Quote:
Originally posted by Rain Man
*cue TJMS Little Known Black History Fact African music*
It isn't common knowledge to the average HBCU student or even NPHC member, but there was actually a THIRD fraternity founded at Howard University.
That fraternity was called Gamma Tau and it was founded March 16, 1934. Little is known about this organization except that there were several chapters at other colleges and that the fraternity later died out.
*Perhaps a Howard student or alumni can help us reseach this org and give us a little more background on what it was all about*
They had a fraternity badge which had a gold triangle with garnets or rubies at the points and 4 pearls along each side. Triangular black and gold border(?) with the word "Excalibur" flanked by the Greek letters Gamma and Tau inlaid in gold.
Their colors were garnet and gold and their flower was the white carnation.
If anyone has any additional information about the now defunct Gamma Tau fraternity at Howard University, please call 1-800-CRIME---oops, wrong spiel, please let us know. I'm sure it would be very insightful.
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I'm not a Howard alumnus or a member of an NPHC fraternity, but here's a little more information from the 1940 edition of Baird's Manual, for what it's worth.
Besides what has already been mentioned --
Founding date is listed as March, 1934.
Founders are listed as John West Butcher, Henry Dixon Jr., George P. Lawrence, Ulysses Lee, C. Stewart Randall, John G. Risher, Robert E. Taylor, and James A. Washington.
The pledge pin was "a small reproduction of the sword Excalibur."
Chapters:
Alpha, 1934 -- Howard University
Beta, 1936 -- Virginia State College (inactive 1939)
Gamma, 1936 -- North Carolina Agricultural and Tehnical College
Delta, 1937 -- Virginia Union University.
Hope this helps, and also hope more knowledgeable people can add or correct as necessary.
Edited to add: the founding date is listed as March 16, 1934. Sorry I left out the actual day above.