Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. holds a singular place in American history as the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men. Founded in 1906 at Cornell University, it has spent more than a century developing leaders, advancing civil rights, and building a brotherhood that now spans more than 700 chapters and over 300,000 members worldwide. This guide covers the fraternity’s founding story, its seven visionary Jewels, its core principles, and the traditions that define Alpha culture today.
The Founding at Cornell University
In the fall of 1905, a small group of African American students arrived at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, determined to survive an environment that was hostile to them in almost every respect. The Black students who had attended Cornell the previous year had not returned to campus, and those who came in 1905 and 1906 understood that solidarity was not optional. On December 4, 1906, seven of them formalized that bond, establishing Alpha Phi Alpha as the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity for African American men.
What began as a study and support group quickly grew into something larger. The fraternity’s founders laid down the principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity from the very start. By 1911, the first alumni chapter had been established, and the fraternity was spreading to historically Black colleges and universities across the country. By 1945, Alpha Phi Alpha had become officially interracial, consistent with its identity as the “first of firsts.”
Meet the Seven Jewels
The seven founders, known as the Jewels of Alpha Phi Alpha, were no ordinary students. Each went on to achieve breakthroughs that were historically significant given the racial barriers of the era.
| Jewel | Career Achievement | Role in Founding |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Arthur Callis (1887-1974) | Physician; Howard University Professor of Medicine | Only Jewel to serve as General President; regarded as “philosopher of the founders” |
| Charles Henry Chapman (1870-1934) | Professor of Agriculture at Florida A&M University | First chairman of the Committees on Initiation and Organization; first Jewel to pass (1934) |
| Eugene Kinckle Jones (1885-1954) | First Executive Secretary, National Urban League | Organized Beta, Gamma, and Delta chapters; helped write the fraternity ritual |
| George Biddle Kelley (1884-1962) | First African American engineer registered in New York | Alpha Chapter’s first President; worked out the handshake and ritual |
| Nathaniel Allison Murray (1884-1959) | Educator in DC public schools | Member of the first organization committee; served on Committee on the Grip |
| Robert Harold Ogle (1886-1936) | Staff member, US Senate Committee on Appropriations | Proposed the fraternity’s colors; Alpha Chapter’s first secretary |
| Vertner Woodson Tandy (1885-1949) | New York’s first registered Black architect | Designed the fraternity pin; first treasurer; incorporated the fraternity |
The founding act itself was historically significant beyond Greek letter life. As Jewel Callis later reflected, the men of 1905 and 1906 were binding themselves together to ensure each would survive in a racially hostile environment, a commitment that preceded both the NAACP and programs like Affirmative Action by decades.
Core Principles and What Alphas Stand For
Alpha Phi Alpha’s founding principles, scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity, have remained at the center of the organization for over a century. The fraternity’s aims are formally stated as “Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for All Mankind,” a phrase that shapes how chapters approach everything from academic expectations to community engagement.
Programs such as the Go-to-High School, Go-to-College campaign, established in 1922, reflect this emphasis in practice, steering young people toward education as a foundation for advancement. Project Alpha, launched in 1980 in partnership with the March of Dimes, extended that mission into youth health education, combining community service with the fraternity’s long-standing investment in young people’s futures. The fraternity has consistently positioned civic engagement as a responsibility of membership, not a side activity.
Traditions and Cultural Identity of Alpha Phi Alpha
Several traditions define Alpha Phi Alpha identity across generations of members:
The Sphinx: The Sphinx is the fraternity’s central symbol, representing mystery and endurance. It stands as a reminder of the challenges the founders overcame and of the resilience expected of every Alpha.
“Ice Cold”: Members are commonly referred to as “Ice Cold,” a term that signals a cool, composed presence under pressure. It is one of the most widely recognized identifiers of the fraternity in Black Greek life.
The hand sign: Alpha Phi Alpha’s recognized hand sign incorporates the American Sign Language letter A with an extended thumb, along with the pinky finger to represent the second A in the name. The three clenched middle fingers represent the Phi. Together, the gesture spells out the fraternity’s full acronym.
Colors and pin: Jewel Robert Ogle proposed the fraternity’s colors, and Jewel Vertner Tandy designed the pin that members still wear today. Both have remained constant since the founding era.
The motto: Alpha Phi Alpha’s official motto is “First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All.” The phrase captures the fraternity’s dual commitment to leading and to serving, values that have guided chapters from the Cornell campus to every corner of the country.
The official flower: The yellow rose is Alpha Phi Alpha’s recognized flower, pairing with the fraternity’s colors of Old Gold and Black as part of the visual identity members carry across events and ceremonies.
The Sphinx journal: Alpha Phi Alpha has published The Sphinx since 1914, making it the second-oldest continuously published Black journal in the United States. More than a newsletter, it is a running record of the fraternity’s ideas, achievements, and positions across more than a century of American life.
“A Voteless People is a Hopeless People”: This slogan, coined in 1936 by the Alpha Omicron Chapter at Johnson C. Smith University, became one of Alpha Phi Alpha’s most enduring cultural touchstones. Voter registration and civic participation have been formal expectations for members ever since, linking the fraternity’s brotherhood to civic responsibility in a direct and lasting way.
Civil Rights Legacy and Notable Members
Few organizations in American life can claim a civil rights record as consistent as Alpha Phi Alpha’s. The fraternity’s roster of members who shaped the course of history includes W.E.B. DuBois, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and William Gray. Alpha Phi Alpha has long stood at the forefront of correcting the educational, economic, political, and social injustices faced by African Americans, a mission that stretches directly from the Cornell campus of 1906.
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, seven Alpha men represented the United States, including Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe. Their performance on the world stage carried the fraternity’s values into an arena where the symbolism was unmistakable. Decades later, Alpha Phi Alpha took on a project that would define its legacy in stone: the fraternity was directly responsible for the conception, funding, and construction of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall. First proposed by the fraternity in 1968, authorized by Congress in 1996, the memorial opened to the public on August 22, 2011.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., perhaps the most recognized Alpha in history, embodied the fraternity’s commitment to social justice. The fraternity organized the 1963 March on Washington, one of the defining moments in the civil rights movement. That connection between brotherhood and social responsibility has continued through every generation of Alpha membership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Martin Luther King Jr. a member of Alpha Phi Alpha?
Yes. Dr. King was among the most prominent members of the fraternity, which has long recognized civil rights leadership as central to its mission.
How do Alpha Phi Alpha members greet each other?
The fraternity’s recognized hand sign uses the American Sign Language A with an extended thumb and pinky (for the two A’s in the name), while the three clenched middle fingers represent Phi. This is the formal gesture recognized by the national organization.
When was Alpha Phi Alpha founded?
Alpha Phi Alpha was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, making it the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men.
What is the official motto of Alpha Phi Alpha?
The motto is “First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All.” It reflects the fraternity’s commitment to both leadership and service as inseparable values.
The Legacy Alpha Phi Alpha Built
Alpha Phi Alpha has carried the same mission from its 1906 founding at Cornell to the present: scholarship, fellowship, and service to the broader community. The Seven Jewels built something that outlasted every barrier they faced, and each generation of members has inherited both that legacy and the responsibility to extend it. For anyone tracing the history of Black fraternal life, civil rights leadership, or American higher education, Alpha Phi Alpha stands at the center of that story.