Nation’s Oldest Black Fraternity Honors Its “Mother”

Robert Harold Ogle

Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity is the oldest Black Greek-letter organization in the United States. It was established by seven Black students at Cornell University in 1906. At that time, the Black students were not permitted to live in university housing. One of the founders of the fraternity, Robert Harold Ogle, rented a room from Archie and Annie Singleton near the campus. The founders of the fraternity often met at the Singleton home and were fed and nurtured by Annie Singleton.

In 1939, during the fraternity’s annual convention in New York City, Alpha Phi Alpha named Annie Singleton the “Mother of the Fraternity.” She died in 1960.

Last year, on the 50th anniversary of Annie Singleton’s death, the fraternity decided to fund and place a new headstone on her grave in the Forest Lawn cemetery in Buffalo, New York. Recently, 50 members of the fraternity held a ceremony at the grave to dedicate the new headstone.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

New Report Sets the Baseline for Future Studies on the Effect of Texas’ DEI Ban on College Campuses

"Ensuring all Texas students have the opportunity to succeed will directly strengthen our workforce and economy," write the report's authors. "While it’s too early to assess the impact of SB 17, continuous monitoring of student outcomes is critical to improving efficiency and maximizing the potential of our future workforce."

Robert Jones Named the First Black President of the University of Washington

Dr. Jones is slated to become the University of Washington's first Black president on August 1. He comes to his new role from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he has served as the institution's first Black chancellor for the past nine years.

Study Uncovers More Evidence That Black Students Are Overrepresented in School Discipline

In an examination of six different kinds of school discipline and punishment, three comparison groups, and 16 subpopulations, a new study has found that "no matter how you slice it, Black students are overrepresented among those punished and excluded."

Jermaine Whirl Selected to Lead Savannah State University in Georgia

“Savannah State has a rich history of producing world class artists, educators, scientists, military leaders, corporate executives and public policy advocates," said Dr. Whirl. "I look forward to working with the students, faculty, staff, alumni and the greater Savannah community to continue the legacy of the state’s first public HBCU.”

Featured Jobs