Alpha Legacy: A Brief History

The Seven Jewels

The most remarkable leadership in the African-American community in the 20th century has without question come from the ranks of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Since its founding on December 4, 1906, the Fraternity has supplied voice and vision to the struggle of African-Americans and people of color around the world. Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity in the United States established for men of African descent, was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of Brotherhood between African-Americans.

Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy


These seven young men felt there was a need for more Black unity on Cornell's predominately white campus. Since other avenues in Greek life at this time were not readily accessible to many Blacks, these men took it upon themselves to take the first steps in forming the traditional Black Greek system.

The Fraternity initially served as a study and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice-educationally and socially-at Cornell. During those beginning days, the Jewel founders and early leaders of the Fraternity worked to lay a solid foundation for Alpha Phi Alpha's principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character and the uplifting of humanity. Today, THE ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED exceeds 125,000 members and has over 700 chapters in the 50 states, Bermuda, England, Liberia, South Korea, the Virgin Islands, and West Germany.

Alpha Phi Alpha has evolved into an organization that takes pride in attempting to right many wrongs society has bestowed upon us. Alpha's constant efforts of increasing the educational, economic, and social well-being of the Black people in the United States are unparalled. These efforts are evident in our direct participation in numerous national organizations and our financial contributions to their programs oriented to handle problem areas such as civil rights, poor housing, and inadequate education of our youth. Alpha Phi Alpha was a proud sponsor of the recent Million Man March last year in Washington D.C. And our philanthropies are the NAACP, United Negro College Fund, and the National Urban League. Alpha Phi Alpha's fraternity motto is:

FIRST OF ALL,

SERVANTS OF ALL,

WE SHALL TRANSCEND ALL!!!

Vertner Woodson Tandy

Vertner Woodson Tandy was born on May 17, 1885. In 1904 he attended Tuskegee Institute, transferring the next year to Cornell. Upon graduation, he became the state of New York's first Black registered architect, with offices on
Broadway in New York City. The designer of the Fraternity pin also holds the distinction of being the first African American to pass the military commissioning examination and was commissioned First Lieutenant in the 15th Infantry of the New York State National Guard during the First World War. He was Alpha Chapter's first treasurer and took the initiative to incorporate the Fraternity. Among the buildings designed by the highly talented architect is Saint Phillips Episcopal Church in New York City. He died on November 7, 1949.