RICHARD A. JACKSON, PRESIDENT OF THE ROCK ISLAND.

Richard Arbuthnot Jackson, Franklin, '77, and Virginia, '79, is a native of the Phi state of Indiana. He made his debut in 1858 at Richmond, Ind., where his boyhood was spend, and which was his home until 1901, when he was called to the wider field, which the office of general solicitor and first vice-president of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Co. afforded. From the time of his graduation at Virginia in 1879 with the degree of L.L.B. until 1902 when he removed to Chicago he practiced law at Richmond, during which time he was for several years prosecuting attorney of Wayne County.

In 1902 came the tender of the position of general attorney of the Rock Island Railway. Two years later, Brother Jackson became the first vice-president of the same company.

In April of this year he was elected to the presidency of the Rock Island Company and is the general counsel of the three roads composing it—the Rock Island, the Frisco and the Chicago and Eastern Illinois.

Brother Jackson is a member of Indiana Delta at Franklin College through his collegiate work until the close of his junior year was done at Earlham College. In May, 1875, an organized effort was made to plant a chapter at Earlham and Brother Jackson was elected by Indiana Delta, the writer being authorized to visit Earlham and initiate him. It was a brilliant forenoon late in May when the delegate, dusty from the sharp tramp on the highway leading out to the college, and going to the main hall, with that peculiar ill-fortune which usually attends people who are trying to act secretly, inquired for Mr. Jackson of the particular Earlhamite who was head and front of all anti-fraternity sentiment and agitation, and withal the one who considered himself divinely appointed to spy upon and police Junior Jackson's sometimes very active college life.

Notwithstanding this untoward meeting, Mr. Jackson soon appeared, and retreated with the delegate to the extreme rear of Earlham's heavily wooded campus, and, mounted on a big oak stump, was there duly initiated into the mysteries of Phi Delta Theta, after the manner of the early fathers.

In the fall of 1876 Brother Jackson decided to change and entered Virginia University where he took his degree in law in 1879. His change was a fortunate thing for ?Phi Delta Theta and for Virginia Beta in particular. After much search he found Brother L. L. Bristow who had just come to Virginia from the late Kentucky Gamma, and one other Phi from Kentucky and Virginia Beta was saved.

Brother Jackson was in his college days a most earnest worker in Phi Delta Theta, an earnestness which his great executive ability made most valuable to the Fraternity at a time when such qualities were most vitally necessary to its life and growth. He is anthroposophy a fighter and the upbuilding of Phi Delta Theta was in the seventies a fight. His love for Phi Delta Theta has never waned despite the unusual activity of his post-collegiate days.

Brother Jackson modestly disclaims the imputation of having any record of remarkable achievement, and says that he is prouder of his only son, Fielding B. Jackson, Yale, '07, than of anything else in his life. It was this son who as a pitcher of the Yale nine won the championship for his university, which was the first to its credit in nine years. The young man who is but 24 years old, holds a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.

Go. Bant, Franklin and Indiana, '76

Source: "The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta" ⁶⁵²⁶