Jack Marr officially became a brother in the Kappa Sigma fraternity at the University of North Texas Saturday morning, 63 years after he was accepted.
It only took 63 years, but life-long North Texan Jack Marr officially became a brother in the Kappa Sigma fraternity at the University of North Texas Saturday morning.
Now in his mid-80's, Marr entered the fraternity in 1950 when it did not yet have a national affiliation and was simply called the Falcon Fraternity. It was his senior year of 1952 when the group was accepted into Kappa Sigma.
At that point Marr's class of brothers began initiating into the newly formed chapter, but he was answering another call.
"Uncle Sam knocked on the door real quick," said Marr with a laugh.
The new graduate was called into the Army and sent to the Korean War for about 14 months.
When he got back from duty, Marr said life quickly began with his wife, career, and an expanding family.
"Different things come up during life you know," he said, "you're raising a family and then you have grand kids, now great grand kids."
So Marr's initiation day just never came, until the current class of Kappa Sigma at UNT got a call about the veteran last week and immediately sought out permission to induct him from the national fraternity.
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"It really speaks volumes to what brotherhood is; it's not for a college term, it's not for a year, this is a lifelong brotherhood," said UNT Kappa Sigma President Miguel Pulido.
So Saturday morning as the fraternity inducted its new members, Marr was among the group to undergo the secret initiation rituals.
"It's just been in my heart forever and I finally achieved it today. It's a thrill, it's a genuine thrill," said Marr.
