About Us

The Epsilon Beta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi was founded at the University of Central Arkansas on February 17, 1967. Our charter members are Homer Brown, Dennis Bonge, Frank Birdwell, Donald Halverson, John Knight, Richard Knox, Dallas Lafleur, Gerald Senn, Dennis Wilf and Gail Robbins. Our Chapter Sponsor is Dr. Ricky Brooks. Our Chapter Mascot is Prybo.

The Epsilon Beta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi has been through considerable growth in membership, three name changes for the school, three change of band directors, but its basic purpose remains the same . . . service to the band. Preparations for bring the Fraternity of Conway actually began in 1966. On March 3, 1966, members of the Kappa Kappa Psi colony at Arkansas State Teachers College met with the school officials to make plans to establish the group as a recognized Greek organization on campus. A colony is a group that has petitioned the National Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi for recognition as a Chapter. One requirement was that the group conducts a service project. The Kappa Kappa Psi colony elected to perform a musical act at ASTC’s annual student Christian Student Association Carnival, along with their sisters in the Tau Beta Sigma colony. For a fund raising project, the group sold band sweatshirts during the weekend of the football game with ASU, and sponsored a car wash.

Eventually the colony got approval from the school officials and from the National Office. So, after a year of work as a colony, the group became Chapter number 122 of Kappa Kappa Psi.

The same day the Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma Chapters were officially organized, Chapters were also founded at UALR. One of the highlights of the Chapter’s first year was the dedication of the music department’s new home, the Fine Arts Center, which was named after Silas D. Snow, a past President of the University. The dedication of the new building was held on February 25, 1968. By this time the school was known as State College of Arkansas.

The dedication ceremony featured performances of three musical sections written especially for the occasion: “Masque,” a band composition by Dr. Francis MacBeth of Ouachita Baptist University, preformed by the SCA band; “Festival Overture,” a composition for orchestra by Walter Kaufmannod of Indiana University, performed by the SCA Little Symphony; and “Triptych,” a choral work by Lloyd Pfautsch of Southern Methodist University, Performed by the SCA College Choir. Epsilon Beta had already initiated its first membership education class after the Chapter’s founding. This class had four members and was initiated October 6,1967. The next class was initiated May 10,1968 and had twelve members. Over the next few years, the Chapter’s growth continued. As of January 1985, the Chapter has initiated fifteen honoraries, all of the faculty members. Some of them have been instructors of choral or orchestral music in addition to band literature, reflecting Kappa Kappa Psi’s concern for all types of music.