Alpha Phi Alpha is known the world over as the FIRST black Greek-letter fraternity in the United States and the foundation of all
black greek-letter fraternities today. Alpha Phi Alpha was founded on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York by seven visionary young scholars. These men wanted to increase the contact between students of African descent at the university into more than occasional conversation. These men are known as Jewels of the Fraternity. These men are Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinkle Jones, George Biddle Kelly, Nathanial Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle and Vertner Woodson Tandy.
Since that day Alpha Phi Alpha spear-headed many programs for the betterment of the black race. In the year 1919 the fraternity introduced the "Go to high school-Go to College" campaign to encourage young African-Americans to pursue higher education. Alpha soon lead the struggle for the
voting rights of African-Americans with the campaign "A Voteless People is A Hopeless People."
Today, Alpha is still a beacon of hope in the African-American community helping to lead the way to a stronger sense of brotherhood and unity among black men.
"The
House of Alpha"
by
Brother
Sydney P. Brown
GOODWILL,
is the monarch of this house.
Men
unaquainted enter, shake hands,
exchange
greetings, and depart friends.
Cordiality
exists among all who abide within.
I
am the eminent expression of friendship.
Character
and temperment change
under
my dominant power.
Lives
once touched by me become tuned
and
are thereafter amiable, kindly, fraternal.
I
inspire the musician to play noble sentiments,
and
assist the chemist to convert ungenerous
personalities
into individuals of great worth.
I
destroy all ignoble impulses.
I
constantly invoke principles which make for
common
brotherhood and the echo resounds
in
all communities and princely men
are
thereby recognized.
Education,
health, music, encouragement, sympathy
laughter-all
these are species of interest given
on
self-invested capital.
Tired
moments find me a delightful treat, hours
of
sorrow, a shrine of understanding-at all times
faithful
to the creed of companionship
To
a few, I am the castle of dreams
ambitious,
successful, hopeful dreams.
To
many, I am the poetic palace where human feeling
is
rhymed to celestial motives;
to
the great majority I am the treasury of good fellowship.
In
fact I am the college of friendship, the university
