President's Perspective
By Stan Liberty
President, Kettering University
As I visited with alumni in California and Florida recently, I was pleased to hear of their ongoing interest in the saga of “Sparky.” I wrote about “Sparky” in the fall edition of “Kettering Perspective” magazine after a member of the class of 1966 sent a 1932 fraternity drinking mug to me and asked if I would return it to the Alpha Gamma Upsilon house (now Phi Gamma Delta or FIJI). The mug had been borrowed back in 1961 by the pledges of Phi Sigma Phi (now Sigma Chi) as part of a pledge raid. The mug ended up in the hands of Dr. Robert Degeneff ‘66, who moved it around the world for 40 years. Late in 2007, he sent “Sparky” to campus and asked me to return it to its rightful home with the FIJIs.
I am happy to report that “Sparky” is home now. I presented it to FIJI President Brandon Schinzel at their fraternity house a few weeks ago. Remarkably, during the homecoming presentation a member recognized the "Sparky" name,walked over to a wall covered in photos and took down a 1930s photograph of the brother who originally inspired the nickname. I found that moment very moving and a living testimony of the commitment and vibrancy that Greek Life represents on our campus.
I am continually impressed by the incredible loyalty shown by our alumni to their Greek organizations. About one-third of our students belong to Greek-letter groups on campus these days. Their fun-loving spirit and profound organizational abilities are key aspects of social and philanthropic activities on campus. Greek members are called upon to do everything from clean up the neighborhood for the Crim Festival of Races to recruit blood donors for the American Red Cross. To support those efforts, Kettering has a designated Greek Life officer, our dedicated staff member Robert Marias.
Greek Life will increase in its importance on Kettering's campus in the years to come. Our long-range strategy is to strengthen student life by increasing student residency on and near campus. Our hope is to get fraternities, sororities and their alumni chapters to invest in new houses near campus. I will keep you informed on these efforts as they grow.
As you read this edition of "Kettering Perspective," you will see that it serves double duty as our quarterly alumni magazine and the Annual Report that lists gifts from our committed donors and many friends. On behalf of Kettering, I wish to express our sincerest thanks to those who continue to encourage intelligent students to consider our institution as their college of choice. I also want to thank you for your contributions of time, effort and financial support. This support is crucial to ensuring our ability to sustain and continually improve the quality of the Kettering learning experience.
To request an issue of Kettering Perspective, contact us at
Kettering Perspective, Office of PR & Communications, 1700 West Third Avenue, Room 4-934 CC, Flint MI 48504.
810 762-9538 voice; 810 762-7435 fax; gerwin@kettering.edu