Norval Stephens '51 to Receive North-American Interfraternity Conference's Gold Medal

April 8, 2015

Norval B. Stephens Jr.,  a 1951 graduate of DePauw and a Life Trustee of the University, will be honored with the North-American Interfraternity Conference Gold Medal at NIC's annual meeting April 19 in Kansas City, Missouri. Established in 1940, the NIC Gold Medal recognizes those men who have given outstanding lifetime service to the fraternal movement. Since its inception, 114 fraternal leaders have been honored.

Stephens is a past president of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity and former chairman of the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation.

Founded in 1909, the North-American Interfraternity Conference is the trade association representing 74 international and national men's fraternities.

"This is a tremendous honor for Norval and for Delta Tau Delta," says the fraternity's international president, Jody Danneman. "Norval has truly been a beacon for what's good about fraternity. He epitomizes the Delt aspiration of lifelong service, loyalty and love."

The son of a Delt, Norval B. Stephens, Sr. (University of Wisconsin, 1926), Norval Stephens Jr. was a two-term president at the Beta Beta Chapter at DePauw University, where he also achieved membership in Phi Beta Kappa. After attaining the rank of captain in service with the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War, he earned an M.B.A. at the University of Chicago. Stephens then spent four decades as an advertising and marketing executive with DDB Needham Worldwide.

Stephens served as Delt's international president from 1992-94 and was chairman of the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation from 1995-2009.  He continues as a very active director. In 1996 he was cited into membership in the fraternity's Distinguished Service Chapter, the highest service honor available to Delts.

At DePauw in 1994, Stephens received the University's Old Gold Goblet for outstanding alumni service.  He served on the Board of Trustees from 1983-96, and was vice chairman in 1995-96.  He's been a Life Trustee since 2000.

In 2007, Norval Stephens led the drive to create a national anti-hazing hotline for Greek organizations.

"Throughout the 30+ years, Norval has provided thoughtful leadership, artfully-crafted words of wisdom and, most of all, role-modeling that has influenced and shaped the lives of countless Delts and many of their Greek brothers and sisters," states Mark Helmus, executive vice president of Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation.

"If the fraternity world had a pope, it undoubtedly would be Norval Stephens," adds Ken Kies, chair of Delt's Education Foundation Board.

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