Raymond D. Shanon: Guiding Spirit of the NED
Education
Founding Father Raymond D. Shannon was the Governor of the Eastern District. He received his B.S. in 1921 from Oklahoma A&M. He was a trumpet soloist for the college band, an active member of the men’s glee club and men’s quartet. He was also co-founder of the Dramatic Fraternity, Theta Alpha Phi. In the fall of 1921, he was the featured male soloist with the Redpath Lyceum Bureau quartet. He later taught dramatics and music in Oklahoma and was the first to organize an all Girls High School Band. Shannon did his graduate work at Northwestern University. In 1926, he received his M.A. from Columbia University. For the next three years he was music director in the Lincoln School of Teachers College, Columbia University. At the same time he became a member of the National Music Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha and National Honorary Education Fraternity, Phi Delta Kappa.
Life & Career
During the 1930’s Shannon stayed involved with music. He helped organize music departments with twenty boards of education in New York. In his spare time he directed a community chorus located in Gibson, New York.
In 1940, Raymond D. Shannon accepted the task of the organizing the Music Department of Long Island University from scratch. He was extremely successful. In 1941, a Spring Music Festival was held in which the Long Island music ensembles performed. However, later that year Shannon chose to leave the University to aid in the war effort. He served as social director to the U.S.O. at Fort Monroe, VA. Unfortunately, the Long Island University Music Department faded into obscurity upon his departure.
Shannon returned to Long Island University in 1946, where he was able to resurrect the Music Department. This time, he was able to grow his program into one with a full faculty. Professor Renee Fisher joined the program in the fall of 1947, and Professor William Eicher and Mr. Jonah Binder being hired in September 1948.
Upon his return to the University, Shannon became much more than a local band director, blossoming into a major public figure in the New York community. In 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers brought the pennant back to New York City. For the ensuing celebration, Shannon and Long Island University were chosen to lead the festivities out of all of the programs in New York. The caption from a Long Island newspaper illustrates the scope of this honor:
Founding Father Raymond D. Shannon was the Governor of the Eastern District. He received his B.S. in 1921 from Oklahoma A&M. He was a trumpet soloist for the college band, an active member of the men’s glee club and men’s quartet. He was also co-founder of the Dramatic Fraternity, Theta Alpha Phi. In the fall of 1921, he was the featured male soloist with the Redpath Lyceum Bureau quartet. He later taught dramatics and music in Oklahoma and was the first to organize an all Girls High School Band. Shannon did his graduate work at Northwestern University. In 1926, he received his M.A. from Columbia University. For the next three years he was music director in the Lincoln School of Teachers College, Columbia University. At the same time he became a member of the National Music Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha and National Honorary Education Fraternity, Phi Delta Kappa.
Life & Career
During the 1930’s Shannon stayed involved with music. He helped organize music departments with twenty boards of education in New York. In his spare time he directed a community chorus located in Gibson, New York.
In 1940, Raymond D. Shannon accepted the task of the organizing the Music Department of Long Island University from scratch. He was extremely successful. In 1941, a Spring Music Festival was held in which the Long Island music ensembles performed. However, later that year Shannon chose to leave the University to aid in the war effort. He served as social director to the U.S.O. at Fort Monroe, VA. Unfortunately, the Long Island University Music Department faded into obscurity upon his departure.
Shannon returned to Long Island University in 1946, where he was able to resurrect the Music Department. This time, he was able to grow his program into one with a full faculty. Professor Renee Fisher joined the program in the fall of 1947, and Professor William Eicher and Mr. Jonah Binder being hired in September 1948.
Upon his return to the University, Shannon became much more than a local band director, blossoming into a major public figure in the New York community. In 1947, the Brooklyn Dodgers brought the pennant back to New York City. For the ensuing celebration, Shannon and Long Island University were chosen to lead the festivities out of all of the programs in New York. The caption from a Long Island newspaper illustrates the scope of this honor:
 |
“Professor Shannon leading Long Island
University Band and a chorus of over 100,000 Brooklyn voices in the National
Anthem… [marking] the first time the University Band was featured over a
radio…”
September 26, 1947 |
As
a founding father of Kappa Kappa Psi, Shannon was keenly aware of the positive
impact a Chapter would have on his program. Raymond D. Shannon was responsible for the installation of
the Beta Zeta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi and the Nu Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma,
and acted as sponsor for Beta Zeta.
His wife, Esther, served as the sponsor of Nu Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma. She was often seen at receptions for
the band and was very involved with her chapter.
Raymond D. Shannon’s contributions to the fraternity were not limited to Long Island. He and his wife both served pivotal roles in shaping the fraternity on the eastern seaboard. The Shannon’s served simultaneously in the developing Eastern District, with Raymond as the District Governor of Kappa Kappa Psi and Esther as the District Counselor of Tau Beta Sigma.
After battling a terrible illness, Raymond Shannon died at the age of 52. He passed away at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Long Island, New York. He left behind his wife and his daughter Mary Lou.
Legacy
As Brothers of the Northeast District, there are times we can feel distanced from Kappa Kappa Psi’s rich history. Stillwater is a vague and mysterious site for pilgrimages, a 20 hour drive, so far removed from our region, even our culture. The direct connections that other Districts have to our Fraternity’s beginnings are largely unavailable to us.
Raymond D. Shannon is a figure that the Northeast District can look to as uniquely our own. His home is the Northeast. He is our founding father. He is our Guiding Spirit. At a time when our region of the country was sparsely populated with Chapters, Shannon served as a local figure for Brothers to strive to be like. His enthusiasm and skill in his profession, instilled in him by Bohumil Makovsky himself, earned him fame in both the musical world and the New York community. The Shannon’s tenures as the Eastern District Governor and Counselor provided powerful advocates for our organizations when the District most desperately needed it. While Shannon was Governor, the entire country experienced a colonization boom, which he likely played a pivotal role in.
Upon Shannon’s passing at the age of 52, his friends and Brothers were united in remembrance of their friend. The Stillwater Archives have the original telegram that was sent to Brother A. Frank Martin by Brother J. Lee Burke. Separated by thousands of miles and decades of time spent apart, the instant rekindling of their Bond of Brotherhood serves as an inspiration to all and a reminder of the foundations Kappa Kappa Psi was build on.
Raymond D. Shannon’s contributions to the fraternity were not limited to Long Island. He and his wife both served pivotal roles in shaping the fraternity on the eastern seaboard. The Shannon’s served simultaneously in the developing Eastern District, with Raymond as the District Governor of Kappa Kappa Psi and Esther as the District Counselor of Tau Beta Sigma.
After battling a terrible illness, Raymond Shannon died at the age of 52. He passed away at Long Beach Memorial Hospital, Long Island, New York. He left behind his wife and his daughter Mary Lou.
Legacy
As Brothers of the Northeast District, there are times we can feel distanced from Kappa Kappa Psi’s rich history. Stillwater is a vague and mysterious site for pilgrimages, a 20 hour drive, so far removed from our region, even our culture. The direct connections that other Districts have to our Fraternity’s beginnings are largely unavailable to us.
Raymond D. Shannon is a figure that the Northeast District can look to as uniquely our own. His home is the Northeast. He is our founding father. He is our Guiding Spirit. At a time when our region of the country was sparsely populated with Chapters, Shannon served as a local figure for Brothers to strive to be like. His enthusiasm and skill in his profession, instilled in him by Bohumil Makovsky himself, earned him fame in both the musical world and the New York community. The Shannon’s tenures as the Eastern District Governor and Counselor provided powerful advocates for our organizations when the District most desperately needed it. While Shannon was Governor, the entire country experienced a colonization boom, which he likely played a pivotal role in.
Upon Shannon’s passing at the age of 52, his friends and Brothers were united in remembrance of their friend. The Stillwater Archives have the original telegram that was sent to Brother A. Frank Martin by Brother J. Lee Burke. Separated by thousands of miles and decades of time spent apart, the instant rekindling of their Bond of Brotherhood serves as an inspiration to all and a reminder of the foundations Kappa Kappa Psi was build on.
