Will You Be One of the 85 for 85?
Dear Brothers –
When I woke up on Saturday, August 31, 1996, I had no idea that it would end up being one of the most significant days of my life. I had just moved to Cleveland from rural North Dakota to start my freshman year at Case Western Reserve University. For the first time since I moved into the dorms, I had a day with no football practice and no commitments.
My roommate, Kevin, was rushing a fraternity. My knowledge of fraternities started and ended with Animal House, but when a guitar-toting brother named Phil wearing the brightest orange T-shirt you have ever seen swung by my dorm room to take Kevin to a rush party at the Phi Kappa Theta house, I tagged along on the promise of free burgers. I spent all day at that party chatting with the brothers, and a few weeks later Kevin and I and 5 more students accepted a bid. Phil became my big brother, and that bright orange T-shirt became my first set of letters.
Ever since then, Phi Kappa Theta has shaped my life for the better. My fraternity brothers dragged me (barely) across the graduation finish line. They connected me to WRUW-FM, where I hosted a radio show for 20 years. They helped elect me both chapter president and Homecoming King. My last three jobs came to me through fraternity connections. Today, two fraternity brothers share my Cleveland Guardians season tickets, and of the 36 MLB parks I've visited, I went to fully half of them with at least one fraternity brother. And this is to say nothing of the countless weddings, bar nights, dinners, cookouts, concerts and Super Bowl parties I’ve attended with my brothers.
In 2022, some of our brothers convinced me to join the board of the Ohio Alpha Beta Alumni Association. Four years later, our alumni association is stronger than ever. Together, we have:
- Held 13 work weekends, with two more on the calendar for 2026.
- Published more than 40 Paragon newsletters.
- Hosted happy hours and Homecoming events.
- Provided direct coaching for the undergraduate officers.
- Invested thousands of dollars and hours of sweat equity into improving 11016 Magnolia.
- Repaired or replaced more than a dozen composites
- Documented both our family trees and the history of our house.
None of this happens without your volunteer hours and financial support. Thank you.
And yet, as we celebrate the 85th anniversary of our chartering today, I know there's still so much more we can do with your support. We have a long list of desired improvements for 11016 Magnolia. We have many missing brothers to track down, and a new generation of undergraduates needs our mentorship as they forge the newest link in the chain that connects our brothers from 1941 to today.
Ernest L. ‘Ernie’ Schmidt ‘41 was present at that chartering ceremony on May 31, 1941. He later served on an earlier edition of the alumni association, and he reportedly made numerous mortgage payments for the chapter out of his own pocket. Ernie has entered the Chapter Eternal, but his spirit lives on. The Ernie Schmidt Club is a group of brothers who have committed to making a monthly recurring donation for the benefit of the Ohio Alpha Beta Alumni Association. By joining the Ernie Schmidt Club, you will help ensure that we have the funds needed to preserve 11016 Magnolia and champion the active chapter. And by joining today, we can end our successful “85 for 85” capital campaign at new heights.
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Being a member of the Ohio Alpha Beta chapter of Phi Kappa Theta has been a pleasure, a privilege and a responsibility. With your support, we can ensure that future generations of Case undergraduates have the opportunity to begin their own lifelong Phi Kappa Theta experience.
Brothers of Phi Kappa Theta, let us be faithful.
Nathan Kossover
Secretary, Ohio Alpha Beta Alumni Association
Phi Kappa Theta
Big Brother Phil Ajjarapu ‘99 and Little Brother Nathan Kossover ‘01 during the Summer 2025 Work Weekend. That is the orange shirt from the original rush party Nathan attended that kicked this whole thing off. Phil designed the shirt.
We are sending this to all of our brothers, even if you are already in the Ernie Schmidt Club, to share another brother's message of support. If you are already a member, thank you for your continued support!
