[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 41 (Tuesday, April 4, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE NORTH AMERICAN 
             INTERFRATERNITY CONFERENCE, MR. JAMES R. ESTES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PETE SESSIONS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 4, 2006

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the work of an 
outstanding individual, Mr. James R. Estes of Columbia, Missouri as he 
concludes his second term as the volunteer International President of 
the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC). Professionally, 
Jim is President of Gaslight Gundaker GMAC Real Estate, which is one of 
the nation's 500 largest real estate firms.
  Jim Estes graduated from the University of Missouri, where he was 
initiated into the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity in 1960. Jim served his 
chapter as undergraduate president and was also a member of the 
University of Missouri football and baseball teams. He played in the 
1961 Orange Bowl and was an All-Big 8 selection, while his work on the 
baseball team helped his Missouri Tigers earn three trips to the 
College World Series.
  Jim Estes' commitment to the moral development of young men has 
extended to working with college fraternities, the organizations that 
build the character and leadership skills of tens of thousands of 
college men every year. Mr. Speaker, it is Jim's exceptional work for 
fraternity men nationwide that I rise to recognize today.
  Jim Estes has had an exemplary record of service to Kappa Alpha Order 
fraternity and the interfraternal world. He served as a province 
Commander for the State of Missouri and was first elected to the Kappa 
Alpha Executive Council in 1995 and served as Vice President. In 1997, 
he was elected to the first of two terms as Knight Commander or 
National President of Kappa Alpha Order. He has also served as a member 
of the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation, including two years of 
service as the Foundation's president.
  Jim Estes has not been content to serve just his own brothers for he 
has had a larger mission of improving the collegiate experience of all 
men and women who join a college fraternity. For that reason, Jim Estes 
has served the interfraternal community as well, serving on the board 
of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) for the past 
several years, including the past two years as the National President 
of the NIC. The NIC is the umbrella group for 66 national fraternities 
that have 350,000 undergraduate members and 4.2 million living alumni 
worldwide.
  Mr. Speaker, it is hard to explain Jim Estes' contribution to the 
fraternity world without explaining what fraternity life is all about. 
Nine million Americans are proud fraternity and sorority alumni and 
their experiences in these organizations helped them become better 
students and better citizens of our great nation. While only three 
percent of the nation's population has been a member of a fraternity or 
sorority, these organizations are proven leadership laboratories for 
developing the next generation of American leaders. For proof, you need 
look no further than this Congress itself, where 155 current Members of 
the House of Representatives and the Senate are alumni of fraternities 
and sororities.
  College fraternities and sororities are one of the most successful 
leadership development programs available to college students today, 
helping members graduate with the management and interpersonal skills 
needed to excel in today's society. These fraternities are the nation's 
largest networks of student volunteers, providing 10 million hours of 
service a year and preparing members for a lifetime of community 
involvement. Fraternity housing is the largest not-for-profit housing 
market outside of the host colleges and universities themselves. The 
250,000 students living in fraternity housing today at 8,000 chapter 
houses nationwide have an unparalleled opportunity to live and work 
together on a daily basis with students from different cultures, 
religions and life experiences. Fraternities are now the largest, most 
visible, and most active values-based organizations on college campuses 
today. The men and women who are fraternity members today learn how to 
incorporate the principles and values of their organization into their 
daily lives to form the moral foundation for their future actions.
  Jim Estes has served the NIC as President during challenging times 
and he has helped foster a number of national initiatives to improve 
the standards that fraternity men live up to in their daily lives on 
campus. He has continued the NICs fight for freedom of association on 
campus and he has continued to champion passage of the Collegiate 
Housing and Infrastructure Act, which today is sponsored by almost 100 
of my colleagues in the House. If that bill becomes law, it will allow 
all student associations on college campuses to use a private market 
approach to upgrade and replace their facilities in the future, thus 
making it possible for these student groups to continue to thrive for 
decades to come.
  Mr. Speaker, at the end of April, Mr. Marc Katz of Alpha Epsilon Pi 
Fraternity will be sworn in as the new National President of the North 
American Interfraternity Conference. I welcome Mr. Katz and look 
forward to the opportunity to work with him to improve the fraternal 
experience for today's college students. As I welcome Mr. Katz to his 
new position of responsibility, I ask this chamber to join me in 
recognizing Jim Estes for his outstanding decades of service to the 
college fraternity world. I know he will continue to be an active and 
visible part of the fraternity movement in the future, but now is the 
moment to thank Jim Estes for his dedication and service in leading the 
fraternal community to better days.

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