First African-American Brother in APO

[KAPital PHINUst]

Originally Posted by naraht

Well, I haven't been able to find out for certain who the first African-American brother in the fraternity was, but I *have* been able to verify that there was at least one African American brother in the Fraternity *prior* to the chartering of the first chapter at an HBCU.

Delta Eta chapter at Oregon State University which chartered June 9, 1946 included William Tebeau would would be Oregon State's first male African-American graduate among its charterers.

Delta Phi chapter at Johnson C. Smith University chartered April 17, 1947.


See http://digitalcollections.library.or...al&CISOPTR=253 for a picture of the chartering and for more information on Brother Tebeau, see pages 11 and 12 of "Stories from the Peculiar Paradise, Prominent Black Men in Oregon History". (http://www.salemmulticultural.org/fi...0Pamphlet.pdf)

In the APO history book, in the "Conventions" chapter, I saw an African-American brother in the group photo at the 1940 National Convention in the foreground. Obviously, I cannot indicate what chapter he was or would have been initiated at. But I definately know that there were African American men initiated at least as far back as 1940.