Paul Allen ‘75
Man of Achievement

Paul Allen honored with 2017 Man of Achievement Award

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Paul Allen, American business magnate, was honored with the Man of Achievement by the Phi Kappa Theta Foundation. The Man of Achievement Award, started in 1980 and awarded by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, is the highest honor bestowed upon Brothers of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity.  The award recognizes members who have risen to prominence in their chosen fields of endeavor. Allen was recognized during the Fraternity’s Biennial Convention in July of 2017 in Washington, D.C..

Allen is best-known for co-founding Microsoft alongside Bill Gates, which remains the largest IT company in the world today. This cemented his legacy as one of the most prestigious persons in the technology industry by sparking the microcomputer revolution. Allen was also an avid sports fan, which led to him to co-found the Seattle Sounders soccer team. He also owned both the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL and the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA.

Allen was not only one of the greatest business minds in the world, but he is also one of the world’s most renowned philanthropists. He has donated over $2 billion towards science, technology, environmental causes, and education. Allen received recognition for his philanthropic acts, including the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and Inside Philanthropy’s Philanthropist of the Year. Some of his many accomplishments in this sector include the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Institute for Cell Science.

Paul attended Washington State University, where he was initiated into the Washington Alpha Delta chapter of Phi Kappa Theta. He would also be a fundamental part in re-establishing the chapter in 1993.