Alpha Psi Omega
Encyclopedia
Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society (ΑΨΩ) is an American recognition honor society
recognizing participants in collegiate theatre
. The Alpha Cast (Alpha Psi Omega's term for "chapter") was founded at Fairmont State College (now Fairmont State University
) on August 12, 1925 by professor Paul F. Opp.
Alpha Psi Omega was founded after Opp was denied charter petitions by both Theta Alpha Phi
(ΘΑΦ) National Theatre Honors Fraternity and the National Collegiate Players/Pi Epsilon Delta (ΠΕΔ), which were unwilling to charter a chapter at Fairmont State College, then primarily known as a "teacher's college." The first student members of the society were Elinor B. Watson and Robert Sloan.
Membership is open to students (primarily undergraduate) who are active in collegiate/university theatre at four-year institutions (full colleges and universities). Most casts/chapters use a "point system" for determining eligibility of membership, with a certain number of points being dealt to a certain task in theatre. With some chapters there is an induction/training process, while other chapters choose members solely on merit, where the theatre experience is considered the induction process. Honorary membership may be conferred on certain individuals (usually department faculty) after obtaining permission from the National Officers.
Delta Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society (ΔΨΩ), Alpha Psi Omega's "Sister Society," was founded in 1929 as the official junior-college division of Alpha Psi Omega. Both societies are governed by the same National Officers, yet have a separate coat-of-arms and induction ceremony. Delta Psi Omega is founded at two-year institutions (junior colleges/community colleges).
Dr. Opp and Alpha Psi Omega were also instrumental in helping to organize the Thespian Society, now known as the International Thespian Society
, the theatre honor society for high school students (also founded in 1929). With an original grant of $500, the society was able to help organize I.T.S. and help publish the first issues of the I.T.S. magazine. The International Thespian Society has since been assimulated into the Educational Theatre Association
, but the influences can been seen in the similarities of both organizations' colors and induction ceremonies.
Members are most commonly referred to as "APO's." However, due to some confusion with members of the national service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega
, some campuses refer to their members as "Alpha Psi's" or "AYO's". Members of Delta Psi Omega are commonly known as "DPO's."
As was common practice in naming honor societies during that time, at the founding, Alpha Psi Omega was called "Alpha Psi Omega National Honorary Dramatic Fraternity" and used theatre-related terminology to refer to the honor society's officers and workings. Examples include:
In 1997, upon pressure of anti-fraternity sentiments nationwide, the National Officers decided to update the public titles of the organization. This changed the official name of the society from "Alpha Psi Omega National Honorary Dramatic Fraternity" to "Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society."
The open motto of Alpha Psi Omega, written in ancient Greek upon their coat-of-arms, is "seek a life useful" ("αιτειτε ψύχην ωφελιμον"). A "secret" motto is used during the Induction ceremony.
The official colors of Alpha Psi Omega/Delta Psi Omega are moonlight blue and Bastard amber, from the names of the shades of lighting gels commonly used in Theatre Lighting .
The official magazine of Alpha Psi Omega/Delta Psi Omega is The Playbill.
On record, Alpha Psi Omega/Delta Psi Omega has a total 1032 casts, making it one of the largest Greek Letter Organizations in the world. Chapters of Alpha Psi Omega are named with Greek Letter names according to the order in which they were chartered. Chapters of Delta Psi Omega are numbered.
Regional Representatives
Past National Officers of Alpha Psi Omega & Delta Psi Omega
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
recognizing participants in collegiate theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. The Alpha Cast (Alpha Psi Omega's term for "chapter") was founded at Fairmont State College (now Fairmont State University
Fairmont State University
Fairmont State University is a public university located in Fairmont, West Virginia, USA. Enrollment of the university is about 7,700 and offers masters degrees in business, education, teaching, criminal justice and nursing in addition to 90 baccalaureate and 50 associate degrees...
) on August 12, 1925 by professor Paul F. Opp.
Alpha Psi Omega was founded after Opp was denied charter petitions by both Theta Alpha Phi
Theta Alpha Phi
Theta Alpha Phi National Theatre Honors Fraternity is an American recognition honor society that accepts members who achieve excellence in the art of theatre. Membership is available to undergraduates and graduate students at member institutions....
(ΘΑΦ) National Theatre Honors Fraternity and the National Collegiate Players/Pi Epsilon Delta (ΠΕΔ), which were unwilling to charter a chapter at Fairmont State College, then primarily known as a "teacher's college." The first student members of the society were Elinor B. Watson and Robert Sloan.
Membership is open to students (primarily undergraduate) who are active in collegiate/university theatre at four-year institutions (full colleges and universities). Most casts/chapters use a "point system" for determining eligibility of membership, with a certain number of points being dealt to a certain task in theatre. With some chapters there is an induction/training process, while other chapters choose members solely on merit, where the theatre experience is considered the induction process. Honorary membership may be conferred on certain individuals (usually department faculty) after obtaining permission from the National Officers.
Delta Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society (ΔΨΩ), Alpha Psi Omega's "Sister Society," was founded in 1929 as the official junior-college division of Alpha Psi Omega. Both societies are governed by the same National Officers, yet have a separate coat-of-arms and induction ceremony. Delta Psi Omega is founded at two-year institutions (junior colleges/community colleges).
Dr. Opp and Alpha Psi Omega were also instrumental in helping to organize the Thespian Society, now known as the International Thespian Society
International Thespian Society
The International Thespian Society is an honorary organization for high-school and middle-school theatre students located at more than 3,600 affiliated secondary schools across the United States, Canada, and abroad. The International Thespian Society was founded in Fairmont, West Virginia...
, the theatre honor society for high school students (also founded in 1929). With an original grant of $500, the society was able to help organize I.T.S. and help publish the first issues of the I.T.S. magazine. The International Thespian Society has since been assimulated into the Educational Theatre Association
Educational Theatre Association
The Educational Theatre Association , founded in 1929, is the professional association for theatre education. EdTA’s mission is to make theatre a part of lifelong learning...
, but the influences can been seen in the similarities of both organizations' colors and induction ceremonies.
Members are most commonly referred to as "APO's." However, due to some confusion with members of the national service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
, some campuses refer to their members as "Alpha Psi's" or "AYO's". Members of Delta Psi Omega are commonly known as "DPO's."
As was common practice in naming honor societies during that time, at the founding, Alpha Psi Omega was called "Alpha Psi Omega National Honorary Dramatic Fraternity" and used theatre-related terminology to refer to the honor society's officers and workings. Examples include:
- President/National President - Director / Grand Director
- Vice-President/National Vice-President - Stage Manager / Grand Stage Manager
- Secretary-Treasurer/ National Secretary-Treasurer - Business Manager / Grand Business Manager
- Chapter - Cast
- Inductees - Understudies
- National Officers - Grand Cast
- National Convention - Grand Rehearsal
In 1997, upon pressure of anti-fraternity sentiments nationwide, the National Officers decided to update the public titles of the organization. This changed the official name of the society from "Alpha Psi Omega National Honorary Dramatic Fraternity" to "Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society."
The open motto of Alpha Psi Omega, written in ancient Greek upon their coat-of-arms, is "seek a life useful" ("αιτειτε ψύχην ωφελιμον"). A "secret" motto is used during the Induction ceremony.
The official colors of Alpha Psi Omega/Delta Psi Omega are moonlight blue and Bastard amber, from the names of the shades of lighting gels commonly used in Theatre Lighting .
The official magazine of Alpha Psi Omega/Delta Psi Omega is The Playbill.
On record, Alpha Psi Omega/Delta Psi Omega has a total 1032 casts, making it one of the largest Greek Letter Organizations in the world. Chapters of Alpha Psi Omega are named with Greek Letter names according to the order in which they were chartered. Chapters of Delta Psi Omega are numbered.
Current National Officers of Alpha Psi Omega & Delta Psi Omega
The current National Officers of Alpha Psi Omega and Delta Psi Omega are as follows:- National President - E. Teresa Choate, Kean UniversityKean UniversityKean University is a coeducational, public research university located in Union and Hillside, New Jersey, United States. Kean University serves its students in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions with a dedication to intellectual and cultural growth and is best known for its...
- National Vice-President - Frankie Day, North Carolina A & T University
- National Business Manager - Bret Jones, Wichita State UniversityWichita State UniversityWichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
- National Web Administrator - Joel Lord, Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteStephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
- Delta Psi Omega Representative - Lisa Coulter, Murray State UniversityMurray State UniversityMurray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
Regional Representatives
- Region I - Brian Reed, Whittier CollegeWhittier CollegeWhittier College is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. As of January 2009, the college has approximately 1540 enrolled students.-Overview:...
- Region II - Jack Garrison, University of Nebraska at KearneyUniversity of Nebraska at KearneyThe University of Nebraska at Kearney , founded in 1905 as the Nebraska State Normal School at Kearney, is the Kearney, Nebraska, United States campus of the University of Nebraska system.-History:...
- Region III - Cleo House, Jr., Penn State BerksPenn State BerksPenn State Berks is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University located in Spring Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania.-History:First known as Wyomissing Polytechnic Institute, Penn State Berks became part of the Penn State system in 1958. The Berks campus has experienced many changes...
- Region IV - John Bald, Converse CollegeConverse CollegeConverse College is a liberal arts women's college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, USA. It was established by a group of Spartanburg citizens and named after Dexter Edgar Converse.-History:...
- Region V - Matthew E. Ellis, University of OklahomaUniversity of OklahomaThe University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
Past National Officers of Alpha Psi Omega & Delta Psi Omega
- Susan S. Cole - National President, National Vice-President
- James Fisher - National Business Manager
- Donald Garner - National President, National Business Manager
- Jerry Henderson - National President, National Vice-President
- Yetta Mitchell - National President, National Vice-President
- Paul F. Opp - Founder, First National Business Manager
- Russell Spiers - First National Vice-President
- E. Turner Stump - First National President
Famous Alpha Psi Omega Members
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