What is the funniest memory from your Delt days?
We occasionally would have food fights in the dining hall where we fought the other fraternities by throwing rolls, baked potatoes and other solid food at each other. I remember one time during a food fight; the Dean of Students happened to turn the corner and walked right into the path of a poorly thrown baked potato with sour cream and butter. The food fight immediately stopped and we sat down as if nothing had happened but our number was up. Shortly after we received a harshly worded warning from the Dean and I can’t remember if we had any food fights after that.
What is the single fondest memory you have shared/will share with your children and grandchildren?
I have already shared with my kids the benefit of being in a fraternity. You have a ready-made group of buddies to hang around with. There is always someone there.
How do you stay connected with your brothers as an alumnus?
Phone calls, email and Christmas cards – plus occasional visits to and from several of them.
Have you visited Kenyon since graduation?
Yes. It is always a great time to see old friends and get reacquainted. I have never been disappointed at the turnout for a reunion. We will see what happens as we all get older.
What about your membership in Delt makes you the most proud?
We had a fraternity of guys who excelled academically and athletically. They were well balanced.
How would your life be different today if you had never joined the Delts?
I would probably have found another group of guys to hang around with, but I don’t think the influence would have been as positive as the Delts. I think your choice of friends influences your values at that time in your life when you are away from your parents for the first time.
If you could go back and relive one moment from your Delt years, what would it be and why?
A road trip that we took to Falling Water paid for by a college grant, or maybe a party that we had freshman year at a local farm with great music and lots of beer, or a skydiving junket, or maybe the trip I took with a brother right after we graduated when we toured the west in a red pickup truck. There are so many fond memories!
Where has life taken you since graduation? What’s new in your life today?
I went to graduate school in business and have been working as a private equity investor for most of my adult life. What’s new is that I am newly single after having lost my wife of 28 years, so a new chapter is dawning in my life. I am blessed to have two great kids and the financial flexibility to chart my own course. Life throws us curveballs but in adversity lies opportunity.
Who do you stay connected with in your alumni years?
I stay in touch with Brothers James ‘74, Walker ‘74, Rucker ‘74, Smagorinsky ‘74, Hazlett ‘74, Wellenbach and Towers ‘74 to name a few.
Why would you encourage other brothers to engage with Delt in their alumni years?
It is so much fun to have a drink and share stories that we all remember a little differently – and even some that might not have even happened, but they all show us in a flattering light. I smile for days afterward.
What is the best thing about your alumni experience?
The love and affection I feel for the guys.
Connect with Dan at [email protected].