CHICAGO—May 14, 2022—Illinois Institute of Technology to award Fred Eychaner, a longtime activist whose work has shaped Chicago and the nation for more than 40 years, an Honorary Doctor of Architecture, honoris causa. The degree will be conferred at the university’s Commencement ceremony on Saturday,  May 14, 2022.

Eychaner is chairman of Newsweb LLC and president of Alphawood Foundation Chicago, and is known for his philanthropy, especially in support of LGBTQ organizations, HIV support organizations, arts institutions, public spaces, and historic preservation.

He has also had a lifelong dedication to preserving the architectural heritage of Chicago and the United States. He led efforts in the 1990s to restore and protect Louis Sullivan’s masterpiece Auditorium Theatre in Chicago. Under Eychaner’s leadership, the Alphawood Foundation led the comprehensive restoration of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois.

“I am proud to honor those who have shaped our history for the better. Fred Eychaner has enriched Chicago and the world through his advocacy, visionary leadership, and service to others,” Illinois Tech President Raj Echambadi says. “His architectural contributions have shaped Chicago, and his lifelong advocacy is an inspiration to everyone working to fulfill our founding purpose at Illinois Tech to liberate the power of difference by advancing technology and progress for all. I am proud to confer the university’s highest honor upon this remarkable man.”

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Fred Eychaner joined SAH in 1996 and became a Life member in 1998.