Share this post
FaceBook  Twitter  

Q: Why did you join Alpha Chi Rho?

A: I was offered a bid by another fraternity, but my best friend at that time Ray Bowman Jr. was joining Alpha, and it was the right place for me.

Q: How did Alpha Chi Rho influence your college experience?

A: It brought me into contact with people from diverse backgrounds. I met rich preppies from New England and brothers from South Philadelphia.

Q: Have you stayed in touch with any of the brothers since graduation?

A: Yes, a few. John M. Smartt III ’66 and Ray Bowman are a few. I never met a brother that I didn’t like. I went back for the 25th and 30th reunions and will probably go back for the 50th. Whenever I go, I want to see the house since I feel an affinity for it.

Q: How did the fraternity help you reach your personal and professional goals?

A: I learned a lot of things that impacted my job and my personal career. As freshman, we had to recruit aggressively. There were some brothers who weren’t comfortable with our recruits and tried to blackball them. This was a time when the chapter had the potential to fail and it prospered, instead, due to our decision to embrace diversity. Paul Coleman ’68 was very aggressive in recruiting. He played a critical role in recruiting and we pledged 23 members. Many of them became great assets to the fraternity.

Q: What is your advice for Penn students considering Alpha Chi Rho?

A: First, I’d tell them that we have a great location on campus, especially for engineering students. It’s been more than 10 years since I visited but it’s still a very fun-loving, diverse group. I’d also tell them that you can learn a lot by being in the fraternity. When I was there, we ran a dining room and hired people and kept it clean. These are the basic skills of life. I’ve also felt a bond a loyalty to the fraternity that I wouldn’t have found otherwise.

Want to reconnect with David? Email him at