Wall of Fame Recipients

• Henry Loft 1885 • Everett “Tip” Olive 1905 • Frank Luther Mott 1905 • Harold Pote 1913 • Kenneth “Moco” Mercer 1922 • Bill Buxton 1924 • Wendell Tutt 1926 • Herrold Mann 1928 • C. Max Miller 1937 • Jim Weinman 1946

2009 Inductees

John L. (Jack) Latimer ‘37

Once upon a time all fraternity men were required to sing fraternity songs during formal occasions and also for sorority serenades. We also sang “unauthorized” songs at less formal occasions, but that’s a story for another time. All of the ATO songs we sang came straight out of the ATO Songbook (show book).

One of the most notable composers of several ATO songs was our own Jack Latimer. His most notable song which many in the fraternity world feel is the most beautiful fraternity sweetheart songs ever written, “Sweetheart of ATO.” Jack wrote the music to the song, and Oklahoma ATO, alum Tracy Word, wrote the lyrics after they met at the dedication of the ATO Fountain at VMI in 1940 during the 75th ATO Congress in Richmond, VA.

Jack spent his entire working career in Hollywood as a voice coach and composer. He worked on many movie musicals and coached several notable Hollywood stars including Mitzi Gaynor, Diana Shore, and Mary Tyler Moore.

Robert J. Samson ‘33

After receiving his degree in business and economics at Simpson, Bob attended Harvard where he received his MBA in 1938. During WWII Bob joined the US Navy and served as a supply officer in many locations and ended his service career in the South Pacific as a Lieutenant in 1946.

After WWII Bob returned to Simpson and taught economics until 1951 when he left to join the accounting firm of Arthur Young and Company as personnel director for the Kansas City office. He rose up the ladder with Arthur Young holding positions in Kansas City, Phoenix, and New York (as the head of the personnel division for the entire company) before returning to Kansas City as the International Personnel Director the position he held at his retirement.

Bob always had many outside interests while working for Arthur Anderson, but his two most loved volunteer areas were Simpson College and Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. Bob was always involved with both organizations and held many leadership positions with both throughout his lifetime.

For Simpson he was a two term Vice President of the National Alumni Council, Chair of the Kansas City Alumni Association, Chair of the Simpson Metropolitan New York Alumni Association and represented Simpson at the inauguration of the president of Drew University (another Methodist related college in New Jersey). He was awarded a Simpson Alumni Achievement Award for his volunteer work on behalf of the college in 1972.

His volunteer work for ATO included two stints as a Province Chief – Province XI (Iowa/Nebraska) and Province XVIII (Kansas/Missouri). He also served a short tenure as Special Assistant to the Worth Grand Chief at a time when the Province Chief system was being reworked. He was a loyal supporter of Beta Alpha as well returning to the Chapter House when his busy schedule permitted. He was always on the lookout for talented ATO’s who were accounting majors and would often ask undergrads to send him their resume’s if they were interested in Arthur Young as a option after graduation.

Bob loved Tri Delts! He must have, he married two. His first wife Fayne Hylton’ 38 a Simpson DDD died in 1984. His second wife Bobbi was a Tri Delt at Iowa State and she has also passed away. Bob had two adopted children with Fayne and three step children with Bobbi. His adopted daughter Julie (also deceased) was the fourth generation in the family to attend Simpson.

One year prior to his death Bob and Bobbi reworked their endowed scholarship at Simpson and dedicated it completely to a member of the Beta Alpha Chapter. Each year one member of the Chapter who is a business, economics, or business management major may qualify for the Bob Sampson ATO Endowed Scholarship.

D. Robert Downing ‘60

Bob has done more to maintain and remodel the physical structure of the ATO House than any one human being! From the many remodelings of the current computer room, which has been in former lives – the TV Room where many of us watched the only TV in the House – a wet bar that would be the envy of any Man Cave you see today on many of the cable remodeling shows – and a study room. That little corner of the House has seen many lives. Bob and his company, Downing Construction, have also helped with the construction, and reconstruction of the ATO Deck (currently the largest deck in Warren County). Under a contract with the college Downing Construction did the total remodeling of the three original fraternity houses that the college undertook a few years ago.

Bob and his wife Ardene, have been tremendous leaders in the Indianola Community, for Simpson College, and for their respective Greek Chapters for many years. Bob was first elected to the Simpson Board of Trustees in 1977. He was chair of the student affairs committee from 1983-90, secretary of the Board in 1989-90, chair of the business and finance committee from 1991-99 and chair of the Board of Trustees from 1999-2003. For all of his tireless work on behalf of the college Simpson awarded Bob and Honorary Doctorate in May of 2003.

Dr. Bob Downing has also been chair of the Iowa Homebuilders Association, Chair of People’s Trust and Savings Bank. Bob has also been actively involved with the National Balloon Museum, the Warren County Development Board and First Methodist Church in Indianola, where he is currently attempting to complete a major capital campaign for the church.

During all of this activity, Bob has always made time to attend as many Beta Alpha alumni activities as possible and we are grateful that he and Ardene have remained as loyal to ATO as they are to Pi Phi!

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