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Program Highlights

Wednesday evening October 19

President’s Reception Early Bird Party (from 6 pm to 8 pm) hosted by former International President Eugene Stunard at 155 Harbor Drive over looking Millennium Park and Chicago Skyline. RSVP separately from Weekend.

Thursday evening October 20

35th Biennial LAI Awards Dinner (6 pm) at the Signature Room at the 95th Floor of the John Hancock Center.

Ronald L. Thomas, Executive Director, Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission

Friday, October 21

Mobile “Look-See” tour 8:15 am to 2:00 pm featuring:
- Historic Pullman
- University Commons
- Roosevelt Square
- Lunch at Costa’s with presentation by Bill Little, Managing Director for Development, Chicago Housing Authority

Afternoon free

Friday evening:

Open House and reception (5:30 to 7:30) at the Chicago Architecture Foundation in Daniel Burnham’s Santa Fe Building featuring:
- Dr. Eugene Lowe on the "Influence of Richard T. Ely on America Society."
- Open House: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM),; Lohan Caprile Goettsch; and VOA.

Dinner on own

Midnight Madness after dinner (10:30 pm) come back to Hotel Sofitel to watch the video featuring the “Trial of Richard T. Ely” along with dessert and drinks.

Saturday morning, October 22

Saturday, October 22

Mobile “Look-See” tour featuring (8:30 am to 1 pm):
- Lakeshore East
- 111 South Wacker Drive
- Museum Campus/Central Station
- Lunch on own

Saturday Evening:

75th Anniversary Gala on the Frank Gehry designed Pritzker Pavilion Stage at Millennium Park (6:30 pm – Black tie preferred for men and cocktail attire for women)
- Neal R. Peirce, Washington Post Writers Group, KeyNote Speaker

Read More for Program Details

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Business Meetings

The Weekend Experiences also serve as an opportunity for Chapter Presidents to meet as well as the Executive Committee.

Friday October 21 at 2 PM

The Board of Governors, which includes Chapter Presidents, incoming Chapter Presidents and the Executive Committee, will have a training session Friday afternoon from 2 PM until 4 PM in the Hotel Sofitel.  Russell Salzman, CEO of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), will hold this leadership training session.  Russ’s workshop will help current and incoming Chapter presidents learn the newest techniques in non-profit leadership.

Saturday, October 22 at 2 PM

The Executive Committee will meet at the Hotel Sofitel from 2 PM until 4:30 PM

Sunday, October 23 at 8:30 AM

Presidents Round Table:  Chapter Presidents and incoming Chapter presidents will meet from 8:30 am to 10:00 am to have a roundtable discussion on Chapter issues.  The Executive Committee under the leadership of the International President will facilitate a discussion that will cover issues such as programs, dues, membership, and other areas of Chapter Presidents interest.

Board of Governors Meeting:  This formal Board meeting will occur from 10 am until Noon where new By-laws and other issues will be discussed and voted upon.  Chapter Presidents and the Executive Committee are voting members of the Board of Governors.

Land Economics Foundation Board will also meet as part of the Board of Governors Meeting.  During the 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM period, the Foundation Board can meet to discuss future issues.  Voting issues will be part of the Board of Governors Meeting that follows.

75th Anniversary Exclusive Corporate Sponsors

We still have a few exclusive Major Sponsor opportunities left for the 75th Diamond Anniversary Celebration.  If you would like to be one of the Major Sponsors or a Contributor, please give Larry Lund, International President a call at 312-751-1250 and find out more about how your company can support this historic event.

Major Sponsors ($2,500) include:

International Awards Banquet: LR Development www.lrrealty.com
Chicago Architecture Foundation Reception: Lohan Caprile Goettsch Architects www.Lohan.com
Millennium Park Reception: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill – SOM www.som.com
Millennium Park Pritzker Pavilion Gala: U.S. Equities Realty www.usequities.com
President’s Reception : Appraisal Research Counselors. www.appraisalresearch.com

Contributors ($500) include:

URS Corporation
Thompson Dyke & Associates
The Terrapin Group
Central Federal Savings
VOA
Real Estate Planning Group
Freeborn and Peters
S. B. Friedman & Company
Camiros
Jones Lang LaSalle
Daley & George Ltd.
Draper & Kramer
Shefsky & Froelich, Ltd.

If you would like to be added to the list of Major Sponsors or Contributors please call 312-751-1250. Thank you for your continued support.

2005 LAI Awards Banquet Thursday, October 20

One of the goals of Lambda Alpha International is to recognize and honor men and women in all parts of the world whose achievements have contributed, directly or indirectly, to the advancement of the science of land economics, to a better understanding of the principles of land economics, or to the practical application of such principles in the preservation, development or better utilization of the world’s land resources. To this purpose Lambda Alpha International at its Biennial Congress acknowledges individuals and projects with special awards.

In today's hectic, frenetic world, it is important to pause, to acknowledge and to honor those people who “get it right.”  Catching people in the act of making a significant contribution, improving our profession or achieving excellence in their field of endeavor is the goal and objective of Lambda Alpha International Awards.

The Awards honor the men and the women who have advanced the principles of land economics through their achievements in service to their profession, their community and the affairs of their chapter.

International Public Official Award
Presented to a public official who through his or her efforts has contributed significantly to the local level of improving the quality of urban living.

DANIEL M. TANGHERLINI
District of Columbia Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C.
For rebuilding Washington, D.C.’s transportationinfrastructure to the enormous benefit of all DCand regional residents. 

International Urban Affairs Award
Presented to a person who has made outstanding contributions to urban affairs and to the local level of improving the quality of urban living.

KERRY HARRINGTON MORRISON
Hollywood Business Improvement District, Hollywood, California
For shepherding the Hollywood BID’s remarkable renaissance of the entertainment oriented community through redevelopment of key properties, streetscape beautification and security enhancements.

Richard T. Ely Distinguished Educator Award
Presented to individuals who have achieved excellence within the academic world in the field of land economics.

STANLEY HAMILTON
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C.
For his extensive teaching and research experience and for his superb teaching ability and commitment to his students and to the discipline of real estate.

ROBERT FOUNTAIN
Sacramento Regional Research Institute, Sacramento, California
For solid regional economic land development research, critical to intelligent land planning and sustainable economic growth.

Journalism Award
Presented to a journalist whose efforts have contributed to a greater understanding of the principles, practices and greater awareness of land economics.

NEAL R. PEIRCE
Washington Post Writers Group, Washington, D.C.
For breaking fresh grounds in identifying vital new trends and the dynamics of federal /state/local relations.

Gerald D. Hines International Humanitarian Award
Presented to a person with a vision of the future, and an ability to identify the means to achieve the vision and to its implementation.

ROBERT E. SIMON
Reston New Town, Reston Virginia
For his creativity in the development of plans for the new community of Reston, Virginia, development of the community and his return to Reston to live and to oversee its completion.

International Fellow Award
Presented to individuals for their contribution to the advancement of Lambda Alpha International’s goals, through esteemed leadership and foresight.

ROGER G. KALLMAN
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, London, England
For his efforts in establishing the London Chapter and his leadership in providing new vitality to the organization as its International President.

CHARLES H. ATHERTON
Secretary, US Commission on Fine Arts, Retired, Washington, D.C.
For his leadership in the United States Commission of Fine Arts and its advice to the Congress and the President in matters affecting the design of structures, memorials and statues in monumental areas of the Capital City.


Edward L. Johnson Member of the Year Award
Presented to a person who has demonstrated commitment to Lambda Alpha and professional achievement in the private or public sectors, research or education.

KAREN A. SIERACKI
KASPAR Associates, Limited, London, England
For her dedication to Lambda Alpha as a member of the executive committee and as treasurer of the London Chapter, and for providing creative analysis of the property investment markets in Europe and the United States.

Skyline Award
To recognize noteworthy and commendable instances of the practical application of the principles of land economics in the preservation, development or utilization of our land resources.

WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
Los Angeles, California
For a highly creative architectural design and acoustically superb engineering of a 2,265 seat concert hall, with a positive impact on its environs through encouragement of the Grand Avenue urban rejuvenation project.

The 35th Biennial Award Recipients will be honored at a dinner Thursday evening October 20 in the Signature Room at the 95th in the John Hancock Center during the 75th Anniversary Weekend Experience.  The awards banquet is included as part of the 75th Anniversary events.

The 2005 Awards Committee

Fereydoon Ghaffari, Chair
David Glancey
Josef Nathanson
Les Pollock
David Callies

Letter from the President

Larry Lund at the gravesite of Richard T. Ely, Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison, Wisconsin.

This is my final article as the president of Lambda Alpha International.  I am completing my two-year term that started during the Hawaii Biennial Congress.  I wish to thank everyone for your support and look forward to seeing you at one of the 75th Anniversary Celebration events October 20-22.

I started my monthly President’s letter by talking about the importance of professional networks and how LAI members can enhance these networks.  Lambda Alpha brings members, with hopefully different viewpoints, to discuss and debate how we best direct the utilization of our land resources.  The uniqueness of LAI was reinforced when I was reading the draft of Homer Hoyt’s autobiography.  Hoyt, who served as president of LAI in 1942 and helped start both our New York City and George Washington Chapters, talked about how important the social sciences are to helping his understanding of land use and how the social sciences helped him become a better consultant.  It was his vision of LAI that today distinguishes us from other organizations. 

This was Ely’s vision too.  Ely was not always a land economist.  The field of economics had not been fully developed when he started teaching; he began as a philosopher.  As a student, he studied Greek, mathematics, astronomy, politics, and philosophy (Hegel and Kant) – and what the Scottish called “commonsense.”  His career started at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where its president Daniel Gilman hired Ely to teach what was called political economy.  Ely’s approach was to encourage his students to “look and see” the economic conditions, which is more akin to today’s behavioral economists.

Ely applied his “look and see” approach when he traveled to Pullman.  There with his new bride, Anna, they (married on June 25, 1884) spent their honeymoon at the Florence Hotel, which will be our first stop on the “look and see” tour of Chicago during the 75th Anniversary Friday mobile workshop.  Both he and Anna spent time talking to the residents of Pullman and surveying the surroundings – just as we will do – what followed was his famous critique of Pullman in Harper’s Weekly, which you can read by going to www.Pullmanil.org.

Ely left Johns Hopkins when one of his former students, Frederick Jackson Turner who was then at the University of Wisconsin, vetted Ely to the  University of Wisconsin’s President, Thomas Chamberlin.  Chamberlin appointed Ely to serve as the director of the new School of Economics, Political Science, and History, where Ely eventually developed the first school of land economics in the country.  It was during his tenure at Madison that Ely became associated with the establishment of academic freedom.

During his tenure at Madison, he was put on “trial” by the Board of Regents at Madison for his teaching methods.  This trial is celebrated in the 1964 TV series Profiles in Courage, “The Trial of Richard T. Ely.”  We will see this TV program Friday night during dessert at our “Midnight Madness” event at the Hotel Sofitel beginning at 10:30 pm.  It was the Regent’s verdict that the “sifting and winnowing” of ideas is what today is called academic freedom --  and what we at LAI see has a prime function of our Society.

On July 1, 1925 Richard T. Ely moved his famous Institute for Research in Land Economics and Public Utilities to the Chicago campus of Northwestern University.  However, it was not until November 1930 that five of Ely’s students, Jack Harrington, George Stone, James Massey, Gordon Thompson and Ed Johnson began Lambda Alpha. 

Friday evening at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, we are privileged to hear from Dr. Eugene Lowe, who is now a Vice President at Northwestern University.  Dr. Lowe wrote his PhD thesis on Richard T. Ely and he will speak about Ely’s influence in today’s society.

In 1932, Ely retired from Northwestern and moved to the new town of Radburn, New Jersey.  It was in 1925 that Ely and Robert E. Simon, Sr. among others helped develop this new town.  At the LAI Thursday Awards banquet, LAI is going to honor Robert E. Simon, Jr. his son with our Gerald D. Hines International Humanitarian Award.  Robert E. Simon, Jr. followed in his father’s footsteps developing Reston, Virginia a new town that he built in 1967.

So this brings me to the end – the connection of people and places.  It is our history, but also our future.  In completing my monthly column, I have visited Ely sites across the country and it now ends at Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin (see photo).  Ely died at Old Lyme, Connecticut where his ancestors settled from England.  He was buried next to his first wife Anna.  He died on October 4, 1943 at the age of 89.  Ely was a vigorous man and lived according to his own advice:  “The forward look keeps one young in sprit.”

See you at the 75th Anniversary Gala!

Larry Lund

International President
LarryLund@LAI.org
312-751-1250

Editor's Column

CHICAGO – HOG BUTCHER OF THE WORLD

In 1916 Carl Sandburg penned those words in his wonderful poem “Chicago.” Back then, Chicago was also toolmaker, stacker of wheat, stormy, husky, brawling, a city with big shoulders.

Sandburg also opines: ‘Show me another city with lifted head singing so proud, alive and coarse and strong and cunning.  Bareheaded, shoveling, wrecking, planning, building, breaking, rebuilding.’

Not much has changed since 1916. Maybe they are not butchering many hogs anymore in Chicago (except in the futures market), but almost everything else still remains as is.

Chicago is among all things a “fighter” – one of very few metropolitan areas in the Rust Belt that is not only surviving, but prospering as it has reinvented itself over the past quarter century.

In the past decade, Chicago has lost 175,000 manufacturing jobs out of a base of 673,000. In that same time frame, they added 135,000 jobs in professional and business services and another 35,000 in financial activities. Just about a break-even. Chicago has swapped its blue collars for white ones that pay an equal amount or perhaps more.

Today, Chicago (and its multitude of suburbs) boast more than 4,500,000 jobs and a population of 9,500,000. The population has increased more than 1,200,000 in the past 15 years.

It’s a survivor in a brutal economic world where cold weather metros typically lose out to those with sunshine. Many of the northern cities have begun a downhill route cannot be reversed, but not Chicago.

‘Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse. And under his ribs the heart of the people.’

My heartiest congratulations to a city that is orchestrated by a strong mayoral system with a mayor rich in history and decisive enough to lead the way to a stronger and more elegant tomorrow!

Alan Nevin
International Editor
anevin@marketpointe.com

On September 28th, Lambda Alpha’s newest chapter, the Zia Chapter, representing the entire state of New Mexico, held its first luncheon meeting.  Organized by former Ely Chapter member, Michael Maremont, with assistance of a cadre of candidate members from Albuquerque and Santa Fe, the planning process has been going on for much of the year. 

At this initial meeting, initiation ceremonies were held and presided over by International First Vice President, Dr. James Fawcett joined by Mr. Maremont and Prof. Roger Schluntz, Dean of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University of New Mexico, and former South Florida Chapter member.  Twenty-four candidates were initiated as At-Large members.  They will be converted to Zia Chapter members when the Board of Governors officially grants a charter to the Zia Chapter at the upcoming Biennial Congress in Chicago later this month.  At least ten other members have been approved by the Board of Governors but were not able to attend this first meeting.  The chapter will initiate them at future meetings.

The name of the new chapter, Zia, comes from the state’s symbol of a circle with four lines or rays emanating from the four cardinal directions.  The symbol originated in ancient times with the Indians of Zia Pueblo, now located north of modern Albuquerque.  Its design reflects their tribal philosophy with its special regard for the land and its people and a sprit that seeks harmony of all things in the universe.  Since it is used as the state symbol on New Mexico’s state flag, the chapter sought to signify that it, too, represents the entire state.

The Zia Chapter also held its first board meeting after the luncheon and elected its officers for the coming term.  Michael Maremont will be the initial chapter president, Tom Mills, Esq., will be the Vice President for Membership; Lora Lucero, AICP, Esq., Vice President, Programs; Anita Miller, Esq., will be chapter secretary; Prof. Roger Schluntz, FAIA, chapter treasurer; LaMerle Boyd, Esq., board member; and Walter Dunn, board member. 

Lambda Alpha will officially welcome the new chapter at the Chicago Biennial Congress.  Congratulations to the new members and newly elected chapter officers.

San Diego Chapter History

Incorporated – January 7, 1979 – 25th anniversary – includes all of San Diego county.  The chapter has 130 members and generally initiates 12-15 persons each year. Monthly meetings are held monthly except July and August.

A few of our more illustrious members are showcased here;

In 2004 – a former International Lambda Alpha President, Roy Potter, spent four weeks in Egypt at the request of the U.S. State Dept. to study ways in which the government could streamline its public works and building systems.

Harold Keen, a former member, was an outstanding television news reporter who was widely recognized for his hard work and devotion to gathering and reporting the news

Frank L. Hope, Jr., a leading local architect, planned and designed 5.5 million sq. ft. of space in 21 vocational-technical training centers in 18 major cities in Saudi Arabia.

Gerald M. Trimble, a former Director of the Centre City Development Corp., was instrumental in the development of Horton Plaza, a $140 million retail center in downtown San Diego, by developer Ernest W. Hahn.

Alan R. Perry, past President of the S. D. Chapter and recipient of the Presidential Citation for outstanding leadership, loyalty, and advice in his role as Legal Counsel of Lambda Alpha International, served as Chapter Ritual Officer for 15 years and as General Counsel for the International organization, advising on constitutional issues and chapter bylaws.

Los Angeles Chapter History

Following the establishment of the first Lambda Alpha chapter in New York in 1949, three former Ely members, Ed Johnson (Ely 1931), Otar Aamodt (Ely 1946) and Henry Babcock (Ely 1933), were joined by Angeleno Fred Case to form the Los Angeles Chapter on April 15, 1955. As befitting a fraternity – which it was in those days – the first meeting was held at the University Club in Los Angeles. Twenty members were initiated at this first meeting, with the organizers acting as ritual officers. Ed Johnson, a charter member of the Ely Chapter, became the first president.

The writer was fortunate enough to have known the four organizers of the chapter. They were men of great enthusiasm and of true dedication to Lambda Alpha. Thus, it came as no surprise to learn that they had a second initiation on October 13 in 1955 when four more Los Angeles businessmen were initiated to give the chapter a total of 24 members. The initiates were the “cream of the crop” of real estate related corporate executives and entrepreneurs in Los Angeles.

In 1956, four more prominent business leaders were initiated and charter member Henry Babcock was elected president. The following year another nine were added to the chapter roster, making a total of 37 “brothers”, as they were called in those days.

The Los Angeles chapter continued to flourish – as it has to this day when the active membership totals 123. Important milestones in the life of the chapter were the sponsorship of the Golden Gate chapter in San Francisco in ---- and the Orange County chapter in 1991,  the  latter having been a spin-off of the Los Angeles chapter. It is also believed that the Los Angeles Chapter was first in 1984  to elect a woman to head its chapter in the person of Evelyn Kiefer. Subsequently, Mrs. Kiefer also served as president of the Land Economics Foundation.

George Washington Chapter

New members will be inducted at our 2005 Investiture Banquet on October 25. The banquet will be held at the Galleria at Lafayette Center, which is located at 1155 21st Street, NW in Washington, DC. 

New Members

James J. Abdo, Abdo Development
Sherri Y. Alston, Office of Transportation Policy Studies, US Federal Highway Administration
Gayle Berens, Real Estate Development Practice, ULI—the Urban Land Institute
Davis Buckley, Davis Buckley Architects and Planners
Dennis Carmichael, EDAW, Inc.
Barbara Deutsch, Casey Trees Endowment Fund
Donald H. Deutsch, Jr., Faison Associates
Robert J. Elliott, Jr., The JBG CompaniesLee R. Epstein, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Michael T. Foster, MTFA Architecture, Inc.
William N. Herman, Urban Realty Advisors, LLC
Albert R. “Butch” Hopkins, Jr., Anacostia Economic Development Corporation
David M. McDonough, Johns Hopkins Institutions
Milo L. Meacham, Davis Buckley Architects
Gregory B. Meyer, Leasing, Equity Office Properties
Toby S. Millman, Abdo Development
Thomas Lee Osborne, Sr., Patton, Harris Rust and Associates
Carolyn S Settles, Matrix Settles
Thomas J. Striegel, Davis Buckley Architects and Planners
Christopher M. Tacinelli, Gorove/Slade Associates, Inc.
Kathleen L. Webb, The JBG Companies
Sheldon J. Weisel, Goulston & Storrs Real Estate Group
Joseph J. Wisnewski, Wisnewski Blair Associates

Zia (New Mexico) Chapter

Edward J. Archuleta, Eco Realty of Santa Fe
Joseph H. Badal, Thornburg Mortgage, Inc.
LaMerle M. Boyd, Land America Capitol City Title
David Buchholtz, Brownstein Hyatt & Farber, P.C.
Robert J. Czerniak, New Mexico State University
Robert Dunn, Robert Dunn Real Estate
Walter Dunn, Cooperative & International Forestry
Rhonda Faught, New Mexico Department of Transportation
Stephen R. Flance, The Flance Company
Patricio Garcia, County of Rio Arriba
Bruce A. Geiss, Phase One Realty
Kestutis Germanas, Duty & Germanas Architects, Inc.
Abbas Ghassemi, New Mexico State University
Sterling Grogan, Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District
Dr. David Henkel Jr., University of New Mexico
John H. Hooker, Hooker & Hooker, Architects
Ken Hughes, AICP, Department of Finance and Administration, Local Government Division
Robert Jenks, Valles Caldera National Preserve
Lora Anne Lucero, AICP, Esq., American Planning Association
Michael D. Maremont,
Anita Miller, Anita P. Miller, Attorney at Law, LLC
Tom Mills, NM Energy, Minerals & Natural Resources Department
Joseph Montoya, Albuquerque Civic Trust
Kim D. Murphy, University of New Mexico
Robert Odland, Robert Odland Consulting
Ray Powell M.S., D.V.M, Self-Employed
Harry Relkin, Forest City Covington
Lee A. Reynis, University of New Mexico
Roger Schluntz, FAIA, University of New Mexico
Beverley Spears, Spears Architects
David M. Steinborn, Sonoma Ranch
Phyllis Taylor, Sites Southwest, LLC
Donald Tishman, B.A, J.D., University of New Mexico
Anne Watkins, Office of the State Engineer