December 2012 Incoming Chapter Cabinet President Kevin Depopas Treasurer Wilkins Zollicoffer Recording Secretary Gil Templeton Corresponding Secretary Sam Duckett Historian Nick Graham New Initiates Zach Aldridge – Greenville, NC Matthew Bissette – Clemmons, NC Chandler Carpenter – Greenville, SC Jackson Diab – Wilmington, NC Dixon Ferrell – Raleigh, NC Stephen Folwell – Winston Salem, NC Greg Gehsmann – Greensboro, NC Graham Haney – Gastonia, NC Jay Harper – Wilmington, NC Chandler Holden – Raleigh, NC Michael Holder, jr. – Dallas, TX Lee Taylor Jones, III – Elizabeth City, NC Jake Joslin – Lewisville, NC Paul Lilley – Rocky Mount, NC Will Monk – Greenville, NC Gardner Noble – Rocky Mount, NC Alex Peat – Kitty Hawk, NC Fields Pierce – Wilmington, NC August Pons – Bel Air, MD Alex Rosenbower – Greensboro, NC Sam Thompson – Belmont, NC Walter Yarborough – Greensboro, NC Will Young – Wilmington, NC The Epsilon Owl Chapter Report Epsilon Welcomes Largest Pledge Class in Over a Decade Epsilon Chapter began the year on sure footing during the annual fall recruitment period. The house put together a pledge class 23 members strong, making it the largest pledge class in over a decade. This group then proved themselves during the pledge education period, following the leadership of Pledge Educators William Heathcote, Nick Graham and Ryan Wallace, and their Pledge Class President Alex Peat of Kitty Hawk, earning full membership and initiation into our brotherhood. The junior initiates are listed to the left. From our new brothers, we are proud to recognize several legacies: Jackson Diab, brother of Walker Diab ’14; Michael Holder Jr., son of Michael Holder Sr. ’84; Paul Lilley, son of Jim Lilley ’85; and Sam Thompson, grandson of Robert Morgan ’65. We are also proud to recognize Morehead-Cain Scholar Fields Pierce. Overall, Epsilon has welcomed an exception- ally strong class to Vance Hall that is bound to ensure a bright future for our house. This semester, Epsilon has also enjoyed a successful Alumni Weekend, during which we were excited to welcome many graduate brothers back to Chapel Hill. Another highlight has been the successful implementation of a scholarship incentive program, devised by Kevin Depopas and made possible thanks to our House Corporation, which is designed to ensure that our chapter stays within the University’s academic standards. Lastly, we have recently elected a new cabinet and are in the process of transitioning to new leadership, which will take over starting in January. See their names to the left. Our chapter is thrilled with the prospect of the strong leadership forthcoming from this group, and we look ahead to 2013 with high hopes and great expectations. On The Web Email Crisis! We’re Missing Email Addresses for Nearly Half of Our Brothers You may be missing out on important Phi Gam communications! Each month, Epsilon Chapter sends an eLetter with the latest chapter news, information and event details to all graduates on our distribution list. Ensure you’re receiving your copy of these emails by verifying your email address today! We currently have active email addresses for just 53% of our living graduates. If your email address is one of the 47% we’re missing, please update it online at www.epsilonpgd.com or by emailing our graduate relations office with your full name, grad year and “Phi Gam UNC” to feedback@affinityconnection.com. The more email addresses we have, the more money we can save on paper and postage to keep you in the loop throughout the year. Thanks for helping us to stay connected with you more frequently and cost effectively! www.epsilonpgd.com Epsilon Graduates without Active Email Addresses in Our Database 47% 53% Epsilon Graduates with Active Email Addresses in Our Database Total living graduates: 907 1 \r\nGraduate Profile From Chapel Hill to Capitol Hill Dean Hingson ’98 Plays Politics Post UNC, Landing Role as Chief of Staff for Indiana Senator A native of Smithfield, North Carolina, Dean Hingson ’98 didn’t have far to travel for college, but the need to feel at home was important to him when he rushed. “We were a house where a lot of people came from eastern North Carolina,” Dean recalls. “The feeling I got from the brothers really made me feel like I was at home.” Dean credits his friend Ben Woodruff, who had pledged the previous semester, with helping him make the decision to join Phi Gamma Delta. Ben was later tragically killed in the 1996 house fire. “Some of my favorite memories, like everybody else, included sitting out on the benches in front of the Cameron Avenue house late at night and before games,” he says. “We always had a good time.” Following the fire at the Cameron Avenue house, Dean was the Phi Gam house manager for a year while the brotherhood lived in temporary housing near the Finley golf course. “It was remote from campus and wasn’t the nicest of facilities, but we really made it a home when we didn’t have a house. That was a tough time, but it was also a time when we all pulled together,” he says. Deans says that even under the circumstances, he and the brothers made some great memories during that time. “I lived out there for a year in what was the house-mother’s suite,” he says. “It was basically this 25,000 square-foot house and I was out there mostly by myself. Luckily, there was always somebody dropping by.” To undergraduates who are currently rushing, Dean would tell them to consider the long-term relationship that they will have with the fraternity and the brothers themselves. “The traditions of the house, I think, have really set it apart over the years,” Dean says. “They need to really enjoy the time they have at the house, but know that a lot of these guys will be some of their best friends for the rest of their lives.” Following graduation, Dean practiced law in North Carolina before going to work at the Capitol for then-Senator Elizabeth Dole. He then worked for Senator Judd Gregg from New Hampshire and is now the chief of staff for Senator Dan Coats of Indiana. A full-time resident of Washington, D.C., Dean says he still gets back to UNC at least three times a year for football and basketball games. “I always make it a point to get back to the house whenever I’m there,” he says. Reconnect with Dean at deanhingson@gmail.com. 2012-13 Honor Roll of Donors Thank you to the following graduate brothers for their contributions to the Honor Roll so far this year… White Owls ($500-$999.99) Norman S. Goode III Eugene E. Record Jr. Stephen L. Cornwell J. Dixon Fleming Jr. 1963 1963 1974 1976 Purple Club ($250-$499.99) Joe Lamb Jr. Laurence B. Maddison Jr. Richard W. Zollinger MD David C. Burkhardt 1956 1965 1973 1991 1848 Society ($184.80-$249.99) Thomas P. Stratford Harry G. Walker Jr. Laurence B. Maddison III Gregory P. Wilson David G. McClure 1948 1949 1992 1992 1993 Hut Club ($100-$184.79) Alfred W. Griffin Jr. F. Rockwell Poisson Horace E. Stacy Jr. E. Lewis Bryan James M. Dillon Emsley A. Laney Jr. Charles W Higgins Jr. 1950 1950 1950 1953 1953 1953 1954 2 Gene F. Lyon James W. Maynard Fredric C. Byrum W. Victor Venters II Jack H. Spain Jr. W. Ward Marslender Cleveland P. Cherry Burt Aycock Jr. William C. Nelson Jr. Frank C. Cloyes James M. Tanner Jr. Charles P. Gaskins Jr. John B. Beall John T. Stanley Edgar E. Woodward Edmund T. Buckman III Larry F. Smithwick Jeffrey R. Headlee Robert P. Hortman William S. Creekmuir Richard H. Barnhardt Jr. Ronald A Batchelor Robert P. Holmes IV Joseph Buckley Strandberg Curtis H. Hathaway Jr. James M. Lilley Stephen P Covington www.epsilonpgd.com 1954 1954 1957 1958 1960 1962 1963 1964 1965 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1973 1975 1975 1976 1976 1977 1981 1981 1981 1982 1984 1985 1988 Edwin D. Miller George A. Worrell Travis B. Moser William Randolph Robins Jr. 1988 1998 2003 2005 Fijis ($50-$99.99) James C. Lanier Jr. William P. Mayo R. Bryant Hare III Rowland Burnstan Jr. Kenneth Frank McCain Hugh E. Eagleton William Holton Wilkerson Sr. Kevin A. Shwedo Raiford Garrabrant Wood J. Farless Thomas Ragsdale Baker Hatcher 1948 1948 1953 1954 1956 1966 1970 1978 1989 2003 2006 2007 Graduates Club (Up to $49.99) John K. Hoyt Jr. Lewis C. Deans David B. Strickland Elliott Burton Farless William Presnell Keesler 1956 2003 2003 2008 2008 Reflects gifts received as of December 10, 2012. December 2012 \r\nGraduate Updates ’40s Dixie Greene ’48 (88 Barnes St., Greenville, NC 27858) At 84 and a half, I’m doing fine. Bill Hedrick in Atlanta is still doing well, considering his circumstances. Jack Whichard ’50, I feel pretty certain, will be very willing to help me plan the 12th graduate meeting and brunch. ’50s Claude Wilson ’52 (102 Ash St., Box 314, Robersonville, NC 27871; clauderwilson@gmail.com) I graduated from UNC in 1952 and married Janice Johnson who was in the first grade with me (and each grade thereafter through high school), then served 3 1/2 great years in the Navy. We lived in Virginia Beach the entire time while I served on two amphibious ships out of Little Creek, Va. After being released from active duty, Janice and I returned to Robersonville, NC. I stayed in the Naval Reserve program and attended weekly drills and took annual cruises for 13 years of service. My last job was Commanding Officer of a Naval Reserve Electronics facility in Washington, NC. I was last selected for the rank of Commander. At home, I became a banker with “legacy” Wachovia and stayed with the bank for 38 years. My last area of responsibility as SVP was as senior credit officer for the eastern region of Wachovia working out of my office in Greenville, NC (a 25-minute drive from my home in Robersonville). I retired in 1994. Janice and I have lived all our lives in Robersonville, where we built our present home, which we have occupied since January 1962. So, we have lived in the same house for over 50 years. We celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary last June. We are very proud of our son and daughter, three grandsons and one granddaughter. I am now 81 years old and glad to be in pretty good health. I have not been very active in returning to Chapel Hill and the Henry “Rusty” Hodges The wife of Henry “Rusty” Hodges contacted us recently to report that her husband of many years had suffered a stroke in 2008. The stroke crippled Brother Rusty both mentally and physically. He has been in and out of hospitals, rehabilitation centers and nursing homes over the last few years. We wish Rusty and his family well. Please keep them in your thoughts. Phi Gam house, but I would not trade my four years at Carolina in Phi Gamma Delta for anything in the world. What a wonderful experience and what “lifetime” friends were made. I have attended and particularly enjoyed each annual Phi Gam gathering held in Greenville, NC each May. But, I am sorry to say that the number of 80+ year olds returning each year seems to be diminishing. Theo Pitt ’58 (116 Candlewood Rd., Rocky Mount, NC 27804; tharperpitt@aol.com) My grandson Chandler Holden, a freshman, pledged Phi Gam this fall. Exciting news! ’70s Walter Titchener ’74 (1000 N. General Lee Ave., Dunn, NC 28334; wtichner@yahoo.com) Ask Bobby (“Cork Bobber”) Thurstau about “Sweet Diane.” Go Tarheels! I am also cutting back on salts. ’80s Henry Kidd ’83 (613 Glen Eden Dr., Raleigh, NC 27612; thedecoykidd@email.msn.com) We found out in November that my wife of 23 years, Amanda, has APL Leukemia. We have had tremendous support from many, many Phi Gam brothers, some that I have not heard from in years. My wife is doing great and we are praying for a full cure! I would like to thank all my brothers for their support! pleased to report that my oldest daughter, Madalyn, has been accepted to UNC and is living in Granville Towers. I have told her this is fine with me as long as she walks to class on the Carolina Inn side of the street past the Fiji hut on her way to class. ’00s John Southerland ’00 (1064 Beaumont Ave., Birmingham, AL 35242; jis@hfsllp.com) I was recently made a partner in my law firm, Huie, Fernambueg & Stewart, LLP, in Birmingham, AL. Sam Heathcote ’07 (104 McGregor Dr., Chapel Hill, NC 27514; saheathcote@gmail.com) I am currently a second-year medical student at UNC. My wife Megan and I live in Chapel Hill and are expecting our first child in mid-January 2013. Perge! Jordan Whichard ’07 (830 Wriston Pl., Charlotte, NC 28209; djwhich@gmail.com) I wanted to pass along this photo of a bunch of UNC Phi Gams at the wedding of Kate Young (daughter of Charles Young) and Matthew Oakley. The wedding took place in Beaufort, SC on May 5, 2012. Gregory Richardson ’84 (407 W. Renovah Circle, Wilmington, NC 28403; oceanlod@bizec.rr.com) I am What’s new with you? Share your updates, stories, memories and photos at www.epsilonpgd.com. The Epsilon Owl www.epsilonpgd.com 3 \r\n778-167 FN MH Fundraising Update Thank You Loyal Donors! Your Support is Critical to Our Success As you know, graduate support has been critical to us being able to continue our alumni relations and communications program on an annual basis. These initiatives could not have been made possible without There are three ways to make your donation… • Log on to www.epsilonpgd.com. • Call 800-975-6699. • Mail a check payable to “Epsilon of Phi Gamma Delta” to the return address on this newsletter. the support of the brothers listed on page 2. Consider making a gift in 2012-13, even a small donation, because every little bit goes a long way. You’ll also get your name recognized on our Honor Roll of Donors. Our annual giving year runs from September 1 through August 31 each year. We still have a way to go to meet our goal of $25,000. Please make your contribution today to help us exceed this goal. Remember, the more money we raise, the more we can do to keep you connected with Phi Gam and the friends you met there. 2012-13 Annual Fund Raised to Date: $8,544 Goal: $25,000 From the Archives Wanted: Old Pictures from YOUR Era Epsilon’s history is filled with countless moments that have been captured on film. We want to know where to find them! We know that we can encourage some of you to send us your best Phi Gam pictures for our chapter archives, like this one from the 1974 Yackety Yack. C’mon guys, this is the digital age! Take some time in the coming weeks to peruse your collection (besides, won’t it be fun to take a trip down memory lane?). Send the best shots (and the stories behind them) to our editors at content@affinityconnec‑ tion.com. You can also mail them to the return address on this newsletter, or upload them directly to www. epsilonpgd.com or www.facebook.com/epsilonpgd. Be sure to mention “Phi Gam at UNC” on your corre‑ spondence. 778-167 FN Address Service Requested Graduate Relations Processing Center P.O. Box 7007 Albert Lea, MN 56007‑8007 - Epsilon Recruits Largest Pledge Class in Over a Decade - One Brother’s Journey from Chapel Hill to Capitol Hill - Wonderful Lifetime Friends Made Thanks to Phi Gamma Delta In this Issue... UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA Epsilon of Phi Gamma Delta, Inc. PRESORTED FIRST CLASS MAIL U.S. POSTAGE PAID State College, Pa. Permit No. 2 4 www.epsilonpgd.com December 2012