Sigmas in Black History
 

Brother Robert R. Moton succeeded Booker T Washington as the second President of Tuskegee University on December 20,1915. He held this position until he retired in 1935.

Brother Alonzo "Jake" Gaither was longtime Head football coach and athletic director at Florida A and M University. He was resposible for several championship teams in the 1950's and 60's.

The Eta Beta chapter of Phi Beta sigma at the University of Mississippi became the first african american GLO to have a house on fraternity row in 1988. However, It almost the end of 1989 before the brothers could move in. The House "mysteriously" caught on fire about a week before completion. University officials later ruled the fire a act of arson. They agreed to pay for repairs. This story made Headlines in Jet magazine.

Did anyone watch "1,000 Black Men Named George"? It is about frat, A. Phillip Randolph.

I watched 1,000 Black Men Named George. It was relatively good documentary about our brother and his struggles to try to help our fellow black brothers out.

All I can say about Brother Randolph is that he was a brave soul. Most cats would have steered clear of the sort of thing he was doing for fear of being killed or something like that. (not that he was not scared because any human would have been scared).

I am glad to be in a frat with great men like him.

1914

I also found out...one of the presidents of, i think, southern u was frat...i didnt go to school there, but i read it somewhere

You are correct theo14,

Brother George Leon Netterville was the third President of Southern University. He was one of the first Sigmas on the campus in the 1920's and he helped to charter Rho Chapter in 1931. He was active with Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter in Baton Rouge until his death in 2000. I do not know the exact dates of his presidency, but he served during the late '60's-early '70's.

Greetings frat,

George Washington Carver, world renowned scientist, is (even though he's in the omega chapter) a member of the blu and white.

During a tenure that lasted nearly 50 years, Carver elevated the scientific study of farming, improved the health and agricultural output of southern farmers, and developed hundreds of uses for their crops.

Carver used scientific means to tackle the third challenge he faced at Tuskegee, widespread poverty and malnutrition among local black farmers. Year after year, farmers had planted cotton on the same plots of land and thereby exhausted the topsoil's nutrients. By testing the soil, he discovered that a lack of nitrogen in particular accounted for consistently low harvests. While at Iowa State, Carver had learned that certain plants in the pea family extracted nitrogen from the air and deposited it in the soil. To maintain the topsoil's balance of nutrients, Carver advised farmers to alternate planting cotton and peanuts. This farming method proved effective and within a few years, farmers saw a dramatic increase in their crop production. Carver then created an outreach program in which he would travel once a month to rural parts of Alabama to give hands-on instruction to farmers in this and other innovative farming techniques.

This brother also came up with over 300 uses for the peanut!!! He did all of this from a lab at Tuskegee that, in 1896, lacked facilities and funds for the agricultural department, which consisted only of a barn, a cow, and a few chickens.

He was deep!!!!

Also frat,

We have a member of the illustriuous Tuskegee airmen in our frat. Brother Dr. Henry Moore of the Nu Sigma Chapter in Philadelphia, PA was a member of this elite squadron. (Now I am not sure whether he was one of the men featured in the movie about them, but he is certainly a Tuskegee airman.)

This past weekend, I had the pleasure and honor of meeting and speaking with him at the Eastern Regional Conference in Philadelphia, PA while the Sigma History Museum was on exhibit. (I got a picture with him also.) He's a very interesting man who has a LOT to say about Sigma and it's history.

After all of that madness with the way those men were relegated to menial tasks duties, this brother had the resolve to go to get out of the service and go to school to obtain a PhD in physics!!!!

"Our Cause Speeds On Its Way"

For those who may not have seen it, there is a three page article in the July 2002 issue of Ebony magazine about Brother Robert Moton. Check it out when you get a chance.It is very informative.

It is great to see these and other examples of Sigmamen making their mark on Black History. What we need to do is to pressure Nationals to produce an ACCURATE list of famous men of Sigma. It pisses me off when Frat put names on their websites of people who aren't actually Sigmas. In the end it makes us all look like we don't know what we're talking about. I sincerely hope that Frat and Sorors start asking around or verifying information before they jump up and say that so-and-so is a Sigma or a Zeta.

WORD UP bruh!!! That sh%# is utterly ridiculous!

The list that is posted on the national website is very accurate.

I just wanted to add to the list of sigmas in history. Bro Bobbie Seals is a member of Phi Beta Sigma. I got the Chance to talk with him before he spoke at our school and he saw my letters and was like im a member of Phi Beta Sigma and gripped me. He pledged at the same chapter as Heuy P Newton in Cal and crossed before Heuy P also.


G.O.M.A.B
Bro. L.Wade
Lambda Gamma
Fall 2000 3 strikes
#2 The It aka "Pennywise"