Brothers,

Below you’ll find Brother Danny Wyatt’s recollections of his early days in Beta Pi Chapter (Colonial Heights, VA) and the chartering of Gamma Psi, Beta Chapter at Richard Bland College. Grand Brother Danny wants to thank Grand Brother John Cobb for transcribing his thoughts and publishing them in Gamma Psi’s History.

Bill Schmitt
Gamma Xi #88

The fall of 1966 was the beginning of my freshman year at Colonial Heights High. One of the first things I noticed, besides the girls, were these guys with the little beanies on their heads running around reporting to “Mister” this guy and “Mister” that guy… kinda funny to someone as sophisticated as myself…. after all I had just graduated from junior high. Still, I couldn’t help but to notice that these upper classmen with the gold half moon jewelry pinned on their left upper chest also seemed to always have the prettiest girls also hanging around. It soon became evident to me that these guys were also BMOC’s… most were athletes, student government leaders, popular and important guys. Also, one of them was the brother of my good friend Kenny… aka Weatis.

It didn’t take long to learn that my closest friends, fellow athletes, seemed to be well known to these guys. In fact, Weatis’ brother “Whitey” was one of them. Whitey (Bobby Whitehurst) was an outstanding baseball player and he also played sax in a local band that was very popular. Their name was “MG and the Showmen”… and several of the bands members were brothers in this fraternity that wore garnet and silver colors… including “MG”…. real name Mike Lanning.

Not too many weeks into the school year a buzz took over the school about people getting “bids” or “letters” from the local fraternities. I also got caught up in the excitement when I heard that Kenny and our friend Greg had gotten bids to the VERY BEST fraternity, Gamma Delta Psi. I was hopeful that I would also, since I was so tight with Weatis, Greg and Whitey… plus I was playing football and thought myself connected well enough. But….it was not to be for me… I did not receive a bid that freshman year. Which in looking back I believe helped me to be resolved to get in Gamma Delta Psi and no other, and if I did get in to be the best brother I could be.

In the fall of ’67 I did in fact receive a bid and after 8 weeks of pledging I was inducted with my pledge class the last week of October. I remember it was a Friday, and when I woke up the next morning I promptly got dressed and headed to the mall with my Big Brother’s pin so I could shake the hands of all my brothers from the area. As luck would have it the only person I saw with a pin on was the girlfriend of a brother from Beta Alpha (she was wearing a sister pin).

I would like to take a moment here to remember my Big Brother, Phil Mann, who also played in a band and in fact taught me the basics on drums. Phil was lost to us just a couple years out of school in a motorcycle accident. RIP Brother Phil.

My first experience at a southern rally was overwhelming! Rallies consisted of all the local chapters and I’m guessing there were easily about 60 brothers from these chapters in attendance along with these “old” guys from the north….far north… Canada… and they sure was sticklers for all things proper! It was also my first experience with Bob Guthrie…. a very imposing figure to this young sophomore brother.

Much was learned in those high school years, and I owe a great deal of it to both the fraternity as well as those brothers individually I was blessed with the kind of brotherhood that has lasted all these years, and even now. My senior year I served as President of the chapter, and the most important thing I learned about brotherhood is that it is formed by working at and for something and NOT by partying all the time. Those who were in fraternity for the parties would not get much out of the experience specifically because they did not put much, if anything, into it.

The summer of ’70 I jump started my college career by enrolling for two summer session classes at Richard Bland College. I guess I wanted to get started and ease into this transition of becoming a college man. This did enable me to get acclimated to the school and get to know new faces before the all important fall semester began. The fall semester did begin with much fanfare. It seemed to me at the time that RBC was the biggest college in the world… things were so …. busy… and everyone was so ….. mature…. and again… the girls were gorgeous (and did I mention mature!!!).

On registration day I found, or I should say, Brother Jim Cummins from Gamma Epsilon in Matoaca found me. Lucky for me because Jim was a student aid person and he guided me through the rigors of registration. Thanks again Brother Jim. That first fall semester, after the noise of the first couple of weeks subsided, found me approaching Jim about starting a college level chapter of Gamma at RBC. Much to my dismay Jim said he was transferring the next semester to Alabama (I think) and so he would be gone and no help. That set me back quite a bit because Jim was “da man” I knew could help me to pull this off, but……. no. The rest of this semester was lost to the cause of starting Gamma because of this set back, but as time would tell, not the end of the dream.

However, the next semester with Jim gone found me wanting to be part of the Greek community so I decided to rush the best fraternity on campus (at the time) with one of my best friends. That too proved short lived because that first night as I prepared my pledge book I felt a deep pain of treason towards my beloved Gamma Delta Psi…. So the next day I returned my pledge material to that fraternity’s president, who just so happened to be a Gamma brother from my high school chapter, Beta Pi, with my regrets. To which he just said I was scared to pledge and I responded “no, I just have to do all I can to start Gamma”. So I finished that second semester with the dream still there, but no real plan and nobody really to plan with…. But fall semester of ’71 proved to be magical!

Fall registration of ’71 exploded with renewed possibilities for Gamma… I had not been there long when I heard my name being called… It was Brother Jim Cummins, he was back, the move to Alabama did not go well and he was enrolling at RBC. His first words to me were…”let’s start Gamma”… Now (as the saying goes) things just got interesting!

To start a new club, and in our case, a new Greek organization there are many hurdles to jump at any college/university. The biggest hurdle may well be overcoming the resistance of those who view anyone new as competition, namely other Greeks. Especially at a small college where those same Greeks control so many other clubs as well as the student government. Although the red tape was significant, approval from other organizations proved the hardest to overcome for reasons mentioned above… but, we would not be deterred. I will add here that we received valuable aid from other Greeks, many who were Gamma’s from high school that were in other fraternities at RBC and other Greeks, who just realized that all Greeks are brothers, in a way, if we “get it”.

We did take the campus by storm. Out of no where we emerged as real players on the RBC scene. We became campus leaders, placing members on the honor court, in the student government and numerous clubs.

I must mention also, that our candidate for RBC Snow Queen that fall semester was the lovely Susan Dance of Chester. With her win, Gamma Psi had its first campus recognition. (Ms. Dance would later become Mrs. Wyatt, my wonderful bride).

With the holidays approaching we held a Christmas party at the Holiday Inn in Petersburg, site of many Southern Rallies. We invited RBC President Col. James M. Carson as well as several other faculty members. Our intention was to demonstrate not only our brotherhood, but also our value to the college. Things could not have gone better as well into the evening following our program, Col Carson spoke to the group. I’m not sure what factors contributed to what he would say…. all I know is he, as of that moment, said that we were formally accepted on campus! A momentous announcement, especially since we were still a couple of steps short of formal recognition (rules-wise)… but…. THE MAN said it, and we were… legitimate!!

The winter semester of ’72, the school’s second half of the year semester, saw us have our first rush. This semester is not known for large rushes since the school year actually began in the fall and that semester was known for large rushes. However we did end up with one pledge brother to make it through and become inducted. His name is Gary Bowen, and as I recall he was from the Emporia area. I want to mention here that Brother Gary would end up graduating just a month or so after his ritual, but he saw it as a worthy thing to do even for that short time. Thank you Gary for your brotherhood!

There are many stories about the brothers during this formative period. I will state again that we took the campus by storm. The next fall would see us with the Student Government President (Ken Jefferson) and the Vice President (Tom Blackburn) as well as various other positions and honors.

Our dances at The Barn were famous for their good times, music and decorations.

I can honestly say that being a Gamma has been one of the best things to happen to me in my life. The relationships formed then and even later have proven to be treasures beyond words. My hope for anyone reading this is that they may have the opportunity to have as rewarding a fraternal life as I have had… as for me these words are emblazoned on my heart….”Once a brother, always a brother” !