The Passing of Alpha Brother Dr. Bernard Levin

[NinjaPoodle]

Bro. Dr. Bernard Levin, the first non African American to be initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha, via Theta Chapter, has made his transition into Omega Chapter. Bro. Levin passed away at the age of 84 on May 28, 2008 after a distinguished 40 plus year career as a professor of dentistry at the University of Southern California.

http://www.usc.edu/hsc/dental/update...MIN_levin.html

The following is a write up on Bro. Levin prepared by brothers of the District of Illinois:

"On Friday, June 21, 1946, Brother Bernard Levin was initiated as the first non-Black member of Alpha Phi Alpha. He was pledged through Theta (Pledge Master's name was Brother William Jones) chapter at the University of Chicago along with four other gentlemen -- Brother Spencer Hardy, Brother James Gaither, Brother William Rhetta and Brother Hershel Wallace.

At the time, Brother Levin was a 22--year-old Chicago native, studying dentistry at the University of Illinois. His interest in Alpha had been sparked by one of his friends at DePaul University, as well as his belief that Alpha Phi Alpha engages in constructive community, national and international activity. In addition, he felt as though "the other fraternities had nothing to offer except social affairs." Thus, Alpha was the only logical choice for a fraternity.

It is interesting to note that a 1946 article in Ebony Magazine on Brother Levin provides several pictures of him and his line brothers performing various tasks for big brothers -- shining big brothers shoes, cleaning trophies won by Theta chapter, cleaning the front of the chapter house, getting 150 brothers signatures on a large cardboard "A," and being paddled. What may be more interesting is that Brother Levin's initiation takes place prior to 1952 when the word "Negro" was allegedly stricken from the Constitution for the final time."

My condolences to the brothers of Alpha Ph Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and to Dr. Levin's friends and family.