INT'L SWEETHEART MARY JANE WALKER '63- '65

Honored at Sigma Chi's Fifty-fourth Grand Chapter.
IT WAS UNSEASONABLE WEATHER for Houston in June. In short, everything was right for a first class Grand Chapter. Rather than its usual flirtation with the lOOº mark, the mercury teamed with daily showers to air condition Houston with temperatures in the seventies and eighties. How's that for cooperation!

Thus began-and continued-one of the finest biennial conclaves in Sigma Chi's lOS-year history. The time also marked the lOOth anniversary of the death of a Texas "great," Sam Houston, for whom the site of Sigma Chi's 54th Grand Chapter was named.
​​Wednesday, June 26, officially opened the 54th Grand Chapter of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. After the Executive Committee held a meeting that morn- ing, registration got under way at noon. From near and far they came-by car, train, and plane ... even by foot. All told, some 571 Sigs, wives, sons, daughters, nieces, and nephews signed up for all or part of the proceedings. To the man, woman, and child, four days later all agreed that they indeed, had been to a Grand Chapter.
Friday evening, June 28, meant the Sweetheart Ball, an event held in great esteem by visiting firemen and guests alike.
​
Earlier in the day each undergraduate delegate cast his chapter's vote-actually two in Houston, the first ballot being disputed although it tallied exactly with the second ballot-in preferential order for the three Sweetheart finalists. The outcome was known only to Editor Jack E. Pearson, Secretary of the Sweetheart Contest Committee (Members: Film and television personalities Addison Richards, Washington State '25; John Wayne, USC '29; and Don Wilson, Colorado '23), until Master of Ceremonies Kenneth S. "Bud" Adams, Kansas '44, opened a sealed envelope containing the name of the Sweetheart immediately before the crowning.
Needless to say, all three finalists-Pittsburgh's Beverly Ann Hodgkinson, UCLA's Karen Ann Kyson, and Michigan State's Mary Jane Walker were almost beside themselves during the deliberately stretched-out ceremony. Each girl was introduced to the audience as she entered the ballroom on the arm of her escort.
​
Once they were on stage, Emcee Adams gave the background of this year's contest, how the finalists were chosen and by whom, how the voting was conducted, introduced the chaperone (Mrs. Denman Moody, whose husband is a Sig, Texas '31) described the gifts each finalist and Mrs. Moody would receive, and the trophies which would go to the new Sweetheart and her sponsoring chapter. The suspense was killing.
But... Mary Jane Walker, sponsored by Gamma Psi Chapter, received the Sweetheart's crown and the crowd's cheers as Buddy Brock's band played "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi." And the band played on, and on, until 12:30 a.m.
Picture
The three lovely finalists for International Sweetheart of Sigma Chi-Mary Jane Walker, Michigan State Chi Omega; Karen Ann Kyson, UCLA Tri-Delt; Beverly Ann Hodgkinson, Pittsburgh Kappa Alpha Theta-pose with billboard welcoming Sigma Chi to Houston.
Picture
Miss Mary Jane Walker, the 1963 International Sweetheart of Sigma Chi, and her escort, Michigan State's (Gamma Psi Consul) Jim Morton.
Picture
(l-r) Beverly Ann Hodgkinson, Pittsburgh Kappa Alpha Theta; International Sweetheart of Sigma Chi-Mary Jane Walker, Michigan State Chi Omega; Karen Ann Kyson, UCLA Tri-Delt.