document_title: Alpha Phi Alpha

question_text: who came up with the name alpha phi alpha

question_tokens: who came up with the name alpha phi alpha

text: Alpha Phi Alpha

text: History[edit]

text: Founding[edit]

text: 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-black colleges.[4] C. C. Poindexter organized a group of students for literary discussion and social functions at Cornell University.[5] The group initially consisted of 15 students and included women.[6] The initial study group consisted of 14 students. These students included four from Washington, D.C. – Robert Ogle, Fred Morgan Phillip, Fannie Holland, and Flaxie Holcosbe. There were also four men and a woman from New York State: George Kelley, Arthur Callis, James Thomas, Gordon Jones, and Paul Ray. From West Virginia came Eugene Kinckle Jones and Mary Vassar. Vertner Tandy came from Kentucky, and C.H. Chapman was from Florida.[7]

text: The group met every two weeks at 421 North Albany Street, where Poindexter roomed.[6] Poindexter was stated to have a relationship with the other students of the group that was more faculty to student than peer-to-peer, given that he was the secretary of a professor at Cornell.[5] In December 1905, Poindexter organized a meeting of students which included Murray, Ogle, Phillips, Chapman, Kelley, Callis, Tandy, and George Tompkins.[8]

text: Robert Ogle had seen an article in the Chicago Defender magazine about a Negro fraternity at Ohio State University called Pi Gamma Omicron, of which the university had no knowledge.[9][10] Pi Gamma Omicron inspired Ogle to try to transform the literary society into a fraternity.[9] There was disagreement about the group's purpose: some wanted a social and literary club where everyone could participate; others wanted a traditional fraternal organization. Poindexter felt the group should serve the cultural and social needs of the black community and not be an elite secret society.[11] The society decided to work to provide a literary, study, social, and support group for all minority students who encountered social and academic racial prejudice.[4] On October 23, 1906, George Kelley proposed that the organization be officially known by the Greek letters Alpha Phi Alpha, and Robert Ogle proposed the colors black and old gold. Poindexter became the first President of Alpha Phi Alpha; under his leadership, the first banquet, initiation procedures, and policies were introduced.[11][5]

text: The divisive issue of whether the terms "club" or "fraternity" should be used was still debated.[12] A vote again confirmed the name Alpha Phi Alpha with the colors of old gold and black.[11] The initiation of new members Eugene Kinckle Jones, Lemuel Graves and Gordon Jones took place on October 30, 1906 at a Masonic Hall including [11] James Morton was considered and selected, but at the time he was not registered at the university.[6] Two founding members learned about fraternity rituals from other fraternal organizations: Henry A. Callis worked in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity House, and Kelly worked at Beta Theta Pi fraternity house.[5] Coincidentally, an article about a Negro fraternity Pi Gamma Omicron had initial desires to become a national fraternity was noted by a Beta Theta Pi correspondent at Ohio State University.[13] Callis stated that these fraternities, SAE and BTP, were the original source of the fraternity rituals.[5] The other members of the group felt that Poindexter, as a graduate student, dominated the meetings of Alpha Phi Alpha.[14] In his absence in the meeting on November 1905, the fraternity idea was pushed for a vote by Murray and was seconded by Robert H Ogle.[6] In December 1905, Thompson's resignation was accepted. Seven of the original 12 men from the initial meeting in December 1905 would continue on as members of the fraternity.[6]

text: By December 4, 1906, the decision on a name was made: "fraternity". The earlier terms "club", "organization", and "society" were permanently removed.[12] One month later, Poindexter resigned from the fraternity, as he took a new job in Hampton University in Virginia.[5] 11 members were present during the date of the founding of the fraternity on December 4, 1906.[5] Despite Poindexter's role in the formation of Alpha Phi Alpha, it was agreed that his name would not be linked to the early formation of the fraternity by its founders.[14] Murray was emphatic in his belief that Poindexter should not be considered to be a founder despite his role.[15] As Charles Wesley stated in the fraternity's history book, "C.C. Poindexter deserves special mention. Without his serious and eager leadership, it is probable that the fraternal organization would have advanced more slowly. He was the moving spirit in the literary organization which served as the predecessor of the fraternity.[5] He acted as president of the group and continued in office during the formation of the early policies and also through the first initiation in Alpha Phi Alpha society." According to his wife, Poindexter did not oppose the idea of a fraternity.[16]

text: The original fraternal founding members are now stated to be Henry A. Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert H. Ogle, Vertner Woodson Tandy, and James Morton. The latter was replaced as a founder in 1952 by Eugene Kinckle Jones.[17] Eugene Kinkle Jones who joined the group in October 1906 was given the title of a founder in 1952, while James Morton was removed because of his lack of enrollment in the Cornell.[15]

text: Mrs. Annie C Singleton played a pivotal part in helping the organization in its early years. She became the Mother of the fraternity as a result.[18]

text: Consolidation and expansion[edit]

text: The fraternity's constitution was adopted on December 4, 1906, limiting membership to "Negro male" students and providing that the General Convention of the Fraternity would be created following the establishment of the fourth chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha.[19] The preamble states the purpose of Alpha Phi Alpha:

text: To promote a more perfect union among college men; to aid in and insist upon the personal progress of its members; to further brotherly love and a fraternal spirit within the organization; to discountenance evil; to destroy all prejudices; to preserve the sanctity of the home, the personification of virtue and the chastity of woman.[20]

text: Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha are given Greek-letter names in order of installation into the fraternity. No chapter is designated Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet and traditionally used for "the end".[21] Deceased brothers are considered by brothers to have joined Omega Chapter.[22]

text: Founders Eugene Kinckle Jones and Nathaniel Allison Murray chartered the second and third chapters, at Howard University and Virginia Union University, respectively, in December 1907. The charter at Howard made it the site of the organization of the first black Greek letter organization among historically black colleges.[23] The establishment of chapters at what was not considered to be grade A universities was the source of debate among the founders.[24] The non grade A universities included Negro universities, particularly other than Howard University. [24]

text: The purpose and objective of the fraternity within the articles of incorporation were declared "educational and for the mutual uplift of its members."[19] The fraternity has established the Alpha Phi Alpha Archives at Howard University's Moorland-Spingarn Research Center to preserve the history of the organization.[25]

text: The fraternity chartered its first international chapter at the University of Toronto in 1908. Chapters have been chartered in London, Frankfurt, Monrovia, the Caribbean and South Korea.[26]

text: The first general convention assembled in December 1908 at Howard University in Washington, D.C., producing the first ritual and the election of the first General President of Alpha Phi Alpha, Moses A. Morrison.[27] Each newly elected General President is automatically considered one of the "100 most influential Black Americans."[28][29]

text: The fraternity established its first alumni chapter Alpha Lambda in 1911 in Louisville, Kentucky. It was again incorporated as a national organization on April 3, 1912, under the laws of Congress within the District of Columbia, under the name and title of The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.[30]

text: For more than 100 years, Alpha Phi Alpha and its members have had a voice and influence on politics and current affairs.[31][32] The Crisis, the magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was started by fraternity member W. E. B. Du Bois in 1910.[31] In 1914, The Sphinx, named after the Egyptian landmark, began publication as the fraternity's journal.[32] The Crisis and The Sphinx are respectively the first and second oldest continuously published black journals in the United States.[32] The National Urban League's (NUL) Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life was first published in 1923 under the leadership of Alpha founder Eugene K. Jones and Charles Johnson as its executive editor.[33]

text: In 1912, Charles H. Garvin was elected as the fourth annual president of Alpha Phi Alpha at the fourth annual convention in Ann Arbor, Michigan and was the first to individual to serve two terms as president.[34] He served as two terms as president, between 1912-1914.[35] While in office he helped secure a chapter house, appointed a special committee to consult with the president of Howard, and asked members to 'use every means possible to raise the moral and scholastic tone of the Fraternity". Garvin saw that it was vital that the Fraternity establish a mindful image and perception for future generations. One of the most notable contributions made by Garvin was the national incorporation of the fraternity under the laws of Congress.[36] As president, Garvin wrote the fraternity's Esprit De Fraternite. In it he dictated:

text:
An Alpha Phi Alpha man's attitude should not be 'how much can I derive from the Fraternity' but 'how much can I do for the Fraternity?' In proportion to what he does for his Chapter and for Alpha Phi Alpha will a member receive lasting benefits from the Fraternity to himself in the way of self development by duty well done, and the respect of the Brothers served.
        A member's duties should be:
        1. Prompt payment of all financial obligations, the prime requisite for successful fraternal life
        2. The doing of good scholastic work in his chosen vocation, thereby accomplishing the real end of a college course
        3. The reasonable endeavor to participate in general college activities and social service and to excel therein
        4. The proper consideration of all things with appropriate attention to the high moral standard of Alpha Phi alpha.[37]

text: The Training Camp at Fort Des Moines during World War I was the result of the fraternity's advocacy in lobbying the government to create an Officers' training camp for black troops. Thirty-two Alpha men were granted commissions (four were made captains and many were first lieutenants). First Lieutenant Victor Daly was decorated with the Croix de Guerre for his service in France.[38] Today, the fort is a museum and education center which honors the U.S. Army's first officer candidate class for African-American men in 1917.[39]

text: While continuing to stress academic excellence among its members, Alpha's leaders recognized the need to correct the educational, economic, political, and social injustices faced by African Americans and the world community.[40] Alpha Phi Alpha has a long history of providing scholarships for needy students and initiating various other charitable and service projects. It evolved from a social fraternity to a primarily community service organization.[41]

text: History: 1919–1949[edit]

text: The fraternity's national programs date back to 1919, with its "Go-To-High School, Go-to-College" campaign to promote academic achievement within the African-American community as its first initiative.[26]

text: The 1920s witnessed the birth of the Harlem Renaissance–a flowering of African-American art, literature, music, and culture which began to be absorbed into mainstream American culture. Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers Charles Johnson, W. E. B. Du Bois, Noble Sissle, Countee Cullen and other members were entrepreneurs and participants in this creative upsurge led primarily by the African-American community based in Harlem, New York City. By the end of the 1920s, the fraternity had chartered 85 chapters throughout the United States and initiated over 3,000 members.[28]

text:
I want the Fraternity to stand out in the affairs of the Nation.

Vertner W. Tandy,
ΑΦΑ Founder[42]

tag: div

text: During the Great Depression, Alpha Phi Alpha and its members continued to implement programs to support the black community. The Committee on Public Policy, the Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation, and "The Foundation Publishers" were established at the 1933 general convention. The Committee on Public Policy took positions on numerous issues important to the black community. It investigated the performance of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal agencies to assess the status of the black population, both as to treatment of agencies' employees and in the quality of services rendered to American blacks.[43] Alpha men Rayford Logan and Eugene K. Jones were members of Roosevelt's unofficial Black Cabinet, an informal group of African-American public policy advisors to the President.[44]

text:
Part of a series on the

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

Members

Founders
General Presidents
Notable brothers
African American Firsts

Programs

World Policy Council
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
Conventions

Associations

National Pan-Hellenic Council
North-American Interfraternity Conference
March of Dimes
Head Start
Boy Scouts of America
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Related Topics

Jena Six
Murray v. Pearson
Arizona SB 1070

 Category  •   Wikiproject

v
t
e

text: The Education Foundation was created in recognition of the educational, economic, and social needs of African Americans in the United States. The foundation, led by Rayford Logan, was structured to provide scholarships and grants to African-American students. The Foundation Publishers would provide financial support and fellowship for writers addressing African-American issues. Historian and fraternity brother John Hope Franklin was an early beneficiary of the publishing company[28] and was the 2006 Kluge Prize recipient for lifetime achievement in the study of humanity.[45]

text: In 1933 fraternity brother Belford Lawson Jr. founded the New Negro Alliance (NNA) in Washington D.C. to combat white-run business in black neighborhoods that would not hire black employees. The NNA instituted a then-radical "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work" campaign, and organized or threatened boycotts against white-owned business. In response, some businesses arranged for an injunction to stop the picketing. NNA lawyers, including Lawson and Thurgood Marshall, fought back – all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States in New Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co.[46] This ruling in favor of the NAACP became a landmark case in the struggle by African Americans against discriminatory hiring practices. "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work" groups multiplied throughout the nation.[a][47] The fraternity sponsors an annual Belford V. Lawson Oratorical Contest in which collegiate members demonstrate their oratorical skills first at the chapter level, with the winner competing at the District, Regional and General Convention.[48]

text: The fraternity began to participate in voting rights issues, coining the well-known phrase "A Voteless People is a Hopeless People" as part of its effort to register black voters. This term was coined by the Alpha Omicron Chapter located at Johnson C. Smith University in 1936. The Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy said "Alpha Phi Alpha...developed citizenship schools in the urban South and with its slogan "A Voteless People is a Hopeless People" registered hundreds of blacks during the 1930s, decades before the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) launched their citizenship schools in the 1960s." The slogan is still used in Alpha Phi Alpha's continuing voter registration campaign.[26][49] Alpha Phi Alpha member and former Washington, D.C. mayor Marion Barry was the first chairman of the SNCC.[50]

text:
Alphamen led the way in achieving competitive glory for the nation as well as racial pride for black America.

Harold Rudolph Sims[51]

text: Seven Alpha men represented the United States at the politically charged 1936 Summer Olympics: Jesse Owens, Ralph Metcalfe, Fritz Pollard Jr., Cornelius Johnson, Archie Williams, Dave Albritton, and John Woodruff.[51] In 1938, Alpha Phi Alpha continued to expand and became an international organization when a chapter was chartered in London, England.[52]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha supported legal battles against segregation. Some of its members who were trial lawyers argued many of the nation's major court cases involving civil rights and civil liberties. The case styled Murray v. Pearson (1935) was initiated by the fraternity and successfully argued by Alpha men Thurgood Marshall and Charles Houston to challenge biases at the university which had no laws requiring segregation in its colleges. The fraternity assisted in a similar case that involved fraternity brother Lloyd Gaines. In Gaines v. Canada, the most important segregation case since Plessy v. Ferguson, Gaines was denied admission to the Law School at the University of Missouri because he was black.[53] Alpha men Houston and Sidney Redmon successfully argued "States that provide only one educational institution must allow blacks and whites to attend if there is no separate school for blacks."[citation needed]

text: In 1940, true to its form as the "first of first", Alpha Phi Alpha sought to end racial discrimination within its membership. The use of the word "Negro" in the membership clause of the constitution which referred to "any Negro male student" would be changed to read "any male student." The unanimous decision to change the constitution happened in 1945 and was the first official action by a BGLO to allow the admission of all colors and races.[54] Bernard Levin became the first non-black member in 1946,[55] and Roger Youmans became the first non-black member to address the fraternity at the 1954 general convention.[56][unreliable source?][57]

text: After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the nation's entry into World War II, the fraternity fought to secure rights for its membership within the ranks of officers in the armed forces. The types of warfare encountered evidenced the nexus between education and war, with illiteracy decreasing a soldier's usefulness to the Army that could only be addressed with the inclusion of a large number of college educated men among the ranks of officers. Alpha men served in almost every branch of the military and civilian defense programs during World War II. The leadership of the fraternity encouraged Alpha men to buy war bonds, and the membership responded with their purchases.[58] The fraternity's long tradition of military service has remained strong. Alpha's military leaders Samuel Gravely and Benjamin Hacker were followed by other fraternity members who lead and serve in the armed forces.

text: In 1946, fraternity brother Paul Robeson, in a letter to the editor published in The New York Times, referring to apartheid and South Africa's impending request to annex South-West Africa, a League of Nations mandate, appealed:

text: to my fellow Americans to make known their protest against such conditions to the South African Ministry in Washington; to send to the Council on African Affairs, an expression of support for these grievously oppressed workers in South Africa; to keep the South African situation in mind against the time when General Smuts will come to the United Nations Assembly to demand the annexation of South West Africa, which means more Africans for him to exploit.[59]

text: In 1947, Alpha Phi Alpha awarded Robeson the Alpha Medallion for his "outstanding role as a champion of freedom."[b][59]

text: History: 1950–1969[edit]

text: The general convention in 1952 was the venue for a significant historical action taken regarding the Seventh Jewel Founder. The decision "of placing Brother [Eugene] Jones in his true historical setting resulting from the leading role which he had played in the origin and development of the early years of the fraternity history" was made by a special committee consisting of Jewels Callis, Kelley and Murray and fraternity historian Charles H. Wesley. James Morton was removed as a founder, yet continues to be listed as one of the first initiates. This convention created the Alpha Award of Merit and the Alpha Award of Honor, for appreciation of the tireless efforts on behalf of African Americans, and were awarded to Thurgood Marshall and Eugene K. Jones.[60][61]

text:
God grant from this assembly, this noble assembly of fraternity men, some of the leaders of our nation will emerge.

Martin Luther King Jr.,
(Address to ΑΦΑ at Golden Jubilee)[62]

text: In 1956, the fraternity made a "pilgrimage"[c] to Cornell in celebration of its Golden Jubilee which drew about 1,000 members who traveled by chartered train from Buffalo, New York to Ithaca. Fraternity brother Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the keynote speech at the 50th anniversary banquet, in which he spoke on the "Injustices of Segregation". There were three living Jewels present for the occasion, Kelley, Callis and Murray.[63]

text: Alpha men were pioneers and at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s.[40] In Montgomery, Martin Luther King Jr. led the people in the Montgomery Bus Boycott as a minister, and later as head of the SCLC. Birmingham saw Arthur Shores organize for civil rights in Lucy v. Adams. Thurgood Marshall managed the landmark US Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, in which the Court decided against segregation in public schools. Marshall employed mentor and fraternity brother Charles Houston's plan to use the de facto inequality of "separate but equal" education in the United States to attack and defeat the Jim Crow laws.[64] The actions by Alpha activists provoked death threats to them and their families, and exposed their homes as targets for firebombing.[65]

text: In 1961, Whitney Young became the executive director of the National Urban League. In 1963 the NUL hosted the planning meetings of civil rights leaders for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The Alpha Phi Alpha delegation was one of the largest to participate in the March on Washington.[66]

text: In 1968, after the assassination of fraternity brother Martin Luther King Jr., Alpha Phi Alpha proposed erecting a permanent memorial to King in Washington, D.C. The efforts of the fraternity gained momentum in 1986 after King's birthday was designated a national holiday. They created the Washington D. C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. to collect funds of $100 million for construction.[67]

text: History: 1970–2000[edit]

text: Beginning in the 1970s, new goals were being introduced to address the current environment. The older social programs and policies were still supported, however; under the direction of General President Ernest Morial the fraternity turned its attention to new social needs. This included the campaign to eliminate the ghetto-goal on numerous fronts with housing development and entrepreneurship initiatives.

text: The Federal Housing Act (of 1963) requested non-profit organizations to get involved with providing housing for low-income families, individuals and senior citizens. Alpha Phi Alpha was poised to take advantage of this program with government in improving urban housing living conditions. The Eta Tau Lambda chapter created Alpha Phi Alpha Homes Inc. with James R. Williams as the chairman to address these needs in Akron, Ohio. In 1971, Alpha Homes received an $11.5 million grant from HUD to begin groundbreaking on Channelwood Village with the Henry Arthur Callis Tower as its centerpiece. Channelwood contains additional structures named after General Presidents James R. Williams and Charles Wesley, and streets named for fraternity founders Tandy and Ogle. The Alpha Towers in Chicago and three other urban housing developments in St. Louis, Missouri — the Alpha Gardens, Alpha Towne and Alpha Village saw completion through Alpha Phi Alpha leadership.[68]

text: In 1976, the fraternity celebrated its 70th anniversary with dual convention locations: New York City and Monrovia. The fraternity launched the Million Dollar Fund Drive with three prime beneficiaries —

text:
the United Negro College Fund (UNCF),
the National Urban League
and the NAACP.

text: The Executive Director of the NAACP stated, "Alpha Phi Alpha provided the largest single gift ever received by the civil rights group."[41]

text: In 1981, the fraternity celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in Dallas, Texas, featuring a presentation of the New Thrust Program consisting of the Million Dollar Fund Drive, the Leadership Development and Citizenship Institutes, and the quest to obtain a national holiday for fraternity brother Martin Luther King Jr.[69]

text: We will go to great lengths to lend our voices, our time, our expertise and our money to solve the problems that humankind must solve as we move into the 21st century.

text: As the 21st century approached, Alpha Phi Alpha's long-term commitment to the social and economic improvement of humanity remained at the top of its agenda. The fraternity's 28th General President, Henry Ponder, said, "We would like the public to perceive Alpha Phi Alpha as a group of college-trained, professional men who are very much concerned and sensitive to the needs of humankind; We will go to great lengths to lend our voices, our time, our expertise and our money to solve the problems that humankind must solve as we move into the 21st century."[41]

text: In 1996, the World Policy Council (WPC) was created as a think tank to expand the fraternity's involvement in politics, and social and current policy to encompass important global and world issues.[28] The United States Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior to permit Alpha Phi Alpha to establish a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King on Department of Interior lands in the District of Columbia.[70]

text: Twenty-first century[edit]

text: In 2006, more than 10,000 Alpha Phi Alpha members gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in the fraternity's centennial convention to lay the groundwork for another 100 years of service. The fraternity developed a national strategic plan which outlines the processes that Alpha Phi Alpha will utilize in its continuing efforts to develop tomorrow's leaders, and promote brotherhood and academic excellence.[71] The Centenary Report of the World Policy Council was published in connection with the centenary of Alpha Phi Alpha.[72]

text: In 2007, General President Darryl Matthews addressed demonstrators at a protest rally touted as the new civil rights struggle of the 21st century. The rally for six black teenagers, the "Jena 6", was a poignant reminder of incidents which punctuated the civil rights struggles begun in the 1950s.[73]

text: On the eve of the Inauguration of Barack Obama, the fraternity under the new leadership of 33rd General President Herman "Skip" Mason hosted a Martin Luther King Holiday program at the National Press Club "to honor yesterday's 'firsts'—those in history who paved the way for the nation to be able to celebrate the first African-American president."[74] Alpha Congressman Chaka Fattah said "The life and legacy of Dr. King [was] a predicate for the election of Barack Obama," "The two are inextricably linked."[75] Alpha Phi Alpha responded to President Obama's clarion call to Americans to remake America by implementing a public policy program to focus on saving America's black boys.[76] General President Mason on behalf of the fraternity appealed to President Obama to create a "White House Council on Men and Boys" and partner with Alpha Phi Alpha to specifically address the needs of this group on a national level.[77]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha responded to the 2010 Haiti earthquake by sending a humanitarian delegation of Alpha men led by President Mason to Haiti on a fact-finding mission to assess the situation and develop a long-term support plan for the Haitian people. The organization views its future plan to 'adopt' a school in Haiti as "a great opportunity for the first black intercollegiate fraternity to stand in solidarity with the first independent black Republic."[78]

text: The fraternity protested the passage of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 which it believes may lead to racial profiling by relocating its 2010 national convention from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada.[79] The bill makes it a misdemeanor state crime for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying legal documents, steps up state and local law enforcement of federal immigration laws, and cracks down on those sheltering, hiring and transporting illegal immigrants.[80][81] The bill has been called the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in decades.[82]

text: With global expansion as a platform, the fraternity chartered new chapters in the eastern hemisphere at the 2010 National Convention in Las Vegas, NV. The two new chapters are in London, England and Johannesburg, South Africa, further expanding the fraternity's global footprint.

text: In 2012, Herman "Skip" Mason was suspended from the fraternity amid allegations of financial improprieties and was summarily removed as General President. Mason filed a lawsuit that contended the board of directors violated the fraternity's constitution and by-laws when it suspended him.[83] The lawsuit requested a temporary restraining order that would have, in effect, reinstated him as general president. This was denied.[84]

text: National programs[edit]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha asserts that through its community outreach initiatives, the fraternity supplies voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans, the African diaspora, and the countless special problems that affect Black men.[41][85]

text:
ΑΦΑ National Programs[86]

Mentoring
World and National Affairs

Education
Continuing the Legacy

Project Alpha
Leadership Training Institute

Alpha Academy
Go To High School, Go To College

Commission on Business
A Voteless People is a Hopeless People

Alpha and the NAACP
Alpha Head Start Academy

Cooperative Programs and
Economic Development

text: The fraternity provides for charitable endeavors through its Education and Building Foundations, providing academic scholarships and shelter to underprivileged families these projects are managed by fraternity brothers; Broderick McKinney, Kenneth Burnside and Gregory Anderson.[19] The fraternity combines its efforts in conjunction with other philanthropic organizations such as Head Start, Boy Scouts of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America,[87] Project Alpha with the March of Dimes, NAACP, Habitat for Humanity, and Fortune 500 companies.

text:
We must not shoot in the air, but accomplish results. Each chapter must put its part of the program over with interest and drive.

Lucius L. McGee,
10th General President ΑΦΑ[88]

text: Alpha's "Designated Charity" benefits from the approximately $10,000, one-time contribution fund-raising efforts at the fraternity's annual general convention.[41] The fraternity also has made commitments to train leaders with national mentoring programs.[19]

text: The Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation is a project of Alpha Phi Alpha to construct the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C.[89]

text: Go-To-High School, Go-To-College[edit]

text: Established in 1922, the Go-To-High School, Go-To-College program is intended to afford Alpha men, with the opportunity to provide young participants with role models. The program concentrates on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a path to advancement and to provide information and strategies to facilitate success.[86]

text: Voter education/registration program[edit]

text: "A Voteless People is a Hopeless People" was initiated as a National Program of Alpha during the 1930s by the Alpha Omicron chapter (Johnson C. Smith University), when many African Americans had the right to vote but were prevented from voting because of poll taxes, threats of reprisal, and lack of education about the voting process. Voter education and registration have since remained a dominant focus in the fraternity's planning. In the 1990s the focus has shifted to promotion of political awareness and empowerment, delivered most often through use of town meetings and candidate forums.[86] Members are required to be registered voters, and to participate in the national voter registration program.[90]

text: The fraternity's Nu Mu Lambda chapter of Decatur, Georgia, held a voter registration drive in DeKalb County, Georgia in 2004, from which Georgia Secretary of State Cathy Cox rejected all 63 voter registration applications on the basis that the fraternity did not follow correct procedures, including obtaining specific pre-clearance from the state to conduct their drive.

text: The Court finds and hereby DECLARES that the rejection of voter registration applications on the grounds that they were submitted in a bundle, or by someone who was not a registrar or deputy registrar, violates the NVRA.

text: Nu Mu Lambda filed Charles H. Wesley Education Foundation v. Cathy Cox on the basis that the Georgia Secretary of State's long-standing policy and practice of rejecting mail-in voter registration applications that were submitted in bundles and/or by persons other than registrars, deputy registrars, or the individual applicants, violated the requirements of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) by undermining voter registration drives. A Senior U.S. District Judge upheld earlier federal court decisions in the case, which also found private entities have a right under the NVRA, to engage in organized voter registration activity in Georgia at times and locations of their choosing, without the presence or permission of state or local election officials.[92]

text: Project Alpha[edit]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha, Iota Delta Lambda Chapter (Chicago) and the March of Dimes began a collaborative program called Project Alpha in 1980. The project consists of a series of workshops and informational sessions conducted by Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers to provide young men with current and accurate information about teen pregnancy prevention. Alpha Phi Alpha also participates in the March of Dimes' WalkAmerica and raised over $181,000 in 2006.[93]

text: Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial[edit]

text: The memorial is a result of an early effort of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity to erect a monument to King.[66]> King was a member of the fraternity, initiated into the organization via Sigma Chapter on June 22, 1952,[94] while he was attending Boston University.[95] King remained involved with the fraternity after the completion of his studies, including delivering the keynote speech at the fraternity's 50th anniversary banquet in 1956.[95] In 1968, after King's assassination, Alpha Phi Alpha proposed erecting a permanent memorial to King in Washington, D.C. The fraternity's efforts gained momentum in 1986, after King's birthday was designated a national holiday.[67]

text: In 1996, the United States Congress authorized the Secretary of the Interior to permit Alpha Phi Alpha to establish a memorial on Department of Interior lands in the District of Columbia, giving the fraternity until November 2003 to raise $100 million and break ground. In 1998, Congress authorized the fraternity to establish a foundation—the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation—to manage the memorial's fundraising and design, and approved the building of the memorial on the National Mall. In 1999, the United States Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved the site location for the memorial.

text: The memorial's design, by ROMA Design Group, a San Francisco-based architecture firm, was selected out of 900 candidates from 52 countries. On December 4, 2000, a marble and bronze plaque was laid by Alpha Phi Alpha to dedicate the site where the memorial was to be built.[96] Soon thereafter, a full-time fundraising team began the fundraising and promotional campaign for the memorial. A ceremonial groundbreaking for the memorial was held on November 13, 2006, in West Potomac Park.

text: In August 2008, the foundation's leaders estimated the memorial would take 20 months to complete with a total cost of $120 million USD.[97] As of December 2008, the foundation had raised approximately $108 million,[98] including substantial contributions from such donors as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,[97] The Walt Disney Company Foundation, the National Association of Realtors,[99] and filmmaker George Lucas. The figure also includes $10 million in matching funds provided by the United States Congress.

text: World Policy Council[edit]

text: General President Milton C. Davis established the World Policy Council in 1996 as a nonprofit and nonpartisan think tank with a mission as stated in its centenary report "to address issues of concern to our brotherhood, our communities, our Nation, and the world."[28][72]

text:
Organizing a World Policy Council, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity suddenly made global headlines when the group asked Nigeria to release political prisoners.

Simeon Booker Jet[100]

text: The Council is headed by Ambassador Horace Dawson and communicates its position through white papers which are disseminated to policymakers, politicians, scholars, journalists, and chapters of the fraternity. Since its founding the Council has issued five reports on topics such as the AIDS crisis, Middle East conflict, and Nigerian politics.[28][100] The fifth report was published in 2006 and examines the Millennium Challenge, Hurricane Katrina and extraordinary rendition.[72]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation, Inc.[edit]

text: The Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation, Inc. is the non-profit charitable arm of the fraternity, which focuses on scholarship, programs, and training and development of the membership. The Education Foundation encompasses the implementation of Go-to-High School, Go-to-College, Project Alpha, voter education / registration efforts, The Belford V. Lawson Oratorical Contest, The John Hope Franklin Collegiate Scholars Bowl, The Hobart Jarrett Debate Competition, Leadership Development Institutes, and the professional and personal development thrusts of the fraternity via Alpha University.[101]

text: Pan-Hellenic membership[edit]

text: The fraternity maintains dual membership in the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) and the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC). The NPHC is composed of nine international black Greek-letter sororities and fraternities, and Alpha Phi Alpha is the only member founded at an Ivy League school. The council promotes interaction through forums, meetings, and other mediums for the exchange of information, and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities and functions.[102]

text: The NIC serves to advocate the needs of its member fraternities through enrichment of the fraternity experience; advancement and growth of the fraternity community; and enhancement of the educational mission of the host institutions.[103]

text: Membership[edit]

text:
The chief significance of Alpha Phi Alpha lies in its purpose to stimulate, develop, and cement an intelligent, trained leadership in the unending fight for freedom, equality and fraternity. Our task is endless.

Henry A. Callis,
ΑΦΑ Founder
6th General President[104]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha's membership is predominantly African-American in composition with brothers in over 680 college and graduate chapters in the United States, District of Columbia, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Europe, Asia and Africa. Since its founding in 1906, more than 290,000 men have joined the membership of Alpha Phi Alpha and a large percentage of leadership within the African-American community in the 20th century originated from the ranks of the fraternity.[105][106]

text: John A. Williams wrote in his book The King that God Did Not Save, which was a commentary on the life of Alpha Phi Alpha member Martin Luther King Jr., "a man clawing out his status does not stop at education. There are attendant titles he must earn. A fraternity is one of them."[66][72] The mystique of belonging to a Greek letter group still attracts college students in large numbers despite lawsuits that have threatened the very existence of some fraternities and sororities.[72]

text: Initial Membership Development Process (IMDP)[edit]

text: The period in which a candidate for membership in the fraternity engages in before applying and being initiated as a member. This period is the time the candidate learns the organization's history, objectives, aims, and the tenacity of brotherhood.[107]

text: As of June 2013, the fraternity only inducts members through the Initial Membership Development Process (IMDP), and all membership development activities for the fraternity are overseen by the National Membership Services Director and conducted by regionally appointed Chief Deans. Pledging has been officially abolished as a means of obtaining membership in Alpha Phi Alpha and pledge "lines" have been officially abolished by the fraternity. Aspirants must not submit themselves, or agree to submit themselves, to any membership activities that are prohibited by the fraternity. Individuals involved in hazing face severe disciplinary action by the fraternity and are referred to the local legal authorities.[108]

text:
Let there be no complaints about brutality. The emphasis should be upon history and purposes of the Fraternity rather than upon physical punishment.

Rayford Logan,
15th General President ΑΦΑ[109]

text: There are periods in the history of the fraternity where hazing was involved in certain pledge lines. The fraternity has never condoned hazing, but has been aware of problems with "rushing" and "initiations" dated as far back as the 1934 General Convention when the fraternity founders communicated their concern with physical violence during initiation ceremonies.[110] At the 1940 General Convention, a pledge manual was discussed that would contain a brief general history, the list of chapters and locations, the achievements of Alpha men, outstanding Alpha men, and pledge procedures.[111]

text: In 2001 and 2007, the chapters at Ohio State University and Oklahoma State University–Stillwater were suspended for two and five years respectively for hazing and incidents involving prospective members injured seriously enough to require medical care.[112][113] In 2010, the fraternity suspended new membership intake indefinitely in response to hazing activities in 2009 that again caused pledges to be hospitalized.[114] In 2012, the University of Florida chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha was also accused of hazing. The allegations claimed that members of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity repeatedly struck and paddled pledges hard enough to cause bruises, and one pledge was paddled so hard that he was unable to sleep on his back for several nights.[115]

text: In the selection of candidates for membership, certain chapters had not escaped challenges of racial stereotyping and allegations of colorism. In a biography of Justice Thurgood Marshall, the authors recounted how certain chapters of the fraternity used a "brown paper bag test" and would not consider students whose skin color was darker than the bag.[116] General President Belford Lawson Jr. lamented this attitude and condemned initiation practices of snobbery and exclusivity, and said "Jesus Christ could not make Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity today; they would blackball Him because He was not hot enough."[117]

text: The fraternity once provided classifications for honorary and exalted honorary membership. Honorary members include Vice President Hubert Humphrey (who is Caucasian), jazz musician Duke Ellington, and activist W. E. B. Du Bois.[118] Frederick Douglass is distinguished as the only member initiated posthumously when he became an exalted honorary member of the fraternity's Omega chapter in 1921. The Fraternity no longer has honorary membership, a practice that stopped in the 1960s.[119]

text: Notable members[edit]

text:
First African American Accomplishments
by Alpha Phi Alpha Men[120]

Dennis Archer
President – American Bar Association

Richard Arrington
Mayor – Birmingham, Alabama

Edward Brooke
State Attorney General,
U.S. Senator since Reconstruction

Willie Brown
Mayor – San Francisco, California

Emanuel Cleaver
Mayor – Kansas City, Missouri

E. Franklin Frazier
President – American Sociological Association

Malvin Goode
Reporter – American Broadcasting Company

Samuel Gravely
Commandant of a U.S. Fleet

Charles Houston
Editor – Harvard Law Review

David Dinkins
Mayor – New York, N.Y.

Maynard Jackson
Mayor – Atlanta, Georgia

Ted Berry
Mayor – Cincinnati, Ohio

John Johnson
Forbes 400

Ernest Morial
Mayor – New Orleans, Louisiana

Thurgood Marshall
Justice – U.S. Supreme Court

Samuel Pierce
Board member of Fortune 500 company

Fritz Pollard
Head coach – National Football League

Chuck Stone
President – National Association of Black Journalists

Otha E. Thornton Jr.
President – National Parent Teacher Association

text: The fraternity's membership roster includes activist Dick Gregory, Princeton Professor Cornel West, Congressman Charles B. Rangel, Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Samuel Pierce, celebrity physician Corey Hébert, entrepreneur John Johnson, athlete Mike Powell, musician Donny Hathaway, United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young, the first Premier of Bermuda Sir Edward T. Richards, and Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson.[121]

text: Roland Burris became the only black member of the 2009 U.S. Senate when he assumed the seat vacated by President Barack Obama.[122]

text: Alpha men were instrumental in the founding and leadership of the NAACP (Du Bois),[123] People's National Party (PNP) Norman Manley,[124] Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) (Jesse E. Moorland),[125] UNCF (Frederick D. Patterson),[126] and the SCLC (King, Walker and Jemison). The National Urban League has had eight leaders in its more than 100 years of existence; six of its leaders are Alpha men: George Haynes, Eugene K. Jones, Lester Granger, Whitney Young, Hugh Price and Marc Morial.

text:
We are counting on Alpha men to show their true colors.

Antonio M. Smith,
17th General President ΑΦΑ[127]

text: From the ranks of the fraternity have come a number of pioneers in various fields. Honorary member Kelly Miller was the first African American to be admitted to Johns Hopkins University. Todd Duncan was the first actor to play "Porgy" in Porgy and Bess. During the Washington run of Porgy and Bess in 1936, the cast — as led by Todd Duncan — protested the audience's segregation. Duncan stated that he "would never play in a theater which barred him from purchasing tickets to certain seats because of his race." Eventually management would give into the demands and allow for the first integrated performance at the National Theatre.[128]

text: Charles Houston, a Harvard Law School graduate and a law professor at Howard University, first began a campaign in the 1930s to challenge racial discrimination in the federal courts. Houston's campaign to fight Jim Crow Laws began with Plessy v. Ferguson and culminated in a unanimous Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.

text: Ron Dellums' campaign to end the racist, apartheid policies of South Africa succeeded when the House of Representatives passed Dellums' anti-apartheid Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act calling for a trade embargo against South Africa and immediate divestment by American corporations.[d][129]

text: Martin Luther King Jr. was a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." The Presidential Medal of Freedom, designed to recognize individuals who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors", has been awarded to many members including Edward Brooke and William Coleman. The Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award of the United States Congress, was awarded to Jesse Owens and Vice President Hubert Humphrey. The Spingarn Medal, awarded annually by the NAACP for outstanding achievement by a Black American, has been awarded to brothers John Hope Franklin, Rayford Logan and numerous fraternity members.

text: Premier Norman Manley was a Rhodes Scholar (1914), awarded annually by the Oxford-based Rhodes Trust on the basis of academic achievement and character. Randal Pinkett, Andrew Zawacki, and Westley Moore are other Rhodes Scholar recipients.

text: A number of buildings and monuments have been named after Alpha men such as the Eddie Robinson Stadium, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Whitney Young Memorial Bridge, and the W. E. B. Du Bois library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The United States Postal Service has honored fraternity members W. E. B. Du Bois, Duke Ellington, Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson and Whitney Young with a commemorative stamp in their Black Heritage Stamp series.[130]

text: General Presidents of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.[edit]

text:
Moses A. Morrison, 1908–1909
Roscoe C. Giles, 1910
Frederick H. Miller, 1911
Charles H. Garvin, 1912–1914[131]
Henry L. Dickason, 1914–1915
Henry A. Callis, 1915
Howard H. Long, 1916–1917
William A. Pollard, 1917–1918
Daniel D. Fowler, 1919
Lucius L. McGee, 1920
Simeon S. Booker, 1921–1923
Raymond W. Cannon, 1924–1927
Bert A. Rose, 1928–1931
Charles H. Wesley, 1932–1940
Rayford W. Logan, 1941–1945
Belford V. Lawson Jr., 1946–1951
Antonio M. Smith, 1952–1954
Frank L. Stanley, 1955–1957
Myles A. Paige, 1957–1960
William H. Hale, 1961–1962
T. Winston Cole Sr., 1963–1964
Lionel H. Newsom, 1965–1968
Ernest N. Morial, 1968–1972
Walter Washington, 1973–1976
James R. Williams, 1977–1980
Ozell Sutton, 1981–1984
Charles C. Teamer, 1985–1988
Henry Ponder, 1989–1992
Milton C. Davis, 1993–1996
Adrian L. Wallace, 1997–2000
Harry E. Johnson, 2001–2004
Darryl R. Matthews Sr. 2005–2008
Herman "Skip" Mason Jr., 2009 – April 2012
Aaron Crutison Sr. (acting), April 2012 – December 2012
Mark S. Tillman, 2013–2016
Everett B. Ward, 2017–present[132]

text: Egyptian symbolism[edit]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha utilizes motifs from Ancient Egypt and uses images and songs depicting the Her-em-akhet (Great Sphinx of Giza), pharaohs, and other Egyptian artifacts to represent the organization. The Great Sphinx of Giza was made out of one unified body of stone which represents the fraternity and its members. This is in contrast to other fraternities that traditionally echo themes from the golden age of Ancient Greece. Alpha's constant reference to Ethiopia in hymns and poems are further examples of Alpha's mission to imbue itself with an African cultural heritage. Fraternity brother Charles H. Wesley wrote, "To the Alpha Phi Alpha brotherhood, African history and civilization, the Sphinx, and Ethiopian tradition bring new meanings and these are interpreted with new significance to others." The Great Pyramids of Giza, symbols of foundation, sacred geometry and more, are other African images chosen by Alpha Phi Alpha as fraternity icons.[133]

text:
I have stood beside the Sphinx in Egypt in Africa in July on my third visit there, and I brought greetings to this silent historical figure in the name of Alpha Phi Alpha and I crossed the continent to Ethiopia.

Charles H. Wesley,
14th General President ΑΦΑ[134]

text: The fraternity's 21st General President, Thomas W. Cole once said, "Alpha Phi Alpha must go back to her ultimate roots; only then can she be nurtured to full bloom."[135] Fraternity members make pilgrimages to its spiritual birthplaces of Egypt to walk across the sands of the Giza Plateau to the Great Sphinx of Giza and the Great Pyramids of Giza, and to Ethiopia.[136]

text: Centennial celebration[edit]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha declared 2006 the beginning of its "Centennial Era" as it readied for its Centenary, framed by the slogan "First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All". These preparations consisted of nationwide activities and events, including the commissioning of intellectual and scholarly works, presentation of exhibits, lectures, artwork and musical expositions, the production of film and video presentations and a Centennial Convention July 25–30, 2006, in Washington, D.C.

text: The 2006 Centennial Celebration Kickoff launched with a "pilgrimage" to Cornell University on November 19, 2005. That event brought over 700 fraternity members who gathered for a day-long program. Members journeyed across campus and unveiled a new centennial memorial to Alpha Phi Alpha. The memorial—a wall in the form of a "J" in recognition of the Jewels — features a bench and a plaque and is situated in front of the university's Barnes Hall.[137]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha Men: A Century of Leadership is a historical documentary on Alpha Phi Alpha's century of leadership and service. The film premiered in February 2006 on PBS[40] as part of the 2006 Black History Month theme, "Celebrating Community: A Tribute to Black Fraternal, Social and Civic Institutions."[138] In 2009, the fraternity donated its repository of interviews with prominent Alpha members that were collected for the documentary to Cornell University Library.[139]

text:
Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and special privilege to address this great body on such an auspicious occasion. As a proud member of this fraternity, I feel special esteem in joining the entire House to recognize the historical significance of the centennial anniversary of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

David Scott[140]

text: The Centennial Convention, called "Reflects on Rich Past, Looks Toward Bright Future", began on Capitol Hill with Congressman and fraternity member David Scott stating to the House of Representatives, "this week men from every discipline and geographic location convene to chart and plan for the fraternity's future, celebrate its 100th anniversary, and reinvigorate its founding principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity." The House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Resolution 384, approved 422–0,[141] which recognized and honored Alpha Phi Alpha as the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans, its accomplishments and its historic milestone.[140]

text: The resolution was co-sponsored by the eight members of the House of Representatives who are members of Alpha Phi Alpha which included Emanuel Cleaver, Robert Scott and Chaka Fattah. While in Washington, fraternity members such as National Urban League head Marc Morial and Congressman Gregory Meeks witnessed the renewal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by President George W. Bush in a signing ceremony at the White House. A tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. with an hour-long reflection at the site of the King Memorial was witnessed by Alpha's General President(s) and a host of the fraternity members assembled for the convention. Grammy Award winning singer Lionel Richie gave a performance for his fraternity at the John F. Kennedy Center.[142]

text: The House of Alpha, the Centennial Exhibit of Alpha Phi Alpha, opened its doors at the convention. Herman "Skip" Mason served as curator of the exhibit, which has been described as a "fraternal masterpiece." The featured materials are part of the records of Alpha Phi Alpha and local chapters, and the personal collections of fraternity members.[143] Mason was inaugurated as the fraternity's 33rd General President in January 2009.[144]

text: Black college Greek movement[edit]

text: Blacks call themselves Greek because "Greece was a culturally diverse pluralistic society of various ethnic and racial groups—much like the United States of today. However, the citizens were mostly dark-skinned black and brown people" according to journalist and Alpha member Tony Brown.[145]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha is the first intercollegiate Greek-lettered fraternity in the United States established for people of African descent, and the paragon for the Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) that followed.[133] Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded in 1908 at Howard University as both the first African-American sorority and the first BGLO founded at a black college.[146] Four other BGLOs were in quick succession founded at Howard: Omega Psi Phi (1911), Delta Sigma Theta (1913), Phi Beta Sigma (1914) and Zeta Phi Beta (1920). Kappa Alpha Psi was founded at Indiana University in 1911. Sigma Gamma Rho (1922) and Iota Phi Theta (1963) were founded at Butler University and Morgan State University, respectively.[147]

text: In 1940, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and Kappa Alpha Psi hosted conventions in the Municipal Auditorium of Kansas City, Missouri and held a historic joint BGLO session.[148]

text: Notable controversies[edit]

text: In 1989, Joel Harris, age 18, a student at Morehouse College, died after suffering from what the Cobb County medical examiner's office called "an intensive amount of anxiety and stress" after a night of hazing. Harris had been punched in the chest and slapped in the face multiple times as part of a so-called "thunder and lightning" ritual hours before his death.[149]

text: In 1992, Gregory R. Batipps, age 20, a student at the University of Virginia, died in a car accident after falling asleep at the wheel. He was sleep-deprived due to hazing while pledging Alpha Phi Alpha.[150]

text: In 1995, a pledge seeking to join the most prestigious chapter, the Alpha Chapter at Cornell University, developed a "life-threatening infection in his buttocks" after being paddled repeatedly. He sued the fraternity for $2 million and the fraternity was banned from campus for several years for violating the school's code of conduct.[151]

text: In 2003, a 21-year-old pledge at Southern Methodist University (SMU) went into a coma after being coerced to drink large amounts of water in an Alpha Phi Alpha initiation ritual. The chapter was temporarily expelled from campus and eight Alpha Phi Alpha members were indicted on felony aggravated assault charges.[152] In 2006, the first trial in the case, of Raymond Lee (SMU fraternity member), resulted in a conviction and a sentence to 180 days in jail, ten years of probation, and a $10,000 fine.[153]

text: In 2008, Mcandy Douarin, age 26, a student at the University of Central Florida (UCF), died of hazing induced heart failure while pledging Alpha Phi Alpha. Douarin shared with his family that he was frequently punched in the chest by members of Alpha Phi Alpha as part of the pledging process and his family released photos of bruises on his chest to validate that was the reason why he died. Despite the released photos and statements from UCF students validating Douarin was pledging the fraternity, the university refused to launch an investigation on any allegations against them after the fraternity stated Douarin had not officially applied for membership. The family hired an attorney to help hold the fraternity accountable for his death.[154][155]

text: In 2009, a fraternity member at Fort Valley State University was arrested and charged with felony aggravated battery for hospitalizing a pledge with acute renal failure.[156]

text: In 2010, the fraternity was banned from the campus of Mercer University for three years for hazing. Pledges were sleep deprived, paddled, and forced on a strict diet.[156]

text: In 2010, Alpha Phi Alpha suspended membership intake "after decades of hazing-related controversies plaguing Black Greek Letter Organizations despite their anti-hazing/anti-pledging policies."[157]

text: In 2011, Emory University suspended the fraternity for four years due to several hazing violations.[158]

text: In 2013, 15 Alpha Phi Alpha members pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment charges arising from off-campus hazing at Jacksonville State University in 2011, in which pledges were beaten, humiliated, hospitalized, and forced to drink toxic drinks until they vomited. The members involved were all sentenced to 365 days in jail. One of the pledges filed a civil suit against the fraternity.[159]

text: In 2013, four Alpha Phi Alpha members were arrested and plead guilty to severely beating pledges (misdemeanor charge) and violating Virginia State University's code of conduct.[160][161]

text: In 2014, a $3 million lawsuit was filed against the fraternity by a former pledge who was subject to humiliation and abuse. While pledging at Bowie State University, it was reported that he endured verbal assaults, punches, slaps, paddling, and body slams on a consistent basis.[162]

text: In 2014, six Alpha Phi Alpha men at the University of Akron were arrested and charged with assault for severely beating pledges. One known pledge was hospitalized due to excessive bleeding.[163]

text: In 2014, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville suspended the fraternity for paddling and pouring hot sauce on the genitals of pledges. The fraternity was placed on suspension until August 2016.[164]

text: In 2015, the University of Texas at San Antonio suspended the fraternity until at least December 31, 2018 for beating pledges with paddles and failure to report hazing.[165]

text: On January 29, 2016, Bradley Doyley, a senior and basketball player at Buffalo State College was pronounced dead as a result of a pledging hazing ritual. Doyley as a pledge was asked to drink an unidentified toxic cocktail off campus by members of Alpha Phi Alpha that caused him to suddenly vomit blood according to a close family friend. Doyley was taken to a local hospital for an emergency surgery where he eventually died. The chapter connected with the death of Doyley has been suspended by the college and members of the fraternity are under investigation for homicide charges. Doyley was four months away from graduation.[166]

text: In 2016, Virginia Tech University banned the fraternity until 2026 for severely abusing pledges and misconduct. One known pledge was hospitalized due to beatings he endured.[167]

text: Publications[edit]

text: The history, leadership, membership, activities, and continued progress of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated has been documented in a number of publications.

text:
Publication Year
Title
Author

1997
The Talented Tenth: Biographical Sketches of the Seven "jewels" of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc
Mason, Herman

1999
The Talented Tenth: The Founders and Presidents of Alpha
Mason, Herman

2006
Jewels: The Story of the Founding of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Gourdine, Darrius J.

2012
Alpha Phi Alpha: A Legacy of Greatness, The Demands of Transcendence
Parks, Gregory and Stefan M. Bradley

2016
Jewels: Town Hall Meeting
Gourdine, Darrius

Centennial Book of Essays and Letters: Excerpts from the Brotherhood of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Development in College Life (History Book, Volume I)
Wesley, Charles H.

The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Tradition of Leadership and Service (History Book, Volume II)
Harris, Robert L.

Henry Arthur Callis: Life & Legacy
Wesley, Charles H.

text: Documentary films[edit]

text: Alpha Phi Alpha Men: A Century of Leadership, 2006, producer/directors: Alamerica Bank/Rubicon Productions

text: Membership fees[edit]

text:
Alumni – $1,400
College freshmen – $1,276
College sophomores – $1,201
College juniors – $1,126
College seniors – $1,051[168]

text: A non-refundable administrative fee of $275 is included in the above fees.[168]


document_title: Number sign

question_text: what does a pound sign mean in math

question_tokens: what does a pound sign mean in math

root

text: Number sign

text: Origin and names[edit]

text: It is often claimed that the symbol traces its origins to the symbol ℔, an abbreviation of the Roman term libra pondo, which translates as "pound weight".[5][6] This abbreviation was printed with a dedicated ligature type, with a horizontal line across, so that the lowercase letter "l" would not be mistaken for the numeral "1": ℔. Ultimately, the symbol was reduced for clarity as an overlay of two horizontal strokes "=" across two slash-like strokes "//".[6]

tag: p

text: The symbol is described as the "number" character in an 1853 treatise on book-keeping.[7] Examples of it being used to indicate pounds exist at least as far back as 1850,[8] and its double meaning is described in a book-keeping text from 1880.[9] The symbol appears to be used primarily in handwritten material, while in the printing business, the numero (№) symbol and barred-lb (℔) are used for "number" and "pounds" respectively. It appeared on the keyboard of the Remington Standard typewriter (c. 1886),[10] but was not used on the keyboards used for typesetting.[8] The instruction manual of the Blickensderfer model 5 (c. 1896) appears to refer to the symbol as the "number mark".[11] Some early twentieth-century U.S. sources refer to it as the "number sign",[12] although this could also refer to the numero sign.[13]

text: A 1917 manual distinguishes between two uses of the sign: "number (written before a figure)" and "pounds (written after a figure)".[14] The use of the phrase "pound sign" to refer to this symbol is found from 1932 in U.S. usage.[15] Before this time, and still outside the U.S., the term "pound sign" was used to refer to the pound currency symbol (£) or the pound weight symbol (lb).

text: An alternative theory is that this name arose from the fact that character encodings used the same code for both the number sign and the British pound sign "£". Claims have included ISO 646-GB as well as the Baudot code in the late 19th century.[16] The apparent use of the sign to mean pounds weight in 1850[8] appears to rule out both of these code sets as the origin, though that same reference admits that the earliest reference in print was a decade after Baudot code.

text: "Hash sign" is found in South Africans writings from the late 1960s,[17] and from other non-North-American sources in the 1970s.

text: Usage in North America[edit]

text: Mainstream use in the United States is as follows: when it prefixes a number, it is read as "number", as in "a #2 pencil" (indicating "a number-two pencil"). When the symbol follows a number, the symbol indicates weight in pounds. (Five pounds are indicated as 5#.) This traditional usage still finds handwritten use, and may be seen on some signs in markets and groceries. It is also commonly known as the "pound sign".[18]

text: In Canada the symbol is called both the "number sign" and the "pound sign".[19] The American company Avaya has an option in their programming to denote Canadian English, which in turn instructs the system to say "number sign" to callers instead of "pound sign".[20]

text: Usage in the United Kingdom and Ireland[edit]

text: In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is generally[21] called a hash (probably ultimately from "hatch",[22] referring to cross-hatching, although the exact derivation is disputed[23]). It is never used to denote pounds, either as weight (lb or lbs is used for this) or currency (pounds sterling, for which "£" is used). It is never called the "pound sign"; that term is understood to mean the currency symbol "£", for pound sterling or (formerly) Irish pound.

text: The use of "#" as an abbreviation for "number" is often understood in Britain and Ireland, especially where there has been business or educational contact with American usage, but use in print is rare[24] and British typewriters had "£" in place of the American "#".[25] Where Americans might write "Symphony #5", the British and Irish are more likely to write "Symphony No. 5", or perhaps use the numero sign "Symphony № 5" (as in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians).

text: To add to the confusion between "£" and "#", in BS 4730 (the UK national variant of the ISO/IEC 646 character set), 0x23 represents "£" whereas in ASCII (the US variant), it represents "#", thus it was common for the same character code to display "#" on US equipment and "£" on British equipment.

text: Other names in English[edit]

text: The symbol has many other names (and uses) in English:

text:
a line space (the space between two adjacent lines denoted by line # in the margin),
a hair space (the space between two letters in a word, denoted by hr #)
a word space, or letter space (the space between two words on a line, two letter spaces being ##)

tag: ol

text: In mathematics[edit]

text:
In set theory, #S is the cardinality of the set S. That is, for a set

S
=
{

s

1

,

s

2

,

s

3

,
…
,

s

n

}

{\displaystyle S=\{s_{1},s_{2},s_{3},\dots ,s_{n}\}}

,

#
S
=
n
.

{\displaystyle \#S=n.}

In topology, where A and B are manifolds, A#B is the manifolds' connected sum. In knot theory (a branch of topology), where A and B are knots, A#B is the knots' knot sum.
In number theory, n# is the primorial of n.

tag: ul

text: In computing[edit]

text:
In many scripting languages and data file formats, especially ones that originated on Unix, the # introduces a comment that goes to the end of the line. The combination #! at the start of an executable file is a "shebang", "hash-bang" or "pound-bang", used to tell the operating system which program to use to run the script (see magic number). This combination was chosen so it would be a comment in the scripting languages.

#! is the symbol of the CrunchBang Linux distribution.

In the Perl programming language, # is used as a modifier to array syntax to return the index number of the last element in the array, e.g., @array's last element is at $array[$#array]. The number of elements in @array is $#array + 1, since Perl arrays default to using zero based indices. If the array has not been defined, the return is also undefined. If the array is defined but has not had any elements assigned to it, e.g., @array = (); then $#array returns −1. See the section on Array functions in the Perl language structure article.
In the C preprocessor (and the C++ preprocessor, and other syntactically C-like languages), # is used to start a preprocessor directive. Inside macros (after #define) it is used for various purposes, including the double pound sign ## used for token concatenation.
In Unix shells, # is placed by convention at the end of a command prompt to denote that the user is working as root.
# is used in a URL of a webpage or other resource to introduce a "fragment identifier" – an id which defines a position within that resource. For example, in the URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_sign#In_computing the portion after the # (In_computing) is the fragment identifier, in this case denoting that the display should be moved to show the tag marked by ... in the HTML.[41]
Internet Relay Chat: on (IRC) servers, # precedes the name of every channel that is available across an entire IRC network.
In blogs, # is sometimes used to denote a permalink for that particular weblog entry.
In lightweight markup languages, such as wikitext, # is often used to introduce numbered list items.
In OCaml, # is the operator used to call a method.
In Common Lisp,[42] # is a dispatching read macro character used to extend the S-expression syntax with short cuts and support for various data types (complex numbers, vectors and more).
In Scheme, # is the prefix for certain syntax with special meaning.
In Standard ML, #, when prefixed to a field name, becomes a projection function (function to access the field of a record or tuple); also, # prefixes a string literal to turn it into a character literal.
In Mathematica syntax, #, when used as a variable, becomes a pure function (a placeholder that is mapped to any variable meeting the conditions).
In LaTeX, #, when prefixing a number, references an arguments for a user defined command. For instance \newcommand{\code}[1]{\texttt{#1}}.
In Javadoc,[43] # is used with the @see tag to introduce or separate a field, constructor, or method member from its containing class.
In some dialects of assembly language, # is used to denote immediate mode addressing, e.g., LDA #10, which means "load the accumulator with the value 10" in MOS 6502 assembly language.
in HTML, CSS, SVG, and other computing applications "#" is used to identify a color specified in hexadecimal format, e.g., #FFAA00. This usage comes from X11 color specifications, which inherited it from early assembler dialects that used "#" to prefix hexadecimal constants, e.g.: ZX Spectrum Z80 assembly[44].
In Be-Music Script, every command line starts with #. Lines starting with characters other than # are treated as comments.
The use of the # symbol in a hashtag is a phenomenon conceived by Chris Messina, and popularized by social media network Twitter, as a way to direct conversations and topics amongst users. This has led to an increasingly common tendency to refer to the symbol itself as "hashtag", but this is technically incorrect.[1]
In programming languages like PL/1 and Assembler used on IBM mainframe systems, as well as JCL (Job Control Language), the # symbol (along with $ and @) are used as additional letters in identifiers, labels and data set names.

text: Other uses[edit]

text:
Press releases: the notation "###" denotes "end", i.e. that there is no further copy to come.[45]
Chess notation: # after a move denotes checkmate, being easier to type than the traditional ‡.
Scrabble: Putting a number sign after a word indicates that the word is found in the British word lists, but not the North American lists.[46]
Prescription drug delimiter: in some countries, such as Norway or Poland, # is used as a delimiter between different drugs on medical prescriptions.
Copy writing and editing: technical writers often use three hash signs ("###") as a marker in text where more content will be added or there are errors to be corrected.
Mining: in underground mining, the hash sign is sometimes used as a shorthand for "seam" or "shaft". An example would be "4#", which would mean "four shaft" or "four seam" depending on the context.[citation needed]
Medical shorthand: # is often used to indicate a bone fracture.[47] For example, '#NOF' is often used for 'fractured neck of femur'.
In linguistic phonology, # denotes a word boundary. For instance, /d/ → [t] / _# means that /d/ becomes [t] when it is the last segment in a word (i.e. when it appears before a word boundary).
In linguistic syntax, # before an example sentence denotes that the sentence is semantically ill-formed, though grammatically well-formed. For instance, "#The toothbrush is pregnant" is a grammatical sentence, but the meaning is odd.[48]
In Teletext and DVB subtitles in the UK, the # symbol is used to mark text that is either sung by a character or heard in background music. e.g. # For he's a jolly good fellow #
American sign language transcription into English uses the # prefixing an all-caps word to identify a lexicalized fingerspelled sign, having some sort of blends or letter drops. All-caps words without the prefix are used for standard English words that are fingerspelled in their entirety.[49]
as footnote symbols (or endnote symbols) due to ready availability in many fonts and directly on computer keyboards, it and other symbols (such as the caret) have in recent years begun to be occasionally used in catalogues and reports in place of more traditional symbols (esp. dagger, double-dagger, pilcrow; the traditional asterisk remains readily available and used).

text: Unicode[edit]

text: In Unicode, several # characters are assigned:

text:
U+0023 # Number sign (HTML #) Other attested names in Unicode are: pound sign, hash, crosshatch, octothorpe.
U+FF03 ＃ FULLWIDTH NUMBER SIGN (HTML ＃)
U+FE5F ﹟ SMALL NUMBER SIGN (HTML ﹟)
U+E0023 TAG NUMBER SIGN (HTML )

text: At least three orthographically distinct number signs from other languages are also assigned:

text:
U+0600 ؀ ARABIC NUMBER SIGN (HTML ؀)
U+0BFA ௺ TAMIL NUMBER SIGN (HTML ௺)
U+110BD KAITHI NUMBER SIGN (HTML 𑂽)

text: On keyboards[edit]

text: On the standard US keyboard layout, the # symbol is ⇧ Shift+3. On standard UK and some other European keyboards, the same keystrokes produce the pound currency symbol (£), and # is moved to a separate key above the right shift. On UK Mac keyboards, # is generated by ⌥ Opt+3, whereas on some other European Mac keyboards, the # can be found above the right shift key.


document_title: Million Dollar Money Drop

question_text: when was the sony walkman sold in stores

text: Million Dollar Money Drop

text: Game format[edit]

text: A team of two people with a pre-existing relationship is presented with US$1,000,000 in $20 bills, banded in 50 bundles of $20,000 each.[5] The team must risk the entire amount on a series of seven multiple-choice questions.

text: For each question, the contestants choose one of two categories, then indicate which answer(s) they wish to risk their money on by moving the bundles of cash onto a row of trap doors, termed "drops," each of which corresponds to one answer. However, they must always keep at least one drop "clear" with no money on it. In addition, six of the seven questions have a time limit; any money that is not placed on an answer when time runs out will be lost. Once the money is in place, the drops corresponding to the wrong answers are opened, and any money placed on them falls into a chute below the stage and is lost. The contestants then continue the game with the next question, keeping the money they had placed on the right answer.

text: The seventh and final question has only two answer choices, forcing the players to put all their remaining money on one drop. If they answer correctly, they win the money; if not, they leave with nothing. In addition, if the players lose all of their money before reaching the final question, the game ends and the players leave with nothing.

text:
Question(s)
Answer
choices
Time limit

1–3
4
60 seconds

4–5
3
75 seconds

6
90 seconds

7
2
None

tag: table

text: Quick Change[edit]

text: The contestants may use one "Quick Change" during the game, on any question except the seventh. This feature allows them an extra 30 seconds to distribute their cash among the trap doors. If none of the trapdoors are left open and the contestants still have the Quick Change, it will automatically be used. Contestants are not allowed to use the Quick Change on the final question because it has no time limit. The Quick Change was later implemented on the German version in early 2011.

text: Final Fact[edit]

text: For the seventh question, once the contestants have placed their money on one of the trap doors, the host reveals a piece of information about the answers. They then have 60 seconds to switch their answer or leave the money where it is.

text: Broadcast history[edit]

text: Ratings[edit]

text: For the twelve episodes aired, the average viewership was 5.03 million.[citation needed]

text: Contestant winnings[edit]

text: No one won $1,000,000, but a couple named Nathan Moore and Lana McKissack are the most successful pair, having won $300,000 on the episode that aired on Tuesday, January 18, 2011.[citation needed] Twelve contestant pairs have finished with $0 or have been eliminated from the game.[citation needed]

text: Controversies[edit]

text: On the very first episode, Gabe Okoye and Brittany Mayti lost $800,000 on a question that asked, "Which of these was sold in stores first?" The three possible answers were: Macintosh computer, Sony Walkman, and Post-it notes. Gabe placed the bulk of the team's money on the answer "Post-it notes." The correct answer was then revealed to be Sony Walkman.[6]

text: Later, viewers began to dispute the accuracy of the question because of information on the Internet that indicated Post-It Notes were "launched" or "introduced" under the name "Press 'N Peel" in four cities in 1977, based on an interview with the inventors of the Post-It Note published in the Financial Times.[7][8] On April 6, 1980, the product debuted in US stores as "Post-It Notes."[9] The Sony Walkman went on sale in Japan on July 1, 1979, and was later introduced to the US in June 1980.[10]

text: On December 21, 2010, Gawker published an article on this controversy, and the web site was later contacted by a Fox representative. Jeff Apploff, the show's executive producer, initially issued the following statement: "The integrity of the questions and answers on our show are our No. 1 priority. In this case, our research team spoke directly with 3M, and they confirmed that although they had given out free samples in test markets in 1977 and 1978, it wasn't until 1980 that Post-Its were sold in stores. Million Dollar Money Drop stands behind the answer that was revealed on the show."[11] Two days later, Apploff issued another statement: “Unfortunately the information our research department originally obtained from 3M regarding when Post-it notes were first sold was incomplete... As a result of new information we have received from 3M, we feel it is only fair to give our contestants, Gabe and Brittany, another shot to play Million Dollar Money Drop even though this question was not the deciding question in their game. The revised information regarding the Post-it is as follows: the product was originally tested for sale in four cities under the name ‘Press ‘N Peel’ in 1977, sold as ‘Post-its’ in 1979 when the rollout introduction began and sold nationwide in 1980."[12]

text: On December 28, host Kevin Pollak said, "They never had a chance to win that money. Ever. No matter what," and added, "This story is a moot point." He provided further detail when he said, "They lost everything on the next question. It's a non-story."[13]

text: On September 25, 2012, BuzzerBlog reported that the next couple to play after Gabe and Brittany, Andrew and Patricia Murray, also planned to sue Fox and Endemol because they also had a faulty question, which asked, "According to the data security firm IMPERVA, what's the most common computer password?" The choices were "PASSWORD", "123456", and "ILOVEYOU", placing the $580,000 they had left on "PASSWORD"; however, according to the show, "123456" was the correct answer. In a statement from the Murrays, "IMPERVA did not conduct its own objective survey of computer users but rather supports its assertion that 123456 is the most common password based on analysis of a hacking incident involving a website known as RockYou.com." They also concluded that had the show known that the question was pertaining to one incident, they would've, in the couple's words, "hedged their bets and played differently." They are suing for their prize money of $580,000 because of this.[14]