Phi Gamma Delta Honors Alumni

Posted on by

From the Phoenix Alumni Connection on January 31 are brothers from Phi Gamma Delta, honoring George Sweeney ’44 for 75 years as a Fiji.   Left to right are Rick Hanna ’81, Bill Meister ’57, Jerry Philpott ’59, Marv Bower ’45, Dean Padgett ’58, Greg Gardner ’60, Ben Rhodes ’69, and Andrew Matznick ’97, with George Sweeney in front and center.   The Alpha Deuteron Chapter of Fiji at IWU will celebrate the 150th anniversary of its 1866 chartering during Homecoming weekend, October 1.  For more information:  www.fiji150iwu.com.

FIJI pheonix

This entry was posted in Reunions by Robert Poynton. Bookmark the permalink.

About Robert Poynton

After graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1980 with a BFA in Drama, Bobby decided to leave the security of his suburban Chicago home and head to Hollywood to seek his fame and fortune as an actor. With $500, a beat up sports car and his Dad's gas credit card in hand, he began his journey to pursue his dream. Over the years the acting roles were there for the taking but the "fame and fortune" Bobby had sought proved to be elusive. Work on such shows as Days of Our Lives, Jake and the Fatman, Life Goes On, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, The Sentinel, Touched by an Angel, Viper, Promised Land and Walker: Texas Ranger as well as numerous theatrical credits all served to keep the dream alive, but were never enough. Then the opportunity came to audition for an "international recording group" seeking an attractive male vocalist with a tenor voice, falsetto, and at least 6 feet tall. Well, the tenor voice used to be there when he was in college, so he figured he would wear boots for the height and hope the room was dark for the rest. The result was the 6 year stint as a member of The Lettermen. Bobby recorded 6 albums with The Lettermen, performed in excess of 1000 concerts around the world and most importantly came to the realization that the "fame and fortune" he had so fervently sought was nowhere near as important or rewarding as the "fame" he had in his own family as a big brother or the "fortune of the heart" he receives daily from his wife Beth, son Robert V, and daughter Callie at their home in Illinois. In 2001, Bobby began touring the country again. This time with the classic group The Diamonds, rock and roll pioneers who recorded the 50’s anthems “The Stroll” and "Little Darlin". In 2002, the soundtrack for "The Adventures Of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina," an animated film, included Bobby's duet with Jennifer Love Hewitt. In 2010, Bobby was delighted to be invited to take the stage for a night with the legendary group, The Vogues. In 2011, the door to a return to The Lettermen opened and Bobby walked back though. He considers his return to The Lettermen a true honor and looks forward to many years recreating the magic on stage and in the recording studio with his partners Tony Butala (founding member) & Donovan Tea.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.