Biography

Kay Kyser

Kyser was UNC's head cheerleader and started the Carolina Cheerios cheering section. Kyser's school spirit didn't leave when he graduated. He wrote the fight song "Tar Heels on Hand" in 1937. (Listen to an audio recording of "Tar Heels on Hand," from the UNC Bands Web Site.)

 

Heading to the Hill

Kay entered college in 1923 at the university his relatives helped develop: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Originally he intended to get a law degree because he liked to debate, but switched majors when he saw "that the legal profession meant lots of work." Kyser received his bachelor’s degree in commerce with high honors.

It wasn’t in his studies, though, that Kyser made a name for himself. It was his extracurriculars. As he did in high school, he threw his energy into extracurriculars. He joined Sigma Nu fraternity, acted in school plays at the PlayMakers Theatre, worked odd jobs, and was tapped into honorary societies like Alpha Kappa Psi, the Order of the Grail and the Golden Fleece. He was also head cheerleader for the Tar Heels, establishing the cheering section known as the Carolina Cheerios.

 
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A Tribute to Kay Kyser
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