[Senusret I]

According to the late Brother Albert Wardlaw, a 1940's initiate of Alpha Rho Chapter, recalled to his knowledge that King never showed or expressed an interest in any fraternity. L.D. Reddick wrote in the book "Crusader Without Violence" King was a city student and did not reside on campus as most of the students did, yet he was involved in the school’s debate team, the NAACP , the Glee Club, as a writer for the school’s paper, the Maroon Tiger, Sociology Club (where he served as president). He also served on SGA as a member of the faculty-student discipline committee. Most of his mentors and “favorite” professors were members of Omega Psi Phi, including the college President Benjamin E. Mays, Dr. Claude Dansby, Walter R. Chivers ( all members of Omega Psi Phi).
“The academic record of Martin Luther King, Jr. in Morehouse College is short of what may be called “good:” but I recommend that you give his application serious consideration. King is one of those boys who came to realize the value of scholarship late in his college career. His ability exceeds his record at Morehouse, and I believe his present attitude will lift his achievement to the level of ability... He gets along well with people, is friendly and courteous.”

George Kelsey, Director School of Religion
March 13, 1948.

King on his graduation day from Morehouse College. Photo courtesy of the Morehouse College Archives.

After attending Crozer Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, he was accepted to graduate school at Boston University. While he had not shown any interest in fraternities at Morehouse, he discovered the light in Boston. In 1952, King was inducted into the Sigma Chapter Sphinx Club. Coretta Scott met her future husband in February of 1952 and recalled that he was on line pledging Alpha. Coretta was a student at the New England Conservatory of Music. During this period of activity as a Sphinxman, King was a student at Boston University and taking three courses including Religious Teachings of the New Testament, Directed Study in Systematic Theology and Seminar in Systematic Theology. He also took a course at Harvard University taking the “History of Modern Philosophy." While “on line” he returned home to Ebenezer to preach at the church’s 65th Anniversary and his father 20th Anniversary as pastor.
On May 26, Sphinxman King returned back to Boston for summer school to take two courses. On June 22, 1952, he and seven other students were initiated into the fraternity. A month later, he returned home to Atlanta to serve as the pastor in charge of Ebenezer not to return back to Boston until September.


Brother King and his fellow line brothers are dressed in tails. (Courtesy of Sigma Chapter Archives). With Coretta on the campus of Boston University

Brother King's membership shingle was signed by General President A. Maceo Smith,(left) the 17th General President of the fraternity.

In August of 1952, Brother King traveled to Cleveland, Ohio to attend his first National Alpha convention from December 26-30. Brother A. Maceo Smith was General President. At the convention, Brother Thurgood Marshall(Nu’26) received the Alpha Award of Honor. In his address at the convention, Brother Marshall challenged the members of the Fraternity to “maintain their loyalty and increase the struggle for equal opportunity in all sections of the nation.” In addition, Eugene Kinckle Jones(at that time not a Jewel) also received the Alpha Award of Honor. Jewel Henry Arthur Callis gave the Fraternal address. It was at this convention that Brother King attended that Eugene Kinckle Jones was designated a founder and Jewel. Jewel Jones delivered the convention address. Jewel George Biddle Kelley was also at the convention. Historically at this convention, the word “Negro” was deleted from the constitution of the fraternity.

“I can remember those days , very dark days, when many of us confronted a trial in court and I could look out and see our very eminent General President.
That made me feel good as an Alphaman and I want to thank you for what you have done all along.
King at the 50th Anniversary Banquet in Buffalo in 1956. He received the Alpha Award of Honor.
Later Brother King told an audience of his experience in having attended the convention in 1956 and that it was
boastfully announced that the members spent $500,000 for liquor.
“A handful of Negroes” Brother King said acidly…spent more money in one week fo whiskey than all of the 6 million Negroes spent that whole year for the United Negro College Fund and for the NAACP. Now that was a tragedy." (The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.,Volume 3)