HISTORY OF THE WEST PALM BEACH ALUMNI CHAPTER
The initial Letter of Petition (November 25, 1951) from Joseph A. Orr, Acting Secretary, was sent to Dr. J. Ernest Wilkins, Grand Keeper of Records and Exchequer. The request was to establish a graduate chapter in West Palm Beach in the interest of the following nine (9) men:
W. Roderick Cameron Alpha XI Simon Louis Weeks Alpha XI
William Blaine Robinson Alpha XI Joseph A. Orr Alpha XI
James Turner Waldron Alpha XI Harold Eugene Echols Alpha XI
Don Chappelle Williams Alpha XI Leroy Baine Alpha XI
David C. Ross Alpha XI
On February 21, 1954 (43 years after the founding of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in Bloomington, Indian on the campus of Indiana University). the Grand Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi that decreed the establishment of seven (7) men living in West Palm Beach who had become members of Kappa Alpha Psi on various college campuses located in Alabama, Florida and Georgia, continued the effort set forth by those Kappas named above. They were:
W. Roderick Cameron Alpha XI *
W. Ivey Mack Gamma Chi *
Samuel Bruce McDonald Gamma Gamma
Joseph Alexander Orr, Jr. Alpha XI *
Atwell Bernard Pride PI *
David C. Ross Alpha XI *
Moses Bernard Stubbs, Jr. Gamma Theta*
(*) deceased
Three (3) of the above founders were also charter members 0f their respective undergraduate chapters on campuses at:
Bethune-Cookman – Gamma Theta (May 22, 1948) – Moses bernard Stubbs, Jr.
Talladega – Gamma Gamma (February 27, 1948) – Samuel Bruce McDonald
Savannah State – Gamma Chi (May 19, 1950) – W. Ivey Mack
Brother McDonald, our remaining living founder became a fifty-year member in 1998. He is still an active and financial member of the chapter being intimately involved in our Sr. Kappa program and affairs of the chapter.
Dr. W. Henry Greene, 15th Grand Polemarch and holder of the Elder Watson Diggs Award presented charters to the “Twin Chapters” (West Palm Beach (WPBAC) and the Ft. Lauderdale Alumni Chapters) at the Roosevelt High School in West Palm Beach, Florida. To our knowledge, these are the only two alumni chapters to be chartered at the same time and place in the history of the fraternity. Brother Greene also installed the first officers of each chapter. The installation rites were followed by a banquet at the Plantation Restaurant and an installation ball in Ft. Lauderdale.
The first elected offices of the chapter were:
Polemarch
Vice Polemarch
Lt. Strategus
Historian
Keeper of Records and Exchequer
Strategus
Brother Dr. Atwell B. Pride was our first Polemarch. The chapter has been a “Beacon of Achievement” since the day the charter was established … “Training for Leadership” amongst ourselves and in the communities in which we serve …
In the early years, we were establishing ourselves as stewards of the community and were involved with the rights of us as a people. This included everything from voting rights, civil rights and education for all; participating with the Urban League, NAACP, Black Caucus of Palm Beach County, American Cancer Society, Palm Beach Congressional Black Caucus & the Educational System in Palm Beach, promoting excellence in our community for our community.
The West Palm Beach Alumni Chapter was also the sponsor and first advisory chapter for the Omicron Gamma (OG) Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi established at Florida Atlantic University, in Boca Raton, Florida.
The brothers of the West Palm Beach Alumni Chapter, its Polemarch, Sr. Kappas and all members at large, continue to do the work of Kappa Alpha Psi as we move forward into the next one-hundred and eleven (111) years of “Achievement In Every Field of Human Endeavor” Known for training for leadership & working in the community, we are all brothers first. our local motto is on to the next project and on to the next challenge. it’s all in PHI NU PI!!