1964–65 Volume 89 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

THE SCROLL of Phi Delta Theta for MARCH, 1965 249the State of Tennessee. He received a bachelorof arts from the Honor School of Jurisprudenceat Oxford, England in 1907 and a master ofarts from the same institution in 1915.He began his distinguished career as an educatorwhen he returned from Oxford to occupythe chair of philosophy and psychology at CentralCollege, Fayette, Mo. Two years later, atthe age of 27, he became President of KentuckyWesleyan College, new home of Kentucky Zetachapter. He was a member of the University ofKentucky faculty when he was appointed by.President Harding as the U.S. Commissionerof Education in 1921.A loyal and devoted Phi through his longand distinguished career. Brother Tigert servedthe Fraternity in many capacities, culminatingin six years of duty on the General Council. Hewas elected Member-at-Large at the Kansas CityConvention in 1922, re-elected at Clevelandtwo years later, and then at Montreal, Quebec,in 1926, was unanimously named President ofthe General Council for a two-year term. Hespoke at innumerable * A 9 meetings, and willbe remembered by hundreds of Phis as thetoastmaster at the Centennial Convention Banquetin Oxford, Ohio, in 1948.Dr. Tigert guided the University of Floridathrough one of its most formative periods whenenrollment mounted from approximately 1,800MEMORIAL ESTABLISHEDAs a memorial to Brother Tigert, the Universityof Florida Alumni Association hasearmarked $20,000 a year to establish theDr. John J. Tigert Alumni Chair of Distinctionon the Florida campus.to 7,500. He developed an outstanding systemof student self-government, inaugurated theUniversity College, established an Institute forInter-American Affairs, and personally organizedthe Southeastern Conference in athletics.During his tenure chapters of Phi Beta Kappa,Sigma Xi, and other honor societies were installedon the campus in recognition of the institution'sscholastic excellence.Dr. Tigert was the recipient of twelve honorarydegrees and numerous academic honors.There were but few years in the past halfcenturywhen he was not active as chairman ormember of councils and committees concernedDR. JOHN J. TIGERT, Vanderbilt '04I882-I965with educational matters. His contributions toencyclopedias and educational journals numbermore than 200.Among the many national organizations heserved as president were National Associationof State Universities, the Southern UniversityConference, the Southeastern Athletic Conference,in addition to * A e. He was a member ofthe Senate of Phi Beta Kappa for sixteen years.During World War II, Dr. Tigert was namedby the President as a member of the Committeeof 100 for the National War Fund.Following his retirement Dr. Tigert remainedactive as a lecturer, an author, a consultant, andas a visiting professor of philosophy at the Universityof Miami. His home remained in Gainesville.Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Edith BristolTigert of Gainesville, a son, John JamesTigert, V (Vanderbilt '34) of Long Island, N.Y.,a daughter, Mary Jane (Mrs. Maturice) Rivas ofMiami, and five grandchildren, includingRobert McT. Tigert, Jr. (Emory '50).. Funeral services were held Sunday January24 at the First Methodist Church in Gainesville,with George Banta, Jr. (Wabash '14), P.P.G.C,representing the Fraternity. These two greatPhis served on the General Coundl togetherduring Brother Tigert's tenure as P.G.C.• • • IN COELO QUIES EST • • •