Ask David Dick ’74, about his time as an Alpha-Delta Brother of Kappa Sigma at Penn State University, and you’re likely to find him brimming ear-to-ear as he takes a stroll down memory lane, which makes a stop at the big house, right on Beaver Avenue. Hallowed ground for the Brothers who inhabited it in those days, it was a plus for ease of use and party space and was a great location. The only downside – it didn’t look like those grand, old classic houses that some Fraternities dwelled in.
“Clearly, my fondest memories of Kappa Sigma are the guys,” recalls Dick. “We had a good reputation and great Brothers – 51 of us. One, Jim Schaude ‘73 was the Nittany Lion, and another was a cheerleader. The parties were unreal. Rumor had it that we had the third largest dance floor on campus, with only the HUB and Rec Hall being bigger. On good weekend mixers with Sororities we would kill 14 kegs – those were some good times.”
Lots of great memories stand out for David (“no dementia yet”), the best he cites as being when the pledges took a Brother’s MG Midget and put it in the lobby of the Chapter House. The House had double-doors at one entrance off of the parking lot, and the car was so tiny that it fit through those doors. There wasn’t much that 11 pledges couldn’t pick up, and they lifted that car right through those doors, Dick recalls.
“I lived in the House with roommates Albert “Rick” Merti ‘74 and Warren “Smoky” Stoner ‘75 – great guys.”
“I never did have a nickname that I recall, but could you imagine with a last name like mine? Now that’s Brotherhood if there ever was one!”
“Being a part of Kappa Sigma makes me so proud in that I was part of something bigger than myself, by a long shot,” Says David. “We were truly there for each other if need be. A great sense of belonging on a huge campus – the word Brotherhood sums it all up for me. In fact, looking back 40 years or so, it seems to mean even more to me than it did back then.”
Sadly, Dick admits he doesn’t keep up with his Kappa Sig Brothers on a regular basis. He’s been to homecoming a few times, but not for years now.
“Great story though, I met a brother who graduated 10 years after I did, Jack Merinar ‘84,” recalls Dick. “Jack and I met on the day we both went through orientation as new lawyers at Steptoe & Johnson in 1992. As it turns out, Jack lived in the same room I did at the house. He played for JoePa and then went into the Marine Corp and was a captain in the infantry. What are the odds we’d meet like that? We both practiced labor law as partners together until I retired in 2016.”
After college, Dick took a job in Labor Studies.
“The job market sucked after I got out, so I worked as a construction Laborer for four months (my dad was a bricklayer, and I had done that for a summer job in college),” recalls the Alpha-Delta. “I then got lucky and became the personnel managers, now known as HR for a conduit and cable company in Moundsville, WV.”
At 36, Mr. Dick left a company he’d been with to go to law school at WVU, receiving his JD in 1992.
“Aside from the above-mentioned US locations, MR. Dick has lived in Morgantown, West (by god) Virginia since 1989 – no prison time!
The Kappa Sig has been married to his wife, Nancy, since 1983.
“Great gal, needless to say,” he says. “Nancy is a retired Dentist. She couldn’t afford to go to a real college though – she had to go to Pitt.”
“Love cars, eat too much – but I do cycle about 2,200 miles a year. Only that one good habit. Other than that, I’m just a faithful, old dog. MY biggest successes are Being a good employee for whomever I’ve worked, and being a loyal spouse and son. Being a good lawyer to my clients and a good partner to my law partners. Being lucky enough to avoid addiction to drugs or alcohol (but not food). ON the contrary, some failures have included A failed first marriage, which taught me not to fail the second time. Regrets that I did not do a stint in the military. And I only wish I had more time spent with my folks, since they are both gone. There was plenty of good times, but looking back it is never enough.”
For future Kappa Sigs – “work hard, no excuses. Always be there for your friends and family. And as the Marines say, when faced with trouble, improve, adapt, and overcome.”
“I’d like people to remember me as a decent guy, who cared about his friends and family – it’s all that really matters.”
AEKDB – WE ARE!
David Dick Can be reached at [email protected] or (304) 594-1463