Announcing the Chuck Kolbe Distinguished Leadership Award

Frater Chuck Kolbe, E-691, passed on to Chapter Eternal April 25, 2009 after a long and courageous struggle with health complications following a spinal cord injury in 1997. To honor the memory and to preserve and perpetuate the legacy of this beloved and accomplished Frater, Epsilon Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon has established the Chuck Kolbe Distinguished Leadership Award in agreement with the Iowa State University Foundation. We seek your support and participation in establishing and perpetuating this most important award.

Charles Leon Kolbe was raised on a farm in rural Sac County Iowa and graduated from Lake View High School in 1960. During his high school years, Chuck was an active student leader and an outstanding football player.

In the fall of 1960, Chuck pledged Epsilon Chapter, joining a pledge class of 36 young men, and declaring an Animal Science major. He was activated in the spring of 1961, scroll number E-691.

During his five years at Iowa State, Chuck was active at the highest levels within Epsilon and on the ISU Campus. He served as president of his 1960-61 pledge class, the largest to that date in Epsilon’s history. During his sophomore year 1962-63, Chuck was elected Prytanis. The following year, he served as rush chairman and through his leadership launched a summer rush program that involved the deployment of 12 Fraters across three states for a period of two weeks. The success of that approach to rush led to the need to build the south addition to 224 Ash in the following year and to two subsequent years of Epsilon being selected Top Teke Chapter in the Nation.

Chuck was a popular and active leader on campus as well. His roles included Interfraternity Council of Presidents 1962-63, IFC Rush Chairman 1963, IFC Senior Senator to ISU Government of the Student Body 1963-64, Homecoming Central Committee 1963, VEISHEA Central Committee 1963, Gamma Gamma Greek Honorary 1964, VEISHEA Co-Chairman 1964, Cardinal Key Leadership Award 1964, and ISU’s highest undergraduate award, Cardinal Key, in spring 1965.

Chuck graduated in the spring of 1965 with a Bachelor of Science degree, and he and his wife, Sue, returned to Sac County to raise a wonderful family, daughters Caran, Jill and Maggie. Together they launched a highly successful grain farming and cattle raising business over the ensuing years.
Frater Kolbe was an accomplished gardener, cook, horseman, biker, tennis player, guitar & banjo player and story-teller…..he could sing a bit as well. And of course he and Sue were avid and loyal Cyclone fans and supporters over the years. Moreover, he was a wonderful friend, neighbor and confidant whose personal strength and will were quite simply unmatched.

Chuck became President of both the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and the Iowa Beef Industry Council where he was inducted into the Iowa Cattlemen’s Hall of Fame along with being the only recipient of the Association’s Lifetime Member Award.

Chuck served his country in later years during two terms on the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board and was honored with the U.S. Treasury Secretary’s Honor Award for his distinguished service.

In the early summer of 1997, Chuck was tragically struck by a motorist while training for the Des Moines Register’s annual cross-state bicycle ride, RAGBRAI. Unfortunately, he was never able to walk again, but nonetheless was able to live an exceedingly productive life as husband, father, grandfather, Frater and friend.

Chuck played an instrumental role in the 224 Ash LLC Investor Campaign and continued to be actively involved in the 2004 rebirth of our beloved Fraternity.

Frater Kolbe died on April 25, 2009 in Des Moines, Iowa, surrounded by family and friends.

Of the thousands of Fraters who have knocked at the door of Epsilon Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon over the years, few, if any, have influenced and inspired those who have followed as did Chuck Kolbe. This award honors Frater Kolbe’s distinguished life and his enduring legacy.

This scholarship is intended to inspire Epsilon undergraduate students to be actively engaged as chapter, campus and community leaders at the highest levels during their undergraduate years at Iowa State University.

1. Applicant must demonstrate commitment to the fraternal founding principles as written in the Tau Kappa Epsilon national fraternity charter, as determined by the Scholarship Committee.

2. Shall reside in the Epsilon Chapter house during the recipient’s years as an undergraduate student at Iowa State University, except in extenuating circumstances as determined by the Scholarship Committee, i.e. marriage, study abroad, and internship.

3. Preference will be given to individuals who are active leaders of campus, Greek, and Chapter activities such as, but not limited to, participation in Interfraternity Council, Chapter offices, Greek committees and/or student organizations as determined by the Scholarship Committee.

4. The recipient must be a sophomore, junior or senior by class standing, or an Iowa State University graduate student during the term of the award.

5. Cumulative GPA may be considered to distinguish between multiple candidates with equal or comparable qualifications – but there is no GPA minimum to receive this award.

6. Initially the award will be $2,000 annually during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years (the fundraising period for the scholarship), so long as expendable funds are raised and available to make these two initial awards. In future years (post 2011-12) the available expendable amount shall be governed as outlined in the Chuck Kolbe Distinguished Leadership Award endowment agreement with the Iowa State University foundation.

To perpetually fund the Kolbe Award – our top Epsilon Scholarship – at $2,000 or more per year, we must establish an endowed fund of $50,000 or more with the Iowa State University Foundation. As you see above, we plan to make two $2,000 awards during the next two academic years. Therefore, our minimum campaign goal is $54,000.

It would be outstanding to exceed this goal so that we can increase the funding level. We encourage you to consider an extraordinary tax-deductible gift in honor and memory of Chuck. Your pledge can be given over two years.

The Epsilon Scholarship Committee, and those contemporaries of Frater Kolbe who are involved in this endeavor of the heart, encourage each of you who knew, admired, respected and loved Chuck Kolbe to join us in participating in the creation and establishment of this most meaningful award.

All gifts for the Kolbe Award endowment will be credited to the ISU Foundation’s current $800 million Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose. Epsilon is honored to have one of its own, Frater Roger Underwood, E1239, as national chair of the campaign and member of the Foundation’s Board of Governors, along with several other Fraters.

Your tax-deductible contribution can be made by mailed check, on-line via credit card, or by stock transfer to the ISU Foundation. Instructions follow.

To make a contribution by Check:
Please make your check out to “ISU Foundation”. Put “TKE Kolbe Endowment” in the memo line.
Mail your check to:
Iowa State University Foundation
2505 University Boulevard
P.O. Box 2230
Ames, Iowa 50010-2230

To make a contribution On-Line via Credit Card (or series of recurring CC gifts):

• Read and/or copy these instructions. Then, click here to go to the ISU Foundation's website that allows you to make a credit card gift. (Note: if you want to go to the Foundation's website using your web browser, the web address is www.ISUFoundation.org Click on the button in the upper right corner of the home page that reads "Make A Gift Today".) 
• If you are making a one-time gift, enter your contact information. In the next section titled “Allocate Your Gift,” click on the box that allows you to “designate your gift to another area on campus.”  In the box that then appears for gift designation, write “TKE Kolbe Endowment” and enter the amount of your gift.

• Provide the remaining information requested to complete the gift transaction.

To make a pledge paid by “recurring” credit card gifts:

• At the ISU Foundation’s credit card giving page (see step one above), scroll past the first section for donor information and go to the next section titled “Allocate Your Gift.” Click on the red text that reads:  “Make a recurring gift.”

• In the first section for gift designation, click on the circle labeled “Use my gift where it is needed most.”  In the notes/instruction box enter: “Recurring gift: TKE Kolbe Endowment.”

• Choose gift amount, check gift type (recurring gift), select gift duration from drop down menu, and click the “calculate” button for the total gift (pledge).

• Enter donor contact and credit card information to complete the gift transaction.

To make a contribution via a Stock Transfer:

Please contact Karla Heintz at the ISU Foundation, PH: 515-294-9960, to obtain a copy of the document Stock Gift Procedures.

Frater Chuck Kolbe was unquestionably one of the most outstanding and inspirational Fraters to wear the badge of Epsilon Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon. His legacy will live on in the hearts, minds, and actions of all who were fortunate to know him as a friend and as a fraternity brother. Please join your fellow Fraters and act now in honoring and perpetuating the legacy of this great man whose leadership and spirit touched us all.

Yours In The Bond,