We asked Brother AJ House '80 about life and his Lambda DKE memories. Here's what he had to say.

Q: Why did you decide to join Lambda DKE? What about the fraternity attracted you and convinced you to pledge?
A: Jeff Spear (Lambda ’78) is from my hometown, our mothers were best friends growing up along with John Kushan (Kenyon Director of Admissions). I spent a lot of time with Jeff the summer before I went to Kenyon… there was no doubt in my mind what fraternity I was going to pledge.

Q: How are you still involved with the fraternity today?
A: I’m helping a fairly large and involved group of alumni to stress the importance of Greek life and DKE to the College Administration. Brother John Palffy ’80 was instrumental in assembling a large group (22?) and I’m fairly certain that President Decatur was both surprised and impressed by the depth of our commitment to Lambda; I think it got his attention.

Q: Would you encourage bright young men to join DKE Kenyon today?
A: Absolutely, DKE is a bond that extends beyond Gambier. I would tell them that my fraternity experience defined my years at Kenyon (or Tom Bulkeley’s 8 years…). All of my memories of Kenyon are centered around DKE. With very few exceptions, all of the Kenyon friends that I’m in contact with are Lambda DKEs.

Q: Do you have any particular best memories of Lambda DKE?
A: I was the target of a practical joke by some of the Actives. One night, Loring Bowen walked up with two Solo cups of beer, handed me one, and said, “on the count of three, down the hatch,” which we both did. Suddenly Loring had the most perplexed look on his face and a bright yellow substance started leaking from the corner of his mouth and as headed to the bushes. He’d mixed up the cups and inadvertently handed me his beer and chugged mine and the raw egg that was in it.

Joe Hagin ’78 got me to join the College Township Fire Department, which I did and really enjoyed. (I remain active in our rural fire department to this day – we cover 145 square miles and are the only volunteer department in the county that provides emergency medical first responder coverage in addition to fire and rescue.) One night at Kenyon, we responded to a structure fire at the college’s New Apartments. When we pulled up, one of the center apartments was heavily involved and students on the two end apartments were frantically trying to save their homework, books, and research papers. From memory, Joe searched the first apartment and I went to the end unit occupied by Matthew Smith ’78. Matthew was standing on the lawn holding his most important possessions, his chef knives, a bottle of rare brandy, and his substantial humidor. That’s it.

Q: Where did life take you after you left Kenyon? How did Lambda DKE prepare you for life after college?
A: My father passed away my senior year, so I managed our farms full-time as I do to this day. We raise corn and soybeans, and we have two Angus herds. We raise the calves until they’re weaned and ready to be finished by the big feed lots in Kansas and Nebraska. Our part of this supply chain is labor intensive but particularly rewarding. DKE was an excellent proving ground for how to get things done. Lambda was unique at Kenyon in many ways. We had as much fun as anybody, yet we were seldom in trouble with the support staff, housekeeping, aintenance, etc. We took care of them and appreciated their contribution, and they worked with us when there was a bump in the road. We always had a cookout on the Kokosing for the maintenance department and never missed a Christmas or birthday card for the housekeepers. That being said, every Brother Beta had a standing Monday morning appointment at 9:00 with Dean Edwards to clear up any misunderstandings that occurred at the West Wing over the weekend.

Q: How else is your Lambda DKE experience still impacting you today?
A: With the exception of my bride of 30 years (Lynn Prothro ’80) almost all of my friends from Kenyon are Lambda. I don’t know how many makeshift Lambda reunions we have had here in Payson over the years, but they’re always fun and it’s great to catch up with everybody. Every Christmas we have a wonderful lunch in Chicago with maybe 20-25 Dekes from a broad span of classes. Great fun.

Q: Beyond your involvement in Lambda DKE, what would you say are some of your biggest successes in life?
A: A great marriage (Lynn is a saint) and two wonderful daughters who are our pride and joy. Both have done well academically (one has an MBA and the other is a Ph.D. candidate). Both live life to its fullest and are a ton of fun to be with. This COVID quarantine has been wonderful on the farm with Nancy and Caroline and their fiancés/boyfriends for 7 weeks to date.

Q: What's life like currently, and what are your plans for the future?
A: Our oldest daughter was supposed to get married this June. At this point, it will be January 1 on the Middlesex School campus. I’m also finishing up converting an 80-passenger school bus into a motor home (thank you for the DKE flag Hewitt!) and making sure my 88-year-old mother is doing well. She moved from Chicago back to a cottage on the farm this winter.

Q: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us regarding your life (current or past), your experience in Lambda DKE or at Kenyon?
A: The Deke bond is stronger than any collegiate bond. What are the chances that an independent could muster 20-25 of their peers to go back to Gambier because of injustice to students? Zero. But Lambda did last year...

"This attached photo is Joe Hagin, Lou Clinton, and myself."

Give a round of clicks for AJ House and for Hewitt Heiserman '82, for helping make this interview happen.