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1951 - 1952

The Beta Sigma Chapter of

Pi Kappa Alpha

Carnegie Mellon University

5010 Morewood Place

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Chapter History Report

Filed by Wayne L. Smith.

The school year starting in September, had 33 actives return to usher in 21 new pledges. Out of these 21, 17 were initiated on December 9, 1951. With Al Woody leaving school in October, and Howard Phillips leaving in January, the total number of actives at the end of the school year was 48.

The chapter was lead for the first semester by the SMC Wes Apple, a senior; IMC Bob Lynch, a senior; ThC Cliff Jensen, a senior; SC John McNaugher, a junior; House Manager Jack Ludwig, a senior; Historian Jack Armour, a sophomore; and Social Chairman Bob Mair, a junior. The officers during the second semester were: SMC Wes Apple; IMC Bob Mair; ThC Cliff Jensen; Assistant ThC Bill Prey, a sophomore; SC Phil Drew, a sophomore; House Manager John McNaugher; Historian Wayne Smith, a freshman; Social Chairman Jim Gardner, a junior; and Assistant Social Chairman Bob Hocker, a sophomore.

Beta Sigma retained its outstanding record of being active and well represented in many of the schools activities. Phil Drew was president of Scimitars, the sophomore honorary, with Bill Prey treasurer, and Dick Durstine an active member. Jim Walker was in Delta Skull, the junior men's honorary, and Wes Apple and Bob Lynch were in Omicron Delta Kappa, the senior honorary. The two latter were also in Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honorary. Lynch served as chairman of the Tech chapter of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. Dick Durstine was chosen as the outstanding freshman student because of his high scholastic standing and his participation in school activities. Active members on Student Council are Phil Drew, Dick Durstine, Wes Apple, and Bob Mair. Phi Mu Alpha, the music honorary, selected for membership our only music student, Jack Malady. Student publications work have enlisted the services of Dick Durstine as managing editor of the Tartan, the school paper. He was copy editor last year. Jack Armour was a reporter of the paper. Chief draftsman for the Technical, the student engineering magazine, was Dale Kirkbride whose entire staff was composed of PiKAs including Bill Prey, Dana Spencer and Dave Baldwin. John McNaugher, business manager of the Thistle, the year book, succeeds Bob Mair and two previous PiKAs. On the editorial end of The Kilt, the fraternity paper, Bill Hurley has moved from assistant to the editor to production editor for this year. Herb Melin was a member of the editorial staff.

On the musical side, the newly formed Cameron Choir had as a member Don Arenth, and as its manager Bob Hocker. In the piper corps of the Kiltie Band were Dana Spencer and Don Woodward. Jack Malady, Jack Armour and Dave Baldwin are also bandsmen. Drama student, Paul Slively was lauded in his role of "Alaric" in the smash hit at the Playhouse "Peg-o-My- Heart". During the year he also played the part of Sir Gowan in "No Ear For Treason", at a drama department production. Chuck Bateman appeared as the gravedigger in the department production or "Hamlet".

For the Garnet and Gold on the gridiron were Bob Reuther, a junior, Skip Mitchell. a senior and Keith Crouse a freshman. In the fall, along with football goes cross-country, Chuck Gough was our representative on the team and he placed second and third on several of the events. This last year the Carnegie Tech's swimming team compiled the best win-loss record the school has seen in that sport. Five PiKAs helped make this record season for Tech. They were Phil Drew, Chuck Gough, Bill Prey, Theo Reuther, and Rudy Sapper. Chuck swam the 50 yd. and 100 yd. freestyle; Phil, the 440 freestyle; Bill, the 200 and 440; Theo, the 100 and 220; and Rudy, the 200 yd. breast stroke and the 150 yd. individual medley. The track team this year also had a good season. Again the PiKAs were in there winning points for Tech. Chuck Bateman starred in the pole vault and javelin. Chuck was trying to break the school record he established the year before. Bill McKibben, who was on the record-breaking 880-yard relay team of the year before, really started out great this season. Chuck Gough started as one of the two top men in the middle-distance event, but was then transferred to the 2-mile race. Keith Crouse, another freshman made a good showing by placing in the shotput and the discus several times. Intra- mural activities at Tech included basketball, in which we placed third, table tennis, bowling, volleyball, softball, and pool, the last two of which we placed third also. We were defeated by one point in the campus championship for rifle marksmanship. Bob Steiger was intramural sports manager.

Highlights on the social calendar this year were the Tarzan and Jane party, Homecoming, the pledge banquet, the Christmas Party, the Founders Day Dinner, the Dream Girl Formal, and Spring Carnival. At Homecoming, the first prize cup was won by the PiKAs for their display of a paper mache cow (Allegheny) being milked by a paper mache farmer (CIT) sitting in a great hay-strewn structure which looked more like a barn than a barn itself. The cow nodded its head, and whisked its tail; while the farmer nodded his head and milked the cow. The speaker for the Founders Day Dinner was PiKAs vice-president L. A. McCall, who reminded us of the high ideals and aims of the founders of our Fraternity. It was certainly a stimulating talk. Our Dream Girl this year was Barbara Rautenberg, a senior, and her court included Kay Cotes, Sylvia Adams, Doris-Ann Apple, and Trudy Albright.

Spring Carnival as always, was the highlight of the year's social events. Bill Prey, as overall chairman for PiKA, organized things well in advance. Ernie Barvoets directed work on the "Buggy" with the help of his brother Don, Webb Howard, Don Leatherberry and Gary Churchill. The pushing crew were McKibben, Blakely, Gough, Willison and Crouse. Rudy Sapper was the driver who guided the buggy for a 2 min. 46.8 sec., run for third place. "Story Book", the float theme prompted our committee, headed by Bob Steiger to build a lively, colorful story of Snow White. On a slopping ramp sat the seven dwarfs played by children from a nearby orphanage. The ramp lead up to a big red apple about six feet tall and behind it stood a stone castle. This made a beautiful background for Snow White who was played by Peggy Mauer. Behind the castle was the evil queen (Barbara Rautenberg) and the which (Paul Shively). Prince Charming (Chuck Bateman) followed on a real white horse. Despite the beautiful design by Dick Baily and everyone's help we only received fifth place. Dick Durstine and his booth committee designed an elaborate electrical racer game, but due to complications a balloon-dart game was substituted. However, we expect to use the new game next year. The house interior decorations followed the Snow White theme with painted Walt Disney characters done by Jim Gardner and his committee at a date-work party. Even though rain during the weekend turned the midway into mud, the brothers and alumni thoroughly enjoyed the '52 Spring Carnival.

Improvements in the house this year consisted of a new tile floor laid in the kitchen, the pantry, the coat room, and the upstairs back hall. The tile in the coat room is brown and the tile in the kitchen, the pantry, and the hall is made up of two colors, blue and white, laid in a checkerboard pattern. The pledges for their project this year, painted the party area down the basement. The walls are a reddish brown and the floor and ceiling are painted midnight blue. They also constructed some built-in seating, upholstered in yellow leatherette. Toward the end of the school year a large fan was purchased, with plans for it to be installed for the sleeping porch next fall.

With a few more debts to be paid, we have $1500 to start with in the fall.

We have 33 members studying engineering, 9 in printing management, and 6 in the school of fine arts. This variety of professional interest within the group provides a basis for cultural development. On the other hand, in spite of such variety we are, and have been, able to work well together to complete another successful year in the history of the Beta Sigma chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha.

Yours in φ φ k a,

Wayne L. Smith

Historian

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