Fraternity Life Translates into Successful Career for Eberhart ‘92
by Patrick McAlister '10
Most brothers in a fraternity end their day to day connections with their fraternity after their undergraduate years end. For Garth Eberhart ’92, that was not the case. The Columbia City, Indiana native is an assistant executive vice president of Delta Tau Delta International, coordinating the organizations membership services. "I just love working with college students," Eberhart said. "I just keep getting older and they all stay 18-23."  An English major, Eberhart began with Delta Tau Delta International after Wabash graduation. For the first two years, he worked as a traveling consultant and then was promoted to Director of Leadership Development and in 1996 to his current post of assistant executive vice president in charge of membership services.
As the point person on membership, Eberhart constantly deals with the sometimes tenuous relationship between Delt chapters and colleges. "My primary job is maintaining the relationship with colleges and universities," he said. "I try to make sure our chapters stay in their good graces." "It’s kind of like applying the Gentleman’s rule coast to coast, making sure that our guys are being good students on their campuses, which has its challenges at times." When situations arise where the relationship is contentious, it is Eberhart’s responsibility to step in and assist the chapter in what he calls risk management. "If they (the Delt chapter) do get themselves in trouble," Eberhart said, "I help them work through that. I deal a lot with the colleges from a judicial process." Eberhart understands when the situation requires legal action, and obtains counsel as soon as necessary. Eberhart acknowledged the fraternity-college administration relationship is especially strong at Wabash. That, according to Eberhart, is because of the trust invested into Wabash men through the Gentleman’s Rule. "When I deal with most other colleges and universities," Eberhart said, "they have got a book that’s an inch or two thick from student code of conduct to the judicial process. The process at Wabash is that you go and meet the Dean. Wabash has much simpler rules." The fraternity operates much like a business in the sense that prospective brothers are consumers shopping for what they perceive as the highest quality good. A way many students measure the quality of a fraternity is through their housing options. "You have to have competitive housing for students because they expect it," Eberhart said. "They don’t want to live in a dirty fraternity housing. That is what is forcing Wabash into doing what they are doing. The collaborative partnership between the school and the alumni which helps the students and makes sure the college is competitive." Although Eberhart’s career has provided plenty of travel, Delta Tau Delta has 117 chapters across the country, Eberhart still had time to get his MBA from Butler University. He also enjoys antique vehicles, including a ’51 Chevy he had back at Wabash and still owns. "It looks a little bit better now then it did then," Eberhart said. "I was a poor college student back then trying to just have enough money to pay for gas." Eberhart understands the sometimes contentious relationship between a college and fraternity chapter has greatly changed since first Delta Tau Delta chapter was founded in 1858. "The expectations are higher in terms of any given fraternity chapter being a good asset," he said. "Colleges and universities are less tolerant of deviant behavior, if a chapter or membership wont comply, they kick them off." "The stakes are much higher these days and that’s my job security. That’s my niche, and that’s what I do."
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