Celebrating the Accomplishments of our Brothers
Robert “Bob” Douglas ’50
and his wife Nancy, were awarded Most Loyal West Virginians Award during Mountaineer Week ceremonies at halftime of the November 6th football game between WVU vs Oklahoma State. Bob and Nancy Douglas, of Charleston, have demonstrated their dedication to West Virginia through nearly a lifetime of service. Bob and Nancy are 1956 graduates of the College of Law and School of Music, respectively. Bob has practiced law for more than 60 years, while Nancy’s career in education spanned 50 years. Beyond their professional endeavors, the couple has been generous with their time and resources. A former WVU Marching Band drum major, Bob served in the U.S. Army and has been actively involved with Boy Scouts of America and his church, First Presbyterian of Charleston. The Douglases are significant contributors to scholarships and facilities at WVU and a variety of community causes they find important, including Charleston’s Clay Center and the Kanawha County Public Library. During the October 3rd Homecoming & Founder’s Day Celebration event at the Erickson Alumni Center, a permanent plaque was unveiled—The Robert E. Douglas Veranda—commemorating the significant donation(s) made during past WV Alpha campaigns.
Charles Mahan ’57
was recognized and honored as the recipient of the 2021 Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) Welch Rose Award for academic public health service. The award recognizes the highest standards of leadership and scholarship in public health…and is considered a lifetime achievement recognition! Mahan, is a Morgantown native, spent a significant portion of his work life in Florida after earning his medical degree from Northwestern University. From 1988-95 Mahan served as Florida’s State Health Officer, before becoming the second Dean of the College of Public Health (COPH) in 1995.
David Hardesty ’64
was inducted into the WVU Order of Vandalia on September 10, 2021. This prestigious award dates to 1960 when WVU President Elvis Stahr outlined his idea for a special honor to be bestowed upon the most loyal servants to West Virginia University. Hardesty has distinguished himself as Student Body President as an undergraduate, the University’s 16th Rhodes Scholar, then serving as President of the University from 1995-2007. At the time of Hardesty’s retirement as President in 2007, WVU enrolled over 34,000 students and maintained several regional campuses. It was also during his reign that over 25 programs were designed to make WVU a more “student-centered” institution. One of these was the Mountaineer Parent’s Club, which was founded and chaired by Susan Hardesty.
Rick Wagener ’69
along with his wife Jay, have contributed a major gift of $1 million to the WVU baseball program. For their generosity, the Wageners’ namesake will be recognized on the field beginning in 2022, and known as Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark. “It’s gifts like this one from Rick and Jay Wagener that help our athletics department compete at the highest level,” Director of Athletics Shane Lyons said. “They met at West Virginia University as freshmen and never forgot their Mountaineer beginnings. The Wageners have been very generous to our department and baseball program through the years, and it’s going to be special to see the Wagener name on the field. To honor Rick and Jay, our goal is to make Wagener Field at Monongalia County Ballpark one of the best home-field advantages in college baseball.” “Rick was a tremendous player at West Virginia and into his pro career and has become a great friend and supporter to this program,” WVU baseball coach Randy Mazey said. “The generosity between him and his wife, Jay, is extremely appreciated, both to the team, as well as me personally. I want to thank them for all they have done for Mountaineer baseball.” Rick Wagener, who is a 1971 graduate with a degree in industrial management from WVU’s College of Business & Economics and former member of the WVU baseball team, serves as the managing partner and registered principal at Wagener-Lee, LLC, a financial and investment advisor located in Columbia, Maryland. In all, he has practiced comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management for more than 30 years. Prior to that, Wagener spent three seasons in the New York Mets organization from 1971-73, after being selected by the club in the second round of the 1971 January Secondary Draft. Wagener, a left-handed pitcher from Linthicum, Maryland, finished with an impressive 16-3 overall record and a 1.79 ERA at West Virginia from 1968-71. He tossed 156 career innings at WVU, totaling 193 strikeouts in 26 career outings. Wagener was WVU’s strikeouts leader for three straight seasons from 1969-71, and led the club in wins in 1971. All time, he ranks No. 2 in program history in strikeouts per nine innings (11.13) and No. 5 in career ERA (1.79). Of note, Wagener was the first-ever freshman to play at the varsity level for the Mountaineers in 1968.
Rick Pill ’70
was recognized by the WVU College of Law as a recipient of the 2021 Lawyers & Leaders Award. After graduating from WVU College of Law in 1977, Pill honed his legal skills at a small Martinsburg practice. The Martinsburg region’s burgeoning real estate market presented an opportunity for Rick and his brother Dave Pill ’74 to join forces as Pill and Pill, PLLC in 1982. For nearly 40 years the brothers’ practice has focused on residential and commercial real estate settlements, acting as a trustee for conducting foreclosures throughout the state. As part of his practice, Pill also keeps an eye on the bigger picture regarding West Virginia’s legal and real estate industries. “I think the biggest impact I have had on the real estate field has been helping start and continue the West Virginia Real Estate Lawyers Association,” he says. Brother Pill cites his experience in Phi Psi with steering his “rudderless early undergraduate years” in a more fulfilling direction. “I had no intention of going to law school during that time but when I was a junior, seven members of Phi Kappa Psi started law school and encouraged me to do the same,” noted Pill. In gratitude to his WVU experience and idyllic Morgantown upbringing, Pill established a $25,000 WVU College of Law endowment geared toward Phi Kappa Psi affiliated law students. Pill currently serves on the university’s board of governors as well as the law school visiting committee.
Zach Mendelson ’79
was part of the Gamma Class of Inductees of the WVU Greek Hall of Fame during the October 1st Ceremony, held at the Erickson Alumni Center. “Honored and humbled” were the two words Mendelson used to describe his feelings when he was informed earlier this year of his selection.
Mendelson, who was initiated into WV Alpha in 1979, has been involved with the chapter on multiple levels for 40 years. After serving as a two-term president of the chapter in 1981, he immediately rotated onto the House Corporation in 1982 when he began graduate school, and has served on this board continuously. In 1985, he took the pen as editor of the chapter newsletter, Mountaineer Phi Psi, for which he is now in his 36th year.
In the early 2000’s Mendelson was introduced to Jerry Nelson UCLA ’48, who was organizing a National Mentoring Program for Phi Kappa Psi. Through this introduction, Mendelson became the catalyst in organizing four alumni trips to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. These trips ultimately assisted the chapter fundraising efforts. This introduction to Brother Nelson also became a main driver to Mendelson becoming involved with the Nelson Leadership Institute, where he now serves as chair of the Wineman Mentoring Advantage Program Committee.
In 2014, Mendelson was the chief organizer of the chapter’s biennial Pinehurst Alumni Event. “The intent of Pinehurst was to find a venue that many of our alumni could drive to attend and include a multitude of events that all could enjoy. We had forty-five attendees in year one. In June of this year (2021), eighty-two attended. It is my goal to have over 100 attendees in 2023,” noted Mendelson.
