Griffin Speaks
DR. RALPH J. BRYSON
How shall Montgomery
congratulate this son for such a high honor? Shall we tell him that we
admire him? That is not news. Dr. Bryson’s whole career is a testimony to
that fact. It would have been impossible for him to have risen so high in
his profession; he would not have been called upon to render so many public
services were he not the object of universal admiration. Shall we declare
that Montgomery loves him? That he ought to know.
I would like to share a
few facts that you should know about this great man:
Dr. Ralph J.
Bryson was initiated into The University of Cincinnati Chapter, the
Beta Eta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, December 6, 1946.
He received the Bachelor of Science Degree and the Master of
Education Degree from the University of Cincinnati and the Doctor of
Philosophy Degree from the Ohio State University.
His teaching career has spanned nearly sixty years, including
employment at Southern University, Miles College, and Alabama State
University.
He
has spent more than fifty-six years at Alabama State University where he has
served as vice chair of the faculty senate, Chair of the Department of
Languages and Literatures, chair of the College of Arts and Science Faculty,
and University Marshal.
He
is a renowned scholar holding membership in several professional honor
societies including Phi Delta Kappa International, Alpha Kappa Mu Honor
Society, and Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society.
He has served as President of the Association of College Teachers of
Alabama and of the Alabama Council of Teachers of English and hasheld various leadership positions in several other professional
organization.
He
has authored many articles in scholarly and professional publications.
He
has served on the Board of Directors of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.
He
has served as the Chairman of the Black Arts Festival.
He has served as Keeper of Records of the Montgomery Alumni Chapter
of Kappa Alpha Psi for fifty-five years.
He has served as advisor to the Alabama State University Chapter, the
Beta Zeta of Kappa Alpha Psi fifty-five years.
He
was cited as the Outstanding Advisor of an undergraduate chapter of Kappa
Alpha Psi Fraternity at the Sixty-fifth Grand Chapter Meeting.
He has supervised the initiation of more than one thousand men into
Kappa
Alpha Psi Fraternity.
He received the Montgomery Alumni Chapter Kappa Man of the Year
Award
in 1980 and the Polemarch’s Award in 1990 and 2007.
He co-authored the History of the Southern Province of Kappa Alpha
Psi.
He
edited and updated the fifth edition of The Story of Kappa Alpha Psi, the
Fraternity’s history.
He has served as Editor of the column, “Books and Such” in The
Journal of Kappa Alpha Psi since 1969.
He served on the Southern Province of Kappa Alpha Psi Board of
Directors for thirty-three years.
He has been awarded citations for distinguished service by every past
Southern Province Polemarch.
He is both the current Grand Historian and Southern Province
Historian of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
He has received certificates for distinguished service from nine past
Grand Polemarchs.
He served as Chairman of the Achievement Commission of Kappa Alpha
Psi Fraternity for fifteen years.
He was invested with Elder Watson Diggs Award at the Seventy-Second
Grand Chapter Meeting of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania in 1995.
He was honored as the 64th Laurel Wreath Laureate at the
79th Grand Chapter Meeting, in Washington, D. C. in 2009.
In the words of my dad, “You must honor the chair whether it is sitting, walking or lying down.”
Greg Griffin is a free lance writer. You can read his previous articles by visiting his web page at www.greggriffin.com or write to him at P.O. Box 250194 Montgomery, Alabama 36125-0194.