Founders' Day

1949 Founders’ Day Article

Charleston, WV

Thank You – Rev. Joseph Allen Tinley Thompson

Wow!  Reflecting on my Founders! I honestly do not know where to begin, because I have so many stories to tell. Most of them, I have already shared with a number of you, but there is one that I have kept sacred for a few years. Never in a million years, could have have told me, that our Founders, our Sigma ancestors, my ancestors, would have chosen me to collect, preserve and maintain the history of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. In my years, I have learned that MHF Taylor’s childhood home was 1907 S. Walk Street, and it was near the campus of what is now Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee. I had the distinct pleasure to hold MHF Morse’s bible from 1923, yeah, that almost moved me to tears. However, it is something about MHF Brown that drives me to learn all that I can about the Founder that was voted most likely to succeed in the Howard University 1914 yearbook.

Bro. Willard Hutt was the first Sigma Brother to provide me with a detailed account of his research on MHF Brown. In 1992, Bro. Hutt in conjunction with the Kansas State Historical Society, had done extensive research on the genealogy of MHF Brown. Information regarding MHF Brown’s family, census records, addresses, and occupations all appeared in this report prepared by a noted Kansas Historian and Genealogist. I thought to myself, wow, we are on to something now. This lead me to Howard University’s Moreland Spingard Library, where I was able to view the 1914 Howard University Yearbook. In it a picture of MHF Brown. In the senior quotes, MHF Brown says “No Legacy is as rich as Honesty“. How profound! Was this a hint, was the answer right under my nose, was I looking in the wrong place? MHF Brown was a big man on campus in 1914 and highly respected by the Howard University Administration.

As fate would have it, I received an article in 2002 on an area in Topeka, Kansas once known as the Bottoms, a popular black business district. In the article was a man by the name of Joseph Thompson. At the time of the article Mr. Thompson was 95 years old. I called the reporter who wrote the article Michael Hooper of the Topeka-Capital Journal and asked if he could put me in contact with Mr. Thompson. Man, I was getting good at calling people and asking for information, but this phone call would prove to be something special.

I called Mr. Thompson and to my surprize, he was warm, smart, still had his mind and could spit out black history facts about early Topeka, Kansas like you would not believe. I told him about the fraternity and why I was calling him. I then popped the question, did you know a man by the name of Charles I. Brown? Now remember, I had never met a SIGMA or a person that actually knew or met our Founder. To my surprize, he said, yes I do young man. Charles Brown, very short, very dark, walked with a limp, sharp dresser, lived on Lime Street (in Bro. Hutt’s report, Charles I. Brown lived at 1010 Lime Street). I almost dropped the phone. He said, Mr. Brown was a teacher, he taught at the Kansas Industrial School for Negroes in Topeka. I had to close my office door to compose myself. Here was a man 95 years young, who could remember back to the late 1920’s/early 1930’s, and he was describing our Founder as we would have known him from our history. It got to the point, where I called Mr. Thompson almost once a month, trying to pick his brain for additional information. This was the first time, that I had met anyone who actually said they knew the Founder.

It was Mr. Thompsons’ leads and willingness to assist me, that really made me realize, although he was not a Sigma Brother, could this man have actually known our Founder? The description that Mr. Thompson gave of MHF Brown was very close to the one that Founder’s penned in writings about him. This conversation lead to additional research, additional leads, and to Bro. Linden Houston, putting me in contact with Pat Patton at Kansas State University.

We lost Mr. Thompson on December 23, 2003. He died in a car accident at age 97 (he was still driving at age 97). However, in my heart and mind, I believe he crossed paths with Founder Brown and I have no doubt in my mind, that the man he described to me, was the man who laid the framework for this great fraternity to take shape and to grow during a very difficult time in American History (World War I).

MHF Brown and Mr. Thompson, thank you. I know you are guiding me in the efforts to find the early history of this great fraternity.

“NO LEGACY IS AS RICH AS HONESTY” – MHF BROWN – HOWARD UNIVERSITY 1914

Thomas Montgomery Gregory

One thing that impresses me about the early men in Sigma is their remarkable versatility. For instance, when you read about the life of our charter member, Bro. I.L. Scruggs, he had so many talents that he sacrificed to his community. He was a doctor, and oversaw community health event to improve the overall health of all African Americans and has extensive accomplishments in the medical field. Additionally, as our history books indicate, he was a very savvy businessman and handled the finances of the fraternity beautifully in those uncertain early years. On top of that, he even had talent as a lyricist as evidenced by authoring our fraternity hymn.

This posting is really an elaboration on an article previously posted (with a better picture) here on bluephi.net. The article that was posted on Thomas Montgomery Gregory referenced a few of his accomplishments, but as I looked only a little deeper, I found this brother was quite impressive and deserves a more detailed overview.

In the early years of our fraternity, our history shows that the Sigma faced some notable obstacles during World War I. Our founders, charter members, and early initiates not only made sure that their services guaranteed the survival of Sigma, but also continued to service humanity as evidenced by many of our brothers. Like  our charter member, Bro. Scruggs, Bro. Thomas Montgomery Gregory also had remarkably versatile accomplishments.

Bro. Gregory was a Harvard graduate who went on to work at Howard University as an assistant professor in English. Our history book indicates that he was also the chairman of the Central Committee of Negro College Men.

This committee was responsible for presenting to the United States War Department (which is today named the Department of Defense), college educated African-American men that were willing to undergo training to become army officers during World War I. This presentation caused the U.S. War Department to establish Fort Des Moines as a training facility for African-American army officers. More importantly as a result of Bro. Gregory’s efforts, Fort Des Moines produced 639 U.S. army officers (all African-Americans).  Before this effort, there were only three commissioned African-American army officers. Bro. Montgomery completed this training himself and was commissioned as a 1st Lieutenant. In fact, one of the letters of recommendation required for Bro. Gregory to undergo this training  was written by Bro. Robert Terrell and it is on file in the Howard University Archives.

The work of our brother and of these men has resulted in what is now a museum at Fort Des Moines and it has been designated as a National Historic Site.

Alger V. Boswell

Alger V. Boswell came to Tennessee State University in 1930, and served as Professor of Mathematics for 40 years. He served as the Dean of Arts and Sciences and was the first Chair of the Math Department. From 1951-1965, he served as Vice-President of the University. In 1980, the Physics and Math Complex was named in his honor.

Three months ago, I was able to locate Dr. Boswell’s grandson, Alger V. Boswell III. Alger is currently an attorney in Indiana.  I was also able to locate his niece, Edna. Priceless information was revealed from these meetings. As we know, Dr. Boswell was initiated at Beta Chapter, Wiley College. One year after his arrival at Tennessee State University (TSU), Dr. Boswell became a founding member of Zeta Alpha Chapter and soon after, a founding member of Eta Beta Sigma Graduate Chapter.

Prior to his relocation to Nashville, there were only two existing chapters in the city; Kappa Chapter at MeHarry Medical College and Alpha Gamma Chapter at Fisk University. After cross-referencing Fisk University yearbooks, with TSU yearbooks and records, it was revealed that quite a few TSU brothers pledged at Fisk University during the 1920’s.

According to family records, Dr. Boswell called the meeting of the first President’s Council in 1931 to bring together the three existing chapters. Edna Boswell also revealed that the Boswell home was always open to Sigma brothers for meetings and social gatherings.  Interestingly, Dr. Boswell also allowed other fraternities and sororities to host meetings at his home.

Similar to Hon. Bro A. Langston Taylor, Dr. Boswell was never seen without a book. He prided himself on the closeness of his personal relationships and never forgot a face. Interestingly, Dr. Boswell hated the fact that he was going bald and would spend free time sketching pictures of himself with a full head of hair!

Founder Morse’s WWI Draft Card 1917

Until recently, I had no idea that Founder Morse worked in Portsmouth, Virginia before going further south. As a related point of interest, this document puts Founder Morse in the same city as Bro. T.H. Reid (1st Eastern Regional “Director” or VP) after he finished his JD (HU ‘17) and started practicing at his father’s, Atty. W.M. Reid, well-established firm.

The Corey Memorial Institute was founded by area Baptists in 1906. After some financial difficulty, it merged with another private school for African Americans in the area – the Smallwood Industrial Institute. Marcus Garvey’s UNIA purchased the Smallwood-Corey school’s 66 acres and several buildings for $5,000 and the assumption of it’s $55,000 debt in 1925. Renamed Liberty University, the operation was eventually closed in 1929.

The last class to graduate from the Corey Memorial Institute in Portsmouth was 1918. Maybe that’s why Morse relocated to Alabama?