Famous Greeks... a different kinda thread
 

Tri Delta has introduced a new program called Life Loyal where you pay one sum to the headquarters instead of yearly alum dues -- it's supposed to make things easier for everyone involved. Kellie Coffey and Leeza Gibbons have both had ads in the Trident talking about how they're Life Loyals and have stayed involved in Tri Delta long past their college years.

I'm not sure how many are actively involved as a volunteer, but several famous alums are big donors to their respective org's foundation; some serve as board members. You can look at different foundation websites and check out their board of directors (or similar name); look for recognizable names and/or a description of their everyday job.

Good topic. I wish more famous alums were involved.

Anyone have any thoughts on why more famous alumni aren't involved beyond contributing money? Do you think it's a time issue?

We've had a dozen or so very famous alumni shoot video features for us over the last several years.

Also, Don Fites, a current member of our Endowment Fund's Board of Trustees, took on that role when he was CEO of Caterpillar.

I am more Infamous and donate $$$$ to my Chapter!

Kenney Chesney is an Alum. Will be at his concert June 4 th. Will raise all kinds of Heck about LXA! He may have the pleasure of meeting Me!:D

To bad that some forget about what helped make them great!;)

Da, What They Learned!

I think Boyd Tinsley (Dave Matthews Band) is still active with Sigma Nu...he was featured in one of their recent issues.

Also Clarence Gilyard (he played on Walker Texas Ranger) had an ad in the recent Sigma Chi magazine

I think most of these "famous greeks" are more likely to be honorary rather than have truely "pledged" a certain org.

Imperial1

As far as Alpha Men go, here are some that I know have done "stuff".....in terms of being financial and active, I really don't know specifics:

Judge Joe Brown was a speaker at our last General Convention. (aka "Nationals")

Lazee Lamont (not so famous, but you may have heard him on the Russ Parr Morning Show) hosted the step show at that same convention.

Ambassador Horace Dawson is not only on the World Policy Council for APhiA, but he is also still an active member of his alumni chapter (which happens to be mine)!

Marc Morial, the current Executive Director of the National Urban League and former Mayor of New Orleans, is active, and was in the running for General President until he assumed his post with the NUL.

ETA: None of the Brothers I listed are Honorary, and in fact, very few of Alpha's prominent members are honorary initiates. It is a practice we discontinued. Nevertheless, the topic of this thread is about famous Greeks, honorary or not, who continue to give back to their organizations in some way.

Buddy Jewell
 

Buddy Jewel, a new country singer and winner of TV's "Nashville Star," is from my chapter and when he had a concert in Jonesboro, he came to the house and chilled with us for a while. Really nice guy. He also had Pike help winning the competition because we all voted for him a lot.

Tekes
 

We Tekes have too many dang famous and important alums...

the biggest lifelongs include Ronald Reagan who was especially involved his whole life, Charles Walgreen (founder of Walgreens), and some others...

GO BEACH!!!

Tim McGraw...Oh yeah, what a stud!

Bobby Bowden
 

Bowden was president of his chapter for two years, participated in his son Jeff's initiation back in 1980, and has been a regular fetaured speaker at Pike alumni and fundraising events.

That is very, very wrong. My fraternity prohibits honorary initiations. When you see Mike Bloomberg, Evan Bayh, Mark Spitz, and others do things for Phi Psi, you're seeing gentlemen who were active undergraduates. Mike Bloomberg credits his involvement with Phi Psi for much of his personal development, and mentioned his affiliation during his run for mayor.

Also, Woodrow Wilson's funeral (he was a chapter president in law school, and again in grad school) featured one flower; Phi Psi's original flower.

she's probably speaking from the perspective of a BGLO. i'm not sure how non-pan organizations do it, but this is true among the NPHC.

Tim McGraw continously supports pike, and was recently given the pike of the year award. OH, and bobby bowden is a Pike too....Rick Dees, Jon Stewart, Colonel Sanders...They ALL pledged (not honorary) and continue to support the Fraternity.

Exactly....which is why I wish members of organizations would speak for their own GLOs and not their umbrella organizations, NPC, NIC, NPHC, whoever.

so alpha doesn't have honorary members who are active in their respective organizations?

Our honorary members are all dead.

so at one point in time...y'all had honorary members? how does that disagree with what was said?

She said "most of these "famous greeks" are more likely to be honorary rather than have truely "pledged" a certain org." which is highly inaccurate. Its also demeaning (as well as ignorant) because it suggests that our organizations can not hold the interest of prominent people through out their lives.

well, i disagree with the most assessment, but she does have a point. what she said does happen.

Thank you, at least SOMEBODY knows what I was talking about unlike that "other" person who is in a BGLO and don't know.

Imperial1

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, an organization that serves as a coordinating body of nine traditionally African American organizations.

In terms of internal matters such as honorary memberships, it is best not to generalize. If you choose to speak on honorary memberships in terms of your own organization, then that is fine -- I will read whatever you have to say about Iotas prominent and/or honorary members with an open mind.

What I will not stand for is ANYONE generalizing what my fraternity handles internally strictly because we are a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. What you may BELIEVE is true of all, most, or many NPHC organizations is NOT universally true.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., does not initiate honorary members, and has not done so for decades. That has no bearing on the present conversation, because PM_Mama asked about FAMOUS Greeks, not honorary or pledged Greeks. Imperial1 brought up the very much off-topic point of these people being honorary, which was wrong, as PsiPhiRuss stated. It was an assumption she made based on her own organization's practices. Because I have done research into non-NPHC organizations, I know better than to assume that their famous members are mostly honorary. You came in with the assumption that HER assumption was based on her knowledge of NPHC practices. Honorary memberships are at the discretion of each NPHC organization, and NOT something that can be generalized or universally applied.

Alpha is not the only NPHC organization that does NOT currently have honorary initiations. Therefore, once again, I refuse to generalize NPHC organizations strictly because they are NPHC organizations, or any fraternity or sorority just because they are fraternities and sororities.

For further reference, I highly suggest The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Development in College Life by Charles Harris Wesley.

How da fukk is what I said ignorant based on what I know from NPHC? As far as your org goes, I ain't never heard of it and could care less who's a famous member of your org. It must not be that important to them, cause the majority of the famous ones in my org that actually pledged represent my org to the fullest. Sorry you're so "offended" that members of OTHER orgs happen to become honorary.

Imperial1

Comedy! Or at least, a valiant attempt.

Because I have a different (albiet more informed) opinion, I all of a sudden don't know that I am in a BGLO? How about this: I pledged Alpha Phi Alpha, not the NPHC, and I don't have to agree with or even like you just because you are also in an NPHC organization.

Because you are not on an NPHC-only message board.

On top of that, as I said earlier, what you "know" of the NPHC is not universally applied among the NPHC.

And no, the fact that I brought up that many famous members are most likely honorary was NOT wrong. The real question should've been how many of those famous members are still active in their orgs. We wanna talk about famous members of greek orgs, lets talk about the real shyt that we wanna know.

Imperial1

calm down, man. it's not that serious. she's pointing out the fact that honorary member ship happens in GLOs. i disagree the fact that most of them didn't pledge, but at one point in time, we've all had honorary members. it's not a bad thing, so there's no need to get huffy. she's speaking on the NPHC, not alpha specifically....if you want to get technical, alpha is one of the 9 organizations that is part of the nphc. meaning that if only ONE pan org. did it, then it's done in the NPHC. as it is, if it's no longer done with your frat, that's fine. the kappas (what i'v heard) don't do it either, but is it still done in the nphc? YES. she didn't call out anyone specifically, so there's no need for you to have a conniption fit about it.

as far as reading the book on alpha? nah, buddy..i'm ok. but thanks anyway.

I know this ain't only an NPHC board, but I'm sure there are other non-NPHC orgs who have honorary famous members as well. THAT's why I brought it up, and THAT's why it wasn't ignorant, nor was it wrong. The truth bit you in the ass and it hurt. And what I "know" of NPHC is universally applied because most of the orgs are univerally organized.

Imperial1

I think its a great thing to ask what famous people are still involved? Besides people being guest speakers and putting ads in your magazine, do you have any famous people who actually go abck to their chapter and help with recruitment or go to conventions?

I know its great to have them donate, but to me thats not actually getting in their and helping, well its just donating. I agree most are way busy, but I wonder out of all the famous people we all boast were in our orgs, who actually is still involved in their alum assoc, in their chapter, with nationals.

I wonder how to get this too? I know Id love to contact our famous ADPi's and try to get them more involved in the organization. Anyone have thoughts on how to get famous people involved? AND not just donating....

You've never heard of Alpha Phi Alpha? Um, okay...did you know the earth is ROUND?

*whispering*

she's heard of it...she's a Zeta. i think she's talking about russ's frat.

She was referring to PhiPsiRuss.

Get a grip.

Phi Mu has famous honorary members... good old Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee... :rolleyes:

But I agree with Russ and Senusret. The statement that most famous Greeks are honorary members IS not true. I'm wondering what gave you that impression?

A lot...
 

Ronald Reagan was ACTIVELY involved with TKE his entire life, visiting chapters, regularly having Tekes at the White House, being at the grand chapter and big Teke events, donating, and a lot more... He is one of the most active (or was)...

Whenever he visited somewhere, he'd go out of his way to greek the Tekes who came to see him...

Our pledge guide has a bunch of pictures of him in Teke houses across the country, the grand chapter, etc...

Walgreen supported TKE throughout in many different respects and was recognized with awards...

The TKE Educational Foundation and other programs are the result of such supporters...

Like I said, we have COUNTLESS prominent alumni... Our list is ridiculously huge, but I brought up those 2 names because they are prime examples of those life longs that TRULY and actively contribute to the fraternity...

BTW, those two ACTUALLY PLEDGED...

The majority of our prominent alumni ACTUALLY PLEDGED, but one of our fraters who is honorory is Elvis... He's one of the exceptions...

GO BEACH!!!

Drugs and lumber guys
 

Charles Wallgreen (age 98), the drugstore guy, sponsors the TKE summer leadership adventure.

Nardarelli (not sure about the spelling), the CEO of Home Depot, funded a GA scholarship for Tekes, and some other stuff.

I do know that Judy Woodruff (CNN anchor & ADPi) and Lu Parker (former Miss USA & ADPi) both attend our conventions regularly. I can only assume that they support ADPi in other ways, too.

Katie Couric (Tri-Delta) is outspoken on her membership, but only the Tri-Deltas would know if she otherwise contributes.

As far as I know...
 

Sheryl Underwood is currently on our National Executive Board as Graduate Member At Large. She also donates a portion of her income to the sorority.

Ja'net DuBois attended Boule last year and spoke at one of the luncheons.

As far as generalizations, I agree that they shouldn't be made. Just because we exist within the same council doesn't mean our membership catergories/criteria/processes are the same.

And this speaks VOLUMES. Pun intended. :)

But really, when prominent (famous) alumni speak about their affiliation - in a positive light - that is giving back. Heck, we all know that many "non prominent" folk never bring up that they are in a fraternity or sorority. Promoting the fraternity can help with recruitment and instills pride in other members. That in turn can lead to fund-raising and other ways of members contributing back to their organization.

I guess my point here is that we should commend our famous members for being proud of their affiliation. As they should be. :D

And of course, this applies to ALL members who are proud of their affiliation. Anytime we talk about our GLOs, it helps! :cool: