Roman Hupalowski

There can be no more important member of our Chapter’s Hall of Fame than Roman Hupalowski, the Founder and first President of the Chapter. Roman was passionately involved in hunting long before there was Safari Club International.

He was a decorated combat veteran of World War II, serving in the Polish Army defending his country during the invasion of Poland in 1939. In 1944 he saw more combat at the Battle of Monte Cassino, and after the war he served in the British Army. He emigrated to the United States in 1949, where he began a long hunting career, traveling to over 40 countries.

In 1952 he founded Safari Outfitters, Inc., which remains in operation. Roman’s company was the first hunting consultancy company in the world and dominated international hunting for many years. This early pioneer opened sport hunting in many African and Asian nations, and hunters still reap the benefits of his early work.

In January 1972, Roman traveled to Los Angeles, met C. J. McElroy, and attended a meeting of local California hunters. Hupalowski suggested combining the groups from Los Angeles and Chicago. Upon returning home, Roman used his agency’s client mailing list to assemble Midwestern hunters at Chef Alberto’s restaurant in downtown Chicago. McElroy flew in to attend. At the conclusion of the meeting, the sportsmen united under one organization: Safari Club International. Roman’s friends became the Chicago Chapter, while McElroy’s friends became the Los Angeles Chapter. Because those two chapters created the international body, the Illinois & Chicago Chapter is recognized as one of the two original founding pillars of the global network.

Roman was the second recipient of SCI’s International Hunting Award, after C. J. McElroy. He was the fifth member of the SCI Hall of Fame, joining Roy Weatherby, William Ruger, Fred Bear, and the Jonas Family. The significance of this SCI pioneer from Chicago cannot be understated and should never be forgotten. He is the first inductee into the Illinois & Chicago Chapter Hall of Fame.