Department of Fine Arts

The organization, development, and growth of Alpha Psi Omega is a result of the wide-spread interest of colleges and universities of America in the dramatic arts in the early twentieth century. By 1920 most colleges had some kind of dramatic club that was staging annual play productions for students and the local community.

The little theatre movement and dramatic workshop idea made its appearance about that time and greatly stimulated the importance of the college drama and the worthwhile nature of the programs presented. This was especially true in western colleges, and by 1920 several national honor fraternities to recognize and reward student participation in play production had been organized.

Alpha Psi Omega, the first of these societies to be founded in the East, was organized at Fairmont State College in Fairmont, West Virginia on August 12, 1925. The college theatre idea had begun to manifest itself in Fairmont about 1921, and, in 1923, a faculty director was employed, and an organization, called the Masquers, was instituted to present an annual program of four or five major productions for students and the public. In 1924, the Masquers began to consider membership in some national honor society in dramatics as a means of rewarding its most faithful and loyal workers. Plans for forming such a national organization were seriously studied by a committee, composed of Elinor B. Watson, Robert Sloan, and Paul F. Opp, faculty director of dramatics at Fairmont. A proposed national constitution was drawn up, and, on August 12, 1925, those members of the Masquers who met the qualifications of the honor society approved the constitution and adopted the name, Alpha Psi Omega. It was decided that each chapter was to be called a "cast," and Fairmont became Alpha Cast. The interest of Marshall College in Huntington, West Virginia assured the immediate national character of Alpha Psi Omega with the establishment of Beta Cast. A member of Beta Cast suggested the name Playbill, for the national magazine.

During the course of the next year, eighteen new chapters were admitted, and twenty chapters were on the roll at the time of the meeting of the first national convention, at the Palmer House in Chicago on December 27-28, 1926. National conventions, called Grand Rehearsals, are held every five years.

Alpha Psi Omega has enjoyed continuous national growth, and with over 550 chapters is the largest national honor society in America. Membership in Alpha Psi Omega is granted only to fully accredited institutions with a four-year curriculum in theatre and drama leading to a degree.

Over 125 members have been inducted into the Psi Sigma Cast of Alpha Psi Omega since it was established at Francis Marion College in August of 1976. For information regarding academic qualifications for membership, contact Mr. Glen Gourley, Director of Theatre.