Jack L. Anson
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Jack Lee Anson (August 3, 1924-September 15, 1990) was an important leader in the American college interfraternity movement, and was known as "Mr. Fraternity." Under Anson's leadership as executive director of the North-American Interfraternity Conference, college fraternities and sororities gained an exemption from Title IX legislation to preserve the single-sex nature of the organizations.
A native of Huntington, Indiana, Anson served in the U.S. Army in the European Theater, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge and became the Army's youngest master sergeant. He graduated from Colgate University in 1948 where he was a member of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity.
He spent his entire career in the service of the North American college fraternity movement. He served his own fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau in a number of positions culminating with his appointment as executive director. In 1970, Anson became executive director of the North-American Interfraternity Conference, a position he held until his retirement in 1982.
He was the author of The Golden Jubilee History of Phi Kappa Tau in 1957, A Diamond Jubilee History of the National Interfraternity Conference: 75 Glorious Years in 1984 and at the time of his death he was serving as editor of the current edition of Baird's Manual of College Fraternities.
In 1985, Anson won the Interfraternity world's highest honor, the Gold Medal of the North-American Interfraternity Conference. In addition, he was widely honored by men's and women's Greek-letter organizations for his contributions to the North American college fraternity movement including awards from Lambda Chi Alpha, Delta Gamma and others.
In Anson's memory, the Association of Fraternity Advisors presents a Jack L. Anson Award and the National Interfraternal Foundation presents Jack L. Anson Fellowships.
