Interesting Historical tidbits (Alpha & Delta)

[APhiAce]

Bro. Skip Mason has a webpage (www.skipmason.com)with alot of interesting historical tidbits about ALPHA, and its relation to various other orgs. I wonder does anyone else have any interesting historical info about the relationship of their frat/sorority with others? Here is some interesting info about Alpha & Delta:

The fall of 1912 was a tumultuous year for sisterhood on the campus of Howard University as 22
women pulled out of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority to organize another sorority they named Delta Sigma Theta. One young lady, Myra Davis holds the distinction of being the only woman to serve as both Basileus of AKA and President of DST in 1912 and 1913 respectively. Of the twenty-two women who organized the sorority, two dated two of the founders of Omega Psi Phi.Delta Founder Edith Young dated Edgar Love and Frank Coleman dated and ultimately married Edna Brown. And yes my dear brothers, another three of the Delta founders were "Sweethearts of A Phi A" and later to become wives of our dear brothers. Delta Founder Osceola Macarthy, who became one of the first African-American women to perform on Broadway dated and married Beta Chapter initiate Numa P.G. Adams, a member of the Howard Class of 1911.
Brother Adams, a chemistry professor became the first African-American dean of the Howard
University Medical School. He and Jewel Callis were very close friends and it was Adams who
invited Callis back to Howard to teach after his stint in Tuskegee Institute Hospital.

Another Delta Founder who married an Alpha was Miss Vashti Turley. She married Brother Carl
Murphy, also a graduate of the Howard and Harvard University, an instructor of German at
Howard and later editor and publisher of his father's paper The Baltimore Afro-American. Brother

Murphy also served as Editor of the Sphinx in the 1920's. The Murphy's had five children (all daughters, all Delta's) Their granddaughter is the Reverend Vasti Murphy McKenzie, a prominent
Baltimore pastor and National Chaplain for Delta Sigma Theta as well a candidate for the
Episcopacy of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Finally, Delta Founder Naomi Sewell married Alpha man Clarence Richardson. Sewell taught high
school in Princeton, New Jersey where she befriended Brother Paul Robeson, who was attending
Rutgers at the time. On weekends they would have singalongs.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Brother Paul Robeson(Nu Chapter '17) and his wife Eslanda Goode Robeson, a Delta spent their honeymoon at a Delta Convention.

Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander (Delta's first National President, one of the founders of the
National Bar Association) was married to an Alpha, Attorney Raymond Pace Alexander.

The Alpha chapter at Rust College presented a young Delta girl in one of her first recitals on the campus as a part of their cultural program. This Delta soror at Rust was Leotyne Price.

-Historian and 14th General President Charles Wesley had a Delta wife, Charlotte.
-19th General President Myles Paige had a Delta wife Dorothy
-26th General President Ozell Sutton is married to Delta Joanna Sutton
-27th General President Charles Teamer is married to Delta Mary Teamer.
-28th General President Henry Ponder is married to Delta Anna Ponder.

-In December of 1923, the Delta's and the Alpha's held their National convention in Columbus,
Ohio and took a pilgrimage to the home and grave of Paul Lawrence Dunbar. (You will recall in
the first issue that Mrs. Paul Lawrence Dunbar became the first wife of Jewel Henry Arthur Callis
and wrote the words to the Delta National Hymn) The two groups came together for their annual
banquet. It was at that convention that Mary McLeod Bethune was inducted as a Delta.

-While students at Howard University during the 1960's, this Delta and Alpha team forged a
phenomenal friendship and one of the greatest musical duos of our time: Delta Roberta Flack and
Alpha Donny Hathaway.

DELTA QUOTE- "If God has created a better man than an Alpha man, I do not know where he is." Mona Humpries Bailey, Past National President of Delta Sigma Theta (in her remarks at the
Atlanta Convention in 1986). She is sister of Alpha brother Frederick Humphries, President of
Florida A&M University.

[Professor]

I'm particularly fond of the quote
"If God has created a better man than an Alpha man, I do not know where he is."

Frat - thanks for the info. Bro. Mason is very interesting and has a way of putting a special spin on things.

[Virtual Violet]

Originally posted by APhiAce
Another Delta Founder who married an Alpha was Miss Vashti Turley. She married Brother Carl Murphy, also a graduate of the Howard and Harvard University, an instructor of German at
Howard and later editor and publisher of his father's paper The Baltimore Afro-American. Brother Murphy also served as Editor of the Sphinx in the 1920's. The Murphy's had five children (all daughters, all Delta's) Their granddaughter is the Reverend Vasti Murphy McKenzie, a prominent Baltimore pastor and National Chaplain for Delta Sigma Theta as well a candidate for the
Episcopacy of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Right Reverend Vashti Murphy McKenzie IS the first female Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

[Finer Woman10-A-91]

And the good Reverend Vashti Murphy McKenzie is a fabulous speaker. I saw her on WHUT when she was conferred an honorary degree at Howard a few years back.

[JJSP01]

"The Murphy's had five children (all daughters, all Delta's)" quote


The Murphy's had five daughters, four of whom were Deltas.

Peace!