December 1931

 

Alpha Theta Stages Charity Football Game

 

Why the next thing to do that is fitting and proper after moving into a new house it's to celebrate its acquisition and that is just what Alpha Theta, Iowa City did. On the beautiful moonlight night (no it was not in the spring) of September 18th, the brothers staged a lovely, lovely party. To the strains of Cec Bruten's Blue Sox, couples whirled (some stood still) about the newly polished “guest room.” Way long in the cool of the evening when the orchestra played “Home Sweet Home,” everyone cried, “Give us more”. And more was got. The party ended – well I don't remember the hour, but I do know that everybody was happy.

 

Shortly after this the University of Iowa’s annual Homecoming rolled around.  Brother Benny E. Taylor, then chairman of the social committee, sat right down to business and his noble head figured out a way for the chapter to enter upon that celebration of Homecoming in the fine style and still put one over on “Old man depression.”  Brother Taylor and his committee worked night and day, owing to the short space of time, working out the plans of the party 

 

The night before Homecoming October 16th a “warmer” was giving at the house. Now you might not know what that is, well I will tell you. There were guests in town before Homecoming and they were made welcome and acquainted with each and every one at this gathering. We had a “ball” that night as usual.

 

Ah! The Homecoming party! It was superb. So were the women. Carloads of them from Chicago, St. Louis and Des Moines. O yes, the ladies had escorts. Notable among them were brother Louis Caldwell of Alpha Nu, senior law student at Northwestern, Brother Bill Seabron, member of Alpha Theta who received his degree from the University of Iowa last summer and Brother Leonard Taylor of St. Louis. And Jack Everett’s orchestra was a wow! The party went over big. Ask anyone who was there.

 

And then because of ill health our dear Brother Bennie E. Taylor was forced to leave school. We were all sorry to see one leave us who has worked so hard for the good the chapter. Brother Taylor received his B.A. degree in June in education and was working on his masters. To show our appreciation for what he has done, Brother Taylor was elected to the Alpha Hall of Fame. He sojourns now in sunny Oklahoma to recuperate. We wish for him the best of health.

 

Now comes the time when oratory reaches its height. Political campaigns, you know. Yes, we had our elections for the ensuring year. Roscoe Barrett our president and steward was reelected to both offices. Some boy is he! Brother Richard C. Williams, was elected to the Vice-Presidency, Brother Charles B. Ware, our nonchalant secretary was re-elected to the honorable job on pen pushing. Brother Forrest Young was elected assistant secretary but his arduous duties have been assumed by Brother Gerald Wilson. Brother James T. Howard, Jr. became the treasurer, Brother Alfred Wilson, auditor, and Brother Kenneth O’Neal, Sphinx Editor. The officers assure us that the coming year will be the greatest that Alpha Theta has ever experienced.

 

Earlier this fall Alpha Theta challenged Iowa’s Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi to a football game on Thanksgiving. In former years this was an annual occurrence, but owing to the lack of athletes at Alpha Theta, the game has not been played for the last two years. This year it was decided by the two fraternities to make it a charity affair. Our Director of Athletics, Charles P. Ware, with a kappa representative secured the Lions club of Iowa City to sponsor the affair. Brother Walter Booker, former Morehouse flash and recent instructor in biology and assistant coach at Prairie View, have a great deal of his time developing Alpha Theta’s men into a real football team. He was ably assisted by Brother Richard Carey former Talladega quarterback.

Thanksgiving Day was cloudy and cold and the game was played before a crowd of about five hundred spectators. In the first quarter Wellington, the Kappa fullback got off on the long run to score a touchdown. Bush skirted and to make the extra point. The Kappa seemed to have the best of it all doing the first half. In the second half Alpha Theta opened up a pass attack that completely bewildered the Kappas. After making three first downs by the pass method to the fifteen yard line, Brother Booker plunged over the goal line for a touchdown. An incomplete pass kept us from the extra point. It was a furious battle from then on until the end of the game, neither side scoring again. Thus Alpha Theta lost a thrilling game to the Kappas by the score of 7 to 6. But the nice part of it was that two-hundred and fifty dollars were cleared for the unemployed

 

The members of the team were, Brothers Booker, quarterback; Ware and Jim Taylor, halfbacks; Dean, center;  Young and Wilson, guards; Boyd and McDaniels tackles Sphinx men Millender fullback Perkins and maze and substitutes were brothers Howard and Tinsdale Sphinx men Goss king and bonds

 

Hi ho now let me tell you what came after the game a turkey dinner that was not in the books the question about our chief and vice president brother Charles Williams knowing to cooking business and high brown turkey sub for stuffing and giblet gravy, candied sweet potatoes and peas cranberry sauce and salad and all this topped off with a lovely apple pie. Ugh, son (I beg your pardon I mean brother) when we were filled with that delicious dinner, we were truly thankful to Brother “Chris” Williams.

 

Among the nine members of the Sphinx club two of them were on the freshman football team at the University of Iowa. They were Wilbur Wallace regular quarterback Voris Dickerson, end; Walter Rogers as another likely candidate at fullback next year the other Sphinxman look no less promising in other fields. O yes, we are bringing them around to it

 

Well some of us will be looking for you at Cincinnati so long

 

-James T. Howard, Jr.