Scholarship Programs - Alpha Nu Omega Alumni Association

The Alpha Nu Omega Alumni Association is organized primarily for education and scholarship purposes as provided for under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Alumni Association provides scholarships to qualified active members of the fraternity. An endowment fund supported by our membership has been created to assist the organization with long term funding of these programs. Recipients are selected on the basis of academic success, fraternity participation (fraternity and campus/community service) and need. The emphasis of these selection criteria varies with each award program.

The Alpha Nu Omega Alumni Association Scholarship Fund has been created by formal agreement with UMD and ratification of this agreement by the University Of Minnesota Foundation. The endowment fund for this scholarship is administered by the University of Minnesota Foundation. The fund is invested in accordance with the investment principles of the University of Minnesota Foundation for endowment funds and grows along with donations from members of the Alumni Association and fund investments. Each year a set percentage of the Alpha Fund is allocated for scholarship purposes in accordance with this agreement.

The University also established the Reaching Higher Scholarship Program, which adds a significant additional fixed amount to the Fund. The combined annual payout made available for scholarship distribution from the Alpha Nu Omega Alumni Association Scholarship Fund is determined by the Foundation’s Spending policy as defined by its Board of Trustees. To date over $160,000 in scholarships have been rewarded. The Fund interest and Reaching Higher contribution have not kept up with tuition cost and needs to expand through significant donations from our membership. The Alumni Association currently promotes an aggressive program to significantly increase the Fund to give meaningful scholarship awards.

Three separate scholarships have been created with different selection criteria:

THE JOHN L. BANKS III MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

On March 29, 1966, John L. Banks died when his C-130 crashed in Vietnam. John exemplified the achievement of Alpha’s objectives: academic success, active participation in the fraternity and other organizations and a strong personal allegiance to his Brothers. Following his death, the Alumni Association named the “John L. Banks Memorial Scholarship” in his honor.

THE DARYL B. KNODT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

In the years that followed, alumni became increasingly sensitive to the extra efforts of some Alphas who have worked hard for the fraternity and were in need of financial assistance to continue their efforts. This scholarship was added in 1977 with an emphasis on fraternity participation and need. The scholarship was named for Daryl Brooks Knodt, a very active and loyal member of Alpha who died in a car accident on December 21, 1968. Brooks was a former president of Alpha and beloved brother. His contributions to the fraternity have been memorialized by the establishment of the Daryl B. Knodt Memorial Scholarship.

THE WARREN F. ORRICK MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

During the 1960s, Alphas were often involved in many fraternity, school and community activities. One of the more active was Warren “Butch” Orrick. Always eager, Butch provided the motivation (and often the “place”) for the next event. Butch died on July 14, 1990. In respect for Butch’s high level of participation and academic success, the Warren F. Orrick Memorial Scholarship has been created.

2025-26 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

The Alpha Alumni Association held its scholarship banquet on April 26, 2025 in Duluth where we awarded $16,000 in scholarships to select members of the Active Chapter. Our primary mission is to support our Active Chapter with scholarship moneys derived from our Alpha Alumni Association Scholarship Fund going to deserving members based on their academics, fraternity involvement and need. Each spring the Alumni Scholarship Selection Committee reviews applicants and then makes selections and monetary recommendations for scholarship awards for the following academic year.

Alpha is the only fraternity on campus that has scholarships awarded to its members. That attracts and keeps high level students to continue the excellence of the organization on campus and ultimately to our Alumni Association.

To culminate this scholarship award process, each year we have instituted a Scholarship Awards Banquet attended by alumni and actives both with and without significant others. This banquet includes a ceremony where the new scholarship recipients are honored for their accomplishments and presented with their awards. Also included at this event is an Alpha blazer coating ceremony for new members initiated by John Erickson. In addition, this is a chance for our two organizations to share their activities and goals for this and the coming year. And of course this is also a chance to converse with Brothers young and old to engender a personal connection and discover the bonds that tie us to this organization we call Alpha.

This year there were five scholarship recipients who were presented with their awards by Alumni Scholarship Chairman Isaac Winter: