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

Jim Upchurch.

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11 

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

Memorial Plaque at East Central.

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

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

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

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

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

It's Time To Give Local

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

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

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

Honoring Brother Frank Marcon, Lafayette '48

Frank and Doris celebrating his 90th birthday.

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

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

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

Frank and his daughters.

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

Epsilon Nu: Tigers on the Road to Success!

Epsilon Nu Associate Chapter.

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11

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

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

Bunn holding a meeting with the men of Epsilon Nu.

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

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

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

Bob Lape's Adventures in Journalism and Dining

Bob Lape, Kent State ’52

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11 

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

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

Lape interviewing former Congresswoman Bella Abzug.

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

Lape and Geraldo Rivera (2019).

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

Chuck Lang, Nebraska Wesleyan '57, Recognized by His Alma Mater

Each year at their Homecoming celebration, Nebraska Wesleyan University pays tribute to distinguished alumni. Culminating with a final Legends and Legacies banquet, the alumni are given the NWU Alumni Achievement Award, recognizing their lives and careers. Among these outstanding individuals is Phi Tau’s own Chuck Lang, Nebraska Wesleyan '57. 

Lang has spent his life and career as an educator in Nebraska. Widely considered one of the top science educators in the nation, Lang was a mentor to not only students, but other educators as well. This is not the first time Lang has been recognized for his work; he received the Friend of Science Award for his teacher workshops, the Presidential Award for teaching high school physics, and was recognized as a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow for his volunteer work in West Omaha. Along with his dedication as a teacher, Lang has continued to donate and contribute to our brotherhood.  

Former student, colleague and Nebraska Department of Education director of science, Jim Woodland, stated, “Throughout his career, Chuck has demonstrated the highest level of competence in science education. In addition to being an outstanding teacher, he was active in professional science education organizations and facilitated the advancement of effective science education in professional development activities.” (via nebrwesleyan.edu, 2022)  

Brother Submitted News: Omicron Zoom Reunion

After 50 long years, brothers of the Omicron chapter at Penn State University gathered together on a zoom call for a night of much needed fun and reminiscing. Terry Stepanik, Penn State '70, took notes of this call and put it together into a story for all to read. This call featured 13 brothers of the Omicron Chapter. Those featured below are John Sciambi, Penn State '72; Jim Martorelli, Penn State '70; Mark Toniatti, Penn State '70; and Bob Oakes, Penn State ’70.  

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Phi Kappa Tau, Omicron Chapter, Zoom Reunion - Tuesday July 5th 7pm EDT 

Jim Martorelli (middle, smiling) and Terry Stepanik (far right), in their days at Penn State University.

The following is a story about the true meaning of Brotherhood. Fifty years or fifty seconds, time doesn’t matter. What matters is keeping your word and honoring your pledge. The story begins with a Zoom meeting held on July 5th at 7:00 PM EDT. 

Terry Stepanik: My turn to address the brotherhood. “Brothers and wives, it’s a pleasure to have this opportunity to get together and renew relationships from 50+ years ago. Thanks to Jim Martorelli, who’s health situation spurred us to think about what it means to be fraternity brothers, John Sciambi, who pulled this Zoom call together, and Mark Toniatti, who has had more contact with brothers than anyone else and was instrumental in finding so many of those on the call.” 

“When John emailed me and told me Jim has cancer and asked me to give him a call, I hesitated. The excuses started piling up in my mind. What in the hell are we going to talk about? It’s been 50 years since we last talked. How can I possibly help him? I was confused and torn. I decided to sleep on it.” 

“The rising sun brought clarity. Jim is my brother! Of course, I’m going to call him! I said the words a long time ago and they still hold true, they still have meaning. I called him and 3 minutes into the call we were both laughing and recalling stupid stuff we did together.” 

“The more we talked, the more it became obvious to both of us that we should try to gather more of our brothers to re-bond. That started our efforts to bring so many of us together for this call. Oh, and by the way looking at all of you, it’s amazing to me that I’m the only one that hasn’t aged.” 

“I must admit I was surprised at the responses we received. Brother Oakes….do you still have the oar? You were my biggest surprise and greatest joy.” I started to think about why so many agreed to participate. Then it became obvious. All y’all (that’s a Texas way of saying everyone of you) had the same epiphany as I did. You understand that we all raised our hands, said the words, and still hold on to the concept of brotherhood. I knew I said the words, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what they were. I’ve slept and drank since then. So, I called Phi Kappa Tau national and talked them into sending me a copy. All I had to do to convince them that I am a brother was to recite the founding brothers as fast as I could.  

“Taylor A Borradaile, Clinton D Boyd, Dwight I Douglas, William H Shideler, brother!” 

“John sent you a copy of the pledge. So, tonight we’re going to take care of something that should have been done years ago. We have someone on the call that was never initiated into the brotherhood, John Kennedy. The fact that he wanted to join us tonight shows his strong desire to be included in the fraternity of Phi Kappa Tau Men of Distinction. I offer a motion. I do hereby present an applicant for admission as a brother in the Omicron Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau, John Kennedy. Do I have a second? All those that believe that John is a man worthy of joining our august group, say ‘Aye’. Those opposed ‘Nay’. The motion passes unanimously. Most of us don’t have a dagger and your hands shake too much to trust you with anything sharp anyway, so we’ll just pretend there is a knife pointed at our hearts. Whoever is willing, we’ll read it again as our new brother says the oath. Does everyone have a copy of the oath? If not, I’ll read it and you can repeat after me. Ready? I’ll start us off…all voices read the pledge.” 

“I am honored to be in this brotherhood. And I can’t wait for the next Zoom call in 2072. Now, let’s get on to the fun part. The ‘how in the hell did we survive?’ stories.” 

As we put together the agenda for the call, we left time for everyone to tell a story or bring up a memory of things we had done. It was like we were back in the fraternity house telling tales about the pledge class trip, hell week, who met their wives at the school, the psychedelic mural on the wall, and many other mostly forgotten pieces of our lives. A good time was had by all. We are brothers again, and still. 

The story continues……. 

John Sciambi: 

As a postscript to this story, two days after the zoom call, I received a call from Jim Martorelli’s wife, Layne (1970 Little Sister class). She informed me that earlier that day, Jim had fallen and broken his hip and fractured his knee. His bones were so brittle from the cancer already and this fall put Jim in the ICU. His prognosis was now days – no longer, weeks. The following Monday, July 11th, six days after the call, Jim passed away with his entire family present. His suffering had ended, and he was headed home to be with his Lord. Jim was a devout Christian and was ready for this next journey. 

I was privileged to attend Jim’s Celebration of Life in his hometown of Palm Bay, Florida with a large gathering of family and friends. I met his children and all three mentioned how much the zoom call meant to him. I believe that call was God’s exclamation point for Jim and, for our brotherhood, it was a reminder that we are brothers forever. 

Once a Phi Tau, always a Phi Tau!!! 

The Winners Are…

In case you missed the 3rd Annual Virtual Brotherhood Banquet, see below for a comprehensive list of our distinguished award winners for the 2021 Calendar Year. Additionally, you can view the recording of the program by clicking here. For an overview of what is considered in selecting awards and recognition click here.

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Chapter Based Recognition

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Individual Based Recognition

So, How Are We Doing?

This is a part of the Strategic Plan 2025 series.

Phi Kappa Tau’s 2025 Strategic Plan kicked off in January of this year. We’ve already explored the intent behind each of the strategic pillars in a series of four articles. You can find those articles and more details on the strategic plan by clicking here.  

It is one thing to state that there is a new strategic plan, and another thing to achieve it.  So, you may be asking yourself, how have we done so far?  

Victories 

A major success so far with the new Strategic Plan was the overall awareness and alignment of the Phi Kappa Tau organization around the plan. Videos, news stories, social media posts, The Laurel and a monthly touchpoint in our newsletter, Sidelights, together have garnered well over 20,000 views from our members and stakeholders. New processes and technologies have been implemented to drive progress in executing the strategic plan, including weekly touchpoints between Executive Offices staff and key volunteers.  

Growth Summit 2022

The Expansion and Growth team has grown from a one-person department to a five-man team with multiple strategic partnerships established with universities across the country. With this structure the fraternity will be able to grow to the intended size of 100 active chapters by 2025 while also supporting recruitment at existing chapters through the Recruitment Services Initiative. Speaking of growth, an inaugural Growth Summit was held in Ft. Worth, Texas - a weekend geared towards teaching chapter leadership and advanced recruitment strategies for a successful fall recruitment. To aid this, multiple new recruitment resources were developed and delivered to chapters, as well as an updated branded resource guide made publicly available. It is safe to say the fraternity is in a great position to grow this Fall and beyond.  

Opportunities and Shifts 

Undergraduate Advisory Board Members have a major impact on advocating for Undergraduate Membership

While the Fraternity has already made progress in several areas, we are also continuing to hone our approach and continuously improve. We have already experienced the need to enhance our quarterly planning, weekly progress check-ins, cross-organizational alignment, and overall pace of accomplishment and change. While we have made great strides already, there are areas of the strategic plan where we are behind or missed our quarterly objectives. Those misses are attention points going forward to ensure that we finish the drill and deliver the targeted value of each of our OKRs. We are seeing the fruit of these improvements and focus areas. The adjustments to daily and weekly cadences, as well as transparency and collaboration through the fraternity’s new OKR tracking software, have yielded positive results. The same goes with a heightened emphasis on spreading responsibilities among entire Executive Offices staff and broader volunteer structure, such as the National Council and the various committees housed within. As part of recent leadership changes and the recruitment of the Fraternity’s new CEO, there will be a heightened emphasis on the ideal go-forward organizational design to maximize our strategic goals.  

This also includes gathering more feedback from the brotherhood, as it is every Phi Tau’s job to help push the Strategic Plan forward. To refamiliarize yourself with the Strategic Plan, click here to read an overview and catch up on our multiple zoom-ins.  

University of Tennessee Wins the Maxwell Outstanding Chapter Award

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11

Shideler award winner Callahan with Delta Kappa Alumni with Charter

Most of you will know the saying, “it takes a village to raise a child,” but I’d like to pose a spin on that proverb for the purposes of this piece, “It takes a chapter to win a Maxwell Trophy.” 

Rising to the ranks of Maxwell Founder’s Four is challenging in and of itself, but to claim the title is an act of determination, hard-work, and brotherhood that displays the commitment of an entire group of men. The Maxwell Outstanding Chapter cannot be willed into fruition by a single member or even a small contingent, it takes the chapter as a whole to come together and share a common goal and mindset. Taking into account recruiting, scholarship, community service, fundraising, and countless other factors, it’s nearly impossible for the Founder’s Four and the eventual winner to hide areas in need of improvements within their chapter. The chapters that comprised this year's Founder’s Four were no strangers to success, but they all vary in personalities and time spent on their respective campuses. Earning the rank of the 2022 Founder’s Four are: the Upsilon chapter at Nebraska Wesleyan, the Chi chapter at North Carolina State, the Zeta Xi chapter at South Carolina, and the Delta Kappa chapter at Tennessee. These four groups displayed the utmost commitment to living as men of distinction and rightfully ranked among the best our organization has to offer.

Delta Kappa Chapter Participating in Community Service Event

Although each of these individual groups is deserving of the praise and recognition that comes with the Maxwell Award, it was up to the dedicated volunteers who comprised the selection committee to render the tough decision and select just one. As was first announced at the Virtual Brotherhood Banquet on August 17th, this year's Maxwell Outstanding Chapter winner was the Delta Kappa chapter at the University of Tennessee. Although proud and sure of their hard work, this award came as a bit of a surprise to the men of the Delta Kappa chapter. Former President and Sheidler Award Winner for Outstanding Graduating Senior, Ryan Callahan, Tennessee ’20, stated, “No one expected us to accomplish so much in just three years.” Having just recently rechartered, the group was quite familiar with the Borradaile Challenge—following it closely to regain their status as an active chapter. While some might be tempted to relax following the accomplishment of rechartering, the men of Delta Kappa used this as a guiding star to carry them to further success. After the announcement of their victory, Callahan described the feeling of the chapter and its alumni as “exploding with excitement,” and received praise from two key players in the new era of the Delta Kappa chapter—Harrison Moser, Tennessee ’20, and Jeff Moser, Tennessee ’87.  With help and constant mentorship from alumni and supporters, Callahan and this diverse group of men were able to come together and rise to heights that far exceeded expectations.

Join us in congratulating all the Founder’s Four chapters on their diligence, dedication, and representation of our fraternity. Please send some extra congrats to the Volunteers on their Maxwell award win. Continue to make your chapter and organization proud.