Chapter History
T he Jacksonville (FL) Alumni Chapter was chartered and established on February 27, 1925, becoming the first black Greek letter organization in the city of Jacksonville and the state of Florida. Its initial roster of officers and charter members were Lemuel Bolton (Polemarch), Dr. I. A. White (Vice Polemarch), Deaver P. Young (Keeper of Records), Oliver Dukes (Strategus), Dr. S. Spearing Campbell (Lt. Strategus), J. R. E. Lee, Jr., Jacob Wycliffe Keller, Lewis H. Meyers, Thomas R. Reid, Jr., and John C. Wright. T he Jacksonville (FL) Alumni Chapter history is joined closely with the founding of Xi, Omicron, Atlanta (GA) and Baltimore (MD) Alumni chapters. Its creation was guided through the invaluable assistance of Dr. Hamilton M. Holmes (Pi Chapter Charter Member at Morehouse College) and Dr. Albert B. Cooper (Kappa Chapter Charter Member at Meharry Medical College) both charter members of the Atlanta (GA) Alumni Chapter serving as the chapter’s first Polemarch and Vice Polemarch respectively. C harter members Bolton, Keller and Young also brought achievement in Kappa with them to Florida. Keller and Bolton were also charter members of the Howard University Chapter, the Xi of Kappa Alpha Psi as Polemarch and Keeper of Records, respectively. Bolton and Keller also served on the first Pan-Hellenic Council at Howard University, where Bolton served as its chairman. Young also served as a charter member and Keeper of Records of the Columbia University Chapter, the Omicron of Kappa
A fter the creation of the Southern Province at the 40th Grand Chapter Meeting in Kansas City, MO, the Jacksonville Alumni Chapter hosted the first annual meeting of the newly established province in a joint session with the Southeastern Province, also called the “Little Conclave” October 18- 21, 1951 on the campus of Edward Waters College.
Alpha Psi, and a charter member of the Baltimore (MD) Alumni Chapter. He served as Southeastern Province Polemarch in 1926 and Grand Board of Directors in 1928.
T he Jacksonville Alumni Chapter would make a bid to host the 1948 Grand Chapter Meeting in Jacksonville with the support of Florida chapters highlighted in the May 1947 issue of the Kappa Alpha Psi Journal. The issue also featured prominent members of the chapter in the Jacksonville community at that time including Chester Cowart, Cassius W. Jones, William L. Redmond, M.D., S. Spearing Campbell, M.D., William Johnson, John Darby, Sr., Maxie Wilson, Killis B. Bonner, William Mason Jimerson, James King, Raymond Miller, L.C. Parson, Raymond Stone, William R. Akery, Jr., and Theodore L. Jones.
T he chapter would serve as hosts again for the 12th Southern Province Council in 1962, the 25th Silver Anniversary in 1975, the 50th Golden Anniversary in 2000, and the historic 60th Southern Province Council aboard the Carnival Cruise Fascination. Affectionately known as the “Birthplace of the Southern Province,” the chapter has hosted C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Conferences, Membership Training Academy Clusters and served as host of the Inaugural Southern Province Golf Tournament at Slammer & Squire World Golf Village in 2022.
25th Silver Anniversary Southern Province Council Jacksonville, FL 1975
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