UW Madison celebrates 100-year anniversary with an eye on the future

UW Madison recently joined a very exclusive group of active chapters celebrating their centennial, and thanks to a strong and supportive group of alumni they were able to celebrate brotherhood while building a roadmap for financial sustainability.

After a successful campaign to purchase a chapter house in 2022, the alumni believed that the celebration was the perfect opportunity to reinvigorate enthusiasm in the chapter and find opportunities to support their long-term success.

The alumni have focused on developing a supportive culture and structure for the chapter. Alex Mailman ’92, board member and secretary of the WI Omega Pi Lambda Phi House Corporation said, “The last few years since we purchased the house have been great for the brotherhood because we’ve had active involvement at all levels — support from National that helped us restructure chapter roles, including the addition of chapter coaches, a very strong board of directors, and active alumni engagement.”

The plan to make the centennial more than just a reunion

The WI Omega alumni association and house corporation recognized the huge potential of the Centennial to generate much-needed support for the house. In approaching the event in April, the planning committee considered several core strategies.

• Spark pride in the chapter’s history and performance.
• Inspire by example, anchoring the Centennial ceremony with the presentation of the Alumni Achievement award to Ed Kinney, a brother who truly lives “not four years, but a lifetime.”
• Present a clear vision and case for support.
• Cultivate a sense of shared responsibility, recognizing all levels of giving.
• Offer multiple tiers and types of giving so everyone can participate.
• Engineer an emotional, in‑the‑moment live auction.

Offering unique experience-based fundraising opportunities

A highly-engaging live auction generated excitement that moved brothers in the moment to contribute to the future of the chapter. It included experiences donated by alumni including:

• A golf weekend in New Mexico, donated by Talbot Stark ’88 including lodging.
• A private dinner at a hard-to-book NYC restaurant, Lilia, owned by brother Dan Giddings ’92.
• Mike Whelan ’89 offered a Dublin weekend for the 2027 UW–Pitt game, including lodging and a Dublin bar crawl.

Brothers were also offered the opportunity to leave a tangible mark on the chapter house with dedicated bricks on the new alumni patio and naming rights for chapter house rooms. 

The Chapter Room was named in honor of a beloved, deceased brother Rick “Tigger” Ehrenberg. Alex Mailman said, “Everyone wanted to be a part of that, after John Ruckdeschel made a substantial pledge to honor Tigger, more brothers started piling on to give to that cause.”

The centennial celebration raised about $135,000, which was well over the initial goal.

It wouldn’t be Pilam without tipping a glass 

No Pilam event would be complete without celebrations and a few libations ’twixt men. Centennial organizers rented out a tavern on Friday night to introduce generations of brothers and kick off the celebration.

On Saturday, the Centennial Ceremony was hosted at the Fluno Center auditorium, which included a welcome from the Chapter President Payson Valinski, a state of the chapter by Board President Dale Mitchell, and the presentation of the Edward Goldman Alumni Achievement Award to Ed Kinney by Executive Director, Ian Lowe. Ed Kinney’s acceptance speech was a testament to lifelong commitment to Pilam, and an inspiring lead-in to the fundraising auction. 

The weekend closed with a party at the house where brothers could see the newly installed “Pi Lam Varsity Terrace,” a patio and tailgating area in front of the chapter house funded by alumni contributions.

Special Recognition for re-founder, Ed Kinney

After the chapter closed in 1970, Ed Kinney ’88 was instrumental in the re-chartering the WI Omega chapter along with his Alpha class co-founders. Ed continued to be the driving force in the continuity of the chapter.

Alex Mailman said, “He was chapter advisor for many years, but he’s been so much more. As a prominent commercial lending banker in Madison, he knows the business community and has contacts that proved invaluable in acquiring and renovating the chapter house. He’s been an incredible resource for the Brotherhood, and he’s helped to manage the finances all the way through.”

Ed Kinney was awarded the Edward Goldman Alumni Achievement Award for his selfless and exceptional devotion to the WI Omega chapter.

How the current brotherhood reflects on the WI Omega legacy

Dale Mitchell said, “There are a couple of things that make me really happy about the current brotherhood. They all look different and have different majors and interests. That is diversity; and that is Pi Lambda Phi.” 

He also saw that students looked on the chapter very favorably. He said, “The chapter seems popular and responsible. I’ve read comments in Greek Life saying, ‘great guys to party with’, ‘best tailgate in Madison’, and ‘I feel safe there as a girl.’ That tells me they are doing something right.”