Centennial Honor Roll

 

In 2014, the University recognized the contributions of alumni from each fraternity and sorority during the Centennial Celebration of Greek Life at the University of Maryland

Chapter:   Sigma Chi Fraternity, Gamma Chi Chapter

Number of years active at UMD:  Sigma Chi started at UMD as Sigma Phi Sigma in 1916. The chapter later disaffiliated and reverted to a colony. The colony became a Sigma Chi Chapter on May 16, 1942.

The Chapter lost their Sigma Chi charter in 2002 after being on campus for nearly sixty years. The Chapter successfully recolonized beginning in the spring of 2008 and was granted a charter by Sigma Chi on Sept 27, 2009.

Sigma Chi UMD Chapter today has more than 90 Actives and its Chapter House is located at #14 Fraternity Row. The Chapter has been recognized by Sigma Chi for overall excellence in Chapter operations and won the University’s Presidents Cup in 2014.

 

Name:  Waldo Burnside

Year:  1949

Bio:  Brother Burnside had a distinguished thirty year career in retail. He is the retired former President and Chief Operating Officer of Carter Hawley Hale Stores, which was comprised at that time of department stores such as Nieman Marcus and Broadway’s.  He previously was the President of the prominent D.C. area department store, Woodward & Lothrop.

Brother Burnside has been a devoted UMD and Sigma Chi alumnus. He is the former President of The Terrapin Club; a Trustee of The UMCP Foundation; and a Director on the Board of the Maryland Education Foundation. Brother Burnside and his lovely wife Jean, a UMD alum, created the Regents and Banneker/Key Scholarships for UMD students. Brother Burnside is a member of the UMD Alumni Association’s Hall of Fame.

Brother Burnside was recognized as a “Significant Sig” by the Sigma Chi Fraternity. This award recognizes notable Sigma Chi alumni. Since this prestigious award was created in 1935, only 1500 Sigma Chi alumni, including ten from the UMD Chapter, have received this recognition.

Contributions to the Chapter:  Brother Burnside was the President of the Chapter’s House Corporation from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s. The Board of the UMD House Corporation, comprised of alumni volunteers, oversees and manages the Chapter House. Brother Burnside also was the Undergraduate Chapter Treasurer in 1949.

 

Name:  Tom Burton

Year:  1984

Bio:  Brother Burton is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Investment Officer at Alex Brown Realty in Baltimore, a nationwide private real estate investment manager. He is responsible for the firm’s day-to-day operating, as well as acquisition activities. He has been at the firm since 1992.

Before joining Alex Brown Realty, Brother Burton was with USF&G, as well as Ernst & Whinney. Brother Burton received his MBA from the Wharton School at Penn. He is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant.

In addition to his Sigma Chi volunteer activities, Brother Burton serves on the Board of the local nonprofit, Adoptions Together, and previously served as the Board Chairman. He also is an Adjunct Professor at UMD’s, Colvin Institute of Real Estate Development, where he teaches a course in real estate structure finance.

Tom and his lovely wife Christine have three children, including Peter a UMD sophomore, and reside in Millersville, MD.

Contributions to the Chapter:  Brother Burton was selected by Sigma Chi Order to join “The Order of Constantine” in 2013 for his nearly thirty years of dedicated service to the Fraternity, both at the local and national levels. The Order of Constantine is the highest award that Sigma Chi can bestow upon an alumnus. Since this prestigious award was created 65 years ago, only 670 Sigma Chi alumni, including five from the UMD Chapter, have received this award.

Brother Burton was the Chapter’s House Corporation President 1995-96; the House Corporation Treasurer 1992-94, 1996-97 and 2009-13; as well as the Undergraduate Chapter President in 1984.

 

Name:  Fred DeMarr (deceased)

Year:  1949

Bio:  Brother DeMarr was the UMD Assistant Dean of Men (1957-60) and Coordinator of Public Functions in the Stamp Student Union (1971-95). He had similar leadership roles at other universities including Hofstra University.

He was the Founder and first President of the Prince George’s County Historical Society. Brother DeMarr donated to the historical society, a vast collection of documents, related to campus activities during his employment with UMD.

Contributions to the Chapter:  Brother DeMarr also was selected by Sigma Chi to join “The Order of Constantine.” This award was based on his many years of service to the UMD Sigma Chi Chapter as Chapter Advisor beginning in the 1950s, plus his service to the national Fraternity, as a Grand Trustee and as a Grand Praetor in the 1970s. Brother DeMarr was the Undergraduate Chapter President in 1949.

 

Name:  Barry DesRoches

Year:  1980

Bio:  Brother DesRoches is the President of Vintage Settlement Services, a local, full service title company. He has had leadership positions previously with Ryland Homes, Cardinal Industries, Baxter Healthcare and Digirad Imaging Solutions. Brother DesRoches received his MBA from Loyola University (MD).

Brother DesRoches also has been a devoted, long-time UMD and Sigma Chi alumnus. He is the former President of the UMD’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, Alumni Association. In addition, he was a member of the Smith School, Board of Visitors, as well as the Smith School, Dean’s Council of Advisors. When the Smith School celebrated its 75^th anniversary, Brother DesRoches was one of 75 Smith graduates honored for their dedication and contributions to the Smith School of Business.

Brother DesRoches also has served on the Boards of The Terrapin Club; Friends of Maryland Basketball; and the Maryland Gridiron Network.

In addition to his extensive UMD and Sigma Chi related volunteer work, Brother DesRoches is the current President of the Rotary Club in Crofton, MD. He also has been active with the Junior Achievement organization in Washington, D.C. and Anne Arundel County.

Barry and his lovely wife Lisa, a UMD alum, have three children and live in Crofton, MD.

Contributions to the Chapter:  As the Chapter’s House Corporation President from 2008-10, Brother DesRoches led the successful effort both to secure the Chapter’s new home at #14 Fraternity Row and the fundraising required to furnish the new Chapter House common areas.

Brother DesRoches has served on the Chapter’s House Corporation Board since 2008. He also served on the House Corporation Board in the 1990s. Moreover, he currently serves as the President of the Gamma Chi Education Foundation—an entity created  by the UMD Sigma Chi alumni in 2013 to award grants exclusively to deserving UMD Sigma Chi Undergraduates.

Brother DesRoches was selected as winner of the “Spirit of Jack Heise” (UMD Sigma Chi, Alumnus of the Year) in 2013.

 

Name:  Geary “Swede” Eppley (deceased)

Year:  1920

Bio:  Brother Eppley devoted his entire professional career to the University in a variety of teaching, coaching and executive positions. The new campus recreation center that opened in 2006 was named as the Geary F. Eppley Recreation Center, in recognition of Brother Eppley’s more than 50 years of exemplary service to the University.

Brother Eppley served as the UMD Athletic Director from 1937 to 1947. The University won multiple national championships during his tenure as Athletic Director. He also served as the UMD track coach during the 1930s, winning two national championships. He was Chairman of the UMD Athletic Council from 1937 to 1963. He led the University’s entry into the ACC from the Southern Conference and helped found the ACC. Brother Epply served as President of both the Southern Conference (1949) and ACC (in the 1950s).

Brother Epply also was a UMD Professor of Agronomy in the late 1920s; the Dean of Men in the late 1930s; and the Director of Student Welfare from 1946 to 1958. While an Undergrad, Brother Eppley won letters in football and track. He received a Master’s Degree in Agronomy from the University in 1926.

Brother Eppley served in the U.S. Army as an officer in both World War I and II. Plus, he served in various leadership roles with charitable organizations in Prince George’s County.

Contributions to the Chapter:  Brother Eppley served for many years as President of the Chapter’s House Corporation beginning in the 1950s. He also was as an Alumni Advisor to the Chapter for both recruitment and scholarship. Brother Eppley was considered a “guiding light” by the Chapter in the immediate post World War II period, when fraternities like Sigma Chi were rebuilding their Chapters after the war.

 

Name:  Jack Heise (deceased)

Year:  1947

Bio:  Brother Heise also was a devoted UMD and Sigma Chi alumnus. He had a lifelong devotion to the University and its athletic teams that earned him the title of “Mr. Maryland.” Brother Heise attended almost every football and basketball game, home and away, for more than sixty years, until he passed away in 2009.

He served as President of both the Terrapin Club and the M Club. Brother Heise donated more than one million dollars to the University. He was inducted into the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007 for meritorious service; the first and only such person to be honored in this unique way.

Brother Heise played varsity lacrosse as an undergraduate and served as a B-24 pilot in Europe during World War II. He was an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice and a principal partner in the law firm of Heise, Jorgenson & Stefanelli.

He married a former UMD cheerleader, Jacqueline Morley, and raised a family in Bethesda.

Brother Heise also was recognized as a “Significant Sig” by the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Moreover, the UMD Sigma Chi Chapter created in 2010 the annual “Spirit of Jack Heise” Award to recognize the UMD Sigma Chi Alumnus of the Year, in honor of Brother Heise’s selfless devotion both to Sigma Chi and UMD for more than sixty years.

Contributions to the Chapter:  Brother Heise was President of the Chapter’s House Corporation several times in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He also played a key role in supporting our recolonization efforts with the University in 2008-09.

Brother Heise returned to UMD to complete his undergraduate degree after World War II ended. He played a key role in rebuilding the UMD Sigma Chi Chapter that was relatively dormant during the war, like most fraternities nationwide.

 

Name:  Steny Hoyer

Year:  1963

Bio:  Brother Hoyer is the House Majority Leader for the U.S. Congress. He currently is the second-ranking member in the House Democratic leadership.

Brother Hoyer previously served as the House Majority Leader from 2007-11; the highest-ranking Member of Congress from the state of Maryland in history. He also was the House Democratic Whip from 2003-07.

Now in his seventeenth term in Congress, Brother Hoyer also is the longest-serving Member of the House from the state of Maryland in history. Both College Park and the University are represented by Congressman Hoyer in the Fifth Congressional District.

Brother Hoyer graduated from the University in 1963 and was selected “Outstanding Male Graduate” that year. After law school, he won a seat in the Maryland Senate at the age of 27. Moreover, Brother Hoyer was elected President of the Maryland Senate in 1975, the youngest ever in state history, and served in the Maryland Senate until 1978. He was a member of the State Board of Higher Education from 1978-81. Brother Hoyer was elected to Congress in a special election in 1981.

Brother Hoyer is a former member of both the University System of Maryland Board of Regents, as well as the U.S. Naval Academy Board of Visitors.

Brother Hoyer also has been recognized as a “Significant Sig” by the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Contributions to the Chapter:  Brother Hoyer has been a consistent supporter and valued resource to the UMD Sigma Chi Chapter for over 30 years. He always is available to assist the Chapter, especially during the successful recolonization process in 2008-09.

 

Name:  George Weber (deceased)

Year:  1933

Bio:  Brother Weber was the legendary UMD Director of Physical Plant from 1946 to 1972. In this position, Brother Weber oversaw the construction of both Byrd Stadium and Cole Field House; the beautiful University golf course; both campus libraries; and thirty additional campus buildings. He also was the President of the National Association of Physical Plant Administrators for four years.

Contributions to the Chapter:  Brother Weber also was selected by Sigma Chi to join “The Order of Constantine” based on his decades of dedicated service to the UMD Sigma Chi Chapter.

He was instrumental in the construction of both the Sigma Chi Chapter House on Norwich Road, in the late 1930s, as well as the significant addition added to the Chapter House, in the early 1960s.

Brother Weber also was an Alumni Advisor to the Chapter for many years, especially for recruitment.

 

Name:  Jeff Weiler

Year:  1970

Bio:  Brother Weiler is an executive with HDR Engineering, a Fortune 500 engineering firm. He serves as the Company’s quality assurance manager. His career has focused on environmental conservation, impact remediation studies, as well as compliance documentation.

Brother Weiler is an active volunteer in his community. He is President of his homeowner’s association. In addition, he coaches youth soccer and wrestling.

Brother Weiler and his lovely wife Margaret and their two children live in Rockville, MD.

Contributions to the Chapter:  Brother Weiler was the one constant at UMD Sigma Chi for three decades. He has been recognized twice as the Chapter’s alumnus of the year.

Brother Weiler was an active member of the Chapter’s House Corporation Board for three decades:  the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. He was President of the House Corporation for ten years. He led a major renovation to the Chapter House in the mid-1990s.

Brother Weiler also was an advisor to the Chapter for recruitment from 1970 to 1988. In addition, he was an advisor to the Chapter for athletics from 1970 to 1990, when the Chapter won the coveted “IFC All Sports Award” 18 times during those two decades.

 

Name:  Scott Werber

Year:  1985

Bio:  Brother Werber is a successful insurance broker with Day, Deadrick & Marshall (“DDM”) Insurance.  DDM has been a local, full service, independent insurance agency since 1909, focusing on commercial, personal and financial services.

Brother Werber also has been a devoted UMD and Sigma Chi alumnus for nearly thirty years. He served on the Board of Directors of the Terrapin Club in the late 90s/early 00s. Brother Werber is a third generation Sigma Chi.

He and his lovely wife Karen and their rescue dogs reside in Silver Spring, MD.

Contributions to the Chapter:  Brother Werber also was selected by Sigma Chi to join “The Order of Constantine” in 2010, based on his nearly twenty-five years of dedicated service to the UMD Sigma Chi Chapter.

He currently is the UMD Sigma Chi Chapter Advisor. Brother Werber was recognized by the University as the “Chapter Advisor of the Year” in 2011. He led the successful recolonization efforts of the Chapter in 2008-09, which culminated in the reinstallation of the UMD Sigma Chi Chapter in September 2009.

During his tenure as Chapter Advisor, the UMD Sigma Chi Chapter won the prestigious “Peterson Award” for overall excellence in Chapter operations, from the Sigma Chi Fraternity in 2011 and 2012.  In addition, the Chapter was a finalist for the University’s President’s Cup in 2013.

Brother Werber has been the Chapter Advisor since 2008 and previously was the Chapter Advisor from 1989-92. He has been the Alumni Chapter President since 2007; a member of the Chapter’s House Corporation Board in the 1990s; and the Undergraduate Chapter President in 1985.