TEXAS PIKES Courage to be More

Thanks to the chapter for hosting and to the nearly 100 alumni, spouses, family and friends who joined our November 22 alumni tailgate. 🤘🏼

Was great to see brothers initiated from the 1960s to new alumni who just graduated last year. Alums fully enjoyed the interaction with many of today’s 150 men in the chapter, renewed old relationships, and enjoyed barbecue before heading off see to the Texas win on the gridiron in DKR 🏈

Too many to name here but please enjoy the pictures.

Congratulations to the 2025 class of the Beta Mu Legends Awards winners!

• Distinguished Leadership Award – Dow Hickam ‘65 (presented by Doug Phelan ‘65.)

• Founders Award – the late Bob Milstead ‘48, accepted by his grandson, Lamar Milstead and Lamar‘s children. (Presented by Russ Keene ‘80.)

• Under 40 Achievement Award - Chandler Abbott ‘10, accepted by his mother, Susanne Abbott. (Presented by Russ Keene ‘80.)

• Oak Service Award - Steve Dunn ‘73 (Presented by Bert Dement ‘66.)

In comments Steve Dunn noted the honor to be included with the past Oak Award honorees, Don Flournoy and Doug Phelan who “Set the standard of dedication to the chapter and house Corp that I have strived to emulate. Each has lived the lifetime of dedication to the Beta Mu Chapter. “

Lamar Milstead shared how much his grandfather fondly remembered his Pike days and brothers. Bob Milstead had a full career of 27 years in the Air Force before building a second career in commercial banking. He’d been an influential campus and community leader and a loving father , grandfather and great grandfather as well. Lamar noted his grandfather‘s face fully lit up when talking about his Texas Pike days. Lamar encouraged the Pikes to “Enjoy the lifelong friendships with each other and to never stop telling and reliving Pike stories.”

Being a member of Pike Kappa Alpha is truly a lifelong experience. We invite all Beta Mu alumni to reconnect with their peers, other alumni and to support today’s very vibrant chapter.

Stay involved, follow our alumni activities and send in alumni updates anytime to alumni@texaspike.com.

On this Veterans Day we celebrate the men and women who are serving and have served in the US military. 🇺🇸

We honor them and thank them for their commitment, dedication and service to defense, security and to preserving peace.

Beta Mu has been honored to have many veterans as brothers in its 105-year history. The late Bg. General Coulter Sublett ‘30 was a career Eli Lilly executive who as a 33-year-old junior officer in WWII had 17,000 troops of Patton’s Third Army reporting to him. Coulter and his wife later established the Coulter Family Chair at UT’s College of Pharmacy. The late Ensign Frank Lyons ‘40 was presumed dead and declared missing following a kamikaze attack on his position aboard the USS Lexington in the Phillipine Sea in 1944. Lyons had been Beta Mu president and a Texas Cowboy. The original BM House 1952-2000 was dedicated in his name.

Today we recognize 2024 grad Nick Chandler ‘20, a newly minted 2d Lt. in the US Marines, just beginning his military career. 👊🏼

We also salute Nick’s fellow Officer Candidate School mate Jeff DiNitto, a Northeastern University, Kappa Delta chapter Pike. The duo graduated The Basic School - a 29 week course at which all Marine officers learn the basics of being a provisional infantry platoon commander in October.

Jeff is going to Okinawa following combat engineer officer school and Nick will serve in Hawaii as a Low Altitude Air Defense Officer.

Congratulations and gratitude to Nick and Jeff, and thank you to all veterans this day and every day.

Finally, happy 250th birthday yesterday to the USMC. Semper Fi.

The Beta Mu Alumni Association is pleased to announce the 2025 class of recipients of the “Beta Mu Legends Awards.” 🏆

This is the fifth year of presenting awards to our distinguished alumni and we are very excited to honor this class on November 22 in Austin at the Pike House at a pregame tailgate with the chapter before the Texas-Arkansas game.

Heartiest congratulations and phi phi to these four loyal alumni. We thank them for their service and dedication to their communities and Pike. 🤘🏼

Read more about each of the recipients at Texas Pike Facebook page.

#betamulegendsawards

Big thanks to Utah, Alpha Tau Chapter Pike initiate and political consultant and Wall Street Journal columnist Karl Rove for speaking to Texas Pike on October 15. 🇺🇸

Karl helped build the Republican Party in the late 70s and early 80s as a national president of College Republicans, later worked for campaigns of Texas Governor Bill Clements and President Bush 41, and was White House deputy chief of staff for President Bush 43. Early in his career Karl built a successful direct mail and political consulting firm which is based in Austin. He’s also the author of a book on the presidency of William McKinley.

Karl shared his perspective on politics today and encouraged Pikes to become civically engaged, pay attention to issues, make their voices heard and vote. He spoke of several key moments in the Bush 43 presidency, including traveling with the president on Air Force One on 9-11.

We were honored to be joined by two UT College of Liberal Arts professors Dr. Zoltan Barany (government, defense, geopolitics) and Dr. Daron Shaw (campaigns and elections, political parties) as well, who shared their thoughts with the chapter and alumni guests.

Thanks to Doug Phelan ‘65 for arranging this special evening on behalf of the Beta Mu Alumni Association. A number of Doug’s peers were present including Jim Carssow, Bert Dement, Dow Hickam, Greg Jones, Don Flournoy, Terry Parker, John Leonard, Bob Savage and Wayne Simmons.

House Corp president Cinco Cocke was present joined by Alumni Advisory Board members Matt Phelan and Taylor Randazzo.

#texaspikeformingfriendshipsfor105years 🤘🏼