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Kappa Omega Tau Excellence Fund
KOT established the C. Alton and Patricia B. Hassell Kappa Omega Tau Excellence Fund in 2021 through the fundraising efforts of this Baylor University social-service fraternity. Once this permanent endowment is funded, earnings from the account will be used to support Kappa Omega Tau’s participation and success in campus activities including, but not limited to, all-university events, campus traditions, service, or mission trips
About Kappa Omega Tau
Kappa Omega Tau (KΩT), known as the Knights of Tradition, was chartered on November 6, 1960. KΩT has grown from seventeen charter members to the present 1,854 (number of actives and alumni combined). KΩT's primary purpose has always been to conduct itself in excellence, imagination, friendship, and most importantly, service. Each member is an individual contributor to KΩT and to the innovative, progressive, and rewarding character around which it is molded. KΩT thrives on tradition, yet always believes in adding to it.
About Dr. Alton (Doc) & Patricia Hassell
Dr. Alton Hassell, affectionately known as Doc, passionately served Kappa Omega Tau as a sponsor for twenty-six outstanding years. Doc, who pledged KOT as a sophomore at Baylor in the Spring of 1966, grew up in Seagraves, Texas, and was valedictorian of his high school while also lettering in football, track, and basketball and being a regional champion in science contests. His success in these contests allowed him to receive the Welch Scholarship for Chemistry, which gave him the opportunity to go to Baylor University. This set the course for his major and his career, as he would go on to earn bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and physics at Baylor, followed by a doctorate at Texas A&M University in nuclear chemistry.
While an undergraduate at Baylor, Doc took great pride in being in choir and in KOT. While he could have graduated after four years with his major in chemistry, Doc loved Baylor so much that he decided to come back another year, electing to add a physics major. At this time, he also decided to propose to his girlfriend at the time, Patricia, who he had met sophomore year and was customarily thrown into the fountain on campus by his KOT brothers in celebration of their engagement. They got married just before their last year at Baylor. In each of their final years, they both stayed active as leaders in their roles on campus, Doc in KOT, becoming treasurer, and Patricia in her sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon. She was a home economics major at Baylor and went on to take many different roles, including teaching in high school, staying at home with their two kids, Clint and Sharina, running an interior design company, teaching at Baylor, and being the CEO of a fashion company, Dapper Bear Clothiers.
After graduating from A&M, Doc taught there temporarily for six years before receiving a job teaching math at Baylor. Soon, he got a position teaching chemistry which he taught until he retired, but also took stints teaching physics and archeology. This made him a professor in four different departments, a feat which is almost unheard of among university professors. One of Doc’s proudest accomplishments as a professor was being a tour speaker for the American Chemical Society where he enjoyed getting to travel the world while giving talks as an expert on chemistry. He was also the Director of Undergraduate Programs in the chemistry department for three years, serving as one of the first directors of undergraduate programs in Baylor University’s history, paving the way for many who would come after him.
Both credit much of their success to each other, Doc grateful for the way Patricia supported he and the family as he spent extra time away as KOT sponsor and as a traveling speaker for the American Chemical Society and Patricia for the way Doc has continually helped with the operation of Dapper Bear Clothiers.
