Phi Beta Mu

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Phi Beta Mu
ΦΒΜ
Founded1939; 85 years ago (1939)
University of Texas at Arlington
TypeHonorary
EmphasisBand directors
ScopeInternational
MottoLife - Love - Music
Colors  Blue   White
PublicationPMB Newsletter
Chapters37 active
Websitewww.phibetamu.org

Phi Beta Mu, International Bandmasters' Fraternity (ΦΒΜ), is an international honorary fraternity for band directors.[1] It was founded in 1939 in Texas.[2]

History[edit]

The idea for Phi Beta Mu originated with Earl D. Irons, bandmaster and chairman of fine arts at North Texas Agricultural College (now The University of Texas at Arlington),.irons wanted to honor the dedication and devotion of the school band directors who he felt did work was important but lacked national recognition.[1][2] He envisioned a group similar to the American Bandmasters Association which had recognized Irons with membership.[1][2]

While serving as a guest conductor at the Texas Tech University summer band camp in the summer of 1937, Irons shared his idea with Dr. Dewey Otto Wiley Wiley who was the director of the band camp.[1][3] Wiey convened a meeting with other band directors at the camp, including Carl Sanford Eskridge of Wink, Texas; Clyde Rowe, who later taught in Borger, Texas; George Rucker of Bowie, Texas; and Russell Schrader of Sweetwater, Texas.[4] Cochran, Rucker, and Shrader agreed to assist Wiley and Irons in creating the framework for the organization.[4]

The group met several times that summer in the university's Textile Building.[4] They decided to structure the new organization as a national bandmasters fraternity.[4] Dr. Cohbur O'Neal, a former student of Irons who was an English professor at North Texas Agricultural College, assisted Iron with the details of the fraternity's organizational structure.[4] O'Neal and Irons chose the name Phi Beta Mu, with the subtitle National Bandmasters Fraternity.[4] They also drafted a constitution and oath which were approved by the charter members in the summer of 1938.[4] The charter members were:[4]

  • Carl Cochron
  • R. A. Dhossche
  • Walter S. Dickinsen
  • Sandford Eskridge
  • Joe Haddon
  • Earl D Irons
  • Robert McCown
  • Clyde Rowe
  • George Rucker
  • Russell Shrader
  • Richard Walker
  • D. O. Wiley

The Alpha chapter in Texas held its first meeting in February 1939.[1][2] Dr. Milburn Carey, a 1941 initiate of the Alpha chapter, chartered Beta chapter in Enid, Oklahoma in 1944.[4] Harold L. Walters, an honorary member of Beta chapter, invited Carey to charter Gamma chapter in Indiana in 1946.[4] The three chapters were the basis of establishing a national organization that was organized in 1954, including a six-member national board and officers.[4] Carey was elected as the first national president in 1955, serving in that role for 23 years.[1] The fraternity decided to become an international organization and established an international office in Enid, Oklahoma in 1957.[4] This led to the establishment of new state chapters; chapters were chartered in Graz, Austria and Alberta, Canada in 1975, and Japan in 1978.[4]

In 1976, the National Music Council installed a historical plaque at the University of Texas at Arlington to honor the work of Irons as the founder of the Phi Beta Mu.[2]

For its 75th anniversary in 2013, the fraternity commissioned composer Mark Camphouse to create a musical piece. Camphouse's "Homage to the Dream" premiered on July 21, 2013, at the annual Phi Beta Mu convention, part of the Texas Bandmasters Convention in San Antonio; it was performed by the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Wind Symphony.[4]

Symbols and traditions[edit]

The Phi Beta Mu name stood for "Life, Love, and Music" which is also the fraternity's motto.[1] Its colors are blue and white.[4]

Originally, the fraternity's badge or member recognition pin consisted of the Greek letters ΦΒΜ on a black enamel bar across the center of four gold spaces of the music staff in a vertical position and closed at each end.[4] In 1954, the fraternity added recognition pins for the international executive committee members and former presidents of chapters.[4]

The fraternity's music includes "Men of Music March", composed by members Harold L. Walters and Karl L. King, and "Hail to the Fraternity" by Irons.[4][2]

Membership[edit]

Membership in Phi Beta Mu is through invitation.[2]

Notable members[edit]

Activities[edit]

Phi Beta Mu chapters meet twice a year.[1]

Phi Beta Mu presents several awards annually. The Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction is its highest award and is given to highly advanced bands.[5] The Outstanding Bandmasters Award is given to band directors of militaries, universities, and high schools.[6] The Outstanding Contributor Award is given to outstanding assistant band directors.[7] The fraternity also issues the Outstanding Band Student Award.[7] Phi Beta Mu also inducts members into its Hall of Fame.[3] This highest honor is bestowed on a very limited basis.[3]

Chapters[edit]

The fraternity was designed to honor outstanding band directors at the state level, with only one potential chapter per state.[4] Following is a list of Phi Beta Mu chapters.[8] Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are in italics. Chapters are in the United States unless otherwise indicated.

Chapter Charter date and range Location Status References
Alpha 1938 Texas Active [9]
Beta 1952 California Active [10][a]
Gamma November 27, 1953 Indiana Active [11]
Epsilon 195x ? Louisiana Active
Delta 1957 Mississippi Active [12]
Zeta 1958 Georgia Active [13]
Eta Tennessee Active
Theta 1975 South Carolina Active [14]
Iota 1957 Kansas Active [15][16]
Kappa c. 1958 Colorado Active [17]
Lambda January 8, 1959 Missouri Active [18][19]
Mu 1959 Ohio Active [20]
Nu 1959 Pennsylvania Active [21]
Xi c. 1958 Illinois Active [22]
Omicron 1960 Arkansas Active [23]
Pi 1960 Wisconsin Active [24]
Rho April 13, 1960 Alabama Active [25][b]
Sigma 1961 South Dakota Active [26]
Tau 196x ? West Virginia Active
Upsilon 196x ? Inactive
Phi 1963 New Mexico Active [27]
Chi 196x ?–197x ?; 2022 New York Active [28]
Psi c. 1964 Kentucky Active [29]
Omega 1963 Florida Active [30]
Kappa Zeta 196x ?–197x?, 2017 Arizona Active [31]
Kappa Theta September 24, 1968 Minnesota Active [32][33]
Kappa Vua (see Alpha Chi) 1960s Virginia Inactive [34]
Mu Alpha 1975 Alberta, Canada Active [35][c]
Sigma Chi Wyoming Active
1975 Graz, Austria Inactive [4]
1978 Japan Inactive [4]
Alpha Chi (see Kappa Vua) mid 1980s Virginia Active [34]
Lambda Alpha Connecticut Active
Lambda Beta Hawaii Inactive [36]
Lambda Zeta 19xx ?–xxxx ?, January 2015 Oregon Active [37]
Lambda Iota August 1998 Ontario, Canada Active [38]
Lambda Mu Montana Active
Lambda Nu North Carolina Inactive [36]
Alpha Gamma October 24, 2003 North Dakota Active [39]
Alpha Theta 20xx ? Nebraska Active
Alpha Iota 2007–20xx ?, March 3, 2023 Maryland Active [40]
Beta Gamma 20xx ? British Columbia, Canada Inactive [41]
Beta Zeta 2016 Brazil Active [42]
Iota Lambda November 19, 2020 Nevada Active [43]
  1. ^ Chapter was established in 1949.
  2. ^ Was chartered as Epsilon chapter but was later changed as that name had already been assigned.
  3. ^ Chartered originally as the Western Canada chapter.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Webb, Pamela Fields (2001-09-16). "Phi Beta Mu Has Been a Harmonious Success Story". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Texas. p. 72. Retrieved 2023-08-02 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Grand Prairie Daily News 23 Jun 1976, page Page 22". Newspapers.com. Texas. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  3. ^ a b c "Phi Beta Mu International Hall of Fame – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "History". Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  5. ^ "Earl D. Irons Program of Distinction – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  6. ^ "Outstanding Bandmasters – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  7. ^ a b "Outstanding Contributors – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  8. ^ "Chapter Listing – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  9. ^ "Alpha Chapter | Texas, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  10. ^ "Beta Chapter | Oklahoma, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  11. ^ "Gamma Chapter History". Indiana Band Masters. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  12. ^ "Delta Chapter | Mississippi, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  13. ^ "History". Phi Beta Mu - Zeta Chapter. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  14. ^ "Theta Chapter | South Carolina, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  15. ^ "Iota Chapter | Kansas, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  16. ^ "Phi Beta Mu". PBM Iota.org. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  17. ^ "Kappa Chapter | Colorado, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  18. ^ "Lambda Chapter | Missouri, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  19. ^ "Welcome". Phi Beta Mu Lambda. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  20. ^ "Mu Chapter | Ohio, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  21. ^ "Nu Chapter | Pennsylvania, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  22. ^ "Xi Chapter | Illinois, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  23. ^ "Omicron Chapter | Arkansas, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  24. ^ "Pi Chapter | Wisconsin, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  25. ^ "Rho Chapter | Alabama, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  26. ^ "Sigma Chapter | South Dakota, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  27. ^ "Phi Chapter | New Mexico, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  28. ^ "Chi Chapter | New York, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  29. ^ "Psi Chapter | Kentucky, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  30. ^ "Home". Phi Beta Mu Omega Chapter. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  31. ^ "Kappa Zeta Chapter | Arizona, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  32. ^ "Kappa Theta Chapter | Minnesota, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  33. ^ "Kappa Theta Chapter History". Phi Beta Mu – Kappa Theta. 2012-05-21. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  34. ^ a b "Alpha Chi Chapter | Virginia, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  35. ^ "Mu Alpha Chapter | Alberta, Canada – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  36. ^ a b "Chapter Listing | Phi Beta Mu". 2012-07-30. Archived from the original on 2012-07-30. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  37. ^ "Lambda Zeta Chapter | Oregon, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  38. ^ "Lambda Iota Chapter | Ontario, Canada – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  39. ^ "Alpha Gamma Chapter | North Dakota, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  40. ^ "Alpha Iota | Maryland, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  41. ^ "Chapter Listing | Phi Beta Mu". 2015-05-27. Archived from the original on 2015-05-27. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  42. ^ "Beta Zeta Chapter | São Paulo, Brazil – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  43. ^ "Iota Lambda | Nevada, USA – Phi Beta Mu". Retrieved 2023-08-02.

External links[edit]

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