|
Richard Johnson
When
Richard Johnson made the decision to become a member of Kappa
Alpha Psi Fraternity, he made a commitment to himself that once
initiated, he would never become an inactive
member—financially or otherwise. And, he’s proven himself
more than 50 times over. Not once in his 51 years in the Bond
has the 1958 Gamma Omicron initiate allowed a lapse in active
membership.
Johnson discovered as a teenager that he wanted to become
a Kappa after meeting some Brothers who were professors and
coaches, at a cookout that was sponsored for athletes. The
Brothers left such a favorable impression on Johnson, that upon
enrolling at
St. Augustine
’s College, he decided to join the Bond. Among his college
cronies were Brother Namon Flournoy and Brother James Piggee,
both of whom had made the Kappa line a short while prior to
Johnson. That action provoked him to make the same line, too,
because he didn’t want to be hazed by Brothers Piggee and
Flournoy the following year.
One of his most vivid memories was having to count the
number of bricks on a certain building and reporting the exact
amount to the Brothers. He also recalls late-night donut runs.
And, while Kappa kept him running all over campus and town, he
had some other running to do, too:
around the track, that is. A 1956 state championship
title in the 440 yard dash earned Johnson an athletic
scholarship to
St. Augustine
’s upon his graduation from
Tolleston
High School
. The track scholarship was administered by James Piggee’s
uncle, an official at the college, who also provided football
scholarships for Brothers Piggee and Flournoy.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree in education,
Johnson began teaching in the Lake Ridge School System where he
taught for 45 years, and coached track and cross country for 3
years at
Lake
Ridge
Middle School
. Johnson also taught for 2 years in
Chicago
and received his master’s degree from
Indiana
State
in the midst of his career.
Johnson, a resident of Miller, serves on the Board of
Directors of the Gary Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, and has
previously served in the capacity of reclamation chairman,
social chairman and vice polemarch—having held all past
positions for 3 years each. His proudest accomplishment within
the fraternity is that he has helped to reclaim 25 brothers, and
counting.
Johnson has been
married to his lovely wife, Doris—a member of Alpha Kappa
Alpha Sorority—for 44 years. They have one daughter, Janice
Bennett, who is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Ten
years from now, Johnson sees the Gary Alumni Chapter as being
one of the most outstanding chapters in the
North
Central
Province
, based on all the achievements accomplished thus far.
|
Fraternity
