NATIONAL NEWS: INTERVIEW WITH THE GRAND POLEMARCH
at Saint Louis University School of Law.
immediately into the St. Louis (MO) Alumni Chapter in 1977—and has never been unfinancial. “I always thought the only way to en- joy an organization is to be really active in it. That is the pleasure of being in the organization. We had some really good times and did some good things and raised a lot of money for the Mu Chap- ter. I had to keep up with the brothers while I was away at KU and be a part of something that was really, really good,” stated Brother Shelton. 28 th Grand Polemarch Ronald R. Young appointed Brother Shelton as the Middle Western Province Polemarch after having been elected twice as the Senior Province Vice Polemarch. This was right after the moratorium. “He wanted me to be instrumental in bring- ing undergraduates back on the yard. Understanding that I was a lawyer who was accomplished, he believed we could immediately start the intake process.” “Schools supported us because they saw Kappa Alpha Psi as a benefit to the whole campus life experience. They were very helpful, but cautious. We had
no problems initiating candidates again.”
The first African American President of The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the St. Louis Bar Founda- tion, Shelton also has held roles with the Mound City Bar Association. He is a past Regional Director of the National Bar Association and chaired the Ameri- can Bar Association’s (ABA) Commis- sion on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in addition to being a member of the House of Delegates of the ABA. He also served on the governing board of the Ur- ban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, NAACP, Missouri Lottery Commission, Bi-State Development Agency, Chil- dren’s Hospital, St. Louis Board of Re- gents, University City School Board and was President of the Lincoln University Board of Curators. He was also Chair of the Community Advisory Committee of the Missouri foundation for Health and is past President of the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri Board of Directors. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Missouri Development Finance Board.
Brother Shelton is also a boot aficio- nado. He father-in-law was a cowboy from Kansas City who rode horses and purchased his first pair. “They felt so good. I wore them out and got a second pair and started buying them. I travel and continue to collect them and have as many pairs from out of town as I do from St. Louis.” “I have never planned to do any job that I have ever held in Kappa Alpha Psi. I was always approached about doing it. I have never had any of these jobs on my career path. Brothers encouraged me to do it and I knew I could do the job. It was a no-brainer after that. I have never had political aspirations for my life. I have always tried to keep politics out of the fraternity for me.” “The fraternity has always been a safe haven to go to and relax with a bunch of guys that I like doing thingd with for the community that I love,” stated Shelton. And as to being Grand Polemarch?
Kappa Alpha Psi ®
The Grand Polemarch transitioned
“It has always been a comfortable
142 | FALL 2019 ♦ THE JOURNAL
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