Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice William M. Barker was cited as one of the area’s most distinguished members of the Sigma Chi International Fraternity as he was presented with one of the fraternity's highest honors on Saturday.
The event was at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Chief Justice Barker, a 1964 graduate of the University of Chattanooga, was named a 2006 recipient of the Significant Sig Award, which recognizes those alumni members whose achievements in their fields of endeavor have brought honor and prestige to the name of Sigma Chi.
The Sigma Chi Fraternity has recognized more than 800 brothers since the award’s inception at the 1935 Grand Chapter meeting. Past recipients of the Significant Sig award include David Letterman, Tom Selleck, Bill Marriott, Lamar Alexander, Merlin Olsen and John Wayne.
Former Chattanooga Mayor and U.S. Senate candidate Bob Corker was a 2003 recipient of the Significant Sig Award. Other local recipients of the Significant Sig Award are Lee Anderson, associate publisher of The Chattanooga Times Free Press, and Dr. Joel Cunningham, president of the University of the South
Jack Widener, UT-Chattanooga ’76, was also recognized for his induction into the Fraternity’s Order of Constantine, created in 1948 to recognize members who have performed outstanding service to the International Fraternity. Similar in nature to the Fraternity’s Significant Sig award which recognizes brothers who have achieved outstanding distinction in their professional life, the Order of Constantine recognizes those whose dedication to service within the Fraternity is exemplary.
Mr. Widener is currently the director of distribution for Newsweek Magazine.