Second 50 Years > The 1950s

After 34 years as the Fraternity's first Grand Secretary, Uncle Billy retired in 1942. The National Board of Directors appointed Herb Heilig, Lawrence University (Wisconsin Alpha), '23, to take Brother Phillips' place as Grand Secretary. Serving for two difficult years during World War II, Brother Heilig laid the groundwork for the Fraternity's post-war rebuilding program, He resigned in 1944.

The Board then appointed William W. Hindman, Jr., Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Delta), '39, to the position of Grand Secretary, in which he served for 13 years. Brother Hindman was instrumental in establishing 51 new chapters during the 1950s.

By 1959, Sigma Phi Epsilon had 148 active chapters. With the Fraternity's rapid expansion, the leadership at Headquarters once again changed with Bedford W. Black, Wake Forest University (North Carolina Zeta),'41, taking over after the retirement of Bill Hindman. Bedford Black's charge was to determine how the Headquarters should best be organized to operate Sigma Phi Epsilon as an emerging "large fraternity." Richard F. Whiteman, Syracuse University (New York Alpha), '54, a member of the Headquarters staff at the time, was selected to lead the Fraternity as its Executive Director. Succeeding Brother Whiteman was Donald M. Johnson, an alumnus of the University of Kansas (Kansas Gamma), '45, who had been in business in Colorado at the time of his appointment. Brother Johnson brought to the Headquarters staff the business skills he had acquired. During his tenure from 1961 to 1971, he implemented many organizational changes at Headquarters, including the enlargement of the professional staff.