National History

(click for more info)

An Alpha Legacy: The Seven Founding Jewels

 

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for Black college students, was organized at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, in 1906. The prejudices of the time, even at a relatively liberal institution such as Cornell, placed an extra burden on minority students. The first unit of this national fraternity, organized by college men of African descent, was called "Alpha Chapter."

The seven visionary founders at Cornell, Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle and Vertner Woodson Tandy, labored in years of severe economic struggle and racial conflict in the United States. Despite their difficulties of organization in this untried field of student life, the early fraternity pioneers succeeded in laying a firm foundation and remained steadfast in their goals.

The Fraternity initially served as a study and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice educationally and socially at Cornell. During those beginning days, the Jewel founders and early leaders of the Fraternity worked to lay a solid foundation based on scholarship, fellowship, good character and the uplifting of humanity.

The Fraternity has grown steadily in influence throughout the years. 200,000 men have been initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha since its founding in 1906. It has been interracial since 1945. There are now 350 college chapters on campuses, and 350 alumni chapters in local communities, located in 44 states, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Africa.
 

60% of all Black Male Doctors are Alpha Men

65% of all Black Male Dentists are Alpha Men

75% of all Black Male Lawyers are Alpha Men

95% of all Black Colleges have been headed by Alpha Men

Facts Don't Lie...

 

Not All Great Men Are Alphas But All Alphas Are Great Men!!!!

 

Famous Sons of Alpha


 CIVIC LEADERS
 W.E.B. DuBois,  Philosopher
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights Leader
Jow Duff, NAACP Attorney
Paul Robeson, Civil Rights Leader, Actor, Singer
Lester Granger, former Executive Director of the National Urban League
Dick Gregory, Civic Activist
 


GOVERNMENT (FEDERAL)
 Edward W. Brooke, former U.S. Senator (MA)
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., former U.S. Representative (NY)
Andrew Young, former US Congress Representative (GA) and former Mayor (GA)
William Coleman, Secretary of Transportation
Harold Ford, U.S. Representative (TN)
William H. Gray III, U.S. Representative (PA), UNCF President & CEO
Julian Dixon, U.S. Representative (CA)
Charles Rangel, U.S. Representative (NY)
Thurgood Marshall, U.S. Supreme Court
Damon J. Keith, U.S. Court of Appeals
Terrence Todman, Ambassador to Denmark
Charles Mahoney, United Nations
Hubert Humphrey, U.S. Vice President
Clarence Pendleton, U.S. Civil Rights Commission
Ralph Metcalfe, U.S. Representative (IL)
Samuel Pierce, U.S. Secretary of HUD
Harry Edwards, U.S. Court of Appeals
O. Rudolph Aggrey, former U.S. Ambassador to Romania
U.W. Clemon, U.S. District Court Federal Judge
James A. Joseph, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa


GOVERNMENT (STATE/LOCAL)
 Marion Barry, Mayor-Washington, DC
Henry Marsh, Mayor- Richmond, VA
David Dinkins, Mayor- New York, NY
Lawrence Crawford, Mayor- Suffolk VA
Walter Washington, Mayor- Washington, DC
Maynard Jackson, Mayor- Atlanta, GA
Ernest Morial, Mayor- New Orleans, LA
Richard Arrington, Mayor- Birmingham, AL
Lionel Wilson, Mayor- Oakland, CA
Dennis Archer, Mayor- Detroit, MI
Thomas V. Barnes, Mayor- Gary, Indiana
Lee Brown, Mayor-Houston, TX
Emanuel Cleaver, Mayor, Kansas City, MO
Norman Rice, Mayor- Seattle, WA


BUSINESS LEADERS
 L.D. Milton, President- Citizens Bank
N.B. Herndon, President- Atlanta Life Insurance Co.
Thomas P. Harris, President- Chicago Metropolitan Insurance Co.
Henry G. Parks, President- Parks Meat Co.
Joshua Smith, President- Maxima Corporation
Wayman Smith, Anheuser-Busch 
Thomas J. Burrell, Burrell Advertising 
W. Melvin Brown, American Developing Corporation


EDUCATION & SCHOLARSHIP
 Charles Harris Wesley, Educator, Historian *
Garrett A. Morgan, Inventor (Sewing Machine) *
John Hope Franklin, Historian
Mal Goode, Journalist *
John H. Johnson, Publisher
Countee Cullen, Poet
Benjamin Quarles, Historian
Calvin Barnett, President of Coppin St. College
William Strother, Professor of Psychology Princeton University
Frederick Patterson, Founder-United Negro College Fund
James Cheek, President- Howard University
Earl Richardson, President Morgan State University
Luna I. Mishoe, President- Delaware State College. +
Cornell West, Educator, Philosopher and Author

MILITARY
 Fred A. Gordon, Brigadier General- US-West Point
Benjamin Hacker, Rear Admiral of US Navy Commander +
Samuel Gravely, Admiral-USN
James McCall, Major General-AUS
Winston Scott, NASA Astronaut
Edward Honor, Major General-AUS
 Roscoe Cartwright, General-AUS

MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
 Duke Ellington, Music Legend *
Lionel Hampton, Music Legend
Antonio Hart, Jazz Musician
Gerald Albright, Jazz Musician
Darryl Bell, Movie Actor & Network TV
Tony Brown, Journalist & TV Producer
Jerry Butler, Singer
Keenen-Ivory Wayans, Actor & Writer
Stuart Scott, TV Sports Analyst
Keith Garrett, Network TV Executive Producer
Donny Hathaway, Singer & Musician *
Lionel Richie, Singer and Songwriter

RELIGIOUS LEADERS
 John Hurst Adams, Bishop & Founder of National Black Churches
Harold Davis, President of the American Baptist Churches
T.J. Jemison, President of the National Baptist Convention +
E. Edward Jones, President- of the National Baptist Convention of America

MEDICAL AND SCIENCE LEADERS
 Levi Watkins, Medical Scientist
James Corner, Psychologist
Lasalle Lefalle, First African-American president of American Cancer Society 
Louis Sullivan, President of Morehouse Medical School 

SPORTS FIGURES
 Walt Bellamy, NBA +
Lenny Wilkins, NBA
Walt Frazier, NBA +
Bobby Phills, NBA*
Wes Unseld, NBA- Washington Wizards 
Wayne Embry, NBA-General Manager Cleveland Cavaliers
Wes Chandler, NFL +
Greg Coleman, 1st Black Punter, NFL +
Charles Haley, NFL-Dallas Cowboys
Michael Jackson, NFL-Baltimore Ravens
Carnell Lake, NFL-Pittsburgh Steelers
Art Shell, NFL Hall of Fame
Eric Wright, NFL +
Reggie Williams, NFL +
Joe Green, NFL +
Eugene Upshaw, Executive Director with the NFLıs Playerıs Association
Jesse Owens, Sports Legend-Track Star
Mike Powell, World record holder in the long jump-Track and Field
Eddie Robinson, Coach, Grambling State University

+* = deceased
+ = no longer active in the noted position.