183rd General Convention - Recognition Ceremony

ATLANTA, GEORGIA ~ AUGUST 5, 2022

THE 87th OXFORD CUP PRESENTATION

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Tom Cassady, Cincinnati ’76

General Fraternity President

“WOOGLIN FOREVER” AND “TI-DE-I-DE-O”

Beta Four

Led by

Brock Johnson, Oklahoma State ’09

General Fraternity Chorister

OXFORD CUP PRESENTATION

Tom Cassady, Cincinnati ’76

General Fraternity President

Presented to

M. Rivers Rutherford, Mississippi ’89

ACCEPTANCE RESPONSE AND MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

M. Rivers Rutherford, Mississippi ’89

Oxford Cup Roll No. 087

CLOSING REMARKS

Tom Cassady, Cincinnati ’76

General Fraternity President

“BETA DOXOLOGY”

Beta Four

THE OXFORD CUP

The Fraternity awards the Oxford Cup in recognition of achievement of the highest order by a Beta. Recipients must be loyal members of Beta Theta Pi who have brought honor to the Fraternity through distinguished service and accomplishments in their chosen professional fields. The Oxford Cup was developed in 1984 by then-President Peter E. Van de Water, St. Lawrence ’58, and General Secretary B. Hume Morris, Centre ’68. Brother Morris also wrote the award ceremony and designed the Cup, a smaller version of the Pater Knox Golden Wedding Anniversary Loving Cup.

M. RIVERS RUTHERFORD

Mississippi ’89 | Oxford Cup Roll No. 087

With a name like Rivers Rutherford, it’s no surprise this soulful storyteller and recent Nashville Songwriter Hall of Famer was destined to become one of music’s most talented and accomplished singer-songwriters.

Having grown up in the shadow of Elvis’ Graceland homestead in Memphis, Rutherford came out of the gates swinging at 21 years old, landing his first cut with American legends Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson – also known as The Highwaymen.

What followed were dozens of hits; multiple Grammys; Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music nominations; and over 20 awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, including the coveted awards for Country Song of The Year and Songwriter of The Year.

All told, these honors have firmly established Rutherford’s position within the upper echelon of Nashville’s most lauded songwriters.

You’ll see Rivers’ name on #1 songs by Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton, Rodney Atkins, Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson, Trace Atkins and Brooks & Dunn. Rivers has also enjoyed success with Country giants like Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Reba McEntire, George Jones, Toby Keith, Faith Hill, Hank Williams Jr., Gary Allan, and hosts of others.

Known for his gritty southern style, Rutherford is unapologetic about his faith, devotion to his family and making great music. His decadeslong career, the countless hits to his credit and his ability to write music that is timeless are testament to a man that has come to be respected as an artist in his own right.

Currently signed to Verse 2 Music, a Sony Music Publishing joint venture helmed by Kane Brown and Kent Earls, Rivers continues to write with and for the biggest names in country music. He’s also returned to his early troubadour roots and maintains a rigorous touring schedule with over 50 dates a year, bringing his rip-roaring brand of no-holds-barred entertainment to audiences all over the world.

With a persona that is at once direct, raw and impassioned, Rivers possesses the shrewd skills of a storyteller capable of cutting right to the heart of the matter – a trait that leaves his talent both unique and enduring.

OXFORD CUP RECIPIENTS OXFORD CUP RECIPIENTS

1984 001 Seth R. Brooks*, St. Lawrence 1922 — minister; writer; President and General Secretary, Beta Theta Pi

1984 002 Joseph P. Allen IV, DePauw ’59 — astronaut

1985 003 John Sherman Cooper*, Centre 1922 — senator

1985 004 John N. W. Turner*, British Columbia ’49 — prime minister, Canada

1986 005 Arch A. Moore*, West Virginia ’51 — governor, West Virginia

1987 006 Stephen D. Bechtel, Sr.*, California 1923 — engineer

1987 007 Y.C. James Yen*, Yale 1918 — world-renowned teacher and humanitarian

1987 008 Arthur S. Torrey*, St. Lawrence 1924 — executive

1987 009 John R. Wooden*, Purdue ’32 — UCLA basketball coach

1988 010 Carl A. Kroch*, Cornell ’35 — businessman

1988 011 J.J. Robinette*, Toronto 1926 — lawyer

1989 012 Donald S. Dawson*, Missouri ’32 — major gen., USAF

1989 013 Richard G. Lugar*, Denison ’54 — senator, Indiana

1990 014 Glen A. Holden, Oregon ’51 — U.S. ambassador to Jamaica

1991 015 Jamie L. Whitten*, Mississippi ’33 — congressman

1991 016 Samuel M. Walton*, Missouri ’40 — founder, Walmart

1992 017 John E. Dolibois*, Miami ’42 — U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg

1992 018 Harold S. Hook*, Missouri ’53 — businessman; president, Boy Scouts

1993 019 John J. Rhodes*, Kansas State ’38 — congressman, Arizona

1994 020 Burton W. Folsom*, Nebraska ’49 — banker

1994 021 Gupton A. Vogt*, Westminster ’31 — businessman

1994 022 H. Lauren Lewis*, South Dakota ’37 — businessman; banker

1994 023 Michael J. Schmidt, Ohio ’71 — hall of fame baseball player

1995 024 James G. Martin, Davidson ’57 — governor, North Carolina

1995 025 Col. Lee B. Thompson Sr.*, Oklahoma 1925 — lawyer; civic leader

1995 026 Franklin D. Murphy*, Kansas ’36 — chancellor, Kansas and UCLA

1996 027 W.H. (Bert) Bates, Missouri ’49 — lawyer; public service

1996 028 Edward M. Brown*, Miami ’31 — business executive; philanthropist

1997 029 Edward B. Taylor*, Auburn/Davidson ’42 — educator

1997 030 Hugh E. Stephenson Jr.*, Missouri ’43 — physician; educator; inventor

1997 031 Stephen D. Bechtel Jr.*, Colorado ’47 — builder; financier; philanthropist

1998 032 Mark O. Hatfield*, Willamette ’43 — senator; governor, Oregon

1998 033 Robert T. Howard*, DePauw ’37 — editor and historian; author

1998 034 Spencer F. Eccles, Utah ’56 — financier; philanthropist

1998 035 H.H. Stephenson Jr.*, Miami ’39 — archivist; university administrator

1999 036 Stan Smith, Southern California ’69 — Wimbledon tennis champ

1999 037 Frank A. Shrontz, Idaho ’53 — chairman and CEO, Boeing Company

2000 038 Kenneth L. Lay*, Missouri ’64 — businessman

2000 039 Neal R. Fosseen*, Washington ’28 — mayor, Spokane, Washington

2000 040 Steven B. Sample*, Illinois ’62 — president, University of Southern California

2000 041 B. Hume Morris*, Centre ’68 — General Fraternity President

2000 042 Weldon B. (Hoot) Gibson*, Washington State ’38 — senior director, SRI

2000 043 Owen S. Williams*, Toronto ’50 — realtor; educator

2000 044 Bruce A. Nordstrom, Washington ’55 — CEO, Nordstrom

2000 045 Stanley R. Church*, Washington State ’31 — radio executive

2001 046 Robert L. Cottrell*, Miami ’54 — vice president, Kroger Co.

2002 047 Joe M. Allbaugh, Oklahoma State ’74 — director, FEMA

2003 048 Richard O. Ristine*, Wabash ’41 — lieutenant governor, Indiana

2003 049 Robert J. Schaupp, Lawrence ’51 — businessman

2003 050 Warren R. Staley, Kansas State ’65 — CEO, Cargill

2004 051 Dickran M. Tevrizian Jr., Southern California ’62 — federal judge

2004 052 Edward P. Roski Jr., Southern California ’62 — CEO, Majestic Realty Co.

2004 053 Richard E. Heckert*, Miami ’44 — chairman and CEO, DuPont

2004 054 Charles S. Mechem Jr., Miami ’52 — chairman and CEO, Taft Broadcasting

2004 055 Barney Calame, Missouri ’61 — deputy managing editor, The Wall Street Journal

2004 056 G. Kennedy Thompson, North Carolina ’73 — chairman and CEO, Wachovia

2004 057 E.B. Wilson, St. Lawrence ’53 — businessman; strategist

2004 058 John C. Reppert*, Kansas State ’63 — brigadier general

2005 059 John D. Backe*, Miami ’54 — president, CBS

2005 060 Russell E. Palmer, Michigan State ’56 — dean, Wharton School of Business

2005 061 James A. Collins, UCLA ’50 — chairman, Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc.

2007 062 Hugh L. McColl Jr., North Carolina ’57 — CEO, Bank of America

2007 063 Howard D. Fineman, Colgate ’70 — senior editor, Newsweek; MSNBC analyst

2007 064 James L. Mann, Wichita State ’56 — CEO, SunGard Data Systems, Inc.

2008 065 John W. Warner Jr.*, Washington and Lee ’49 — senator, Virginia

2008 066 Jerry R. Lucas, Ohio State ’62 — hall of fame basketball player

2008 067 William A. Cook*, Northwestern ’53 – medical engineer

2009 068 William J. (Bill) Bowerman* , Oregon ’33 — co-founder, Nike

2010 069 C. William (Bill) Nelson, Florida/Yale ’65— astronaut; senator, Florida

2010 070 Donald L. Cromer, Washington State ’59 — U.S. Air Force lieutenant general

2011 071 William O. Douglas* , Whitman 1920 — associate justice, U.S. Supreme Court

2011 072 Donald E. Petersen, Washington ’46 — chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Co.

2011 073 Donald G. Abbey, Penn State ’70 — founder and CEO, The Abbey Company

2011 074 David C. Mulford, Lawrence ’59 U.S. ambassador to India

2012 075 John E. Warnock, Utah ’61 co-founder, Adobe Systems, Inc.

2012 076 Dale T. Mortensen*, Willamette ’61 Nobel Prize in economic sciences

2013 077 Eric M. Javits, Columbia ’52 U.S. ambassador to the OPCW (The Hague)

2013 078 Raymond E. Mabus Jr., Mississippi ’69 U.S. Navy secretary; U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia; governor, Mississippi

2014 079 Daniel M. Carney, Wichita State ’53 co-founder, Pizza Hut

2015 080 Geoffrey S. Mason, Duke ’63 ESPN/ABC/NBC/Fox/NFL executive producer

2016 081 D. Deloss Dodds, Kansas State ’59 college hall of fame athletic director

2017 082 Shahid Khan, Illinois ’70 business executive; owner, NFL Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham Football Club

2018 083 Walter J. Pories, Wesleyan ’52 surgeon; Holocaust survivor

2018 084 Philip E. Nelson, Purdue ’56 food scientist; World Food Prize laureate

2019 085 Dow H. Finsterwald, Ohio ’52 hall of fame golfer

2019 086 Richard H. Evans, Denver ’66 sports and entertainment executive

2022 087 M. Rivers Rutherford, Mississippi ’89 country music singer-songwriter

* Deceased

MISSION

To develop men of principle for a principled life.

VISION

Every member will live Beta Theta Pi’s values.

CORE VALUES

To build lasting bonds of friendship and brotherhood, Beta calls for:

MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

Betas believe men are mutually obligated to help others in the honorable labors and aspirations of life.

INTELLECTUAL GROWTH

Betas are devoted to continually cultivating their minds, including high standards of academic achievement.

TRUST

Betas develop absolute faith and confidence in one another by being true to themselves and others.

RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT

Betas choose to act responsibly, weighing the consequences of their actions on themselves and those around them.

INTEGRITY

Betas preserve their character by doing what is morally right and demanding the same from their brothers.

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

1. Member Education and Safety

2. Creating a Diverse and Inclusive Brotherhood

3. Fraternity Growth

4. Volunteer Recruitment and Training

5. Alumni Engagement

6. Safe and Competitive Homes