Initiated into Beta Nu Chapter at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania on February 15, 1941, Brother Hughes had barely begun life as a Deltasig before answering the call of his country in November of that same year. He served in the Army until 1945, then returned to his school and chapter, in 1947, as many war veterans did, to resume an education interrupted by the war.
As an active member of the Beta Nu Chapter, Brother Hughes was appointed Social Chairman. In 1947, at the Minneapolis Grand Chapter Congress, Brother Hughes joined with Past Grand President Bob Busse, Rutgers-Newark, and others from the east to promote Alan Fowler, East Carolina, for Grand President of the Fraternity. That successful effort led them to join forces and conduct the first ever regional conference. Both Brothers Hughes and Busse felt that two years between conferences was too long a time for the chapters to wait before gathering together again, so in 1948, the official Regional Conferences were born, with 100 brothers participating. Today, this event has grown to five annual LEAD Provincial Conferences and five annual LEAD Schools. Brother Hughes served as the General Chairman of the first Eastern Regional Conference, beginning a history of illustrious service to his Fraternity.
Throughout his extensive business career at the War Assets Administration in charge of machine accounting, as director of machine accounting and in the Electronic Computer Division at RCA, and as director of data processing at Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), Brother Hughes continued volunteering his time and talents to Delta Sigma Pi. He often made it a priority to stop and visit both collegiate chapters and alumni clubs across the country.
After retirement, Brother Hughes remained active in Delta Sigma Pi by serving as Secretary, then President, of the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter. He also served as District Director for the Eastern Region and was on the National Committee for Nominations from 1953 to 1965. Brother Hughes was a voting member of the Delta Sigma Pi Educational Foundation, and Director of the Eastern Region.
His work on the Nominating Committee was characterized by his vision for the future of the Fraternity. In 1965, as chairman of the committee, he asked for and received permission to announce the committee’s recommendations on the first day of the Congress rather than on the last, as had been the practice. He believed the delegates should have a chance to get to know the nominees before casting their vote. This resulted in the campaigning process the Fraternity uses today at all Grand Chapter Congresses.
To recognize his tireless efforts and incredible record of long-term involvement, the Fraternity named its Congress Alumni Chapter travel award in Bob’s honor in 1997. He and his wife Arlene, the 2009 National Honorary Initiate, have each attended over 30 conventions. Arlene was a key member of the Royal Order of Pink Poodles, the organization many wives of Fraternity members were a part of before women were officially admitted to the Fraternity in 1975. Just like her husband and Congress, Arlene never missed a meeting of the Pink Poodles.
Brother Hughes has also received the Order of the Golden Helmet, recognizing over 50 years of leadership and service to the Fraternity and was named the Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree in 2001. We hope you will have the chance to meet Brother Hughes at our 50th Grand Chapter Congress in Chicago this August—it will be his 33rd!