Thomas G. Paulson II

Thomas G. Paulson II served as the 34th Knight Commander from 1993 until 1997.

Paulson was born in Modesto, California on March 5, 1930. He was initiated by the Alpha Xi Chapter at the University of California, Berkeley in 1949. Paulson served as Commander of the Daniel R. Neal Province from 1958 to 1963, when he was elected to the Executive Council serving continuously until 1997. Paulson served as Senior Councilor from 1977 to 1979 and again from 1992 to 1993. He was elected Knight Commander in 1993 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and reelected in 1995 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Former Knight Commander Paulson served as a General Officer longer than any other in the history of the Order.

He was chairman of the Order’s investment committee beginning in 1969 and oversaw the transition to common stocks to build the capital base of the Order’s investments. He served as President of the Fraternity Housing Corporation and oversaw the return of twenty-seven chapter houses to local chapter housing corporations. He also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Kappa Alpha Order Educational Foundation and was named a Life Trustee in 2011. A member of numerous Courts of Honor, Paulson was also a recipient of the Knight Commander’s Accolade and a member of the Loyal Order and 1865 Trust.

Paulson wrote the foreword to the 1994 book The History of Kappa Alpha Order. Excelsior: The History of Kappa Alpha Order, is dedicated in part to his memory.

Thomas G. Paulson II passed away on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, in Orinda, California.