Delta Sigma Pi~Zeta Nu
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Upon graduation from high school in the spring of 1906, he developed an interest in accounting and, therefore, entered New York University's School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance in the program which led to the Bachelor of Commercial Science degree. During the day he worked as a Junior Accountant in the Wall Street area for the firm that became Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Company. His skills in accounting were immediately put to use after enlistment for World War I which began for him in October, 1917. he held various positions in the General Accounting Office during his 14 month assignment in Paris. After his discharge, with the rank of Sergeant in May of 1919, he returned to his bride whom he had left after only three months of marriage. Civilian life brought two rewards: a son in 1920 and his CPA Certificate in 1923. He worked for a number of accounting firms including Peat, Mardwick, Mitchell and Company, but a short time later decided to go into private practice. He and his, Rose, a first grade teacher all her professional life, retired to Florida in 1962. Rose, incidentally, is the "Rose" referred to in "The Rose of Delta Sigma Pi." After she died there in July of 1970, he moved North to join his son, James, was initiated as a member of Delta sigma Pi by the Zeta Psi Chapter at the State University of New York at Albany in 1971. In a letter written to his son in 1966, after attending the installation of Zeta Phi Chapter at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, he wrote, "after fifty-nine years of effort, the ideals of the Founders for a fraternity made of members regardless of race, creed, or color has come to pass. As one of the originators of his fraternity, and the ideas expressed and implied in the original Constitution and Bylaws, I can feel that I have accomplished something in this small world."
He joined with the other Founder in establishing Delta Sigma Pi at NYU and, as a fraternity Brother exemplified the purposes of the fraternity. His friendliness and personality were distinct chapter assets. In his career he was connected with the Board of Education of Brooklyn for many years and gave much of this time to the study of juvenile delinquency and psychology. He was in attendance at the Thirteenth Grand Chapter Congress in Philadelphia in 1939 and is well remembered for the active interest in Delta Sigma Pi he displayed throughout his life. He was married and had one son, and died in 1941.
He departed from the United States in 1910 to work as an accountant for an American oil company with operations in the Chaco area of Argentina, and to the best recollections of his son, remained in Argentina until 1918. In 1918, he became a partner in a company Wise and Tienken, a lumber firm on the Northern part of the river, Tornagaleones, in Chile. In the summer of 1919, he returned for a six month visit to the United States, his only and last trip to his homeland. In 1920, "Hat", as he was called by his friends, married Emily Lilley Hazelton, daughter of a British Merchant Marine Captain, and out of this marriage were born four sons and a daughter Two of his sons became members of Delta Sigma Pi; William Henry Tienken was initiated by the Delta Mu Chapter at the University of Americans in Mexico City and George H. Tienken was initiated as a member of Kappa Chapter at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. "Hat" traveled extensively and served in a variety of positions throughout South America. He became quite ill with a heart condition late in 1943, and in January of 1949, Henry Albert Tienken died and was buried in Oruro, Bolivia. He enjoyed tremendous love, respect and admiration from all of his sons. His philosophy was very basic. He did not believe in violence. He was a believer in talking things out. He enjoyed reading, music, sports and his cigars. He was a deep man with a rich inner life which never surfaced for others to see. Receiving many underserved knocks from fate, he remained confident and pleasant. To him the great gifts of life were trusting God, and physical, mental, and moral strength and health
He was a graduate of the class of 1909 of New York University and continued a lifelong association with NYU and an alumnus. As an undergraduate, he was a football and track star and later served on the Athletic Council. To him belongs much of the credit for NYU's days of gridiron greatness. Despite a busy practice in the accounting firm bearing his name, he was active in several clubs in and around New York. Of his many interests, it is likely that none was closer to him than his fraternity. He was one of the quartet which founded Delta Sigma Pi and maintained fraternal friendships for more than 40 years until his death. In the early days of the fraternity, he was a member of several national committees and served on the Board of Directors for six years. On the day of his death he was to have hosted a fraternity function at his home at Sea Cliff, in Long Island, NY. He and his wife, Marion, had one daughter. His brother, William J. Makay, was also a member of the Alpha Chapter.- |
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