Cross & Crescent

During this past year I have had the privilege of interviewing many brothers, undergraduates and alumni. They have taken me inside their chapters, both active and dormant, enabling me to put together a roadmap for the building of success.

The formula is pretty simple really. You mix together a number of ingredients, including a plan for recruiting men with principles and values, plus officers who hold the brothers accountable for their actions and have the ability to head off dysfunctional behavior by having the courage to say ‘no’, and a stable core of alumni who have a passion for Lambda Chi Alpha as a direct result of their undergraduate experience.

The product produced is a chapter like Alpha-Pi Zeta at the University of Denver, and the results, well, you be the judge.

For 2009-10 the chapter was awarded the Chapter Award of Excellence; Brett Parmelee received the Chapter President of the Year Award; Antoine Perretta was named Greek Man of the Year; and the chapter received the Presidential Pillar of Scholarship, the Presidential Pillar of Leadership, the Presidential Pillar of Friendship, the Presidential Pillar of Service, and the Presidential Pillar of External and Alumni Relations.

Modeling the Way

The history of the chapter goes back to the days leading up to World War I in 1916 and 1917. Erwine H. Stewart (1920) and Maurice C. Gordon (1920) felt that there was room for another fraternity on the University of Denver campus. They were later joined by Charles R. Shetterly (1920). The name of the organization was Pi Theta Kappa. The chapter was installed with the initiation of 15 men at the Albany Hotel on May 21, 1917.

No. 1 on the chapter roll was Dr. Etienne B. Renaud, then a professor of Romance languages and anthropology at the university. Scholarship quickly became a hallmark of the chapter with the chapter winning campus honors in seven of their first 12 years. An interesting twist took place 16 years later when the chapter absorbed a local fraternity, Eta Omega Delta, and added 15 men due in large measure to the work of brother Shetterly. This fraternity had earlier been part of a national fraternity.

Stewart began the tradition of service to the International Fraternity when he served as the Grand High Tau in 1922-1923. Brother Shetterly began 16 years on the Grand High Zeta in 1930, culminating with Grand High Alpha during the challenging years of World War II.

Tozier Brown (1936) then began his 16 years of service on the Grand High Zeta in 1946, and completed his four years as Grand High Alpha in 1962. Tozier also served for 35 years on the Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation.

Dr. Alfred C. Nelson served on the Grand High Zeta from 1954-1956, and again from 1966-1968. Dr. Charles W. Redding served on the Board from 1966 to 1970, and Carl Hyde served from 1972 to 1976. Drew Hunter has been a Board member since 2004.

Hyde served the Denver chapter for a number of years as the High Pi, and in 1972 received Lambda Chi Alpha’s Order of Merit. “I began my college career, not at the University of Denver, but instead at a junior college in Pueblo, Colorado. After one year, two of my high school classmates convinced me to transfer to DU and join Lambda Chi. This was in the early ’50s and fraternities were short of numbers. My pledge class had 25 men and the chapter president was Cecil King (Drury 1959). He was older and more mature and extremely well organized. He taught the officers their jobs. He really appreciated what the Fraternity meant and he taught us respect for brotherhood. All of us took the time to learn what like-minded people could accomplish as a team. The next High Alphas, Don Buchanan who was also student body president and myself, simply continued doing what King had started. King’s success was replicated and it was like running a business smoothly. The High Pis were brothers who had been successful as undergraduates, so they immediately gained the chapter’s respect. The biggest challenge I’ve seen the chapter face and overcome was the fire in 1985, which destroyed the house. The fire was devastating, and upset many lives. The insurance wasn’t adequate for complete coverage so we solicited funds from alumni to make up the difference. I believe that in addition to King, the chapter’s campus dominance today goes back to the House Corporation. All of those brothers gave their all to the chapter and helped them in all aspects of chapter operations. The alumni come back because it is an opportunity to see the vision that the fraternity gave all of us.”

Bob Barton (1970) is a consultant working with major companies to develop strategic plans, and he is also president of the Denver House Corporation. “I came to DU from Pittsburgh in the fall of ’69. I opted not to join a fraternity during my first quarter on the campus, but I was invited over to the house and found the brothers to be a terrific group of men. I came back after the Christmas break and was fortunate when they asked me to join. There were only three in my pledge class so I got involved right away playing on the intramural basketball team. It was a very diverse group of people, which was very important to me. The chapter was looking for men who were responsive to bonds of a true brotherhood and the chapter became a place where very close bonds were created. Because of this my allegiance to Lambda Chi Alpha is greater than it is to the university. My first year at DU was an amazing time in my life and my eyes were opened to a much bigger world. The fraternity was a place where you could talk to guys and have a healthy debate…it was a very special place. We had 35 brothers in 1970. The brothers were very passionate about the Fraternity and we would work together as a team to accomplish good things. This was especially true in fundraising. I became very involved in the House Corporation when the former structure became run down due to deferred maintenance, so we decided it would be best to build a new house rather than put more money into the existing one. It began as a $2.25 million house with the university agreeing to pay two-thirds of the costs. It ended up costing $4.1 million. Raising our share of the money was a special time, getting to work with chapter alumni and brothers. The alumni were generous givers because the fraternity served as an anchor for them as undergraduates and it was a time when they discovered things about themselves…leadership skills for example, and they were grateful for that opportunity and wanted to give back. Jim Reese was a terrific fundraiser after the house fire in ’85 and it got many of the alumni reconnected. I can’t say enough about the leadership of Drew Hunter and Mike Smith. In the mid-‘80s they got involved in terms of oversight of the chapter and we have been blessed with their commitment and care in steering the brothers through the challenges of the past 20 years. The chapter has benefited in ways you can’t measure. Those two men have served as role models, not only for the undergraduates, but also for alumni. They have modeled the way.”

Today’s Alpha-Pi

Brett Parmelee (2010) is the immediate past High Alpha who graduated in 2010. “Yes, Drew and Mike have modeled the way for us and they have now been joined by Stuart Evans (2007) as an adviser. They like to see the growth that young men go through and Fraternity plays such a crucial role in that growth. They want to be there to help us when help is needed, but they emphasize that it is our undergraduate experience, not theirs. We continue to enjoy a high level of success as a chapter. We have 119 brothers, 35 of whom live in our new house. We have a very diverse membership in personality and geographically. Lambda Chi Alpha is synonymous with leadership on the DU campus. Antoine Perretta was vice president of our chapter and the president of the student body. Each class has two senators and we were fortunate to have one in each class: Natt Johnson is junior class senator, Max Ravech is sophomore senator, and Sam White is freshman class senator. Additionally, Tyler Grubb is internal vice president and active in engineering clubs, Criswell Fiordalis is the IFC president and president of the Investment Banking Club, Chad Gallion is the newly-elected IFC president and Brent Hamilton is the IFC vice president of recruitment. We have the highest GPA of all of the fraternities. I believe there are two components to our success in recruitment: the reputation of the national organization of having Core Values, and the opportunity to work among other leaders. Three of the last five student body presidents have been Lambda Chis. We are dedicated to the greater good of our community. Each quarter we sponsor a different philanthropy that includes the North-American Food Drive in the fall, the Mustache Bash (a philanthropic concert) in the winter, and the Watermelon Bash in the spring. Last year the chapter raised $18,000 that was given to the National Sports Center for the Disabled, which is headquartered in Winter Park, Colorado. Our chapter bond has also produced new leaders who have been recognized by the international fraternity: J. Andrew Bowman (Duke Flad Award), Gregory S. Hearing (Grand High Sigma), David S. McGowan (Grand High Sigma), and Michael J. Moberg (Grand High Sigma).”

Duke Flad Winners

Another example of an outstanding undergraduate is Brian Kelley (2006) who was the 2005 Duke Flad Award winner. Presently he is at the Baylor College of Medicine studying microsurgery. “I received the Duke Flad Award as a junior. It was a fantastic honor. I remember that I was sitting in a coffee shop in Albuquerque, New Mexico when I received word of the award. I immediately called Drew and Mike and Brian Fishman. I owe the award to the brothers in the chapter and I was very touched when 12 brothers attended the General Assembly to listen to my speech. I have vivid memories of my years as a Lambda Chi at DU. The year before I entered the campus, the chapter had undergone a membership review and nearly half of the brothers had been removed. There were only 12 men in my associate member class, but all 12 were initiated. We understood why we joined and we totally supported Drew and Mike. The membership review changed the atmosphere of the entire chapter and good things came out of those challenges.”

Joey Ham (2008) was the 2008 Duke Flad Award winner and is presently working for the Institute of International Education, a non-profit which facilitates exchanges of students and professionals. Its biggest client is the U.S. Department of State. “I was notified of my award by Bill Farkas. It was a moment when I was speechless and in awe. It was very humbling. It was a great capstone to sum up how much I loved Lambda Chi Alpha. My associate member class had six men in the spring of ’05 and we were the only group to see both houses. We overcame the challenge of not having a house and it made us realize what a fraternity was all about. We moved past the bricks and mortar into maintaining a strong brotherhood. I served as High Delta and discovered recruitment is about two different aspects: looking for high quality people who are seeking values, and also looking for a personal commitment from individuals. Drew and Mike really believe in each and every one of us. They encourage and support us always and make an unbelievable commitment to us. They see endless possibilities in us as men.”

Dr. Terrence Toy (1978) was a professor at DU until his retirement in 2006. “I graduated from SUNY @ Buffalo in ’69 and came to DU in ’73. That year I became an assistant professor and began to meet and get to know a number of Lambda Chis as well as their reputation at DU. In the spring of ’78 they invited me to join, which I did. I have always appreciated their positive visibility on the campus and their involvement in outside activities. They have been a top group of men. I became fairly active and attended many events including the White Rose Formals with my wife, Founders Day dinners and golf outings. Throughout this time I learned more and more of the rich history and traditions of Lambda Chi Alpha and worked with men such as Bob Lotito (recipient of Lambda Chi Alpha’s Order of Merit), Pete Nelson, Allen Breck (well known and very popular as a professor), Carl Hyde (extraordinary in his loyalty over many years), George Aucoin (a staunch supporter), and Drew and Mike (in the first class I taught at DU), and eventually became a member of the House Corporation. The fire in ’85 has been the chapter’s biggest challenge. I remember that I was shaving in front of the sink, learned of the fire and put on jeans and a sweatshirt and drove to the house. There were already a dozen or so alumni there and by the afternoon, committees had already been formed to rebuild the house. The alumni provided total support and swung into action and among many things they began reconstructing scrapbooks and obtaining another set of yearbooks. It was just remarkable how quickly things began to move. Jim Reese became a rock as he led the fundraising efforts. One of the contributing factors of a high quality chapter is its continuity of alumni support. We are fortunate to have had many of the same brothers on the House Corporation for many years. As chapter advisers, Drew and Mike have provided that continuity and understand the expectations of alumni and have made the total commitment to Lambda Chi.”

Hunter and Smith’s Stewardship

When I think of Drew Hunter and Mike Smith I see two fraternity brothers who are totally dedicated and committed to something bigger than themselves…the growth and development of young men. Their teamwork began in 1987, and today they work hand-in-glove toward that goal. Mike is an attorney with Jacobs Chase in Denver and both he and Drew have received Lambda Chi’s highest honor, the Order of Merit (2002). Their work doesn’t stop there however, since each serves our great Fraternity as a Master Steward and Drew has been a member of the Grand High Zeta since 2004.

Mike shares his thoughts about Drew. “One of his greatest strengths has been his understanding of the fraternity experience as a learning environment. He understands that things will not be perfect and that there will be bumps along the highway. It is those bumpy moments when the real learning occurs. Drew has never measured his success as an adviser by the awards or accolades that the chapter wins, but by the growth and success of the young men who are its members. And that growth may take years to occur.”

It should be mentioned that the DU chapter received the Grand High Alpha Award in 2009, which is emblematic of superior operations and fraternal spirit for a minimum of three consecutive years. “Drew has always been good about being an adviser, rather than a doer for the chapter. He has always remembered that this is their undergraduate experience, not his. But, he has always been exceedingly generous with his time for the chapter. His background as the head of Bacchus gives him a unique perspective on college students and access to the latest in educational theory and tools to utilize with the members of the chapter. The sense I have of Drew’s advising over the years has been a tremendous pride and joy in the growth and development of the young men in the chapter. Many of those young men have stayed in Denver and many more have stayed in touch. For so many their experience in the chapter was a critical element of their college careers. The fraternity was a place where a young man could grow from failure, and he could know, first-hand, the tremendous strength and support that came from perfect brotherly love. Drew understands, and has always understood, that his task as an adviser is to foster an environment in which those things could occur. Drew has understood that a key task of an adviser is to help stabilize the chapter and to help the undergraduates consolidate its gains. Alpha-Pi has gone from a solid 70-80 man chapter to a chapter of 120 men, which has thrived despite three years out of the chapter house. The chapter’s grades, fraternity education and campus involvement have grown from good to exceptional. The positive environment that is Alpha-Pi has been the beneficiary of Drew’s wisdom, patience and training.”

Mike’s entrance into the brotherhood of Lambda Chi Alpha did not occur as an undergraduate, but rather after he returned to Denver after graduating from the Harvard Law School. He met Tom Goodale who was then the vice president of student affairs at DU. “Tom asked me to be the director of campus discipline which I accepted. During the next couple of years I worked with the members of several fraternities on the campus and I especially enjoyed my association with Lambda Chi. I was invited to become an honorary member in the spring of 1987. That was a remarkable time to grow up on the campus, thanks mainly to the efforts of Goodale.”

The fire of ’85 was very fresh in the minds of the brothers during this time. “Yes. The chapter narrowly avoided disaster; it could have been a tragedy. Instead all we had to do was rebuild. The alumni and brothers realized that this (fraternity) was something they valued. I became very active as an alumnus, and worked with Drew because I realized that tremendous development was happening with the young men as they matured. It was a great opportunity for a volunteer, and it made sense to me to become very involved. I was able to make a difference in the lives of people, and you don’t get that chance very often. It is an opportunity to make lifelong friends and it is a lifelong commitment.”

My special thanks to Mike Smith for assisting me with the research for this article.