NOVEMBER 2008 UNDERGRADUATE CABINET President Louis Penn Clarke Treasurer Andrew Ward Batchelor Corresponding Secretary William Garrison Duckett Recording Secretary James Harrison Schenck Historian Charles Baxter Winn, IV PLEDGES John Lee Browne Raleigh, NC Charles Pace Duckett High Point, NC William Tyler Ellis Greenville, NC Jeffrey Butler Franklin Goldsboro, NC William Randolph Futrell III Jackson, NC William Luther Hand IV New Bern, NC Gray Boren Goley Greensboro, NC Bennett Corey LaPrade Greenville, NC John Dailey Lyon, III Raleigh, NC John Frederick Nash Jr. Raleigh, NC William Bateman Nicholson Jr. Raleigh, NC John Tillman Snead New Bern, NC GRADUATE REPORT Penn Clarke and Jared Brown to Receive First Strickland, Weaver and Woodruff Memorial Scholarship Scholarship Honors Our Fallen Brothers from the Mother’s Day Fire of 1996 By John Hughes ’66 Last spring, the Epsilon House Corporation and the Phi Gamma Delta Educational Foundation announced the establishment of THE MARK STRICKLAND, JOSH WEAVER AND BEN WOODRUFF MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND in memory of Mark Briggs Strickland, Robert Joshua Weaver and Benjamin Watson Woodruff, our brothers who perished in the Mother’s Day fire of 1996. The scholarship is awarded annually to an undergraduate brother based on an equal combination of scholarship, chapter service and leadership. The scholarship portion is based on grade point average and the chapter service and leadership portions based on a vote of the undergraduate brothers. The scholarship is $10,000 each year. We are pleased to announce that the corecipients for the first year of the award are Penn Clarke and Jared Brown. We are indeed fortunate to have many qualified brothers and in this case the voting for these two outstanding brothers resulted in a tie. Penn is president of the house and is from Bedford, VA. He is a senior majoring in English and Political Science and plans to go to law school upon his graduation. Jared is from Wilmington and is the second brother in his family to have joined Epsilon. He is majoring in Health Policy and Management and would like to work in health care management when he graduates. Both Penn and Jared are leaders at Carolina and have the potential to make a difference in our future society. Making a difference is what being a Phi Gam is all about after all and there is not a more meaningful way to recognize those qualities than in the memory of our fallen brothers. Please join us in congratulating both Penn and Jared on this tremendous honor. As a reminder, the scholarship is endowed for $200,000 with the funding coming from the original $132,142 in graduate tax-deductable gifts. Those are made by the graduates to the Phi Gam Foundation CHEF fund that has grown to over $250,000 due to the investment yield achieved by the Foundation. Any brother wishing to make a tax-deductible contribution to this Epsilon endowment may do so by contacting Ben Robinson at the Phi Gamma Delta Foundation at 859-253-0779 ext. 133 or brobinson@phigam.org. PHI GAM LEGACIES Thomas Frost Stoughton, Jr. Greenville, NC We are proud to announce that the following pledges are Phi Gam legacies: William McClanahan White, Jr. Raleigh, NC John Dailey Lyon III ’11, son of John Dailey Lyon Jr. ’84 William Tyler Ellis ’12, son of A.C. Ellis ’80 Charles Pace Duckett ’12, brother of William Garrison Duckett ’09 Andrew Mercer Yates ’12, brother of William Rufus Yates Jr. ’07 William Hill Winstead ’12, grandson of John McDonald Swanner ’48 John Lee Browne ’11, grandson of Decatur Gwaltney Browne ’36 (UVA) William Hill Winstead Sanford, NC Andrew Mercer Yates High Point, NC \r\nGRADUATE REUNION Over 250 Brothers, Families and Friends in Attendance for Event Look for Save the Date Reminders for another Reunion Next Year Epsilon hosted a graduate gathering on Saturday, October 11th. It was a great time that was well attended by all ages, with an estimated 250 folks. Festivities began at noon and included the “Grant Haze” acoustic duo in the front yard and fried chicken, barbeque and refreshments downstairs. Brothers came from far and wide to attend the event, catch up and share memories with old friends. Our own B.T. Harrington made a cameo Brothers at the graduate gathering for the UNC vs. Notre Dame game on October 11. appearance and was seen donning a top hat, Generous donations from the Phi Gam Annual Fund made tuxedo and a cane. He looked good and was actually witnessed the event possible and we hope to make this an annual event. greasing other people’s palms! A special thanks to George Barnes ’92, Joe Hogan ’91 and the The football game lived up to its expectation as the Tarheels undergraduates for organizing the event. Look for “save the rallied for a 29-24 victory over Notre Dame, after trailing the date” reminders in the mail next year! entire game! The Flex Band was on hand and played for those that came by Vance Hall post-game. UNDERGRADUATE PROFILE Phi Gam Efforts Help Fire Prevention Bill Pass Phi Gam Legacy Cherishes Connection to Great-Grandfather through Fraternity Six Epsilon Brothers Meet with Congressmen in Washington Jared Brown Offers Guidance to Brothers as Chapter Chaplain Jared Brown, a senior legacy from Wilmington, North Carolina, grew up visiting Vance Hall. Here he shares how he became the Chapter’s Chaplain and why he feels such a strong connection to Phi Gam. You are a legacy, what family member was involved with Phi Gam? My brother, Mike Brown ’04, was a Phi Gam here and my greatgrandfather, Jared Copeland Fox, was a Phi Gam at Kansas. Did that influence your decision to join Phi Gamma Delta? Absolutely. These connections to the fraternity definitely influenced me. One of the important things about Phi Gam is that we value legacies and connections to our fraternity. It is cool to share my experiences with my brother and to feel a connection to my greatgrandfather who I never met. How did you become the Chaplain of the fraternity? I became Chaplain when members of the Cabinet saw that it was an important position that was not being filled. They saw it as a way to recognize my service to the fraternity and a position which would allow me to help others pursue their faith. 2 In September, six Phi Gams led a group of 26 students to Washington D.C. to lobby for fire safety legislation. Leon and Bonnie Woodruff, parents of Ben Woodruff, Chapel Hill Fire Chief Dan Jones, Fire Marshall Matt Lawrence and Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life Jenny Levering joined us on Capital Hill. The group spent two days meeting with senators, congressmen and congressional staffers to show appreciation for passing the Right to Know Act and to encourage them to pass the Sprinkler Incentive Act. The group organized and participated in a press conference where Congressmen Prascrell,Wilson and Price and Senator Lautenberg spoke. At this conference, Congressman Clyburn requested that the bill be renamed in memory of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones. On September 23, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Stephanie Tubbs Jones College Fire Prevention Act by an overwhelming vote of 365 to 51. We believe that our efforts in Washington directly contributed to the passing of this bill. September 23, 2008 is date that all Epsilon members can be proud of. The Epsilon members present for the trip included: Andrew Batchelor, Webb Bostic, Jared Brown, Penn Clarke, Tripp Deichman and Sam Kenworthy. www.epsilonpgd.com November 2008 \r\nGRADUATE PROFILE Although the Times were Different, the Friendships that A.W. Griffin ’50 and Alfred Griffin ’87 Formed at Fiji have Lasted a Lifetime A Common Bond Starts a Great Tradition A Father’s Perspective In June 1944, a day after graduating from Goldsboro High School, two weeks after my seventeenth birthday, I began my adventure at UNC. In 1949, my younger brother, Reginald Griffin ’53 (“Regie”), enrolled at UNC and was initiated. We lost him in 1993. I was pleased when my son, Alfred III, pledged. I love my brothers. Phi Gamma Delta “is not for college days alone.” Father and Son share a great experience on a fishing trip from Dismal Swamp in Virginia to Morehead City, NC via the Intercoastal Waterway. Why did you join Fiji? When rush invitations came, I visited several houses, some of which, including Vance Hall, were occupied by Navy V-12 students. After several visits to Vance Hall, the men I met and the beauty of the house made it obvious to me that that’s where I belonged. During those war years, our temporary house was at 213 McCauley Street. After a full year of school, I left for eighteen months in the Navy to return in 1947. 1948 was my original class year, but after graduating in 1950, I have maintained 1950 as my class year. What is your favorite memory of the fraternity? Football game weekends, German weekends with the big bands and house sponsored Hogan’s Lake parties were the foremost of planned social events. A Son’s Perspective by dinner and Andy Griffith in the TV room. Then, if it was an especially good night, we’d all pile into Mike Fleming ’86’s room (welcome or not) to join him for 30 more minutes of some stimulating fare like Bewitched. From there we’d often have a trip to the library for a couple of hours prior to returning to see what nighttime activities might be interesting. Why did you join Fiji? Some of the earliest stories I heard were from my dad’s days as a Phi Gam. I couldn’t hear enough of them. My hometown has sent many to Epsilon, including several in the house when I pledged (Byron Kirkland ’83, John Kerr ’84, Will Cox ’84, Tommy Whitehead ’84 and Gee Smith). What did your daily routine include at Fiji? Most of my days began by visiting BT in the kitchen. From there it might be off to a class or doing some work around the house, with the work often being literally around the house rather than studying at the house. As house manager, I was constantly buying supplies, repairing windows, doors, etc. We had a number of significant projects around the house and I loved every minute of working to improve Vance Hall. During the afternoon, there might be a game of three on three in the backyard followed The Epsilon Owl Did you have a nickname? If so, what was it and how did your get it? My full name is Alfred Wilson Griffin Jr. but I introduce myself as “A. W.” Soon after I returned to school following my Navy tour, John Mayo ’50 jokingly labeled me “Smily.” It stuck! “I was as a student, and am today, very fortunate to be a Phi Gam.” Did you live at the house and who were your roommates? I lived in the house for two and a half years. I never had a roommate, but when running the drink machines, I at times, thought Bill Sewell and John Sessions ’85 were roommates given how many late nights they were in my room in search of the keys for a late night beverage. www.epsilonpgd.com Did you live at the house? If so, who were your roommates? Tell us a memorable time with them. I lived in the house most of the time after returning. We had a live-in housemother, a dining room with a cook, as well as a houseboy. Our housemother was escorted down the stairs to the dining room for the evening meal ahead of all others. No drinking was allowed on the first floor. No girls were allowed on the upper floors. My roommates included Bob Smith, Ernest McClain, and John Neblett. With whom do you stay in contact? The annual graduate gathering in Greenville allows at least that occasional visit with some brothers. I have especially enjoyed joining Dave Whichard ’48, Jim Fort ’48, Jack Cobb ’48, Steve Jones ’50, Bill Sexton ’50 and our ladies in several house parties in recent years. Until last year, the late Walter Holt ’49 frolicked with this group. Each passing year finds a few of our brothers from the 1940s “Nunc Ad Astra.” I fondly remember those gone from us and always look forward to any contact with those remaining. With whom do you stay in contact? I most frequently am in touch with Paul Bitler ’86 (I only sit 20 feet from Paul at work in New York), Hunter Bost ’88, Steve Covington ’88, Jim Earnhardt ’86, Adam Jones ’97, Charles Jones ’86, and Dee Warner ’89. I also see Mike Fleming ’86, Brad Herring ’86, Carl Huddle ’86, Scott Johnson ’86, James Meyers, Edwin Miller ’88, Rick Russell ’87, Gee Smith and Ward Sylvester ’85 at least once a year. What influence has being a member of Fiji had on your life? As I Phi Gam, I joined an organization with a great tradition and one which provides a common bond with my father. As a pledge, I became a part of the most well-rounded and impressive group of men with which I’ve been associated. Being able to count such people as my closest friends has been one of the most important aspects of my life. I was as a student, and am today, very fortunate to be a Phi Gam. 3 \r\n778-107 FN PM UNDERGRADUATE REPORT Chapter Welcomes Third Largest Pledge Class in 30 Years Overall Chapter GPA Ranks Higher than All-Fraternity Average Rush turned out to be extremely successful this fall as we pulled in a group of 16, which is the third largest pledge class we’ve had in the last 30 years. We did not sacrifice quantity for quality and our pledge class is made up of 16 stellar kids. Many of our new members are from Eastern North Carolina and we’re proud to announce that six members are Phi Gam legacies. The cabinet will be finishing up a very productive calendar year this December and the new cabinet will be elected in late November. Additionally, we made a big improvement in our overall chapter GPA for the spring semester. We earned a 3.161 GPA that ranked higher than the All-Men’s Average of 3.073 and the All-Fraternity Average of 3.098. We ranked 7th out of the 22 fraternities on campus. Need to Contact a Graduate Brother? Lindsay Sewell ’98 – lsewell@trammellcrow.com Bo Maddison ’92 – lbm3@bellsouth.net John Hughes ’66 – jhughes@vistatm.com Charles Bell ’91 – charles.e.bell.iii@smithbarney.com George Barnes ’92 – gbarnes@vanguardpg.com David Batten ’79 – dhb@cshlaw.com GRADUATE UPDATES Lewis T. Nunnelee II ’49 (1919 S Live Oak Pkwy, Wilmington, NC 28403-5321; nunnelee_l@yahoo.com) After graduation, I was employed by the U.S. Treasury Department as an Internal Revenue Agent in Henderson, NC for four years. In 1960, I founded Coastal Beverage Company, Inc. in Wilmington, NC. We now have more than 300 employees and cover 39 counties in NC. At 82, I still come into the office every day but my son is now running the business. Eugene Record Jr. ’63 (19 Crowninshield Road, Marblehead, MA 01945-2628) I recently climbed Boundary Peak (13,100 feet) in Nevada to finish my quest to climb the highest point in each state. Andrew Weathersbee ’74 (2223 Croydon Road, #403, Charlotte, NC 28207-2821; sandyw404@bellsouth.net) After graduating, I moved to Charlotte and have been in the real estate development business for most of that time. I have three children ages 23, 20 and 16. Want to make your gift to the annual fund and join the 65 other brothers already on our 2008-09 Honor Roll of Donors? There are three ways to make your gift: • Visit www.epsilonpgd.com and make a donation on our secure website. • Call our toll-free line at 800-975-6699. • Make a check payable to “Epsilon of Phi Gamma Delta, Inc.” and send it to: Phi Gamma Delta University of North Carolina Graduate Relations Processing Center P.O. Box 7007 Albert Lea, MN 56007-8007 778-107 Address Service Requested Graduate Relations Processing Center P.O. Box 7007 Albert Lea, MN 56007-8007 Our Fallen Brothers are Honored with a Memorial Scholarship, the Chapter Welcomes a Large Pledge Class and a Recap of October’s Graduate Reunion…All Inside. University of North Carolina Phi Gamma Delta