This award was established in 1996 to reward chapters for excelling in leadership activities on the chapter level. With the development of programs at the Leader-Development Seminars and Grand Councils, the Fraternity recognized the need to equally reward scholarship and leadership excellence in fulfilling our mission to produce Leaders in Pharmacy. At the 65th Grand Council in San Antonio, Texas, the Executive Council announced their decision to rename this award after Past Grand President, Beta Gamma Brother John D. Grabenstein, in honor of his service and dedication over nearly the last three decades. He has been an example for all Brothers to follow and his commitment to the promotion of leadership has been an inspiration and invaluable asset to the world of pharmacy, his country, and to Phi Delta Chi. This LDS program, originally written by John, has evolved into the seminar as it was presented in Ann Arbor in the summer of 2006. Chapters submit a written report as part of the Achievement Award Program, and these are judged by five past LDS facilitators or coordinators using these criteria: Chapter programs promoting Leader-Development and excellence, chapter recognition of Leader-Development and excellence, outcomes of Leader-Development as evidenced by such activities as Brothers’ involvement in school and community organizations, written presentation of the report.
View WinnersThe Albert Benjamin Prescott Scholarship Cup is named after our first Chapter Advisor, Dean Prescott of the University of Michigan. He was an innovator in pharmacy education who took our profession from apprentice-based training to the didactic curriculum approach we know today. We memorialize him through the scholarly reports of individual and collective achievement, and innovative activities of our Brothers. Until the inception of the Grand President’s Award, the Prescott Cup symbolized the best chapter in our Fraternity. The Rand P. Hollenback Scholarships are awarded to the top three Prescott winners to memorialize his 44 years of unselfish dedication and service to the Fraternity. It has been said that he has crossed the paths of more Phi Delta Chi Brothers than any other person. The award is judged using the following criteria: promotion of scholastic improvement and achievement, recognition by the chapter of scholastic improvement and excellence, quantifiable indicators of scholastic achievement, the written presentation.
View WinnersAt the 1975 Grand Council in Atlanta, the Phi Delta Chi Brotherhood Award was established. It was funded by Brother Paul Desmet of Alpha Eta Chapter in memory of his father, John B. Desmet, and his grandmother, Irma B. Desmet, and though his own strong feelings for the Brotherhood of Phi Delta Chi Fraternity. The Fraternity honored past Grand President Ralph L. Saroyan by renaming the Brotherhood Award after him at the 62nd Grand Council in 1992.
View WinnersSince the 48th Grand Council in Indianapolis, Phi Delta Chi has recognized the professional works of our chapters. Professional service is an integral and important component of the professional fraternity. This award is judged by using the following criteria: Number of Brothers participating in the projects, number of people served, number of total hours spent by all Brothers in performing the projects, other quantifiable data, such as amount of money raised or people screened. At the 71st Grand Council in Washington DC, this award was named after Nancy Alvarez, Alpha Nu Brother. She has exemplified service to the profession and professionalism through her many offices held including Grand Vice President for Collegiate Affairs, President of Phi Lambda Sigma National Leadership Society, Honorary Grand President at 69th Grand Council, APhA Board of Trustees, and APhA National President. She is an awardee of the Prescott Leadership Award and has served as content developer and facilitator for our Leader-Development Seminars, serving as a board member of PLEI for 14 years.
View WinnersCommunication with alumni Brothers and chapter histories is recorded in our spring publications each year. Since 1982, those chapters recognized as the top three in this competition have also received scholarships. These are named in honor of Norman H. Franke, our former Grand Editor and 23rd Grand President. Brother Franke served as a Grand Officer for 16 years and greatly influenced our national publication, The Communicator. Brother Franke served as Grand Editor from 1965–1973; during this time he made many improvements to the national publication. He later served as Grand President from 1973–1978 and died in 1981. The Franke Scholarships are used by the chapters to advance professional programs within the chapters Each chapter is encouraged to prepare at least one publication each year to keep the Grand Officers, chapter alumni and other chapters informed of activities and progress. It should serve as a historical documentation of a chapter’s activities. Norman H. Franke scholarships are awarded to the first three places. The criteria for judging the award include: Content including history and progress of chapter activities, alumni projection, professional character, arrangement and neatness. It is evaluated by the Regional Directors for Alumni Affairs using these five criteria: originality, content, format, professionalism, and interest to alumni. The size and cost of printing are not considered in judging the chapter publications.
View WinnersThe Grand President’s Award was first awarded in 1974 and acknowledges the best chapter of Phi Delta Chi. It symbolizes all that is good about our Fraternity. A broad base of judges, including undergraduates, alumni, Regional and Grand Officers, grade the six components of the award to provide impartiality. The Executive Director compiles and weights the individual reports to determine the ultimate winner. * Prohibition against receiving Thurston Cup two years in a row lifted after 1980 evaluation. It was Beta Gamma Brother Ron Corey's desire that the winning chapter have a cash award to continue their tremendous efforts. He presented this idea to the Executive Council in 2019 and the Ron Corey Excellence Scholarship was created. Thanks to Ron's endowment, each winning chapter receives his $2,000 scholarship along with the beautiful trophy.
View WinnersEach of our chapters is guided by the wisdom of a Chapter Advisor. While many of our Advisors have been Brothers of Phi Delta Chi since their collegiate days, some Advisors are selected by the chapters and are initiated as graduate Brothers. The role of the Advisor is to provide guidance to the chapter and counsel in times of need, serve as an advocate of the chapter’s activities and facilitate positive change. Students come and go through the chapter but our Advisors are the stabilizing force of our chapters. To recognize the importance of the Advisor to the chapter and the Fraternity, the Outstanding Advisor Award was established in 1996. The criteria for this award is a written report by the chapter, detailing the advisor’s role in the chapter’s activities. The selection committee does not consider the faculty’s professional accomplishments, only the fraternal ones.
Specifically, the Advisor should:
Meet on a regular basis with the chapter’s leaders (officers and committee chairs).
When possible, attend the Formal or another meeting of the entire chapter on a monthly basis.
Be available to advise and counsel any Brother in need of such.
Serve as a point of contact for the National and Regional Officers with regard to the chapters.
Compliance with established Chapter Standards and fraternity and college policies.
Serve in any other capacity mutually agreed upon by the Advisor and chapter.
This award was first awarded in 2012. The Most Improved Chapter Award honors the chapter that demonstrates exceptional improvement in their Thurston Cup standing which requires significant chapter development and enhanced submissions to our Fraternity's Achievement Award Program
View WinnersThanks to the generosity of Alpha Psi alumnus Jack Schlegel and his wife, Priscilla, the Pharmacy Leadership & Education Institute (PLEI) first introduced this award in 2022. The Schlegel Leadership Development Award bestows a $1,000 honorarium annually to a collegiate Brother of Phi Delta Chi completing their final professional year of study. The honoree must demonstrate the potential for exceptional leadership in the profession through exemplary behaviors and actions as a student and professional in training that gains the respect of peers.
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