When longtime High Pi and dedicated volunteer Bob Walrafen (Kansas, ‘73) passed away in May 2020, it left more than an empty chair at Chapter meetings. For the University of Kansas (Zeta-Iota Zeta), his passing left a deep void in leadership, momentum, and especially spirit.
Patrick Dipman (Kansas, ‘07) and Walrafen met in the mid-2000s when Dipman was a recent graduate, decades after Bob, brought together by their shared love for the University of Kansas and their commitment to the Chapter. Though they were decades apart in age, the two forged a friendship that was as much about service as it was about camaraderie.
Dipman recalled his now teenage daughter teasing him once at the dinner table, asking why all his Fraternity friends were either “really old or really young.” He explained to her that through volunteering, he’d had the unique gift of mentoring younger Brothers while also still learning from those with far more experience. Trying to explain that to a child (at the time), though, is another story.
Obviously, Walrafen was a beloved Member of the Chapter and one of those “seasoned” mentors, someone who understood that serving the Chapter was never about personal recognition, but about lifting others up. He did it all with a can of Mountain Dew never far from his reach, a running joke among those who knew him well: a small but perfect symbol of the energy he brought.
The annual golf tournament (now named the Bob Walrafen Classic,) a long-standing tradition, took on new meaning for many Alumni in recent years as a way to reconnect. It celebrated both the Chapter and honored the people who had poured so much into its success over the years (Walrafen among them).
When Walrafen passed, it left a noticeable gap in leadership. That’s when Dipman stepped in to carry forward the mantle of High Pi. After taking on the role, Dipman got right to work with a glaring issue.
“As I started plugging away and getting more involved with our House Corporation board, I started thinking: the key to any Chapter success is its Alumni support and active involvement,” Dipman recalled. “That’s something Bob was striving to do and when we lost him, it was honestly like a lightning rod for us. Bob’s not here to carry us anymore.”
After losing Walrafen and coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chapter was struggling to stay afloat. They had no house, though they did own a small plot of land (the last Greek-zoned lot left on campus), and only about 10 active Undergraduate Members. Without housing, strong numbers, or steady Alumni leadership, the future certainly looked uncertain. This left the Chapter with a tough choice: sell the lot and walk away or commit to the long road of raising the funds for a new Chapter house.
Zeta-Iota chose the latter.
It started small, with a lot coming in from initial personal outreach, anything from Zoom reunions, email newsletters, phone calls, and in-person visits. It was all to get the Brothers reconnected.
In just a few years, the Chapter grew from roughly 10 Active Members to around 40, with a goal of reaching 50 by the next semester. Fundraising for the new house has already surpassed $2 million toward an original $3.25 million goal, a project that has since grown to more than double the size. Today, less than $800,000 remains before the Chapter can officially break ground. What was once a tough decision about a Greek-zoned lot is now a centerpiece of Zeta-Iota’s future.
A big piece of that progress comes from the strength of the Alumni leadership teams. Since Walrafen’s passing, several Brothers stepped up to ensure the vision stayed alive. Kevin Cowan (Kansas, ‘73), who was serving as Vice President of the Housing Corporation, stepped in during one of the Chapter’s most uncertain moments.
Cowan took over as President from June 2020 to May 2025, guiding the effort through the immediate aftermath. Cowan, a fellow architect and Walrafen’s best friend, stepped in to lead the project’s design. In Bob’s absence, Cowan took on the role with determination, knowing how important the vision was to his friend. His leadership became both a professional contribution and a personal tribute, ensuring that the plans he and Walrafen had often discussed moved forward.
That year also saw Richard Winter (Kansas, ‘79) join the effort, first as a member of the Housing Corporation before becoming President of the Chapter’s Educational Foundation. Working closely with Dipman, Cowan, and other Board members, Winter helped move the Chapter from a survival phase to a place where progress was possible. That steady work built credibility for the project and showed other Alumni it was worth seeing through.
“My time in the Lambda Chi house at KU positively impacted my whole life,” stated Winter. “I know that I would never have been as successful without the experiences and guidance I had while in the house.
“For our Chapter to remain successful at KU, I knew that we needed a house on campus, and I was driven to make this happen for future Brothers.”
Slowly but surely, that consistency proved to pay off. Over the course of that first summer of 2020, Winter began asking questions and helped step up, first joining the Housing Corporation and later stepping over to the local Educational Foundation to serve as the President.
Gordon Ho (Kansas, ‘94), current President of the Housing Board, and Chris Costello (Kansas, ‘95), Vice President and lead financial advisor, have helped steer fundraising and planning with steady hands. By the time Ho and Costello joined the leadership team, the groundwork had been laid. Ho brought a strong financial mind and the ability to talk numbers in a way that resonated with potential supporters. Both being seasoned sales professionals, it was a perfect fit for the next phase the project required. Along with the rest of the Alumni, they’re now driving the Chapter toward its ambitious goal.
The work hasn’t been limited to money and membership. Alumni like Ray Buckingham (Baylor, ‘90), have brought membership programs to the Chapter, helping Undergraduate Members focus on values, personal growth, and build on the values that Lambda Chi Alpha teaches. Dipman has watched these programs give younger Members someone to turn to when life gets complicated, sometimes even before they reach out to him.
Buckingham’s mentorship program is based on the same Christian principles Lambda Chi Alpha was founded on, which has allowed the young Brothers to connect further with him.
“These guys are so connected with Ray, that he often times knows more about their day-to-day lives and what they’re struggling with than I do,” Dipman said. “He’s having intimate conversations and helping them find ways to support one another.”
A piece of Buckingham’s mentorship has been offering an afternoon of fishing together for those Brothers who have gone through the mentorship program that includes fishing, grilling burgers, and trading stories. A program that started as a trial run has turned into an occasion for Brothers to connect, learn from each other, and strengthen the bond that ties them together. It’s one of several touchpoints throughout the year. The Chapter comes together for tailgates, homecoming celebrations, and various fundraisers, each event reinforcing that momentum that keeps pushing them further.
For Dipman, the reason to keep going is bigger than just the Chapter.
“I’m competitive, so I want to see things through. I deeply value the friendships and lessons I learned as an Undergraduate Member, and I only continue to see those lessons applied in my life as I continue to age,” Dipman said.
That belief drives the mission, whether it’s building from essentially the ground up, improving academic accountability, or bringing the Alumni back together. The goal is always the same: create a Chapter culture that lasts. The hope is not just to build a house, but to create a blueprint for other struggling Chapters to follow and serve as a model of how consistent, small actions can lead to lasting change.
“It’s just continuing to show up and do the little work because it’s going to lead to big things,” Dipman proclaimed.
Today, the Zeta-Iota Zeta of University of Kansas is not only surviving, but it’s being rebuilt to move towards a stronger future. For Dipman, that’s the best way to honor Walrafen’s memory.
“I truly believe we’re going to get this Chapter house built,” Dipman says. “But more than that, we’re building a culture of involvement and Brotherhood that will last. That’s the real legacy Bob left us.”
