On February 13, 2023, Brian Fraser tragically lost his life to a senseless act of violence at Michigan State University. Brian served as the Michigan State Phi Delta Theta Chapter President, he was a great friend to his Phi Delt brothers, the Greek community on campus, and everyone around him. In collaboration with his parents, Phi Delta Theta supporters endowed a Presidential Scholarship for Michigan Beta in honor of Brian, which helps future Michigan Beta presidents fund their education at Michigan State University.
When news of Brian’s death surfaced, Phi Delta Theta members from all over the US and Canada came together in solidarity to offer support. Funds raised in Brian’s memory support two annual scholarships: The Brian Fraser Presidential Memorial Scholarship, which will help future Michigan Beta presidents fund their education, and the Brian Fraser Memorial First-Generation New Member Scholarship, which will support a new member of the Michigan Beta Chapter. Over $163,000 was raised from 1,411 donors. It is our hope at Phi Delta Theta and the hope of Brian’s parents that each Phi who receives this scholarship will embody Brian’s charismatic, contagious smile and caring, loyal energy.
On the evening of July 30, 2023, the Fraser family attended the Phi Delta Theta’s 2023 Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute in Oxford, Ohio to announce the recipient of the inaugural Brian Fraser Presidential Memorial Scholarship in front of 800 Phi Delta Theta students. It was the same conference that Brian had attended in 2022, that encouraged him and helped prepare him for becoming Michigan Beta’s president.
During the general session, Sean Wagner, the Executive Vice President and CEO of Phi Delta Theta, announced the winner of the Brian Fraser Memorial First-Generation New Member Scholarship to John C. Canelopoulos, Michigan State ’25.
Wagner welcomed Sean, Mia, and Mykayla Fraser to the stage to present the first-ever Brian Fraser Presidential Memorial Scholarship to Matthew J. Quick, Michigan State ’25, the current president of Michigan Beta. Matt Quick joined Phi Delta Theta in the same semester as Brian and served as the vice president during Brian’s presidency. Matt considered Brian his best friend.
“Brian was an amazing friend. I joined Phi Delta Theta with him in the fall of 2021… he was one of my best friends.” Quick said. “[Brian] made this chapter a better place. He made Phi Delt a better place. He was a great friend, and I am proud to be able to call him my brother forever. He is dearly missed by all of us, but he is not forgotten. I hope to carry on that sense of kindness and devotion that Brian had.”
Mia Fraser, Brian’s mother, expressed her gratitude on behalf of their family. She thanked the Fraternity for their kindness and support towards Brian, which has now been extended to their entire family. “We are so very thankful for Phi Delt’s leadership and everything you did to support us,” Mia stated.
“Brian was so proud to be a Phi Delt. He loved the Fraternity, he loved the brotherhood, he was very excited to take on the opportunity of leading the Michigan Beta Chapter, he attended this conference last year, and I think that is what made him think he could do it.” Mia said, “We are impressed by the men that you are and the future that you will affect. We are proud that Brian was able to call you brothers.”
Although Brian is deeply missed, his brothers at Michigan State are comforted by the fact that his legacy lives on to support future leaders. Mia, Sean, and Mykayla ended their thoughts by encouraging all attendees to always be kind and that sometimes all it takes to brighten someone’s day is a smile from a stranger, just like Brian always did.
