Awarded to annual brother of the year recipient
Every pledge class includes a member whose selfless contributions to the fraternity demand exceptional recognition. The Class of 1980 Aldophus C. Hailstork Prize is an annual award designed to honor a brother who has demonstrated his unwavering commitment and unparalleled leadership throughout his time as an active member of the fraternity.
Dolly, Adolphus C. Hailstork II, was born near Ithaca, New York, on September 9, 1915. He served as cook for the Sigma Pi Fraternity brothers for 32 years. A former boxer and Negro League baseball star, Dolly was the soul of Sigma Pi from 1960 to 1992. He never forgot a single name or hometown of a brother of Sigma Pi. The chapter initiated Dolly posthumously into the brotherhood in October 2011.
The class of 1980 established and funded the Class of 1980 Adolphus C. Hailstork Prize fund at their class reunion to recognize the Annual Brother of the Year Award.
Criteria
Recipient is a member of the senior class:
The full scope of an undergraduate brother’s contributions to the fraternity can only be measured at the end of his undergraduate years. Recipients have demonstrated an unyielding commitment to Sigma Pi from beginning to end.
Recipient has tangibly exemplified the ideals of Sigma Pi:
Winners of this award have consistently maintained high scholarly standing, diffused culture in their surrounding community, and developed the character of themselves and those around them.
Selection Procedure
Each year, the undergraduate executive board will select a candidate whom it believes best fits the criteria of the award. The board will then submit its recommendation to the alumni executive board for its approval. Upon ratification from the alumni board, the recipient will be notified by the undergraduate executive board at the spring Orchid Ball.
Award
The winner of the award will receive a monetary prize from the Class of 1980 Adolphus C. Hailstork Prize fund and a plaque commemorating his achievement, which will be displayed in the Sigma Pi house.
The 2024 Adolphus C. Hailstork Prize Recipients
Robert De Jesus ’24 & Special Award Recipient
Benjamin Sliwka ’25
Every year, Sigma Pi awards the Adolphus Dolly C. Hailstork Jr. Brother of the Year award to a senior class member of the chapter. The Brother of the Year (or BOY) is awarded to honor a brother who has demonstrated his unwavering commitment and unparalleled leadership throughout his time as an active member of the fraternity. This year, the chapter chose Robert De Jesus ’24 as the recipient and a special award to Benjamin Sliwka ’25.
Robert De Jesus ’24
Benjamin Sliwka ’25
Past Recipients
2023: Ethan Wood-Thomas ’23 & special award recipient Ricardo Melasecca ’24
2022: Richard Benjamin ’22
2021: Matt Pullano ’21
2020: Alex Ewald ’20
2019: Jonathan Caen ’19
2018: Jake Howell ’18 & Griffin Py ’18
2017: Justin Bredahl ’17
2016: Brandon Choi ’16
2015: Nick Wint ’15
2014: Brendon Viña ’14
2013: Zachary Smith ’13
2012: Tyler Ramsden ’12
2011: Aaron Klein ’11
2010: Evan Alan Lanouette ’10
2009: Anthony Majette ’09
2008 special award: Seth Mosner ’09
2008: Timothy Horsburgh ’08
2007: Lance Fraenkel ’07
2006: Alexander Deyle ’06
Make a Gift
For further information on the Class of 1980 Adolphus C. Hailstork Prize, contact Chantal Champagne, Director, Donor Relations, Alumni Affairs and Development at 607-254-7196, or visit Cornell Giving and type in the Class of 1980 Adolphus C. Hailstork Prize Fund #0001589. Gifts to the fund are treated as gifts to Cornell. Cornell manages the funds as part of its endowment. As with Cornell’s endowment, a portion of the earnings are reinvested as principal and a portion of the earnings are released every year to make prize awards. All gifts to the fund are tax deductible for Federal Income Tax purposes.
