In the fall of 2010, Phi Delta Theta’s newly elected General Council assembled with General Headquarters staff for their annual retreat. Their mission was different than previous meetings as its purpose was to create a long-term strategic path for Phi Delta Theta.

Previously the Fraternity had looked at its priorities in conjunction with the two-year election cycle of the General Council. The group gathered at the retreat focused on looking beyond these two years while redefining the Fraternity’s mission and vision statements and conducting a self-assessment while looking at its environmental opportunities.

Phi Delt 2020 was created through this process, which charted a path to establish Phi Delta Theta as a premier leadership organization that could transcend the Fraternity by establishing six strategic initiatives: Growth, Education, Support, Communication, Capacity, and Funding.

Phi Delt 2020 provided direction, measured success, and helped change the course of Phi Delta Theta. The strategic plan resulted in organizational bests and industry-leading results in membership growth (14 percent in chapters, 55 percent in members), educational opportunities for members (86 percent growth), endowment expansion ($20 million, two years early), enhanced communications, improved data, better analytics, and unprecedented philanthropic impact.

Adam Riess, MIT ’92, the Krieger-Eisenhower Professor in Physics and Astronomy, a Gilman Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University, and a scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The academy recognized him for leadership in the High-z Team’s 1998 discovery that the universe’s expansion rate is accelerating, a phenomenon widely attributed to a mysterious, unexplained “dark energy” filling the universe.

Riess shared the prize with Saul Perlmutter, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Their Supernova Cosmology Project team published similar results shortly after those published by Riess and High-z teammate Brian Schmidt of the Australian National University. As a result, both teams shared the Peter Gruber Foundation’s 2007 Cosmology Prize—a gold medal and $ 500,000—for discovering dark energy, which Science Magazine called “The Breakthrough Discovery of the Year” in 1998. The researchers also shared the 2006 Shaw Prize in astronomy for the same discovery.

Considered the most prestigious prize in the world, the Nobel has been awarded for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace since 1901 by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden. Riess received a medal and diploma and shared a cash award of $1.49 million presented at a ceremony in Stockholm in December.

An overjoyed Riess thanked the Nobel Foundation for the award and said, “My involvement in the discovery of the accelerating universe and its implications for the presence of dark energy has been an incredibly exciting adventure. I have also been fortunate to work with tremendous colleagues and powerful facilities. I am deeply honored that this work has been recognized.”

Almost every summer since 1990, hundreds of undergraduate and alumni Phis have gathered in Oxford, Ohio, for the Fraternity’s Leadership College. To date, nearly 18,000 Phi Delts have attended. In 2012, the Leadership College was renamed the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute when Tio and Janelle Kleberg endowed the program with the Phi Delta Theta Foundation’s first-ever $1 million donation from a living donor.

Each year the institute hosts a variety of programming, often including the Phikeia Educator training track, the Peer Mentor program, the Shaffer Honors College of Leadership, a House Corporation Summit, and many standing Phi Delta Theta traditions. Today, the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute is the largest Phi Delt educational conference each year and one of the most impactful for the young and emerging leaders who attend from each chapter.

Tio joined the Texas Epsilon Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Texas Tech University where he met his wife Janell. They both served in the US Army before embarking on a career of business and civic affairs in Kingsville. A rancher by trade, Tio’s career has centered around the world-famous King Ranch of South Texas.

Tio began serving as a Phi Delta Theta Foundation Trustee in 2000; in 2009, he was named chairman of the Foundation’s “Building on the Bond” Capital Campaign. This laser-focused effort aimed to increase the Foundation’s endowment from just above $5 million to more than $20 million by 2020. The Klebergs helped the campaign meet its goal two years ahead of schedule.

When Tio and Janell agreed to support the campaign, they made a pledge of $1 million—however, for the Foundation to receive the funds, $360,000 had to be raised to support five scholarships of $72,000 each. This creative pledge provided motivation to raise additional scholarship funds while securing the Klebergs’ historic and transformational gift.

Today, Tio and Janell attend the annual conference and not only address the students in a general session, but are active participants in smaller breakout sessions, chapter meetings, and one-on-one conversations.

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In December 2012, the Foundation received word that it had been named in the estate of Dr. Dorothea Shaffer, wife of Brother Maurice (Maurie) Shaffer, Dickinson ’30, for at least $2 million. This gift propelled the Shaffers into the spotlight as the most generous donors in the history of the Phi Delta Theta Foundation.

Maurie was initiated in 1927 into Pennsylvania Epsilon. After graduation, he served as president of the Phi Delt Harrisburg Alumni Club, and he and Dotty were known for their annual summer parties at their Spruce Lane Farm.

Maurie was one of the first members of the Phi Delta Theta Foundation’s Founders Club, which recognizes donors with cumulative lifetime giving of $10,000 and above. He reached this level in 1980, but it seems that generous annual donations were just the tip of the iceberg of Maurie and Dotty’s generous support in the years to come.

In 1992, Maurie and Dotty gave a gift of $50,000 and established the Maurice E. Shaffer Endowed Scholarship Fund in support of deserving Phis from any chapter across North America. The Shaffer Endowed Scholarship has been awarded every year since its creation.

Maurie remained a loyal, generous, and active brother until his passing in 1997. Dotty kept in touch with Phi Delta Theta through annual updates on the Shaffer Endowed Scholarship.

In 2010, Dotty welcomed Trustee Emeritus Stephen “Tio” Kleberg for a visit to her Florida home. Tio expressed gratitude on behalf of Phi Delta Theta for her continued support and shared with her the tremendous impact their scholarship fund had made over the years. When Dotty passed away at age 101 in October 2012, the Shaffers’ relationship with Phi Delta Theta had spanned an incredible eighty-five years.

The Shaffers’ steadfast friendship with Phi Delta Theta through their Living Bond Society commitment would make history for the Fraternity. Although commonly referred to as a simple bequest, the Shaffers’ $2 million commitment is the largest gift ever made to the Phi Delta Theta Foundation. Maurie and Dotty designated these funds to establish Whole Man Scholarships, and, similar to their existing scholarship, they can be awarded to Phis from any active chapter in North America. Their gift also helped the Fraternity create the Shaffer Honors College of Leadership, an in-person leadership opportunity for Whole Man Scholars each summer.

For Brother Jay Ihlenfeld, Purdue ’74, he leads by developing others to lead. As senior vice president, Asia Pacific for 3M, he was responsible for shaping fourteen 3M subsidiaries into high-performing cross-cultural teams. It is no surprise, then, that when Jay was invited to support the Phi Delta Theta Foundation’s Building on the Bond Campaign, he chose to direct his giving toward leadership development through online education.

Jay and Cynthia Ihlenfeld committed $500,000 to establish the Ihlenfeld University of Online Education. The online university connects Phis across North America as they learn how to lead their chapters and create a community of leaders. Since their gift was made in 2014, the number of Phis who have completed online topical training has increased dramatically.

Phi Delta Theta realizes that education does not only occur in the classroom or at in-person conferences. With this in mind, the Ihlenfeld University for Online Education (PDT U), the Fraternity’s online education platform was developed. Whether it’s completing the Credly-certified Professional Greatness and Personal Greatness badges, Chapter Advisory Board Certification, Phikeia education modules, Chapter Officer Certification, virtual leadership conferences, or on-demand presentations that cover a wide variety of topics, the Fraternity’s goal is to use technology to further educate its membership.

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After battling cancer for over a decade, Roger Ebert, Illinois ’64, died in Chicago, Illinois, on April 4, 2013, at the age of seventy. Despite his illness, Ebert’s Pulitzer Prize-winning film reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times and enduring presence in the entertainment industry made him one of the most popular and influential movie critics of his time.

Ebert and Chicago Tribune critic Gene Siskel helped popularize nationally-televised film reviewing when they co-hosted the PBS show Sneak Previews, followed by several variously named At the Movies programs. The two verbally sparred and traded humorous barbs while discussing films. They created and trademarked the phrase “two thumbs up,” used when both gave the same movie a positive review. After Siskel died in 1999, Ebert continued hosting the show with various co-hosts and then, starting in 2000, with Richard Roeper.

Ebert was diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid and salivary glands in 2002. He required treatment that included removing a section of his lower jaw in 2006, leaving him severely disfigured and unable to speak or eat normally. However, his writing ability remained unimpaired, and he frequently published online and in print until his death.

The last review by Ebert published during his lifetime was for the film The Host, which was published on March 27, 2013.

Adam Silver, Duke ’84, was appointed NBA Commissioner on February 1, 2014.

Silver presides over a global sports and media organization built around five professional sports leagues:  the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League, and Basketball Africa League.  The leagues are dedicated to growing basketball worldwide, embracing innovation and new technologies, increasing transparency, and using basketball to bring people together and promote health and fitness.

Silver was named Sports Business Journal’s Executive of the Decade and ranked No. 1 on the publication’s annual list of the 50 Most Influential People in Sports Business.  In addition, he was named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders, and The Bloomberg 50, Bloomberg Businessweek’s list of 50 people who defined global business.  Silver earned Sports Executive of the Year honors at the Sports Business Awards and was named Sports Illustrated’s Executive of the Year.

Before becoming commissioner, Silver served as NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer for eight years.  He has been instrumental to many of the league’s signature achievements, including the negotiation of three collective bargaining agreements with the National Basketball Players Association; the development of the WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League, and the Basketball Africa League; the partnership with Turner Broadcasting to manage the NBA’s digital assets; and the creation of NBA China and NBA Africa.

Before serving as the league’s second-in-command, Silver spent more than eight years as president and COO of NBA Entertainment.  Since joining the league in 1992, Silver has also held the positions of senior VP and COO of NBA Entertainment, NBA chief of staff, and special assistant to the commissioner.

Silver was appointed to Duke University’s Board of Trustees in 2015.  He received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2015 from Duke University and 2016 from the University of Chicago Law School. In addition, he was a recipient of the University of Chicago’s Professional Achievement Award in 2020.  He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Business Council. He serves on the board of trustees for the Rockefeller Foundation and the Paley Center for Media.  Silver is also a vice chairman of the board of the Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.

Before joining the NBA, Silver was a litigation associate at the New York law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he concentrated on media and antitrust cases.  He also served as a law clerk to Federal District Court Judge Kimba Wood in New York City.  Silver graduated from Duke University and the University of Chicago Law School.

History has shown that the most consistent high performing Phi Delta Theta chapters are those that take full advantage of the leadership development programs offered through the Phi Delta Theta Leadership and Ethics Academy. To help ensure that as many chapters as possible participate every year, the Whole Man Scholarship was established to provide a way for alumni to directly support the undergraduate members of their chapters as they endeavor to become better men and future leaders.

Whole Man Scholarships are available to those chapters where funds have been established specifically for that purpose. Chapters may have more than one Whole Man Scholarship Fund and eligible chapters select one recipient per fund on a yearly basis.

Key benefits to the undergraduate recipient of the Whole Man Scholarship include:

1. The opportunity to participate in the Shaffer Honors College of Leadership at the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute, created to help the Fraternity’s finest undergraduates hone their leadership style and decision making abilities.
2. An academic scholarship to help offset the recipient’s college expenses, with amount determined annually by market earnings (currently $1,000).

For years, Phi Delta Theta’s collection of The Scroll has lived in the David Demaree Banta Memorial Library at the Fraternity’s General Headquarters in Oxford, Ohio. While it is an impressive reference collection, new technologies led the Fraternity to the thought of revitalizing it. In 2016, Phi Delta Theta archived all editions of The Scroll online.

Making the entire collection available online to all, anywhere in the world, allows the Fraternity to share its past and everything that has made Phi Delta Theta what it is today. It also allows the Fraternity to preserve the collection and its history

through the digitization of the collection.

At www.phideltscrollarchive.com, any individual can:

• Read any edition of The Scroll in an interactive e-reader format
• Read or download a PDF of any edition
• Search the entire collection database for specific keywords