PERSPECTIVE ...
1963 was a turbulent year. History-
- On April 12, America watched with horror and outrage as Birmingham Police Chief Eugene "Bull" Connor and his officers used water hoses and police dogs against peaceful civil rights demonstrators.
- On June 12th, Medgar Evers, NAACP field secretary and civil rights leader, was assassinated at his home in Jackson, Mississippi by a segregationist.
- On August 28th, 250,000 people participated in the historic "March on Washington" and heard Martin Luther King, Jr. deliver his historic "I Have a Dream" speech
... Three weeks later and less than 50 miles away, in Baltimore, Maryland, another group of men would make a different kind of history.
BEGINNINGS ...
On September 19, 1963, at Morgan State College (now Morgan State University),
12 students founded what is now the nation's fifth largest, predominately African-
The Honorable founders of Iota Phi Theta were: Albert Hicks, Lonnie Spruill, Jr., Charles Briscoe, Frank Coakley, John Slade, Barron Willis, Webster Lewis, Charles Brown, Louis Hudnell, Charles Gregory, Elias Dorsey, Jr., and Michael Williams.
Based upon their ages, heightened responsibilities, and increased level of maturity, this group had a slightly different perspective than the norm for college students. It was this perspective from which they established the Fraternity's purpose, "The development and perpetuation of Scholarship, Leadership, Citizenship, Fidelity, and Brotherhood among Men." Additionally, they conceived the Fraternity's motto, "Building a Tradition, Not Resting Upon One!"
Today, Iota Phi Theta consists of over 198 chapters located in 40 States and the District of Columbia. The scope of the organization extends throughout the nation, from California to New York; from Wyoming to Florida; and from Wisconsin to The Bahamas Islands.
SUMMARY ...
As Iota Phi Theta continues to grow and strengthen, so will its commitment
to make meaningful contributions to society in general, with particular emphasis
in the African-
