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August 2021 TH E P S I U P S I L O N I N TE R N A TI O N A L OFFICE WILL BE MO V I N G ! Beginning in early 2019, the Board of Directors began developing a strategic plan for the property that the Foundation owns in Indianapolis. This almost ½ acre property and building, purchased in 1994 has been the international headquarters and served our staff and archives well and a sound investment of the Foundation. It demands, however, quite a lot of maintenance and investment to keep it consistent with other similar commercial properties. In a moment of serendipity, as a strategic multi-year maintenance plan was being finalized, the Foundation received an unsolicited very reasonable offer from our neighbor to the west of our property to purchase the land and building. Ultimately, after careful review with real estate experts and our counsel, the board voted unanimously to move forward with the sale of the building and property for over double the purchase price and a valuable addition to our now robust investment portfolio.
Donor Profile
DOUG LA S J A C K M A N , OMEG A ‘ 89 ( C HI C A GO )
Douglas Jackman, Omega ’89 University of Chicago, is a brother who exudes pride in the Brotherhood network and eagerly shares countless anecdotes of connecting with brothers around the globe. Through his success at Thomas White International – a boutique investment management firm, where Doug has climbed the ranks over 25 years to become President and Portfolio Manager – Doug has been fortunate to travel and
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F ROM T H E C H A I R :
TH E S PA C E IN-BETWEEN A rhetoric of hope surrounds us in this ephemeral moment; we are not yet fully postCOVID but something momentous stirs. Each week more of us receive vaccinations, learn of re-opening and invitations for the fall, yet we find ourselves tentative, mindful of inhabiting a minimal space. Do we cling to a kind of expeditious optimism, or resist imagining a renewed world for fear of disappointment? There also exists an outpouring of nostalgia these days. Social media posts abound with images of our pre-pandemic lives, portraits and souvenirs we cling to, and we speak with great ardor of a future when we will once more embrace one another, wistful for the warmth of human contact. At Psi U, we prepare for a fall that will be filled with exciting programs, chapter activities, reunions and social gatherings. Feeding off of a stellar end of the fiscal year where the Foundation saw exceptional engagement from brothers across the country and world, new programs that show great
Alex Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh) President and Chair, Psi Upsilon Foundation June 29, 2021
promise, and a strong investment from donors signifying their interest in firming the future of Psi Upsilon, this is also a moment that demands more from us than ever before. What lies before us remains uncharted waters with campus life returning with very sharp focus on social issues and behavior of people, especially young people, in a world that continues to be smaller with our seemingly endless connectivity and short time to digest the real truth behind headlines. Who writes that narrative? Staff and volunteers have worked countless hours over the past year to build a firmer foundation for us to expand as we are able over the next months, continuing virtual speaker series while planning festive events in key geographies. We learned from our experiments of the past year and have refined our plans to continue to engage with our network in as many meaningful ways as possible. From communications and long-form journalism to the variety of the speaker series and the expanded programs of our new Social Impact Fellowship, I believe strongly positioned with a
great team and wonderful network of donors for whatever the future brings. Our chapters work diligently to prepare for recruitment and new activities that will actively shape how they are perceived in the future – a great opportunity to enhance our positive impact on our young brothers and our communities. When people ask me why I serve as Chair and further as President, I often take a moment and say, because people need to feel connected and supported - sometimes visibly, sometimes quietly – but we can make a lifelong impact and truly support exceptional lives – that matters. Making this possible is a team sport, and its only because of the many volunteers, donors, and awardees that we can think anew about the future. Thank you for being part of this journey. Yours in the bonds,
NEW MEMBERS OF THE FOUNDER’S SOCIETY (Since June 1, 2021) The Founder’s Society is the Annual Giving society for gifts of $250 or more made to the Annual Fund of the Foundation or the Fraternity Reverend Bradley K. Groff, Esq., Eta ‘87 (Lehigh University) Frank R. Caravette, Epsilon Nu ‘58 (Michigan State University) James W. Harper, Epsilon Omega ‘54 (Northwestern University) Robert Jay McEwen, Jr., Pi ‘67 (Syracuse University) Jeffrey S. Neubauer, Delta ‘78 (New York University) Michael Novakovic, Pi ‘55 (Syracuse University)
Keith B. Olsen, Tau ‘84 (University of Pennsylvania) Thomas D. Richardson, Theta ‘76 (Union College) James Yetman, Psi ‘82 ( Hamilton College) Anthony J. Zollo, Upsilon ‘66 (University of Rochester)
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1. Evan Terry, Epsilon Phi ‘93 (McGill) becomes an honorary life member of the Executive Council 2. Tailgating at the Rho chapter house Friday night 3. Thomas Fox, Omicron ‘00 (Illinois) with undergraduates 4. Delegates in between sessions 5. History & Archives Committee display and presentation 6. Saturday night’s Madison Mallards Baseball Game... 7. ...with Ribbon Dancing Competition! 8. Julia Denniss, Gamma Tau ‘19 (Georgia Tech) speaks at the Foundation Scholarship Luncheon Saturday 9. Delegates during the Leadership Institute Saturday 10. Delegates posing on Sunday 11. EC President Jeremy McKeon, Eta ‘08 (Lehigh), presenting Murray L. Eskenzai, Lambda ’56, (Columbia) with the 2021 David A.B. Brown, ΕΦ ’66 Distinguished Alumnus Award
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177TH C O NVEN TI ON & LE AD ERS H I P I N STI TU TE RE CAP
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I N T E R N A TI O NA L OF F I C E M O V E CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The building served several functions well for a long time and we now are faced with having to address multiple needs at once. With the highest degree of intention and thoughtful planning, the Fraternity and Foundation are working hard on key long-term plans that will:
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• Provide appropriate office space for employees of the International Office. • Preserve and share the archives and treasures of Psi Upsilon. • Ensure a physical “presence” for Psi Upsilon today and in the future. • Optimize investment of the endowment and longterm needs of the organization This is a big undertaking for staff and our volunteers. We are investing in short term temperature-controlled storage for the archives, expanding the digitizing project rapidly to grow the 3
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online presence for all brothers to use and share our treasures. While there are many details to be worked out, it is extremely exciting to envision the future of the International Office. We have an opportunity to be creative and imagine a future where our physical presence may inspire engagement and motivate connections, the very spirit of our brotherhood. We will be posting information on our website periodically at https://psiu.org/about/ international-office/ and the property task force seeks any ideas of thoughts you might have through Alex Senchak at asenchak@psiu.org
Alumni Award Recipients
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD
GAR Y PAN ET A ’ 8 6 (LEHIGH)
G A R Y P AN , E T A ‘ 8 6 (L EHI GH) R E C I E V E D T HE D I S T I N G UI S HED A L U M NI S ER VI CE A W AR D A T T H E 20 2 1 -2 2 S CHO L AR S HI P UPDATE
Join us in celebrating Gary Pan, Eta ’86 (Lehigh) as he receives the Distinguished Alumni Service Award. from Psi Upsilon. Over the last 20+ years, our brother Gary Pan has been one of the strongest supporters of Psi Upsilon and a steadfast member of the Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. In 2014, Gary joined the Foundation Board of Directors, all while continuing to engage with the undergraduate Eta Chapter and keeping the bonds between generations strong. His recent leadership of the Greek Alumni Council at Lehigh has formed to build a stronger ties with the university between alumni, undergraduates and university administrators. Fittingly, Gary learned of the award at the Foundation’s scholarship awarding presentation, a surprise event with all the graduate and undergraduate recipients and select alumni who have made the program possible.
Alex Senchak, Eta ‘06 and Jeremy McKeon, Eta ‘08, with Gary Pan, Eta ‘86 (center)
C H UC K & L YNN WE RNE R, OM E GA ‘55 & ‘08, RE C IE VE D TH E GE O RGE L. H OWE LL, E T A ’55, PSI UPSILO N PH ILA NTH RO PIST A WARD Charles and Lynn Werner, Omega ‘55 & ‘08, with Douglas Jackman Omega ‘89 (far left) 4
An excerpt from his keynote address at the 2021-22 scholarship update: Today, I continue to try and make a difference as I mentioned, I am very involved with Psi U. Also at Lehigh as an alumni, I’m very involved with the Engineering college, with the chapter as well as the entire Greek community. I’m also, as [Executive Council President] Jeremy [McKeon, Eta ’06] referenced, a Scout Master and have been for many, many years. I’m the incoming President of Rotary in my community and I started a number of youth programs and principally try and support the undeserved youth community. I’ve very active in my professional board as well. As I hope you all do, I continue to try and elevate my game and challenge myself to make a difference. I share my personal community service journey with you as I believe and that you also consider so in the future.
Events
SAVE THE DATES! Summer Leadership Series: In-Person Chapter Operations Thursday, August 26th from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM
GEORGE L. HOWELL, ETA ’55, PSI UPSILON PHILANTHROPIST AWARD
CHUCK & L YN N WERN ER OM E G A ‘55 & ‘08H (U N I VE RS I TY O F CH I CA GO ) Chuck Werner, Omega ‘55 (University of Chicago) has volunteered for Psi Upsilon almost continuously since completing his graduate studies. He’s currently the Alumni President of the Board of Trustees for the chapter at UC. He is also serving his second term as an Alumni Term Member of the Executive Council of the Fraternity. Chuck joined Psi Upsilon while attending the University of Chicago’s Graduate School of Business in the 1950s. At the time, the university did not permit undergraduates to join fraternities. Combined with the end of the Korean War in 1953 and the GI Bill, the chapter was a group of somewhat older students than one would see today. Chuck met a number of Psi Upsilon brothers in accounting classes in the business school, and he credits one of those men, Brother Mo Philon Omega ‘54, as the reason he became a member of Psi U. Today, the two are still in touch, and they try to get together during the summer whenever Mo visits the Chicago area. After earning his MBA, Chuck was drafted and spent two years in the U.S Army— most of that time in Tokyo, Japan conducting Army audits. Upon his return to the U.S. he attended law school to become a tax specialist. He began his career in public accounting and served just over 20 years with Grant Thornton, primarily as Chief Technical Officer. Upon leaving that position, and for the past 25 years, Chuck has been an accounting professor at Loyola University in Chicago, a job he says he enjoys because of the opportunity to interact with college students. After completing law school Chuck joined Omega’s alumni board almost immediately. Over the years, he has enjoyed this role, especially since his wife Lynn has gotten involved as well. Both love gardening, and they have done a great deal to improve the Cr ypto Investing Event Thursday Sept 16th 6:30-8:30PM CDT Chicago Yacht Club Chicago, IL Histor y & Archives Committee work weekend & meet and greet Fri-Sun, Sept 17-19, 2021 @ 6PM EDT International Office Indianapolis, Indiana
Virtual Speaker Series with Mark Hedstrom, Omega ’95 Thursday Sept 25th 6:00-7:15PM EDT A Fireside Chat with Mark Hedstrom, Omega ’95, Country Director for the US at Movember WITH information about the “Big Mo On Campus” philanthropy opportunity for undergraduates
Virtual Speaker Series with Todd D. Simon, Tau ‘86 Thursday October 7th 6:30pm EDT A Fireside Chat with Todd D. Simon, Tau ‘86 (University of ennsylvania) Philanthropist and Chairman & CEO of Omaha Steaks Psi U Days of Giving October 13-15th 5
landscaping and flower gardens around the chapter house; Chuck also repairs just about anything that needs fixing at the house. Together they are known as the chapter’s “off-campus house father and mother.” They also hardly miss a chapter social event and especially enjoy the Christmastime Jazz Dance. When the Psi U Annual Convention came to Chicago, Chuck and his Lynn combined efforts with the chapter to provide a memorable experience for the few hundred brothers in attendance. Lynn arranged for the Convention to be held at the elegant Union League Club in downtown Chicago. Chuck raised money for a private cruise on Lake Michigan, and both invested significant time and effort to prepare the chapter house and undergraduates to host the three-day event. They coordinated a BBQ at the chapter house and arranged for a walking tour of the campus, including a visit to the National Historic Landmark and Henry Moore sculpture commemorating the site of the first nuclear chain reaction in 1942. Having attended almost every Psi U Convention, Chuck says this one was special because it was the first time the Convention had returned to Chicago since the 1950s, when he was a chapter member. “We did a lot of work on the house that year to make the place look nice. My second Chicago Convention brought back many great memories for me,” says Chuck. After close to 50 years of serving Psi U, Chuck is still involved with the chapter because he says, “It’s a fun, lively way to be around some delightful and smart young people. The school is extremely selective which trickles down to the type of members the chapter recruits. They are a select, high-powered group of young men.” In addition to Psi U, Chuck & Lynn are faithful donors and volunteer with numerous professional, charitable and social organizations throughout the city. Their service to the Fraternity is invaluable, and the spirit demonstrated by both through giving back to both the Omega chapter and to the international Fraternity demonstrates the great loyalty they share for Psi Upsilon.
PAST RECIPIENTS: 2013 - George L. Howell, Eta ’55 2014 - Samuel J. Tinaglia, Omega ’88 2015 - David A. B. Brown, Epsilon Phi ’66 2020 – Jack Lageschulte, Epsilon Omega ’59
ABOUT THE GEORGE L. HOWELL AWARD: To recognize an individual (or family) with a proven record of exceptional generosity to Psi Upsilon who, through direct financial support, has demonstrated outstanding fraternal and charitable responsibility, and whose generosity encourages others to take philanthropic leadership roles within Psi Upsilon at the International level.
NEWS: NOW AC C EP T I N G DO N A T I O N S OF CR YP T O C URRENC Y V I A GE MI N I The Psi Upsilon Foundation announced in June of 2021 it will now accept the common cryptocurrencies through the Gemini platform. Donors who wish to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Psi Upsilon Foundation will be receive the deductible value at the time of the donation. Foundation board member Martin Brayboy said “The world has evolved considerably and cryptocurrencies are becoming far more commonplace. This will allow the Foundation to benefit from this emerging market with limited risk.”
Scan these from any mobile app that recognizes BTC/ETH addresses for BTC and ETH transfer information. (normal QR code scanners will not recognize them)
The Foundation is treating donations of cryptocurrency according to non-profits best practices to ensure the risk exposure is minimal. “While this is an exciting new opportunity for us, we also need to have the right measures in place to handle this asset appropriately. I am very thankful Bitcoin (BTC) for the guidance of the Investment Committee and Finance Deposit Address Committees whose research and diligent work gives bc1qwdvrc4z4c9v366tnlw905p7q7dvj0j9egqpfn7 confidence to our donors”. The Foundation adopted the following policies to specifically support cryptocurrency:
• The Foundation makes every provision possible to meet the intentions of the donor and if desired will hold the cryptocurrency within the Gemini system understanding that the board has the right to make investment decisions at anytime for the best interest of the endowment. • The Foundation will not convert existing cash or stock gifts into cryptocurrency and at this time will not accept multi-year pledges in the form of cryptocurrency. • Gifts of cryptocurrency are considered gifts towards the endowment of the Foundation, not annual fund contributions.
JOIN US Cr yptoCurrency Investing Trends Event Thursday Sept 16th 6:30-8:30PM CDT Chicago, IL Details on PsiU.org
• Donors may elect to remain anonymous or have their name(s) listed as they wish in Foundation communications and recognition lists. Please contact Alex Senchak, President and Chair of the Foundation at asenchak@psiu.org or 317.571.1833 with questions or to discuss gift options further.
ETHEREUM (ETH) Deposit Address 0xfb03c630bFE44afDb9fF9741f734beAc1815ACb7 https://psiu.org/social-impact-fellowship/
UP COMING S P E A K ER S ER I E S D A T E S View current schedule and archived videos at https://PsiU.org/speakers-series/
•Mark Hedstrom, Omega ‘95 (Chicago) September 25th, 6pm EST
Mark Hedstrom is Country Director for the US at the Movember Foundation
• Todd D. Simon, Tau ‘86 (University of Pennsylvania) Thursday October 7th, 6pm EST
Todd Simon is a fifth-generation family owner of the Omaha Steaks® group of companies 6
New Williard Fiske, Psi 1851 Media & Journalism Award Named in honor of Brother Willard Fiske, Psi 1851, first editor of “The Diamond” of Psi Upsilon, this Award and restricted fund, created in 2021, honors brothers who have made significant and distinctive contribution through their written and cinematic journalism. Their efforts support, preserve, and popularize Psi Upsilon’s history and the achievements of the fraternity and its brothers. The Psi Upsilon Foundation has received pledges of over $35,000 to help fund a stipend for select award recipients with a goal of $50,000 to be raised by the end of the calendar year. Candidates will be drawn from the pool of writers, videographers or editors, who create a body of work for the publication cycle (beginning each September) that is published in printed and qualified publication of the Fraternity or Foundation or in the case of a video, accessible to the majority of the brothers (as determined by the Awards Committee on a case-by-case basis) or is a work of scholarship deserving of this award
as determined by the Awards and Recognition committee or Psi Upsilon Foundation. The award will be presented as part of the Psi Upsilon Convention Awards Banquet and the Awards & Recognition Fall Reception hosted by the Foundation. Recipients will receive a plaque as well as recognition on the website, an engraved name plate on a plague at the international office as well as a framed image of their work(s). In addition to recognition at the Convention, the award may have a purse applied by the Foundation Directors. The Psi Upsilon Foundation has a restricted fund in the endowment with the same name directed to help fund publications and content creation. The $50,000 working goal of the fund will provide roughly $2,500 annually for direct stipends and the purse associated with the Fiske Award. Donors wishing to contribute to the fund may make outright gifts and 3-5 year pledges above annual fund gifts.
A BO U T D A N I E L W I LLAR D FI SK E, PSI ‘1851 November 11, 1831 – September 17, 1904 - Fiske was an American librarian and scholar, born on November 11, 1831, at Ellisburg, New York. Fiske studied at Cazenovia Seminary and started his collegiate studies at Hamilton College in 1847. He joined the Psi Chapter of Psi Upsilon. He was educated at Copenhagen and at Uppsala University. Upon his return to the United States, he acted as a General Secretary to the American Geographical Society and edited the Syracuse Daily Journal.
Upon the opening of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Fiske was named university librarian and professor in 1868. He made a reputation as an authority on the Northern European languages, and Icelandic language and culture in particular. Professor Fiske who started the publication of The “Diamond”, who wrote The Story of the Psi Upsilon, who penned arguably most of the famous Psi U songs. Fiske donated thousands of volumes to Cornell including a 1536 edition of the Divine Comedy that he purchased in April 1892 and directed to be sent directly to 7
Cornell. The Fiske Dante Collection grew out of this acquisition and as of 2005 numbered approximately 10,000 volumes. On September 17, 1904 Fiske died at Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Upon his death, Fiske left a bequest of 32,000 volumes, the Fiske Icelandic Collection, to Cornell along with funds that Fiske had received from Jennie’s estate. Wikipedia, 2008
Donor Profile travel and consequently experience the everexpanding international network of Psi Upsilon. After 30 years, Doug reconnected with Peter Duenas-Brckovich, Omega ’89 in Chelsea, London. They had not seen each since graduation and after a spontaneous email their expected short get together lasted for hours, chatting well past midnight with Peter and his wife. On another occasion, Doug strolled through midtown NYC and randomly bumped right into James Graf, Omega ’87 who was based in Asia at the time. Doug comments that some of his closest friends are brothers. Psi U, “was the best decision [he] ever made.” Just recently, brother Jackman reconnected with four brothers at a college reunion that were a couple classes ahead of him and now they Zoom regularly. These strong brotherhood ties do not only foster friendships and open-door policies but forges the way for professional relationships founded on trust. Brother Jackman notes that when searching for legal counsel, he reached out and hired two fellow Omega brothers because he knew he could depend on them. Insightfully, Doug adds that the Psi U network is large and readily available. All it takes is initiative for new partnerships to form and friendships to blossom. While UChicago could be known as a place where “fun went to die, Psi U was the antithesis” of this sentiment, Doug gleams. He reminisces about Ken Ono, PhD., Omega ’89, one of the designated DJ of the Omega house. Now, a world renowned Mathematician, Ken never failed to have 800-900 students on their feet, bouncing to his music. Brother Jackman, along with roughly 150 other benefactors, raised over $1.5 million for the renovation of Omega’s chapter house. The house needed re-wiring, sprinklers installed, and
D O UGLAS JAC KM AN, O M E GA ‘89 (CH ICAGO ) CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 floors replaced to bring the 23-bedroom house up to code. Doug is proud of the success of this project due to his belief in “paying it forwards!” Even retired Supreme Court Justice, John Paul Stevens, contributed to the fund-raising of this sum. Doug goes on to comment “it’s one thing to write a check, it’s another to see the beneficiary of that effort.” The Psi U experience is invaluable and passing on that opportunity is gratifying. Holding his small dog, Bailey, in his arms, Doug discloses that his son Andrew is also a recent graduate of the University of Chicago and an Omega brother. Humorously, Doug recounts returning to his alma mater with his son, only to find them selves joined by two of his contemporary Omega brothers, Andrew Brownfield ‘88 and Ed Ruder ‘88, both of whom also have Psi U sons: Harry Brownfield ‘18 and Sebastian Ruder-Sanchez ‘19 . Doug was once the Vice President of the Omega chapter. While explicating his professional and amicable weekly meetings with the college’s associate dean, brother Jackman also made a nod to the hypersensitive environment confronting fraternities today, remnants of which also existed in the 80s. Doug explains, “everyone knew the line, and we made sure not to step over it.” The Omega brothers held the highest GPA of any houses on campus and also had, and still have, the most loyal and generous alumni. Doug concludes that he leveraged the fraternal politics he experienced during his undergraduate degree in his professional life moving forwards. Doug asserts that it is important to know how to deal with someone attacking you, to learn when to withdraw and when to fight it head on. Brother Jackman was on the Dean’s committee, a select group of four undergraduates chosen by the student body. Doug’s leadership skills are undeniable, and not unusual among his fellow brothers in Psi Upsilon. 8
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1.) Brother Jackman, Landel Courmier, Omega ’88, and Barry Waterman, Omega ‘86 at an Omega party in 1986. 2.) The acclaimed Omega foosball table surrounded by Tony Kusnik ’87, Sam Tinaglia ‘88 (partially blocked), Dr. Michael Boettcher, ‘89, Dr. Harold Tsai, ‘88, Michael Schwartz ‘88, Eddie Shroff ‘87, and Bill Wolf ‘90 in 1987. 3.) Brother Jackman with his son Andrew, Omerga ‘18, on a fishing trip in Mexico this past January.