This past spring, we celebrated the 35th annual Jeffrey R Cudlip Memorial Awards, hosted by Board of Trustees president Scott Oswald (Col class of ’90) and his wife, Susan Oswald (Col class of ’91). Per tradition, the event was held at Farmington Country Club. Attendees included alumni and their wives, as well as house officers and their dates. It was a terrific opportunity for alumni and actives to get to know each other, but more importantly, for all of us to reflect on our shared brotherhood, as embodied by Jeffrey Cudlip (Col class of ’90). Jeffrey was a beloved brother who died during a tragic swimming accident. To honor his life and ensure he is never forgotten, the Cudlip Award was created to honor an outstanding pledge each year, as voted by his pledge class.
This year, this prestigious award was bestowed upon Jack Thornton (Engr class of ’27). Jack is as dedicated a Phi as you will ever meet! He is always the first guy to volunteer for any task and always the first to show up at the house when there is a job to be done. He not only has the respect of his pledge class, but of the entire brotherhood and Board of Trustees. Jack is currently serving as house manager and alumni chair. We are fortunate to have Jack as a Phi.
After dinner, the group headed over to the house, where the following annual awards were presented.
The Record
The Record is the Phi Society’s oldest and most prestigious award. It is given at the conclusion of each academic year to the “Best Phi,” or the brother who has given the most lasting contribution to the fraternity during his time at the University. This year’s recipient is Joe Harrell (Col class of ’25). Joe has been as dedicated a brother as any during his four years at UVA. What made him truly stand out this past year was the unbelievable effort he put in as rush chair. Under Joe’s leadership, we had our best rush in many years! Joe was also the recipient of the Harry Marshall Award for Excellence, presented by the Board to the undergraduate who has demonstrated the most lasting contribution to the fraternity in the eyes of the alumni over the past year.
Maupin Pence Memorial Award
This award is given to the undergraduate brother who has achieved academic excellence while an undergraduate member. The award is named in honor of Maupin Pence, who was a long-time chapter advisor to the Phi house in the 1950s and 1960s. This year’s award went to Jack Wilcox (Com class of ’25), a guy who spent far too many hours in the library and not enough at Trin.
Joseph C. Tunner ’63 Memorial Award
Named in honor of Joseph Tunner, this award is given to a brother who demonstrates excellence in a combination of varsity, club, or intramural sports. This year’s award was presented to Will Stevens (Engr class of ’25). Most brothers would agree that Will is a tremendous athlete.
The evening concluded with the Newly Initiated Brothers (NIBs) leading all those assembled in a rousing performance of “The Good Ship Phi,” “The Good Old Song,” and several other traditional Phi songs.