The North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) conferred two of its three Silver Medals to a pair of SigEp’s finest, John Hartman, Missouri ’61, and Jay Hurt, Davidson ’88, at their 2015 annual meeting in Kansas City, Mo., this April. Both were recognized for their exemplary service, leadership and commitment to the Fraternity. Each year, the NIC presents Silver Medals to recognize outstanding accomplishments of individuals who further the fraternity movement. Both Hartman and Hurt attended the annual meeting to accept their awards.

These lifelong friends have devoted their lives to the service of our Fraternity, and they share a milestone in the Ruck Leadership Institute which they co-founded in 1998. The following accounts speak to the breadth and depth of their impact as brothers, leaders and role models for us all.

John Hartman, Missouri ’61
Hartman began a lifetime of service as a volunteer with his home chapter. He led his chapter as alumni board president for four terms. SigEp’s National Board quickly recognized his passion and asked him to serve as district governor in Missouri. He recruited, trained and provided support to volunteers at each chapter in the state.

Hartman would go on to serve in this role wherever his career in consumer products took him: Ohio, Wisconsin and California. Eventually he returned to Missouri, where he continues to serve today. Combined, Hartman has dedicated over 50 years of service to this role, punctuated only by stints as a National Director and the Fraternity’s 39th Grand President.

Beyond his role as co-founder of the Frank J. Ruck Leadership Institute, Hartman returns each year to mentor the next generation of SigEp leaders.

Last year, Ruck graduates and fellow alumni-volunteers endowed 20 annual scholarships for future Ruck Scholars in Hartman’s name. In a matter of weeks, $500,000 was raised, and Hartman’s Ruck group—formerly known as “The Red Group”—was renamed “Team Hartman.”

This latest honor is added to Hartman’s crowded catalogue of recognition, including SigEp’s Distinguished Alumnus Award and Order of the Golden Heart medallion.

Jay Hurt III , Davidson ’88

After serving in multiple leadership positions within his chapter, Hurt was elected to serve as a Student Director on SigEp’s National Board.

After graduating, he took a challenging role at Procter & Gamble before serving as vice president and chief executive officer of The Hurt Company, one of the nation’s largest family-owned oil marketing companies. He still made time for SigEp and served as a chapter volunteer at Houston, Southern Methodist and Texas-Arlington. At each chapter, he was instrumental in designing and executing major housing campaigns. Hurt’s business acumen and passion for SigEp led to his appointment as district governor of South Texas just 10 years after graduating.

Hurt later made SigEp history as the first former Student Director to be re-elected to the National Board as an alumnus. He went on to serve as a director of SigEp’s National Housing Corporation, as a trustee of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation, and eventually as Educational Foundation President. Hurt has devoted 16 years of service to SigEp’s national boards, and continues to serve as a Foundation Life Trustee.

In 1998, Hurt co-founded the Ruck Leadership Institute with John Hartman. As a perennial facilitator and program advisor, he helped nurture this program from a budding new initiative to one of the most prestigious leadership development programs in the Greek world.