Phi Kappa Theta: Extending the Tradition of Brotherhood
Lifelong friends are now making a lifelong difference in the lives of students.
“Phi Kappa Theta is a brotherhood,” explains Dennis Sura ’70. “The men in our fraternity were – and still are – a major part of my life. We were there to support each other in school, extracurricular activities, and our personal lives. We thought it was important now, as we get older, that we establish a scholarship to give others a chance to experience what we did, and to remember our brothers who passed away.”
With that in mind, six alumni of the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity established the Brothers of Phi Kappa Theta Catholic Fraternity Endowed Scholarship in 2014. The endowment will provide well-qualified students attending Lewis University who are in need of financial assistance and maintain a 3.0 grade point average with the opportunity to complete their education. (Left: Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity group from 1969 at the White Fence Farm.)
“I joined Phi Kappa Theta because I wanted to get involved in the campus community,” adds Ed Flynn, ’72. “I looked around at different options and different clubs and organizations but found that Phi Kaps offered a sense of community, belonging, and purpose. The values that were presented to me during the exchange with members suited me, gave me a good college experience, and a sense of brotherhood.”
After meeting with Luigi Amendola ’01, Associate Vice President of University Advancement, Sura and Kevin Ryan ’71 began the process of establishing the endowment. They reached out to fellow alumni and found quite a few willing to make a gift towards the endowment fund, including John Boles ’70 among others.
President and founding member John “Jack” Marco ’68 was excited for the opportunity to be a part of founding another legacy for Phi Kappa Theta. “Times have changed. Responsibilities are different for students now, and many are stretched thin between school, work, and other obligations. This is our opportunity to give today’s generation a piece of what we had when we were in school; a chance to engage more fully with the University that did so much for us.”
“I think it’s important to give back, first and foremost to the University, and secondly to the fraternity,” adds Ed. “We had a reunion a few years ago where more than 100 brothers got together, dating back to the 1960s. It was good to have that bond and that feeling that you are part of something that continues with you throughout your life. Through this endowment, we will remain tied into Lewis and see the traditions we celebrated continue on with new generations.”
Preference for the endowment will be given to a current member of the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity. In the event there are no qualified applicants from Phi Kappa Theta, preference will be given to the child or grandchild of a Phi Kappa Theta Lewis University alumnus. In the event that no applicants meet either of the above criteria, the recipient must be an active member of another student organization. (Right: Forty-five years after the picture above was taken, some of the fraternity brothers gathered together for a White Sox Game: Kevin Ryan ’71, Dennis Sura ’70, Michael Rapp ’72, Jerry Matkaitis ’73, Timmy Arendt ’71, Dan Fitzgerald ’70, Michael Kelly ’70, Mike Debbout ’70, Jim Brunner ’72, and Bill Gilligan ’70.)
“Now is the time,” says Dennis. “When you are able to do something like this, you should. There are brilliant minds in college today who face the very real likelihood that they will have to drop out for one reason or another. Keeping these students in school will allow them to go on and accomplish great things. We want that for our own kids. And Lewis has always been home to us, so we want that for the kids there, too.”
If you would like to make a gift to the Brothers of Phi Kappa Theta Catholic Fraternity Endowed Scholarship, please contact Luigi Amendola at amendolu@lewisu.edu or (815) 836-5875.
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