Homer J. Steiny

Homer J. Steiny (February 23, 1892-May 31, 1974), Honorary  Phi Alpha Emeritus

Homer J. Steiny was never actually a Phi Alpha for Zeta Psi, but in 1966, the Grand Chapter appointed Brother Steiny to the honorary position of Phi Alpha Emeritus.  Homer served in so many different roles during his years of association with Zeta Psi that he was known as “Mr. Zeta Psi.”   In 1961, while still a very active volunteer, he received Zeta Psi’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award.

Brother Steiny was the 8th President of the Zeta Psi Educational Foundation (1956-1959).  He was the last non-Phi Alpha to hold the position until 2018, as from 1959 until 2018, the Phi Alpha of the Fraternity and President of the Educational Foundation offices were held by the same Brother concurrently.

In 1955 he became the President of the Southern California Zeta Psi Association. In 1965 he became a Regional Director of Zeta Psi.  Some of his other Zeta Psi assignments were appointments to the Expansion and the Nominating Committees.

Outside of Zeta Psi he was a true Grandson of the California Gold Rush. Both sets of grandparents had come to Stockton, CA soon after the discovery of gold.  He was born and raised in Stockton, and in January 1912, enrolled at Stanford University as a “Christmas Freshman” and attaching himself to the class of 1915.  A lifelong joke among his closest friends was that he really didn’t belong to any class, that he was in a class by himself.  He worked his way through Stanford driving a truck for the Wagner Leather Company in Humboldt County during the summers.  He joined Zeta Psi and started a lifelong love affair with our Fraternity.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology he joined the staff of the Tidewater Associated Oil Company in 1918, first in San Francisco, but soon moving to Los Angeles. Homer remained with Tidewater until he retired in 1953.  After leaving Tidewater, he was President of the Snowlene Oil Company from 1959 to 1972.

Homer joined the American Association of Petroleum Geologists in 1923,  serving the AAPG in many capacities including, District Representative from the Pacific Coast from 1936 to 1939, President of the Pacific Section from 1951 to 1952, and a member of the National Research Fund Committee from 1956 to 1960. He was awarded Honorary Membership in the Pacific Section in 1962 for his Distinguished Service.

He was a devoted member of the Los Angeles University Club and played Santa Clause to children of club members at the annual Christmas party for 44 years.

Homer loved Stanford, and was a charter member of the Stanford Associates, a distinguished service group, he was a life member of the Associates of the School of Earth Sciences, and its Secretary-Treasurer from its founding in 1946 until a year before his death.

He and his wife, Maybelle Margaret Olerich Steiny had two sons, Jack and Tom, “both”, Homer would proudly announce, “Stanford and both Zetes.”