Dick Schweiker ’50 was the 1982 Phi Kappa Sigma national outstanding Phi Kap Alumnus of the Year. Brother Schweiker has earned tremendous recognition through his service to his country and his fellow man. He spent 22 years in government as a U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator, member of the U.S. cabinet and even as the vice presidential running mate of Ronald Reagan.
Service To Family, Community, Fraternity Important to Former Senator Schweiker
Dick Schweiker ’50 was the 1982 Phi Kappa Sigma national outstanding Phi Kap Alumnus of the Year. Brother Schweiker has earned tremendous recognition through his service to his country and his fellow man. He spent 22 years in government as a U.S. Congressman, U.S. Senator, member of the U.S. cabinet and even as the vice presidential running mate of Ronald Reagan.
When he resigned as Secretary of Health and Human Services, President Reagan said, “Dick Schweiker has proven himself in a job that has ground down lesser individuals. Many of our efforts to control the spiraling costs of government depended on his enterprise. I can say without hesitation that we are proud of the job that he has done.”
In business, he was president of the national’s largest ceramic tile manufacturer and also president of the major trade association of the life insurance industry. In 1992 he was named the recipient of the John Newton Russell Award, the life insurance industry’s highest individual honor. In 2000, he was awarded the Partnership for Prevention award for his work in health policy education and advocacy.
In this brief Q&A interview, Brother Schweiker shares his thoughts on family, friends and service.
Q: Why did you join the fraternity?
A: A number of my Norristown, PA, high school friends including Grant Davis ’49, Dick Blakely ’49 and Leigh Woehling ’47 were brothers.
Q: Tell us about your favorite memory of the fraternity.
A: I appreciated the diversity of the membership which was the strength of the fraternity. This diversity was caused by the returning veterans of World War II, of which I was one. Some of the brothers had already been in college and returned as veterans. Some had not been in college but had been in the service, and some entered college directly from high school.
Q: Did you live in the house? If so, who were your roommates?
A: Yes. First, I lived with Bob Schuster ’50 and John Lowry ’49. Then I lived in the Pope Suite as president of the fraternity.
Q: What is your nickname, and how did you get it?
A: ‘Yogi’ because I could ‘read’ the cards in my mind and win the Poker and Red Dog pots.
Q: With whom do you still stay in contact?
A: I stay in contact with Bob Keller ’50, who was my best man at our wedding, Otto Grupp ’51, Bob Schuster, Hank Keller ’43, Hobe Pollard ’50, Ron Coder ’51 and Dave Christopher ’51.
Q: What other activities or organizations were you involved with during your college days?
A: Captain of the Debate Team, Lion’s Paw, All-College Cabinet – parliamentarian, chairman of the Student Book Exchange, Interfraternity Council, president of Delta Sigma Rho, Psi Chi, Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, president of the Forensic Council, and Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.
Q: What kind of influence has the fraternity had on your life since graduation?
A: Being elected president encouraged me to later run for political office.
Q: Tell us about your family: Have you married? Do you have children?
A: I married ‘Miss Claire’ of television’s “Romper Room”. We’ve been married for 46 years and have five children and 20 grandchildren. Our oldest son and daughter-in-law are both P.S.U. graduates. Their son is a Penn State freshman.
Q: What do you do for a living?
A: I am retired from government and as President of the American Council of Life Insurance.
Q: What other affiliations do you currently have and/or public service do you participate in?
A: Served in the Navy during World War II on the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Tarawa; in 1960, elected to the U.S. House of Representatives — served four terms; in 1968 and 1974, elected to the U.S. Senate — served two terms; in 1976, was the Vice Presidential running mate of Ronald Reagan; from 1981 to 1983, served on the U.S. Cabinet as Secretary for the Department of Health and Human Services; serving pro-bono on several boards relating to health promotion and disease prevention.
Q: What hobbies do you enjoy?
A: I enjoy golf, skiing, biotech investing and watching my grandchildren play sports – football, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and baseball.
Q: What are your goals for the next few years?
A: To maintain good health and to be an encouragement to our children and grandchildren.
Brothers may contact Dick Schweiker in McLean, Virginia at (703) 790-9080.
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