By now most, if not all have heard – Brother Jerry Nelson has passed on to Chapter Eternal. For those of us who had the pleasure of knowing and/or working alongside Jerry, we recognized that there were few, if any, Phi Psis who could match his vision, energy and/ or philanthropy.
While Jerry’s legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of us all, he has also left a transformative legacy with the Phi Psi Foundation that will allow his impact to continue. Jerry’s legacy will live through the funding for the Nelson Leadership Institute, the Chapter Scholarship Program, and a fund to support the operation of the foundation. The Chapter Scholarship program has impacted each and every chapter of Phi Psi. In fact, Indiana Beta has received a direct gift of $19,000 presented to the Chapter’s One Fund.
Initiated into the Cal Epsilon Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi on March 21, 1948, Jerry was a friend and mentor to brothers old and young, and a brother who embodied The Great Joy of Serving Others perhaps more than any Phi Psi ever has.
He was responsible for establishing many of Phi Psi’s most well-known programs and initiatives. I had the pleasure of getting to know Jerry through the American Leadership Academy (ALA), a program he founded and designed to develop Phi Psi leaders of tomorrow. This effort continues today through the Nelson Leadership Institute (NLI), named after him, as a reminder of the extent to which Jerry served, mentored, and inspired thousands of Phi Psis.
Jerry Nelson was a giant both inside and outside the Fraternity. He was a visionary businessman, an almost unparalleled philanthropist, and a mentor to more than he could ever have known. He will be greatly missed – but rest assured, not forgotten.
Brian Clarke ‘76, IN Beta House Corporation