Page 4 - Cal Delta Spotlight - Summer 2017

Bedford (Continued from Page 1)

How did you get involved with the Olympic overnight fire, caused by vagrants who had
Games? broken into the unoccupied chapter house,
Sports have always been an important part destroyed 30 percent of the structure. While
of my life. I feel that life is often about people our plans changed drastically, we had good
and relationships, and that’s how I came to fire insurance, and mortgage loans from USC
experience another wonderful passage in my and City National Bank allowed us to move
life: being the commissioner of athletics for ahead.
the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. By USC and national were very tough on us,
1980, Hillside Associates was doing well, and but also helpful. We began to involve more of
I had added a partner in the business. Peter our alumni well before we had final approvals
Ueberroth had become a good friend over the from USC and national. But the new chapter
years through business, golf, had to leave behind the
and as a valued client of “My father has always been a mistakes of the prior years,
my firm. When Peter was great person in my eyes. His and alumni involvement
named president of the Los phrase is, ‘How can I help?’ was critical to long-term
Angeles Olympic Organizing success. Phi Delta Theta by
Committee, I recognized that He is ready to jump in and then had a “no alcohol” Bill with his two daughters as “Friendly
he was the perfect person for get things done.” policy in all their chapter Rivals”—FIGHT ON!
such a broadly demanding ~ Jennifer Bedford, daughter houses, and our alumni This total success was created by a group of
responsibility. I called to strongly supported this alumni too long to mention here, but a visit/tour
congratulate him, adding, “I’m standing by, policy. When we finally received our USC of the chapter house will show their names on
ready and willing to join your volunteer army!” A approval, it was quickly followed by news plaques in the large entry hall.
couple of months later I got the call, and became from national HQ that we would soon regain What inspired you to create the Hackers
responsible for staging the world’s biggest track our charter, and two projects remained: begin Invitational?
meet in 1984! After four years of preparation, the complete renovation of the old house, and Golf has always been important to me,
and 16 days of competition in track and field participate in fall rush. so around 1960 I put together a weekend
under perfect conditions in the sparkling (only Phi Delta Theta HQ sent out two staff tournament in the desert exclusively for Cal
60 years old) Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, members to help us with rush, and they Delta alums, appropriately called the Hackers
followed by a wonderful closing ceremony, it were phenomenal. The amazing Cal Delta of Invitational. It was a great success, and the next
was “back to real work for the volunteer army.” today is primarily due to the amazing success year it expanded to include other friends and
What brought you back to be involved with Cal of that first rush. Without a useable chapter went on to have about a 20-year life, playing
Delta? house, without undergrad members to help, many different courses. The last event just might
The “re-founding” of Cal Delta at USC, this “new/startup” fraternity pledged 42 new have been at Pebble Beach, considering that a
completed in 2006, is truly an “up from the Phikeias! The rallying cry/slogan for that first major food fight broke out among our group
grave” story! By year 2000, following a series rush, brought to us by national, was “Are you during dinner in the iconic dining room of the
of behavioral incidents, the university had a leader?” Today, with a beautiful chapter Del Monte Lodge!
withdrawn the chapter’s recognition, ordered house, being one of the largest fraternities
at USC, having one of the highest GPAs Now that you have some free time, what do you
the closing of the chapter house, and Phi Delt
national headquarters had withdrawn their on the Row, and a leader in both USC and do for fun?
In retirement, my life is relaxed, but busy
charter. We were not the first of several major community service, the answer to the now
fraternities thrown off campus during this 10-year-old question is a resounding, “Yes, we and fun with golf, children, grandchildren, and
period, but after much travail we later became are leaders!” Cal Delta stands right alongside traveling the world with my beautiful wife,
Patricia.
the first ones to successfully return. At about this of USC in my estate planning.
time, I was asked to meet with a small group
of neighbors and Bob Haggstrom ’73, a Cal USC House engineering program, has been a member
Delta alum. They were interested in “cleaning (Continued from Page 1) of the chapter since the fall of 2014. There
up/fixing up” the boarded-up old frat house. more alumni over the coming years and is no one who I trust more to lead our
From my earlier experience as chapter president, hearing your ideas about ways in which chapter to greatness.
I quickly let them know that before any such we can give our undergraduates the best If you aren’t feeling the cardinal and gold
work could begin, an alumni group needed to experience possible at USC. Please do fever yet, I’m here to let you know that our
successfully petition both the university and the not hesitate to let me know if you would first football game is only a few months
national fraternity for permission to restart the like to get involved, have questions, or away! We kick off the season against
chapter. would just like to chat. I can be reached at Western Michigan on September 2, so grab
Reflecting on how important my fraternity life phidelthousecorp@gmail.com. your tickets and get ready to tailgate.
had been to me, and that I wanted other young Another major update that I would Fight On!
men to have the same opportunity, I quickly like to give is that we have elected our
became the House Corporation president. With new chapter president! I would like to
added alumni help, we laid out our plans to
regain chapter status, do a cosmetic cleanup/ congratulate Peter Roberson for carrying Brenton Caldwell ’14
fix-up/repaint job on the house, and participate on the torch and leading our chapter. President
in fall rush. And then, unbelievably, a major Peter, a current junior in the chemical USC Phi Delt House Corporation
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