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ABOUT ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC.
	Alpha Phi Alpha was the creation of several African-American students on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The fraternity as we know it today started December 4, 1906. Prior to evolving into a full-fledged Greek letter fraternity, it existed for years as a social studies club and literary society for black students at Cornell. Alpha holds the distinction as the first greek-letter intercollegiate fraternity founded by and for African-Americans. Given the racial climate in the US in the early twentieth century, the accomplishments of the fraternity's founders were no small feat. Years after the formation of the organization, one of the founders remarked that, after many black students did not return to Cornell after the 1904-5 academic year, the small group of blacks who remained were determined to bind themselves together in order to ensure that each would survive the racially hostile environment on campus. The men, some of whom were undergraduates and others who came to Cornell to pursue graduate and professional degrees, encountered much opposition to the idea of a black fraternity. Some of the strongest naysayers were other Cornell African-American students who argued that black students lacked the cultural knowledge and background to successfully start a Greek letter fraternity similar in nature to their white counterparts. The original visionaries are affectionately termed the "Jewels" of the fraternity. Seven in number, they include: Dr. Henry Authur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy.
	JEWEL DR. HENRY AUTHUR CALLIS Callis became a practicing physician and Howard University professor of medicine. He was the only of the "Cornell Seven" to become General President. He died in 1974 at the age of 87.
	JEWEL CHARLES HENRY CHAPMAN Chapman entered higher education and eventually became professor of agriculture at what is now Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. He died in 1934.
	JEWEL EUGENE KINCKLE JONES Jones served a 20-year tenure as Executive Secretary of the National Urban League. A versatile leader, he founded the first three chapters outside of Cornell (Howard, Virginia Union, University of Toronto). Jones died in 1954.
	JEWEL GEORGE BIDDLE KELLEY A civil engineer, Kelley became the first African-American engineer registered in the state of New York. An active proponent of the establishing of the fraternity, he also served as Alpha chapter's first president. He died in 1963.
	JEWEL NATHANIEL ALLISON MURRAY Murray, a graduate student at Cornell, pursued a career in teaching. He returned to his home of Washington DC and spent most of his career at Armstrong Technical High School. He died in 1959.
	JEWEL ROBERT HAROLD OGLE Ogle spent much of his career on Capitol Hill as a professional staff member of the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations. He proposed the fraternity's colors, Black and Olde Gold. Ogle died in 1936.
	JEWEL VERTNER WOODSON TANDY Tandy was the first black architect registered in the state of New York. He was also an officer in the NY National Guard, being the first African-American to pass the military commissioning examination. He died in 1949 at age 64.

	OFFICIAL MISSION STATEMENT Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.
	OFFICIAL VISION STATEMENT The objectives of this Fraternity shall be: (1) to stimulate the ambition of its members; (2) to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the causes of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual; (3) to encourage the highest and noblest form of manhood; and (4) to aid down-trodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic and intellectuals status.
	NATIONAL PROGRAMS National Programs are programs/projects which have been adopted by the General Convention and mandated for implementation by all chapters. Our National Programs are: Go to High School, Go to College Project Alpha A Voteless People is a Hopeless People Go to High School, Go to College The "Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College" program, established in 1922, concentrates on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement. Statistics prove the value of this extra impetus in making the difference in the success of young African-American men, given that school completion is the single best predictor of future economic success. Through the Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College educational initiative, young men receive information and learn strategies that facilitate success. Alpha men provide youth participants with excellent role models to emulate. Project Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation began collaboratively implementing Project Alpha in 1980. This collaborative project is designed to provide education, motivation and skill-building on issues of responsibility, relationships, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases for young males ages 12-15 years. Designed to provide young men with current and accurate information about teen pregnancy prevention, Project Alpha consists of a series of workshops and informational sessions conducted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brothers. The three goals of Project Alpha programs are: Sharing knowledge by combating ignorance and fear with factual information; Changing attitudes by providing motivation toward positive changes in sexual behavior; and Providing skills by creating a sense of empowerment and self-esteem. For more than 20 years, the men of Alpha Phi Alpha have been working with the staff and volunteers of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, taking Project Alpha to hundreds of communities and thousands of teen males. Alpha Phi Alpha and the initiation of Project Alpha Began in the late 70s in Chicago by the Brothers of Iota Delta Lambda. The relationship with the March of Dimes came in 1982, which led to the program becoming a national program. A Voteless People is a Hopeless People "A Voteless People is a Hopeless People" was initiated as a National Program of Alpha during the 1930's 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 has remained a dominant focus of this outreach activity for over 65 years. In the 1990's, the focus has shifted to include political awareness and empowerment, delivered most frequently through town meetings and candidate forums.
	SPECIAL PROJECTS Special Projects are programs and activities which are sustained through collaborative efforts, memoranda of understanding, and/or outside financial assistance which may or may not be implemented by chapters. Existing Special Projects include: Alpha Head-Start Big Brothers/Big Sisters Boy Scouts of America The Leadership Development Institute Alpha Head Start Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., is committed to revitalizing the African-American male and family through its efforts with the Head Start program. This collaborative effort assists fathers in their rebound from the social forces which may have weakened their ability to function self-sufficiently to achieve some desired goal in life. The program seeks to foster initiatives which intervene in the lives of African-American fathers to remedy the negative social factors which tend to detract from success, thereby enhancing the ability of African-American families to remain strong and overcome negative social consequences. This program focuses on: Increasing the participation of fathers and other significant male family members in Head Start programs and the lives of their children; Developing effective strategies for increasing the resiliency of African-Americans men through intervention and prevention programs; . Sponsoring forums to alleviate some of the stereotypical views held of African-American men; and Providing mentoring/counseling services to facilitate grassroots communication and coordination on issues related to male involvement. Big Brothers/Big Sisters The Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America program was implemented during the fraternity's 1990 General Convention.The two organizations signed an agreement to assist each other in reaching their goals of working toward the positive development of African-American youth and empowering their families and communities. The focus of this partnership is to: Increase the number of African-American children exposed to positive African-American adult role models; Increase minority representation on local Big Brothers/Big Sisters' Board of Directors; Increase positive perceptions of both organizations in the African-American community; and Expose African-American boys of Big Brothers/Big Sisters programs to positive Alpha role models and the programs of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity have goals and objectives which make for a "natural alliance" between the two organizations. Through this alliance, the two organizations are achieving their goals by utilizing the Scouting program to its greatest potential as a programming resource. Alpha Chapters/Brothers have and continue to: Charter Scout units; Serve as district, council, regional, and national leaders; Refer promising and credible individuals for careers as volunteer and professional leaders in the Scouting program; and Develop special relationships and programs in conjunction with established units and levels of leadership. Through the Scouts, Alpha men get involved in their neighborhoods with young men and help form positive character and leadership qualities in and for future generations. The Leadership Development Institute The Leadership Development Institute (LDI) aims to develop a 21st century generation of leaders. This mission starts with young people, particularly those who demonstrate the potential to comprehend and apply the fundamental principles needed by leaders as well as whom, by virtue of their age and education, are often looked upon as role models. Thus, the Institute, which is implemented in five regions, seeks to equip high school students, primarily sophomores to seniors, with vital leadership skills. To this end, the members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., who organize and facilitate the regional LDIs, working along with other professionals/experts, instruct the participants in parliamentary procedures, conflict resolution, models of leadership, public speaking, community and civic engagement, and educational enhancement skills.
	PROMINENT MEMBERS Alpha Phi Alpha has attracted some of the best and brightest minds from all genres of society - art to activism, entertainment to politics, sports to science. Its emphasis on minority education and excellence, social justice and equality, and community and philanthropy continues to serve as a magnet for leaders and future leaders. The following list gives insight into the quality of the roll call of Alpha men. Activists: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Activist Julius L. Chambers: NAACP Legal Defense Fund Lester Granger: National Urban League Frederick Douglass: Anti-Slavery Activist W.E.B. Dubois: Writer, Historian, Civil Rights Activist Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.: Civil Rights Activist Thurgood Marshall: Civil Rights Activist, Supreme Court Justice Paul Robeson: Activist, Scholar, Singer, Football Player Dick Gregory: Activist William Gray: United Negro College Fund, Businessman Franklin Williams: Phelps-Stokes Fund Education and Scholarship: James Check: Howard University Thomas W. Cole, Jr.: President, Clark-Atlanta University William B. DeLauder: President, Delaware St. University John Hope Franklin: Historian E. Franklin Frazier: Sociologist Dennis Kimbro: Author Frederick Patterson: Founder, UNCF Dr. Ronald J. Temple: Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago Cornell West: Author Andrew Zawacki: Rhodes Scholar, Author Dr. Raymond W. Cannon: 1st Edition, Sphinx Magazine Norm Francis: President, Xavier University Military: Roscoe Cartwright: Brigadier General, USA Samuel Gravely: Vice Admiral, USN (first black to reach such rank) Edward Honor: Brigadier General, USA Fred A. Gorden: Major General, USA Benjamin Hacker: Rear Admiral, USN James McCall: Lieutenant General, USA Science and Medicine: Dr. Lessall D. Leffall: President, American College of Surgeons James Comer: Psychologist Garrett Morgan: Inventor, Traffic Signal Louis Sullivan: Secretary of Health and Education Winston Scott: Commander/Astronaut, NASA Government and Politics: Kwame Kilpatrick: Mayor of Detroit Dennis Archer: former, Mayor of Detroit Richard Arrington: Mayor of Birmingham Willie Brown: Mayor of San Francisco David Dinkins: Former Mayor of New York Rev. Emmanuel Cleaver: Mayor of Kansas City Chaka Fattah: Congressman, Pennsylvania Ernest Finney: South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Earl Hilliard: Congressman, Alabama (7th District) Maynard Jackson: Former Mayor of Atlanta Thurgood Marshall: Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Earnest "Dutch" Morial: 1st Black Mayor of New Orleans Marc Morial: Mayor of New Orleans Charles Rangel: Congressman, New York (15th District) Robert C. Scott: Congressman, Virginia (3rd District) Andrew Young: Former Mayor of Atlanta Business: Thomas J. Burrell: CEO, Burrell Advertising W. Melvin Brown: CEO, American Development Corp. John H. Johnson: Entrepreneur Delano Lewis: President, National Public Radio Henry Parks: Founder, Parks Sausages, Inc. Joshua Smith: CEO, Maxima Corporation Entertainment: Daryl Bell: Actor Tony Brown: Journalist/Producer Countee Cullen: Poet Duke Ellington: Jazz Musician Donny Hathaway: Musician Eugene Jackson: National Black Network Stuart Scott: ESPN Anchorman Chuck Stone: Philadelphia Daily News Keenan Ivory Wayans: Comedian, Producer Sports: Quinn Buckner: Former NBA Player and Coach Wes Chandler: Former NFL Player Todd Day: NBA Player Rosie Greer: Former NFL Player Charles Haley: NFL Player Michael Jackson: NFL Player Carnell Lake: NFL Player Jesse Owens: Olympic Gold Medalist Fritz Pollard: 1st Black Head Coach in the NFL Mike Powell: Track Star Eddie Robinson: Winningest Football Coach in NCAA History Art Shell: Former NFL Player and Coach Wes Unseld: Former NBA Player and Coach Gene Upshaw: President of the NFL Players Association Lenny Wilkens: Winningest Coach in NBA History John "Hot Rod" Williams: Former NBA Player Reggie Williams: Cincinnati Bengals
	NOTE: Much of the information found on this page was taken in whole or in part from the fraternity's official website, www.alphaphialpha.net. More information on any item covered here can be found there, and on other website on the Internet. You can visit the official website by typing the web address in your browser or through the "Links" section of this website.