Page 1 - Gamma Tauk - Spring 2015

Georgia Institute of Technology | Gamma Tau Fiji Graduates Association | Alumni Offce | P.O. Box 80828 | Atlanta, Georgia 30366 | www.GTFijiGrads.com | Spring 2015 Alumni From the Graduates Spotlight KuRT S. NELSoN ’71 Association Editor’s Note: For this special edition of the Dear Gamma newsletter we’re shining the Spotlight on Brother Kurt Nelson ’71, a major donor of the newly Tau Brothers, named chapter house, Nelson-Landon Hall, and keynote speaker of the 2015 Pig Dinner. From f you attended the Pig the hometown of Baldwin, NY, Kurt earned his IDinner, The Couser degree in Civil Engineering at Ga. Tech. As an Golf Classic, or any active, Kurt served the chapter as President, recent activity at Landon- Rush Chairman, Recording Secretary, and on Nelson Hall, I think you IFC. After nearly 31 years of travel and service will agree the undergrads are carrying on with McDermott International Inc., Kurt retired our legacy of excellence in everything they in 2003 as Senior Vice President, Worldwide do. They have made an extra effort this year Sales, Marketing & Strategic Planning. Today, to interact with graduates and have started Kurt and his wife, Carolyn, enjoy travel, several new programs to take advantage of boating, scuba diving, fshing, and cruising. the wealth of experience of our graduate Read on to fnd out more about Kurt base. You can read about several of these efforts in this issue of the Gamma Tauk. We are announcing today that we have Why did you select Ga. Tech to attend after better than New York. I should have checked worked out an arrangement with the Phi growing up in NY? the search engine of the 60’s, the Almanac. My Gamma Delta Educational Foundation so I was accepted at Tech, Clemson, and almost physical record from Annapolis caught up with that contributions to our Annual Fund are Annapolis (I failed the fnal physical exam because me and after two quarters I was asked to leave now tax-deductible. (Payments on your they discovered I was color-blind, a serious the Navy RoTC program. Finally, Building Capital Campaign pledge do not change impediment to “command at sea”). I chose Tech Construction involved two years of Architecture, and are not affected in any way by this because I wanted to get away from the New York for which I had zero acumen. I switched to Civil announcement). winters. I also wanted Naval RoTC and the Building Engineering at the end of my freshman year. It all I encourage you to join the $18.48 or Construction curriculum. The combination of these worked out for the best, except for the winters in $8.41 Clubs (now part of the Annual Fund) attributes made Tech an easy choice. Atlanta, of course. to make regular monthly contributions or to make a one-time Annual Fund donation by What led you to join the fraternity? After graduation, why did you choose to work for following instructions in the form contained In 1966, Gamma Tau had a relatively new and McDermott? in the cover letter to this issue of the Gamma beautiful house, Creighton-Vail Hall, but it was the After graduation I had several options to consider. Tauk. If you are a current $18.48 or $8.41 personalities of the individuals and their obvious First, I applied for Navy oCS. They quickly said Club donor we will be in touch to discuss fraternalism that appealed to me. I was what can “no thank you.” The war in Vietnam was beginning how this change will affect you. only be described as introverted when I arrived at to wind down in 1971 and they were accepting very The Annual Fund provides the resources Tech so the Phi Gam experience was an integral few applicants. After three unsuccessful attempts to to allow us to support the chapter with part of breaking out of that shell. The fact that there serve my country militarily, and a very high draft graduate involvement. Please support us! were two brothers from New York, a relative rarity number, I concluded the military was not in the Fraternally, back then, also helped. Finally, being about 900 cards. So it boiled down to three options. I had been miles from home also contributed to the process. selected to serve as a Field Secretary for the National Fraternity but the pay was borderline “starvation Why didn’t your reasons for attending the school wages.” I was offered a job as a personal assistant Greg Robbins ’68 work out? to a nationally recognized land developer in Atlanta, Chairman I quickly learned that winter in Atlanta is not any Bill Probst ’54, who was coincidentally our Chapter Gamma Tau Fiji Graduates Association Advisor, but I was anxious to travel. I had spent the Perge! last summer of my senior year traveling throughout the Soviet union and Eastern Europe with the Georgia Tech uSA-uSSR Cultural Exchange SAVE THE DATE Program. So the die was cast when I interviewed with a multinational company that was looking for a Civil Engineer to work in London. I was fortunate to Saturday | April 16, 2016 be the frst employee in the company’s history to be hired directly out of college to go to work overseas! Nelson (Continued on Page 6) The Couser Golf Classic Way cool then, no big deal now. & Pig Dinner Kurt and Carolyn during Nelson (Continued on Page 4) a 2008 scuba diving trip.