In the early 1950s, Jack Anderson, a member of the executive committee of the Rutgers Alumni Association, proposed the establishment of the Loyal Son of Rutgers Award to honor RAA officers for their extraordinary service to their Alma Mater. In 1957-1958, RAA President Henry W. Balfour ’29 appointed a committee to draft the criteria for the award and to nominate the first honorees. Along with Anderson, the committee membership included John P. Kirkwood ’31; Sol Seid ’36; Howard B. Twitchell ’36; and Alumni Secretary Robert Collett ’35, ex officio.

The first Loyal Son of Rutgers Awards were presented at the RAA’s Midyear Alumni Luncheon in February 1958, when 109 former and current officers and trustees received the Loyal Son pin. The award criteria were later expanded to consider any individual who had rendered extraordinary service to his/her class, the RAA or the University community. In 1966, during the University’s Bicentennial year, the RAA chose a new setting for the presentation of the awards. Instead of a slot in the schedule at the annual Midyear Family Day luncheon, the Loyal Son of Rutgers Awards ceremony took place at a special dinner celebration, presided over by then RAA President William H. Bauer ’42.

In 1986, the “Loyal Daughter” designation was added to recognize the change in the Rutgers constituency and to honor the significant contributions of women during the history of the RAA.

Since 1958, over 700 men and women have been honored by prior recipients for their volunteer service at the annual awards event. Five-year anniversaries of the award have been marked with special recognition for lifelong service.