
The Fraternity's highest distinction, the National Distinguished Service Award, established in 1956, recognizes Brothers for outstanding service to the Fraternity on the national level, above and beyond the call of duty. A blue key with diamonds and certificate are awarded at National Conventions (and on rare occasions at other special functions) to those who have distinguished themselves through outstanding service to the National Fraternity. Selection is made by a committee composed of past recipients as appointed by the National President.
| 1956 | ||
| C. J. Carlson | Beta Theta (University of Wisconsin-Madison) | View Bio |
| Ray O. Wyland | Beta Iota (New York University) | |
| 1958 | ||
| H. Roe Bartle | Iota (Park University) | |
| Daniel Den Uyl | Alpha Gamma (Purdue University) | View Bio |
| Frank Reed Horton | Alpha (Lafayette College) | |
| Dean Arno Nowotny | Alpha Rho (University of Texas at Austin) | |
| Kent D. Shaffer | Kappa (Carnegie Mellon University) | |
| 1960 | ||
| Harry C. Barnett | Beta Beta (Michigan State University) | View Bio |
| Henry S. Miller | Gamma Omicron (Queens College) | |
| Harold F. Pote | Beta Iota (New York University) | |
| Joseph David Scanlon | Delta Omicron (Wabash College) | View Bio |
| 1962 | ||
| Marion R. Disborough | Gamma Mu (University of Evansville) | |
| Sidney Bertrand North | Pi (Kansas State University) | |
| William S. Roth | Rho (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) | View Bio |
| 1964 | ||
| George Francis Cahill, CAE | Alpha Gamma (Purdue University) | View Bio |
| Lawrence L. Hirsch | Beta Gamma (Central YMCA College) | View Bio |
| Lewis N. Jones | Beta Sigma (Texas Tech University) | |
| Armand G. Spizzirri | ||
| 1966 | ||
| Joseph A. Brunton, Jr. | Gamma Omicron (Queens College) | |
| Tom T. Galt | Delta Kappa (Emory University) | View Bio |
| Irwin H. Gerst | Epsilon Chi (Los Angeles City College) | View Bio |
| Julius W. Hayworth | Kappa Theta (Wake Forest University) | View Bio |
| Robert James Hilliard, | Gamma Alpha (University of Washington) | View Bio |
| Lester R. Steig | Zeta (Stanford University) | |
| 1968 | ||
| E. Ross Forman | Zeta Theta (Drexel University) | View Bio |
| James Arthur Lovell | Beta Theta (University of Wisconsin-Madison) | |
| Howard R. Patton | Mu (Indiana University) | |
| 1970 | ||
| Glen T. Nygreen, Ph.D. | Gamma Alpha (University of Washington) | View Bio |
| Frans L. Victorson | Upsilon Gamma (Lake Michigan College) | |
| 1972 | ||
| Ed M. Andrews | Gamma Lambda (Clemson University) | View Bio |
| Aubrey Bertrand Hamilton | Alpha Phi (Washington University) | |
| Douglas Harris | Xi Sigma (Carson-Newman College) | View Bio |
| 1974 | ||
| Alden G. Barber | Chi (University of California at Los Angeles) | View Bio |
| Lucius E. Young | Zeta Phi (Howard University) | View Bio |
| 1976 | ||
| R.L. Brittain | Beta Zeta (University of Georgia) | View Bio |
| Lorin Allan Jurvis | Delta Nu (Yale University) | View Bio |
| John Franklin McMullan | Zeta Sigma (University of Delaware) | |
| 1978 | ||
| John E. Hanke | Eta (Northern Illinois University) | View Bio |
| Earle Maurice Herbert | Chi (University of California at Los Angeles) | |
| 1980 | ||
| Roger A. Sherwood, CAE | Eta (Northern Illinois University) | View Bio |
| Sidney P. Smith | Pi Sigma (The College of San Mateo) | |
| 1984 | ||
| Charles Phillip Zlatkovich, Ph.D. | Alpha Rho (University of Texas at Austin) | View Bio |
| V. Ray Hancock | Zeta Beta (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University) | View Bio |
| 1986 | ||
| Berkeley P. Duncan | Alpha Alpha (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) | View Bio |
| Alex M Lewandowski | Zeta Tau (Central Methodist University) | |
| 1988 | ||
| Fred L. Pollack | Phi (Syracuse University) | |
| Betsy Ullrich | Delta Rho (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey) | |
| 1990 | ||
| Bob Barkhurst | Pi Beta (University of Dubuque) | View Bio |
| Stan Carpenter, Ph.D. | Xi Omicron (Tarleton State University) | View Bio |
| 1992 | ||
| Charles G. Bowen | Alpha Rho (University of Texas at Austin) | View Bio |
| 1994 | ||
| David B. Corning | Gamma Alpha (University of Washington) | View Bio |
| M. Richard Rose | Iota Upsilon (Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania) | |
| 1996 | ||
| Joseph Morrone, Jr. | Zeta Theta (Drexel University) | |
| Gerald A. Schroeder, J.D. | Mu Alpha (Georgetown University) | View Bio |
| 1998 | ||
| John Charles Jadel | Zeta Kappa (Bowling Green State University) | View Bio |
| Kay Hairgrove Krenek | Beta Sigma (Texas Tech University) | View Bio |
| 2000 | ||
| Lisa M. Covi, Ph.D. | Kappa (Carnegie Mellon University) | View Bio |
| Wilfred M. Krenek, | Alpha Rho (University of Texas at Austin) | View Bio |
| 2002 | ||
| Patrick W. Burke, CAE | Zeta Beta (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University) | View Bio |
| James L. Chandler | Omicron Tau (Alma College) | View Bio |
| David Paul O'Leary | Kappa (Carnegie Mellon University) | |
| 2004 | ||
| Jack A. McKenzie | Gamma Lambda (Clemson University) | View Bio |
| John M. Wetherington, | Gamma Theta (University of Colorado at Boulder) | |
| 2006 | ||
| David A. Emery | Iota Phi (University of California at Davis) | View Bio |
| Philip M. Pfeffer, Ph.D. | Zeta Nu (Southern Illinois University at Carbondale) | |
| Anthony Ploughe | Alpha Gamma (Purdue University) | View Bio |
| Philip H. Prince, Ph.D. | Gamma Lambda (Clemson University) | View Bio |
| 2008 | ||
| Fred C. Heismeyer, III Ed.D. | Lambda Omicron (West Virginia University) | View Bio |
| Michael C. Nathan | Zeta Omicron (California Polytechnic State University) | View Bio |
| mrn Tomusiak | Alpha Chi (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) | |