeds and collected food items went to the Brazos Valley Food Bank
to benefit Hurricane Ike victims.
Western Kentucky (Lambda-Lambda)
Texas-San Antonio (PhiUpsilon)
The chapter became the first fraternity on campus to have 1,000
members.
Michael Gurka (2010) was
crowned Mr. Phi Guy by the Phi
Mu Sorority for his dedication to
chapter leadership, campus
involvement, philanthropic
endeavors, talent show, Greek spirit
and fundraising efforts. Alex Reyes
(2009) placed second in the Mr.
Phi Guy Competition.
Paul W. Jones Jr. (1967), president and CEO of Plus3 Solutions, was
recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who for his dedication, leadership and
excellence in all aspects of business development.
The chapter held a Brick
Ceremony for the local alumni who
recently purchased bricks, and performed a memorial service for our
fallen brothers. Jana Kenelly
of the University of
Texas-San Antonio
Advancement Office was the
keynote speaker for the
evening, expressing the
importance that the Lambda
Chi Alpha chapter has
played on the campus.
Washington & Lee (Gamma-Phi)
K.C. Schaefer (2004), general merchandise manager in the
Washington and Lee University Store at W&L, was named one of 21
brightest and most effective young managers in the collegiate industry
by The College Store Magazine, published by the national association
of college stores.
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16
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
FEATURE
Hall of Fame Pro Wrestler
Tito Santana, a former professional wrestler and football player, today
teaches Spanish as a way of giving back to the community.
By Chris Barrick (Butler 2004)
He was given the name Merced Solis
(West Texas A&M 1973) at birth but few
know him as anything but his stage name,
Tito Santana. Tito is a Hall of Fame
professional wrestler and former professional
football player. Following his successful
career, Tito wanted to give back to the
community and today is a Spanish teacher.
Breaking into Wrestling
When Santana began his professional
wrestling career in 1977 it was more
territorial than it is today. He started in
Tampa, Florida, moved to Atlanta, Georgia,
Charlotte, North Carolina, and finally
Amarillo, Texas. It wasn’t on national TV but
was local.
He recently published a book, Tito Santana:
Tales From the Ring, depicting his life in the
spotlight. The book takes a look at how Tito
came up in a poor Hispanic migrant worker
family in south Texas and became a star.
“I was a young guy getting started, it’s what
they would do; move you around and let you
get more experience in other places,” says
Santana. “The next place you would go, they
would start you a little higher.”
“I started writing the book because there are
black minorities, Hispanic minorities, and
whites that are very, very poor that might
think that there’s no way out,” says Santana.
“I just figured if I made it, anybody can
make it if they really believe in something.”
He decided he wasn’t moving up fast enough
in the smaller leagues so he and Andre the
Giant decided to take a shot in New York
with the World Wide Wrestling Federation
owned by Vince McMahon Sr.
Football
“I feel like I owe everything to a football
coach,” says Tito. “When I was in the 8th
grade a football coach convinced me to play
football. I was afraid because I had never
played but I felt the coach made a difference
to me.”
Santana went on to play throughout high
school and in college at West Texas A&M
University. While at West Texas, Santana
played tight end. Also on the team were
future professional wrestlers, “Million Dollar
Man” Ted Dibiase, Dusty Rhodes, Blackjack
Mulligan, Tully Blanchard, Manny
Fernandez, and Bob Dunkham.
“I think the core of the guys became
interested in wrestling because of Terri Funk
(son of wrestling promoter Dory Funk, Sr.)
who was friends with all of these guys and he
knew that they had potential to become
wrestling stars.”
Following college, Santana signed to play
pro football with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Two weeks before training camp he injured
his Achilles tendon. When he got off
crutches he was given a shot with the team.
“We had to time run the 40 (yard dash) and
my time wasn’t very good, and because I was
a rookie free agent, I didn’t want anyone to
know that I was hurt.”
He started every preseason game but was one
of the last guys cut. He was told it was
because of his speed. He then went to
Canada to play two seasons in the Canadian
Football League for the BC Lions. During
the offseason Santana wrestled.
“My initial intent was to wrestle in the off
season and playing football; but once I
started wrestling I really enjoyed it, so it was
a no-brainer for me.”
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17
Cross & Crescent
“The WWF drew big crowds, selling out
Madison Square Garden, in Philadelphia,
and Boston Garden,” says Santana. “The
south would never draw like the east coast
did. Vince McMahon Sr. knew how to
promote better than the guys in the south.”
Santana left the WWF for a short period and
went to the AWA for two years. He was
preparing to switch leagues again and go to
New Orleans when McMahon called
offering Santana a job again.
“It was a no-brainer, I was waiting for him to
do that,” says Santana. “I came back in 1983
and I will never forget that because it was my
birthday on May 10.”
Life in Wrestling
Santana tells of the long hours he and other
wrestlers faced as they wrestled in 87
different cities.
“It was pretty brutal both mentally and
physically,” says Santana. Promoters would
November 2008
FEATURE
tell the athletes who was suppose to win and
how but the process of the matches were not
staged.
“People think we practiced our matches, but
wrestling matches were never staged,” says
Santana. “We were story writers with our
actions and the guys who included the fans
the best were the guys that became
successful.”
Matches needed to be real to convince the
people. Wrestlers would abuse their bodies to
entertain the fans and to make them think
that what they were seeing was real.
“To put a percentage, about 90 percent of
what we did in the ring was pretty close to
real.”
Santana wrestled full time for 17 years. He
remembers many great experiences of
wrestling, most of which came while in the
WWF. There was Wrestle Mania III when he
wrestled in front of 93,000 people -- the first
time he won the Intercontinental
championship -- and the first time he was the
main event at Madison Square Garden. He
also got to travel the world to wrestle.
“To see all of those different places, there was
really no way if I hadn’t gotten into the
wrestling business,” says Santana. “Meeting
people like Muhammad Ali, Jerry West, Andy
Warhol — who said he was a fan of mine
— Liberace, and Arsenio Hall. All of the
sudden there are a bunch of movie stars that
were big time wrestling fans and wanted to
take pictures with you, that was unbelievable
to me.”
Santana had taped up his knee really good
that night and went into the ring trying to
not show a limp. Vince McMahon Jr., then
owner of the WWF, had videotaped the
surgery. Santana did an interview right
afterwards when he was still groggy, so people
knew that it was legit.
“We protected the business; you didn’t see
good guys hanging out with bad guys very
often,” says Santana. “Our business is kind of
funny. While I was there my friends were not
the good guys, they were the bad guys. I was
competing against the good guys because they
were trying to take my spot, and people never
really understood that.”
The last thing Santana did while in the WWF
was a gimmick as El Matador. Tito stayed in
Tijuana and was trained as a bullfighter. The
WWF broadcasted vignettes of Santana’s
training.
“I actually did do some passes on small bulls,
and even the little ones that I practiced with
were mean,” says Santana. “Those big bulls,
man they were scary! I don’t think Vince
wanted to take the chance of me getting
gored by a bull.”
When Santana came back from training he
was suppose to get a big push, but it never
Funking Conservatory
Dory Funk Jr. (West Texas A&M 1963) began
in the NWA in 1968. It didn’t take long for
him to be on the top league. He won the
World Heavyweight Championship in 1969,
and held it for four and a half years.
“It affects my life to this day; there’s not a day
that goes by that someone doesn’t ask me
about it, and what it was like,” Funk says of
the winning the NWA belt. “That would be
my biggest experience of my professional
wrestling career for sure.”
In 1986, under the name of Hoss, Funk began
wrestling Tag Team in the WWF with his
brother Terry. The Funk Brothers took on The
Junkyard Dog and Tito Santana (West Texas
1973) in WrestleMania 2. The Funk Brothers
were victorious.
“It’s a thrill every time I step in the ring but
being at WrestleMania with Tito and my
brother as a partner made it extra special,”
says Funk. “WrestleMania is a tremendous
event to be a part of and I felt privileged to
be a part of it.”
The only time Dory fought a singles match in
the WWF was in 1996 at the Royal Rumble.
Dory now runs the Funking Conservatory, a
professional wrestling school. His students
include current stars The Hardy Brothers,
Christian Cage, Kurt Angle, and Edge.
When asked about his fraternity memories
Funk simply replied, “Initiation.”
http://www.dory-funk.com/
Feud & Gimmicks
The feuds were created by the promoters but a
lot of times the wrestlers themselves had a lot
of input. Santana’s most notable feud
stemmed from a knee injury.
materialized. He decided it was time to retire
from wrestling and spend time with his wife
and three children
“People thought that it was Greg Valentine,
well I had my knee hurt by Mr. Wonderful,”
says Santana. “We did a situation where
(Valentine) put me in a finger-four leg lock
and people thought that had done the
damage, but the damage was already done.”
Hall of Fame
In 2004 Vince McMahon once again called
on Santana. This time it was to induct the
two-time Intercontinental and Tag Team
Champion into the WWF Hall of Fame.
Santana admits that he didn’t take it very
seriously, and if it hadn’t been for a large
payday he wouldn’t have even attended.
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18
Cross & Crescent
November 2008
FEATURE
“Not attending would have been a big
mistake,” says Tito. “The experience I had as
I was being inducted was great, and now it
has made a difference on how people look at
you now that you are a Hall of Fame wrestler
from the WWF.”
TV for a year, but ultimately wasn’t able to
stay afloat.
Santana then began substitute teaching. After a
couple years he began to feel he was making a
The event was held at Wrestle
Mania in New York. Tito was
inducted by Shawn Michaels.
Others inducted that year
included Jesse “The Body”
Ventura, Sgt. Slaughter, Bobby
“The Brain” Heenan, and the
Junkyard Dog.
he returns from Chile and South Korea
where he’s been concentrating on human
rights. His youngest son is a senior at James
Madison.
“My wife and I, we dedicated our lives to
our kids,” says Santana. “To have successful
kids is a blessing.”
Fraternity
While at West Texas A&M Tito joined the
Lambda Chi Alpha Brotherhood. There were
10 football players who joined the Fraternity
at the same time.
“The guys that were there were more my
style. Lambda Chis were just a bunch of
guys who enjoyed having a hell of a time,”
says Santana. “Although we had a mixture of
everything there, but I thought the
brotherhood was what I was looking for at
West Texas.”
Giving Back
When Santana left wrestling he
didn’t do much other than take up
golf for a few years. He soon
decided he needed something to
do. He and Sgt. Slaughter began a
wrestling league called AWF. The
league’s matches consisted of
three-minute rounds. AWF was on
Santana’s time in the fraternity brought him
a lot of friendships, the kind he says are hard
to find. It was also important was to him
that he was accepted into a mostly nonHispanic fraternity.
difference in kids’ lives and
decided to do it full time. He
now works in a middle school
where he teaches Spanish and
coaches basketball.
“I have been teaching for 11
years and I am really glad that I
am doing this,” he says “I really
enjoy it and I think I’m making
a difference.”
Santana is proud of what he’s
doing but is more so of his
children. His eldest son attends
American University Law
School. His middle son, who
graduated from Princeton, is
also going to law school when
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19
Cross & Crescent
“There were some good people who took you
for who you are. I think that I now consider
myself, that I achieved some success; I never
forgot those roots and the way I was treated
by complete strangers and accepted,” says
Tito. “I think I learned more about life in
the fraternity than just being in between
beers…”
The most unique experience he had in the
fraternity was the Initiation Ritual.
“The light in Initiation, you know that’s it,
that’s life. It is something that you carry for
the rest of your life,” says Santana. “Looking
back, there were some great moments in
Lambda Chi, but nothing compares to the
feeling of that moment and it’s something
that we will all take to our graves. Unless you
are a Lambda Chi it’s something that you
can never explain.”
November 2008
FEATURE
Million Dollar Man
Opera singer Neal E. Boyd won NBC’s “America’s Got
Talent” on October 1, 2008, earning a giant paycheck.
By Tad Lichtenauer (Denison 1987)
Since childhood, Neal E. Boyd (Southeast
Missouri 2001) had a dream to become a great
singer.
an intern in the Missouri House of
Representatives, where he was elected speaker of
the entire Intern Caucus.
His dream came true on October 1, 2008, when
Boyd was declared the “Best New Act in
America,” winning the NBC hit television series,
“America’s Got Talent,” and becoming the
winner of a $1 million prize.
In 2000, Boyd gained more attention when he
became the National Young Artist Vocal
Champion. He was the winner of the 2000
National Collegiate Artist Voice Competition of
the Music Teachers National Association; a
frequent winner at the National Association of
Teachers of Singing competition; a guest soloist
for the 2001 Missouri All-State Choir; and a
member of the 1996 Missouri All-Collegiate
Choir.
“This is something I’ve been waiting for my
whole life,” says Boyd, an insurance salesman
from Missouri. “Dreams do become a reality.”
Ever since this year’s season of “America’s Got
Talent” started, Boyd has been a star of the NBC
ratings blockbuster, which is produced by
“American Idol” producers Fremantle Media
North America and Simon Cowell’s SYCO
Television.
From the beginning, the Missouri native was a
standout in the pool of the more than 200,000
people who tried out for the show. He began
appearing in national commercials weeks before
the season premiere in June, and was featured in
an emotional 10-minute segment that closed
that premiere.
NBC had the No. 1 ratings hit on television
from that point forward.
Upon being declared the winner during the live
season finale, Boyd thanked his mother, Esther;
Sikeston, Missouri; the State of Missouri; and
America.
He was then celebrated by his idol, the world
renowned tenor Placido Domingo, who said to
him, “Congratulations Neal. By participating in
‘America’s Got Talent,’ you have brought to
America’s ears opera, so be proud of it. And I’m
sure from today on that you are starting a
brilliant career.”
College, Politics, and Insurance
At Southeast Missouri State University, Boyd
was an active student leader and a speech
communication major, with minors in music
and political science. In addition to his
Southeast Missouri degree, he also holds a
degree in music from the University of MissouriColumbia and a master’s degree in management
from the University of Phoenix.
While at Southeast Missouri, Boyd was a
frequent soloist for the university choir and
performed many lead roles with the Opera
All-Stars.
Along with his academic and musical activities,
Boyd also was very active in Student
Government and was a member of the
Interfraternity Council, the Residence Hall
Association, and the Student Activities Council.
He served as a presidential ambassador and
spent a semester in Jefferson City, Missouri, as
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20
Cross & Crescent
Boyd has become known for appearances
throughout Missouri, including solo
performances at the memorial service for the late
Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan, the Inaugural Ball
for Gov. Bob Holden, the dedication of the Bill
Emerson Memorial Bridge, the opening of the
2004 Missouri Senate General Session, and the
Inauguration of Gov. Matt Blunt.
He has performed at world-class national venues
including Carnegie Hall in New York, and at
the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
When Boyd began his involvement with
“America’s Got Talent” earlier this year, he was
working in St. Louis as a District Sales
Coordinator for Aflac (American Family Life
Assurance Company of Columbus). His title as
“Insurance Salesman Opera Singer” would stick
throughout the “America’s Got Talent” season.
Although Hollywood and Las Vegas have
demanded much of his time lately, Neal has
maintained his Missouri residency and looks
forward to the opportunity to spend some more
time “back home.”
He is proud of his continued involvement with
the State of Missouri, where he was appointed
by Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt to the Missouri
November 2008
FEATURE
“It was the perfect way to expose America to the
real Neal E. Boyd — the same one I know.”
Officially, LeGrand resides in the Washington,
D.C. area and works as a major fundraiser for
the University of Maryland-College Park, with a
specific emphasis on the West Coast. Because of
his job’s focus in California, he was able to be
there for much of the production and he was in
the audience and behind
the scenes for all but one of
Boyd’s live “America’s Got
Talent” episodes.
Boyd makes time to return
to the Southeast Missouri
chapter at least twice a year,
providing advice and
support to the
undergraduates. When he
visits, he always stays in the
chapter house.
Training and Employment Council (MTEC) in
April 2007. Earlier this year he was appointed
to the Missouri Workforce Investment Board
for a four-year term.
Boyd is often referred to as “The Voice of
Missouri.”
Fraternity Brothers
When Boyd enrolled at Southeast Missouri as a
freshmen, he had no plans to join a fraternity.
“I said I would never go Greek,” he says.
One day when he was in the gym, he was
invited to visit Lambda Chi Alpha so he decided
to check it out. He immediately loved the
atmosphere and knew he had found a place
where he could just be himself.
“It just felt right,” he says.
Also when he joined, Boyd met his best friend
and big brother Jason LeGrand (Southeast
Missouri 1997) and since then the two have
been there for each others during the good times
and bad times.
They also were roommates in Los Angeles
during much of this season of “America’s Got
Talent.”
Through the Fraternity, Boyd and LeGrand
discovered they were two people with very
similar values and ideals. Both men placed a very
high value on loyalty and honesty, and those
simple things became the foundation of a
lifelong friendship.
“Neal came to college a skilled communicator,
but the Fraternity made for an incredible
laboratory where he sharpened those skills and
developed a truly amazing ability to connect
with people from all sorts of backgrounds and
perspectives,” LeGrand says.
When LeGrand first met Boyd, he saw a likable,
compassionate young man with an incredible
ability to disarm anyone with a few words.
“Our friendship developed over time through
college -- based on our loyalty to our friendship
and to the fraternity, an unspoken commitment
to protect each other, a love of politics, a love of
Imo’s Pizza, and a strong drive to be successful in
our lives,” LeGrand says.
The great benefit of “America’s Got Talent” is
that it showcased Boyd’s personality — his heart
and soul — and not just his voice
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21
Cross & Crescent
“I can never forget
becoming part of
something that is bigger
than you,” he says about joining Lambda Chi
Alpha. “Thats why I always sign ‘In ZAX.’ It’s
always great to go back.”
On October 25, 2008, Boyd did make a return
visit to Southeast Missouri to received a
Distinguished Service Award.
“I think this is going to be one of the best years
of my life,” he told the crowd.”
The Next Chapter
The day after Boyd won “America’s Got Talent,”
he, LeGrand, and his new management team
from Octagon Music met with Epic Records to
discuss a recording contract.
During the meeting, legendary manager Peter
Rudge (The Rolling Stones, The Who, Duran
Duran, Lynyrd Skynyrd) turned to LeGrand
and said, “Are you interested in getting into the
recording industry?”
“Without thinking about it I said back, ‘What
I’m interested in is Neal’s success and
happiness.’”
Today, Boyd is currently in the studio recording
his album.
November 2008
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