His involvement with the chapter started early — and it started strong. His first semester of his freshman year, after the time spent in the recruitment and new-member processes, he found both the time and the zeal to be elected Eminent Recorder. “I gained valuable experience under the guidance of upperclassmen in executive positions,” he says, “like men who I greatly admired like Eminent Archon Barrett Arnold.”

It was a smart move, as McNamara was in the trenches during a transitional time, both for the chapter and for its relationship with the university. The chapter’s brotherhood had been badly shaken during some hazing allegations from the previous semester — yes, the same semester when McNamara was pledging.

It was going to take some strong, willful change to ensure the foundations of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, from “The True Gentleman” to simple interaction between brothers, didn’t crumble.

So he ran for — and was elected — Eminent Archon. “The key to the success of my tenure was my emphasis on professionalism,” McNamara says. “Since I was in the highest leadership role at a crucial juncture in Illinois Delta’s history, it was imperative that I remained friendly, open, honest, fair and, above all, a gentleman.”

Here he was, a young freshman, telling the rest of the established membership how they should present themselves on campus, how they should conduct business, how they should reevaluate those things that made them members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. His presence was commanding enough that Nicholas Walters (Millikin ’03) took notice. “He pushed the chapter to have a better presence on campus in the eyes of students and administrators alike,” Walters says. “He was, and is, an advocate for community outreach.”

McNamara’s point about leaders being born is starting to become clear. How many 18-year-old men would, amid the chaos and transition that is the freshman year of college, have the courage and the foresight to know what’s best for a chapter? Many sophomores, or even seniors, may not have the understanding to know that true change comes from the inside-out, rather than from external forces, but that’s just what the young Eminent Archon set to do.

But what happens when too much authority comes too early? Abraham Lincoln once said, “All men can handle adversity. If you truly want to test a man’s character, give him power.” And McNamara was on the path to rule Illinois Delta for the next three years, to mold the chapter as he saw fit. His next move, then, was a highly calculated, highly risky one. He stepped down.

“I contemplated running for Eminent Archon twice,” he says. “But I understood that it is an experience some people never get to take.” He let his opponent, Bill Ryan, go for the position of president unopposed and plunged himself into the responsibilities of Eminent Deputy Archon as seriously as he did his former role. “I was able to offer assistance to Ryan whenever he needed it,” he says, “and was able to lead the Lower Council, the next group of Executive Council members.”

The answer to the first question we asked him is becoming even more apparent. While he may have been born with the ability to lead, with an eye for organization and an ear for an inspiring message, he needed an opportunity to make that innate characteristic flourish. That opportunity wasn’t just a shot at Eminent Archon; it was a shot at every leadership role possible.

“The Brother Hero takes on a role that will benefit the house as a whole,” McNamara says. “I took the position of social chair because I felt it needed a renewed sense of organization and promotion. I wanted Illinois Delta to be the best chapter in the country, not just on campus.”

And in that respect, he was successful. After two years of McNamara’s involvement with the chapter, the men at Millikin took home seven awards at the 2007 Leadership School: a Chapter Achievement Award; runner-ups in recruitment, pledge education, risk management and singing; and an honorable mention for the Most Improved Chapter Award. While we can’t assign causality to one man, it’s interesting that awards come flowing in two years after a determined leader, with a firm agenda, comes to the helm. But, like all good things, his time with the chapter must come to an end.

“I’m at peace with leaving,” he says. “I’ve put out more than 38 applications for employment. I’ve got as much out of college and out Leadership School that I could.”

It seems fitting, then, that his favorite part of “The True Gentleman” isn’t a sentence, but a phrase. It’s “whose deed follows his word.” If leaders are indeed born — but need opportunities to let that talent flourish — Robert McNamara, 2009 True Gentleman of the Year, understands that the most important part of his leadership ability comes constantly pushing forward. With great ability comes great responsibility.

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