Why I Pledged
When I started college at Central Michigan University in 1984, I knew nothing about Black Greek organizations. I was assigned a minority mentor Jeffrey Malloy, who was a member of Phi Beta Sigma. He did an excellent job of mentoring me as a young African-American male at a school with only 300 Blacks out of 16,000 students. At no time did he ask me to pledge; he led by example. The Sigmas where the most active in the community and the biggest BGLO. I would hang around him and was always impressed with his friends, who happen to be Sigmas. The chapter had brothers in the business, engineering, education, and math departments. The president of the Black Student Organization, Panhell, and Campus Choir were Sigmas. The star athletes on the football, basketball, and track teams were Sigmas. The campus leaders were Sigmas men. The “best” steppers were Sigmas. When I would go to campus events the entire chapter, with their little sisters and Zetas, would enter these events together as a group in suits, which was impressive. There were 17 brothers on the yard, 30+ sweethearts and loves, and 10 Zetas, and Lambda Gamma chapter was only 5-years old. (See Lambda Gamma Chapter – 29 years and Counting)
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Congratulations Bro. Ryan Howard
This week Bro. Ryan Howard and the Philadelphia Phillies won Major League Baseball’s World Championship. Congratulations Bro. Howard!
Bro. Howard pledged Sigma in Fall 2000 at Southwest Missouri State University with his brother Bro. Corey Howard. His nickname on line was “Blue Hurt” and his line of four was called “Disorderlies.” It just so happens that Bro. Howard pledged at the chapter that was founded by cousin Bro. Chris Clay.
I actually found a blog that discusses Bro. Howard’s double Sigma brand and actually shows a couple of pictures.
Bro. Howard has been with Philadelphia since 2004 and has won numerous baseball awards.
- 2005 NL Rookie of the Year
- 2006 NL All-Star Selection
- 2006 Silver Slugger
- 2006 NL MVP
- 2006 NL Hank Aaron Award
- 2006 Home Run Derby winner
- 2006, 2008 NL Home Run Leader
- 2006, 2008 NL RBI Leader
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James “Chief” Wilson
Mr. James W. Wilson taught his entire career at Jones High School in Orlando from 1950 until his retirement in 1990, with the exception of one semester at Evans High School. His first instrument was the tuba, which he was so eager to play that he cried for the opportunity. Mr. Wilson attended Crooms Academy in Sanford in 1946, where his Band Director was George H. Hill. Dr. William P. Foster was his most influential professor at Florida A&M University, where he completed his music degree. While interning at FAMU High under Dr. Effie C. Gear, Mr. Wilson especially enjoyed accompanying the band to the state festival in Tampa.
Some of his most memorable experiences while teaching at Jones High School include taking the band to the New York World’s Fair in 1964, to the Knoxville World’s Fair in 1982 and to the bi-centennial celebrations in Washington D.C. in, 1976 and 1987. He very much enjoyed taking bands out of state, a first time experience for most of the students in his band, and in preparing hundreds of young people for scholarships to colleges and universities.
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15
the first time i ever heard of phi beta sigma was my freshman year. i was working a telemarketing job on campus hitting up alumni for donations when a coworker, who i later figured out was an AKA, said to me “i could see you in a black frat.” later that year, i went to my first step show. i asked my friends “who are we rooting for?” and they said “the sigmas. they’re the best ones.”
a few months later i run into some old high school classmates. somehow the subject of pledging comes up. i tell them the story about the AKA and we get a good chuckle out of it. dewight johnson tells me he was thinking of pledging sigma b/c either his dad or grandfather was frat.
over the next 4 years, i got to know the sigmas on campus pretty well. being on a campus that was then 64.5% caucasian, every other ethnic group couldn’t help but bond together. it wasn’t until 1992 that i took a real close look at sigma when a good friend of mine, bro. james johnson-hill, pledged that year.
i found out later i almost didn’t even make it on line. having existing relationships with most of the chapter biased many one way or another and i had my doubters. some of it my own doing – like my sands, marlon, and i showing up at the practice field 50 yard line instead of the “actual” 50 yard line. geniuses!
here i am 15 years later and doing more for Sigma than ever. pledging as a senior trying to wrap up a 5-year engineering program didn’t leave me a lot of time for step shows and party hopping. then i had a blue phi rebirth in 2005. trust me i had real reasons to say the hell with sigma, but i was humbled and amazed at the true brotherhood i was blessed with during my lowest moments in sigma. to have brothers i barely know – many of whom i never met much less spoken to. most of whom i only exchanged emails with. – stand up for me, pick me up and dust me off, then encourage me to put my best foot forward. stress the positive. it reminded me why i love this frat.
so today on my 15th anniversary in our wondrous band, i want to say BLUE PHI to you. because in your own way, you’ve helped bring bluephi.net to what it is today.
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Virgin Islands’ Attorney General: Francisco Corneiro
Bro. Atty. Francisco Corneiro was born October 10, 1919 on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. The fourth son of Conrad Corneiro of St. Croix and Ignacia S. Corneiro of Puerto Rico, he graduated salutatorian from Charlotte Amalie High School at age 16 and went on to graduate summa cum laude from Howard University in Washington, D.C. where he received his first degree in law. In that year, he and Altheda Wilson of Tulsa, Oklahoma were married in Washington where they had met while Bro. Corneiro was attending law school.
Bro. Corneiro became the youngest man ever to hold the position of U.S. Attorney upon appointment by President Truman in 1947. The widespread recognition of his capabilities was reflected in his election as president of the Eastern Region, National Association of Attorneys General.
As an attorney in the Division of Territories and Possessions of the Department of the Interior of Washington, Corneiro was fortunate in gaining a great deal of experience drafting legislation affecting the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and the other U.S. Territories, including the outstanding revision of the 1936 Virgin Islands Organic Act.
The best known of the Virgin Islands laws for which he was responsible, however, is the Civil Rights Act, reputed for similar legislature in several other states.
In 1970, Bro. Corneiro was bestowed the Community Civic Award of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.
The lifetime of service unselfishly dedicated to the Virgin Islands by Bro. Francisco Corneiro, known affectionately to his hundreds of friends on and off the island as “KIKO”, came to an untimely end August 29, 1972.
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