Section III
Responsibility for a Lifetime
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“Ralph Burns
The words to the right from Brother Leonard
Hultquist began the tribute to Alpha Sigma
Phi’s Executive Secretary Emeritus, Ralph F.
Burns. And what a tribute it was. From the
fraternity world. From neighbors. From
friends. And from the countless Alpha Sig
Brothers whose lives he touched and
enriched. On September 25, 1993, Brother
Ralph passed into the Omega Chapter. But
the legacy he left us will remain as long as the
Mystic Circle forms; as long as one man
reaches out to another and calls him Brother.
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It is said that every organization needs a
conscience. In many ways Ralph Frank
Burns was Alpha Sigma Phi’s
conscience. Its heart and soul. Alpha
Sigma Phi was Ralph Burns. And Ralph
Burns was Alpha Sigma Phi.
Represented, to me, the ideals of
Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity. I feel
truly blessed to have known Ralph
and have been able to call him my
Brother.”
Stan Thurston,
Iowa State ’66
Grand Senior President
1994-96
“My admiration of Ralph Burns
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is boundless. Not only Alpha
Sigma Phi, but the entire
fraternity world has suffered a
great loss.”
Emmet Hayes,
Standford ’31
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Grand Senior
President
1954-56
For 61 years Brother Burns pledged his life to the principles and ideals that
bind us as a Fraternity. And his life exemplified what is good about the
fraternity movement in our nation.
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Every man who pledged our Seven Points and entered the Mystic Circle for
the 61 years of Ralph’s service had been influenced by Ralph’s guidance and
unfailing commitment to Alpha Sigma Phi was deep. His love of our
Fraternity broad. And his belief in our Ritual complete. You could see it in
his smile; feel it in his touch; and experience it – as thousands of
undergraduates and alumni did at scores of conventions and leadership
conferences – when Brother Burns gave his unfailingly warm greeting and
extended the Grip of our Brotherhood.
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Ralph felt to the very
depths of his soul, that
he was indeed, his
“Brother’s Keeper”
God so loves Alpha Sigma
Phi, he gave us Ralph Burns.
Leonard Hultquist,
Alabama ‘60
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Ralph Frank Burns was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, May 12,
1912, to James Andrew Burns and Louise Amanda Snyder Burns. He
attended high school in Youngstown, where he took his vows of
Brotherhood into Epsilon Chapter in February 1932. Ralph served as
Epsilon Chapter’s President and Rush Chairman as an undergraduate,
and earned a degree in social work at his 1935 graduation.
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His job in a social agency in Cleveland helped him carry out his natural
desire to serve others. But, his keen interest in Alpha Sigma Phi did not
go unnoticed by his supervisor, also an Alpha Sig from Ohio Wesleyan.
When the call went out from the Fraternity national office in New York
City that a new Executive Secretary was needed, Ralph was encouraged
to interview for the job. The rest, as they say, is history. Brother Burns
served as Executive Secretary of Alpha Sigma Phi from 1936 until his
retirement in 1976.
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“Forty years passed by pretty quickly, really,” Brother Burns said at that time.
“It seems like there was always some major challenge to deal with: depression,
war – something to keep you busy.” how true that was. For 40 years, Brother
Burns kept the flame of brotherhood alive as he pulled, tugged, cajoled, soothed
and shepherded Alpha Sigma Phi through good times and bad. Some 29,000
men, more than one-half of all Brothers initiated in the 148 years history at the
time of Brother Burns’ passing, became members of Alpha Sigma Phi under
Ralph’s guidance. He guided Alpha Sigma Phi through the throes of the Great
Depression, the calamity of World War II, the uncertainty of the Korean Conflict
and the upheavals of the Vietnam War. All along the way, Brother Burns
appeared guided by a mission: a mission to share the ideals of our Brotherhood
and to give men an opportunity to share a foundation in honesty, decency, and
integrity.
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During the first decade of the “Burns Era,” just as the Fraternity was learning
how to deal with the effects of The Great Depression, World War II broke out.
The Fraternity has just completed the 1939 merger with Phi Pi Phi Fraternity
and revamped its national constitution. Chapters had achieved great
momentum, but success suddenly changed and most chapters were closed as Click Once
Brothers headed overseas for the war effort.
With no membership dues coming into the national office, there was little
money available to run the Fraternity and Ralph was forced not obtaining a
full-time day job in 1943, while still voluntarily writing letters to alumni
and Brothers overseas by night. Ralph’s new job was a prestigious one as
the Executive Manager of the New York City Association of Life
Underwriters. His administrative and managerial talents and extraordinary
“people skills” were very highly regarded by the Association and they
fought hard to retain Ralph as the war was winding down. Despite
significant financial inducement to remain with the Life Underwriters,
Ralph knew where his heart really lay, and he, therefore, returned to the Old
Gal on a fulltime basis in 1945.
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Alpha Sigma Phi used to be a Brotherhood that added final polish to a
man. Today’s undergraduates don’t have the benefit of value-setting
and skills development that used to come from family, church
community, and school. So now we must provide a lot more than
polish. The challenge and need is great. But we know from over 136
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years of experience that the program Alpha Sigma Phi offers is sound,
that it meets the ideals of our country.
Ralph F. Burns
In 1982
Thus, as Americans returned to college and to their fraternities, Alpha Sigs
found a familiar face ready to greet them. Ralph’s contact with Brothers during
the war years eased the transition back into operation. Ralph and Alpha Sigma
Phi were back on the job! But changes were in the works. Ralph led the
Fraternity through another merger in 1946, this time with Alpha Kappa Pi
Fraternity. And by 1949, he and the national office had moved out of expensive
New York City to the small college town of Delaware, Ohio, home of his alma
mater, Ohio Wesleyan University. It was from these offices that for three more
decades Ralph would make his treks to chapters from coast to coast.
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Ralph was the symbol of all the
good qualities of the Fraternal
association. Ralph’s grace and
spirit lives on in each of the
lives of those of us who shared
a moment with him.
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John L. Blackburn
Missouri Valley ‘49
Through all the changes and challenges of his career, Ralph had an important
constant: A loving family. Brothers attending National Conventions over the
years would find his wife, JoAnna Burns, running the registration table or doing a
myriad of other activities in order to help out. And Alpha Sigma Phi is definitely a
family affair for the Burnses. Alpha Sigma Phi is definitely a family affair for the
Burnses. The elder son, Bruce, joined Zeta Chapter at Ohio State in 1963. the
younger son, Jonathan, however, attended the United States Military Academy at
West Point, which did not allow fraternities at that school. However, a special,
secret invitation went out to Jonathan from the Grand Council in 1984 offering
him the opportunity to become initiated at special ceremonies during the National
Convention at the University of Illinois. No one was more surprised or proud to
discover the identity of the special initiate than his father, seated in the front row
of the initiation hall. So now, both burns sons were Brothers to their father. And
so, too, is one of Ralph’s grandsons, Bruce’s son, Scott, another West Point
graduate who was initiated at the National Convention in Chicago in 1994.
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Years of service, hard work, and persistent dedication to a cause are reasons
enough to laud anyone’s career. Yet these superior qualities of Ralph Burns created
just the framework of the man we call “Mr. Alpha Sigma Phi.” Consider the
following “Burnsian” characteristics:
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Brotherhood. “When Ralph is talking with me I feel like I am the most
important person in the world,” many Brothers consistently reported. “I
remember Ralph for so many things, but particularly, his memory. I have
been to hundreds of meetings with Brothers of all ages in our Fraternity and
Ralph could always remember names and your chapter of initiation with
ease,” says Robert Cabello, Eastern Michigan ’70. “I asked him once why
this apparently meant so much to him to figure out who was who – and then
announce it with so much enthusiasm. He responded, ‘because regardless of
age, chapter origin, or background, we all need to see the diversity and sharing
within our Brotherhood.’”
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From National Conventions, to chapter visits, to undergraduate sojourns to
National Headquarters, Ralph could be seen spending time with Brothers. After
his retirement, his presence at national gatherings provided a spiritual sense of
the continuity of our Brotherhood. His warm smile, his laugh, and his genuine
interest in everyone with whom he spoke were all Ralph Burns hallmark. Ralph
never lost focus of the undergraduate experience of brotherhood. His time,
attention and unnerving memory left many lasting impressions on
undergraduate members including what it means to be a Brother. And when eh
met a Brother – no matter under what circumstances – he always greeted them Click Once
with the Secret Grip and a smile that gave hint to his uniquely kind and gracious
soul.
Of course, the secret of Ralph Burns is obvious to anyone who spent any time
with him. If Will Rogers never met a man he didn’t like, then Ralph Burns
never met an Alpha Sig he did not truly care about. When you were talking
with Ralph you were, indeed, the most important person in the world to him.
How much easier that must have made it for him to remember names over the
span of decades. He didn’t remember names, he remembered Brothers.
Also, the observer would also note that Ralph extended this privilege to
others beyond the Alpha Sig Brotherhood. He considered brotherhood
among all persons, a natural credo, and eh especially valued his deep
relationship with thousands of Interfraternity brothers throughout his life.
Every Alpha Sig knew Ralph Burns. And at times, it seemed that Ralph
Burns knew every Alpha Sig.
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When I think of Ralph Burns, I smile. He was that kind
of guy. He had a gift of making everyone around him
feel special. It was all the more special because Ralph
was so blissfully unaware of his effect on people. He
was the most humble man I have ever known.
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Alan Breedlove,
Penn State ‘77
Charity. Service to mankind is a top Alpha Sig ideal. While Ralph spent
nearly his entire professional career in service to the Old Gal he did not let it
stop there. He was a Rotarian for many years and was named a “Paul Harris
Fellow” by his local chapter. He headed the community United Way drive, and
was a dedicated volunteer for his church. Upon his “professional” retirement
from the Fraternity in 1976, he quickly signed up for additional volunteer
work. He was the volunteer Secretary of the Fraternity's Educational
Foundation, and continued to play key roles at national meetings and alumni
gatherings.
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Despite the vast breadth of the body of colleagues,
friends and Brothers with whom Ralph worked through
the years, it was not uncommon for him to greet a
Brother after a score of years without personal contact
and to recall the office or offices the Brother held as an
undergraduate, his chapter, and initiation year.
Robert Kutz,
California ’67
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Grand Historian
Ralph also took his deep religious beliefs and Alpha Sig convictions about the
goodness of mankind to the streets. Also with his retirement, he was able to
increase his Delaware, Ohio, community activity, from which many local
charities benefited. He served as president of the Delaware Rotary Club, vice
president of Grady Memorial Hospital’s board of trustees, president of the Hayes
Athletic Boosters, chairman of the Untied Way campaign, and served as a board
chairman for his church, Asbury United Country Fair, where he manned the gate
collecting tickets and having good-natured fun in catching folks, and often his
own friends, who would try to slip past him and into the reserve sets without a
ticket. Until his passing, Ralph maintained the enthusiasm and pace that would
tire men half his age, and he was usually found using that energy in service to
others.
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Ralph believed in the importance of the
undergraduate experience. To him, our
charge to “foster college homes” meant
more than merely providing a house in
which to live. It meant providing a familylike atmosphere through which young men
became gentlemen, scholars, and patriots.
Gentleman. In days gone by, many people understood and appreciated the
simple phrase, “He is a gentleman.” Today, commonly used terms like “true
professional” or “well-bred” are sad substitutes for the humble grace for
which a true gentleman aspires. It includes all things that are good – like
honesty, fait, and trust. It excludes all that is tawdry. Words defy a complete
explanation of “gentleman” except to say that after spending time with Ralph,
one would invariably walk away thinking, “What a delightful gentleman.”
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All of this is not said to suggest that Brother Ralph was perfect. He could
certainly apply a sharp “needle” in just that right way to get under one’s skin.
But, he made sure that his target survived, and he always made up for it later.
And rarely did Ralph give up the last word in any heated discussion!
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There is no award that Ralph received, nor one ever created, that truly attested to
the legacy of love and brotherhood he gave to Alpha Sigma Phi. He has received
both of the Fraternity’s highest awards, the Distinguished Merit Award in
recognition of his professional accomplishments, and the Distinguished Service
Award in recognition of his dedication to the Fraternity. In 1984, the Grand
Council named him an honorary “Third Founder” during the kickoff of the
Educational Foundation’s “Third Founding Endowment Campaign.” he also
received Fraternity Executives Association’s Distinguished Service Award and
the National Interfraternity Conference’s highest commendation, The Gold
Medal, which included him with other notable awardees such as Ronal Reagan
and Barry Goldwater.
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Ralph Burns was interested in others. He cared
about people. That’s how he lived his life.
Rather than wasting away, he died with his boots
on, a dignity he richly deserved.
William P. Swartz
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Sigma Alpha Mu
Yet, Ralph’s reaction to any of these honors was always filled with the
humility of a servant, just as was his reaction to the standing ovation and
cheers given him by the students at various National Leadership Conferences
and Conventions. “Thank you,” he said on one of these occasions, “for
letting me share this wonderful experience of Brotherhood with you.”
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But so entwined were Ralph Burns and our Fraternity, that he was often
called “Mr. Alpha Sigma Phi,” a title which increased his humility even
more. At his last National Leadership Conference in 1993 in Somerset, New
Jersey, he told an emotional group of alumni members: “You cal me ‘Mr.
Alpha Sig’ and I’m not. You are. You and all the undergraduate members
who make up our Fraternity. You are what makes it great and I am so
grateful to be a part of it.”
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And that concept of brotherhood he also shared and bolstered throughout the
fraternity world. Gale Wilkerson, president of the Delta Tau Delta Educational
Foundation, noted what many Alpha Sigs had heard from Ralph on numerous
occasions: “We could be an hour into serious interfraternity discussions and
deliberations on fraternity budgets and Ralph would raise his hand and bring
everyone back to reality by asking the question “What does this have to do
with improving brotherhood in our chapters?”
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Ralph had the unique ability to inspire others
to perform seemingly beyond their
capabilities. We know that God will raise him
on the breath of dawn; make him shine like the
sun; and should him in the palm of His hand.
We are comforted by knowing that, at this very
moment, Ralph is touching the face of God.
Greorge W. Spasyk
Executive VP Emeritus
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Lambda Chi Alpha
His decades of uninterrupted service made it particularly fitting that Brother
Burns passed away in a truly remarkable way within the circle of Brotherhood
that marked his life. “We were concluding a long joint meeting of the Grand
Council and Educational Foundation Trustees when we asked each member to
tell what the Fraternity means to him,” recalls John Chaney, Indiana ’67, then
executive director of Alpha Sigma Phi. The Brothers responded in roster
order from the most junior to the most senior and, of course, “Ralph was the
last to speak. He gave a moving recitation of the Fraternity’s history, our
triumphs and adversities.
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“He spoke of what the Fraternity meant to him and why he chose to remain
involved. He expressed his pride that both his sons are Alpha Sigs and stated
that although he was not a wealthy man, he was a millionaire. He said how
happy he was that the Fraternity's Mission Statement drew on Christian faith
and our Supreme Being. And he challenged us to be ever mindful of the
reasons why our Brotherhood exists and thrives.”
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“He closed his remarks, as he so often did by reciting our open motto – Causa
Latet Vis Est Notissima (The Cause is Hidden, the Results Well Known). The
room fell silent, contemplating his message and the depths of its emotion. A
few moments later, Ralph slumped in his chair.” He was gone.
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It’s hard to imagine his passage to the Omega Chapter beginning anywhere more
appropriate than within the loving embrace of the Mystic Circle. And it’s hard to
imagine his passing without thinking about the huge Sig Bust that must be on
going in heaven. To have seen Ralph Burns was to see peace. A peace that can
only come from his total contentment to offering his life in service to his fellow
man. For that, Alpha Sigs, and all others who knew him are grateful.
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The Cause is Hidden, the Results Well Known?
Well known, indeed.
Thanks, Ralph.
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