History of Kappa Kappa Psi - Alpha Tau Chapter

The History of Alpha Tau Chapter

In May of 1940, twenty-eight members of the University of Texas Longhorn Band, under the direction of Colonel George E. Hurt, petitioned the national office of Kappa Kappa Psi, the national honorary band fraternity, for a charter. The charter was granted, and the local chapter was given the name Alpha Tau Nu.

Alpha Tau Nu started with twenty-eight members and five officers. At that time, offices included President, Vice President, Secretary, Petition Editor, and Sergeant-at-Arms. After some time, the original chapter name was shortened to Alpha Tau, our present name.

In 1969, Alpha Tau was voted one of the top five chapters in the nation. In 1970 and 1989, Alpha Tau helped host the Southwest District Convention at the University of Texas at Austin.

Alpha Tau has steadily grown in size and strength. Currently with more than thirty actives, Alpha Tau is an integral part of the Longhorn Band. We are responsible for setting up and striking down all equipment for rehearsals and game performances during the marching season. Through fund-raisers like pregame barbeques and professional photography offerings, we provide drinks and apples for the Longhorn Band and guest bands after every halftime. In addition, we contribute manpower and equipment for various needs of the Longhorn Alumni Band.

We are also active in the community, participating in Austin Habitat for Humanity projects and performing in the Zavala Elementary School reading day parade each year. Together with our sister sorority Tau Beta Sigma, we perform concerts and provide master classes for their band students.

Presidents of Alpha Tau1940(Founding)-Present
Officers of Alpha Tau1984-1990
Officers of Alpha Tau1990-2000
Food Bets Hall of Fame

The History of Kappa Kappa Psi

In the years that followed World War I, a movement developed amongst universities and college bands, searching for some motivating force that would create a greater interest in band music. This movement sought expression in an effort to develop good will, fellowship and understanding among bands and their members, and to recognize the value of dedicated leadership. Seizing upon this idea, ten members of the Oklahoma A&M College - later to be called Oklahoma State University - band led by William A. Scroggs and their director Bohumil Makovsky, drew up a plan for a national honorary society for college bandsmen.

Director Makovsky selected nine men to work with Scroggs to organize the first local club. These ten charter members were: A. Frank Martin, Raymond P. Shannon, Clyde Haston, Clayton Soule, Carl Stevens, William Coppedge, Dick Hurst, Asher Henderson, and Ira H. Nelson. Scroggs was selected as the president.

With the local organization complete, a corporation was formed which petitioned the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for a charter. The charter was granted on November 29, 1919, and the Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Fraternity for college bandsmen was established on the Oklahoma State University campus, with the local chapter becoming the Alpha Chapter.

During the first year of operation as an honorary society, the members were kept busy working out and adopting a national constitution, creating and developing the ritual ceremony, designing the jewelry needed to provide distinctive recognition for the organization, and setting up plans for the expansion of the fraternity. The Greek name and symbols of Kappa Kappa Psi were furnished by Dr. Hilton Ira Jones of the OSU chemistry faculty and assistance in the final organization was furnished by Colonel F.D. Wicksham of the OSU military department.

A. Frank Martin was elected first Grand President of Kappa Kappa Psi, and he served from 1919 until 1922. The first chapter to be installed into Kappa Kappa Psi was located at Montana State College in Olzeman, Montana. Brother Scroggs and Raymond Shannon traveled to the newly formed Beta Chapter on December 17, 1920.

Scott P. Squyers from the University of Oklahoma was elected Grand President at the first national convention held on the campus of Oklahoma State University on January 2, 1922. His plans for expansion were set up and the first slate of national officers was elected. Under his leadership, ten new chapters were added, and the second national convention was held in Oklahom City in 1923. Due to its central location, all active chapters were represented.

J. Lee Burke, from Ohio State University, served as the third grand president. He is responsible for stabilizing the constitutional and administrative structure of the Fraternity. He also brought the Fraternity its first set of comprehensive bylaws and preliminary parliamentary procedure. J. Lee is now the Kappa Kappa Psi parliamentarian for life. During Burke's term, Scott Squyers became the first national secretary, serving until 1937. His office was in Oklahoma City.

Buhumil Makovsky was elected Grand President at the fourth biennial convention in 1927. He brought to the Fraternity the experienced leadership needed to enlist the aid of the established proffessional college band directors of the nation in making the organization truly national. Brother Makovsky's continued interest, counsel, and guidance spanned a thirty-five year fraternal career and earned him the title "The Guiding Spirit of Kappa Kappa Psi." During his term, nine new chapters were established.

John E. Howard, director of the University of North Dakota bands, was elected to the office of Grand President at the seventh national convention. Brother Howard waged an uphill battle for the life of the fraternity. From 1935 to 1937, the depression era took its toll, as many chapters became inactive due to the state of the nation's economy.

During the presidency of William R. Wehrend, director of the University of Oklahoma bands, the national offices were established in Norman, Oklahoma after his election to the office of Grand National President during the eigth biennial convention.

At the ninth biennial convention in 1939, the delegates moved to reorganize the fraternity, adopt a new constitution, and place the Fraternity on a more solid financial basis. During this biennium, A. Frank Martin was elected National Executive secretary and Editor, a position he would hold for over twenty five years. He spent the next two years re-establishing the publication of the national magazine, which had been discontinued during the Depression. He also set up an expansion program. All of these actions were just beginning to show results when the beginning of World War II signaled the end of fraternal activities for its duration.

F. Lee Bowling of the University Of Colorado, was elected Grand National President in 1941. With a new constitution, a rearrangement of the national organization - creating districts with governors to assist in expansion, and the renaming of the Fraternity magazine from The Baton to The Podium, the Fraternity's future looked bright. However, The United States's entry into World War II forced over ninety percent of all chapters to go inactive. Only five chapters remained active during the war.

After the war, a program and a set of procedures had to be developed to reactivate dormant chapters. This was accomplished through the assistance of the various band directors, the National Officers, and the District Governors. The Fraternity quickly rejuvenated itself. At the 1947 National Convention, held at Oklahoma State University, Kappa Kappa Psi inaugurated the National Intercollegiate Band Program.

It was Max A. Mitchell, former director at Oklahoma State University, elected Grand President in 1947, who advanced the theory that the fraternity was not only an "honorary" organization but should also be a service organization.

Tau Beta Sigma was established to assist in carrying the college and university bands of America who had suffered from the shortage of men in their ranks. Brother Bowling gave all aid possible towards helping Tau Beta Sigma become a national organization, devoted to meeting the social, educational, and musical needs of college and university bandswomen. He succeeded in presenting the idea of having the Sorority as a sister organization of Kappa Kappa Psi. Tau Beat Sigma was officially recognized and accepted by the Fraternity at the first Kappa Kappa Psi convention following the war in 1947. In the meantime the sorority shared the National Office and The Podium on a prorated basis.

The golden anniversary of the Fraternity was marked with a five day "Big Fifty" Convention at which five charter members, three Executive Secretaries and sixteen past Grand National Presidents were in attendance.