Bob Nation '72

Although originally from a small town in southern Illinois, Bob Nation graduated from Rincon High School in Tucson and proudly became a Fiji pledge in the fall semester of 1968. While at UArizona, he was a member of the Varsity Wrestling Team, several SUAB committees, and served as Sophomore Class President. As a senior he had the unique experience and honor to work as an assistant in Vice President Marvin D. “Swede” Johnson’s office, which gave him great respect for our University. He was also selected as a member of Sophos and Chain Gang men’s honoraries.

Upon graduation and having participated in ROTC, Bob was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and went on active duty in 1972. He became an Army aviator and served overseas in South Korea in an Assault Helicopter Company. In this assignment he had various leadership positions and was selected to attend the Fixed Wing Multi-Engine Qualification Course (FWMEQC) upon his return to the States. He subsequently served as Flight Operations Officer in a small flight detachment in Denver, Colorado until 1979.

Released from active duty, Bob pursued a career as an airline pilot, first with Ozark Airlines, followed by TWA and then American Airlines. He flew as a Captain on MD-80 and Boeing 727 aircraft until retirement with American Airlines in 2006. While progressing in his civilian career, he maintained a reserve status in the Army and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel with 23 years of service. Among other things he served as a Personnel Management Officer on the General Staff for active-duty field grade officers. Since retiring, he did some volunteer flying for Wings of Hope which included a medical mission to Peru.

In 2007 Bob was asked to run for City Council in Chesterfield, Missouri and was elected to 3 two-year terms, after which he ran for Mayor in 2013. He is now serving his third 4-year term. Chesterfield is fortunate to be served by two of the largest and highest-ranked school districts in the state and is now the second largest municipality in St. Louis County. It is a vibrant and growing community that has experienced significant progress in recent years and boasts high assessed property valuations. The city is about to embark on a 2-billion dollar redevelopment of an obsolete mega-mall that will become a mixed-use downtown focal point for the area. 

One of the achievements Bob is most proud of is the passage of HB 1561 in 2016, which modified the State Statute that dictates a fairer distribution of sales taxes throughout St. Louis County. This was accomplished by working with the State Legislature and the help of lobbyists. Bob says that “having had this experience, I have learned a lot about local government and how we serve our residents and businesses.”

Bob has always maintained that his association with Phi Gamma Delta has been a positive influence and an important part of his life. From time to time, he recalls our motto: “Friendship, the sweetest influence” which seems to be a comforting guiding concept. He also believes that Phi Gamma Delta is “not for college days alone” and returns to Tucson frequently for Homecoming. His brother Scott (Arizona ‘75) and son Rob (Indiana ’03) are also Phi Gams.Bob has been married to Louise since 1980. They met when they were both active-duty Army and remained in the Army Reserves, retiring as Lieutenant Colonels. They have 3 married sons (Rob, Andy & Chris) and six grandchildren.