Menu
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is the first international fraternal organization founded on the campus of a historically black college. On Friday evening of November 17, 1911, Omega Psi Phi was founded inside the office of biology Professor, Ernest E. Just, located in the Science Building (later renamed Thirkield Hall) at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The founders were three liberal arts undergraduates — Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman. Joining them was their faculty adviser, Ernest Everett Just. From the initials of the Greek phrase meaning, “friendship is essential to the soul“, the name Omega Psi Phi was derived. That 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.
In 1922, Grand Basileus J. Alston Atkins divided our fraternity into five districts. At that time they were The New England States, The Middle Atlantic States, The Central States, The Southern States, and The Western States. In 1935, a redistricting occurred and the seventh district was created. M.R. Austell was appointed the first seventh district representative in 1935. On April 24, 1936 the first seventh district meeting occurred on the campus of Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, GA. There were twelve delegates present at that first meeting; ten were from the state of Georgia and two from the state of Alabama. The seventh district at that time was composed of three states: Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. The state of Mississippi was added to the seventh district in 1941.
The Camp Howard War Chapter was instrumental in bringing Omega Psi Phi to Atlanta, GA. Established in early 1918, Camp Howard War Chapter initiated 27 men. Eta chapter was chartered on December 27, 1919 for students at Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Clark College. In 1921, brothers who charted Eta Chapter would later charter their own chapters Omicron at Gammon Theological Seminary (1921), Psi at Morehouse College (1921), Tau at Atlanta University (1922), Beta Psi at Clark College (1923). Eta was reassigned to undergraduates at Alcorn University in 1950.
On Saturday, December 22, 1923 Bro. John Prescott Murchison chartered the Beta Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. on the campus of Clark College.
BETA PSI CHAPTER, An Unincorporated Affiliation of the OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC.