Ωmega History

On Friday evening, November 17, 1911, three Howard University undergraduate students, with the assistance of their faculty adviser, gave birth to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. This event occurred in the office of biology Professor Ernest E. Just, the faculty adviser, in the Science Hall (now known as Thirkield Hall). The three liberal arts students were Edgar A. Love, Oscar J. Cooper and Frank Coleman. From the initials of the Greek phrase meaning "friendship is essential to the soul," the name Omega Psi Phi was derived. The phrase was selected as the motto. Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift were adopted as cardinal principles. A decision was made regarding the design for the pin and emblem, and thus ended the first meeting of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. 

George E. Hall, the fourth Grand Basileus, authorized the establishment of Gamma Chapter in Boston on December 13,1916 and appointed a committee of Brothers living in the Boston area to form the Chapter. James C. McMorries, brother of John H. McMorries, was elected the fifth Grand Basileus at the 5th Grand Conclave in 1916. In April 1917, the U.S. entered WWI and Omega men played a pivotal role in petitioning the Secretary of War for the establishment of an Officers Training Camp for African American men. The 17th Provisional Training Camp was established at Ft. Des Moines from June to October 1917. Sixteen Brothers participated in the Camp including Founders Edgar Love and Frank Coleman. Recognizing an opportunity for brotherhood and growth, these Brothers petitioned Grand Basileus McMorries for the establishment of a temporary chapter at Ft. Des Moines. Permission was granted and Omega's fourth chapter, the War Chapter, was established with Jesse Heslip elected as Basileus. During its time, the chapter initiated a total of ten men into the fold of Omega under two separate initiations. This helped laid foundation for the future growth of the Fraternity.

At the 6th Grand Conclave, dental student Clarence F. Holmes was elected the sixth Grand Basileus in 1917. Under Holmes' administration, the Fraternity's first official hymn, "Omega Men Draw Nigh" written by Otto Bohannon, was established. Additionally, recognizing the success of the War Chapter, Holmes approved the establishment of a temporary chapter, Camp Howard Chapter, during the Student Army Training Camp (SATC) at Howard University. This Camp was held to training college men as military instructors for their colleges and universities. Over 450 men from 70 colleges and universities attended the Camp from August 1st to September 16, 1918. During the brief time of the Camp Howard Chapter, 27 men from nine different colleges and universities were initiated into the Fraternity. Like the War Chapter, this laid the foundation of exponential growth for the Fraternity post-WWI.

In 1922, Grand Basileus J. Alston Atkins appointed the first District Representatives. Today, there are eleven such officers who are elected annually by the district conferences/meetings. Also, in 1922, the office of Vice Grand Basileus was created. The Grand Keeper of Records became the Grand Keeper of the Records and Seal. In 1923, Lambda Chapter was organized at the University of Southern California (the original Lambda Chapter, which is a graduate chapter in Norfolk, was renamed Lambda Omega). Omega Psi Phi becomes the first black Greek organization to span its membership across the United States - from the Atlantic (Iota in Atlantic City) to the Pacific (Lambda in Los Angeles). Sigma chapter was organized at McGill University, which is located in Montreal, Quebec (Canada) on December 15, 1923. Walter R. Dunston, former Basileus of Phi chapter, set up the fraternity’s first international chapter with the assistance of George W. Brown. In 1926, the memorial for Colonel Charles Young was held at Arlington National Cemetery. Memorial Service is established to memorialize Young's birthday. The first Omega Bulletin was published in 1923 and Campbell C. Johnson, the Grand Keeper of Records and Seal, was the Editor of the Bulletin and The Oracle. In 1930, Omega Psi Phi became one of five founding members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council with thirteenth Grand Basileus Matthew W. Bullock elected as its first permanent chairman.

“Omega Dear,” was adopted as the official hymn in 1931. Charles R. Drew, professor of surgery, and Mercer Cook, professor of languages, both members of the Howard faculty, were the composers. Cook wrote the music and first stanza; Drew wrote the last two stanzas. By mid-1930, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Federal Council of Negro Affairs or “Black Cabinet,” which was an informal group of African-American public policy advisors who were organized to help the country emerge out of the depression. Omega men: Robert C. Weaver, Lawrence Oxley, Roscoe Brown, Frank Horne, William Hastie, J. Arthur Weiseger, Ted Poston, Campbell C. Johnson and William Trent were among those who served on the cabinet. Each of the Founders graduated and went on to have distinguished careers in their chosen fields: Edgar Love became a bishop in the Methodist church; Oscar Cooper practiced medicine in Philadelphia for over 50 years; Frank Coleman became the chairman of the Department of Physics at Howard University and Ernest E. Just became a world-renowned biologist and the 1st recipient of the prestigious NAACP Spingarn Medal.

During this era, the thrust was social change. Thousands of Omega men in every area of the country were actively involved in the fight to eliminate racial discrimination. An entire book could be written about this phase of Omega activities. The 1955 Los Angeles Grand Conclave initiated a program whereby each graduate chapter would purchase a Life Membership from the NAACP. Between 1955 and 1959, chapters contributed nearly $40,000 to the NAACP. In the fifties, Omega Psi Phi took an official position against hazing as a fraternity activity. This anti-hazing position remains in effect today, and the policy banning hazing has been strengthened.

The newly revised Constitution and By-Laws and the Ritual became effective at the close of the 1970 Pittsburgh Grand Conclave. H. Carl Moultrie I, Omega's only National Executive Secretary to this point, was appointed as a judge to the Superior Court of Washington, D.C., in 1972. Moultrie’s resignation was accepted with regrets. Omega conferred upon Moultrie the title of National Executive Secretary Emeritus which was later changed to Executive Secretary Emeritus. The Seventies brought more unpleasant news. Founder Oscar J. Cooper entered Omega Chapter in 1972. In 1974, Edgar A. Love, the only surviving founder, entered Omega Chapter. On November 16, 1975, an impressive granite monument was dedicated to the memory of the four founders. The monument is just a few feet away from Thirkield Hall, the site of Omega's birth place on the Howard University Campus. A revived Life Membership Program resulted in a very large number of new Life Members. The 1976 Atlanta Grand Conclave was the largest in the history of the fraternity up to that point in time. Many new undergraduate chapters were chartered, because of the increased enrollment of black students at previously all-white colleges and universities. "Operation Big Vote" was successful in getting thousands of black people to vote in the 1976 election. Many Omegas were active participants. The 1979 Denver Grand Conclave made a commitment to contribute a minimum of 250,000 dollars to the United Negro College Fund over the next five years.