TRIANGLE: A CENTURY OF FAMILY TRADITION - When my dad Lewis McDonald joined the first pledge class of the Illinois Chapter of Triangle Fraternity in 1907, he likely never envisioned that both I and his granddaughter would continue in his footsteps.  I joined the Purdue Chapter in 1940 and my daughter, Abby, was the founder of Phi Sigma Rho, which has been Triangle’s sister sorority since 1984.

Even though my father has since passed into Chapter Eternal, I continue to try to live up to the values my father instilled in me and that helped solidify Triangle in its infancy, which would eventually become the Code of Ethics.  I tried to pass on those values from dad, my (former Purdue) Chapter Adviser Elias Sabbagh, and my experiences with Triangle on to my daughter, Abby.  That is why it is of little surprise that Abby and a few of her female engineering friends started Phi Sigma Rho when they were unable to participate in traditional rush due to the demands of their major.  In trying to start this new sorority Abby turned to me as well as the Purdue Chapter of Triangle for advice on how to turn her vision into a reality.  Twenty-four years later the bond between Triangle and Phi Sigma Rho is as strong as ever, assisting each other in various expansion efforts and having joint conventions. 

One of the strongest overarching principles that has bonded my family to Triangle over the last century has consistently been its values and the importance of education.  Just as important to my formal education at Purdue was the influence of the Chapter’s academic advisor, Elias Sabbagh who had such an impact on the men of Chapter’s lives he touched, like me, that there is a scholarship in his memory for the men of Purdue. Overall, my advice to the active brothers of Triangle would be to encourage each and every man to continue to strive towards reaching their academic potential with a lifelong focus on learning and education.  Also, I encourage the men to be proud that they are members of a fraternity different from any other in specific academic focus, which is why I continue to strongly support the Triangle Education Foundation in its scholarly mission of investing in the future professionals in the fields of engineering, architecture, and the sciences.

Lewis A. McDonald pur40