REMEMBERING OUR SIGMA LEGENDS BRO. DR. W.S.M. BANKS

BY BRO. MICHAEL MOODY

Born in Amite County, Miss , on December 15, 1915, William S M Banks, Jr received his early education from his mother at home, who instilled in him an abiding respect for acquiring knowledge He was the second of five children born to William S.M. "Mutt" and Adeline Banks. In 1937, despite the hardships of the Great Depression years, Banks used his athletic skills and work ethic to earn a degree from Dillard University, in New Orleans, Louisiana. While there, Banks became a charter member of the Epsilon Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. He was then encouraged to continue his education for a MA and went on to earn a Master’s degree from Fisk University in Sociology. He landed a position at Fort Valley State and in 1940 began his 38-year association with the institution.

In 1942, his tenure at Ft Valley was interrupted by World War II where he served as a Company Commander in the 92nd Infantry Division and rose to the rank of Captain He married Hattie Louise Bryant on July 11 of that same year The 92nd Infantry Division was the only AfricanAmerican infantry division that participated in combat in Europe during World War II The 92nd Infantry Division served in both World War I and World War II The military was then segregated The divisional nickname, "Buffalo Soldiers Division", was inherited from the 366th Infantry,

One Of The First Units Organized In The Division

After his honorable discharge, and receipt of the Silver Star, Banks returned to Fort Valley State, and completed a doctorate at Ohio State. He served as a professor of Sociology and the chairman of the division of Social Sciences. He was also a former president and commissioner of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and a past Director of the Southern Region of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Additionally Banks was Athletic Faculty Representative at Fort Valley State College from 1943 until he became Academic Dean at the college in 1967. He was always very active in the conference affairs He was elected conference president in 1964 and served through 1966 He guided the conference through many dangerous periods during his term in office During the period when the conference was trying to decide which national body to cast its allegiance with, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), President Banks guided the membership through many heated discussions of both associations until they required an institution to be a member of one W S M Banks was elected to the office of Conference Commissioner in 1966 replacing the retired Commissioner B T Harvey He served until 1966, retiring when he was selected as Dean of Fort Valley State College

W.S.M. (Bill) Banks, II passed away on Tuesday, December 25, 2007, at Laurel Bay Healthcare in Macon, Georgia. He was 92 years old. He spent his life developing a deep and wide circle of friends, colleagues, and admirers. In every aspect of his life, as an educator, father, and husband he demonstrated strength, kindness, dedication, and true concern for others

During his years at Fort Valley State College Dr Banks served as the first chairman of the Social Sciences Division and as Dean of the Faculty He also showed an intense interest in and support for college athletics He was an active member of Trinity Baptist Church, and a favorite among Sunday School teachers In 1968 he became the president of the Dillard University Alumni Association In his autobiography, a study of the impact of racial and class attitudes as much as personal achievement, William Banks describes his experiences growing up in a poor African American family in rural Mississippi and working his way up through distinguished military service and concerted effort to earn a doctorate at Ohio State and a career as a professor of sociology at Fort Valley State University. After his retirement in 1978, he was able to devote more time to fishing, golf, bridge, pinochle, and his beloved Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. In 1980 Dr. Banks, along with three other emeriti, was recognized by the college for his contributions to producing graduates who served humanity as teachers, public servants, educators, policy makers and scholars The annual Banks-Pierro-Rutland-Bellamy Social Sciences Colloquium and Scholarship Fund are ongoing Fort Valley State University initiatives

As a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc , Dr Banks along with well-known brothers like Cornelius V Troup, Robert H Beasley, and William H Pipes chartered the Beta Delta Sigma Chapter in Fort Valley, Georgia in December of 1941 After the second World War, Banks served in many capacities in the fraternity as Beta Delta Sigma Chapter president, Georgia State Director, and Southern Regional

Director