Rodney Follin, Greg Deaver, Jim Gillespie, Bo Brill, and John Gresh organized a reunion for alumni of the 70’s and 80’s in northern Virginia in August 2024. This included a hike at Great Falls, a tour of historic Blenheim, receptions at the Gillespie’s and Deaver’s, and the main party at the Follin’s. Attendees included:
- Jay Jones ’74
- Randy Bayliss ’75
- Geof Close ’75
- Doug Young ’75
- Rick Braida ’76
- Tony Santucci ’76
- Dave Campbell ’77
- Jack Cohen ’77
- Rodney Follin ’77
- Greg Kostrzewsky ’77
- Wade Pate ’77
- Bob Tarleton ’77
- Everett Darby ’78
- Greg Deaver ’78
- Russ Finestein ’78
- Charlie Granger ’78
- Doug Martz ’78
- Ron Starling ’78
- Mike Swanton ’78
- Norman Thomas ’78
- Bo Brill ’79
- Cameron Dye ’79
- Tom Faris ’69
- Jim Gillespie ’79
- Bill Hamilton ’79
- John Meckley ’79
- Chris Anderson ’80
- Dean Baker ’80
- John Gresh ’80
- Rich Lanes ’80
- Terry McGovern ’80
- Pete Truelove ’80
- Harry Gardner ’81
- Dale Harris ’81
- Roger Millar ’81
- Dave Bryan ’82
- Jeff St. Peters ’82
- Adam Galambos ’83
- Bill Millar ’83
- Chris Sandlund ’84
A Note from the Reunion Committee
Forty years is a long time. It’s hard to say what prompted our DC area brothers to start talking about a 70s-80s era Psi Chapter reunion. It might have been the buzz from Terry McGovern’s Psi Chapter 1975-1985 Facebook page. It might have been the buzz from too many beers after one of our hikes. In any case, when Rodney Follin ’77 offered his home for the main event, our plans quickly came into place.
But forty years is a long time. As the August 2024 reunion drew near, some of us questioned the entire premise. We would be hosting some people we hadn’t seen for a long time, and a few we had never met at all. It was almost like hosting a party for strangers. Would we have anything in common anymore? Would they trash our homes? Would they snake our dates?
Needless to say, none of our fears came to pass. From August 23-25, 2024, over forty brothers and many of their partners gathered for a big weekend that rivaled those in Charlottesville (save Easters) back in the day. Over the weekend we hiked at Great Falls, toured a historic house, and partied until the break of dawn (or at least the stroke of midnight). The years melted away with smiles, handshakes and hugs as brothers who see each other often mingled with those who hadn’t seen each other for years. Many participants voiced their pleasure and relief at being warmly welcomed after so many years. Maybe there is something to this brotherhood thing.
The active Psi Chapter brothers need us alumni more than ever before. But with so many worthy causes, you might question the importance of supporting a social club for young people privileged to attend an elite university. The reunion experience was an eye opener. Psi Chapter brings together students of diverse backgrounds and differing views and makes us brothers. Our charge as brothers is to measure each other by our character, not by any political or social litmus test. We trust and support each other despite our differences.
It’s not a coincidence that Psi Chapter alumni go on to become leaders in their professions and communities. We learned to understand and respect, not despise and distrust, those of differing backgrounds and views. As much as our nation needs good doctors and engineers, we need good neighbors and citizens even more. Phi Sig, in its own quirky way, helps mold self-absorbed young men into responsible members of the community. In these challenging times, that is a project worth our investment.