Tau Beta Pi (125th) QUASQUICENTENNIAL Anniversary
105th National Convention
Lehigh University and Valley Forge, PA
October 7-9, 2010
Report: Potential Activities
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to convey the suggestions of the 2008 Tau Beta Pi Convention Site
Committee to the Executive Council for use in planning the celebration of the 125th anniversary of Tau
Beta Pi at the 2010 National Convention at Lehigh University and Valley Forge. These suggestions were
derived from the Convention Site Committee’s discussion of the original “Tau Beta Pi 125th Anniversary
Potential Activities” document. The current document includes revisions of the ideas presented in that
packet in addition to new ideas brainstormed by the Convention Site Committee.
Hereinafter, “the Committee” will refer to the 2008 Tau Beta Pi Convention Site Committee.
Friday Evening Convention Event: Focus on Liberal Culture
Of the proposed ideas, the Committee preferred option 1:
1) Presentation of the 50-minute one-act play by Knoxville actor Bill Landry—Einstein the Man.
See his webpage at billlandryproductions.com. This would be a great treat after the evening meal.
It can be presented as a theatre in the round and would work in the banquet hall setting. If
considered an acceptable idea, we might even pursue asking him to adapt the play to add Tau
Beta Pi history as an addition or in the question answer session at the end. We could use a Tau
Beta Pi Laureate (if we have one) who acts as the younger counterpoint to Mr. Einstein.
Reasoning:
 Of options, this choice better fosters liberal culture
 Simpler to have one speaker than solicit input from several chapters (as in option 2).
Additional Committee suggestions:
 Confirm the availability of Mr. Landry.
 Confirm the audience appeal of Einstein the Man for the Tau Beta Pi Convention
Delegates.
Saturday Evening Event: Anniversary Celebration with Keynote Speaker
The Committee suggests that the selection of the speaker for the Saturday Banquet event should be based
on the following three criteria (in order of decreasing importance):
1) Alumnus (Tau Beta Pi and/or Lehigh)
2) Speaking ability and audience appeal
3) Affordability
Based on the first two criteria (for which the Committee had data), the Committee considers the following
people to be strong candidates (in no specific order):
 Buzz Aldrin, MA B ’62—Astronaut, author
 MG William A. Anders, OH H ’62—Astronaut, NRC chair
 Dr. Charles M. Vest, WV A ’63—President, National Academy of Engineering
 John E. McGlade, PA A ’76. (local, Chairman, President, and CEO of Air Products
(www.airproducts.com/NR/rdonlyres/5142D1A1-8A95-4451-BD30C2633411FC42/0/McGlade_Feb2009.pdf)
Chapter Involvement
Involvement requiring advance input and publicity

Time Capsule—plan to open capsule at the 150th Anniversary (25 years after it is closed). Each
District assigned container of to-be-determined volume. Chapters from each District requested to
submit the following:
o Digital Media: prefer slide show in which each chapter has one slide. Alternative: video.
o Physical Media: as well as a pamphlet included in the capsule for each chapter’s engineering
school.

Philanthropy—partner with Engineers without Borders
o Collegiate Chapters with EWB on campus: student chapter still raise money and volunteer
with that organization.
o Chapters without EWB on campus: support other chapters in District that have EWB, or
choose another organization on campus to support.
Alumnus Involvement
The committee unanimously favored the implementation of choice number 2:
1) Through THE BENT, seek longest living members and ask for their remembrances to be
submitted. After reviewing those, decide on a potential presentation of these (video, article,
talking points, etc.).
With the choice, came several suggestions:


A video documentary of Tau Beta Pi’s longest living members; one from each of the 16 Districts.
A time-line documentary from oldest living members to contemporary alumni; in which alumni
explain how Tau Beta Pi affected their lives and how have they make the world a better place
through engineering. (This activity needs participation from all chapters, and information must be
collected early.)

Alumni can be contacted through asking individual chapters, Districts, newspapers of local areas,
THE BENT, and the online TBP member database.
Website Enhancements


Add 12-month history timeline as a web link where each month we post some interesting facts for
the month from TBP’s past. Begin it as a countdown to celebration.
Starting 16 months before the Convention, each month highlight a District, its Chapters, and
activities.
Other Ideas
The following shows the second revision of additional activities:
 Dinner presentation on the success of the Scholarship and Fellowship Program. Recognize
prominent recipients and their professional achievements.
 Commemorative token should be durable and useful—watch, clock, or special TBP Bent-shape
flash drive.
 Shirt with commemorative logo free to voting delegates and available to purchase by nonvoting
delegates—preferably with long sleeve to account for the cool northeastern climate.
 A commemorative edition of THE BENT and THE BULLETIN for TBP’s 125th anniversary.
 Solicit new inductees for eminent engineers at the Convention Model Initiation—Neil Armstrong,
Bill Gates, and the Myth-Busters crew (Grant Imohara, Jaime Heineman, etc.). Check for
membership eligibility with Headquarter before hand.
 Birthday/Anniversary wishes on the Discovery channel.
 Myth-Busters to conduct a commemorative episode on Lehigh University campus.
o Committee strongly suggests this due to popularity of show and ability to inspire
students to pursue careers in engineering, math, and science.
 Have Headquarters contact CNN for a short video coverage about TBP and its engineering
initiatives. On the same page, get coverage on National Public Radio, or prepare a local press
package.
 Invitation and recognition of past Executive Council members at the Convention.
 Solicit a letter of congratulations or a congratulatory recorded video from the White House.
 Solicit letters from other honor societies/organizations or the governor of PA. The PA legislature
passes a resolution recognizing Tau Beta Pi.
 A lager job fair with 125 companies present.
 Unveiling of the new Bent location in front of Packard Lab, including cannon in ceremony.
 Convention photo taken in the shape of either a Bent or the number 125 at the new Bent location.
 Giant Lego Bent—have local K-12 students construct the Lego Bent.
JDF—10/29/08
2008 Convention Site Committee Summary Report 10/24-25/08
•Friday Evening Events: Focus on Liberal Culture
•Saturday Evening Events: Keynote Speakers
•Chapter Involvement
•Alumnus Involvement
•Website Enhancement
•Other Ideas