History Flashcards
(19 cards)
Mission
ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY INC. Develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.
Motto
FIRST OF ALL, SERVANTS OF ALL, WE SHALL TRANSCEND ALL
AIMS
MANLY DEEDS, SCHOLARSHIP AND LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND
History
Alpha Phi Alpha™, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American Men, was founded on December 4, 1906™ at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country.
Founding Date: Tuesday, December 4, 1906
Founding Location: Cornell University in Ithaca, New York 14850
Founders (Jewels): Dr. Henry Arthur Callis, Mr. Charles Henry Chapman, Mr. Eugene Kinckle
Jones, Mr. George Biddle Kelley, Mr. Nathaniel Allison Murray, Mr. Robert Harold Ogle and Lt.
Vertner Woodson Tandy.
Mother of APA: Mrs. Annie C Singleton
Meeting places: 411 East State Street Ithaca, NY & 421 North Albany Street Ithaca, NY
Motto: First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All
Aims: Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for All Mankind
Mission Statement: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. develops leaders, promotes brotherhood
and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.
National Headquarters: 2313 St. Paul st Baltimore, Maryland 21218
Official Symbol: The Great Sphinx of Giza
Official Colors: Black and Old Gold
Flower: The Yellow Rose
Principles: Fellowship, Good character, Scholarship, Uplifting of humanity
Objectives: stimulate the ambition of its members, prepare them for the greatest usefulness in
the causes of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual, encourage the highest and noblest
form of manhood, and aid downtrodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social,
economic and intellectual status
Jewels
HENRY ARTHUR CALLIS
1887-1974
Callis became a practicing physician, Howard University Professor of Medicine and prolific contributor to medical journals.
Often regarded as the “philosopher of the founders” and a moving force in the Fraternity’s development, he was the only one of the “Cornell Seven” to become general president. Prior to moving to Washington, D.C., he was a medical consultant to the Veterans Hospital in Tuskegee, Alabama.
Upon his death in 1974, at age 87, the fraternity entered a time without any living Jewels. His papers were donated to Howard’s Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.
CHARLES HENRY CHAPMAN
1870-1934
Chapman entered higher education and eventually became Professor of Agriculture at what is now Florida A&M University. A university funeral was held with considerable fraternity participation when he became the first Jewel to enter Omega Chapter in 1934.
Described as “a brother beloved in the bonds,” Chapman was a founder of FAMU’s Beta Nu Chapter. During the organization stages of Alpha Chapter, he was the first chairman of the Committees on Initiation and Organization.
EUGENE KINCKLE JONES
1885-1954
Jones became the first executive secretary of the National Urban League. His 20-year tenure with the Urban League thus far has exceeded those of all his successors in office.
A versatile leader, he organized the first three fraternity chapters that branched out from Cornell—Beta at Howard, Gamma at Virginia Union University, and the original Delta at the University of Toronto in Canada.
In addition to becoming Alpha Chapter’s second president and joining with Callis in creating the fraternity name, Jones was a member of the first Committees on Constitution and Organization and helped write the fraternity ritual.
Jones also has the distinction of being one of the first initiates as well as an original founder. His status as a founder was not finally established until 1952.
GEORGE BIDDLE KELLEY
1884-1962
Kelley became the first African-American engineer registered in the state of New York. Not only was he the strongest proponent of the fraternity idea among the organization’s founders, the civil engineering student also became Alpha Chapter’s first president.
In addition, he served on committees that worked out the handshake and ritual. Kelley was popular with the brotherhood.
He resided in Troy, New York and was active with Beta Pi Lambda Chapter in Albany.
NATHANIEL ALLISON MURRAY
1884-1959
Murray pursued graduate work after completing his undergraduate studies at Howard. He later returned home to Washington, D.C., where he taught in public schools.
Much of his career was spent at Armstrong Vocational High School in the District of Columbia. He was a member of Alpha Chapter’s first committee on organization of the new fraternal group, as well as the Committee on the Grip.
While a charter member of Washington’s Mu Lambda Chapter, Murray was a frequent attendee of general conventions.
ROBERT HAROLD OGLE
1886-1936
Ogle entered the career secretarial field and had the unique privilege of serving as a professional staff member to the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations.
He was an African-American pioneer in his Capitol Hill position. He proposed the fraternity’s colors and was Alpha Chapter’s first secretary.
Ogle joined Kelley in working out the first ritual and later became a charter member of Washington’s Mu Lambda Chapter.
VERTNER WOODSON TANDY
1885-1949
Tandy became the state of New York’s first registered black architect, with offices on Broadway in New York City.
Tandy was the designer of the fraternity pin, and holds the distinction of being the first African American to pass the military commissioning examination, and was commissioned first lieutenant in the 15th Infantry of the New York State National Guard.
He was Alpha Chapter’s first treasurer and took the initiative to incorporate the fraternity. Among the buildings designed by the highly talented architect is Saint Phillips Episcopal Church in New York City.
ETA ETA Lambda History
HONORABLE ARIS T. ALLEN, M.D.
Born in Beeville, Texas in 1910, he left school in the eighth grade after fellow students teased him about his torn clothes. He worked meager jobs before hitchhiking to Washington D.C. during the depression. At age 27, he earned a high school diploma and worked his way through Howard University and its medical school. He made his home in Annapolis, and opened his own practice. He was denied hospital privileges at Anne Arundel General Hospital, were he later became chief of staff. Politically, he served as House delegate in Maryland, was elected the first black chairman of the Republican Party, and ran for lieutenant governor. In 1980, he served as secretary to the Republican National Convention under President Reagan. To his honor, a memorial park and bust are now placed at the intersections of Chinquapin Round Road and Forest Drive where MD route 665 bears his name.
OMEGA CHAPTER - 1991
SAMUEL P. CALLAHAN, D.D.S.
Dr. Callahan, an Annapolis dentist, was founder and pastor of Church of Christ in Eastport. Born in Galax, Virginia, he was raised in the coal mining town where he worked his summers in the kitchens of the local hotels. He graduated from Gary District High School in Gary, W. Virginia and Meharry Medical College in Nashville. He earned a master of divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary. The congregation began in 1967 as a prayer group at his dental office located at 20 Dean Street in Annapolis. In the 1970’s, a former A&P Grocery was the home of the church. It has been enlarged many times over to accommodate the growing independent nondenominational church. He also served 2 years as a pharmacist mate in the Navy Hospital Corps.
OMEGA CHAPTER - 2002
DEACON ROBERT H. HAYGOOD, SR.
Brother Robert Hugh Haygood, Sr. was born in Macon, Georgia on January 26, 1926. He attended Hudson High School in Macon and South Carolina State College where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He received his Master of Arts degree from the University of Maryland and completed post-graduate work at New York University. He taught Industrial Arts education at Wiley H. Bates High, Corkran and Severn River Middle Schools. After his retirement, he became very active in his church, First Baptist of Annapolis where he was a deacon. Deacon Haygood also worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation counselor. He was a charter member of Eta Eta Lambda, active with the connecting Links of Annapolis, the Banneker Douglas Museum and sang in the church choir. He served in the Army for 2 years.
OMEGA CHAPTER - 2008
PRINCIPAL LAWRENCE E. KNIGHT
Lawrence grew up in Danville, Virginia where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry at Virginia State College. After moving to Anne Arundel County, he taught science for 11 years at Wiley H. Bates High School. He became principal of Broadneck High School where he is credited for the achievement in academics and athletics. The peninsula high school was recognized by the United States Department of Education as one of Maryland’s top schools, producing three National Merit Scholars, having teachers of the year and 88 % of its students attended college. While principal, the drop-out rate reduced from 5% to 1.9% in three years the number of advanced placement courses offered increased to 31 classes which were taken by 25% of the student body.
OMEGA CHAPTER - 1995
JERRY H. LUCK, ESQ.
Bro. Jerry Harris Luck was an attorney and resident of Annapolis. Born in Danville, Virginia, the family moved to Washington, D.C., where he graduated from Dunbar High School and received his degrees from Howard University. He worked as a civil rights attorney for the Office of General Counsel and Welfare. After retiring from the federal government, he briefly served in Maryland. He became partner of the law firm of Williams, Luck, Cunningham and Williams. He earned the Good Conduct Medal for service during World War II. Brother Luck was a member Asbury Methodist Church, the Virginia State Bar Association and the District of Columbia Bar Association. His interests include painting, horse racing and family gatherings.
OMEGA CHAPTER - 1991
COLONEL JAMES R. RANDALL, M.D.
Colonel (Ret.) James Roland Randall, M.D. was born on May 7, 1933 in Annapolis, Maryland. Brother Randall graduated from Wiley H. Bates High School and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Morgan State University. He completed his Doctor of Medicine at Howard University. Brother Randall was initiated into Beta Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated in 1951. He was a Charter Member of our Eta Eta Lambda Chapter Annapolis, Maryland, as well as Theta Delta Lambda Chapter in El Paso, Texas and Iota Mu Lambda Chapter in Tacoma, Washington. He was a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and a 33rd degree Prince Hall Mason. In 1980, after years of honorable service, Dr. Randall retired from the United States Army at the rank of Colonel. He continued with his career as a physician until his retirement as the Chief of Staff for Western State Hospital in Steilacoom, Washington. On May 15, 2007, Dr. Randall died peacefully in Tacoma, Washington.
OMEGA CHAPTER - 2007
DR. THEODORE H. JOHNSON, M.D.
Dr. Theodore Johnson was born in Atlanta, GA. He was educated at Lincoln and Howard Universities, completed his advance study at New York, Buffalo, and Harvard Universities, his internship at Freedman’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. In the mid-1940s, when the city’s hospital would not admit black women to deliver their children, forcing them to travel to Washington or Baltimore, Dr. Johnson opened a maternity clinic at Northwest and Carroll streets. He also had a pharmacy on Calvert Street that served the black community. As president of the Anne Arundel Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1959 to 1962, Dr. Johnson worked for the desegregation of restaurants and hotels in Annapolis and for the promotion of African-American police officers.
OMEGA CHAPTER - 1966
VISION
The objective of this fraternity shall be: to stimulate the ambition of its members; to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the causes of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual; to encourage the highest and noblest form of manhood; and to aid down-trodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic and intellectual status.
