From 1979 until his graduation in 1982, Jim lived in the Delta Chi house. During his first year, his roommate was Greg “Pode” Roda ’83 — they lived in the basement. For the next two years, he would live in “Bear’s Room.” One of his best memories is of a particular stealth operation in the backyard of the house with Brother Roda. “We buried Greg’s motorcycle in the backyard. It didn’t run, and he didn’t know how to get rid of it. So, we buried it.” Inquiring minds want to know — is it still there?
As Jim reflects on his Delta Chi days, he remembers that the house was in relatively good shape as compared to other houses on campus. The brothers studied hard and played hard. And, they had the best cook on campus — John “JR” Russell. In addition to JR’s exceptionally tasty meals, he has fond memories of the camaraderie of his brothers and awards received during chapter meetings (the “light” and the “dork”). However, there is one aspect of Delta Chi life that has impressed him the most: the decision by Delta Chi national officials to be the first fraternity nationally to ban hazing.
Following graduation, Jim went to work with Merrill Lynch in Atlanta, Ga. Greg Roda was from Atlanta, and his family helped Jim get settled. Other brothers, including Steve Hook ’82, Mark “Buns” Dunning ’84, Scott Walls ’83 and Frank Morrey ’64, soon located to the Southeast. They have since dispersed to different parts of the country.
Jim has worked for Merrill Lynch (acquired by Bank of America 2009) for 32 years where he has held a variety of positions in finance, operations, technology and sales. In 2003, he obtained an MBA from New York University. Currently, he is a director in Merrill Lynch’s U.S. wealth management business responsible for financial advisory recognition and compensation programs. One note of interest is that Jim was on one of the last PATH trains into the World Trade Center on the morning of 9/11. He spent the day getting back to his home in New Jersey, which he was able to do by ferry at the end of the day. Read his 9/11 story in this eDelta.
In 1989, Jim and wife, Kay, were married. They have two grown daughters: Rebecca (23) and Caroline (21). He counts his family and career as his biggest successes. In his downtime, he enjoys snow skiing, golf, traveling and work working. Jim also runs the annual charity golf outing on behalf of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“I want people to remember that I tried to make the world a better place and improve the lives of others,” he says. “To my younger Delta Chi brothers, I would say: Follow the Golden Rule, live long and prosper (the Vulcan creed) and have fun!”
