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Revised January 2022

A TRUNCATED HISTORY
OF THE
OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC.

INTERNATIONAL MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE


Revised January 2022

THIS PAGE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK


Revised January 2022

PREFACE

The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the first African American fraternity founded on the
campus of Howard University, the birthplace of Alpha chapter, our Mother Pearl, is
committed to identifying and selecting men for service to humankind, generally, with a
focus on people of African descent, specifically, wherever they may be in the world.
This, we believe, can be best accomplished via a uniform Membership Selection
Process. Therefore, any activities that conflict, run counter to and/or undermine the
program presented by the Membership Selection Team under the leadership of its
respective District Representatives are expressly prohibited, and thereby in violation of
the fraternity’s policies and procedures. As readers peruse this document, they will no
doubt notice the absence of any reference to “pledging.” Such a practice was
abolished by The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., in 1985.

As candidates prepare to acquaint themselves with the history of the illustrious


Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., which includes its birth and development, it is
expected that they will review this material carefully in preparation for successfully
completing the examination required of all applicants.

As its title suggests, this study guide is in no way intended to serve as a comprehensive
history of The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., rather it is a selected compilation of key
people, places, events, and dates extrapolated from a number of sources, including the
two authorized history books by Drs. Herman Dreer and Robert L. Gill. As professors of
English and history and political science, respectively, Drs. Dreer’s and Gill’s works
continue to serve as the templates for those who endeavor to chronicle the history of
this illustrious fraternity.

As already alluded to, this document is merely a thumbnail sketch of the organization
for the purposes of introduction, study and reflection; it is intended only to serve as a
convenient source of information for those who seek entry into The Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Inc. Think of these materials as cliff notes. It is the hope of those who
comprise this magnificent fraternity that this packet of information will whet the
candidate’s appetite for further study, thus prompting the candidate to comb through
the writings of Dreer and Gill at a later date; provided the candidate’s quest for
membership into the fraternity is a successful one.

To be clear, The History of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, 1911-1939: A Brotherhood
of Negro College Men, by Herman Dreer, PhD (1940), and The History of the
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and The Men Who Made Its History: A Concise History
1911-1961 by Robert L. Gill, PhD (1963) is required reading for those who fashion
themselves students of Black history, generally and Omega history, specifically.

Successful applicants who go no further than this packet of information after they have
crossed the burning sands do themselves a disservice, for they will have failed to
recognize that the learning process has only just begun.

Matthew Coleman, M.A.


Vice-chairman, International Membership Committee

Judson L. Jeffries, PhD


Professor of African American and African Studies
Faculty Advisor, Iota Psi
“The” Ohio State University
A Truncated History of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Page 3
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INTRODUCTION

Greek-letter organizations have a longstanding tradition on college and university


campuses and have played a major role in the lives of students and faculty, alike. Phi
Beta Kappa, the first Greek letter organization, founded at an American college was
established in 1776 on the campus of the College of William and Mary, in Colonial
Williamsburg, Virginia. Not a fraternity per se, Phi Beta Kappa is an academic honor
society, that was initially all-male until it opened its doors to women in 1875. Limiting
membership to women was not an uncommon practice among early Greek letter
organizations. African Americans had an even tougher time than did women
penetrating the ranks of white Greek letter organizations, be they honor societies or
fraternities and sororities. With these opportunities closed to Blacks, they began
forming their own clubs and organizations.

Black college fraternities and sororities, however, did not emerge until the early 1900s
with the founding of Alpha Kappa Nu at Indiana University in 1903, followed by Pi
Gamma Omicron and Gamma Phi in 1905 at The Ohio State University and
Wilberforce University, respectively. Unfortunately, all three were short-lived. In the
ensuing years, however, several Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities sprouted
up that proved to have staying power. Indeed, they have played an integral part in the
cultural, social, and civic life of their communities since that time. The member
organizations that comprise the National Pan-Hellenic Council, that Lawrence Ross
affectionally coined “The Divine Nine” are:

Sororities

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Howard University, 1908


Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Howard University, 1913
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Howard University, 1920
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Butler University, 1922

Fraternities

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Cornell University, 1906


Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Indiana University, 1911
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Howard University, 1911
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Howard University, 1914
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Morgan State University, 1963

THE BIRTH OF OMEGA: EXCERPTS FROM THE FIRST DECADE


After meeting on different occasions during the Autumn months of 1911, Edgar A.
Love, Oscar J. Cooper and Frank Coleman converged on the office of Professor
Ernest E. Just for a most important meeting to hash out the plans for a Greek letter
fraternal organization for Negro men, as they were then called. This meeting, which
was not the first with Professor Just, but arguably the most impactful, occurred on a
rainy Friday evening on November 17, 1911. With temperatures in the mid 40s, the
three nattily dressed Howard University students bundled up and traipsed across
campus under a dark sky to Professor Just’s office in hopes of benefitting from his
sage counsel and convincing him to be their advisor. Love, Cooper, and Coleman
were budding scholars who excelled in their chosen fields of study. Love, a
sophomore, had his eye on the ministry, while Cooper, a junior, endeavored to
become a physician and Coleman, also a junior, displayed a knack for physics.
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Convinced that the three enterprising young men were serious, the biology professor,
a young man of only twenty-eight years of age himself, signed on as their faculty
advisor, thus giving birth to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity [now The Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, Inc.] “Friendship is essential to the soul,” was chosen as the fraternity’s
motto.

Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift were adopted as the fraternity’s


Cardinal Principles. Before the meeting was adjourned, a decision was made
regarding the design for the pin and emblem, thus giving rise to one of the most
striking and recognizable shields of any college fraternity.

A follow-up meeting occurred on the 23 rd of November, just days before Thanksgiving


break. At that meeting it was decided that Edgar A. Love, the youngest of the three
students would be the first Grand Basileus (National President). Cooper and Coleman
were selected as Grand Keeper of Records (National Secretary) and Grand Keeper of
Seals (National Treasurer), respectively. Between December 2nd when school resumed
and the 14th, eleven undergraduate men were selected as charter members,
culminating in the establishment of Alpha Chapter with a total of fourteen members, on
December 15, 1911. Including the founders, were William Gilbert, Charles Y. Harris,
Clarence A. Hayes, Benjamin A. Jones, Clarence O. Lewis, William H. Pleasants,
Charles B. Washington, Edward P. Westmoreland, Frank H. Wimberly, and of course
the Love brothers—Julius H. and William A., thus becoming the first family of Omega.
Months later, four more men were initiated into Omega-James Raymond Johnson,
William B. Jason, Moses Clayborne and Christopher C. Cook.

As the months passed, and the building of The Omega Psi Phi was well on its way, the
Brothers of Omega suffered disappointment. On March 8, 1912, the previously
submitted fraternity constitution was rejected by Howard University administrators, yet
the Brothers of Omega refused to give in. That same day, US Army Col. Charles
Young was elected the fraternity’s second honorary member, with Professor Just being
the first, of course.

Is it possible that Howard University’s other fraternity wanted a monopoly on the


school’s young men, thus feared the competition? Whatever the case, the fraternity
was authorized to function as a local, not a national organization. Undeterred, the
young men pushed forward, refusing to accept the terms dictated to them. Overcoming
one trial and tribulation after another, over the next week or so, the men of Omega
finally convinced the faculty and administration of the merits that being a national
organization afforded both its members and the university. To be clear, it was through
the power of persuasion, perseverance, and the behind closed-doors assistance of
Professor Ernest E. Just, that the men of Omega, eventually prevailed, making the
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the second Black Greek letter fraternity on Howard’s
campus, but the first Black Greek letter fraternity founded at Howard University.
However, it would be more than two years later (on October 28, 1914) before the
fraternity was incorporated by the United States Congress under the laws governing
the District of Columbia.
In the interim Oscar J. Cooper became the fraternity’s second Grand Basileus
(1912), and not long after that authorized the investigation of a proposed second
chapter at historically Black Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

Edgar Love returned to the position of Grand Basileus for a second time in 1913 and
served until 1915. During Love’s tenure, Lincoln University’s Beta Chapter was
chartered in February 1914.
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George E. Hall, the fourth Grand Basileus and Alpha initiate, authorized the
establishment of Gamma Chapter in Boston Massachusetts, in 1916, although it came
to fruition under the administration of James C. McMorries, the fraternity’s fifth Grand
Basileus. The “War Chapter” at Fort Des Moines was organized that year as well.

During the administration of the sixth Grand Basileus, Clarence F. Holmes, Otto
Bohannon penned “Omega Men Draw Nigh” the fraternity’s first official hymn.

Raymond G. Robinson, the seventh Grand Basileus, established Delta Chapter in


Nashville, Tennessee, home to Meharry Medical College, in 1919. By the time
Robinson left office in 1920, there were ten functioning chapters.

Stanley Douglass served as editor of the first Oracle published in the spring of 1919.

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Snapshots in Omega History

1920s: The Trailblazing Twenties


Harold K. Thomas, the eighth Grand Basileus, was elected at the 1920 Grand Conclave in
Nashville, Tennessee. It was at this Grand Conclave that Dr. Carter G. Woodson inspired the
establishment of National Achievement Week to promote the study of Negro life and history.

The 1921 Atlanta, Georgia Grand Conclave brought to an end the first decade of the
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

In 1922, Grand Basileus J. Alston Atkins appointed the first District Representatives.
Today, there are twelve such officers, all of whom are elected annually at the district
conferences/meetings. That same year, the office of Vice Grand Basileus was created.
Also, at that time, the Grand Keeper of Records became the Grand Keeper of Records
and Seal.

The first Omega Bulletin was published in 1928. Campbell C. Johnson was its first editor.

1930s: The Fabled Thirties


“Omega Dear” was adopted as the official hymn in 1931. Two faculty members from
Howard University, Dr. Charles R. Drew and Mercer Cook, professor of languages, were
its composers. Cook wrote the music and first stanza; Drew penned the last two stanzas.

In 1936 President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Federal Council of Negro Affairs also
known as the president’s “Black Cabinet”. On this body sat several of Omega’s most
distinguished members including William Hastie, Jr., Robert Weaver, Lawrence Oxley,
and Roscoe Brown.

1940s: The Fabulous Forties


The Omega “Sweetheart Song,” with words and music by Don Q. Pullen, was adopted
as the official sweetheart song by the 1940 Nashville Grand Conclave.

That same year the men of Omega stood tall when they directed its Supreme Council
to cancel its contract with the Balfour Co. Massachusetts that had been its jeweler for
years and give it to the Metal Arts Co. of Rochester, N.Y. because it employed a full-
time, salaried Black staff.

Sadly co-founder Dr. Ernest E. Just entered Omega Chapter in 1941.


In 1941, Dr. Charles Drew perfected the use of blood plasma as a lifesaving tool. This
work earned him the prestigious Spingarn Medal from the NAACP in 1944.

William Hastie resigned as Civilian Aide to the Secretary of War in protest of


discriminatory practices in the United States Armed Forces. He was later appointed
Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands by President Harry S. Truman.

In 1949, the first National Headquarters Building at 107 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W.,
Washington D.C. was purchased.

H. Carl Moultrie served as the first National Executive Secretary.

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In 1949, the scholarship fund was renamed the Charles R. Drew Memorial Scholarship
Fund.

1950s: The Hard-fought and Forward-thinking Fifties


Several of the most dramatic protests of the modern civil rights movement occurred
during this decade, such as the bus boycotts in Baton Rouge, LA (1953),
Montgomery, Alabama (1955) and Tallahassee, Florida (1956), to name a few. This
decade witnessed African Americans exerting themselves in an unprecedented
fashion. Thousands of Omega men in every party of the country were actively
involved in the fight for racial equality, including several of the court cases
instrumental in dismantling segregation in education and public spaces.

Turning to the fraternity, the 1955 Grand Conclave in Los Angeles, California initiated a
program whereby each graduate chapter purchased a Life Membership from the
NAACP. Between 1955 and 1959, chapters contributed nearly $40,000 to the NAACP.

Also, during this decade, the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Inc., took an official position
against hazing. This anti-hazing position remains in effect today, and the policy
banning hazing has been strengthened.

1960s: The and Historically significant and Sensational Sixties


The struggle for freedom, justice and equality shifted into high gear. Many
undergraduate Brothers were active participants in the “sit-ins” and other
demonstrations designed to call attention to the inferior position to which society had
consigned African Americans.

In 1961, at the Washington, D.C. Golden Anniversary Grand Conclave, Brothers turned
out in record numbers and did a stellar job of highlighting the fifty years of
accomplishment by Omega. Founders Love, Cooper, and Coleman were present.
Thirteen of twenty-three former Grand Basilei were also in attendance. Young brothers
had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to mingle with some of the greatest black men
that America ever produced.

At the Golden Anniversary Conclave $140,000 - $150,000 was authorized for the
construction of a new National Headquarters Building in Washington, D.C.

In 1964, the new National Headquarters Building was dedicated. Its name was later
changed to the International Headquarters. Love, Cooper, and Coleman participated
in the ceremonies. Located at 2714 Georgia Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., the
standalone building was a dream come true and was the first of its type built by a
black fraternity.

In 1967, Maj. Robert H. Lawrence of the USAF, and a graduate of The Ohio State
University, having earned a doctorate in physical chemistry there, was selected for
the Manned Orbiting Laboratory project, thus becoming the first African American
selected as an astronaut by any national space program.

Founder Frank Coleman took ill and entered Omega Chapter in 1967.

The 1968 Charlotte, North Carolina Grand Conclave mandated a constitutional


convention for the revision of the Constitution and By-Laws as well as the Ritual.
The constitutional convention was held the following year in Atlanta, GA in 1969.

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1970s: A Decade of Transition


Many young men returned home from the Vietnam War and enrolled in college, as a benefit of the
GI Bill. Eager to experience the college life that alluded them due to the draft, a number of them
entered the Kingdom of Omega where the skills and leadership training, they acquired in the
military, were put to good use.

The newly revised Constitution and By-Laws and the Ritual became effective at the
close of the 1970 Grand Conclave in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

H. Carl Moultrie I, Omega’s only National Executive Secretary to this point, was
appointed judge to the Superior Court of Washington, D.C. in 1972. Moultrie’s
resignation was accepted with regrets. Omega conferred upon Moultrie the title of
National Executive Secretary Emeritus, which was later changed to Executive Secretary
Emeritus.

The seventies brought more heartbreak. Founder Oscar J. Cooper entered Omega
Chapter in 1972. Two years later, in 1974, Edgar A Love, the last surviving founder
followed suit.

At the 56th Grand Conclave, in Phoenix, Arizona in December 1974, on the


recommendation of the Supreme Council, the fraternity authorized an expenditure of
$15,000, in order to erect a permanent monument to the four visionary Founders of the
Fraternity. Two architecture students at Howard University, both of whom were
members of Alpha Chapter, submitted sketches. The sketch submitted by Sampson P.
Boozer was selected. Frank B. “Frankie P” Patterson, Chairman of the Founders’
Monument Committee, orchestrated, through the Supreme Council, the construction of
the monument. The foundation was laid, and the monument shipped and installed on
Howard University’s campus on September 15, 1975.

On Sunday, November 16, 1975, thousands of Omega men, their families, family
members of the Founders, and many friends gathered in front of Thirkield Hall for the
unveiling and dedication of the 18-ton granite monument.

A revived Life Membership Program resulted in a huge increase in the number


of Life Members.

The 1976 Atlanta, Georgia Grand Conclave was the largest in the history of the
fraternity up to that point in time.

Many new undergraduate chapters were chartered due to the increased enrollment of
black students at previously all-white colleges and universities.

“Operation Big Vote” was successful in getting thousands of black people to the polls
during the 1976 presidential election, which saw the election of Jimmy Carter, the
former Democratic governor of Georgia, as president. Hundreds of Omegas were
active participants.

The 1979 Denver, Colorado Grand Conclave made a commitment to contribute a minimum of
$250,000 to the United Negro College Fund over the next few years.

1980s: Omega on Move


Making access to Higher Education a priority, the fraternity engaged in a number of activities
designed to promote HBCUs, heighten their profile and encourage college attendance among
Black students.
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In 1981, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity endowed its first Omega Faculty Chair. Rust
College, located in Holly Springs, Mississippi, was the recipient. President W. A.
McMillan stated that the Chair would be used to promote the humanities.

The fraternity completed its $250,000 contribution to the United Negro College Fund,
and organization under the direction of Christopher Edley. The fraternity approved a
plan to continue the annual gift of $50,000 to that organization in perpetuity.

The fraternity accelerated its financial support to the National Urban League under its
Executive Director, Mr. John Jacobs, who regularly attended Grand Conclaves.

The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, formerly, a lieutenant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and
member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference is long-time president of
Operation P.U.S.H., and founder of the Rainbow Coalition. Brother Jackson’s historic
1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns. Jackson’s presidential campaigns laid the
groundwork for the 2008 election of Barack Obama.

The 75th Anniversary Grand Conclave celebration was deemed one of Omega’s most
remarkable and historically significant events. The Washington, D.C. conclave which
spanned from July 25-August 1, 1986, eclipsed the Atlanta grand conclave as the
fraternity’s largest ever.

The 33rd Grand Basileus Dr. Moses C. Norman, Sr., elected at the 1984 Louisville
Grand Conclave, appointed a committee to review the structure and operations of the
fraternity as a means of future focus. In 1984, John S. Epps became the fifth Executive
Secretary. In 1990, the title was changed to Executive Director.

Two revised methods of bringing members into the fraternity were approved by the
organization. Pledging was officially abolished; and the new Membership Selection
and Education Program came into being on August 1, 1985. In April 1991, the new
Membership Intake Program was implemented.

The fraternity suffered major losses in the mid to late 1980s as H. CarlMoultrie, I,
Executive Secretary Emeritus and Ronald E. McNair, noted astronaut, entered
Omega Chapter. Don Q. Pullen and W. Mercer Cook also entered Omega Chapter.

Lieutenant Governor L. Douglas Wilder became the first elected Black governor in
U.S history when he was elected governor of Virginia in November 1989.

1990s: A Decade of History Making Accomplishments


The men of Omega made their presence felt in the area of electoral politics like never
before.

Dr. C. Tyrone Gilmore, Sr. became the 34th Grand Basileus in June 1990. Under his
leadership, a site for a new World Center and International Headquarters in Decatur,
Georgia was identified. Also, the complete structure was revamped, and the
International Chapters were transformed into the thirteenth district.

In 1994, Dr. Dorsey C. Miller, Jr. was chosen as the 35th Grand Basileus at the
Cleveland, Ohio Grand Conclave. Miller’s administration was responsible for closing
the sale on the acquisition of the new property, located at 3951 Snapfinger Parkway,
Decatur, Georgia 30035, and the disposition of the property located at 2714 Georgia
Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., which had served as the fraternity’s headquarters
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for thirty-one years.

Lloyd J. Jordan, Esq. became the 36th Grand Basileus in 1998 at the 70 th Grand
Conclave in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jordan’s administration was instrumental in
combating litigations, resulting from illegal hazing activities, thus keeping the
fraternity’s infrastructure intact. Sylvester Earl Wilson began his tenure as the
Executive Director on June 1, 2000.

2000s: A Decade of Tremendous Opportunity


The 2000s marked a new century that brought new and fresh ideas as well as a sense of urgency
about taking the fraternity to the next level.
George Grace became the 37th Grand Basileus in 2002 at the 72nd Grand Conclave in
Charlotte, NC. Grace’s administration was responsible for setting the fraternity on a
course of financial solvency through its theme of economic empowerment for social and
political change.

Warren Lee became the 38th Grand Basileus in 2006 at the 74th Grand Conclave in Little
Rock, AR. Lee’s administration fostered a new era in Omega in terms of visionary
leadership and aligning the fraternity’s programs with a singular point of focus. Lee also undertook
efforts to reorganize the fraternity’s structure and to recalibrate Omega’srelationships with her
affiliate organizations.

Dr. Andrew Ray became the 39th Grand Basileus in 2010 at the 76th Grand Conclave in
Raleigh, NC. Brother Ray’s administration ushered in the 100th anniversary of this
illustrious organization with a Centennial Celebration in Washington, D.C. in July of
2011. Dr. Ray’s administration took bold steps to increasing the profile of the
fraternity’s undergraduate presence by seeding undergraduate endowments at: Alpha
Chapter (Howard University), Beta Chapter (Lincoln University), Eta Gamma Chapter
(Central State University), Beta Sigma Chapter (Southern University), Tau Epsilon
Chapter (Texas Southern University), Rho Psi Chapter (Tennessee State University),
Phi Psi Chapter (Langston University), Beta Gamma Chapter (Cheyney University),
Gamma Epsilon Chapter (Hampton University), and Mu Psi Chapter (North Carolina
A&T University). In 2011, Kenneth Barnes stepped into the position of Executive
Director after it had been vacant for several years. Brother Barnes’ arrival gave the
fraternity a much-needed boost. In fact, during his tenure, the International
Headquarters’ staff experienced its most significant transformation.

Antonio Knox became the 40th Grand Basileus in 2014 at the 79th Grand Conclave in
Philadelphia, PA. Bro. Knox’s administration continued the long legacy of Manhood,
Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift established by his predecessors and our
Founders. In 2016, the fraternity signed a partnership agreement with the National
Park Service to work together to protect, preserve, and promote for care and
upkeep the Colonel Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Xenia,
Ohio and the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site in Washington, DC.
This was the first such agreement between the National Park Service and an
international African American organization.

In 2018, the Brothers elected Dr. David Marion its 41 st Grand Basileus at the Omega
Psi Phi Fraternity’s 81st Grand Conclave in New Orleans, LA. Under Brother Marion’s
leadership, linkages have been made on the continent of Africa with the Bore Hole
Project in Ghana and economic development initiatives, not to mention the expansion
of the Thirteenth District in other parts of the world, including establishing charters in
Shanghai, China, Tijuana, Mexico, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the United
Arab Emiratesas well as the reactivation of the chapter in Panama City, Panama.
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Also, during Brother Marion’s tenure, the fraternity experienced its first Virtual 82 nd
Grand Conclave. Moreover, it was under Brother Marion that the $50,000 dollars that,
for many years, had been gifted to the College Education Fund was divided between
theUNCF and the Thurgood Marshall Fund, with each entity receiving $25,000. That
same year, on September 18, John Howard began his tenure as the Executive
Director.

Omega has continued to flourish largely because founders Love, Cooper, Coleman, and
Just were men of the very highest ideals, intellect and integrity. They set the tone by
identifying and selecting men of like-mind, character, ambition and fortitude.

It is no accident that many of America’s greatest black men are/were Omega men. To
this date, there are very few Americans whose lives have not been touched by a
member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Omega has an illustrious history that is
to be celebrated, documented and preserved.

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APPENDIX I
Founders

Dr. Ernest E. Just


(1883-1941)
Ernest E. Just was born in Charleston, South Carolina.
Graduated from the Industrial School of the State College, Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, New Hampshire
Bachelor of Arts Degree, Dartmouth College (Phi Beta Kappa)
Doctor of Philosophy Degree, University of Chicago
Awarded the Spingarn Medal by the NAACP, 1915

Professor Frank Coleman


(1890-1967)
Frank Coleman was born in Washington, D.C.
Graduated from the M Street High School, Washington, D.C.
Bachelor of Science Degree, Howard University, 1913
Master of Science Degree, University of Chicago
Advanced Training, University of Pennsylvania
Professor and head of the Physics Department, Howard University
U.S. Army Officer, World War I

Dr. Oscar J. Cooper


(1888-1972)
Oscar J. Cooper was born in Washington, D.C.
Graduated from the M Street High School, Washington, D.C.
Bachelor of Science Degree, Howard University, 1913
Doctor of Medicine Degree, Howard University, 1917
Practiced medicine in Philadelphia, PA for 50 years

Bishop Edgar A. Love


(1891-1974)
Edgar A. Love was born in Harrisburg, Virginia
Graduated from the Academy of Morgan College
Bachelor of Arts Degree, Howard University, 1913
Bachelor of Sacred Theology Degree, Howard University, 1916
Bachelor of Divinity Degree, Boston University, 1918
Doctor of Divinity Degree (Honorary), Morgan College, 1935
U.S. Army Chaplain, World War II
Bishop, Methodist Church

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APPENDIX II
GRAND BASILEI

NAME TERM IN OFFICE


1 Edgar A. Love 1911-1912 Deceased
2 Oscar J. Cooper 1912-1913 Deceased
3 Edgar A. Love * 1913-1915 Deceased
4 George E. Hall 1915-1916 Deceased
5 James C. McMorries 1916-1917 Deceased
6 Clarence F. Holmes 1917-1918 Deceased
7 Raymond G. Robinson 1918-1920 Deceased
8 Harold H. Thomas 1920-1921 Deceased
9 J. Alston Atkins 1921-1924 Deceased
10 John W. Love 1924-1924 Deceased
11 George E. Vaughn 1924-1926 Deceased
12 Julius S. McClain 1926-1929 Deceased
13 Matthew W. Bullock 1929-1932 Deceased
14 Lawrence A. Oxley 1932-1935 Deceased
15 William E. Baugh 1935-1937 Deceased
16 Albert W. Dent 1937-1940 Deceased
17 Z. Alexander Looby 1940-1945 Deceased
18 Campbell C. Johnson 1945-1947 Deceased
19 Harry T. Penn 1947-1949 Deceased
20 Milo C. Murray 1949-1951 Deceased
21 Grant Reynolds 1951-1953 Deceased
22 John F. Potts 1953-1955 Deceased
23 Herbert E. Tucker, Jr. 1955-1958 Deceased
24 I. Gregory Newton 1958-1961 Deceased
25 Cary D. Jacobs 1961-1964 Deceased
26 George E. Meares 1964-1967 Deceased
27 Ellis F. Corbett 1967-1970 Deceased
28 James A. Avery 1970-1973 Deceased
29 Marion W. Garnett 1973-1976 Deceased
30 Edward J. Braynon, Jr. 1976-1979
31 Burnel E. Coulon 1979-1982 Deceased
32 L. Benjamin Livingston 1982-1984 Deceased
33 Moses C. Norman, Sr. 1984-1990 Deceased
34 C. Tyrone Gilmore, Sr. 1990-1994 Deceased
35 Dorsey C. Miller 1994-1998
36 Lloyd J. Jordan, Esq. 1998-2002
37 George H. Grace 2002-2006
38 Warren G. Lee 2006-2010
39 Andrew Ray 2010-2014
40 Antonio Knox 2014-2018
41 David Marion 2018-present

* Elected to position for a second time.

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APPENDIX III
GRAND CONCLAVES
No. Conclave City Year No. Conclave City Year
1st Washington, D.C. 1912 43rd St. Louis, MO 1957
2nd Washington, D.C. 1913 44th Cleveland, OH 1958
3rd Washington, D.C. 1914 45th New York, NY 1959
4th Oxford, PA 1915 46th San Antonio, TX 1960
5th Washington, D.C. 1916 47th Washington, D.C. 1961
6th Oxford, PA 1917 (50th Anniversary)
7th Washington, D.C. 1918 48th Indianapolis, IN 1962
8th Boston, MA 1919 49th Denver, CO 1964
9th Nashville, TN 1920 50th Detroit, MI 1965
10th Atlanta, GA 1921 51st Boston, MA 1967
11th Philadelphia, PA 1922 52nd Charlotte, NC 1968
12th St. Louis, MO 1923 53rd Pittsburgh, PA 1970
13th Washington, D.C. 1924 54th Houston, TX 1971
14th Tuskegee, AL 1925 55th St. Louis, MO 1973
15th Chicago, IL 1926 56th Phoenix, AZ 1974
16th New York, NY 1927 57th Atlanta, GA 1976
17th Indianapolis, IN 1928 58th New Orleans, LA 1977
18th Baltimore, MD 1929 59th Denver, CO 1979
19th Detroit, MI 1931 60th San Francisco, CA 1980
20th Richmond, VA 1932 61st Miami, FL 1982
21st Durham, NC 1933 62nd Kansas City, KS 1983
22nd St. Louis, MO 1934 63rd Louisville, KY 1984
23rd Atlanta, GA 1935 64th Washington, D.C. 1986
24th Philadelphia, PA 1936 (75th Anniversary)
25th Cleveland, OH 1937 65th Dallas, TX 1988
26th Chicago, IL 1938 66th Detroit, MI 1990
27th New York, NY 1939 67th Atlanta, GA 1992
28th Nashville, TN 1940 68th Cleveland, OH 1994
29th Indianapolis, IN 1941 69th Los Angeles, CA 1996
30th Little Rock, AR 1944 70th New Orleans, LA 1998
31st Washington, D.C. 1945 71st Indianapolis, IN 2000
32nd Fort Worth, TX 1946 72nd Charlotte, NC 2002
33rd Detroit, MI 1947 73rd St. Louis, MO 2004
34th Columbus, OH 1948 74th Little Rock, AR 2006
35th Chicago, IL 1949 75th Birmingham, AL 2008
36th Boston, MA 1950 76th Raleigh, NC 2010
37th Miami, FL 1951 77th Washington, D.C. 2011
38th Philadelphia, PA 1952 (100th Anniversary)
39th Cincinnati, OH 1953 78th Minneapolis, MN 2012
40th Atlanta, GA 1954 79th Philadelphia, PA 2014
41st Los Angeles, CA 1955 80th Las Vegas, NV 2016
42nd Baltimore, MD 1956 81st New Orleans, Louisiana 2018
82nd Virtual Grand Conclave 2020

No conclaves in 1930, 1942, and 1943. From 1962-1986, Conclaves were scheduled every 18 months (save for 1983).
After 1986, Conclaves were scheduled every 2 years except 2010-2012 which was annually as the Centennial Grand
Conclave fell between the scheduled 2010 and 2012 Conclaves.

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Revised January 2022

APPENDIX IV
SELECTED LIST OF OMEGA MEN WHO HAVE SERVED/OR ARE
CURRENTLY SERVING AS PRESIDENTS OF HISTORICALLY
BLACK COLLEGE & UNIVERSITIES AS WELL AS PWIs

Claflin College Dr. Henry N. Tisdale

Edward Waters College Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins, Sr.

Grambling State University Dr. Steve Favor

Hampton University Dr. William R. Harvey

Howard University Dr. H. Patrick Swygert

Kentucky State University Dr. George W. Reid Lincoln

University (PA) Dr. Ivory V. Nelson

Livingstone College Dr. Jimmy R. Jenkins

Meharry Medical College Dr. John E. Maupin, Jr.

Mississippi Valley State Univ. Dr. Jerryl Briggs

Morris College Dr. Luns C. Richardson

Rust College Dr. David L. Beckley

Sojourner-Davis College Dr. Charles W. Simmons

South Carolina State University Dr. M. Maceo Nance, Jr.

Talladega College Dr. Billy C. Hawkins

Tennessee State University Dr. James A. Hefner

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Dr. Lawrence A. Davis, Jr.

Wiley College Dr. Haywood Strickland

NCCU Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye

George Mason University Dr. Gregory Washington

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APPENDIX V

INTERNATIONALLY MANDATED PROGRAMS

ACHIEVEMENT WEEK - Originally designed to promote the study of Negro life and history.
Achievement Week is observed in November of each year and is designed to seek out and give
due recognition to those individuals at the local and international levels who have made a
noteworthy contribution to improving the quality of life for black Americans. A High School Essay
Contest is held in conjunction with Achievement Week. This contest is open to all college-bound
high school seniors. Scholarships are awarded to the winners, each of whom must submit an
essay, the length and theme/topic to be determined by the fraternity. This contest is a phase of
the International Achievement Week observance.

SCHOLARSHIP - The Scholarship Program is intended to promote academic excellence among


undergraduate students. Both undergraduate members and nonmembers are eligible to receive
scholarships. Graduate chapters are responsible for awarding said scholarships. Having said
that, a portion of the fraternity’s international budget is allocated to scholarships through the
Charles R. Drew Scholarship Commission.

SOCIAL ACTION PROGRAMS - All levels of the fraternity are expected to facilitate, participate
and coordinate activities that uplift its communities. An international committee coordinate the
multifaceted programs of the various chapters. Some of the activities under the umbrella of
social action include, but are not limited to voter registration, education and “getting out the
vote”; Assault on Illiteracy; Habitat for Humanity; volunteering time to charities and those
considered less fortunate; mentoring; and participation in fundraisers for charities such as
American Diabetes Association, United Way, Sickle Cell Anemia, etc.

TALENT HUNT PROGRAM - This program offers talented youth in the performing arts a
platform to showcase their talents for the purpose of exposing them to opportunities to which
they may or may not have been privy. Winners of the competition may be publicly recognized
in the form of a certificate/trophy as well as a scholarship to help offset the cost of college.

MEMORIAL SERVICE - March 12th of each year has been established as Memorial Day.
Chapters are expected to conduct an appropriate service to recall the memory of those members
who have entered Omega Chapter that particular year.

RECLAMATION AND RETENTION - A concerted effort at the international, district and local
levels to retain active brothers and return inactive brothers to full participatory status, so as they
may enjoy the full benefits of Omega.

COLLEGE ENDOWMENT FUND - Each year the fraternity gives at least $50,000.00 to
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in furtherance of Omega’s commitment to
provide philanthropic support. Chapters are assessed donations based on size of their
membership.

HEALTH INITIATIVES - All levels of the fraternity are expected to facilitate, participate and/or
coordinate activities that uplift their communities by promoting good health practices. An
international committee coordinates and facilitates multifaceted programs of the various
chapters, districts, etc. It is anticipated that all local chapters will execute the health directives in
their respective communities. Some of the programs under the umbrella of Health Initiatives are
the Charles Drew Blood Drive (normally held in June), AIDS/HIV Awareness, and the American
Diabetes Association Partnership. This does not prevent the local chapters from performing
additional health initiatives under the umbrella of the Health Initiatives mandate.

VOTER REGISTRATION, EDUCATION AND MOBILIZATION - All levels of the fraternity are
expected to facilitate, participate and/or coordinate activities that uplift their communities
A Truncated History of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Page 17
Revised January 2022

through exercising the right to vote. An international committee will coordinate and facilitate
multifaceted programs of the various chapters, districts, etc. It is anticipated that all local chapters
will execute the directives at the local level. This does not prevent the local chapters from
performing additional voter initiatives under the umbrella of the Voter Education, Registration and
Mobilization mandate.

NAACP - Every district and chapter of the fraternity is required to maintain a Life Membership at
Large in the NAACP. In the event that a chapter or district is not a life member of the NAACP, it
must maintain a yearly membership to be in could standing with the fraternity. Furthermore, all
members of the fraternity are strongly encouraged to become members of the NAACP.

(Chapters are required to administer these programs annually.)

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APPENDIX VI
SELECTED LIST OF
NOTABLE OMEGA MEN

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

Langston Hughes The Black Poet laureate, playwright, and novelist

Sterling Brown Teacher, poet, writer, Professor Emeritus of Literature at Howard University,
has a special foundation for folk culture and jazz music.

Roland Hayes Internationally known tenor of the 1920s. Hayes sang in five different
languages.

William (Count) Basie Internationally known pianist, composer, arranger, and band leader.

Don Q. Pullen Pianist and composer; composed the “Sweetheart Song” of the Omega Psi
Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Moses Gunn Actor of stage and screen.

Charles Byrd Actor

Dr. William H. (Bill) Cosby TV, Film, Comedian

Steve Harvey Host, Family Feud

Terrance J TV personality

Tom Joyner Radio host

Wanya Morris Singer – Boyz II Men

Maxwell Leonard Roach Jazz musician

Lonnie Liston Smith Jazz Musician

Rickey Smiley TV, Comedian

Joe Torry TV, Comedian

George Clinton Musician

Anthony Anderson TV, Film

DL Hughley Comedian

Stephen A. Smith TV personality and ESPN Commentator

Doug Stewart Sports radio/TV personality

Ryan Stewart Sports radio/TV personality

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CIVIL RIGHTS AND THE LAW

Willie Gary Founder of the law firm of Gary, Williams, Parenti, Watson and Gary,
PLLC. Has earned a reputation as “The Giant Killer” by taking down
some of the country’s most well-known and powerful companies,
resulting in some of the largest jury awards and settlements in U.S.
history.

Benjamin Crump Attorney for the family of Trayvon Martin and fraternity’s Grand Counselor.

Grant Reynolds Played an integral role in President Harry Truman’s 1948 decision to
desegregate the United States Armed Forces.

T.R.M. Howard A surgeon by trade, Howard was a major civil rights activist who founded
the Regional Council of Negro Leadership and served as president of the
National Medical Association.

James Nabrit, Jr. Former Dean of the Howard University Law School and former president of
Howard University. A leader in the training of the early civil rights lawyers.

Wiley Branton Attorney for the “Little Rock Nine” and former Dean of the Howard University
School of Law.

Roy Wilkins Long-time Executive Director of the NAACP and member of the Big 6.

Benjamin Hooks Succeeded Roy Wilkins as Executive Director of the NAACP. Retired in
1992.

James L. Farmer, Jr. A founder of the Congress of Racial Equality and member of the civil rights
movement’s Big 6.

Vernon Jordan Former Executive Director of the National Urban League and head of UNCF.

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Former Director of Operation P.U.S.H.; Founder, National Rainbow
Coalition.

Fred Gray Attorney for Mrs. Rosa Parks, the mother of the civil rights movement, and the
Montgomery Improvement Association that spear-headed the city’s bus boycott.

Aaron Henry A pharmacist, Henry was president of the Mississippi NAACP and helped
organized the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party.

Bayard Rustin A major civil rights activist; member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and one
of two principal organizers of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom.

Z. Alexander Looby Was a civil rights attorney who was instrumental in desegregating public schools
in Nashville, Tennessee. When the Nashville student sit-in movement began in
1960, he became its attorney.

Ernest Green Civil Rights Activist – a member of the Little Rock 9 of Central High School.

Oliver Hill Civil Rights attorney whose work against racial discrimination helped end the
doctrine of “separate but equal”. 1999 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient.

Spottswood W. Robinson 3rd Civil Rights attorney turned U.S. Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia. Teamed up with Oliver Hill to dismantle segregation
in public schools in Virginia.
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2021
EDUCATION

Dr. James D. Anderson Dean of the College of Education, University of Illinois-


Urbana/Champaign and author of the seminal book, The Education of
Blacks in the South, 1860-1935.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson Founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and
Journal of Negro History.

Dr. Lewis V. Baldwin Internationally known scholar of religious studies and noted expert on the
life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [Professor Emeritus,
Vanderbilt University].

Dr. Benjamin Mays Former longtime President of Morehouse College and mentor to Dr. King.

Dr. Herman Dreer Teacher, professor, minister, and author of fraternity’s first history book.

Dr. Nathan Hare First Chair of Black Studies Program (San Francisco State) and author
of the controversial book The Black Anglo Saxons.

Dr. Asa Hilliard III Renowned scholar in educational psychology. Founding member of the
Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations.

Dr. William Julius Wilson Renowned Sociologist. [Professor Emeritus, Harvard University].

Dr. Robert Gill Professor and author of fraternity’s second history book. Morgan State
College/University.

Dr. Frederick D. Harper Professor. Served as editor of three highly reputable scholarly journals
including the Journal of Negro Education [Professor Emeritus, Howard
University].

Dr. Roderick McDavis Managing Principal of AGB Search Firm and former president of Ohio
University.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

Teddy B. Taylor A U.S. Diplomat; former U.S.


Ambassador to Papua New Guinea
William Hastie First Governor of the Virgin Islands.
George L. P. Weaver First Black U.S. Secretary of Labor.
Robert C. Weaver First Black U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Clifford L. Alexander, Jr. First Black Secretary, Department of the Army.
Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. Presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988
Lawrence Douglas Wilder First Black elected governor in U.S. history (Virginia-1989) and former mayor
of Richmond, Va.
Thurbert Baker Georgia’s first Black Attorney General.
Bill Campbell Former mayor, Atlanta, GA.
James Clyburn U.S. Congressman from South Carolina – U.S. House of Representatives.
J. Gary Cooper U.S.A. Ambassador to Jamaica.

Togo West Former Secretary of the Army; Former


Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Gerald Lewis James, II Lt. Governor, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Dr. Bernard Kincaid Mayor, City of Birmingham, AL.
Ronald Langston National Director, Minority Business Development Agency, U.S.
Department of Commerce.
A Truncated History of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Page 21
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2021
James Sharpe Former Mayor, Newark, NJ.
Paul Stephenson Mayor of Willingboro, NJ.
Kweisi Mfume Former Congressman and President of the NAACP
Kenrick Meek Former Congressman for Florida’s 17th Congressional
district.

MEDICINE/SCIENCE
Dr. Ernest E. Just Internally known biological and professor at Howard University.

Dr. Charles R. Drew Perfected use of blood plasma, Professor of Surgery, Howard
University.

Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Widely considered the first African American psychiatrist. Served on a team of
psychiatrists that conducted pathbreaking research on Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Lemuel J. Haywood Renowned cardiologist and scholar. Established one of the first coronary care
units on the west coast and led a team that developed the first computerized
system for real-time heart arrhythmia defection, in 1969.

Dr. W. Montague Cobb First African American PhD in Anthropology. His work has contributed
significantly to the subfield of biocultural anthropology.

Dr. Percy L. Julian Discovered the use of foam to extinguish fires and discovered a method
for producing cortisone synthetically.

Dr. Ronald McNair Astronaut

Frederick Gregory Astronaut, graduate of the United States Air Force Academy (pilot),
Commander of two Space Shuttle Missions (Space Shuttle Discovery and
Space Shuttle Atlantis), nephew of Dr. Charles Drew.

Dr. Warren Jones President, American Academy of Family Physicians. Founded the
Mississippi Institute for Improvement of Geographic Minority Health and Health
Disparities at the University of Mississippi.

Dr. David Satcher Former U.S. Surgeon General

U.S. Armed Forces

Matthew Zimmerman Former Chief of Chaplains – U.S. Army.


Roscoe Robinson First Black Four-star General, U.S Army (Ret)
R. Scottie Dingle Lt. General, U.S. Army, Surgeon General of the Army
Manson K. Brown Vice Admiral U.S. Coast Guard (Ret)
William “Kip” Ward Lt. General, U.S. Army (Ret)
Alvin Holsey Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy
Charles C. Rogers Major General, U.S. Army (Ret), Medal of Honor
Harold Mitchell Major General, U.S. Air Force (Ret)
Charles Bolden Jr. Maj. General, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret) and astronaut
Kaleth O. Wright Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
Charles Young Brigadier General, U.S. Army and
third Blackgraduate of United
States Military Academy (West
Point)
George “Spanky” Roberts Colonel, Tuskegee Airmen first
class of aviation cadets and first
African-American to command a
racially integrated unit
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2021
RELIGION

Charles G. Adams Pastor of Hartford Memorial Church in


Detroit [Retired]. Former Nickerson
Professor of the Practice of Ethics and
Ministry, Harvard University
Jeremiah Wright Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ
in Chicago [Retired].
E. Dewey Smith Senior Pastor of Mega church--Teacher
of the House of Hope Atlanta and the
House of Hope Macon.
Bernard Richardson Dean of the Andrew Rankin Chapel,
Howard University
BUSINESS/COMMERCE

Gillard S. Glover Former President of Afro-American Life Insurance


Nathaniel Bonner Former co-owner of Bonner Brothers Beauty Supplies
Albert Byrd Vice-President, Xerox Corporation
Gregory Calhoun Calhoun Enterprises
Vergis Colbert Executive Vice-President of Operations, Miller Brewing Co.
Howard Dawson, Jr. Dawson Management Company
Thomas Dortch National Chairman, 100 Black Men of America
Jim Elam President, Bellmount Park Laboratory; President, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity,
Inc. Credit Union
Tony Grant Bank of America
Joseph W. Goodloe Former President, N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Co.
Dr. Ronald Goldsberry Vice-President, Ford Motor Company
Earl S. Graves, Sr. Founder and CEO, Black Enterprise Magazine
Jesse Hill Former President, Atlanta Life Insurance Co.
Robert Holmes Vice-President, Alabama Power Co.
William J. Kennedy III Former President, N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Co.
Byron Lewis CEO, Uniworld Group, Inc.
Edward Lewis CEO, Essence Communications, Inc.
Therman McKenzie CEO, McKenzie Chemical
T.C. Newman Owner, Mill Cove Golf Club
Otis Smith General Counsel, General Motors Corp.
Isaiah Tidwell Former President, Wachovia Bank of Georgia
Dave Moss Entrepreneur

SELECTED LIST OF NOTABLE SPORTS FIGURES (RETIRED AND CURRENT)


Angling
Clifton Blanchett, Pro Bass Fisherman

Powerlifting
Ray O. Williams

Professional Wrestling (WWE)


Thaddeus M. Bullard Sr. aka Titus O’Neil

National Football League


O.J. Anderson (RB), MVP of Super Bowl XXV
Eric Bieniemy (RB), Offensive Coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs
Irving Fryar (WR), No. 1 Draft Pick, 1984
Duane Thomas (RB), Super Bowl Champion
Ed “Too Tall” Jones (DE), Super Bowl ChampionKeith
Jackson (TE), Super Bowl Champion
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2021
Herb Adderley (CB) Hall of Fame, 3-time Super Bowl Champion
Robert Mathis (DE), Super Bowl Champion
Ahmad Rashad (WR)
Mark Duper (WR)
William Fuller NFL (DE)
Malcolm Jenkins (CB), 2-time Super Bowl Champion
Ray Lewis (LB) Hall of Fame, 2-time Super Bowl Champion
Ozzie Newsome (TE) Hall of Fame
Steve McNair (QB)
Andre Tippett (LB) Hall of Fame
Johnny Davis (RB)
Robert Porcher (DL)
Greg Pruitt (RB), Super Bowl Champion
Jabril Peppers (S) Heisman finalist
Matthew “Matt” Snell (RB), Super Bowl Champion
Martin Mayhew, General Manager
Reggie McKenzie, Senior Personnel Executive
David Coleman, NFL Official
Ken Dollar, NFL Official
Sanford Rivers, NFL Official
Larry Rayfield Wright (OT), Hall of Fame, 2-time Super Bowl Champion

Major League Baseball


Joe Black, (P), first Black pitcher to win a world series game. World Series winner
Maurice “Mo” Vaughn (FB)
David Justice (OF) 2-time world series winner

Olympic Athletes, National Champions & Administrators


DeHart Hubbard University of Michigan sprinter; was the first African American to represent the U.S.
in the Olympic Games (1924)
John Borican In 1941, won the U.S. Decathlon and Pentathlon titles, earning the title of Omega’s
athlete of the Year
Ray Armstead 1984 U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist, 4 X 400 meter relay
Terrance Trammell 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist, 100-meter hurdles
Jerome Singleton 2008 Summer Paralympics, current world record holder in 100 meters
Rhadi B. Ferguson An MMA fighter who competed in Judo at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Dr. Leroy T. Walker First Black President of the U.S. Olympic Committee (1992-1996)
Michael Conley Sr. 1992 and 1984 Olympic Gold and Silver medalist, respectively, Triple Jump

NBA
Alvin Robertson (Guard)
John Salley (Forward), 4-time NBA Champion
Michael Jordan (G) Hall of Fame, 6-time NBA Champion
Cedric Maxwell (Forward), 2-time NBA Champion
Tony Delk, (Guard)
Shammond Williams (Guard)
Corliss Williamson (Forward), NBA Champion
Charlie Ward, Jr., (PG), Heisman Trophy
winner (1994)
Shaquille O’Neal (C) Hall of Fame, 4-time NBA Champion
Elston Turner, Assistant Coach
Stephen A. Smith, Sports TV Personality
Earl Monroe (G) Hall of Fame, NBA Champion
Alonzo Mourning (C), Hall of Fame, NBA Champion
Dominique Wilkins, (F) Hall of Fame
Billy Hunter, Executive Director, Players Association

A Truncated History of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Page 24

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