The Value of Someone Who Believes in You
How fraternity leadership, mentorship, and support help shape Phi Delts for life
Bill Stockwell describes himself as “a shy freshman entering a big, urban campus” when he arrived at the University of Pittsburgh in 1972. He was not seeking leadership opportunities or imagining himself as a chapter president. Like many young men, he was simply looking for connection and a place to belong.
What he found in Phi Delta Theta was much more than a fraternity experience. He found brothers who challenged him, encouraged him, and helped him discover strengths he did not yet know he possessed. Among them was a brother whose influence would stay with him for the rest of his life: Chuck Steeber, ’75
As a member of a new member class that helped shape the newly chartered Pennsylvania Iota Chapter, Bill quickly became involved in chapter life. Looking back, he credits much of his development to the encouragement and example of Chuck.
“Much of this was due to Chuck Steeber, my brother, who urged me to run for chapter president.”
That encouragement changed the course of Bill’s undergraduate experience.
Elected chapter president during a period of significant growth, Bill spent two years helping guide a young chapter as it established its culture, welcomed new members, and navigated the opportunities and challenges that come with growth.
“New house, new brothers, the need for rules . . . they were exciting times for us as the new fraternity on campus,” Bill recalled. “With growth and new brothers, there were bound to be challenges.”
Those challenges became some of his most important leadership lessons.
“Many lessons were learned trying to balance all of this, maintaining my classwork, living up to my responsibilities to my brothers, and living away from home,” he said.
Long before classrooms offered lessons in management and leadership, Bill was learning how to listen to different perspectives, build consensus, and lead through uncertainty. He remembers spirited chapter discussions that tested everyone’s patience and parliamentary procedure, but he also remembers how those meetings ended: with Good and Welfare and a reminder that every brother was “Proud to be a Phi.”
For Bill, those experiences proved invaluable.
“I may have learned as much about running a small business from fraternity life as I learned in business school,” he reflected.
Throughout a career that included more than four decades leading Stockwell Elastomerics, Inc. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the lessons he learned as an undergraduate remained relevant. The collaborative problem-solving, leadership experiences, and relationships developed through Phi Delta Theta continued to shape how he approached both professional and personal challenges.
Today, those same opportunities remain a cornerstone of the Phi Delta Theta experience.
Undergraduate brothers continue to develop leadership skills through chapter roles, mentorship from alumni volunteers, and educational experiences that prepare them for lives of purpose and service. One of the Fraternity’s premier leadership development opportunities is the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute, where undergraduates are challenged to grow as leaders while building meaningful connections with brothers from across North America.
For Bill, the value of experiences like Kleberg is clear because he lived the impact of leadership development firsthand.
“Looking back on my life, my four years as an undergraduate brother of Phi Delta Theta taught me many lessons outside of the classroom that shaped the way I succeeded in business.”
Just as important as the leadership lessons, however, were the people behind them. When speaking about Chuck, Bill’s admiration remains evident decades later.
“Chuck was our best brother in many ways,” he said. “He offered encouragement in challenging times. He often took an opposing side during chapter meetings to be sure the minority opinion was heard.”
Chuck embodied the kind of mentorship, character, and brotherhood that helps young men grow. He challenged others to think differently, encouraged them to lead, and invested in the success of those around him. His influence on Bill is a powerful reminder that one brother’s encouragement can leave a lasting mark on another’s life. Today, Bill honors that influence through the Pennsylvania Iota Oxford Fund, established in Chuck’s memory.
“My gift to the Oxford Fund for the Pennsylvania Iota Chapter is in honor of my brother Chuck Steeber.”
Through support of the Oxford Fund, undergraduate brothers can access leadership opportunities like the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute, ensuring that future generations of Phi Delts benefit from the same type of transformational experiences that helped shape Bill’s life. In many ways, it is a continuation of the legacy Chuck helped create: investing in young men and encouraging them to become leaders.
When asked what he hopes today’s undergraduates gain from their fraternity experience, Bill’s answer reflects the lifelong journey that began when a brother believed in him.
“We can all become better versions of ourselves,” he said. “There were many times in college and later in life when I said something inappropriate and had to summon the courage to clean it up. I think it is part of lifetime learning. Not dwelling on our mistakes, but moving forward to be better men.”
More than fifty years after arriving on campus as a shy freshman, Bill’s story serves as a testament to the value of fraternity. It is found in the opportunities that challenge young men to lead. It is found in programs that help them develop their talents and character. And perhaps most importantly, it is found in the brothers who see potential in others and encourage them to become more than they thought possible.
For Bill, that brother was Chuck Steeber. Through the Pennsylvania Iota Oxford Fund, he hopes future generations of Phi Delts will find mentors, opportunities, and leadership experiences that shape their lives just as profoundly.
