A Historical Salute to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its relationship with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
By Skip Mason, Candidate 33rd General President
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
The AKA's are in Washington, D.C. celebrating their 100th Anniversary on the campus of Howard University. The brothers of Alpha know well the excitement that comes with celebrating a 100 years. Those of us who traveled to Ithaca, New York can only recount the chills that we got standing in front of Edward Newton’s House at 421 North Albany Street, or seeing the site where Annie Singleton’s house sat or the fraternity houses where Jewel Callis and Kelley worked. The Centennial Celebration capped off a masterful celebration of 100 years of our existence. Well it is not secret that on Monday, not only will the world celebrate the birthday of our brother Dr.King, but the Enticing, Sophisticated and Powerful women of Alpha Kappa Alpha is in Centennial Mode and willmake their pilgri! mage ba ck to Miner Hall and the historic campus of Howard University to kick of a birthday celebration that they say “unlike any that has ever been witnessed.”
As is my custom and tradition, I present this special Historical Moment to honor the distinguished ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. As the son and husband of AKA women, I have been influenced by these ladies of distinction all of my life. As I told over 3000 Sorors at their South Atlantic Regional Convention last year, my second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade teachers were members as well as a my English teachers in high school. These women, like my mother and wife were women of refined taste, class and elegance. I have a AKA in training the likeness of my daughter Jewel who will wear her pearls hopefully in about eleven years from now.
Photo courtesy of the Howard University Archives
This is the Class of 1909 which included Brother George Lyle, Ehtel Hedgeman and Lavinia Norman,! anothe r founder of the sorority. Photo courtesy of Howard University Archives.
In Alpha Phi Alpha, we historically tie our relationship to the sorority to Brother George Lyle’s courtship and subsequent marriage to his high school sweetheart Ethel Hedgeman. Many brothers may recall that my very first Historical Moment released in 1999 was on Lyle and Hedgeman
http://www.skipmason.com/hm/hm02.htm
A later photo of AKA Founder Ethel Hedgeman Lyle and her husband George Lyle (c. 1911). Brother Lyle was an active member of Rho Chapter in Philadelphia.
This letter was written in 1911 by Alpha Chapter President Minnie B.Smith (above). In this letter to the 3d General President Charles Garvin, she wanted to to inquire about some of the leading schools where we had our chapters. President Smith indicated that they would be at the home of Soror Nellie Quander (pictured below and a name known by all A! lpha Ka ppa Alpha women). It was clear from the start that these women were seeking to expand to schools that would produce women of superb training and education.
The rift that affected the sorority in 1912 where 22 members “withdrew their membership” and organized Delta Sigma Theta, had an indirect impact on members of our fraternity. Three of the brothers of Beta Chapter were dating three women (then AKA later to become Deltas) in that 22 and subsequently married them including Vashti Turley(above, right) who married Brother Carl Murphy; Osceola McCarthy who married Brother Numa P.G. Adams and Naomi Sewell, who married Brother Clarence Richardson
Early photos of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at their Boules (Conventions). Photo courtesy of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Archives at Howard University.
WERE ANY OF OUR JEWELS MARRIED TO AKA'S?
While all of our Jewels married distinguished ladies, only Jewel Henry Arthur Callis was married a member of the sorority. In 19! and
In 1927, Jewel Callis married his second wife and AKA soror Myra Colson, a member of the distinguished Colson family from Petersurg, Virginia. She was very active in the sorority holding membership in various chapters including the Washington, DC. Chapter.
Jewel Ogle's granddaughter
Jewel Robert Harold Ogle would have been proud that his only granddaughter, Dr. Melanie Atkins Brown became a member of the sorority and also served as Basileus of her chapter in Washington, D.C.
While the Alphas and the AKA's have enjoyed an informal and formal relationship together. In 1948, Alpha Phi Alpha joined five other greek letter organizations in organizing the American Council on Human Rights, an organization designed to bring these organizations to "plead the case for human rightss and equality." there were two occasions were both the Alphas and AKA met jointly at Conventions. The first was in 1950 in at the Tri Convention in Kansas City, Kansas, where th! ey were also joined by Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity also meeting. They met again in 1952 in Cleveland, Ohio. where six organizations including AKA and Alpha held joint conventions. Above photo-the 16th General President Belford V. Lawson(right) joins AKA Supreme Basileus Laura Lovelace and the J. Enest Wilkins, Grand Polemarch of Kappa Alpha Psi as they make their grand entrance in an automobile at the closing dance. (The Sphinx Magazine)
Alpha Kappa Alpha Supreme Basilei married to brothers of Alpha
The Fourth Supreme Basileus was married to Brother Rev. Thomas L. Puyear, a charter member of Nu Lambda Chapter in Petersburg, Virginia. Photo taken from the book "Pearls of Service: The Legacy of America's First Black Sorority by Earnestine Green McNealey)
The 9th Supreme Basileus Margaret Davis Bowen was married to Brother Bishop John Wesley Edward Bowen.
The 13th Supreme Basileus Laura Fife Lovelace was married to Brother Judge William N. Lovelace.
The ! 17th Su preme Basileus Dr.Larzette Hale (below) was married to Brother Dr. William Hale, who was the 20th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha.
Our Past General Presidents married to Alpha Kappa Alpha women
Soror Flossie Mack Dickinson(no photo available) was married to 5th General President Henry Lake Dickason (above)
Soror Dr. Larzette Hall, wife of the 20th General President and the Supreme Basileus of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority with her daughter(center) and husband 20th General President William Hale.
Soror Eva Sharpe Cole, wife of the 21st General President T. Winston Cole (shown with two of their daughters who were members of the sorority as well)
Soror Maxine Newsom, wife of the 22nd General President Lionel Hodge Newsom
Soror Sybil Haydel Morial, wife of the 23rd General President Ernest "Dutch"Morial (shown in a photo taken in 1956 at the 50th Anniversary Convention in Buffalo, New York.
Soror Dr. Carolyn Washington, wife of t! he 24th General President Walter Washington
Soror Cathy Douglass Williams, wife of the 25th General President James R. Williams
Soror Dr. Myrtle Gore Davis, wife of the 29th General President Milton Carver Davis
Soror Alice Wallace, wife of the 30th General President Adrian Wallace
EPILOGUE-The Future
Happy 100th to the dynamic ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and especially to my wife Soror Harmel Codi Mason, a native of St. Croix, Virgin Island , graduate of the Sorbonne (Paris, France), Florida State University, University of Miami and the University of Georgia. She is a proud member of Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in Atlanta and Jack and Jill. Fluent in five languages (French, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and Creole), my wife is a trained opera soprano and is the President and CEO of Destiny Mortgage. She also is a licensed realtor and insurance broker. She is a exceptional mother, magnificent cook and great support! er of t his candidate. She looks forward to joining a distinguished rank of women who have supported their husbands as General President of our great fraternity only if you believe!
Believe in the 7! Believe in Alpha! Believe in Skip Mason
33rd General President
www.believeinthe7.com
Sources
The Talented Tenth: The Founders and President of Alpha by Herman Skip Mason
Pearls of Great Service: The Legacy of America's First Black Sorority by Earnestine Green McNealy
Alpha Kappa Alpha: A Family Album by Marjorie Parker
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