William Alexander Scroggs (November 27, 1896 – March 14, 1984), born in

Stillwater, Oklahoma Stillwater ( iow, Ñápinⁿje, ''meaning: "Water quiet"'') is a city in, and the county seat of, Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. It is located in north-central Oklahoma at the intersection of U.S. Route 177 and State Highway 51. As of th ...

, was an insurance agent and Founder of

Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity (, colloquially referred to as KKPsi), is a fraternity for college and university band members in the United States. It was founded on November 27, 1919, on Thanksgiving Day, at Oklahoma Agricul ...

, National Honorary Band Fraternity. He was a commerce and marketing student at

Oklahoma A&M College Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New M ...

in the class of 1922, and was a cornet player in the A&M band. Beyond Kappa Kappa Psi, Scroggs was a member of

Alpha Kappa Psi Alpha Kappa Psi (, often stylized as AKPsi) is the oldest and largest business fraternity to current date. Also known as "AKPsi", the fraternity was founded on October 5, 1904, at New York University and was incorporated on May 20, 1905. It is cu ...

business fraternity, a member of Delta Sigma Alpha agricultural fraternity (now called Collegiate 4-H), and president of the college orchestra.

Kappa Kappa Psi

In 1919, Scroggs, a member of the Oklahoma A&M band, approached band president A. Frank Martin with plans for an honorary band fraternity. Martin agreed to help with the fraternity's creation and was selected, along with Scroggs and eight other members of the band, to serve as a founding member of the fraternity by band director

Bohumil Makovsky Bohumil (Boh) Makovsky (September 23, 1878 – June 12, 1950) was a band director and head of the Department of Music at Oklahoma A&M College (now known as Oklahoma State University) from 1915 to 1945. He is considered "the Guiding Spirit" of Ka ...

. At the first meeting of the fraternity, Scroggs was elected President of the local chapter and elected Grand Editor and Assistant Secretary and Treasurer of the national organization. Scroggs served as a member of the constitution and bylaws committee of the new fraternity. In 1947, Scroggs conducted the first piece ever performed by the

National Intercollegiate Band The National Intercollegiate Band (NIB) is a concert band, sponsored by honorary band fraternity and sorority Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, that performs every two years at the national convention of the two organizations. Organized in ...

: "

Semper Fidelis ''Semper fidelis'' () is a Latin phrase that means "always faithful" or "always loyal" (Fidelis or Fidelity). It is the motto of the United States Marine Corps, usually shortened to Semper Fi. It is also in use as a motto for towns, families, ...

" by

John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa ( ; November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era known primarily for American military marches. He is known as "The March King" or the "American March King", to dist ...

. At the 1947 National Convention, Scroggs abdicated his succession to the office of Grand President, having presided over the 1922 convention in the absence of Martin. He was honored by the delegation by being named the first Honorary Life Grand President of the Fraternity. In 1957, a committee led by Scroggs at that year's National Convention established the William A. Scroggs Founder's Trophy, an award that is given to the most outstanding chapter in the nation every biennium. He received the

Distinguished Service to Music Medal The Distinguished Service to Music Medal is an award presented by Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity. It is awarded to people who have contributed to the advancement of the wind band "as a cultural, musical and educational medium. ...

in 1967 for his service to the fraternity.

Personal life

Scroggs married Eula T. Washington on August 29, 1929. The couple had two children: William Alexander Scroggs Jr. and Susan Scroggs. William Scroggs died on March 14, 1984, in La Mesa, California. He was originally buried at Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego. On October 25, 2019, he, along with his wife and son, were reburied in Fairlawn Cemetery in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scroggs, William Alexander 1896 births 1984 deaths People from Stillwater, Oklahoma Kappa Kappa Psi founders Oklahoma State University alumni Distinguished Service to Music Medal recipients