TitleThree young men, seated at an event, looking to the right.
SummaryAlbum caption reads: "Young scholarship recipients." Inscribed in pen on back: "April 27, 1980, APA wives luncheon; 1980 scholarship recipients?; 12 February, 1986, JPR." [Likely inscribed by John P. Rice in 1986.] Stamped on back: May 1980.
Biographical NoteAlpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men, was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in the United States. The fraternity initially served as a study and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice, both educationally and socially, at Cornell. The founders, known to their brethren as the ‘seven jewels,’ along with early leaders of the fraternity, laid a firm foundation for Alpha Phi Alpha’s principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity. The organization has been interracial since 1945. Alpha Phi Alpha chapters were established at other colleges and universities, many of them historically black institutions, soon after the founding at Cornell. The first alumni chapter was established in 1911. The Gamma Iota Lambda Chapter was chartered in Brooklyn in 1945 with the aim of advancing the well-being of Black Brooklynites and established programs to promote education, health and justice in their neighborhoods. Among the membership are attorneys, civic leaders, architects, clergy, educators, physicians, and veterans. The visual series of the collection, connected to the Gamma Iota Lambda Chapter, consists mostly of photographs but also includes event programs, tickets, brochures and obituaries. Some of the photographs were housed in an album with captions written under the items. In most cases, these captions were written by member John R. Rice, Jr. Other photographs had inscriptions on the reverse, or had separate caption documents. All of this information has been added to the item record.
Cite AsAlpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Gamma Iota Lambda Chapter records, Brooklyn Public Library, Center for Brooklyn History
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