BN Chronicles: Fall ’10
Building Better Men
The summer is over and school is back in session which means this is a perfect time to reach out to the Alumni of Beta Nu and let them know what is going on. There are currently 38 undergraduate brothers in the chapter, 22 of which are living in the house. They are looking to have a strong Rush this fall (August 28th – September 2nd). If you know of any prospects that are attending Fresno State, please have them contact the current Rush Chair, Mike Brewer at 714-932-5334. You are never too old or too far removed to introduce a man better than yourself to fraternity life.
100th Anniversary BBQ
Due to recent events, the Anniversary BBQ has been canceled. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. We look forward to hosting an Alumni event in the near future.
Alumni Focus
Robert Everett Coyle Delta Sig BN Fall 1950
The Robert E. Coyle United States Courthouse is the new building housing the Eastern District of California, Fresno Division, Federal Courts.
If you have been to Fresno in the past few years or even driven by on the 41 or 99, the skyline may look a little different. There is a brand new Federal Court House building downtown (inset). Did you know it was named after a Beta Nu brother? How many of you can say you have a Federal Building named after you!
I had the great opportunity to sit down with Judge Coyle and his wife Faye this week for lunch. It is probably best to start with Judge Coyle’s resume.
Coyle was born in Fresno, California. He was initiated into Delta Sigma Phi in the Fall of 1950. Coyle became President of the Chapter and then President of the Student Body at Fresno State College. He received an A.B. from Fresno State College in 1953. He received a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1956. He was a Deputy district attorney of Fresno County, California from 1956 to 1958. He was in private practice in Fresno, California from 1958 to 1982.
Coyle was a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Coyle was nominated by President Ronald Reagan on March 11, 1982, to a seat vacated by Myron D. Crocker. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 31, 1982, and received his commission on April 1, 1982. He served as chief judge from 1990-1996. He assumed senior status on May 13, 1996. Coyle is now “inactive” as a judge. Interestingly a federal judge usually does not retire because the appointment is for life.
Judge & Mrs. Coyle sponsor the Robert & Faye Coyle Scholarship through Fresno State. The scholarship is awarded annually to a undergrad Poly Sci student with a pre-law emphasis. http://www.csufresno.edu/scholarships/directory/desc.shtml
I asked Judge Coyle what advice he could give to the brothers of Delta Sig. He said the following. The first part of succeeding at something is to evaluate what you are naturally good at. In his case he argued with everyone so becoming an attorney was a natural fit. The next step is to research what it will take to follow that career path. Speaking with others in that field, asking questions and finding a mentor are all necessary steps. Now it is time for goal setting. Set realistic and timely goals that are attainable. The last piece of the puzzle is drive. You have to be a self starter and learn what motivates you, otherwise you will just spin your wheels and go no where.
Judge Coyle and his wife Faye were college sweethearts. To give you an example of drive in life, They graduated from Fresno state on Tuesday, married on Thursday and reported to work on Monday.
After all the years of being a Judge, I asked him what would he consider to be the biggest key to success when deciding cases. He said that “You have to listen to all sides before you make a decision. In the end you base your decision on the facts.” Personal bias and feelings have no place in the decision making process.
The ACB would like to start recognizing other alumni that have made an impact in our community / nation / world after graduating from Fresno State. I would be happy to accept suggestions for anyone you would like to hear about. Please email me at jus10me@gmail.com.
Undergrad President Receives Scholarship
I am pleased to announce that the Chapter President Tommy Daly received a $3,000 scholarship from the CSU Board of Trustees for the 2010 – 2011 academic school year. Tommy maintains a cumulative 3.59 GPA in Political Science and is committed to not only the Fraternity but also volunteers his time to the Red Cross Save-A-Family, Children’s Hospital of Central California, March of Dimes, Boys 2 Men/Girls 2 Women and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Please join me in congratulating Tommy for this well deserved award.
Help Us Find Lost Brothers
We are in search of all of our lost brothers. I would like to thank the following volunteers for assisting me in finding the contact information for those which we have lost touch. They are Roy Salazar, Chester Stoeckle, Matt Zakarian, Ean Devine, Jeff Percell, Mike Munnelly, Patrick Prince, Austin Hastings and Justin Allen. I have posted a list on the website with all of our brothers information. Please go to the Alumni tab and click on Beta Nu Contact List. You will have access to a spreadsheet that is sorted alphabetically. Feel free to fill in your missing or updated information. If you have missing information for fellow brothers please notify them or edit their contact information on their behalf.
