Author name: jmcpsiu

September 2023 Psi U Today – Convention Edition

Annual Communication of Executive Council

Jeremy McKeon
Eta, ’08 (Lehigh) President of the Executive Council

Given by the Executive Council President Jeremy McKeon, Eta ’08 (Lehigh), to the Convention attendees, the Annual Communication of the Executive Council reports on the state of the Fraternity and addresses issues to be dealt with by the Convention.

Annual Communication of the Foundation

Alex Senchak
Eta, ’06 (Lehigh) President and Chairman of the Foundation

The Report of the Chairman of the Foundation, Alex Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh), captures the state of the Foundation and the work being done to support the educational goals of the Fraternity.

Executive Council & Foundation Directors for 2023-24

We would like to thank Brighten Meade, Phi Beta ’21 (William & Mary) for his work on the Executive Council last year, and welcome new term member, Steven Malinski, Epsilon Iota ’09 (RPI) who was elected for a one year term.

The 2023-24 Officers of the Executive Council were also installed at the Annual Meeting:
Jeremy McKeon, Eta ’08 (Lehigh), President
James Platner, Phi Delta ’10 (Mary Washington), Vice President
David Hollis, Gamma Tau ’11 (Georgia Tech), Secretary
Timothy Zepp, Chi Delta ’08 (Duke), Treasurer and President-elect

For a full list of members of the Executive Council please go here

The Officers of the Foundation were also appointed for the 2023-24 year:
Alex Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh), Chairman
Matthew Eckenrode, Epsilon Nu ’04 (Michigan State), Vice Chairman
J. Martin Brayboy, Gamma ’84 (Amherst), Secretary
John Ong, Gamma ’82 (Amherst), Treasurer

For a full list of the Directors of the Foundation please go here

2023-24 Undergraduate Advisory Board Members

Ethan Francoeur, Delta Omicron Prov. ’24 (Purdue)
Isaac Lam, Theta Theta ’25 (Washington)

Another important business item at our Convention is the election of two brothers to the Undergraduate Advisory Board (UAB). This board serves to facilitate input from the undergraduate chapters to our Executive Council. We’d like to congratulate Ethan Francoeur, Delta Omicron ’24 (Purdue), and Isaac Lam, Theta Theta ’25 (Washington), on being the elected representatives for the 2023-24 Academic Year.

The 2023 Leadership Institute Curriculum

The keynote of the 2023 Summer Leadership Institute was Dr. Michael Dunphy who led a workshop on Situational Leadership and how to best lead given your individual skill set. Dr. Dunphy is a trained martial arts instructor and his highly interactive session incorporates martial arts with practical applications to help explain emotional intelligence, conflict resolution and leading highly effective teams in an engaging way. Dr. Dunphy currently serves as the VP for Academic Affairs at Walsh University and is a leadership coach who has worked with many companies and sports teams in his professional career.

The Psi U History and Archives Committee gave a presentation on the founding of the Gamma Tau Chapter at Georgia Tech and its prior locations through the current house it owns today led by Heather Burns Edmisten, Gamma Tau ’02 and Jonathan Chaffin, Gamma Tau ’00. International Office Staff reviewed programs and current operations, Psi Upsilon’s policies, and engagement opportunities. We also continued our roundtable programs and had discussions focused on recruitment, diversity and inclusion, utilizing the connects grant, chapter services programming, the Psi U Cares Program, and more.

In addition, after soliciting feedback from attendees, we had roundtable discussion groups covering topics asked for by the members; including recruitment, diversity and inclusion, the Psi U Cares Program, alumni fundraising, and more. You can read a more detailed summary of our programming and topics here.

Convention Photos

You can view the photos of the 179th Convention on our Flickr account album for the Convention. Thank you to Steve Malinski, Epsilon Iota ’09 (RPI) who served as our Convention Photographer and Tuna Ergan, Gamma Tau ’23 (Georgia Tech) for assisting.

179th Convention Awards Banquet

One of the most meaningful pieces of our annual gathering is our Awards Banquet where we are able to honor both individuals and chapters for their outstanding accomplishments to Psi Upsilon. We had the honor of Charles M. Hall ESQ, Nu Alpha ’71 (Washington & Lee University) as the keynote speaker to close our convention. Chuck is a former president of the Psi Upsilon Executive Council and Foundation and a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Service Award for his ongoing service with the Psi Upsilon Society of Georgia, including being instrumental in purchasing the Gamma Tau Chapter House.

This year we had three additional alumni in attendance who were able to receive their medallions for the Distinguished Alumni Service Award along with Brother Hall: Robert McIntire, Omicron ’68 (Illinois), Jesse Scherer, Gamma Tau ’05 (Georgia Tech), and David Hollis, Gamma Tau ’11 (Georgia Tech). You can read more about the award and their impact on Psi Upsilon here.

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In addition, chapters were recognized for Garnet and Gold Award for Academic Excellence, The Owl Award for Exceptional Academic Performance, the Clasped Hand Award for Outstanding Philanthropy and Service, the Award of Distinction and the Diamond Award for Exceptional Chapters was presented to the Gamma Tau Chapter at Georgia Tech. You can view all chapter award winners here.

179th Convention Records

Over the weekend Convention delegates split into five committees to discuss the work of the fraternity, these committees are: Nominations and Credentials, Awards, Budget and Development, Unfinished Business and New Business. The Convention Records below document the actions taken by the 179th Convention.

You can also view an updated Psi Upsilon Constitution and the policies of the Fraternity on our website here and view the 179th Convention Binder – which includes items on the Fraternities Budget, Membership Statistics, Chapter Reports and more.

2022 Annual Impact Report

Thanks to many volunteers, the Foundation has been able to create exceptional opportunities as showcased in the following pages. A portion of those who we engage with in 2022 have returned after years or even decades of time away from brotherhood activities. It is a joy to bring them back into our programs and build new relationships and find new ways for them to share their expertise, nurture personal interests, and be inspired by other each other. We now turn to grow our relationships and look through these annual and more frequent programs, stay connected through these long-form journalistic publications and convene more forums for substantive discussion and deeper connection. We are indebted to our generous community of donors who play such an important role in supporting the Foundation’s work to make Psi Upsilon a place of connection, joy, renewal, and inspiration!
2022 Impact Report

Visit this page to learn more about how you can support our programs.

Final Weeks! Oral History Project Continues

This is your last chance to be a part of the Psi Upsilon Oral History Project, led by Publishing Concepts Inc. (PCI). This project will let us hear the unique experience from all our members, and also help update information and ensure your connection to Psi Upsilon remains strong.

The stories will be packaged in a book that is available for purchase and will live on forever in the history of our organization. Can you attribute your success to Psi Upsilon? Did a brother leave a lasting impact on you? What tales of leadership and camaraderie that brought the chapter together can you share with our younger brothers? All of these moments make up Psi Upsilon, and we want to hear them.

We urge every alum to please participate! It costs no money to share your story and you are under no obligation to purchase a book! Submissions close at the end of the month so please be sure to call 855-376-5979 today and share your story. To learn more details about the project visit here

The History and Archives committee has recently redesigned and expanded the presentation of the digital archives on Psi’s website. Go take a look!
If you would like to get involve with the committee, or have a research project about a chapter or brother, contact jonathan@psiu.org.

Speaker Series

Live via ZOOM webinar: Register Here

Bridging the divide: How best to honor one another as we engage in civil/political discourse. A fireside chat on engaging civil political discourse with Rt. Rev. Mark Beckwith, Gamma ’73 (Amherst)

The author of Seeing the Unseen: Beyond Prejudices, Paradigms and Party Lines, Mark Beckwith is a co-founder of Bishops United Against Gun Violence, and a leader in Braver Angels, a national movement to depolarize America. He is passionate about helping people move beyond the confines of their political and religious silos in order to find common ground. He is a graduate of Amherst College and Yale Divinity School. A retired bishop in the Episcopal Church (Diocese of Newark, NJ), he is an avid hiker, tennis player and competitive swimmer. He lives in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. He blogs weekly on markbeckwith.net

Have a perspective or expertise to share? NOW BOOKING speakers for the 2023-24 Virtual Speaker Series
Direct inquiries to Director of Member Engagement Jonathan Chaffin jonathan@psiu.org

Annual Fund Updates

Please check to see if your company does Donation Matching for 501c3s. (Google, The Home Depot, Microsoft, and many more match 50 to 100%, some up to 500%!).
https://doublethedonation.com/psiufoundation


Thank you to everyone who made a gift in 2023! Check out donors from your chapter here!
You can view the 2022 Founder’s Society Members here.

In Memoriam

See a listing of brothers whose passing has been reported to us since July 2022.

Upcoming Events

Click event title for more details

09.23.23 – Phi (Michigan) Homecoming

10.20.23Phi Beta (College of William & Mary) Homecoming

10.21.23 – Omicron (Illinois) Homecoming

10.28.23 Virtual Speaker Series – Ret. Rev. Mark Beckwith, Gamma ’73

11.04.23 Chi Delta (Duke University) 50th Anniversary Reunion Weekend

11.10.23 – Theta Theta (Washington) Founders’ Day

11.24.23 – Zeta Zeta (University of British Columbia) Founder’s Day Dinner

12.07.23 – Gilrane Economic Symposium – Greenwich, CT

Click here for a complete list of Psi U events. If you’re interested in sponsoring an event in your area or to have your event listed in the calendar please email Director of Engagement Jonathan Chaffin (jonathan@psiu.org).

Have news to pass along? We’d love to hear from you! Please contact Executive Director Thomas Fox (tfox@psiu.org) with anything you would like to share.

© 2023 Psi Upsilon Fraternity

9.22.23-9.24.23 – History & Archives Weekend

Join brothers from the History and Archives committee and others who are interested in the history of Psi Upsilon and travel to Indianapolis in Sept to work on organizing and cataloging the archives. For those unfamiliar with the archives, they currently occupy several storage units and contain material dating back to the founding of Psi Upsilon. Organizing them is a daunting task, to say the least.

The Psi Upsilon History & Archives committee was created last year and charged with researching the materials in our archives, sharing stories with our brotherhood, and preserving and making the archives accessible for research.


Committee Chair and Psi U Archivist Evan W. Terry, Epsilon Phi ’93 (McGill University) said it best: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” During this work weekend we will continue better organizing the archives, make improvements to storage, and assess needs going forward.

Again, we are so thankful for all the time the committee spent on this important work.


If you are interested in financially supporting the work of the History & Archives committee contact the Foundation Chairman Alexander Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh) or you may make a gift here.


For information about attending the next History & Archives open house contact Director of Member Engagement Jonathan Chaffin, Gamma Tau ’00 (Georgia Tech).

Volunteers from the Psi U History and Archives committee gathered in Indianapolis to research, sort, and preserve Psi U history.

Thank you to our generous sponsors who support the History and Archives committee, and our Publications and research

Lodging

Residence Inn Indianapolis Keystone
9450 Counselors Row, Indianapolis, IN 46240

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/indrn-residence-inn-indianapolis-keystone/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0

June 2023 Psi U Today

2023 Outstanding Juniors and Griffin Award Winners Announced

Psi Upsilon has a tradition of recognizing upperclassmen who go above and beyond in their service to Psi Upsilon with the Outstanding Junior and Griffin Awards. Each chapter selects the recipients of this award and reports them to the International Office. You can click on the images below to read more about the award and see a photo gallery of the recipients. We would like to thank these outstanding individuals for their dedication and service to Psi Upsilon Fraternity and their respective chapters!

Social Impact Fellowship Applications Open

For 3 years the Psi Upsilon Social Impact Fellowship initiative has provided funds and development opportunities for some of our brightest lights striving for a better society. We’re excited to continue this initiative and announce applications for the 23-24 Social Impact Fellowship are open.

The fellowship is granted to support the professional leadership development of emerging leaders striving for the common good. The fellowship is appropriate for brothers working or volunteering in the environmental, education, social equality, medical, and related fields for good of society (including chapter advisors needing training!)  

Make Nominations, meet more of our Fellows, and Apply here

Spring 2023 Garnet Report Published

The Psi Upsilon Foundation published their 2023 Garnet Report, an annual publication reviewing programs of the Foundation and a listing on contributors to the Annual Fund. 

Articles Include:

  1. The Scholarship Announcement Keynote presentation by Mark DiPasquale, Pi ’88 (Syracuse)
  2. The President’s Circle Annual Giving recognition
  3. Announcing Jay Riemenschnieder, Beta Alpha ’90 (Miami Ohio) joining the Foundation Staff
  4. Foundation Grants and Stipends
  5. Creation of the Charles Hall, Nu Alpha ’71 (Washington & Lee) Fund
  6. The 2023 Fishfund Venture Summit
  7. Donors to the 2022 Annual Fund

You can view the Spring 2023 Garnet Report online here.

All donors who are a Gold Member of the Founder’s Society and above receive printed copies of all the Psi Upsilon Foundation Publications – if you would like to make your gift and support Psi Upsilon please do so here.

Oral History Project Continues

Psi Upsilon has partnered with Publishing Concepts (PCI) to undertake a massive Oral History Project. This project will let us hear the unique experience from all our members, and also help update information and ensure your connection to Psi Upsilon remains strong.

The stories will be packaged in a book that is available for purchase and will live on forever in the history of our organization. Can you attribute your success to Psi Upsilon? Did a brother leave a lasting impact on you? What tales of leadership and camaraderie that brought the chapter together can you share with our younger brothers? All of these moments make up Psi Upsilon, and we want to hear them.

We understand that it’s not everyday that you receive a post card or an email asking you to call a number to verify your information and share your Psi U story – so to put you at ease, we’ve compiled some frequently asked questions below that should help to clarify the process. But we urge every alum to please participate! It costs no money to share your story and you are under no obligation to purchase a book!

To call and share your story use this toll free number: 855-376-5979. To learn more details about the project visit here

From the Archives: Psi U and the First NFL Draft

Jay Berwanger, Omega ’36 (Chicago), has a storied football history with the Chicago Maroons where he earned the nickname “The One Man Team”. While his position was officially halfback, he played all over the field even handling some of the kicking duties. His senior year he rushed for 577 yards, passed for 405, returned kickoffs for 359 and added five PATs. All his accomplishments led him to be the Big Ten Most Valuable Player, a unanimous All-American, and was the first recipient of the Downtown Athletic Club trophy in 1935 – which was renamed the Heisman Trophy in 1936. In addition, he was the first player ever chosen in an NFL Draft!
Read more about his career and influence here!

Doug Jackman, Omega ’89 and Ken Ono, Omega ’89, Honored by University of Chicago

The University of Chicago has a long tradition of honoring distinguished and committed alumni who have shaped the world and strengthened their global alumni community. This year two Omega brothers from the same class were recognized for their contributions: Doug Jackman, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Alumni Service Medal and Ken Ono, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Professional Achievement Award.

Read more here!

2023-24 Scholarship Recipients & Keynote

We’d like to congratulate the 30 brothers from 16 chapters who received scholarships for the 2023-24 Academic Year from the Psi Upsilon Foundation, including four graduate awards! Below is the list of recipients based on their award.

We held an online announcement for the Scholarship recipients on May 4th hosted by the Psi Upsilon Foundation’s Chair and President, Alex Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh), and our keynote speaker Mark DiPasquale, Pi ’88 (Syracuse), offered comments on how Psi Upsilon has positively affected his life. You can view that speech in the video below.

We would like to thank all the generous donors to the Annual Fund and everyone who has helped make these named scholarships possible. Since 1959 The Psi Upsilon Foundation has awarded over 1.2 million dollars in scholarships to our members because of the generosity of our donors!

See all our winners
Watch Keynote

Speaker Series

Have a perspective or expertise to share? NOW BOOKING speakers for the 2023-24 Virtual Speaker Series
Direct inquiries to Director of Member Engagement Jonathan Chaffin jonathan@psiu.org

Annual Fund Updates

Please check to see if your company does Donation Matching for 501c3s. (Google, The Home Depot, Microsoft, and many more match 50 to 100%, some up to 500%!).
https://doublethedonation.com/psiufoundation


Thank you to everyone who made a gift in 2023! Check out donors from your chapter here!
You can view the 2022 Founder’s Society Members here.

In Memoriam

See a listing of brothers whose passing has been reported to us since July 2022.

Upcoming Events

Click event title for more details


07.28 – 07.31.2023
179th Psi Upsilon Convention
July 28th – July 31st, 2023
Atlanta Sheraton Downtown
Atlanta, GA

Hosted by the Gamma Tau chapter
Register Here

09.23.23
Phi (Michigan) Homecoming – Save the Date


10.21.23
Omicron (Illinois) Homecoming – Save the Date


11.04.23
Chi Delta (Duke University) 50th Anniversary Reunion Weekend
Details Here

Click here for a complete list of Psi U events. If you’re interested in sponsoring an event in your area or to have your event listed in the calendar please email Director of Engagement Jonathan Chaffin (jonathan@psiu.org).

Have news to pass along? We’d love to hear from you! Please contact Executive Director Thomas Fox (tfox@psiu.org) with anything you would like to share.

© 2023 Psi Upsilon Fraternity

Doug Jackman, Omega ’89 and Ken Ono, Omega ’89, Honored by University of Chicago

The University of Chicago has a long tradition of honoring distinguished and committed alumni who have shaped the world and strengthened their global alumni community.

The University of Chicago Alumni Association and the Alumni Board have announced the recipients of the 2023 Alumni Awards, and TWO of the 2023 alumni so honored are Psi Upsilon brothers of the Omega chapter!

Doug Jackman, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Alumni Service Medal and Ken Ono, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Professional Achievement Award

The Professional Achievement Award recipients are accomplished people in any professional field. These alumni’s achievements have brought distinction to themselves, credit to the University and benefit to their communities. The Alumni Service Medal recognize the achievements of individuals working on behalf of the University through service in alumni programs, on advisory committees and through efforts made to ensure the welfare of the institution.

Doug Jackman, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Alumni Service Medal

Douglas Jackman began his volunteer service to the University even before his graduation from the College by chairing the Senior Class Gift of 1989. His leadership was recognized at graduation with the Howell Murray Award. As a young alum working in New York, he was active in the New York Alumni Club, serving on the New York Centennial Dinner Board and interviewing prospective students for the College Admissions office.

Jackman served on the Visiting Committee to the College (now called the College Advisory Council) for two terms. In 1995, he was elected to the University’s Alumni Board of Governors and served six years on that board, including serving as an officer and chairing the board’s Nominating Committee. He continued to work on board initiatives as a founding sponsor of the Externship Project, which offered undergraduate students a chance to shadow alumni in various professions. He was also actively involved in the Metcalf Internship Program from its inception 25-plus years ago. He served on the inaugural committee to select the first class of the University’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.

Ken Ono, Omega ’89 received a 2023 Professional Achievement Award
Ken Ono is a mathematician at the University of Virginia, where he is the STEM Advisor to the Provost, fellow of the Shannon Center for Advanced Studies, and the Marvin Rosenblum Professor of Mathematics. He is well known for his research in mathematics, specializing in algebra, combinatorics, and number theory.

Ono has received many awards for his research, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Packard Fellowship and a Sloan Fellowship. In a ceremony at the White House in 2000, Bill Clinton awarded Ono a Presidential Early Career Award for Science and Engineering. In 2005 he was named the National Science Foundation’s Distinguished Teaching Scholar, the foundation’s highest honor for excellence in teaching and research. He is a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. His professional service has included leadership roles in various professional organizations, such as vice president of the American Mathematical Society and chair of the Mathematics Section of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is the founder and director of the Spirit of Ramanujan STEM Talent Initiative, which supports emerging engineers, mathematicians, and scientists who lack traditional institutional support through financial grants and mentorship opportunities.

Archives – 1953 Diamond

Archives Home
Annals of Psi UpsilonContemporary PublicationsConvention RecordsDiamond of
Psi Upsilon
Member Education GuidesPhoto GalleryPrinted HistoriesThe ReviewSongbooks
Special ThanksVideoSpecial CollectionsCommittee

DIAMOND OF PSI UPSILON

The Diamond is the magazine of Psi Upsilon that ran between 1878 – 1887 and from 1920 – 2015

06.23.2023_2022 Impact Report

Thanks to so many volunteers, the Foundation has been able to create exceptional opportunities as showcased in the following pages. A portion of those who we engage with in 2022 have returned after years or even decades of time away from brotherhood activities. It is a joy to bring them back into our programs and build new relationships and find new ways for them to share their expertise, nurture personal interests, and be inspired by other each other. We now turn to grow our relationships and look through these annual and more frequent programs, stay connected through these long-form journalistic publications and convene more forums for substantive discussion and deeper connection. We are indebted to our generous community of donors who play such an important role in supporting the Foundation’s work to make Psi Upsilon a place of connection, joy, renewal, and inspiration!

2023-24 Social Impact Fellowship Applications Open

Dr. Brian Christie, Zeta ’07 (Dartmouth) used his fellowship to train and share micro surgical techniques in under-resourced environments in Africa.  Dr. Audrey Fisch, Gamma ’87 (Amherst) used her fellowship to for advanced training with the National College Attainment Network to help her better lead the non-profit she started to benefit under-represented students. 

For 3 years the Psi Upsilon Social Impact Fellowship initiative has provided funds and development opportunities for some of our brightest lights striving for a better society.

We’re excited to announce applications for the 23-24 Social Impact Fellowship are open.

The fellowship is granted to support the professional leadership development of emerging leaders striving for the common good. The fellowship is appropriate for brothers working or volunteering in the environmental, education, social equality, medical, and related fields for good of society (including chapter advisors needing training!)  

Here are videos of reflections and thanks from both Audrey and Brian.


Learn more about the program here: https://psiu.org/social-impact-fellowship/

Please nominate any brothers in your network who may be excellent candidates for this honor.
https://psiu.org/social-impact-fellowship/#nominate

05.26.2023_Psi Upsilon Garnet Report, May 2023

• Keynote Address: Mark DiPasquale, Pi’88 (Syacuse)
• President’s Circle Announcement
• Grants & Stipends Recap
• Introducing the Charles Hall Fund
• 2022-23 CUMULATIVE GIVING to the Foundation and Fraternity
•2nd Fishfund Venture Summit recap
• Pillar Society

2023-24 Scholarship Recipients & Keynote


We’d like to congratulate the 30 brothers from 16 chapters who received scholarships for the 2023-24 Academic Year from the Psi Upsilon Foundation, including four graduate awards! Below is the list of recipients based on their award.

We held an online announcement for the Scholarship recipients on May 4th hosted by the Psi Upsilon Foundation’s Chair and President, Alex Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh), and our keynote speaker Mark DiPasquale, Pi ’88 (Syracuse), offered comments on how Psi Upsilon has positively affected his life. You can view that speech in the video below.

We would like to thank all the generous donors to the Annual Fund and everyone who has helped make these named scholarships possible. Since 1959 The Psi Upsilon Foundation has awarded over 1.2 million dollars in scholarships to our members because of the generosity of our donors!

Graduate Scholarships

Lewis Finkelstein, Omicron 1983 Awards 
Lucas Rempel, Zeta Zeta ‘22 (UBC)  

FishFund Awards 
Tuna Ergan, Gamma Tau ‘23 (Georgia Tech) 

Henry B. Poor, Gamma 1939 Award
Christopher Picard, Zeta ‘23 (Dartmouth) 

Dr. Tony Kremer, Omicron ‘87 Award 
Christopher Bushnell, Upsilon ‘23 (Rochester) 

Undergraduate Scholarships

Albert C. Jacobs, Phi ‘21 Award  
Tyrese Wheaton, Phi Delta ‘25 (Mary Washington) 

Benjamin T. Burton, Chi ‘21 Award 
Kevin Cavicchia, Psi ‘25 (Hamilton) 

Curtis J. Rettke, Eta ‘84 Award
Adrian Gollub-Messiah, Eta ‘24 (Lehigh) 

Earl D. Babst, Iota-Phi ‘93  
Tyler Beckwith, Sigma Phi ‘24 (St. Francis) 

Eric W. Didul, Phi Beta ‘90 Award  
Nicholas Elsberg, Phi Beta ‘24 (William and Mary) 

Francis C. Hardie, Omicron-Zeta ‘18  
Justin Ou, Zeta Zeta ‘24 (UBC)
Alexander Lassooij, Zeta Zeta ‘25 (UBC) 

Gardner A. Callanen, Psi ‘29 Award 
Luca McAdams, Psi ‘25 (Hamilton) 

Gregg E. Rohlin, Phi ‘83 Award  
Eric Michals, Phi Nu ‘24 (Christopher Newport) 

Henry B. Poor, Gamma ‘39 Awards  
Zachary Morrison, Pi ‘24 (Syracuse)
Mark Bargout, Tau ‘25 (Pennsylvania)
Frederick Bristowe, Tau ‘24 (Pennsylvania)
Luca Martini, Tau ‘24 (Pennsylvania)
Joe Schwabacher, Tau ‘24 (Pennsylvania) 

J. Russell McShane, Delta ‘32 Award  
Nolan Shay, Pi ‘24 (Syracuse 

Jerome W. Brush, Jr.,Delta Delta ‘39 Award  
Rocco Valvano, Eta ‘25 (Lehigh) 

Jonathan E. Persky, Omega ‘85 Awards  
William McKelvain, Omega ‘24 (Chicago) Maina Ngobia, Omega ‘24 (Chicago) 

Michael D. Oberg, Theta Theta ‘88 Award  
Finn Johnson, Zeta Zeta ‘23 (UBC) 

Paul D. Friday, Theta Theta ‘26 Award  
Mirren Buchanan, Zeta Zeta ‘25 (UBC) 

R. DeWitt Wallace, Epsilon ‘14 Award  
Aidan Henegar, Lambda Sigma ‘24 (Pepperdine) 

R. Timothy Leedy, Phi ‘57 Award  
Ryan Shoji, Zeta Zeta ‘23 (UBC) 

Robert W. Morey, Pi ‘20 Awards 
Sean O’Toole, Pi ‘24 (Syracuse) 

Robert W. Parsons, Xi ‘22 Award  
Cece Hawley, Xi ‘24 (Wesleyan) 

Salvatore L. Biardo, Omicron ’04 Award
Kevin Sanderson, Omicron ‘26 (Illinois) 

William P. King, Omicron ‘73 Award  
Elisa Miller, Gamma Tau ‘25 (Georgia Tech) 

Psi Upsilon was pleased to give out 30 scholarships this year!

Mark DiPasquale, Pi ’88 (Syracuse) Keynote address to the Scholarship Recipients

From the Archives: “All Aboard for the Psi Upsilon Special”

Reprinted from an article in the August 1989 Diamond, by Tip Hinsdale, Xi ’39.

The eight of us were waiting patiently, looking at the empty track at Grand Central Terminal’s Gate 18 in New York City. Then, slowly, the “Lake Shore Limited” backed in to load up for its journey to Chicago. As the rear of the train approached, it was as if we were in another era: the era of luxury railroad travel, which ended decades ago. Attached to this Amtrak train was a gleaming beauty of a railroad car: Lehigh Black Diamond Limited’s “353.” The observation platform at the rear of the car carried a traditional lit drumhead telling one and all that this car was headed off to Chicago and the 146th Psi Upsilon Convention.

The “353” was built for the now-defunct Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1916 and served as a “mansion on rails” for railroad executives and financiers until its retirement after sixty years of use. The car was purchased a few years ago, and lovingly restored by Richard A. Horstmann, Pi ‘57. Dick, who is the Chairman of Psi Upsilon’s Alumni Advisory Board, and a member of the Executive Council, frequently charters the car for trips all around the United States. We were particularly privileged to have him serve as our host for this very special trip.

It was a lifetime dream of Dick’s to have such a car, and his love for rail travel is apparent when you see him on board the “353.”

There were eight of us fortunate enough to hold reservations for this splendid expedition: Donald S. Smith, Xi ‘39 and his wife Lois, Andrew M. Kerstein, Delta ‘76 and his wife Debbie, Carl A. Beck, Delta ‘41 and his wife Florence, William R. Robie, Epsilon Omega ‘66, President of the Executive Council, and yours truly Robert W. “Tip” Hinsdale, Xi ‘39.

The passengers on the observation platform of the “353” are Donald G. Piper, Pi ‘57, Jonathan C. Piper, Pi ‘87, Richard A. Horstmann, Pi ‘57, Jesse Mitchell, Robert W. Hinsdale, Xi ‘39, Deborah Kerstein, Donald S. Smith, Jr., Xi ‘39, Florence Beck, Andrew M. Kerstein, Delta ‘76, Lois Smith, and Carl A. Beck, Delta ‘41

As we entered the car to begin our journey, we marveled at the gleaming brass and polished wood of the lounge, the compact efficiency of the private staterooms, and the splendor of the dining room, each wonderfully appointed to reflect a bygone era. Fresh flowers adorned the lounge as we sat leisurely sipping drinks and nibbling on hors d’oeuvres, awaiting our departure. It was dark as we cleared Grand Central, but we could see the lights of West Point as we journeyed north along the Hudson Valley.

We sat down to dinner in the dining room, starting with a shrimp cocktail and followed with prime rib. Of course each of our meals was launched with the Psi Upsilon Doxology. The chef for our trip was Jonathan Piper, Pi ‘87 and one of our stewards was his father, Donald G. Piper, Pi ‘57, who was also the official photographer for the Convention. Our lead steward was Mr. Jesse Mitchell, well into his 80’s, a retired railroad steward. Jesse served as a true sentimental link to the heyday of railroad travel.

As we continued west through New York State, we sat in the rear observation lounge watching stations pass by, crossing lights flash with the ding, DING, DING, ding of the bells. We listened to the railroad radio as it contacted the train every 100 miles or so to report nothing trailing beneath the cars. Our speed reached as high as 100 M.P.H. on several occasions. By the time we departed Rochester, New York everyone was settled into their berths and sleeping contently.

We awoke to the wonderful smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen. The “353” journeyed through Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio, South Bend, Indiana and miles of soybean and cornfields. The steel mills of Gary, Indiana were hardly out of sight when we could see Chicago. We soon pulled into the “Windy City’s” Union Station; the concluding point of our westward trip.

The guests enjoying one of the fine meals

After a banner Convention experience, we arrived back at Union Station to find the Lehigh Valley “353” at the rear of the “Broadway Limited,” the fabled Chicago – New York train of the old Pennsylvania Rail Road and still running for Amtrak. It was dark as we left Chicago, but we would be paid back with the daylight views the next day. Dinner was served by the time we hit Fort Wayne, Indiana, and we journeyed east into the night.

By daylight we were in Pittsburgh. The “353” soon started to climb the Appalachian Heights to the mini continental divide. The eastern descent through breathless valleys and gorges, was magnificent. At last we came to the famous Horse Shoe curve where the rails do more than a 180 degree turn in breathless scenery and you can count every car of the train as it curves ahead of you. Through Johnstown, Pennsylvania, scene of the famous 19th century flood, we finally came to Paoli, (how could a Psi U journey not pass through Paoli?) where Henry Poor, Gamma ‘39 and his wife Mary were waving from the platform.

The Drumhead of “353” on display at the International Office of Psi Upsilon today.

We soon came to Philadelphia where we left the “353” behind and our group continued on to New York. Such a convivial group we were, much picture taking and a lot of serious discussion of where our great fraternity is heading. Each of us are indebted to Dick Horstmann for providing us with the opportunity to make this wonderful trip. The Psi Upsilon Special was indeed a special trip for us all.

You can read more about the Black Diamond, which is now in Steamtown, a National Historic Site in Scranton, PA here: https://www.nps.gov/stea/planyourvisit/lv353.htm

You can read this story, and much more, in the 2023 Edition of Reflections Magazine!

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