|
"MIGHTY" RHO PSI CHAPTER History |
 Rho Psi '35 Brother at Project Rho Psi 2000 Banquet |
 |
||
|
It had long been the dream of some of the men of Tennessee State College campus to have on its campus a chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. For many years State men were taken into Delta chapter at Meharry Medical College. Among the first State College men to become Omegas were Dr. Reginald Neblett, Broughton Jones, Prof. J.H. White and James Nance. In 1927, an Omega chapter was established at Fisk University. State men then began to file applications' for that chapter and among the men to make Omega were Coach T.D. Upshaw, Mr. Alton Jackson and Prof. Julian Belle. Between the years of 1928 and 1930, it was very difficult for any State men to get in any chapter. Realizing wealth of material on our campus, Prof. J.F. McClellan, President W.J. Hale, Delta, Gamma Phi and Eta Psi chapters began to take steps toward getting a chapter for the Omega men at State College. At that time there were only five Omega men on the campus, not enough to form a chapter. Ned Rawls, James Taylor, Clarence Crook, Charles Sleigh, Leo Chilton and Kurtys Clay were pledged in Eta Psi Fisk University. In January, Rawls, Taylor and Clay were made into the fraternity. There was immediately formed on this campus an Omega club; on April 30,1930, a charter was granted to this club and the chapter was given the name Rho Psi. Its first officers were Ned Rawls, Basilus; George Hale, K.R.S.; Halton Williams, R.F.; and Kurtys Clay, chapter editor. A pledge club was formed consisting of five members with W.J. Hale,Jr., as president. These five men were the first to be initiated into Rho Psi. The
chapter has progressed wonderfully since it’s beginning, boasting of
the highest scholastic average of any organization on the campus,
promoting Negro achievement week and being represented in all of the
extra curricular activities on the campus. During
the Conclave, 1940, Rho Psi Chapter, the model chapter of the Omega Psi
Phi Fraternity, took the lime-light as it gave to the national
Organization its Lampados Song (Pledge Club Song) composed by Hilton
Owens and its Sweetheart Song, composed by Don Q. Pullen. The national
body voted unanimously that recordings of these two songs be made by Rho
Psi Chapter and circulated wherever chapters and Omega men were located.
This is a distinct national honor which has never before been bestowed
upon any fraternal group. Rho Psi Chapter is happy to merit such
recognition from the national body. The
Mighty Rho Psi Chapter was founded April 30, 1930 by Brothers Robert E.
Clay, Attorney J.F McClellan, Dr. Walter S Davis, and
Dr. William J.
Hale. It was here that hopping was first started and done with
perfection. . |
Photos from Rho
Psi Lines (since 1958)
Rho Psi 2000 Pics Have more info? Please send to: rhopsique1280@aol.com |
|||