The Gamma Kappa chapter received its charter on May 9, 1954, the same day as our sister chapter of Alpha Chi. Our founding members were John E. Hoffman, Kit C. Kirby, Roger W. Ardrey, William N. Arthur, Thomas L. Cleaver, Keith H. Gould, Josquin Leon Guerrero, Garvin Hanchett, Delbert L. King, Jack E. Hokanson, Dean J. Holland, Bernard T. Kenna, and Ray Turley. Our director of bands at the time, A. Harold Goodman, and Jack Swartz, founder of NAU Band Camp, were inducted as honorary members at this time as well. Recent research into our history has implied that the Omega chapter was our advising chapter, but until we can find documents with more solid evidence we will be unable to know for certain.
The Gamma Kappa chapter was extremely active in helping the marching day and was instrumental to the functioning of the Arizona State College (as we were then known) band day and homecoming parade. Almost immediately we took on the hosting of band banquet and continue to do so today. We sponsored many dances, assisted marching band members with their music and drill, and served to exemplify school spirit and pride in the band.
"...this chapter has been one of my very best chapters and a most responsive one. They have helped me in the publication, have attended district and national conventions, and I have learned to admire them in a great way." -A. Frank Martin, National Executive secretary, in a letter to Don Wolf, 10/1/1962
In 1962, there began a breakdown in communication with Nationals. We have no minutes from this time, dues went unpaid and no members were initiated until the spring of 1963. The now nearly-inactive Gamma Kappa chapter began to slowly build up, pushing through problems with reorganization. The officers were unsure of their duties and the books were in "terrible order," but soon these problems were solved and Gamma Kappa again became an important part of the band program. A tour newspaper was created in spring 1963, called "WolfTracks" in honor of our sponsor at the time, Dr. Wolf.
On May 1st, 1966, Arizona State College at Flagstaff officially became Northern Arizona University. This was also a time of change for the chapter. Mr. Jess Lara became our associate sponsor and Dr. Wolf became Director of Bands. In the fall of 1969, our sisters of Alpha Chi requested that we increase our joint relations and we created Big Sisters for our prospective brothers and Big Brothers for the prospective sisters. Around this time we began hosting a jazz festival, a separate endeavor that eventually came to be run jointly by Gamma Kappa and Alpha Chi in 1970. Throughout the 70s, Gamma Kappa continued to be a strong force in the band, actively doing whatever was necessary to help the band program.
Dr. Wolf received the Bohumil Makovsky Memorial Award in 1983. During this same biennium, Gamma Kappa received the Top Ten Chapter award. Dr. Wolf ended his tenure as Director of Bands at NAU in 1985 with the arrival of Dr. Patricia Hoy. Under Dr. Hoy, the marching band switched their focus to corps-style marching and playing blockbuster show music.
The Gamma Kappa chapter has been known for its strong ties with our sisters in Alpha Chi for decades. Dr. Hoy once said, "This joint effort has made a significant difference to the effectiveness of our groups." Even in a time when we had many members and could have very easily functioned alone, we worked jointly with our sisters to host fundraisers and festivals with great sucess. In the spring of 1986, Gamma Kappa and Alpha Chi hosted the Carson and Barnes Five-Ring Circus at the county fairgrounds. This fundraiser brought in thousands of dollars and continued every other spring through the end of the '80s. The money from the circus allowed the chapter to host fantastic band banquets and make important purchases for the band, such as music folders and stands.
Gamma Kappa's numbers dropped significantly from twenty active members to three in the early 90s, forcing the chapter to reconsider the way they do service. Numbers remained fairly low because members were finding it difficult to recruit new people. Even through this hardship, however, a CFR report stated, "The relations with their local Tau Beta Sigma chapter would be enviable of most schools. The members are willing to do what ever it takes to serve the bands."
During the fall of 1997, the Gamma Kappa chapter only had one member. He managed to recruit two new members that fall and bring up the chapter's numbers slowly but surely, gradually returning the chapter to its status as an important part of the band. However, the chapter remained very small until the fall of 2003. A thirteen-member class brought the chapter's total numbers to nineteen and the most recent class of six brought our numbers to twenty-five active members and one conditional member.
"This chapter has the potential to be one of our best in the country." -Jeremy Thomas, Chapter Field Representative, Spring 2000
With the great number of members now in Gamma Kappa, we have been able to make great strides in increasing our aid to the band program. As the Gamma Kappa chapter sits comfortably in middle age, we look to the future with pride and seek, as always, to strive for the highest.