History of the North Texas Talons On October 6, 1926, a group of interested men led by campus leader Andy Anderson, met in a classroom on the first floor of the present Auditorium Building. The 41 men present felt that campus spirit and interest in activities were lacking; therefore, it was decided that a men's organization to support activities at North Texas State Teachers College was needed. They adopted the name Talons, chosen because it represents the eagle's claw and it's strength. The Talons elected Andy Anderson as their first Captain. Bull Hyder, who wrote the first constitution, was a professor of Economics at North Texas from 1938-1977. Mr. A.G. Koenig, a teacher at North Texas, was the first faculty sponsor. Due to his close ties with the administration of Dr. R.L. Marquis, the Talons quickly became an integral part of the campus. Members were required to attend all student activities on campus in full uniform. This uniform, quite bold for the times, consisted of white slacks, a green sweater with an eagle embroidered on the front, and a green and white beenie. The 1926 Yucca, in a section devoted to the new organization, expressed its views on the Talons in this manner: ...the Talons was organized in order to bring about a closer fellowship among the boys, to arouse a stronger college spirit, and to support all college activities. In the Fall of 1929, the new Dean of Men felt that there was a need for social fraternities to exist on the North Texas campus. Talons, being one of the more prestigious clubs on campus, was asked to split its membership into two social groups; one to be named the Geezles, and one to retain the name of Talons. In the next 25 years in which the Talons were a social group, it was recognized for its many contributions to student life on campus. During this period, the annual Talon Bowery Brawl was one of the highlights of the social year. On October 4, 1953, the Talon social fraternity went National by chartering into the Kappa Alpha Order. For many years the Green Jackets served as a spirit and service women's organization on campus. The organization was modeled after the Orange Jackets of UT. From 1953 to 1959, there was no Talon organization on campus. In that year, there was need for a men's service organization. A group of 7 men led by Jack Wheeler, former Vice President of Public Affairs at NTSU, decided to set up an honorary service and spirit organization. After approval from Dean Woods and Dr. J.C. Matthews, President of NTSC, they met in the Hinkle home which then housed the Theta Chi fraternity. These men revitalized the latent Talon organization, and opened its membership to select men on campus. A committee, made up of representatives from the faculty, staff, and student body, selected an additional 16 men from a list of some 30 to become the 23 charter members of the new Talon organization. The purpose of this Talon group was only for the benefit of the college. Its members were challenged to constantly work to instill a deeper feeling of school spirit into the NTSC campus. These men began the Talon tradition of selecting its members from the men who fill the ranks of the student government leaders and officers of professional, social, and honorary organizations. To be diverse and equal, no more than 50 percent of members were Greek. In 1977, Talons elected to allow women to pledge their group. Since that time, Talons continued to offer pledgeship to all students at North Texas. These men and women and their dedication to their role at North Texas set the foundation for the structure of the present Talons group. The history of our organization is important to all members of Talons; however, the future is what we will emphasize. The Talons of the University of North Texas make a pledge of leadership to North Texas and to the student body. We, as a group, take this pledge and the responsibilities it entails proudly to help the University of North Texas attain the greatness it so deserves.