Ronald C. “Ron” Anderson, Alpha (Pennsylvania) 1956
President/CEO, RCAnderson Associates Inc.

I did not join a fraternity in my freshman year.  No one was too interested in me, as I was probably immature and nerdy.  As my sophomore year got underway, I was totally lost.  Most of my dormitory friends from freshman year were now living in various fraternity houses and had made new friends.  I was on the verge of quitting and going home to Rochester, NY.  I was not even doing very well in my classes, which was unusual for me, since I was always a very good student.  My parents urged me to stick it out, so I hung in a little longer.
 
A good friend of mine in the dorms had a good friend who was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma, and he talked me into staying at Penn long enough to see if there would be a fit for me with Phi Kap.  During rush that fall, I was accepted by Phi Kap, and my life at Penn turned completely around.  Even though I was a lowly pledge, I now had a campus family, and felt both wanted and connected again.  Phi Kappa Sigma at Penn saved my college career!  And, the experience there helped me lose the immaturity and nerdiness very quickly, and in the almost three years I was active in that house, I went from being a school boy to being a man with a purpose in life.  I got my degree in Marketing from the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at Penn, and after my two years in the army, began a newspaper circulation management career that was very successful and very rewarding.  And, a lot of it was due to my membership in the Alpha Chapter during those key college years.  The brothers easily taught me as much or more than did my professors, for which I have been eternally grateful.  Yes, becoming a Phi Kap at Penn was easily one of the major turning points in my life.

John L. Finlayson, Zeta (Franklin & Marshall) 1964
VP of Finance and Administration and CFO, Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff Co.

My working career was mainly in the auditing, accounting and financial areas.
 
Phi Kap had a huge impact in helping me choose a career path and many of the lessens learned while an undergraduate I found very useful during my professional career.
 
Like many students I had no idea of what I wanted to do when I started college.  When I was a sophomore I was elected Assistant Treasurer and in my Junior year I was elected Treasurer (Tau). My experience in these positions provided me with leadership skills, the art of compromise, budgeting, financial statement preparation, billing, collection, payroll and other business skills.  I can think of no other college leadership position that can provide the practical experience that one of the leadership positions in a fraternity provide.
 
This experience helped me decide to become an accounting major and choose to work for Arthur Andersen & Co. an international accounting firm when I graduated.  Several years later I joined Susquehanna Pfaltzgraff Co where I was Vice President of Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer for 28 years.  The Company manufactured dinnerware and other tabletop accessories, had 82 retail stores and sold its product in department stores across the country.  The Company also was the largest privately owned Radio Group in the United States and was a Cable TV operator with about 230,000 subscribers.
 
Throughout my business career I had experiences that took me back to my experiences as Treasurer of Zeta Chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma at Franklin and Marshall College.

Charles D. “Chuck” Patton, Rho (Illinois) 1966
President, Gold Key Resorts

Do you think your undergraduate experience in Phi Kappa Sigma had a positive impact on your life and helped you achieve success? 

The first benefit is that I met my wife, Estella, there. We have been married since, 45 years.  Can't beat that for a benefit! A secondary benefit is that I did make a couple of friends, not from my time in the house, but later through my time on the Housing Board; friends that I still am in contact from time to time so many years later. As far as success in business, see below.

Do you think that principles/values are important in today’s society?

Absolutely - more so than ever. In business, as you reach executive levels, much of what you do that is important is the establishment of policies which are based on principles and shared values.
 
What part do principles/values play in your current occupation and life today?

In my life today, principles/values apply to the books I write (Colt Terry, Green Beret; Strategize Your Way to Success, et al.) In my current occupation, principles/values are reflected in the ethics we deal with everyday -- how are employees treated, what disclosures are fair and appropriate for buyers of our product, etc. The more general principles of honor, loyalty, respect, etc. apply in all business dealings as well.  Social manners also were another important learning process at the house -- proper manners are something that many do not learn at home today.
 
What is the most important principle/value to live by?

Two, actually -- Keep your word and be loyal. I have found loyalty to people you trust more valuable than any other principle. Keeping your word goes along with loyalty but is more general -- you can keep your word to a stranger as well as to a loyal friend.
 
What does “Man of Honor” or “Men of Honor” mean to you?

It means being honorable -- treating people as you would want to be treated (Golden Rule), treating everyone with respect regardless of what you or others think about them, and defending the defenseless.
 
Do you think that belonging to a Fraternity (especially Phi Kappa Sigma) can help undergraduates learn life skills, principles/values, their importance, and how to apply them?

Definitely. In the fraternity one can find leadership opportunities, opportunities to participate in charitable activities, and opportunities to learn teamwork. Another benefit that isn't normally mentioned is the fun that is had by all -- the parties, dances, sports, "gooping," etc. are all great memories and experience that took a lot of the drudgery out of all the studying.
 
What role should the principles, values, expectations, obligations, etc. of Phi Kappa Sigma play in our chapters and our members’ lives?

The formation of a "gentleman" is the principle role of the fraternity in my mind -- everything from how to treat a woman, to how to dress and to how to behave in society, I think is an important role for the fraternity. I was fortunate to have a mother that ingrained these principles in me before I got to the house but the house taught many other brothers these critical principles.

Norbert J. “Pete” Pointner, FAICP, ALA, ITE, Alpha Epsilon (IIT) 1960
Principle, Corporate Services Inc.

The first 18 years of my life fwere spent in Sidney, Ohio, a small manufacturing town in an agricultural area of west central Ohio, about 35 miles north of Dayton. Family, church, boy scouts, hunting, basketball, ham radio, lawn maintenance and construction work filled my life as a teenager.

The Illinois Institute of Technology was a no nonsense engineering school in Chicago. I chose it because of their programs in architecture and city planning and their location in Chicago.  Phi Kappa Sigma played a significant role in my education and subsequent life.  It embraced the religious, family and community values of my upbringing, nourished a sense of brotherhood and provided a balance between studies, activities and social life.  It taught responsibility, leadership and pursuit of excellence.  The Phi Kaps who rushed me, and with whom I spent my college years, were role models of honorable, capable and purpose driven men. 

Within the Phi Kap value system, and the deeply held and evident sense of brotherhood, there was great diversity in the background, personality and aspirations of individual Phi Kaps. There was not a "type set" Phi Kap. The diversity of my brothers expanded my view and appreciation of other persions and viewpoints and made me more sensitivie and understanding. These charachteristics serve one well in all aspects of life; family, community, work and recreation. Our Fraternity also cultivated person responsibility and a desire to serve the community of which we are a part. These character traits are badly needed in our society that I believe over emphasizes materialism and narrow self gratification and trivializes important values.

The Phi Kap core values and traditions will enrich the college experience for any individual and contribute to their development and success in college, in their work and their personal life.  The sense of honesty, integrity and respect for truth and life exhibited by the Phi Kaps in my life are particularly important in work that involves public trust, such as my profession of urban planning.  The leadership opportunities I had at Phi Kappa Sigma contributed significantly to my opportunities and accomplishments. In summary, the Phi Kap experience helped me to meet my goals, to worship God, nourish my family, serve community, love my neighbor and grow myself.

Alan S. Preston, Tau (Randolph Macon) 1984
President, Preston Leadership, Inc.

Do you think your undergraduate experience in Phi Kappa Sigma had a positive impact on your life and helped you achieve success?  How did you benefit?  What did you learn?

It definitely did. My first exposure to leadership through adversity came when our chapter at Randolph-Macon started a cycle of declining membership and I was elected president. I realized that title does not guarantee followership, it is earned through relationships and influential communication that speaks to what is important to those you are trying to lead. My experiences at Phil Kap taught me some very important leadership lessons and gave me the confidence to pursue leadership roles in my business career. I still look back on my chapter leadership experiences as vital to my success in leadership today, which helps me run my own leadership development consultancy.

Do you think that principles/values are important in today’s society?

Absolutely. People are much more likely to make choices about where they work and who they will work for based on alignment with principles and values. In the past, a job was more likely to be considered “just a job”, but today people actively seek out companies with which they share missions and values. Work is more meaningful, and companies need to realize this if they want to attract the best and most engaged talent.

What part do principles/values play in your current occupation and life today? 

Ironically, “The True Gentleman” by John Walter Weyland (ironic because it is a major principle espoused by Sigma Alpha Epsilon!). In addition to that, a great Phi Kap who had a tremendous influence on my during my college experience and early career is John Clements (Tau ’52). Among his many successes, John was Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Randolph-Macon for many years. His leadership by example and respect for every individual regardless of their position, social status (or silly college behavior) has been a guiding principle for me throughout my life.

What is the most important principle/value to live by? 

Respect. There is not one single being on this planet who doesn’t want to be respected and who doesn’t deserve respect. We can be confident, successful and even aggressive while still respecting others.

What does “Man of Honor” or “Men of Honor” mean to you? 

Again, "The Trrue Gentleman” by John Walter Weyland pretty much sums it up for me.

Do you think that belonging to a Fraternity (especially Phi Kappa Sigma) can help undergraduates learn life skills, principles/values, their importance, and how to apply them? 

Most of the time yes. As Executive Director of Phi Kap (1992-1996), I saw a lot of chapters. Unfortunately, some chapters were not necessarily helpful to their members because of the things they let happen (or chose to do). Others were extremely helpful to their members and the degree of organization, responsibility, leadership and service was astounding. Chapters evolve in the right direction and the wrong and depending on the time, they may or may not be extremely beneficial or extremely destructive. My son is a freshman at Penn this year and I would be very pleased if he were to earn an invitation to join Phi Kap there. I hear very good things about those men and the way they handle themselves on campus.

What role should the principles, values, expectations, obligations, etc. of Phi Kappa Sigma play in our chapters and our members’ lives?

If you really read them and internalize what they were meant to convey, you can see them in some of your Brothers both at the chapter level and as alumni. This can be inspiring, even many years later. I like to re-read the initiation ceremony. At the time of my initiation, the ceremony of it all made it difficult to remember what was really said (much like one’s graduation speaker), but re-reading it later is very helpful. Those words, written so many years ago, are timeless. I think that Phi Kap introduces you to people in whom you see the true values of the Fraternity. No one’s perfect and certainly not everyone demonstrates the values that Dr. Mitchell espoused, but it’s those few Brothers, sometimes from chapters other than your own, who bring it all together. John Clements, Dr. Karlem Reiss, John Curley, David Low, Dave Demarest – these are some of the Phi Kaps who live(d) the values and made the biggest impression on me.

David Rotunno, Beta Lambda (Northern Illinois) 1976
Executive Director, Mizkan Americans, Inc.

Do you think your undergraduate experience in Phi Kappa Sigma had a positive impact on your life and helped you achieve success? 

Without a doubt, the 3 years that I spent with PKS had a tremendously positive impact on my life and career.  While living in the house, I learned invaluable life lessons such as compromise, teamwork, leadership & that success comes only through hard work.  I also learned that even though you might try and fail today, tomorrow is another day, and that giving up is simply not an option.  One of the many benefits that I also received was the experience of working, living and socializing with such a diverse group of people.  While perhaps ethnic and racial diversity was not a huge factor, the many personalities and interests of the brothers that I lived with was a great precursor to things to come.  Often times in business, managing the business is the easy part and managing people become the challenge.  Fraternity life and the diversity that we had at the PKS house in the 1970’s was a tremendous learning experience that has been invaluable in my business career.  One of the things that I am most proud in my fraternity days and in my personal and business life today is the realization that diversity is a great thing, it helps us grow and that we fostered diversity at PKS, as we were not all jocks or brainiacs or geeks, we had all of those people in our house and we accepted each other for what we were.

Do you think that principles/values are important in today’s society?

While many people that I encounter today seem to be void of principles and values, those are the people that in my experience, in the long term, tend to fail.  The principles and values that we establish early in life, specifically those that are adopted and adhered to during formative years such as college, where change & challenges are constant, will guide you through life & career.  I also believe that if you do not establish life guiding principles early in life, trying to discover those principles later in life becomes difficult.  We then tend to sway back & forth from one principle to the next or whatever is currently trendy or whatever we decide upon based on the immediate experience.  Once again, if that happens and there are no life guiding principles that you adhere to, you are doomed to failure, whether in business or in your personal life. 

What part do principles/values play in your current occupation and life today?

I attempt to use the same principles and values in my business life and my personal life.  I do not believe that you can separate the two as principles and values should drive your entire life, whether on the professional or personal side.  All the decisions that I make as a business person, a leader, a father or husband are driven by the same guiding principles.
 
What is the most important principle/value to live by?

The principles that I live by are honesty, fairness and accepting people the way they are, regardless of how different they are from you.  Once again, whether it is my business life or my personal life, the principles remain the same.  I attempt to evaluate & make decisions based on the value of the information rather than on the person that delivers it.
 
What does “Man of Honor” or “Men of Honor” mean to you? 

The “Man of Honor” principle, in my opinion, deals with the issues of honesty and fairness that I spoke about above.  Treating people in the same manner that you wanted to be treated is extremely important.  That doesn’t mean you have to always agree with that person’s opinion or always do what someone else wants you to do but it does mean to treat everyone’s ideas and opinions with a level of respect that they deserve.  And it also means that even if you are not treated in a respectful manner, it is your responsibility to continue to be the “Person of Honor” and continue the level of respect even if it is not reciprocated.

Do you think that belonging to a Fraternity (especially Phi Kappa Sigma) can help undergraduates learn life skills, principles/values, their importance, and how to apply them? 

I think that a fraternity is still, even in 2010, a way for young men to learn life lessons and create values that can last a lifetime.  It is through understanding the differences between people and honoring those differences and learning to adapt to those differences that allow us to grow both personally & professionally.  It is also important to learn these lessons over a period of time, which  why I am still a strong proponent of actives living in a communal house for a minimum of two years, to create the lifelong relationships and learn those lifelong principles.  If the only reason to belong to any fraternity is the social aspect, the value of fraternity life is greatly diminished.  And believe me when I tell you that that is distinctly more evident as you get older and perhaps difficult to recognize during or immediately following the college experience.

What role should the principles, values, expectations, obligations, etc. of Phi Kappa Sigma play in our chapters and our members’ lives?

I believe that we need the stated values & principles that we espouse at PKS to be evident during the recruiting process, the pledging process and reinforced during active life.  And that also means that those principles and values might not be to everyone’s liking and if that is the case, so be it.  And this does not mean that we want to recruit only people that think the same way but we want to recruit as diverse a group as possible that have similar values.  I strongly believe that diversity is perhaps the most important aspect in learning life lessons, especially during the college years.

Richard C. Sinclair, Phi (Richmond) 1967
President and CEO, Jefferds Corporation

Do you think your undergraduate experience in Phi Kappa Sigma had a positive impact on your life and helped you achieve success? 

Part of the joy of being a Phi Kap was that it took the college experience and broke it down into a more manageable number.  My brothers became life long friends and the real reason that I return for reunions is to visit with them.  The ushers in my wedding were fraternity brothers and the deep friendships have lasted for more than 40 years.  I held offices in the fraternity that helped me to organize, delegate and get things down through and with others.  I learned that if you could surround yourself with good people, there was no limit to what could get accomplished.

Do you think that principles/values are important in today’s society?

They are vitally important and we all need to be working with the next generation to be sure they are properly passed along.

What part do principles/values play in your current occupation and life today?

It’s pretty much like my parents told me growing up-do what you say you will when you say you will.  While I doubt I execute perfectly on that, the goal is to deliver to family, customers, employees, suppliers etc. the best that I can every day.

What is the most important principle/value to live by? 

I suppose it’s Honesty-took me awhile to get there, but it’s the primary ingredient that generates trust.

What does “Man of Honor” or “Men of Honor” mean to you?  

It’s folks that you know you can rely on when the going gets really tough.  Integrity.

Do you think that belonging to a Fraternity (especially Phi Kappa Sigma) can help undergraduates learn life skills, principles/values, their importance, and how to apply them? 

Absolutely-although not as familiar with collegiate life today as I was 40 years ago, I sense that life is more complex for young folks-more things to tempt them in the wrong direction.  The banding of brothers is a great thing and I would recommend it to anyone.  All three of my children were in the Greek system and it has paid them dividends beyond which I can describe.

What role should the principles, values, expectations, obligations, etc. of Phi Kappa Sigma play in our chapters and our members’ lives? 

It’s all grounding-properly grounded people generally perform well over time.  The Phi Kap experience got me off to a good start.

Jesse Torres, Alpha Psi (UCLA) 1991
President and CEO, Pan American Bank

Do you think your undergraduate experience in Phi Kappa Sigma had a positive impact on your life and helped you achieve success? 

My Phi Kappa Sigma experience played a significant role enabling me to succeed in my life beyond college.  When I arrived at UCLA I lacked experience dealing with individuals from diverse backgrounds.  Having been born and raised in East Los Angeles, I rarely as a youth interacted with people from diverse backgrounds.  Through my Phi Kappa Sigma experience I came to know individuals from different socio-economic backgrounds, heritage, race, religion, etc.  It was instrumental in teaching me the importance of diversity as well as how to understand, respect and relate to people who are different.  This experience was key as I began my career and has served me extremely well as a manager and leader. The experience taught me how to relate to people regardless of their background.
 
Do you think that principles/values are important in today’s society?
 
Principles and values are the most important factor in business and personal life.  A principled lifestyle ensures a satisfying home life free of controversy and doubt.  Likewise, careers built on lies and deceit eventually crash and burn while careers built on honesty and trust are the basis of long-lasting and successful careers.
 
What part do principles/values play in your current occupation and life today? 
 
I am the father of two girls.  My kids look up to me.  I teach my daughters right and wrong through my actions.  If I wish for my daughters to grow up to be good people, it is essential that I set the right example by living a principled life.  The same is true of my work.  As the CEO I set the tone for the corporation.  By conducting my business life in a manner consistent with being a good corporate citizen and a principled leader and manager, I set the example and expectations for my employees.
 
What is the most important principle/value to live by? 

The most important principle to me is to treat everyone with dignity and respect.  Regardless of the person you are dealing with, whether a friend, competitor, supplier, or whoever, it is important to treat others well.  
 
What does “Man of Honor” or “Men of Honor” mean to you? 

Man of Honor describes someone who lives a principled lifestyle.  Man of Honor describes to me someone who sees the big picture and understands that its not what happens to you, its how you take it.
 
Do you think that belonging to a Fraternity (especially Phi Kappa Sigma) can help undergraduates learn life skills, principles/values, their importance, and how to apply them? 

Absolutely.  I know that my Phi Kappa Sigma experience contributed to my success.  My time in the Fraternity provided me with certain advantages that I would not have gained otherwise.  My lessons included teamwork, leadership practical problem solving, networking, sales skills and etiquette.  Additionally, I learned the importance of diversity and the value brought by people of different backgrounds.  Bottom line, I would not have been as successful in my career without the experiences provided to me as a member of Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity.

What role should the principles, values, expectations, obligations, etc. of Phi Kappa Sigma play in our chapters and our members’ lives?

It is Phi Kappa Sigma's responsibility to provide its members with the tools needed to be successful members of society.  The men of Phi Kappa Sigma join at a time when their value systems are being developed and tested.  It is important that Phi Kappa Sigma use its influence to shape its young members into good citizens that others will admire and emulate.