LAI Colleague Chapters
Lambda Alpha International (LAI) has added chapters over a history that now approaches eight decades. Currently there are 21 active chapters around the world:
1930s
Ely Chapter was the first chpater founded February 20, 1931 in Chicago, Illinois. The first member initiated into the fraternity was Edward L. Johnson (1910-2004). After graduation from Northwestern, Mr. Johnson worked at Bell Federal Savings and Loan Association. He was a President of Lambda Alpha in 1943-44. In 1989, Lambda Alpha International gave him their International Fellow Award. Today, LAI honors his contributions and memory with the Edward L. Johnson Member of the Year Award:
"This award is selected from Chapter nominations for Chapter Member of the Year by the International's Awards Committee and will be based upon commitment to Lambda Alpha, to the nominee's profession and to land economics with respect to achievement in the private or public sectors, research or education."
1940s
New York Chapter was established June 22, 1949 (New York), the first chapter founded outside of Chicago and included distinguished land economists such as Homer Hoyt.
1950s
Two chapters followed in 1955. The first, the Los Angeles Chapter (California), was started April 15, 1955 by three Ely Chapter members who relocated to Southern California. Edward L. Johnson (Ely, 1931), Otar Aamodt (Ely, 1946) and Henry Babcock (Ely, 1933) joined Dr. Fred Case (Professor of Real Estate, Housing and Urban Land Economics at the UCLA Graduate School of Business). Mr. Johnson was the first president of the Los Angeles Chapter.
The George Washington Chapter was established in 1957 in Washington, D.C.
1960s
The 1960s saw the addition of three current chapters. Both the Golden Gate Chapter (San Francisco, California) and the Simcoe Chapter (Toronto, Canada) were established in 1964.
The Simcoe Chapter is named in honor of Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe (1752–1806), the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada and now southern Ontario, Canada. William Roy Kellough was a former member of the Ely Chapter (1965), a Canadian appraiser and business/real estate economist, and one of three of the first members from outside the continental United States. In 1967, he formed the first "international" chapter of Lambda Alpha in Toronto Canada and became its first president. He was editor of the Land Economics Journal for a number of years and was Lambda Alpha International President for 1982-1983.
The Philadelphia Chapter (Pennsylvania) started in 1967.
1970s
Three active chapters were added in the late 1970s. Memphis Chapter (Tennessee) began in 1977. The Puget Sound Chapter (Seattle, WA) and the San Diego Chapter (California) both were established in 1979.
1980s
Four of the current U.S. chapters were added in the 1980s: Minneapolis Chapter (Minnesota) in 1982; the Aloha Chapter (Hawaii) and the Phoenix Chapter (Arizona), both in 1983. And one Canadian chapter, the Vancouver Chapter (Canada), was added in 1988.
1990s
In the 1990s, LAI added three U.S. chapters, one Canadian chapter and the first chapter across the Atlantic. Orange County Chapter (Irvine, California) and
Sacramento Chapter (California) were added in 1991. Baltimore Chapter (Maryland) and the London Chapter (U.K.) were established in 1992. The history of the London Chapter can be found on their web site, under "Publications."
The Ottawa Chapter (Canada) was founded September 13, 1993. Attending the charter event was the International President, Eugene Stunard and Walter Winius, the International Secretary. A reception prior to the dinner was hosted by V. Philip Boname, Lambda Alpha International New Chapter Committee Chairman. The first officers of the Ottawa Chapter were: President, Jim Lowden; VP Programming, Ted Robinson; VP Membership, Jean-Pierre Lortie; VP Education, Victor Konrad; Secretary, Peter Burns; Treasurer, Alex Fitzsimmons; Historian and Scribe, Bob Garrod.
2000s
Zia Chapter (Albuquerque, New Mexico) was begun in 2006. The chapter takes its name from the Zia Indians, an indigenous tribe of New Mexico known for their pottery and use of the Sun symbol.
We await further information on the founding year of the Boston (Massachusetts).
Over the history of LAI, several chapters were started in U.S. and international cities, although they are dormant today: East-West Gateway Chapter (St. Louis, Missouri), Flagler Chapter (Miami, Florida), Silicon Valley Chapter (merged into the Golden Gate Chapter), Mexico City Chapter (Mexico), Delhi and Bombay Chapters (India), Tokyo Chapter (Japan), Carolinas Chapter (Charlotte, North Carolina), Dixie States Chapter (Atlanta, Georgia), Tulsa Chapter (Oklahoma). A number of efforts are underway to reactivate chapter in these and other interested communities.
The Victory of Achievement
To establish and sustain an LAI Chapter is an achievement of dedication and continuing support by the land economics community in all its facets: political, academic, social and business. LAI succeeds when the chapters achieve their community goals: recognizing the individuals and firms that make a significant difference locally and fostering an affirmative, intelligent exchange of ideas across the many disciplines that make up the land economics professions.
Each chapter is unique in its creation of a vision and a mission that meets the local needs of their community and helps to sustain the goals of the organization. Each chapter adds a distinctive character, reflecting some special aspect of the traditions and history of Lambda Alpha International, overall.
|
