ROBERT RIVERA BELOVED LA VALLEY TEACHER

Robert Rivera - Gift to the Archives of The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2009 (click on image to enlarge)

As the Phi Delta Psi Fraternity was entering its second year, a student Rowland LoBianco and his speech teacher Bob Rivera became friends. Bob, who was a devoted Sigma Alpha Epsion alumnus from the University of Southern California, became interested in his students' effort to build a "real" Fraternity at Los Angeles Valley and Pierce Colleges. Though it was likely against school rules, he became the de-facto advisor of the local fraternity. He was instrumental in Phi Delta Psi's California State University Northridge Gamma Chapter's decision to affiliate with SAE.
After his retirement from Valley College, Bob became a speech teacher at LaVerne University, where he assisted in creating a chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon on that campus.
Because of his influence many Phi Delta Psi Brothers joined SAE at USC.
Many of Bob's students from Valley College entered the film and television industries.