ALUMNI NEWS: SENIOR KAPPA SPOTLIGHT
reasoned, a well-educated man or woman would be in high demand regardless of his or her skin color. Dr. Bryson’s onetime ASU students Gwendolyn E. Boyd, D.Min., Quinton T. Ross, Jr., Ed.D., are Carl Pettis, Ph.D., are represen- tative proofs of his beliefs about preparation and possi- bility. In 2014, Boyd became the 14 th president of ASU. Ross succeeded her in 2016. Pettis currently is interim provost and vice president of academic affairs. He notes: “Bryson has been a giant in the eyes of generations of young men who have joined the ranks of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. As a proud [1999] initiate of the Alabama State University Chapter, the Beta Zeta of Kappa Alpha Psi,” Pettis wrote in 2020, “I had the esteemed honor and privilege to observe and learn from this towering fig- ure firsthand. His dedication to service and knowledge of the Fraternity is unparal- leled.” Similar to many Kappa Men, the military helped pre- pare Bryson for the various challenges and triumphs in civilian life to which Pettis ultimately would refer. As re- gards education, Dr. Bryson’s time in the army during the Second World War sharp- ened his attention to detail. The comradery he experi- enced with others serving their country expanded his already broad commitment to success. Dr. Bryson’s war- time service also deepened his desire to give back to every community to which
he belonged. The Fraternity amplified those characteris- tics, traits, and wishes. How Kappa Alpha Psi and service in the U.S. Army pre- pared him for life challenges and triumphs in the world of education, success as a leader as well as the importance of achievement and giving back to the community “Kappa instilled the aspi- ration of achievement in whatever one elected to do in life—whether academics, philosophy, law, politics, reli- gion, art, or entertainment,” Bryson avowed in 2020. “For me,” he expounded, “it was the academy, collegiate life, specifically English litera- ture. . . . A shared belief of mine is that ‘the function of education is to push the mind to the flaming frontiers of knowledge’, therefore this was done with my students during every opportunity granted at each institution where one served. [My] two years in the U.S. Army were memorable ones in the Eu- ropean Theater. Of course, unlike now,” Dr. Bryson continued, “army life was extremely different for the Negro soldier. Conditions were segregated. Racism was the order of the day. My hope was to become the man slaves dreamed about— that is to say, freely think and imagine, give back, each one, teach one, carry traditions forward, make a lasting difference in the lives of others.” Echoing some of the same advice he pro- vided in They Came . . . and They Conquered in 1983, Bryson reiterated one “could
Note among the notable signatures are signatures of Founders of Kappa Alpha Psi.
ter, Ohio State University, compiled and edited a book titled They Came . . . and They Conquered. The vol- ume featured the perspec- tives of 148 African Ameri- cans who earned doctorates from the university. Dr. Bryson emphasized the im- portance of a collegiate-level education. That matriculat- ing through an institution of higher learning would improve economic oppor- tunities and foster cultural enrichment was a central theme. He also stressed the importance of collec- tive agency. Specifically, one who earned an undergradu- ate or a graduate degree almost certainly would not be the sole beneficiary of the collegiate experience, Dr. Bryson counseled. One’s nuclear family and extended community were likely to benefit as well, he explained. As technology advanced and egalitarian citizens worldwide strived to achieve greater equality, Dr. Bryson
literary profession changed my world,” he added, “and it transformed my perspective and understanding of the academic environment and my surroundings.” Bryson, speaking at length about the Modern Language Associa- tion, indicated it “promotes the study and teaching of languages and literatures through its programs, pub- lications, annual conven- tion, and advocacy work. This, too, was a catalyst to re-imagine, re-interpret and revisit major historical periods in literature and come away with refreshing analysis and connotation, particularly in comparison to actually living through various social and political movements and providing a post reinterpretation of the movements within the English literature.” In 1983, Frank W. Hale, Jr., Ph.D., Vice Provost for the Office of Minority Affairs at Dr. Bryson’s alma ma-
96 | SPRING 2020 ♦ THE JOURNAL
Publishing achievement for more than 105 years
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