text and photos by Nicholas A. Ziegler, Editor-in-Chief

When I first met with the 2009 True Gentleman of the Year, he seemed an unassuming person: Flyaway blonde hair, small build, a standard suit jacket. It was quickly apparent, though, that he was accustomed to putting others at ease. He answered questions quickly, but conversationally. He didn’t flinch when we brought up his many Fraternity accomplishments. He never appeared uncomfortable or worried that his next statement might end up in The Record.

And that poise was noticeable from the beginning, as we started the interview with a difficult question, one that may not have an answer: “Are leaders born or are they made?” I ask.

He pauses. “I believe leaders are born,” he says, “but they have to find their true path. When a leader finds his passion, that’s what defines him and shows him his potential.”

It’s an answer that’s specific enough to make me think he had been anticipating the inquiry. But the ability to anticipate the unknown is one of the qualities that makes Robert McNamara deserving of Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s highest individual honor: being named True Gentleman of the Year. Such an award brings a lot of prestige, some bragging rights and a $10,000 check, provided through the generosity of former Honorary Eminent Supreme Archon Warren P. Poslusny. But none of those things seem to interest McNamara. It’s leadership — or, more precisely, the betterment of those around him through his leadership — that matters.

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