The fall of 2022 marked a major milestone achievement for the DKE house on Grounds as it celebrated its 170th anniversary. Attendance at this celebration was strong from both the actives and brothers who returned to Charlottesville from all over the country for a weekend filled with fellowship and fun. The weekend kicked off with a cocktail party at the house on Friday evening. Scott Kelly graciously hosted a lunch for all the alumni and actives at his beautiful farm in Afton on Saturday afternoon. The anniversary weekend concluded with dinner, drinks, dancing, and some memorable speeches at Alumni Hall.
We were delighted to be joined by a few distinguished guests at Alumni Hall, including President Ryan. The event was also attended by Doug Lanpher, Executive Director of DKE Nationals, who was so impressed by the occasion that he put our celebration on the cover of the Fall 2022 edition of DKE Quarterly. I would like to especially thank Dulany Morison (ʼ05) and George Morison (ʼ66) for their support in making this event a success and their wonderful work emceeing the event. We would also like to thank our event sponsors for their generosity. It was a grand affair from start to finish and we look forward to coming together again in 2027 for our 175th Anniversary.
As part of the 170th celebration, we announced the creation of the David Carr Memorial Legacy Award. Mr. Carr stood in a class of his own in the history books of Eta Chapter and remained a supportive leader of our brotherhood since the day he joined in 1946. In recognition of his lifetime of legendary leadership, the legacy award was established as follows:
The David Carr Memorial Legacy Award will be presented every five years to an Eta brother who, in the spirit of David Carr, has established a legacy of giving back to the DKE house through leadership, contributions, and supportive brotherhood. In addition to prioritizing the success of Eta Chapter at the University, recipients of this award are men of unparalleled character and principle. They represent the finest qualities of a gentleman and set the benchmark for what it means to be a DKE for life.
Bob Green (ʼ69), Charlie Jones (ʼ56), Berkley Cone (ʼ72), and George Morison (ʼ66) were all unanimously elected to be our inaugural recipients of this proud honor. These gentlemen have inspired generations of Eta brothers and set the benchmark for what it means to be a DKE for life. Going forward, the honor will be awarded to one individual at every five-year reunion.