IOTA ALPHA HISTORY

The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity was triumphantly unfurled in Knoxville, TN on April 19, 1935. Professor S. Herbert Adams from Johnson C. Smith University (Rho Chapter) journeyed over the mountains to join joyfully by which the Iota Alpha Chapter was duly established. Professor Adams initiated new members and installed the newly chartered Chapter officers:


Chapter Officers
Brother Keith Gunn – Basileus
Brother Smith Jean Philippe – Vice Basileus
Brother Timothy Broady – Keeper of Finance
Brother Adronicus Thomas - Assistant Keeper of Finance
Brother Robert Watkins – Keeper of Records and Seal
Brother Kevin Parks - Assistant Keeper of Records and Seal
Brother Gene Thomas – Chaplain
Brother Thomas "Tank" Strickland – Keeper of Peace
Brother Joseph Armstrong - Parliamentarian
Brother Smith Jean Philippe - Oracle reporter


District Officers
Brother Quincy "Que" Snyder - District Representative,
Brother Smith Jean Phillippe - Area Representative


CHAPTER LINEAGE

Winter 1935 (Charter Line)

Samuel Clark

Landon Porter

O. B. Taylor

Leon Nance

Thomas Jenkins

 

Spring 1935

Frederick Pickett

William Macklin

G.J. Mills

Nelson Nance

 

Fall 1935

Charles James

Henry Smith

Jack Johnson (Omega Chapter)

 

Spring 1938

William Brooks

 

Spring 1939

Lee Williams

Winter 1941

Robert Pope

 

Fall 1942

William McArthur

 

Fall 1946

Isiah Crippins

 

Spring 1947

Shields Minor

Clifford Ross

 

Spring 1948

Leonard Williams

 

Spring 1949

Edward Freeman

 

Winter 1949
Curtis Kelly

Fall 1950

Washington Butler

 

Fall 1952

John Cook

 

Spring 1953

Robert Whitmire

Iris Brown

 

Winter 1953

Christopher Reynolds

 

Spring 1954

John Jackson

Thomas Nowlin

 

Fall 1955

Henry Edmunds

 

Spring 1958

William McCloud Jr.

 

Fall 1958
William Whaley

Spring 1964

Joseph Hardin

Melvin Harrison

Myles Hicks

Philip Hyman

Charles Williamson

 

Fall 1965

Franklyn Cheek

 

Fall 1966

Lewis Holmes

 

Fall 1968

Charles Davis

Gerald Mason

Kirkland Robinson

 

Fall 1970

Gary McKinney

 

Spring 1971

Duane Ashley

Whaley Boyd

Calvin Brown

James Head

Marion Henry

Leroy Jenkins

Wendell Maull

Nicholas Morris

Laurtec Radcliff

Leon Render II

Richard Richardson

Rufus Shelton

Michael Steele

 

Fall 1972

Kenzer Dirkson

Allen Gray

Luther Kindall

Will Moore

Jimmie Thacker

 

Fall 1974

George Carter

Theodoric Fain

Clarence Hall

Dwayne Simmons

James Thomas

 

Spring 1975

Frank Bowden III

Franklyn Thompson

 

Winter 1978
Charles Edington

Spring 1980

Timothy Aro
Charles Crowe
Reginald Jones
Willie Osborne
Michael Riley
Larry Cook
Eric Washington


Spring 1988

Robert Beard
Nelson Nance Jr.
Dewey Roberts II

Winter 1992
Michael Jackson
Victor Willburn


Winter 1993 (3 Abnormal Lights)
Michael Foxx
Kevin Whaley
Charles Woods

Fall 1995 (The Immaculate Four)
Adronicus Thomas
Eric Wallace
Mark Brown
Andre Price

Fall 1996
Kevin Marcelli
Wendell Wainwright

Fall 1997
Kevin Ransom

Fall 2002
Marcus Blakemore

Summer 2005 (6 The Hardway)
Donivol Blue
Michael Dorsey
Norman Turk
Smith Jean-Philippe
Elvyn Davidson II
Darrow Davenport

Fall 2010 (4 Undeniable Souls)
Errettee Woodruff
Alvin Sanders
Will Dorsey
Chavis Smith

Spring 2016 (Infamous 4)
Keith Gunn
Caleb Cox
Michael Teasley
Melvin Chris Douglass

Summer 2017 (UnconQuerable 5)
Anthony Bagwell
Brian Buckmon
Jeffery Phillips Jr.
DeOssie Dingus
Andrew ‘Gene’ Thomas

Fall 2017
Anthony Gunn II

Spring 2018 (D.S.O.D.D.)
Tavon Murray
Quinton Phillips

Religion:
Rev. Thomas A. Jenkins
Rev. D. Albert Jackson
Rev. J. D. Howell
Rev.  Joseph Maddox
Rev. Gene Thomas


Law:
Judge William Hastie
Avon Williams
Commissioner Judge Mark Brown

Education:
Prof. L.C. Porter
Prof. Leon Nance
Albert “Big Will” Williams
9th Fifth District Rep. Frank Bowden
Coach Raleigh Wynn Sr.
Prof. John Perry
David “Pug” Fuller
Alvin Armstead

Politics:
County Commissioner./Vice Mayor Thomas “Tank” Strickland
State Rep. Joe Armstrong
23rd Fifth District Rep./County Commissioner/State Rep. Samuel McKenzie
City Council/Vice Mayor Mark Brown

Medicine:
Dr. S. M. Clark
Dr. O.B. Taylor
Dr. Lee Williams
Dr. Walter Hardy
Dr. Curtis Kelly
Dr. E.V. Davidson

Athletics:
Julian Bell
Clifford Ross
Reginald McKenzie
Raleigh McKenzie
Ovince St Preux
Jakob Johnson

 

5th District History


In 1937, by the works of Brother Z. Alexander Looby, the fraternity was organized with 11 Districts. At this point the state of Tennessee was in the Fifth District along with Mississippi and Arkansas. The state of Kentucky was placed in the 8th District along with Kansas, Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri. Brother Looby served as the first 5th District Representative from 1938 to 1941.

In 1945 the Fraternity made the decision to re-organize into 12 Districts. It was at this point that the legendary “Physical” Fifth District in its present form with the states of Tennessee and Kentucky was created.

The first 5th District Representative after the re-organization was Brother L. W. Beasley, who served from 1945 to 1960, which remains the longest term served by any 5th District Representative.

 

5th District Representatives

  • 1st Z. Alexander Looby 1938 – 1941
  • 2nd A.A. Branch 1941 – 1945
  • 3rd L. W. Beasley 1945 – 1960
  • 4th Fred Picket 1960 – 1964
  • 9th Frank Bowden 1974 – 1977
  • 18th Richard Jones 2002 – 2005
  • 19th Horace Chase 2005 – 2008
  • 20th Edward Morant 2008 – 2012
  • 21st Earl Young 2012 – 2015
  • 22nd Bryan White 2015 – 2019
  • 23rd Samuel McKenzie 2019 - present

 

District Meetings (Knoxville)

  • First 5th District Meeting held in 1949
  • 11th 1959
  • 17th 1965
  • 25th 1973
  • 32nd 1980
  • 044th 1992
  • 55th 2003
  • 65th 2013 (Bro. Adronicus Thomas, DM)
  • 72nd 2020 (1st Virtual 5th District Meeting, Bro. Smith Jean-Philippe, DM)
  • 73rd 2021 (2nd Virtual 5th District Meeting, Bro. Errettee Woodruff, DM)