Brother Harry Stephens, Emporia State, entered Chapter Eternal on Saturday, August 30, 2020. Harry Stephens was initiated into the Delta Chapter in 1961 and has served the chapter in multiple capacities for decades. Below, Delta Chapter Brother and National Alumni Advisory Council Member Josiah D’Albini, Emporia State wrote about the impact of Brother Stephens on the Delta Chapter.

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In 1961, the undergraduates who called Delta Chapter home had no idea the future impact that new member Harry Stephens would have.  Harry would go on and become the Chapter President of Delta Chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma in 1965.  From then on, Harry would continue service to the Chapter at Emporia State.  He would stay at Emporia State as an employee, culminating his time as the Vice President of Student Affairs. Harry continued to be a pillar of the community in Emporia, Kansas, and at Emporia State University.

Doc, as he’s affectionately known by the men of Delta Chapter, has maintained a level of expected excellence among the members of Delta Chapter.  His expertise and knowledge in student affairs pushed the men of Delta Chapter to not only excel as brothers, but also in life and career choices. As the Lead Advisor of Delta Chapter for many years, Doc offered his wisdom to the undergraduates. The greatest way for members to learn was not through always excelling, but through times of failure. Harry was always willing to talk to the undergraduates about their decisions, what went wrong, and how to prepare for the future.

For myself, Doc was a mentor, from my time stepping into the Delta Chapter house to now.  Early on in my undergraduate career, Doc asked me to take a role as a leader and to move into the Chapter house.  He could be found at the Chapter house throughout the week and even some weekends, making sure that the men of Delta kept the house clean and running appropriately.  One of those nights, Doc saw me personally struggling, seeing that I wasn’t happy with my current path in life at the time.  I spent hours with him discussing life and my goals.  From this conversation, I knew that I wanted to work with college-aged students much in the way that Harry worked with the men in Delta Chapter.  If it weren’t for Harry intervening when he did, I would not have pursued and continued a career in higher education.  Harry was my role model whom I look to professionally and within my own Chapter as the Brother, I wish to be.

Because of his devotion to the Fraternity and its Principles, Doc has impacted the lives of hundreds of men who call Delta Chapter home. I believe it is safe to say that without that young man who pledged Delta Chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma in 1961, the Chapter at Emporia State would not be the Chapter it is today.

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ABOUT SIGMA TAU GAMMA FRATERNITY
Founded at the University of Central Missouri on June 28, 1920, Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity celebrated 100 years of brotherhood in 2020. In the last 100 years, the organization has called 193 campuses home and has more than 73,000 initiated members. With a current presence on 80 campuses from coast to coast, our membership includes more than 2,700 undergraduate men. The Headquarters, which is home to the Fraternity, Foundation, and WPN Housing Company, is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Visit https://sigtau.org for additional information.