A LOOK BACK: KAPPA HISTORY
in defense of Black and white fraternal orders. When tensions began to rise between the white and Black Pythians, Watkins traveled to Pennsylvania, Alabama, Mis- sissippi, and Georgia in 1911 to consult with local attorneys on cases against the Black Pythians. He first argued before the Supreme Court in 1912. In this case, a white Pythians (of Georgia) secured a court order restraining Black Pythians from using the name and its emblems. The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal benevolent association founded in 1864. In 1870, it became the first fra- ternal order to be chartered and incorpo- rated by an Act of Congress. The Black Pythians came into being several years later as a parallel organization after the original white Pythians refused to admit Black members. In 1870 Philadelphia, Black men began to petition to join the Knights of Pythias but were continually refused member- ship. Eventually, several light-complex- ioned men who could “pass” were admit- ted, including Dr. Thomas W. Stringer of Mississippi, an African Methodist Epis- copal minister, and Reconstruction-era Mississippi state senator. Dr. Stringer remained in the Pythias long enough to learn their organization and their rituals. He then left to form what was officially named The Supreme Lodge of Knights of Pythias of North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceanica; it was most commonly called the ‘Colored Knights of Pythias.’ The purpose and function of the Colored Pythias were much the same as the white Pythias but with one difference—the Colored Pythias offered membership and benefits without dis- tinction of belonging to a particular race. In 1894, the white Pythians in Georgia filed suit against the Black Pythians. They alleged that the Black Pythi- ans were wrongfully using the name “Knights of Pythias” in their attempt to incorporate themselves in that state and were fraudulently using the titles, orders, insignias, emblems, and other paraphernalia of the white Knights of Pythias. The Supreme Court eventu-
ally heard the case. Although Watkins appeared as counsel, wrote nearly the entire legal brief, white attorneys were used to present the case to the court. One of the attorneys on the case was Al- ton B. Parker, who subsequently became a U.S. Presidential candidate. On June 12, 1912, Watkins won the case, Cre- swill v. Grand Lodge Knights of Pythias, 225 U.S. 246. The victory allowed the Black Pythians to use the name and ac- couterments of the Knights of Pythias. Watkins went on to defend other Black Pythian orders before the U.S. Supreme Court on two different occasions. Each instance resulted in winning favorable decisions. One of the cases was for Texas's Shriners. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that white Texas Shriners could not prevent the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine from using the name and insignia of the fraternal order which white Shriners contended were solely of their organization. In May 1919, Watkins formed a partner- ship with Black attorneys with fraternal ties; James E. White, attorney for all the Masonic lodges in Chicago, and Franklin A. Denison, a Northwestern University College graduate of Law, was the 12th Black lawyer admitted to the Illinois Bar. There were a host of other fraternal order cases that Watkins defended. In 1919, Watkins and Black attorney Frances H. Warren were retained to try a case involving rival Supreme Grand Lodges of the Loyal Orange Institution (a Protestant Secret Order) of the U.S. Watkins also won a case for Arkansas Knights of Phythias, May 20, 1922. In 1923, Watkins represented the Supreme Lodge Knights of Pythias before the Supreme Court of District of Colum- bia, who dismissed the Virginia Grand Lodge's petition against the Supreme Lodge.
Bank of Chicago. It was the first National Bank operated by Blacks. Due to Wat- kins’ strong ties to the city, the bank was likely identified as a depository for funds of the city of Chicago. The city made an initial deposit of $30,000 in Janu- ary 1923. Douglass National Bank also praised the depository status of holding funds from major fraternal orders such as the Knights of Pythias, Masons, and Elks. Watkins’ status with the Knights of Pythias, the Appomattox Club, as well as his affiliation with the Masons and Elks, contributed to their monetary reservoir. In addition to his leadership role within the Knights of Pythias, Watkins was elected President of the Appomattox Club of Chicago, January 20, 1915. Upon his election, the club only had 125 financial members; by December, it doubled its membership under his leadership. Watkins made significant structural improvements to the building and increased the funds in the treasury. He had done more in one year to improve the club than all of the former presidents combined before him. He was expected to win re-election without the slight- est opposition. Due to racial issues, his re-election was highly contested. Prior presidents were allowed to serve two terms. He lost the 1916 election and was re-elected President, December 1917, and served for several years in this posi- tion. In 1935, Watkins was elected to lead the Knights of Pythias as Supreme Chancellor and served four terms until his death. He received an LL. D. honorary degree of law from Wilberforce University in 1919. The Ancient Arabic Order of the Mystic Shrine's Nobles - Arabic Temple #4, paid tribute to him as an Honorary Past Potentate. Following a two-week illness, Watkins succumbed on October 25, 1940 at the age of 71.
Additional Honors
Watkins served on the Board of Direc- tors of Frederick Douglass National
204 | SUMMER 2021 ♦ THE JOURNAL
VIRTUAL 85 TH GRAND CHAPTER MEETING
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