100 YEARS
THE OMICRON CHAPTER CENTENNIAL
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Michael J. Hatcher (Alpha Nu 1998), and Judge Leland DeGrasse, (Omicron 1965). Archbishop and past Grand Board Member Dr. David J. Billings, III (Xi 1960) who was instrumental in the revival of Omicron in the early 1960s, after the Chapter had been dormant for a few years, provided remarks. Pre-recorded Kappa music highlighted the affair. Hsweu Murray reminisced about Omicron winning the National Song Contest at the Grand Conclave in Baltimore in December of 1968, referring to it as, Omicron’s own “little National Collegiate Championship.” A nostalgic Omicron Chapter video montage was played, with live narration by Col. Terrance R. Holliday (Omicron 1967). The montage included some genuinely memorable photographs of the Omicron brothers. The call also included a memorial honoring Omicron members who tran- sitioned to the Chapter Invisible. The Omicron Centennial Celebration was highlighted with remarks from a repre- sentative from each intake from 1961 to 2019. The Closing Prayer was given by Rev. Dr. William M. Meanes, Sr., the fraternity’s National Chaplain. After the conclusion of the formal event, the brothers of Omicron retired to a Zoom
Breakout Room.
Merit from the Centro Studi E Scambi International.
Session 2 - March 20, 2021 Shortly after the initial Zoom celebra- tion, Omicron organized a second Zoom celebration after discovering several Omicron brothers from the 1950s who had not been identified and were living in New York City, Florida, and Califor- nia. Prominent Men of Omicron C. Udell Turpin (Beta 1916), a charter member of Omicron, became Na- tional Director of the Negro Market for Remington Rand Co., makers of office machines and equipment. He identi- fied the Black consumer market as the “nation within a nation.” He achieved the rank of Captain in the Illinois Eighth Infantry. Dr. James Egert Allen (Omicron 1925) graduated from Johnson C. Smith University and N.Y.U. He also earned a certificate from Oxford. He served as the Northeastern Province Polemarch (1933-1934) and was The Kappa Alpha Psi Journal associate editor for more than 20 years. He pursued graduate work at Colum- bia, Syracuse, and Boston. He also was a lecturer and the author of Negro in New York . He was elected to the International Committee of the Y.M.C.As of the United States and Canada. He received the Medal of Honor and Diploma of
Born in Trinidad in 1891, Francis Eu- gene Corbie (Omicron 1925) grew up in New York City and graduated from De- witt Clinton High School. He attended Lincoln (PA) University before returning to New York City to attend C.C.N.Y. Professionally, Corbie was an accom- plished orator, writer, and actor. In 1925 at the 15 th Grand Chapter Meeting, the Fraternity elected Corbie to the newly created position of Junior Grand Vice Polemarch. The fraternity’s first Junior Grand Vice Polemarch served in the fifth Grand Polemarch Earl B. Dickerson administration. The Honorable Livingston L. Wing- ate (Omicron 1938) graduated from St. John’s University and its Law School. He was an active member of the New York (NY) Alumni Chapter for many years and the Northeastern Province. Wingate served as a Criminal Court Justice, New York State Supreme Court, New York County. He was a Harlem civic leader and provided legal work for the N.A.A.C.P. He was Associate Chief Counsel - House Committee on Edu- cation and Labor; Executive Director – HARYOU-ACT. Executive Director – New York Urban League. Brother Wing- ate later became Director of Community Activities for the Citizens’ Crusade
Omicron Chapter members celebrate Omicron's 89 th anniversary.
Omicron Chapter members celebrate Omicrons 95 th anniversary.
14 | SPRING 2021 ♦ THE JOURNAL
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