The Aphia/dst Connection

[Professor]

THE APHIA/DST CONNECTION
By Skip Mason

"She may be an Omega Sweetheart or a Dream Girl of AFA.
.....But if she wears that Delta Symbol, then her true love is DST."
From the Delta Sweetheart Song.

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.
*I was at the convention when she made the remarks. She brought the house down!

[The Original Ape]

That's interesting.

[ladygreek]

I know it has been printed that the Murphy daughters were all Deltas but in reality only 4 of the 5 became Deltas. Source: www.deltasigmatheta.com, feature: Letter From A Founder's Daughter.

This article by Mr. Mason also appears in that site with the correction noted.

[delph998]

Ultimately, I think there is a connection with both organizations. I love e'rybody!

[DztndDiva]

Thanks for the information, eventhough I love all my Greek men!

[DoggyStyle82]

Interesting article. It stands to reason that the founders of DST would have a relationship to APA for two reasons.

First of all, if they were going to have a relationship with a Greek man, it would have had to have been an Alpha. Prior to the spring of 1912, no other Greek men were on Howard's campus. (Omega was founded but had not been given permission to operate on campus).

Secondly, since all of DST founders were AKAs first, they would have had to have had a close relationship with APA. According to the same author, Skip Mason, the AKAs and APAs at Howard were very tight and surely would have been part of the same cream of the crop "dating pool".

The uniqueness of Omegas' relationship to DST goes beyond the marriage of one founder to another.

As a side note, I do believe that I have been to a fair amount of Delta/Alpha weddings. I actually like when the Alphas recite that Alpha Man poem

[Reds6]

Thanks Doggy, many don't understand that our connection goes far beyond our two beloved founders.

Originally posted by DoggyStyle82
Interesting article. It stands to reason that the founders of DST would have a relationship to APA for two reasons.

First of all, if they were going to have a relationship with a Greek man, it would have had to have been an Alpha. Prior to the spring of 1912, no other Greek men were on Howard's campus. (Omega was founded but had not been given permission to operate on campus).

Secondly, since all of DST founders were AKAs first, they would have had to have had a close relationship with APA. According to the same author, Skip Mason, the AKAs and APAs at Howard were very tight and surely would have been part of the same cream of the crop "dating pool".

The uniqueness of Omegas' relationship to DST goes beyond the marriage of one founder to another.

As a side note, I do believe that I have been to a fair amount of Delta/Alpha weddings. I actually like when the Alphas recite that Alpha Man poem

[mccoyred]

Originally posted by DoggyStyle82
The uniqueness of Omegas' relationship to DST goes beyond the marriage of one founder to another.

...and again...

Originally posted by DoggyStyle82
Thanks Doggy, many don't understand that our connection goes far beyond our two beloved founders.

...and again!!!