Frank Rader, Davidson ’71, was a national figure in the world of wrestling and an Order of the Golden Heart recipient who made a lasting impact on SigEp. As an undergraduate, Rader learned to balance his academic endeavors, social life and athletic interests. He then went on to serve on the Olympic wrestling staff for the 1984 Los Angeles Games and the 1996 Atlanta Games.

In addition to his phenomenal professional success, Rader was an active chapter volunteer, widely known for his willingness to invest time in brothers, get to the bottom of complicated issues, and continually challenge himself and others to learn and grow.

The Frank Rader Memorial Wrestling Award is a biennial scholarship endowed by his chapter brother and friend, Jay Hurt, ’88. It honors Rader’s legacy by recognizing undergraduates who engage in competitive wrestling during college while also demonstrating strong community leadership and academic performance. At the Grand Chapter Conclave in Houston, Brody Tupy, Loras ’20, was named the 2019 recipient.

As a member of his school’s wrestling team and a chapter officer, Tupy epitomizes the Balanced Man Ideal that Rader stood for. He expertly juggles classwork, his involvement in SigEp and wrestling.

Tupy, an engineering major with a 3.9 GPA, serves as president of the Iowa Eta chapter and is a 2018 Ruck scholar. He’s a heavyweight wrestler on his school’s nationally ranked team and helped the team secure a second-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Division III championship. In addition, Tupy is a resident advisor and serves as an officer in a campus engineering organization. Over the summer, he completed an internship at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, moving one step closer to his dream of working for the agency after graduation.