Byron N. Vermillion (1948 - 2000)
Byron Vermillion was a Charter Member of Kappa Phi, part of the Alpha pledge class and the Ninth badge of the Epsilon Nu Chapter of Delta Tau Delta, initiated on December 10, 1968.
As a member of early Kappa Phi and later as as Delt, Byron always cared about his fellow brothers and the direction of the chapter. He truly donated his time, talents and treasure for our betterment.
As an alumnus, Byron served for several years as Chapter Advisor and a very active member of the Kappa Phi Building Corporation. He was an essential part of the team that was responsible for the 1999 expansion of the shelter. Byron provided great insight, was a stickler for details and was always the advocate for providing future Delts at Epsilon Nu -- 'My Safest Shelter'.
Although Byron was able to see the groundbreaking and the finished product of his labor, he joined the Chapter Eternal at the young age of 52. On September 19, 2000, Byron was killed in a tragic automobile accident along Interstate 44 near Pacific Missouri. Byron's pledge beanie cap was personally donated at his last homecoming. sealed in our chapters time-capsule.
Byron's family agreed to allow us to memorialize his life in the form of an annual Scholarship given in his name. Pledges and undergraduate Delts can apply for awards from the fund based upon financial need and have to pass a panel of Kappa Phi members.
Byron is survived by his wife Terry and their two children. 'My Brother, your work is done.'
Byron N. Vermillion Memorial Scholarship Fund
The tax deductible fund was established in 2002 with the permission of the Vermillion family and is sponsored by the Miner Alumni Association of the Missouri University of Science and Technology. More specific information about the fund is listed below:
1. How will my donations be used?
All donations to the scholarship fund will be used to award scholarships to undergraduate Delts attending the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
2. How are disbursements awarded?
The recipient(s) of the scholarship(s) shall be selected by the Board of Directors of Kappa Phi Building Corporation. Qualified applicants must be undergraduate members of Epsilon Nu Chapter of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity who are in good standing with both the international fraternity and the chapter and are currently enrolled at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. Preference shall be given to qualified applicants who strongly exhibit qualities consistent with the mission and values of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.
3. How are the funds invested?
For the purposes of investment only, the monies of this fund may be commingled with other funds of the Miner (formerly MSM-UMR) Alumni Association.
4. How do I donate to the fund?
You can mail a check to the Miner Alumni Association (see 5, 6) or you can go online to: http://alumni.mst.edu/giving/waystogive.html and select "Give to the Miner Alumni Association". You can register or log in and donate by filling out the requested information on the page. Please make sure to put: "Delta Tau Delta - Byron N. Vermillion Scholarship Fund" in the Include any comment on the gift section.
5. If I pay by Check, who do I make checks payable to?
Checks should be made out to the Miner Alumni Association, with a note that it is for the Delta Tau Delta - Byron N. Vermillion Scholarship Fund (I am sure it is ok to abbreviate).
6. Where do I mail my donations, who can I contact?
Donations to the scholarship fund should be mailed to:
Miner Alumni Association
Attn: Delta Tau Delta Scholarship Fund
107 Castleman Hall
400 W. 10th St.
Rolla, MO 65409
(573) 341-4145
alumni@mst.edu
7. Can donations be given through methods other than online or writing checks?
Yes, the Association accepts stocks for transfer and sale; MasterCard, Visa and Discover for either one-time or automatic gifts each quarter, month, etc.; and arrangements can be made for direct debit of checking accounts. To make these arrangements please contact the Miner Alumni Association office directly.
8. How are contributions acknowledged?
Each donor will receive a thank you acknowledgment letter from the alumni association about 2 weeks after the donations are received.
9. How will donations be applied toward lifetime giving?
Gifts to this fund will be credited to alumni and friends as part of their lifetime giving to MST and/or the Miner Alumni Association. Kappa Phi Building Corporation will also credit donations to the scholarship fund towards lifetime gifts to Kappa Phi.
10. How has the return on investment funds been?
In the past few GOOD years, the endowment fund was running 6-8%. In the past two years, endowment funds have suffered the same as everyone else who had money invested in conservative bank trusts or mutual funds - some interest/dividend income has been earned, and the bonds have held up, but overall the fund has lost money. Because of the size of the Alumni Association's endowment fund as a whole, the losses suffered haven't been as much as some.
11. What are the procedures for awarding scholarships?
The appropriate representative at Kappa Phi Building Corporation notifies the Alumni Office and the Student Financial Aid Office of the student who should receive the scholarship and what semester(s) he is to receive it, and they'll take it from there. The funds will automatically be credited to the student's MST account, provided he picks up his scholarship materials at the Alumni Office at the requested time (we'll email the student to remind him to come by). The selection criteria and application procedures are left to the discretion of the Kappa Phi Building Corporation.
12. What if I have other questions?
Questions can be referred us or directly to the Miner Alumni Association directly at the address above. You can also e-mail the entire Board of Directors of Kappa Phi Building Corporation through the following address: dtd-en-hcboard@kappa-phi.org.
Thank you for your support of Epsilon Nu Chapter of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity and Kappa Phi Building Corporation. We hope that this message has adequately answered any questions that you might have with regards to our scholarship program.