Why did you join Skull House?
I liked the brothers I met during rush and they made me feel as if I’d be welcome among them.
Tell us about your favorite memory of the fraternity.
I’m tempted to say toga parties, but a more mature and more accurate answer is having lunch and dinner together. I also enjoyed dropping in and out of long-running bridge games in the club room.
From Togas to Bridge Games, Alan Davidson ’60 Hopes to Pass on Both the Fun and Life-Changing Skull House Legacy to Others
For Alan Davidson ’60, his excellent Phi Kappa Sigma experience eventually led him to a leadership position in one of the largest public-retirement plans in the country. Davidson hopes to pass on the unforgettable times in the Skull House to the future undergraduates, even if it involves togas and bridge games.
Why did you join Skull House?
I liked the brothers I met during rush and they made me feel as if I’d be welcome among them.
Tell us about your favorite memory of the fraternity.
I’m tempted to say toga parties, but a more mature and more accurate answer is having lunch and dinner together. I also enjoyed dropping in and out of long-running bridge games in the club room.
Did you live in the house? If so, who were your roommates?
Yes, I had a several different roommates since our policy at that time was to change rooms and roommates every semester.
What are your nicknames, and how did you get them?
I don’t now have a nickname and can’t recall that I had one in college.
With whom do you still stay in contact?
Several people.
Who would you most like to find?
I found most of them at the multi-year class reunion that Sam Curry ’62 organized and hosted in 2003. It was a great event that brought back lots of pleasant memories.
What other activities or organizations were you involved with during your college days?
I was on the debate team and was its captain as a senior. I also worked as a waiter and bartender at The Tavern.
What kind of influence has Skull House had on your life since graduation?
A great deal, actually. I was Alpha my senior semester, which was a wonderful opportunity to learn about leadership and management. I also learned a lot about living and working with other people.
Tell us about your family: Have you married?
Yes. Louise C. and I will celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary in August.
Do you have children?
We have three. Louise K. is a graduate of Brown University with a masters and PhD from Duke. She’s a tenured professor at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables, FL. She’s also the mother of a four year old daughter and a four month old son, our only grandchildren – so far at least. Our other daughter, Amy, is also a Brown graduate and has a Masters degree from Harvard. She lives in San Francisco and works for the City of Berkeley, CA. Our son, Alan H., a graduate of Macalester College, is a computer systems designer who lives in Minneapolis, MN.
What do you do for a living?
After Penn State I went to law school (Harvard) and business school (Pitt). I worked in various investment management and trust positions at Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh. I later moved to Columbus and worked for National City Corporation, a Cleveland-based financial services company. I retired in 2005 as its Chief Fiduciary Officer and joined the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System as Investment Compliance Manager. Located in Columbus, OPERS provides pension and health care benefits for more than 700,000 members employed by the State of Ohio and its counties and units of local government. With assets of $80+ billion, it’s one of the largest public retirement plans in the country.
Why do you still support Skull House?
I had a wonderful experience as a member of the fraternity and would like to help others have the same opportunity in the future.
What are wishes for the future of Skull House?
That it again become Psi Chapter, an active member of the national fraternity.
Why would you encourage other alumni to show their support?
I’m sure most of them had a good experience in college, also, and would like to pass that legacy along to others.
What are your plans for the future?
I enjoy working and hope to continue doing so indefinitely.
