100 YEARS
THE MU CHAPTER CENTENNIAL
L. Grant with compiling fraternal history for the Story of Kappa Alpha Psi. He was a charter member of the Muskogee (OK) Alumni Chapter and a longtime member of the St. Louis (MO) Alumni Chapter. William Coker (Mu 1935) was a stalwart member of the Denver (CO) Alumni Chapter for seven decades, and Harold Piper (Mu 1937) , who spent his life with the St. Louis (MO) Alumni Chapter.
that way.” A native of St. Louis, Bennett joined the Fraternity as a sophomore and lived in the dorm but moved into the Kappa house in the latter part of his sophomore year. He was attracted to KU because his high school teach- ers went to Kansas. He also wanted a school with a good sports programs and academic program. “ Homer Floyd (Mu 1957) did not stay at the house because he was married, but all the brothers who were athletes, including Wilt [Chamberlain], lived there. Wilt had to tilt to come through the doors, but the ceilings were high enough for him on the inside. Brothers and other students would hang around and just talk, and you never even thought about the fact that you were talking to an All-American athlete. Ev- eryone knew that the Kappa House was always open. The front door was never locked and it was a safe haven for all students. Students would like to visit
the house and see the players.”
Mu Chapter House
Mu and KU Athletics
As we reflect on the Mu Chapter history, the stories can best be told by those who interacted with Charter initi- ates and beyond. Shannon Bennett (Mu 1953) says, “The Fraternity house was more like a family than a dormi- tory. It was like a new family member moving in. Living together we saw each other every day. We got to bond more
Mu Chapter members dominated KU Athletics from the 1950s through the 1970s, including boasting Basketball Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain (Mu 1957) and Gale Sayers (Mu 1964) , who recently entered the Chapter Invis- ible in 2020. A multitude of brothers played significant roles in major sports at the University of Kansas, including Brothers Homer Floyd, KU’s first African American captain of the football team; Ernie Shelby (Mu 1957) , who was an NCAA long jump champion and KU’s first African American captain of track & field; and Charlie Tidwell (Mu 1957) who was an NCAA champion sprinter and hurdler. Super Bowl champion Curtis Mc- Clinton (Mu 1958) played nine years in the American Football League (AFL), in- cluding playing in the Super Bowls I and IV with the Kansas Chiefs. Mike Shinn (Mu 1962) and teammate of Sayers, was also captain of the KU football team and an Academic All-American. Shinn, who passed in 2015, would become a successful executive with General Electric, was a longtime member of the Cleveland (OH) Alumni Chapter, and was a longtime alumnus benefactor of KU. Bill Bridges (Mu 1958) played the NBA for a dozen years primarily with the St. Louis/Atlanta Hawks, NBA All-Star three times, and won an NBA champi- onship in his final professional season with the 1975 Golden State Warriors. Stephen Lawson (Mu 1969) , played five years for three NFL franchises.
Photo appeared in the May 1921 issue of The Journal. The Fraternity House of Kappa Alpha Psi - circa 1959. The house was located in the 110 block on Mississippi Street, in the City of Lawrence, KS. It was perched on the east side of the road, directly across the street from Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Kansas.
THE JOURNAL ♦ FALL-WINTER 2020 | 13
Publishing achievement for more than 105 years
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