This holiday season, Rankin is thankin' his lucky stars he has Iowa Beta brothers in his life
By Greg Miller
Director and Communications Chair, Iowa Beta Alumni Association
I was able to catch Phil Rankin (IABE ’93) on his cell phone as he was driving through New Mexico. Rankin was returning from California, where he had just attended the wedding of his fraternity brother and good friend, Steve Cary (IABE ’92). He attended the wedding with fellow Iowa Betas Jeff Rowen (IABE ’92) and Erik Daley (IABE ‘95). Rankin flew out there and bought a used SUV to drive back to his home in the Cleveland area. This is a traditional practice for the Rankins: go to a sunshine state and drive a used vehicle back to the rust belt.
“Steve Cary got married?” I asked. “I can’t believe it! I thought that would never happen!”
“I know what you mean,” Rankin laughed. “We used to set him up with some great girls back at Iowa but he never found the right one. It was so frustrating. Steve had very high standards set for himself in all areas of his life and we knew it would take an extraordinary gal.”
“The wedding was blast! He and Kate are a great couple. I wish them well!”
Rankin’s journey with Iowa Beta began in Earlham, Iowa, which is 30 miles west of Des Moines, where his father, Gerry, was a partner in an accounting firm and his mother, Marie, had a master’s in education but predominantly stayed home to take care of the household. He grew up there with his sister, Natalie, who is three years older.
The family lived on 60 acres of property and Rankin helped take care of a few head of cattle as well as he showed quarter horses in high school. When he got his driver’s license, the cowboy days ended, he sold the horses and started a lawn mowing business. He achieved success as an all-state football player, ran in the state track meet, was homecoming king, student council president, and in the national honor society.
“I was a big fish in a small pond, so I had a lot of fun,” he said.
Both of his parents went to Drake. Natalie went to Iowa State and was a member of Alpha Phi.
“I didn’t want to play football at a smaller Iowa school because I knew there was no future for me there but Iowa had a big-school attraction and I wanted to get lost and see if I could rise to leadership all over again,” he said.
“With my sister being a Greek, I had some exposure to that so I rushed my first semester,” he said. “One of my dad’s buddies was an SAE at Drake so I somewhat knew what to expect.”
Rankin thought the SAEs at the Lodge were a strong group of guys. He voiced his interest and pledged. Some of his pledge brothers were Eric Anderson (IABE ‘92),Roger McDougal (IABE ‘93),Brad Bohan (IABE ‘93),Matt Donnelly (IABE ‘93), and Austin Lindley (IABE ’93). His pledge father was Dr. Pedar Didricksen (IABE ‘92). Rankin’s pledge sons were Brian Rickert (IABE ‘95) and Matt Penar (IABE ‘93).
“I was sold on the guys in the house,” he said. “They seemed to be on the same page with me and I felt I fit in. There was a good mix of guys from different towns in Iowa and Chicago guys. Also, I did not know this at rush, but it was a great social connection for me because I had come from a small town. I only knew three people from high school who were at the university. It was great to have all these acquaintances who later became very close friends.”
He was initiated into the fraternity on February 10, 1990 and received SAE badge number 218441.
Rankin lived in the Mayflower dorm his freshman year so trips to and from the SAE Lodge (located at 603 S. Dubuque) were quite a hike. He moved into The Lodge his sophomore and junior years.The summer of 1992 Iowa Beta moved to the old Sigma Pi house on the river (located at 707 N. Dubuque) and his senior year was spent there.
Phil said he remembers the week leading up to activation in early 1990. The pledges slept in the hallway and were serenaded with Sugar Shack (a 1963 song by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs) all night long.
Although these types of activities were perfectly acceptable in their day, they would be considered to be hazing by today’s definition and runs counter to Fraternity Law and university regulations.
Rankin comes from a family of accountants where accounting is customarily discussed at dinner. In the spring of his sophomore year (1991), Rankin was elected Eminent Treasurer.
“Treasurer used to be a semester-long position and our books were not in the greatest shape,” he said. “And it takes you a quarter just to get your head wrapped around what is going on with the finances. So I argued to change the position to a year in duration and that’s what we did. So in addition to serving half my sophomore year, I ended serving as treasurer my entire junior year as well.”
The books were not in the best of shape when he took over but in time, he was able to get them rectified and start to save a little money. Before, we were hand to mouth.”
As Rankin was helping to get The Lodge in better monetary shape, Phil “Flip” Klinger(IABE ‘64), Ray Stefani (IADE ‘75) and Cary were making headway to get the SAE’s transitioned to the old Sigma Pi house.
“Our situation with the landlord at The Lodge was not working,” Rankin said. “He was making tons of money and we had to re-negotiate the lease. And it was clear we needed a more economical lease. All the effort that went into getting into the Sigma Pi house was a big deal for the fraternity’s success.”
Rankin ran uncontested and was elected eminent archon early in 1992 and held that position for the rest of the year.He took over the job held by Cary. He said his year as eminent archon had its fair share of challenges but nothing was insurmountable.
“I am a pretty even-keel guy,” Rankin said. “I don’t remember there being a huge amount of drama. Moving into the Sigma Pi house was a big deal for us when I was EA. That fall rush was huge. We focused on that and hit it out of the park.
“I remember we participated in homecoming that fall and Daley was homecoming chairman. He did a great job setting us up. I felt there was a momentum when I joined the fraternity and it seemed like we just kept building on it. We got ourselves better positioned with our housing and our finances. And the EA’s after me like Don Souhrada(IABE ‘93) and Daley kept improving the chapter year after year.
“In the spring of 1993, I was no longer an officer and I focused on finishing school and looking for my first job,” he said. “The economy was not that great and my dad counseled me that public accounting was a job that came with ulcers. So I got a job with Amsted Industries, which is an employee-owned company.”
Amsted did a lot of heavy manufacturing of castings and parts for railroads.
“The interview was on the top two floors of a building on Michigan Avenue in Chicago,” he said. “It was kind of a cool experience. I mean, even though I grew up in a small town, I travelled around a lot with my parents growing up. But still, it really felt like I had arrived. So working there and living in Lincoln Park it was a lot of fun.
Rankin served as an internal auditor, which required extensive travel. In the summer, he would circulate around the plants in Chicago, Wisconsin or St. Louis. Once a year, he would go overseas to Belgium to conduct an audit.
When Rankin served as eminent treasurer, he met Kristen, who was serving as treasurer for the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Rankin and McDougal had internships with the Iowa Athletic Department’s Hawk Shop. The two were involved in running concessions around Kinnick Stadium on football Saturdays.
“We had 10 different trailers that went around and we had to count the inventory, get out to the stadium, sell it, and bring back the money to the university,” Rankin said. “It was pretty fun. Kristen, who was a year behind me in school, was one of our ‘employees;’ she worked with us. And that was it. I fell in love and lavaliered her and pinned her in school.”
The Rankins just celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. Kristen is from Schaumburg, IL so the wedding took place in the northern suburbs and a lot of the brothers came to the wedding.
When Rankin left school, he would frequently return to Iowa City and a lot of the brothers were working at Mickey’s, a local bar.
“I’d come back riding on my first year’s salary, which we all thought was a lot of money then,” he said. “I was used to buying beers in Chicago and when I came back to Iowa City, the beers were a lot cheaper. And then all of your fraternity brothers are the bar tenders so we could drink and have fun all night long for twenty bucks! It was great!”
Rankin rewarded Kristen for waiting and he was ready to cement the relationship.
“My first spring, I was in Europe and Kristen was a senior. She had just returned from a spring break cruise and I talked her into flying to meeting me in Paris. I drove down there from Brussels. I had bought a ring ahead of time so I proposed to her at the Sacré-Coeur Basilica. It’s a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus. It’s the highest of the five hills in Paris. I got down on one knee and I spoke in French. I don’t know French so I got some help from the lady at the front desk. My co-workers met up with us and we had a great time! I made it happen and it was a fantastic opportunity.”
Following Kristen's graduation with a degree in psychology, the couple lived on Lincoln Avenue in a high rise. Several months later, they moved to New Jersey. She began her speech language pathology graduate studies at Temple University while took a job working as a cost accountant in a plant.
In the next four years Kristen finished her degree and Phil started his MBA studies at Rutgers. Around 2000, Amsted transferred him back to Chicago area in Wheaton. He was half way completed with his MBA and wanted to finish. He was accepted at the University of Chicago. However, U of Chicago would not take the credits, so he had to start all over again. So as he worked as an assistant corporate controller by day, he studied by night.
In 2002, he graduated and left Amsted to go work for Federal Signal as their group CFO. In 2004, the couple gave birth to fraternal twins, Elizabeth and Julianne. Rankin then moved the family to take a job in Medicine Hat, Alberta, which is 2.5 hours by car east of Calgary.
“I went skiing about 10 or 12 times that winter and for a guy from Iowa, I totally re-learned how to ski. And we just loved the people in Canada and had a great time.”
Rankin worked to turn the company around and sold it. In June of 2006, he took a job with a multibillion dollar aerospace company, Precision Cast Parts, which is headquartered in Portland. He served as a division CFO in Cleveland and they bought a house in Chagrin Falls. There, the couple’s son, John, was born in 2008. Rankin worked for PCP until the end of 2010.
“I started to look for a CFO job or even a small company to buy in early 2011,” he said. “And then something happened that changed my life. I had been watching a genital heart defect that my dad also has to deal with. It’s where one valve is bicuspid. On top of that my ascending aorta was expanding. I think only 15 percent of the male population has this valve problem and a third of those have this aorta condition. If the aorta bursts, it’s like an aneurism and you’re dead in like 30 seconds.”
“My dad has the valve condition but not the aorta problem,” he said. “So I went in for open heart surgery in the beginning of 2011. Obviously this was a big life-or-death experience for me. And the thoughts started coming. You look at your young kids and you wonder how life is going to be for them if you don’t pull through. It was a real wake-up experience for me.
“I thought, ‘I’m working for these companies and make things happen for other people.’ I have always been an entrepreneurial kind of guy. Life is short. I need to stop working for other people because time is going by and I need to do the things I want to do NOW.”
Rankin said he is blessed that he underwent his open heart episode in Cleveland, which houses some of the best cardio care in the world.
“I was standing up within 24 hours and out of the hospital in five days,” he said. “I work out pretty regularly so I was healing fast. I was jogging within five weeks. I have been back for tests and the doctors have told me, ‘whatever you are doing, just keep doing it because it all looks great!”
“It was a horrific experience to go through and I tell all my friends to eat right and exercise. If your doctor tells you to do something, you better do it. The last thing in the world you DO NOT want to do is be on that operating table for open heart surgery. I am telling you, you want to avoid that at all costs! I recovered from it quickly but it was not fun. The second I woke up, I thanked God I was alive and the worst is behind me. It’s all going to be great from here on out.”
Rankin then amped up his search for small companies and in August of 2011 he bought a small metal stamping company that had an idea for their own product line. He bought his second company in March of 2012, which complemented the first acquisition. And in June of 2012 he bought a third company. In early 2013 he consolidated all of them and runs them as CEO of Triad Capital Group.
“Right now we are coming out with our own product line, evenmix.com, and marketing it and getting some sales,” he said. “I am the CEO, the CFO and the head of marketing. I have 15 employees but I still wear a lot of hats. We’re a small company but we’re growing quickly. It’s the same as working as CFO of a billion dollar company. There are the same issues but fewer zeros. It’s my money so I pay a lot more attention.”
Phil and Kristen are enjoying life with Elizabeth and Julianne, 11, and John, 7.
“John plays flag football, soccer and basketball,” Rankin said. “And we have a Lake House in Bemus Point, NY. “My kids spend pretty much the entire summer there, while I stay in Cleveland and work. I go out and see them on the weekends. In the winter we go up there and then go skiing in Ellicottville, NY. The kids are all very sporty. Of the twins, Elizabeth is the athlete. We go on runs and she beat every girl -- and boy -- in her age class. Julianne plays volleyball and is into the school plays. It’s awesome to watch! John is mainly into soccer and football. They all have big hearts.”
Rankin reflected on the events of 2012 and said that the temperament of the campus and the city is not the same as the 1980s turned into the 1990s. The rules of the game have changed.
“We could have had the same kind of situation happen to us very easily,” he said. “But our opposition was a garter snake in the room compared to the cobra they had to deal with. The reaction on campus in 2012 and today is very visceral and it will be something the new kids and we alumni are going to have to factor into living there. It’s almost like a fraternity is a taboo group in mainstream society today.”
Rankin said his experience of going through the fraternal experience with a collection of guys from different backgrounds set the stage for success for his career and his life.
“It was a very rich experience for me,” Rankin said. “My parents gave me a good background but I was still a little rough around the edges. SAE gave me the opportunity at a very early age to lead a group of friends. I cherish my experiences with guys that mentored me such as Cary, Shawn Mingus (IABE ’91), Bill Baedke (IABE ’92), Marcus Miller (IABE ’91), Todd Christensen (IABE ’91), and Derek Lindberg (IABE ’91). They all taught me quite a bit. They were each good leaders and examples to follow. I hope that I was able to pass some of what they taught me to the guys that followed me.
“That was life-changing for me. I think I was on a leadership trajectory but it gave me the confidence I needed. I was a big fish in a small pond–town in Iowa coming in and when I got to lead a fraternity at a Big Ten university it let me know I can do anything – anything is possible. You just have to go for it. I hope that my daughters and son can have a similar experience when they go to college.”
Alumni Advisory Board members are named; tasked to restart and guide Iowa Beta Chapter
After tireless phone calls, face-to-face meetings and months of coordination, Iowa Beta Alumni Association president Marc Rosenow (IABE '86) has Iowa Beta turning an historic corner.
"We are pleased to announce the formation of the Iowa Beta Alumni Advisory Board committee," he said.
The Iowa Beta Alumni Advisory Board (the "Alumni Advisory Board") is a standing committee of the Iowa Beta Alumni Association. The mission of this committee is to restart the Iowa Beta chapter and guide its members in accordance with SAE policies and procedures.
As previously announced in the September 2015 newsletter, the Alumni Advisory Board will be a core group of key individuals, lead by a chairman, and will be augmented by others as needed. Volunteers were solicited at that time.
Once a critical mass of undergraduate members has been achieved, a second wave of alumni volunteers will be added as needed.
"And, I am especially delighted to announce that Tom Halterman (IABE '89) will serve as the Alumni Advisory Board chairman," Rosenow added. "Tom is an outstanding leader who thinks outside the box to surpass expectations in anything he undertakes. He is a great friend and the consummate True Gentleman. Additionally, his strong relations with the University of Iowa is a great benefit to the future of Iowa Beta."
Halterman, anative of West Des Moines, will serve as the chairman of the Alumni Advisory Board. Halterman is a Director of the Iowa Beta Alumni Association and also serves as the Des Moines area alumni chairman.
Halterman has been very active organizing events, recruiting members and supporting alumni association programs and initiatives.
In addition, Halterman is the vice president of the Polk County I-Club for the University of Iowa and is a frequent lecturer and financial supporter of the University. As an undergrad, Halterman served the Iowa Beta chapter in many roles including two successful terms as Eminent Archon. He has the distinction of serving as EA for the second-longest tenure of any president since the Chapter's re-founding in 1982.
As Alumni Advisory Board committee chairman, Halterman will provide leadership to the board and be the primary point of contact with respect to university relations and chapter management.
Halterman is the founder and CEO of Des Moines-based Outcomes MTM, the nation's leader in the design, delivery and administration of Medication Therapy Management programs. Outcomes MTM is now a Cardinal Health company.
Joe Evans (IABE '86), who lives in West Des Moines, was a re-founding member of the Iowa Beta chapter in 1982. He transferred from Drake University, bringing many of the finest traditions of the fraternity to the newly minted chapter. Evans served as Eminent Herald, Pledge Trainer, and song leader as well as helped to restart the Little Sisters of Minerva program at Iowa Beta.
Serving as a district sales manager at Colonial Life, Evans is a dynamic leader and charismatic speaker. He focuses on educating working Americans so they can make the right choices when it comes to their employee benefits.
Evans will guide the new Iowa Beta chapter in many areas, including educating new members in accordance with the "True Gentleman Experience" program, recruitment of new members, and Ritual ceremonies.
Jeff Formeller (IABE ’14), who lives in the Chicago area, is a financial analyst at Hilco Valuation Services, a leading provider of asset valuation services to asset-based and commercial lenders, investment banks, private equity sponsors, and corporations.
As an undergraduate, Formeller served as president of the University of Iowa Men’s Lacrosse Team, Eminent Deputy Archon of the Iowa Beta chapter, an OnIowa! student leader, a peer career advisor at the Pomeratz Career Center, a member of the Career Leadership Academy, and participated in various philanthropic charities including the UI Dance Marathon and volunteering for United Action for Youth.
He maintained a 3.7 GPA while graduating with degrees in finance and economics and received a certificate in leadership studies. Formeller is a also graduate of the Krause Fund, named for the late William A. "Bill" Krause (IABE '57).
Formeller will provide the new Iowa Beta chapter with guidance on recruitment, philanthropy & community involvement and chapter operations.
Bob Hall (IABE ’67), who lives in Iowa City, has been active with the Iowa Beta chapter for many years. While an undergrad, he attended Leadership School at the Levere Memorial Temple in 1964 and served as Pledge Trainer and Eminent Herald, prompting the nickname “Harold.”
Hall has served on the board of the Iowa Beta Riverside Corporation (the “House Corporation”) since 2005, serving as de facto property manager for the Chapter House and as a Chapter Advisor. For most of his career, Hall was in the insurance business but is currently an independent financial counselor helping individuals and small companies with retirement planning and recommendations on investments and financial instruments.
Bob will continue to serve as a House Corporation liaison and assist the Alumni Advisory Board in other areas as needed.
Don Keeley (IABE ’88), who hails from the Peoria, IL area, has served as a Director of the Iowa Beta Riverside Corporation (the “House Corporation”) since 2012. Keeley has been actively involved in Iowa Beta for many years and has been a strong supporter of the Iowa Beta Alumni Association, spearheading tailgate events and other alumni gatherings.
As an undergrad, he served the Iowa Beta chapter as the Intramural Sports chairman as well as serving on the social, homecoming, and philanthropy committees.
He is the Pharmacy Manager for Schnucks Markets and is very involved in his community, including serving seven years as coach for the Washington, IL traveling baseball and basketball teams.
Keeley will advise the new Iowa Beta chapter in recruitment of new members, chapter management, and philanthropy & community involvement programs.
Bobby Thompson (IABE '07) lives in Iowa City and will serve as vice chairman of the Alumni Advisory Board. A serial entrepreneur and local civic leader, Thompson and his wife Kayla own Thompson & Co., an innovative concept salon catering to upscale clientele in downtown Iowa City. After just a few months in existence, Thompson & Co. is extremely successful.
Thompson, an avid sports enthusiast and former athlete, credits the fraternity with giving him the skills and determination to build and lead businesses.He wants to be able to give something back to Iowa Beta and looks forward to serving on the Alumni Advisory Board and restarting the Iowa Beta chapter.
Thompson will be involvement with recruitment of new members, education of members utilizing the True Gentleman Experience, and serve as a liaison to the House Corporation.
Bill Vipond (IABE '86), an attorney from Ankeny, Iowa, serves as the Governance Officer for the Iowa Beta Alumni Association and for the Iowa Beta Riverside, Corp. (the "House Corporation").
In this role, Vipond advises and makes recommendations to the Boards of Directors of the alumni association and house corporation on all matters related to nonprofit governance; including ensuring compliance with relevant local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Additionally, he helps ensure smooth transitions of Board of Director members as terms of office may expire or vacancies occur.
Along with his brother, Bob Vipond (IABE ’87), the Vipond boys were among the early blood brothers to become Iowa Beta SAEs when the chapter was refounded in the 1980s; the others being the Souhrada (Charlie, Joe, Don and Ted), Rosenow (Marc, Matthew, and John), Betz (Marty and Chris), Karras (Chris and Tom), Lueck (Joel and Bill) and Nystrom (Dwight and Mark) brothers.
Vipond was initiated into the Iowa Beta Chapter of SAE in December 1983 and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society. He received his J.D. in 1989 from the University of Iowa and was awarded membership into the Order of the Coif for academic excellence. Vipond has served in private practice and as in-house counsel for several companies. Currently, Vipond serves as Assistant General Counsel at Nationwide Insurance in Des Moines.
Vipond will guide the new Iowa Beta chapter in Health & Safety, the True Gentleman Experience and scholarship initiatives.
As presidents of the Iowa Beta Alumni Association and House Corporation respectively, Rosenow and Randy Iskowitz (IABE '88) will serve as ex officio members of the Alumni Advisory Board committee. Additionally, Rosenow will guide the Ritual efforts.
The next step is for the Alumni Advisory Board members to participate in SAE's extensive training and certification program, after the first of the year.
In the coming months, a small group of undergraduate students will be identified to form an "interest group", which is the nucleus of the new chapter. Iowa Beta officially returns to campus in fall 2016 and will have the full support and resources of the SAE Fraternity Center Staff to ensure a success. After achieving several goals and milestones, the charter will be returned during a re-installation ceremony (typically 12 - 18 months after colonizing).
The chapter house, located at 302 Ridgeland Avenue (formerly known as 303 N. Riverside) will be reoccupied by Iowa Beta in August 2017.
If you have any additional questions or would like to assist, please contact the Iowa Beta Alumni Association at info@iowabetasae.org
QUIZ ANSWER: Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll (University of the Pacific) is the current NFL Super Bowl winning coach who is a brother of SAE. The other Super Bowl winning coach who is an SAE is Barry Switzer (University of Oklahoma), but he is retired.
Interestingly, Carroll and Switzer are two of only three people to have coached a college team to a national championship and also won a Super Bowl, the other is Jimmy Johnson.
Although Johnson is not an SAE, he coached SAE brother Troy Aikman (UCLA) during his tenure at the Dallas Cowboys. Aikman started college at Oklahoma where he was coached by Switzer, before transferring to UCLA.
Born in San Francisco, California, Carroll attended the University of the Pacific, where he became a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
After completing his undergraduate studies, Carroll became a graduate assistant at Pacific. He served for three years before working as an assistant at a series of colleges, including Arkansas, Iowa State, Ohio State, and North Carolina State. In 1983, he returned to Pacific as an as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator.
In 1984, Carroll first entered the NFL as the defensive backs coach of the Buffalo Bills. In 1985, he moved onto the Minnesota Vikings where he held a similar position, working for former Iowa coach and then-Vikings coach Jerry Burns.
In 1990, he was hired by the New York Jets, where he served as defensive coordinator for four seasons. In 1994, Carroll was elevated to head coach of the Jets, but was fired after one season. He was then hired by the San Francicso 49ers as a defensive coordinator.
In 1997, he was hired as the head coach of the New England Patriots, replacing legendary coach Bill Parcells. Carroll’s 1997 Patriots team won the AFC East division title, but his subsequent two teams did not do as well and he was fired after the 1999 season.
On December 15, 2000, Carroll returned to college coaching being named the head coach of the USC Trojans, signing a five-year contract.
Carroll is viewed to be one of the most effective recruiters in college football history, having brought in multiple top-ranked recruiting classes. Under Carroll, USC achieved a then school-record of 34 straight game victories from 2003 to 2005. However, fourteen of those games were subsequently vacated for allegedly breaking NCAA rules.
On January 11, 2010, Carroll announced he would be leaving USC to coach the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL.
In his first season, Carroll completely re-engineered the Seahawks but produced a losing season. His second season produced better results, but not good enough to get into the playoffs.
In his third season, the Seahawks had an 11-5 record, including going undefeated at home. The Seahawks achieved a wildcard playoff berth and defeated the Washington Redskins, 24-14, enabling them to advance to the divisional round against the Atlanta Falcons. However, the Seahawks lost that game by a score of 30-28.
On February 2, 2014, Carroll led the Seattle Seahawks to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history after defeating the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII.
In 2015, Pete Carroll took the Seahawks to their second Super Bowl, losing to New England Patriots 28-24 in Super Bowl XLIX.
Did You Know?
It's Thanksgiving time, so let's talk turkey...
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated in the U.S., the origins of which are giving thanks to the Almighty for a bountiful harvest. Canada also celebrates Thanksgiving Day, but their holiday is celebrated in October.
In the U.S., the first celebration of a thanksgiving feast, in gratitude to God for a bountiful harvest, is attributed to the Pilgrims in New England, which was held at Plymouth, MA in 1621.
History. While various forms of thanksgiving festivals were celebrated throughout the 13 Colonies, the formal Thanksgiving Day was mostly a New England tradition in the early days of American history.
President George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide day of thanksgiving marking November 26, 1789 "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God".
However, this was a one-time-only proclamation and there was no official date set aside for an ongoing formal Thanksgiving holiday. This allowed for continued regional celebrations.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed that the last Thursday in November would be set aside as the official national holiday of Thanksgiving. This was done in the hopes of fostering a sense of unity for the North and South states.
Lincoln was influenced by author Sarah Josepha Hale, who had been writing politicians for nearly 40 years trying to get Thanksgiving established as a national holiday. Hale is best known as the author of the children's nursery rhyme "Mary had a little Lamb."
On December 26, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt signed a joint resolution of Congress moving Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November, hoping to give the country an economic boost through a slightly earlier holiday.
National emblem. Benjamin Franklin felt that the wild turkey should be the national emblem of the United States, rather than the bald eagle.
On June 20, 1782, the Congress adopted the first version of the Great Seal of the United States. It featured the figure of a bald eagle.
Franklin felt the head on the bald eagle figure of the new Great Seal looked more like the head of a turkey rather than the head of an eagle.
In a January 26, 1784 letter to his daughter, Franklin lamented:
"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.
"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country.
"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."
Cities. Turkeys are so prominent in the US that there are six cities in the U.S. named Turkey. They are: Turkey, TX; Turkey, NC; Turkey Creek, LA; Turkey Creek, AZ; and Upper Turkeyfoot and Lower Turkeyfoot, PA.
The Iowa Beta Alumni Association wishes you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!
It's a hoot hanging with your bros before kickoff
An Iowa Hawkeye football game is exciting. What can make it even more fun is catching up with fraternity brothers you know and meeting some you don't.
Before the Minnesota game Iowa Beta brothers Don Keeley, (IABE '88), John Hadley (IABE '68), Bill Schellenberger (IABE '68) and Bob Hall (IABE '67) spent some time together and came to the same conclusion: It's great to be a Hawkeye and an SAE!
The Hawkeyes went on to defeat the rival Minnesota Golden Gophers 40-35 in a night game and move to 10-0 for the first time in school history.
On top of that, the Hawkeyes brought Floyd of Rosedale home to Iowa City.
Mmm, bacon.
11-0 Hawks roll toward Big Ten title contest
Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard has guided the No. 3 Hawkeyes to an unprecedented 11-0 season with one regular season game to play.
The Big 10 West champion Hawks took care of Purdue 40-20 and will face the Nebraska Cornhuskers this Friday at in Lincoln. Even thought the Huskers have a 5-6 record, they could be 8-3 had the ball bounced their way in critical situations.
Oddsmakers are not talking the Huskers lightly as they can gain a bowl berth with a win over the Hawks. Iowa is only favored to win by 2.5 points.
Iowa, after being swept of all four trophy games in 2014, is looking to round up all four pieces of hardware this season. After taking the Cy-Hawk, the Heartland Trophy and Floyd of Rosedale, last on the list is the Heroes Trophy.
The battle for the Heroes Trophy began in 2011 and the Huskers have 3-1 series lead, including last year's 37-34 win in overtime.
The Hawkeyes, already guaranteed to represent the West in the Big 10 Championship game in Indianapolis, must focus on this game to keep its chances to get into the national championship playoffs. If the Hawks win their next two games, they will be guaranteed spot in the 4-team tournament.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ABC. Enjoy your Thanksgiving and Go Hawks!
Don't forget to update your contact info
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