Ed Schmidt ‘61
Brother Ed Schmidt is a member of the Penn State University Class of 1961. Brother Schmidt was one of several brothers who had the unique experience of living in the old Beaver Street chapter house as the new one was being built around it. Brother Ed also lived in the new Beaver St. house in 1962 as a graduate student. Before attending Penn State, Brother Schmidt lived in Alaska, where his father was stationed as a part of the U.S Air Force, and began his undergraduate studies at the University of Alaska. Brother Schmidt then transferred to Penn State and was given the affectionate nickname of “Eskimo”, which was later shortened to “Skimo.”
After graduating from Penn State, Brother Schmidt served 5 years of active duty in the U.S Air Force and was one of the first Commanders of a Minuteman missile crew right after the Cuban Missile Crisis. As a part of his duties, he was responsible for monitoring and initiating the potential launch of 10 nuclear ICBM’s. After active duty, Brother Schmidt served for 20 years in the Air Force reserves and retired as a Major.
After active duty, Brother Ed was a National Accounts sale manager for Sweetheart Cup Corporation and then spent 28 years in sales management with the Kellogg’s organization. Brother Schmidt has resided in Dallas, Texas for the past 39 years and is a proud father to a son and a daughter, a grandfather to 4 grandchildren, and a great- grandfather to 6 great-grandchildren. Getting to know Brother Ed has been a real pleasure and he makes myself, and the rest of the active brothers proud to continue the legacy of the Alpha-Delta Chapter of Kappa Sigma on this campus.