A LOOK BACK: KAPPA HISTORY
S.A.T. Watkins Legal Advocate of Black Fraternal Orders, An Unsung Groundbreaking Black Attorney D uring the period of Reconstruction, Con- gress passed laws aimed at providing civil rights to disenfranchised minority citizens, Blacks in particular. These measures were not uniformly applied or enforced. The crack in the glass ceiling provided just enough daylight for some Blacks to achieve opportunities that had been long de- nied. In the course of Reconstruction, seven hundred Black men served in elected public office, fourteen of them became members of the U.S. House of Rep- resentatives, and two were elected as U.S. Senators. Samuel Asbury Thompson Watkins took advantage of this newfound circumstance and did not squander his chance to demonstrate what he could do. He applied his abilities to become a leading attorney of his day. His innate acumen and discernment of the law made him widely sought by people of all races to defend them for various cases, especially among fraternal orders. By Kevin Scott, Grand Historian
S.A.T. Watkins
sectarian international fraternal order, The Knights of Pythias. Watkins served as its Grand Attorney of Illinois and Supreme Attorney Universal (throughout the world). Among the accomplishments he made in this office include, the establishment of law departments within the organization, and the placing of a practicing attorney in charge of these divisions.
Focused Objectives and Laying the Foundation
Watkins was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on Janu- ary 25, 1869, four years after slavery was abolished. He was reared in his native state, where he attended LeMoyne Institute (now known as LeMoyne-Owen College). He graduated with high honors in 1888. Watkins taught school for one year following gradua- tion. He subsequently studied law while working as an apprentice of T.F. Cassells, the first Black Assistant Attorney General of Tennessee. In 1891, Watkins was admitted to the Tennessee bar. He formed a partner- ship with his tutor and mentor at the firm Cassells and Watkins for two years. A year later, Watkins appeared before the Tennessee Supreme Court, where he suc- cessfully argued his first case that lasted three days. Also, in 1892, Watkins relocated to Chicago, Illinois, where he was admitted to the Illinois bar, to the Illinois Supreme Court, and to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Others began to recognize Watkins’ skills and abilities as a capable attorney. He was affiliated with the non-
Legal Career Highlights
Chicago Mayor Carter H. Harrison also noticed Watkins’ legal proficiency and appointed him to the office of As- sistant Prosecuting Attorney for the city of Chicago. This was in 1898, when racial discrimination, segregation, and intolerance toward Blacks were still commonplace. The placement of a Black man as a lead prosecutor in a racially polarized city was progressive for the times. Some may deem it to be radical. Watkins served in this capacity until 1907. In that same timeframe of Watkins’ appointment, there were only thirty-three Black lawyers practicing in the Chicago area. Aside from Watkins, one of these Black attorneys on this list became a member of Kappa Alpha
202 | SUMMER 2021 ♦ THE JOURNAL
VIRTUAL 85 TH GRAND CHAPTER MEETING
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