Kappa Gamma Psi

Kappa Gamma Psi () was an American music fraternity founded in 1913 at the New England Conservatory. Its last surviving collegiate chapter went inactive in 2008 but continues to have alumni chapters.

History

Kappa Gamma Psi was founded by twelve men who were members of a men's club at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts on December 11, 1913.Shepard, Francis W., ed. (1927)
''Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities'' (11th ed.)
Menasha, Wisconsin: George Banta Publishing Company. p. 448 – via Google Books. It was a performing arts fraternity for male students.

Its second chapter, ''Beta'', was established at the University of Michigan in 1916. World War I slowed the fraternity's expansion and resulted in ''Beta'' going inactive. Its first post-war chapter was ''Gamma'' at the Boston Conservatory of Music in 1923. By 1927, it had chartered five chapters in the United States and had initiated 235 members.

The fraternity expanded to have thirteen chapters at schools of music or universities with a department of music. It was overseen by a board of national officers that met at an annual national convention.

By 1976, the only active chapter was Iota at Ithaca College. In the 1980s, it changed from a musical fraternity to a performing arts fraternity. Iota went inactive in 2008. As of 2024, the organization still has one active alumni chapter.

Symbols

Kappa Gamma Psi's badge was a circle of twelve pearls over an inverted triangle. Inside the circle were the Greek letters . There was an amethyst at the three points of the triangle.

Its jewels were the amethyst and the pearl. Its colors were gray and black. The fraternity's publication was the ''Gray and Black''.

Membership

Membership was limited to music students. The fraternity also initiated honorary members. The fraternity was originally all male but became coeducational in the 1970s.

Activities

Kappa Gamma Psi's ''Iota chapter'' (Ithaca College) formerly sponsored a competition for new compositions. The widely performed band composition "The Leaves Are Falling", by the American composer Warren Benson, was commissioned by Kappa Gamma Psi in 1963. "Deux Preludes", a work for flute, clarinet, and bassoon by the Czech-born composer Karel Husa, was commissioned by the ''Iota chapter'' in 1966. Elie Siegmeister's "Sextet for Brass and Percussion" was commissioned in 1966. In 1974, the ''Iota chapter'' commissioned Alfred Reed's "Double Wind Quintet".

Chapters

Collegiate chapters

Following are the former collegiate chapters of Kappa Gamma Psi, with inactive chapters and institutions noted in ''italics''.

Alumni chapters

Following is a list of Kappa Gamma Psi alumni chapters, with active chapters in bold and inactive chapters in ''italics''.

Notable members

* Halim El-Dabh, composerNew England Conservatory ''Neume'' Yearbook, 1952, p. 36.
* Bert Remsen, actor

Notable honorary members

* Harold Bauer, pianist and violinist

*Pablo Casals

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