A twenty nine-year donor to the Phi Delta Theta Educational Foundation and member of the Living Bond Society, Tom Van Dyke Kansas ’60 gives back because of all that he received from Phi Delta Theta, including one of the first Foundation scholarships ever awarded.  

He recalls, “That award was probably the most significant thing that happened to me in the chapter. It’s one of the primary reasons I give back to Phi Delta Theta today. The relationships are the most important reason I give, but from a monetary standpoint, the scholarship was very significant,” Van Dyke shares.  

He’s still in touch with many of the brothers who are now scattered across the country. They make an effort to gather for events like golf tournaments, dinner or just a phone call to catch up across the miles. Last year, his pledge class gathered for its 50-year reunion, where several of the brothers visited the new chapter house at KU for the first time.

“It’s the relationships,” he says, “that matter most over time.”   Today, Van Dyke enjoys mentoring young lawyers at his firm and continues to do a fair amount of public speaking, including serving as the Founders Day speaker for a Phi Delt alumni event in Kansas City last year. He and his wife, Sharon, reside in Leawood, Kansas and enjoy spending time with their five grandchildren.