BROTHERS FROM CLASS OF 1950 TO 2025 ATTEND
More than 70 Beta alumni, joined by undergraduate actives of Delta Chapter, gathered in Greencastle Oct. 8 to commemorate the chapter’s founding 177 years ago. This special celebration was held to recognize Beta’s establishment as DePauw’s first fraternity in 1845…making it one of the longest continuously operating chapters of Beta Theta Pi.
The exceptional gathering of Betas from the class of 1950 through the decades to the class of 2025 also kicked off a fundraising campaign that aims to restore and maintain the financial strength of the Delta Chapter for many years to come. Also at the event, a call was made for volunteers to step up and serve the house in alumni advisory roles.
Following tailgating during the football game, brothers gathered on the front lawn of Beta for a Loving Cup ceremony on a beautiful fall afternoon, where the assembled brothers filled the air with song and showed the might of our bond fraternal.
Next stop was the Inn at DePauw for a reception, dinner and guest speakers Dr. Lori White, president of DePauw University, and Beta Theta Pi Vice President Willie Romero (UNLV ‘95). Dr. Phil Eskew ‘63 served as emcee for the evening.
“People, men, individual men – that’s what makes Beta Theta Pi and makes it great. It’s being
with and talking with all of you. It’s listening to young undergraduates like all of you here tonight. It’s seeing new, young brothers get excited about being Betas, having that intangible Beta spirit sparked and ignited. And it’s seeing older, veteran brothers, have their Beta spirit rekindled and kept aflame, knowing they’re still glad to be a Beta. I truly believe when you become a member of our fraternity, you become a member for life,” Eskew said in opening remarks.
A big focus of the evening’s event was the announcement of a campaign to put Beta on a more sound financial footing, including retiring a current mortgage carried by the Chapter.
“We are at a point where it is time to give back. For many of us, what we received from Beta was the most profound, effective and valuable training of our lives,” said Bruce Stallings, ‘77. “We owe it to those before us, and those who are yet to come to provide this same experience.
Delta excels in every area – except financial strength. It’s not because our alumni can’t – it’s because we haven’t – let’s rectify that tonight.”
“Brother Stallings talked a bit about how our alumni have not supported the chapter like some other DePauw fraternities have. Are we not better than Sigma Chi and Phi Psi?” said Kerry Notestine ‘79. “Brother Stallings put together a committee to save the house when the pandemic hit and we raised around $200k to get the house through the pandemic. But there are still financial challenges, including a demographic challenge of fewer potential students in 2026, and more housing options for students than when we were in school. We need to put the chapter in a better financial position.”
Notestine called on the brothers in attendance to support Delta Chapter in a new fundraising campaign to raise $1 million, now tax-free via the nonprofit, and to put the house on a stronger financial footing for the future.
More than $250,000 was raised at the event, not including pledges for periodic contributions. If about 70 alumni can do that much in one evening, consider what is possible with the support and commitment of all Delta Betas!