Our History.

The connection between Morehouse College and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. has been closely intertwined since at least 1917 with the initiation of Wade H. Powell at Fort Des Moines in Iowa. Powell was a student at Morehouse when he answered the call for men of color to be trained as officers in the United States Army during World War I. Powell went on to serve his country in France as a 2nd Lieutenant.

In 1918, Harvey Smith, a Morehouse student, was initiated into Omega at Camp Howard in Washinton, D.C.  Another 1918 initiate, Clinton Warner joined with Smith, and three others, Harold H. Thomas, Horace Hodges, and Laurence Harper to charter Eta Chapter in December 1919.  It was at Eta Chapter that students from Morehouse, Clark College, and Atlanta University were initiated into the fraternity in the early 1920’s.

By 1921, Eta Chapter had grown so large that a petition for a new chapter at Morehouse was made during the annual conclave held in Atlanta that year. The petition was granted and Psi was the designation given for the new chapter at Morehouse. The full establishment of Psi Chapter was accomplished on April 7, 1922, with the initiation of the charter line members (Brown, Carter, Crawford, Grant and Morris).

Since 1922, Omegas have continued to be instrumental in shaping the development of the college, their communities, their country, and the world.  Some aspects of Morehouse culture influenced by Omega men are the maroon and white colors (Samuel H. Archer, Sr.), the world-famous glee club (Kemper Herreld), and the college hymn “Dear Old Morehouse” (J.O.B. Mosely). The impact of Omega at Morehouse can be seen throughout campus by the many buildings named after its members such as Mays Hall (Benjamin E. Mays), Archer Gymnasium (Samuel H Archer, Sr.), Wheeler Hall (John H. Wheeler, Jr.), Dansby Hall (Claude B. Dansby), Kilgore Hall (Thomas Kilgore, Jr.), Brazeal Hall (Brailsford R. Brazeal), Nabrit-Mapp-McBay Hall (Samuel Nabrit and Frederick Mapp), Chivers Dining Hall (Walter Chivers), and Massey Leadership Building (Walter Massey).

Omega and Morehouse have aged well together and for over 90 years they have ushered men of service out into the world. There is probably no industry involving service to our fellow man that has not felt the impact of a Morehouse Omega.  A few examples of servant leaders are James Nabrit, Jr. (law), Albert Dent and Samuel Cook (education), Edward Mazique and C. Clayton Powell, Sr. (medicine), Nathaniel Bronner and David Moody (business), Marshal Cabiness and Alvin Holsey (military), and Ricardo Soloman and Ceasar Mitchell (government).

Commencement each year is another chance to acknowledge how much Morehouse and Omega mean to each other. There are several prizes and awards given by various departments to their top students. The awards and prizes associated with Omega Men include the Frederick E. Mapp prize in Biology, the E.B.Williams award in Business Administration and Economics, Eddie D. Gaffney Community Service award in Psychology and the Samuel H. Archer, Sr. “Big Boy” prize in Kinesiology, Sports Studies, and Physical Education.