On Aug. 22, the Dartmouth community lost Robert Kaiser '39, who served as house advisor to 46 generations of Psi Upsilon fraternity members. He was 95 years old.
Kaiser, who was a member of Psi U during his time at Dartmouth and a longstanding executive of the Psi Upsilon Foundation, died of complications of congestive heart failure.
Kaiser's memory for small details served as a testament to the fraternity's history, according to Don Cutter '73, a fellow member of Psi U and the fraternity's current house advisor.
"He remembered it all at 95 years old which class all the members where in and how they related to past and present brothers," Cutter said. "Psi U is what it is today because of what Bob and his wife Evelyn have done."
Born in 1917 in New York, Kaiser spent most of his youth in Westfield, N.J., according to a personal obituary Kaiser wrote before his death. At Westfield High School, Kaiser was a three-sport athlete, receiving varsity letters in football, baseball and basketball. He graduated in 1935 as valedictorian of his class.
At Dartmouth, Kaiser studied economics, was inducted to Phi Beta Kappa honor society and earned the distinctions of Rufus Choate Scholar and Senior Fellow, graduating summa cum laude. During his time on campus, he served as Psi U president and treasurer of the Inter-Fraternity Council. Kaiser also sang in the Dartmouth Glee Club and played football and baseball.
Kaiser was memorable for his wit and his impressive recollection of the lives of people he had met, according to Psi U house chairman Duncan Hall '13.
"He could remember students' names from almost 50 years ago and could tell you what they were up to now," Hall said. "He was always interested in listening to others and getting to know where they were from, what their plans were, stuff like that. It really showed how much he cared about other people."
After working briefly for an advertising agency in Philadelphia, Kaiser was drafted into the U.S. Army in January 1941. During his five years of service, he served as second lieutenant of the Second Field Artillery Observation Battalion at Fort Skill, Okla., as well as battery commander, battalion assistant S-3 and plans and operations officer of the 65th Division at Camp Shelby, Miss. Following his involvement with the 65th Division in France during World War II, Kaiser received two bronze stars as combat decorations.
Upon returning to the U.S. after working with displaced Europeans in Austria, Kaiser remained active in the military for several years, ultimately retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. During this time, he met his wife Evelyn, or "Ev."
Psi U President Christian Sherrill '13 said he was always impressed by the Kaiser's welcoming and kind nature.
"Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser always had us over to their house and made us food without ever asking for anything in return, which is pretty remarkable," he said. "They always took the initial step to invite us over, which just shows how much they cared about us."
Moving to Scotch Plains, N.J., Kaiser became the general manager, and later president, of the Dif Corporation, a marketer and manufacturer of chemical cleaning products. In 1964, Kaiser took the role of director of Dartmouth's Bequest and Estate Planning Program, which contributed to the College's endowment.
Kaiser's work in the relatively new fields of bequests and estate planning which included co-authorship of the 1972 Guide to the Administration of Charitable Remainder Trusts earned him the 1986 CASE District One Eleanor Collier Award and a Dartmouth Alumni Award in 1988.
Kaiser's work helped lay the foundation for the practice of fundraising, which was a relatively new profession at the time, according to President and CEO of the Psi Upsilon Foundation Mark Williams.
"He created tools that people take for granted today, and he really changed the way fundraising works," Williams said. "Through his knowledge, expertise and talent, he essentially taught Psi U how to raise money to support educational programming, which has helped shape both the foundation and fraternity."
Upon moving to Hanover in 1965, Kaiser became the advisor for Psi U's Dartmouth chapter, working closely with students until the time of his death. For her corresponding efforts, Evelyn Kaiser was designated an honorary member of Psi U, making her the only female member in the history of the chapter.
The Kaiser's involvement with Dartmouth's Psi U chapter reflected "fraternity at its best," Executive Director of Psi Upsilon Fraternity Tom Fox said in an email to The Dartmouth.
"I've worked for Psi U since 2001 and I've met many amazing alumni advisors but I don't think any of them have equaled the family atmosphere that Bob and Evelyn created with the Zeta chapter," Fox said in the email.
In 2009, Kaiser received Dartmouth's Order of Omega for his devotion to the fraternity. In 2012, the Kaiser Award was created honor of his and his wife's contributions to the Dartmouth's Greek community.
Kaiser demonstrated the meaning and value of belonging to something larger than oneself, according to Psi U member Tyler Brace '11.
"He showed us how the bonds you develop at Dartmouth really are lifelong," Brace said. "People like him are irreplaceable. He is the epitome of the Dartmouth man that we should all aspire to be, and he will be severely missed."
Kaiser is survived by his wife, four children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
