Gamma Phi () was a primarily
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
founded on March 1, 1905 at
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University is a private historically black university in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans. It participates in t ...
a
historically black university
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of primarily serving the African-American community. Mo ...
in the state of
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
by Gus Williams, Dr. Lackley and Edw. Clark.
It is notable as being one of the forerunners in the African American
Collegiate Fraternal scene.
The group was the sole fraternity on campus until the year 1912.
Charles F. Potter the fraternity historian stated in the ''Forcean
yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...
'' of 1923 that the fraternity was for a time merely local.
[
The fraternity grew to at least three chapters,][ and existed on and off for many years, but the last known documentation of this fraternity occurred in 1947.][
]
Symbols
The colors of Gamma Phi were blue and white with the official flower of the organization being a white carnation
''Dianthus caryophyllus'' (), commonly known as the carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus''. It is likely native to the Mediterranean region but its exact range is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 2,000 years.Med ...
.[
]
See also
History of North American fraternities and sororities
The Fraternities and sororities in North America, North American fraternity and sorority system began with students who wanted to meet secretly, usually for discussions and debates not thought appropriate by the faculty of their schools. Today they ...
List of African-American Greek and fraternal organizations
African American fraternities and sororities are social organizations that predominantly recruit Black college students and provide a network that includes both undergraduate and alumni members. These organizations were typically founded by Blac ...
References
Wilberforce University
Fraternities and sororities in the United States
African-American fraternities and sororities
1905 establishments in Ohio
Student organizations established in 1905
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