FEBRUARY -- ALPHA PHI ALPHA On Your Yard/Community Day! PT. 2

We began talking about the first decade in our previous post. We will cover the next 40 years at this time.

Daniel Fowler



Daniel David Fowler served as General President during the same 1919 year when Phi Chapter was seated at Ohio University in Athens and when his chapter hosted Cleveland’s first General Convention. Sadly, just weeks after finishing his tenure in office, he became the first General President to enter Omega Chapter.  He never recovered from having contracted pneumonia. Daniel Fowler enters Omega Chapter 2/10/1920. He was 27.

 

Abram L. Simpson

(Developed Hymn Lyrics, adopted at the

14th General Convention December 1921)



The 1920’s reflected the uncertainty associated with expansion. Alpha Alpha Chapter is chartered on 12/20/1920. One highlight was the Fraternal Hymn coined by Xi Chapter Charter member Abram L. Simpson and ad

John Erby

(Developed Hymn Music, adopted at the

14th General Convention December 1921)



opted at the General Convention in 1921.

To his lyrics there was the later addition of music composed by John J. Erby, a Xi Chapter initiate and 1924 Wilberforce University graduate.

So, initiates in this state have given us our fraternal Shield, our Hymn, and our Prayer. Each has a permanent place in fraternal operations and procedures ot this day. These contributions are Ohio’s triple enduring impression on Alpha Phi Alpha.



Elmer Cheeks



Raymond Cannon

Elmer Cheeks, of Pi Chapter, was the last General Vice President, in 1921. Columbus hosted the convention where the first Editor to the Sphinx, Raymond Cannon, was elected General President, in 1923.





Harley S. Manuel



D. Langston, Brown





Harley Manuel’s was the 1st Mid-Western Regional Vice President for a one-year term, in 1926. Manuel succeeded fellow Kappa Chapter initiate and 3rd Vice President D. Langston Brown, in 1926.

Alpha Phi Alpha had three other regional Vice Presidents:

Bert A. Rose

Theodore M. Berry

Bert Andrew Rose, of Theta Lambda, was 2nd Vice President in 1927 and General President in 1928, for the next four years. He was the first alumni chapter initiate to hold the fraternity’s highest seat.

Theodore M. Berry, of Alpha Alpha, is 3rd Vice President in 1928.

 

William Warrick Cardoza

William Warrick Cardoza, of Pi, is 3rd Vice President in 1930 and Western Vice President in 193. Cardoza two terms had changing jurisdictions, and for one of the two years, Ohio was in the new Western Region.

New additions include: Theta Lambda’s charter 12/23/1921, in Dayton; Alpha Tau, 5/9/1925, at the University of Akron; Chi Lambda, in 12/31/1925, at Wilberforce; and Alpha Rho Lambda Chapter, on 12/21/1929, in Columbus.

During the 1930’s, the 25th anniversary General Convention that was held in Cincinnati became a fraternal milestone celebration that would prove to be the final time five living Founders would attend the annual gathering, in 1931. 

Charles H. Wesley

Rev. A. Wayman Ward

Our esteemed historian and history book author, Dr. Charles Wesley was elected General President at that time, and began the longest tenure (9 years) at that post ever served. According to his history book, he played a role in the development and adoption--two years later--of our fraternal prayer.

The bulk of the credit for those solemn words belongs to Rev. A. Wayman Ward, a 1913 initiate of Xi Chapter. 

Jesse Owens
 (seated to the right of silver medalist David Albritton)

Some world history: 

In 1936, the Alpha impact was felt in Berlin, Germany, especially the Aryian myth of supremacy.  Representing Ohio was 4-time gold medalist Jesse Owens, along with Ralph Metcalfe, Frederick "Fritz" Pollard, Jr., Cornelius Johnson, Archibald "Archie" Williams, John Woodruff, are among the Alphas in the 1936 Olympics. Metcalfe, Johnson and Woodruff also won gold while Williams brought home a bronze medal.

 John Fleming

Sydney A. Jones Jr.

In the 1940’s, Ohio technically controlled the Mid-Western Vice President’s post from beginning to end lead by Alpha Alpha Chapter’s John Fleming throughout the years of World War II,. Sydney A. Jones Jr., of Theta Lambda, is Western Regional Vice President in 1934 and Mid-Western Regional Vice President in 1935.  





William Lovelace

Lucien C. Wright





Lucien C. Wright is Mid-Western Regional Vice President in 1939; he still resides at his same Columbus address as in the 1930s. His term was followed by Alpha Alpha initiate William Lovelace.



Lionel Newsom

Lionel Newsom served as president of Kappa Chapter while pursuing his master’s degree at Ohio State University. In 1943, the future 22nd General President was also president of the school’s Pan-Hellenic Council, also known then as “KOADA” (Kappa, Omega, Alpha, Delta, AKA). The group was intramurals basketball champions that year. Newsom served as Mid-Western regional Vice President during the final year of the decade, in 1945, providing the technicality. (He was no longer an Ohio resident and was representing St. Louis’ Eta Lambda while in office.)

  



"KOADA” (Kappa, Omega, Alpha, Delta, AKA)

 



The 40th anniversary General convention came to the Columbus, Ohio, in 1946. Alpha Rho Lambda’s Maceo Hill led the brotherhood in the fraternal hymn, in 1948.  It is suggested that leadership like this led to Hill’s election the following year as Regional Vice President.

  

  



General President Belford V. Lawson (left, facing Hill), Paul Robeson (by the flag), Charles Wesley (2nd person to the right of Robeson) and Raymond Cannon (next to Wesley)

Added to the Alpha roster in 1947 was Gamma Theta at the University of Dayton, chartered 5/3/1947; Delta Alpha Lambda in Cleveland, chartered 11/15/1947; and Delta Gamma Lambda chartered 12/20/1947, in Cincinnati.

The decade of the 1950’s began with Ohio getting Delta Xi at Central State University, on 1/8/1951.



7th Jewel  Eugene K. Jones



Fraternal history was made in Cleveland in 1952.

During the General Convention there was a special meeting with only four participants: Nathaniel A. Murray, Henry A. Callis, George B. Kelley and Charles H. Wesley. On December 29, 1952 the quartet reviewed data and memories regarding the formative days of Alpha Phi Alpha and they concluded that Eugene K. Jones should have been regarded as one of the seven Founders, in place of James H. Morton.

Eugene Jones replaces James Morton as the 7th Jewel on December 30, 1952, at the General Convention. A written report signed by all participants was submitted to the Brotherhood and the next day it was voted on and approved that Jones would henceforth be listed as one of the original seven Jewels of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

In between, Delta Upsilon entered Miami University, and is chartered 5/6/1953. Former 11^th General President, B. Andrew Rose of Dayton, would transfer to Omega Chapter: 10/27/1953.



Epsilon Alpha touched down at the University of Toledo, on 5/15/1954. Brothers in Springfield secured Zeta Delta Lambda, 5/8/1955; Kent State University got Epsilon Delta, in 12/7/1957; and Epsilon Theta came to Bowling Green State University, 5/15/1959.

This brings us to the 1960’s… that we will cover at the next post.