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Texas AUSTIN, TEXAS — Howdy brothers. We, the brothers at the University of Texas, wish to inform you of our organization at the University which we hope will become a chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., during the 1958-59 school year. Presently, we are functioning as a prefraternal colony at UT and we are accepted as an abserver on the Interfraternity Council (IFC). We received recognition as an official student organization at UT on April 24, 1958. We have 38 members; 17 of these are brothers who were initiated by chapters at various colleges, such as Hampton, Huston-Tillotson, Texas Southern, Tuskegee, and Wiley, and the others are "Sphinxmen". We anticipate that our membership will be doubled or possibly tripled due to the success of our recent Second Semiannual Smoker. Most of our members are majoring in business administration, engineering, law, pharmacy or pre-medicine. We are on probational status with the IFC and will have such status for one year during which we must prove our worthiness to be granted permanent status by the IFC. We are experi-
encing s o m e difficulty during our probation or trial period. We must impress the IFC during our trial period and they are impressed greatly by lavish social affairs and worthy service projects. This is difficult for us as we lack the necessary finances to support such a program. We are obligated to participate in several activities sponsored by the IFC or the Students' Association, such as the Varsity Carnival, the Greek Christmas Sing Song, the Texas Round-up (spring homecoming), and the Bluebonnet Belle Ball. In addition to the fore-mentioned obligations, we are still expected to have several lavish social affairs. Before the end of the Spring Semester last year, we launched a first stage "social satellite"; it is our hope to launch the second and third stages during the present school year. The affair last spring was held in the International Room of the Texas Student Union and was a "first" for a predominately Negro organization at UT. Our honored guests were the brothers of Gamma Eta Lambda Chapter (Austin) and of Delta Chapter (HustonTillotson) who helped us when the proposed chapter at UT was merely a dream. On the same night, a Latin American organization was having an affair in the Main Ballroom of the Student Union and they were so "moved" by our band that many of
them requested of us to at least allow them to sit and enjoy the music. We became quite diplomatic and decided on a reciprocal trade policy; we, too, enjoyed doing the Cha-Cha in the Main Ballroom. We hope to have two social affairs centered around the theme "Outer Space" during the present school year. We are not only having financial difficulties, but we are having difficulty getting assistance from several of our prominent brothers. We believe that a nice Founders' Day Banquet would impress the IFC as much as a swanky dance. We have contacted several of our prominent brothers seeking their services as guest speakers for several proposed banquets, but most of them are too busy or have no open dates on their schedule or they are demanding fees in addition to traveling expense. We have several worthy service projects planned during the school year. We plan to repair the broken toys at a local integrated n u r s e r y school and to serve as recreation supervisors at the State Deaf, Blind, and Orphan School in Austin. Also, we plan to tutor freshmen in chemistry, mathematics, and physics as most of them experience difficulty in these courses. We are fortunate to have sevContinued on page 23
INTEREST GROUP ESTABLISHED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS (Deep in the Heart of Texas) Seated are Brothers of Alpha Upsilon Tau Chapter, Austin, Texas. Thesi Brothers are in session with members of the Interest Group. It is hoped that this Interest group will have full affiliation with Alpha Phi Alphi, Inc., during the 1958-59 school year. They are: First row (I to r ) : Brother C. P. Johnson, Curtis McDonald, Andrew Jefferson, vice-president; Howard Miles, Dean of Pledges; John Hargis, president; John Creer, Charles Urdy, and John Murphy, sponsor Second row (I. to r ) : Little brother, Samuel Green, Jerry Bonner, W i l l Ingram, David Ransom, Robert Henderson, John Branch, Lorenzo Ford, Phillip Morris, John Kelly, Emmanuel McKinney, and Leon Holland. Third row (I. to r.: Little brother, Lonnie Gooden, Olice Arnold, Hudson Griffin, Roland Beverly, John Branch, Richard Linton, Manuel Wilson, and Paul Dunn, president of the Sphinx Club. Not shown: Brother, Exalton Delco, Walter Jones, secretary; Marvin Lewis, Ira Lott, Mack Neely, Alvin Reynolds, and Rueben Sherman, treasurer. Also, little brothers Wright Collins, Henry James, and Jimmy McKee.
OCTOBER, 1958
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