The Distinguished Public Service Award is the Order’s second-highest honor conferred on those members who have pursued the Kappa Alpha tenet of excellence through service to others. The award was established in 1986 by the 23rd Executive Council at the direction of then Knight Commander Idris R. Traylor Jr. At the fifth meeting of the 26th Executive Council, at the Riverview Hotel in Mobile, Alabama, the first text was introduced into the Regulations describing the award, which read: “Public Service Award. Established by the Executive Council in 1986. To recognize alumni members for dedicated public involvement including service as a public official in local, state or national government or service to a public charity or institution and especially service to an educational institution.” On May 17, 2000, the Executive Council amended the Regulations to include the following verbiage and description: “Distinguished Public Service Award. There is hereby established an award to recognize members who have demonstrated public service by serving in local, state or federal government. The award is granted by a majority vote of the Executive Council.”
(Information listed generally reflects public service at time of award)
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							  Hon. Thurman Adams Jr.Beta Epsilon–Delaware, 1947
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							  Dr. John D. AnthonyBeta Commission–VMI, 1962
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							  Hon. Paul C. Artman Jr.Delta Beta–Delta State, 1970
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							  Hon. Jeffrey H. AtwaterBeta Zeta–Florida, 1978
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							  Roy D. BluntAlpha Eta–Westminster, 1989
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							  Hon. Frederick C. BoucherBeta Rho–Roanoke, 1965
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							  Hon. David R. BowenAlpha Kappa–Missouri, 1951
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							  Dr. Frank P. Bowyer Jr.Beta Zeta–Florida, 1935
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							  C. Howard BozemanPi–Tennessee, 1938
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							  Robert A. BrummalBeta Eta–Oklahoma, 1935
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							  John H. Bryan Jr.Alpha Epsilon–Rhodes, 1955
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							  Robert Morrison Clayton IIIBeta Lambda–Southern Methodist, 1988
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							  Hon. William P. ClementsBeta Lambda–Southern Methodist, 1936
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							  Hon. William F. Clinger, Jr.Alpha Lambda–Johns Hopkins, 1948
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							  Paul Y. CobleTau–Wake Forest, 1973
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							  Hon. E. Thomas ColemanAlpha Delta–William Jewell, 1962
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							  Hon. Larry E. ConbestGamma Chi–Texas Tech, 1986
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							  W. Travis CummingsDelta Rho–Valdosta State, 1992
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							  Charles Sheppard DeanGamma Eta–Florida State, 1963
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							  Hon. Butler C. Derrick, Jr.Rho–South Carolina, 1955
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							  Hon. C. Wayne DowdyAlpha Mu–Millsaps, 1962
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							  J. Michael DuncanDelta Kappa–Stephen F. Austin State, 1969
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							  Hon. Thomas H. Fetzer, Jr.Tau–Wake Forest, 1974
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							  Hon. Zel M. FischerAlpha Delta–William Jewell, 1982
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							  Charles A. FrancisGamma Eta–Florida State, 1967
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							  Hon. Barton J. GordonDelta Lambda–Middle Tennessee State, 1969
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							  Bradley A. GrimmGamma Omega–Midwestern State, 1990
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							  Hon. James A. HayesGamma Phi–Louisiana-Lafayette, 1966
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							  Harvey R. HilderbranGamma Chi–Texas Tech, 1980
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							  Hon. George B. HooksNu–Auburn, 1966
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							  Hon. Carroll Hubbard, Jr.Beta Delta–Georgetown, 1957
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							  Hon. T. Jerry HuckabyAlpha Gamma–Louisiana State, 1960
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							  Richard L. Hudson Jr.Epsilon Xi–North Carolina-Charlotte, 1990
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							  Gen. Richard L. Irby Jr.Beta Commission–VMI, 1939
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							  Dr. William B. KeeneBeta Epsilon–Delaware, 1952
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							  Lt. Gen. John W. KnappBeta Commission–VMI, 1954
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							  Robert E. Knox, Jr.Gamma–Georgia, 1963
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							  Dr. Harold J. Lassiter Jr.Gamma Upsilon–Texas A&M-Commerce, 1965
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							  Conway C. LeBleuDelta Xi–McNeese State, 1981
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							  Hon. Kenneth H. MacKay, Jr.Beta Zeta–Florida, 1951
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							  Oscar Hunter McClungBeta Commission–VMI, 1935
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							  Hon. Gerald D. McCormick IIPi–Tennessee, 1982
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							  Larry D. MeyersGamma Chi–Texas Tech, 1968
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							  Dr. Frank D. MongiardoAlpha Theta–Transylvania, 1979
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							  Hon. Sonny MontgomeryBeta Tau–Mississippi State, 1940
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							  Hon. Glenn A. NortonAlpha Eta–Westminster, 1979
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							  Hon. Robert F. OrrUpsilon–North Carolina, 1966
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							  Hon. William F. OwensDelta Kappa–Stephen F. Austin State, 1970
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							  Hon. Claude D. PepperAlpha Omicron–Arkansas, 1925
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							  Hon. Mark D. PfeifferAlpha Eta–Westminster, 1986
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							  Lennard B. Register IIIBeta Zeta–Florida, 1974
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							  Dr. Ronald J. RenuartBeta Zeta–Florida, 1983
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							  Hon. Roy L. RichterBeta Iota–Drury, 1969
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							  Hon. Kenneth M. RominesAlpha Delta–William Jewell, 1963
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							  Hon. P. Michael RuffGamma Eta–Florida State, 1967
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							  Hon. Gary SchmidtAlpha Eta–Westminster, 1966
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							  Gary T. ScottXi–Southwestern, 1963
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							  Hon. Kenneth F. ThompsonBeta Iota–Drury, 1970
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							  Christopher R. TraylorGamma Chi–Texas Tech, 1982
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							  John M. TurnerGamma Lambda–North Texas, 1955
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							  Daniel B. WaggonerGamma Chi–Texas Tech, 1981
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							  Donald W. WebbBeta Delta–Georgetown, 1958
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							  R. Dudley WebbBeta Delta–Georgetown, 1963
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							  Hon. David L. WilliamsTheta–Kentucky, 1972
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							  Dennis A. WilliamsonGamma Eta–Florida State, 1969
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							  Hon. Gary D. WittAlpha Delta–William Jewell, 1984
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							  Hon. Stephen A. WomackEpsilon Zeta–Arkansas Tech, 1978
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							  Hon. G. Smedes YorkAlpha Omega–North Carolina State, 1960