Alpha Kappa Lambda members toast memories

Former Kansas lieutenant governor Gary Sherrer and ESU President Kay Schallenkamp pose in front of the dedicated statue with members of Alpha Kappa Lambda.

The men of Alpha Kappa Lambda reunited at Emporia State University over the past weekend, dedicating a soaring statue of a falcon in memory of the fraternity's strength in its heyday.

Unveiled in the cool breeze at a Saturday morning ceremony, the falcon looks like it will stand the test of time just as the bonds of fraternity have. Fifty members of the fraternity's Lambda chapter returned for the dedication and a weekend of events, having raised $16,000 to commission well-known Oregon sculptor Dan Chen.

Standing at the statue placed west of Wooster Lake, former Kansas lieutenant governor Gary Sherrer, who pledged the fraternity in 1959, marked the occasion as members circled the statue's base.

“For those of you who don't know, Alpha Kappa Lambda was the fraternity on this campus for years and years and years,” Sherrer said.

From academics to athletics, the fraternity ruled the ESU roost during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Sherrer said. Decades after the chapter left campus, there was still enough strength in numbers to erect a statue and “remind everyone we were here, and remind ourselves of how grateful we are to the university,” Sherrer said.

The brothers serenaded ESU President Kay Schallenkamp with its sweetheart song. While some sang from words printed on paper, many still knew the words by heart.

“One of the goals we have is to continue beautifying this campus,” Schallenkamp told the crowd. “As we continue to beautify the campus grounds, this statue will hopefully be a challenge to other Greek organizations to add to what the AKLs have done.”

With the right vision, one could picture a line of statues on the west side of Wooster Lake. Sherrer welcomed the participation of other Greek chapters.

“We'll be the first, as always,” he said with a chuckle. “We welcome the others to follow the lead.”

Founded in Emporia in 1949, the Lambda chapter of Alpha Kappa Lambda was once housed on Sylvan Street . When a larger house was built south of that site, the fraternity found itself overextended, Sherrer said. By the 1970s, the chapter folded.

“Some of these guys haven't been back to campus in 40 years, 30 years, and they wanted to do something nice for campus in remembrance of what they had done,” Sherrer said.

On the base of the sculpture is the phrase, “They Soared.”

“We wanted to leave the impression that it was an exceptional group of guys,” Sherrer said of the sculpture's subject and message.

Last Updated July 2, 2007>