The Order of the Golden Heart is SigEp’s highest honor. Conceived in 1959 by Past Grand President Bedford Black, the award honors alumni providing exceptional service to the Fraternity over the course of a lifetime. Only 155 of SigEp’s 315,669 (and counting) lifetime members have ever been honored with the award. 

Tonight, five more brothers joined their ranks.

Edward “Skip” Dahlkamp, San Diego State ’63 
Brother Edward “Skip” Dahlkamp has been committed to SigEp as an undergraduate and later as an Alumni and Volunteer Corporation (AVC) member for over 50 years. During his home chapter’s closure and re-opening in the late 90s, he ensured alumni stayed informed and connected, and that his AVC remained financially sound. He worked with other alumni and volunteers to keep the chapter’s facility in SigEp’s hands and served as recruitment mentor, AVC secretary and capital campaign chairman for a $1.2 million home renovation. Today the chapter is a Residential Learning Community accredited chapter and has consistently been awarded the Buchanan Cup since the early 2000s. He served as district governor of District 22 from 1967 to 1970.

Robert “Bob” Trovaten, San Diego State ’67 
Another San Diego State graduate, Robert “Bob” Trovaten wasted no time getting involved immediately after graduation. During California Delta’s closure in the late 1990’s, Brother Trovaten worked with fellow alumnus Edward Dahlkamp (profiled above) to retain ownership of the chapter’s facility. When the chapter returned to campus, he helped establish a new Alumni and Volunteer Corporation and was elected treasurer—a position he still holds today. He served as lead construction liaison with the architect and contractor during the chapter home’s 1.2 million dollar renovation and worked to accredit the chapter as a Residential Learning Community. In 2011 he was awarded the Volunteer of the Year award.

Ken Maddox, Oregon State ’75 
Upon graduating from Oregon State, Brother Ken Maddox served SigEp as a regional director and remained on Headquarters staff until 1979. When he returned to the Northwest, he immediately began volunteering with chapters in Oregon and Washington State. In 1987 he was asked to return to Richmond as SigEp’s Executive Director, where he served for nine years and oversaw the creation and development of the Balanced Man Program. In 1997 he was awarded the SigEp Citation, and in 2006 he was named a Distinguished Alumnus. Today he serves as president of SigEp National Housing and continues to influence undergraduates as an AVC volunteer and facilitator at the Carlson Leadership Academies. 

Richard “Dick” Rodgers, Illinois ’52 
Brother Richard “Dick” Rodgers has been a stalwart SigEp volunteer for more than 30 years. In 1986 he became a founding member of the Georgia Tech Alumni and Volunteer Corporation and has since led the chapter to win numerous SigEp and campus chapter awards. He helped his chapter adopt and implement the Balanced Man Program, and in the 1990s and 2000s he led two million dollar campaigns to renovate the chapter’s home. For his dedication, the home’s library was named in his honor. In 1992 he was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award, and he continues to serve as an AVC volunteer today. 

Phillip A. Cox, Indiana ’84 
After graduating from Indiana in 1984, Phillip Cox served the Fraternity as a regional director and director of housing on the Headquarters staff. He went on to serve as chapter counselor, AVC president and treasurer of the Indiana Beta Chapter, all while building a successful career in the investment management industry. From 1993 to 1998, he served as district governor for Indiana. When Indiana Beta hit hard times in the early 2000s, Cox wrote a personal check to save the chapter home from foreclosure. His faith and confidence were rewarded in 2009 when Indiana Beta become the first SigEp chapter to charter as an accredited Residential Learning Community. He was elected to SigEp’s National Board of Directors in 2003 and become Grand President in 2013. Under his leadership and vision, SigEp hired additional staff to support volunteers and expanded online and in-person volunteer education.

The first Order of the Golden Heart was awarded in 1959 at the 26th Grand Chapter Conclave. View all past recipients.