In the years that followed World War
I, a movement developed among college and university bands, searching for
some motivating force that would create a greater interest in band music.
This movement sought expression in an effort to develop good will,
fellowship, and understanding among bands and their members, and to
recognize the value of dedicated leadership. Seizing upon this idea, ten
members of the Oklahoma A&M College (later to be known as the Oklahoma State
University) Band, led by William A. Scroggs and their director, Bohumil
Makovsky, drew up a plan for a national honorary society for college
bandsmen.
Director Makovsky
selected nine men to work with Scroggs to organize the first local club.
These ten charter members were: A. Frank Martin, Raymond D. Shannon, Clyde
D. Haston, Clayton E. Soule, Carl A. Stevens, William H. Coppedge, Dick
Hurst, Asher Hendrickson, Iron Hawthorne Nelson, and Scroggs. Officers for
the local club were elected and William Scroggs was selected as president.
With the local
organization complete, a corporation was formed which petitioned the
Oklahoma Corporation Commission for a charter. The charter was granted
November 27, 1919, and "Kappa Kappa Psi, Honorary Fraternity for College
Bandsmen" was established on the Oklahoma State University campus, with the
local group being known as the "Alpha Chapter".
During the first
year of operation as an honorary society, the members were kept busy working
out and adopting a national constitution, creating and developing the ritual
ceremony, designing the jewelry needed to provide distinctive recognition
for the organization, and setting up plans for the expansion of the
Fraternity. The Greek name and symbols, "Kappa Kappa Psi," were furnished
by Dr. Hilton Ira Jones of the OSU Chemistry faculty, and assistance in the
final organization was furnished by Col. F. D. Wickham of the OSU Military
Department.
No person is so
important to any organization as its constant companion, inspiration, and
source of support. Such a man was Bohumil Makovsky, Director of Bands and
head of the Music Department at Oklahoma A&M College (Oklahoma State
University) from 1915 until 1945. Affectionately referred to by all who
knew him as "Boh," Makovsky provided the strength and encouragement needed
by William Scroggs and those nine other bandsmen which saw them successfully
through the establishment of a national fraternal society.
Founded by bandsmen
for the band member, Kappa Kappa Psi was (and is) a tribute to the dynamic
personality of one man. For around this personality grew a core of student
leaders committed to assist him in a program of developing the best college
band with the highest performance standards possible. "Boh" was that man,
and each incoming member of this fraternity should be familiar with the man
who was officially recognized by the Grand Chapter in convention assembled
as "The Guiding Spirit of Kappa Kappa Psi".