Cross & Crescent

In the history of Lambda Chi Alpha and Theta Kappa Nu, 14 members have crossed the Atlantic and set foot on the campus of Oxford University in England as Rhodes Scholars. Though only a small group, these men have made impressive contributions to both the Fraternity and to society.

The Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest international fellowships and have historically been the most prestigious of their kind. Initiated after the death of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, the program brings together the most outstanding students from around the world.

The United States, with its annual authorization of 32 Rhodes Scholars, provides the largest national delegation but forms only a minority of the total international contingent. Typically, there are almost 230 Rhodes Scholars each term.

Qualifications are based on both academic and personal excellence. Applicants offering the promise of effective service to the world in the future are sought after the most.

The following provides a brief biography of Lambda Chi’s 14 members who have been honored with this distinction.

Frederick M. Anderson

Frederick M. Anderson (Nevada 1928) studied physiology at Oxford and continued his medical career upon his return to the United States. He then studied medicine at Harvard University before serving in World War II as a lieutenant colonel for the U.S. Army Medical Corps, where he received a Certificate of Commendation. Following the war, Anderson established his own surgical medical practice in Arizona, and also taught classes at Nevada’s Medical School. He died January 28, 2003.

R. Darryl Banks

R. Darryl Banks (Coe 1972) graduated magna cum laude in chemistry from Coe College, and read for a doctorate in biochemistry at Oxford. He served as the deputy commissioner for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, after which he was director of technology and the environment at the World Resources Institute. In 1976, the American Association for Advancement of Services named him a Congressional Science Fellow. Banks then served as the group vice president at CH2M Hill in the Energy, Environment, and Systems Group. He is currently an associate partner at Sustainable Value Partners in Washington, D.C.

Arthur A. Brown

Arthur A. Brown (Maine 1933) studied math at Oxford and later enrolled at Princeton University, earning his doctorate in math. Upon completion of his education, he worked in operations research at L. Bamberger & Co. from 1940-1942. Brown then accepted a position with the Civilian Naval Research Operations, where he was employed for more than 10 years. He subsequently joined Arthur D. Little Co., and later worked in industrial research and management consulting, before becoming research manager of General Electric’s appliance services department. He died March 25, 1999.

John Duby

John Duby (Alberta 1952) studied natural science at Oxford and returned to the University of Alberta in 1956, where he joined the department of electrical engineering. He worked for the university as a professor of mechanics until 1962. Duby then became president of D.A.T.A. Ltd. in Calgary, Alberta, where he worked for nine years. In 1970, he became secretary, treasurer, and consultant for Blain Binnie and Associates, Engineering. In the late 1970s, Duby joined Cowzaniol Ltd. as secretary and treasurer, and in 1980, became president of United Causo and Gas Ltd. He died May 1, 1999.

Axel B. Gravem

Axel B. Gravem (California-Berkeley 1917) studied law at Oxford, but before studying abroad, he was a lieutenant in the U.S. Expeditionary Forces from 1917-1918. Upon returning from Oxford, Gravem practiced law in Chicago while teaching at Northwestern University. He then moved his practice to the East Coast, where he owned law offices in Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C. During World War II, Gravem was the executive vice president and director of a war plant that produced airplane parts and bullet dies. Following the war, he was president of Fairhaven Estates Corp. from 1946-1949, and was president of Lexa Oil Corp. until his retirement. He died March 1, 1985.

John T. Hays

John T. Hays (Montana State 1935) was an engineering student at Oxford and returned to the California Institute of Technology to receive his doctorate in chemistry. He worked as a research associate and an organic chemist for Hercules. Hays also recruited potential candidates from colleges and universities for the company until he retired after working more than 40 years. He was involved with a government sponsored research program that invented synthetic rubber during World War II. Hays also served as the president of the Delaware State Golf Association. He died February 1, 2000.

Thad N. Marsh

After finishing his undergraduate work at the University of Kansas, Thad N. Marsh (South HON) joined the ranks of the Army Service Forces as corporal from 1945-1946. He then studied at Oxford where he received his degree in English and literature. Upon graduation from college, he was employed at Rice University as an assistant to the president. He then taught at Centenary College of Louisiana and Muhlenberg College, and served as dean of the English department for both colleges. In 1973, Marsh accepted a teaching position at the University of the South. He then became vice president of Texas Medical Center in 1978.

Albert L. McMillan

After graduating from the University of South Dakota, Albert L. McMillan (South Dakota 1922) earned his law degree from the University of Chicago in 1923. He then practiced law and later became a city judge in Rapid City, South Dakota. He died November 14, 1943.

James R. Midwinter

After graduating from Oxford, James R. Midwinter (British Columbia 1951) dedicated much of his professional time to the Canadian Foreign Service. In 1954, he became a foreign service officer with the Department of Trade and Commerce. In 1965, he became chief of the Financing and Aid Division in Ottawa, Ontario. He later served as a director and president of the Trade Investment Fund Ltd., the Forest Industry Branch, and the Resource Industry and Construction Branch. Midwinter later became assistant secretary to the Canadian Cabinet and was the inspector general of foreign operations.

Carter C. Revard

After receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of Tulsa and a master’s degree from Oxford, Carter C. Revard (Tulsa 1952) earned a doctorate in English from Yale University. Upon graduation, he taught at Amherst College, and later became a professor of medieval English literature at the University of Washington in St. Louis, Missouri. Named one of the Outstanding Young Men in America in 1966, Revard was also awarded the Oklahoma Book Award for his book of poems, An Eagle Nation, a Neil Ker Fellowship from the British Academy, and a residency from the Millay College for the Arts in 1977.

Walter E. Sikes

Walter E. Sikes (Denver 1918) studied theology at Oxford and returned to New York City’s Union Theology Seminary, where he studied for several years. After his ordination in 1924, he was a Methodist missionary in India from 1923-1929. Upon returning to the United States, Sikes accepted a position at the University of Denver as a professor of sociology. In 1962, he retired from the university as a professor emeritus.

James H. Sledd

James H. Sledd (Emory 1936) studied English and literature at Oxford and returned to the United States to receive his doctorate from the University of Texas in 1947. Upon graduation, he held teaching assignments at Texas, the University of Chicago, Duke University, and the University of California-Berkeley. He then served as an English professor at Northwestern University from 1960-1964. In 1953, he became a member of the executive council on the Linguistic Society of America Guggenheim Fellowship. Sledd was an instructor in navigation at the U.S. Naval Flight Preparatory School at Texas from 1943-1945.

A. Truman Schwartz

A. Truman Schwartz (South Dakota 1956) studied chemistry at Oxford and returned home to receive his doctorate in physical chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1963. In 1966, he became the DeWitt Wallace Professor of Chemistry at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also has served the college as chairman of the department of chemistry and dean of the faculty. Schwartz’s laboratory research includes the separation of plasma proteins and the measurement of physical properties of biological macromolecules.

Elmus R. Wicker

Elmus R. Wicker (Louisiana State 1945) studied economics at Oxford and continued his education at Duke University, where in 1956, he received his doctorate in economics. In 1955, he began a career in higher education with Indiana University. Wicker is a former chairman of the economics department and has been a professor emeritus since 1992. He has been involved in the executive development program and the graduate school of savings and loans. Wicker was the recipient of the Social Service Research Council Training Fellowship in 1954, and the Ford Foundation Faculty Research Fellowship in 1963.

Source: Summer and Winter 1999 editions, Cross & Crescent.