Brother Art Stroyd '67 recently gave back to Lambda DKE by leading an effort to refresh the Alumni Association papers and by-laws. We caught up with him about this process, his Lambda DKE experience, and life in general.

Art received the John James McCook Award for ”Outstanding Service to Lambda DKE” in 2014. L to R: Bob Heasley ’60 and Art Stroyd ‘67

Q: We understand you recently did a top to bottom refresh of Alumni Association incorporation papers and by-laws. Can you talk about this process?
A: It was a more complicated process than we had imagined. Although the Alumni Association was alive and operating well, it was “making it up as it went along,” in that it was operating on an ad hoc basis. The first thing that we had to do was to figure out what the Bylaws actually said, so we pieced together the different versions that we could find. We then matched that assembled set against “Best Practices” and asked the Directors how they thought that the Association should operate. That’s how our actual operations and organization now reflect our corporate structure.

Q: How did you end up at Kenyon? Why’d you choose to become a Lambda DKE way back when?
A: I’ve always lived in Pittsburgh with the exception of a couple of years in Southern California when I served in the Navy. I applied only to men’s liberal arts colleges but was only allowed to have a car if I didn’t go to school in New England, so Kenyon ended up as my first choice. When I arrived in Gambier, Gund Hall had not been completed, and a small group of Freshmen was assigned to the top floor of Bexley Hall for a couple of months. Some of us bonded, joined DKE en masse and are still the best of friends today. 

Q: Can you give us a summary of your personal and professional journey from when you left Kenyon to now? Are there any major life updates you’d like to share with your alumni brothers?
A: When I graduated from Kenyon in 1967, the Vietnam War was raging, so most of us opted for graduate school where student deferments would continue. I chose law school because I figured that I could use a law degree in business, to teach or to be a lawyer. Unexpectedly, Congress eliminated most graduate school deferments when I was halfway through my first year in law school at the University of Pittsburgh, so rather than end up in a foxhole in Vietnam, I decided to apply for Officer Programs. When I arrived at the Recruiters’ Offices the next day, I was not alone – every other grad student in Pittsburgh had the same idea, so there was only time for me to interview with the Navy.

I was fortunate to get one of only 4 officer billets for Western Pennsylvania and took a leave of absence from law school to serve. It was a life-changing experience because the military is a meritocracy, and I learned that, if I made a 100% commitment to the task at hand, I’d be rewarded with 110% in return. I’ve applied that lesson to the rest of my legal career and my service to community.

Q: Do you have a favorite memory of your Lambda DKE undergrad days you can share with us? 
A: There was an unofficial ceremony every Spring Dance Weekend at dawn on the Railroad Trestle at the foot of the Hill when the “A-hole of the Year” was elected. The eloquent speech that Barry Bergh (Lambda ’66)  gave accepting the honor with relish, pomp and circumstance stands out.

Some of our best times in West Wing occurred during the week between finals and graduation. Underclassmen were allowed to remain on campus in those days, and the parties were memorable - no guilt for late nights without papers to write or tests to cram for – only friends and parties to enjoy.

"Here is a Black and White from the morning when we graduated in 1967. (In our defense, no one had gone to bed the night before we graduated.)"
L to R: Turner Straeffer, Art Stroyd, Barry Tatgenhorst – Graduation June, 1967

Q: What do you feel you gained by joining the brotherhood? 
A: My connection to, and fondness of, Kenyon is the direct result of being a Deke. The bond among the brothers in West Wing formed the foundation of my college experience and brought about my loyalty to the school. Without those friendships, my 4 years at Kenyon would now be a distant memory, but the bonds of DKE brotherhood continue to rekindle my loyalty to the school year after year.

Mini-reunion – L to R: Jerry Miller ’67, Turner Straeffer ’67 Barry Tatgenhorst ’67 Tony Ridgway ’66, Art Stroyd ’67, John Stewart ’67 Denis Pierce ‘66

Q: Are there any brothers you’re still in touch with regularly? What about brothers you fell out of touch with over the years that you’d like to reconnect with. 
A: Because there was no social media to keep us in touch with each other when we graduated, we lost touch other than an occasional Kenyon Reunion, but I tried to stay connected by sending Birthday and Christmas cards. About 20 years ago, we decided to have a “Mini-DKE Reunion” in Florida and have tried to hold them ever since.

Deke Alumni at the Quarry Chapel for a Memorial Service for Brothers who passed – October 2014.