Chris Anderson, Badge #1
Thousands experience the thrill of joining Phi Psi, but only some get to found a chapter. Chris Anderson Butler ‘71 is badge #1, which he jokingly insists is because of alphabetical order. Don’t let his humor fool you, however, as Chris became Chapter President. He’d gathered friends against hazing, who emphasized reasonable scholarship, and collaborated to establish Butler University’s first Phi Psi colony. A business major, Chris continued to law school and practiced as an attorney including a few years with Bill Groth Butler ‘71.
Even after graduating, Chris attended homecoming events and joined the housing corporation. He helped organize the building of the current house for Indiana Zeta. He also served as the second “house mom” at the 46th Street, by the governor’s mansion. Characters from this time come to life in Chris’ stories. Such as Brother Batman Butler ‘71 sleeping under the stairs, and ‘house mom’ Jack Hittle Butler ‘71 living on the edge of their property—mere steps away from the governor’s back door. Even the current house’s original architect, Mark Swanson, Chris described hanging out with the Phi Psis, and is still a friend today!
Marriage and divorce led Chris through life’s choppy waters, and he decided that a calm sea never made a fine sailor. Buying a houseboat, he took to living on the water, riding waves of independence on the St. Johns River in Florida. He added, “I don’t enjoy the ocean that much after my river experience.”
Phi Kappa Psi proved sturdier than the changing tides, as Chris would still attend Founders Day and other Phi Psi events to connect with brothers, new and old.
Chris eventually made landfall in Mexico, living in near perfect weather at 5000 feet elevation. When Chris needed an operation and returned home to the US, he received a Brown Seguard Syndrome diagnosis, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He strives for healing no matter the odds, working with physical therapists, in hopes of attending future Phi Psi events.
From starting a chapter against the trends of hazing and bracing against the tides of life, Chris is solid in his core values and perseverance. By rechartering Butler, Phi Psi rings in a new era, encouraging Phi Psis of today and tomorrow to embrace the brotherly roots planted by Chris and the founding members of Indiana Zeta.
Would you like to be featured in a future issue of The Daily Dawg? Or do you know someone who has had a memorable career or life since graduation? Email and let us know at lgf@pkpfoundation.org.