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UNDERGRADUATE NEWS
Previous page, from lef, Brothers Jared Sterling, Chris Hullaby, Cedrick Henderson- Smith, Leonard McFadden, Aaron Moore, Dan Harris, Lyndon Breckenridge. Jared Sterling & Leonard McFad- den at trunk or treat This page: Crimson crème - Beta Psi at 1977 Crimson & Crème Ball. Kevin Burnett at MWP Council in 1979
IFC, BSU, athletics, intramurals and the campus administration along with being active in the community at the Douglass Community Center. The membership was diverse with Brothers originating from as far away as the east coast, California and Ethiopia. Brothers majors ranged from business to architecture to engineering, so- cial sciences and agriculture. Beta Psi has featured campus leaders (Patrick Miller , SGA Student Senate; Wayne Franklin Blue Key Honor Society, SGA Student Senate; and Kevin Burnett ,Blue Key Honor Society, SGA and Union Governing Board) and star athletes (Veryl Switzer, All-American football player; Rolando -Blackman, All-American basketball player, NBA All-Pro; Darryl Winston, basketball player and 1st African American Coach in the Big 8; Dean Harris, 1st Freshman basketball player to start in the Big 8; Mike Evans, All-American basketball player, NBA player and coach; Vince Parrette, World class Triple Jumper and Clarence Scott, All-American football player and NFL All-Pro). Beta Psi has impacted the local com- munity by mentoring local youth, establish- ing the Dean Harris Memorial Scholarship and raising money for critical causes such as Haiti earthquake victims. Beta Psi initiates have gone on to achieve in post graduate life. They are doctors and dentists (Arthur Dehart, Edgar Dean and Henry Davis), a military profes- sional (Ron Howell, retired Lt. Col U.S. Army), corporate executives (Patrick Miller, Coca Cola; Thomas Garnett, AT&T and Kevin Burnett, Alcatel-Lucent), architects (Rory Turner, John Williams and Arthur
Saunders), a musician (Vince Parrette aka Vinx), entrepreneurs (Solomon Tafasee, Marvin Thomas and Wallace Kidd), min- isters (John Williams, Micah Ross, Wayne Franklin and Fred Blair) and public servants (Wayne Franklin, state of Kansas cabinet member, James Johnson, EPA and John Williams, school board). The First Fraternity House The Brothers wanted to play Intramu- ral basketball in 1948, but was prohibited because only fraternities with houses were allowed to play in the Intramural League and the champion of that League was always allowed to play a game at the end of the season against the University team. The Kappas got together in 1948, convinced Mrs. Nettie Guess to be their house mother and purchased a house at 1010 Yuma Street to be their first Frater- nity House. After getting the house and filling the three bedrooms with six men to prove to the College that they had a house, Beta Psi was admitted to the In- tramural program and competition. They won the Intramural Competition in 49, 50 and 51, Art Saunders indicated “After winning the tournament each year they competed against the University second string and lost close games each year. The Kappas led during the first half of each of the games, but the officials called the second half in favor of the University team to such an extent that even the crowds complained”. The Greatest Wildcat Ever, From 1950 to 1953, Veryl Switzer became the second African-American
scholarship athlete in K-State history when he ruled the grass of the Wildcats' Memo- rial Stadium, plus the cinders of the track facility within the stadium. Switzer was a two-way Wildcat performer in football as a running back and safety, plus a two-way performer in track and field in the sprints and broad jump. To this day he holds the distinction of being the highest KSU NFL draft selec- tion ( fourth overall in 1954), plus he was a Big Seven champion in track and field. Brother Switzer said "Life wasn't all roses. I had to use the back doors to hotels, eat away from my teammates and if I did eat in a restaurant, I had to use a paper cup instead of glass. But do you know what? It only made me work harder and be even more determined to excel and demonstrate my worthiness." Switzer played for the Green Bay Pack- ers for two seasons before being drafted into the Air Force, where he played on the title-winning team at the World Armed Forces Championships. Brother Switzer came back to KSU and served as associate dean and Assistant Vice President for Minority Affairs, Chairperson of the Wildcats' Intercollegiate Athletic Council and eventually associate athletics director. Conclusion Beta Psi has a proud history and con- tinues to achieve and make history with the current chapter members. Don’t be surprised to hear our refrain “Oh My, Beta Psi” at any Kappa event.
Publishing achievement for 105 years
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