A LOOK BACK: KAPPA HISTORY
Board of Directors & Trust Officer, Citizens Savings and Southern Bank and Trust Company (1926-) Board of Trustees, Lincoln University (1939-1941) Vice President, Lincoln University Alumni Association, Philadelphia Branch Chairman, Pennsylvania State Commission to Study the Urban Colored Population (1939-1944) Member, State Inter-Racial Committee Board of Trustees, Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry (1947~1960) Board of Directors, Mercy-Douglass Hospital Director, NAACP, Philadelphia Branch (1948-1962) Chairman, Board of Directors, Downingtown Industrial and Agricultural School (1948-1969) Committee Member, Philadelphia Clean Up, Fix Up, Paint Up Committee Member, Cancer Crusade for Philadelphia (1952, 1953) Member, Philadelphia Board of Education (1958-1965) Board of Directors, Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia & Better Business Bureau Board of Directors, Marmaduke Building and Loan Association Vice President, Philadelphia Business League Co-founder, Philadelphia Citizens Committee Against Juvenile Delinquency and Their Causes Vice President, Citizens’ Commission of Allied Organizations E. Washington Rhodes’ Civic & Community Involvement
discourse as a newspaper publisher, guiding legal norms as an attorney, and advancing civic policies as a politician. Rhodes served as a representative in the General Assembly for the 6th Legislative District of Philadelphia (1938-1940). Rhodes exercised significant influence within Philadelphia’s Black community, the Republican Party, and the city’s political landscape. Under his leadership, The Tribune success- fully advocated for the appointment of a Black citizen to the city’s Board of Education and supported the election of a Black member to the City Council. He also launched the election campaign of a Black judge. By the time of Rhodes’ death in 1970, there were eight Black Philadelphia judges. Additionally, the newspaper took a strong stand against segregation and spoke out forcefully against the race riots that occurred in Chester, Penn- sylvania, during the 1930s. In 1947, he also founded the Tribune Charities, Inc. to help those in need within the community, encourage civic pride, and provide scholarship assistance to deserving students. In addition to the monetary grants, the Tribune Charities also sponsored award programs, fashion shows, and other activities for the Philadelphia Black youth. Rhodes served as the Tribune Charities trea- surer, 1947-1970. In 1948, Rhodes founded the Philadelphia branch of the Police Athletic League (PAL), whose mis- sion is to build positive relationships between youth, their communities, and Philadelphia Police Officers. He
actively participated in PAL matters and co-chaired the 1969-1970 PAL expansion campaign. PAL offers athletic, learning, and cultural pro- grams that promote positive character development and improve educational outcomes. Philadelphia’s PAL still exists today and is free for children ages 6-18, with 18 locations through- out the city.
CIVIC AFFILIATIONS, HONORS & LEGACY
Aside from Kappa Alpha Psi, he was a member of the Order of the Elks, the Prince Hall Freemasons, the John W. Langston Law Club, and the Citizens Republican Club. Rhodes was a dedicated man of faith, as a 45-year member of historic Union Baptist Church of South Philadelphia, where he served on the Deacon Board. Rhodes was honored by several institutions for his altruistic work, including, but not limited to, being awarded honorary L.L.D. degrees from Morris College (1948) and Lincoln University, PA (1952). Following his death, Betsy Ross Middle School in Philadelphia, PA, was renamed E. Washington Rhodes School in 1971. He was also named Publisher of the Year by the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Rhodes passed away on June 24, 1970. Over 2,000 people, including Philadelphia’s Black community leaders, city officials, and citizens, paid their respects to him. He was referred to as “a practicing exponent of equal- ity between the races long before it became a fashionable cause … who gave and demanded respect.” ♦
FALL 2025 ♦ THE JOURNAL 75
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