(Left) Frank Hawthorne, Alpha Iota (Auburn) the first President of the Executive Committee for Pi Kappa Phi Properties (Right) Frank Hawthorne receives his Golden Legion from Ted Scharfenstein
Durward Owen, Xi (Roanoke) was the Executive Secretary at the time of Properties inception. He convinced Gene Dunaway, Upsilon (Ilinois), Fred Grim, Xi (Roanoke), and Manuel “Chic” Quevada, Iota (Georgia Tech) to donate to the initial housing fund, the Deveroux Rice Memorial Fund. With the fund now in place, Durward sought out the help of John Carrol, Sigma (South Carolina) to get the fund secured with the correct tax-exempt status. Brother Carrol, in turn, contacted his chapter brother, Senator Olin Johnson, Sigma (South Carolina) and Congressman George Grant, Omicron (Alabama) to incorporate Pi Kappa Phi Properties, Inc. as a tax-exempt organization.
With all of the legal matters established, the first Executive Committee was ready to meet. The first executive committee members were:
- President, Frank Hawthorne, Alpha Iota (Auburn)
- Vice President, Jimmy May, Omicron (Alabama)
- Vice President, Charles Tom Henderson, Chi (Stetson)
- Secretary/Treasurer, Durward Owen, Xi (Roanoke)
National Historian and past Properties Board of Directors Chairman, Eric Almquist, Alpha Omicron (Iowa State) has been quoted saying “The people, not the houses, are what have made Pi Kappa Phi Properties the organization it is today.”
We thank these individuals for their innovation and service to Pi Kappa Phi.