Volunteer Profile – W. Allen Cole III, Hanover College ’80
Allen Cole is currently retired, after over forty years of working in higher education, most recently as the University Registrar at Northern Kentucky University (for ten years). He has served as a Zeta West province president for the past eleven years. Before becoming a province president, he served on Indiana Epsilon’s CAB for nine years at Hanover College.
For more than forty years, Allen served at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he also earned an MEd in mathematics. His BA degree in mathematics was awarded by Hanover College. Teaching and tutoring mathematics as an adjunct instructor has been an additional role. He has been very active in professional associations and conferences, including roles on executive boards.
He lives in Cincinnati with his wife of thirty-seven years, with whom he has two married grown children—a son and a daughter—and three grandchildren. His son, Andrew, is the senior vice president of advancement for the Phi Delta Theta Foundation.
Recently, the Fraternity reached out to Allen to share why he has remained engaged with Phi Delta Theta:
As an alumni volunteer, I enjoy being able to pass the Fraternity forward, even better than it was instilled in me. It is a privilege to be able to utilize my time, talents, and treasure in this manner. I appreciate the legacy, traditions, and purpose of the Fraternity, as it evolves to meet the needs of today’s students.
I was initiated into the Indiana Epsilon Chapter at Hanover College forty-eight years ago, where I had a wonderful experience as an undergraduate student, with the Fraternity experience (including serving as chapter president) being a highlight that established a lifelong relationship with chapter brothers. The past twenty years include the roles of province president (currently) and CAB member prior as I re-established my connection with Phi Delta Theta as a growing, evolving leadership society where young men can find their successes in their own pursuit of greatness. I know that part of my re-engagement happened by virtue of my own son entering college at my alma mater, including him living in the same chapter house that I did.
I recently retired from a work career of more than forty years in higher education as a university administrator and a college mathematics instructor. College campuses have certainly evolved over my career, driven by a variety of social and cultural issues, along with the student enrollment now being over 60 percent female at most colleges. My direct connection with the changing higher education environment has greatly helped me be a successful mentor to my province chapters and to effectively serve at Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute and other Fraternity events. And so, the responsibility for Phi Delta Theta to continue to be a premier fraternity leadership society is even greater, given how colleges have become so female-centric. A high-quality and eventful fraternity experience is extremely desirable to help produce high-quality men in today’s world.
One of my constant messages to the current undergraduate students is to live in the present (i.e., seize the day and the moment), while having an eye to the future (of where you want to be). I know when I was recruited as a freshman by the upperclassmen, I admired their qualities and their vision for the chapter being successful, while embracing the joy of the present and sharing tasks with much fun. And now, as I reflect, I know I developed many leadership and communication skills by working within the chapter framework to accomplish goals and meet deadlines, alongside my peers and colleagues at the time.
I encourage every alumnus to stay involved with their chapter, either casually or more formally—the support and connections are very rewarding. Phi Delta Theta is a community of many, where each of us has our story and our path to success.
