Monday, Oct. 26, 1953
University Daily Kansan
Page 7
KU Student Ignores Color Barrier
By. STAN HAMILTON
If Roger Youmans makes his grades (and he probably will—he's been on the honor roll four semesters), he will be the first white person ever to belong to a Negro fraternity at KU—Alpha Phi Alpha.
Youmans, college junior, pledged the Negro organization late last spring and this fall is living in the fraternity house. He is 20 years old and plans to go to medical school next year.
He first became interested in the
fraternity last year, when, through the Wesley foundation, Methodist group of which he is a member, he met some of the men in that house.
"I knew some of them quite well," he said, "and they asked me to pledge last year. I thought about it quite a while and talked it over with my parents, who, by the way, weren't too keen about it. My four older brothers, while not in favor of my pledging, did not stand in the way—everyone left it all up to me."
last year and a Summerfield scholar, is from Kansas City. He said he felt that by living with the Negro group he could develop better understanding of prejudices of others to better aid him in his chosen work. He plans to be a medical missionary.
Youmans, a tennis letterman here
Motorist Hits Patrol Car
"I don't expect that my belonging to Alpha Phi Alpha will break down any barriers or anything—I didn't pledge with that intention," he said. "And I am not going around making a big issue of it. I pledged solely because I like the fellows and I
Zanesville, Ohio —(UP)— John W. Doyle, 30, became the first motorist to be sentenced to a three-day jail term for drunk driving under a new law. Doyle did it the hard way; he crashed into a police car.
think it will help me in years to come."
When the fraternity has social functions Youmans dates white girls, and he claims it has worked out very well. He says some persons he buddied around with last year, while not ridiculing or making fun of him, say they would not want to trade places with him.
Michael Rennie
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