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Alpha Phi Alpha
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated
ΑΦΑ
The crest of Alpha Phi Alpha
Founded December 4, 1906; 110 years ago
411 E. State St Ithaca, New York,[1] Cornell University
Type Social
Emphasis Service
Scope International
Mission statement
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
Colors Old Gold and Black
Symbol Great Sphinx of Giza
Flower Yellow Rose
Publication The Sphinx
Chapters 800+
Members 290,000+ lifetime
Nickname Apes, Ice Cold Brothas, Men of Distinction
Aims Manly Deeds,
Scholarship, and
Love for All Mankind
Headquarters National Headquarters: 2313 Saint Paul Street
Baltimore, Maryland
United States
Homepage APA1906.net
Alpha Phi Alpha (ΑΦΑ) is the first African American, inter-collegiate Greek-lettered fraternity. Initially a literary and social studies club in the 1905-1906 school year at Cornell University by Charles Cardoza Poindexter. The group later evolved into a fraternity with a founding date of December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The individuals recognized by the fraternity as founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". It employs an icon from Ancient Egypt, the Great Sphinx of Giza, as its symbol. Its aims are "manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind," and its motto is First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All. Its archives are preserved at the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.
Chapters were chartered at Howard University and Virginia Union University in 1907. The fraternity has over 290,000 members and has been open to men of all races since 1940. Currently, there are more than 730 active chapters in the Americas, Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia.
Alpha Phi Alpha is a social organization with a service organization mission and provided leadership and service during the Great Depression, World Wars, and Civil Rights Movements. It addresses social issues such as apartheid, AIDS, urban housing, and other economic, cultural, and political issues of interest to people of color. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial and World Policy Council are programs of Alpha Phi Alpha. It also conducts philanthropic programming initiatives with March of Dimes, Head Start, Boy Scouts of America, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Members of Alpha Phi Alpha include Jamaican Prime Minister Norman Manley, Nobel Prize winner Martin Luther King, Jr., Olympian Jesse Owens, Justice Thurgood Marshall, United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young, singer Lionel Richie and Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Founding
1.2 Consolidation and expansion
1.3 History: 1919–1949
1.4 History: 1950–1969
1.5 History: 1970–2000
1.6 Twenty-first century
2 National programs
2.1 Go-To-High School, Go-To-College
2.2 Voter education/registration program
2.3 Project Alpha
2.4 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial
2.5 World Policy Council
2.6 Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation, Inc.
2.7 Pan-Hellenic membership
3 Membership
3.1 Initial Membership Development Process (IMDP)
3.2 Notable members
3.3 General Presidents of Alpha Phi Alpha
4 Egyptian symbolism
5 Centennial celebration
6 Black college Greek movement
7 Notable hazing incidents
8 Documentary films
9 Membership fees
10 See also
11 Notes
12 Citations
13 References
14 Further reading
15 External links
History[edit]
Founding[edit]
The Arts Quad of Cornell University in 1919. The organization was founded in Ithaca NY by students of Cornell University. (42.448510°N 76.478620°W)
At the start of the 20th century, African American students at American universities were often excluded from fraternal organizations enjoyed by the predominantly white student population at non Historically Black Colleges.[2] Poindexter organized a group of students for literary discussion and social functions at Cornell University.[3] The group initially consisted of 15 students and included females.[4] The initial study group consisted of 14 students. These students included four from Washington DC Robert Ogle, Fred Morgan Phillip, Fannie Holland, and Flaxie Holcosbe. Four males and a female from New York State including George Kelley, Arthur Callis, James Thomas, Gordon Jones, and Paul Ray. From West Virginia came Eugene Kinckle Jones and Mary Vassar
