Mr. Laughlin began his career at age 13 greasing pans in a local bakery. He joined the Continental Baking Company, as it was then known, as a route salesman after college, and spent almost his entire career with the company. Under his direction, it became one of the world’s largest baking companies, making products like Wonder Bread and Hostess Twinkies.

He was named president in 1949 and became chairman and chief executive officer in 1950. He remained chief executive officer until he retired in 1973.

Mr. Laughlin was born in Kansas City, Mo., and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1926. He later attended the American Institute of Baking in Chicago.

In 1924, Stanley F. Learned began his 43-year career with Phillips Petroleum Company (Bartlesville, Oklahoma). He was appointed chairman of the company’s corporate operating committee in 1944, and was named vice president of the company in 1949. Learned then became president of Phillips Petroleum Company in 1962 and its chief executive officer in 1964. He led the oil and natural gas company’s expansion to Puerto Rico which was instrumental in Phillips Petroleum becoming one of the nation’s leading international oil companies. He retired from in 1967, but remained on its board of directors until 1970.

In 1971, Learned was awarded the Gas Processors Association’s prestigious Hanlon Award. For his extraordinary service to the University of Kansas, he earned additional honors, including the University Alumni Association’s 1959 Distinguished Service Citation, and its 1975 Fred Ellsworth Medallion for outstanding service. The University’s School of Engineering awarded him its Distinguished Service Award in 1980, and in 1988 awarded him its first life membership in the School. Learned Hall, home of the School of Engineering, was named in his honor in 1966.

James Leavell spent forty two years working for Continental Banking in Chicago. The final seventeen years he spent as their president. During his tenure as president, he experienced three different stages in which the banking world was changed; he saw over the loss of prestige in the banking industry, the Great Depression, and the rebirth of faith in the banking industry . He was also a founder of the Association of Reserve City Bankers. Leavell retired at sixty three years of age from the banking industry.

Tom Long announced his retirement as the CEO of Miller Coors Brewing Company in June 2015. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of Miller Brewing Company beginning August 1, 2006. Tom then took over as President and COO of the newly formed joint venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors, Miller Coors. He had this position from July 1, 2008 to June 1, 2011.

Brother Long served as Chief Marketing Officer of Miller Brewing Co. since July 2005 and also served as its Executive Vice President. Prior to that, Mr. Long served as President of Northwest Europe Division of Coca-Cola Company since 2003. From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Long served as President of Coca-Cola Great Britain & Ireland Division. He joined Coca-Cola Company in 1988 following stints in brand management and advertising. He began at Coca-Cola’s Atlanta, Georgia headquarters as manager of market planning; and after five years serving in various management positions, he was appointed vice president – 7-Eleven Account Team Worldwide in 1993; and vice president – Wal-Mart Global Account in 1995.

During his tenure at Coca-Cola, Brother Long also served as Vice President of National Sales. From 1997-1998, he served as vice president, director of Marketing Research & Trends and subsequently, Vice President and Director of Strategic Marketing, responsible for the Global Brand Strategy of Coca-Cola, diet Coke, Coke Light, Sprite, Fanta and new brands. He has worked in more than 60 countries in his career.

Will R. Manier, Jr. was one of Tennessee’s most impactful Rotarians. He was a charter member of the Nashville Rotary Club which was organized in 1913. He was President of the Nashville Club during the 1921-22 Rotary year, and District Governor during the 1923-24 year. Under his leadership many new Rotary clubs were established. He was named President of Rotary International for the 1936-37 year and served Rotary with great distinction. Until his death on January 31, 1953, he was recognized as one of the outstanding leaders of the Rotary world.

Rotarians in his home district approved plans for the Will R. Manier, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Awards at the April, 1956 District Conference. The first awards were given for the 1956-57 school year. Awards have been made annually since that time.

John Willard Marriott was an American entrepreneur and businessman. He was the founder of the Marriott Corporation (which became Marriott International in 1993), the parent company of one of the world’s largest hospitality, hotel chains, and food services companies.

The Marriott Company rose from a small root beer stand in Washington D.C. in 1927 to a chain of family restaurants by 1932, to its first motel in 1957. By the time he died, the Marriott Company operated 1,400 restaurants and 143 hotels and resorts worldwide, including two theme parks, earned USD $4.5 billion in revenue annually with 154,600 employees.

Marriott rarely rested while growing his business, his mind always consumed with his dreams for the company’s future. Throughout his life, he was also invested in the Mormon church, charity, and country.

Dr. Paul Martin earned the majority of his living through the automobile industry but he never forgot the values that Phi Delta Theta instilled in him. He claimed his proudest achievement in life was his devotion to the Christian faith. He is one of the two highest individual donors to the University of Akron.

In 1935, Paul and his father began their exploits into the automotive industry by purchasing their first dealership. At the peak of Brother Martin’s business he owned nine separate dealerships in northern Ohio, a group that became known as the Martin Auto Group.

At the age of 31 he was stationed in France while a part of the United States Army, he was injured ironically enough in an automobile accident and was discharged while at the rank of lieutenant colonel. When he returned to the states he picked up in the automobile industry. During his career he either founded, was president, or was chairman of twelve separate companies. He was also a two time recipient of the Times magazine Quality Dealer of the Year.

Brother Martin was a generous man as he gave more than seven million dollars to his alma mater, the University of Akron. He served as chairman of the universities $52 million fundraising campaign in the 90’s as well as president of their foundation. He helped fund the building in which Phi Delta Theta’s General Headquarters is located in. Brother Martin passed away in 2011.

William Martin was an extremely successful business man, described by his peers as a genius of the industry. Upon his beginnings at Phillips Petroleum Martin quickly rose through the ranks as he served as both treasurer and Secretary before being appointed to the board of directors in 1964. The following year he was named the senior vice president; by 1971 he was named president of the company. In 1973 he became the Chief Executive Officer and a year later he was made chairman of the board.

Martin is credited with leading the company through a period of exponential growth while the company was in his reigns. They eventually became one of the top companies in the entire industry and much of their success is credited to Brother Martin. In 1972 he was honored by the University of Oklahoma by being named to their Alumni Hall of Fame.

Charles Peter Philip Paul McColough was former CEO and chairman to Xerox. Aside from building Xerox to the corporate empire it is today, McColough was treasurer of the Democratic National Committee between 1974 and 1976, was Chairman of United Way of America, and served on the Board of Trustees at the Council on Foreign Relations, New York Stock Exchange, Bank of New York, Wachovia, Citigroup, Knight Ridder, and Union Carbide Corporation. C. Peter McColough is also the namesake of the C. Peter McColough Roundtable Series on International Economics, part of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Edward Mcllhenny Jr. assumed control of the McIlhenny Company that has produced Tabasco Sauce for over a century. During his tenure, McIlhenny expanded, modernized, and standardized sauce production, as well as experimented with new ways of promoting the world-famous product, such as advertising on radio.

McIlhenny also introduced the now ubiquitous modern screw-top Tabasco sauce bottle, which replaced the original cork-top Tabasco sauce bottle that had been used from 1868 to 1927; he also redesigned the iconic Tabasco diamond logo trademark, largely creating the version known today.