Fritz Jacobi
Some forty years ago, I made friendships with Fraters whom I shared an undergraduate experience. Little did I know that many of these friendships would develop into lifelong relationships. These Fraters I befriended joined me in both celebrations and tribulations throughout my life. Many attended my wedding, some of whom were in the wedding party. As my life progressed, they were with me to celebrate the birth of my children and support me when my parents passed in a tragic plane crash. To this day, my very best friends are the Fraters who I met as undergraduates forty years ago.
In addition to cherished friendships, the Fraternity provided me with opportunities to learn. Not only do you gain experience through the principles of organization and management as a chapter official, but also how to lead groups of young men to achieve common goals. As a chapter Prytanis, I learned to manage and grow what essentially was a small business.
The lessons I learned were invaluable as I entered the workforce. Most of my career was with the newspaper industry. I started at the bottom of an organization supervising newspaper boys and eventually landed at the top job: newspaper publisher. I enjoyed serving as publisher of four daily newspapers for almost 20 years, leading them all to record sales and profits. I truly acknowledge that a part of my business success came from the lessons learned from my experiences with Tau Kappa Epsilon.
Forty years ago there were TKE Foundation educational conferences to attend. I remember attending a time management workshop based on Alan Lakein's book, "How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life." I still use those organizational skills today.
Just a few years ago I ran into a Frater from my collegiate days. One of the first things he said to me was, "Hey Fritz, do you remember the 6 P's of Management?" I responded, "Of course, Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance." We had both learned that little phrase during that workshop almost forty years ago. He said he had used that saying many times over the years when he was running a company or serving on a board, and whenever he would encounter someone who wanted to do something without any planning or forethought, he would stop them in their tracks with the 6 P's of Management. I had to admit I did the same thing. Here was something we both learned at a TKE Foundation education workshop some forty years ago and it was still impacting our lives. Better Men for a Better World!
Frater Fritz Jacobi is a proud member of the Heritage Society and has shown his commitment by making a bequest to the Foundation.
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