A Concise History of the Third District
Dedicated to Brother Dr. Vernon E. Johnson who wrote the “Origin of the Current Third District,” from which this history is adapted, and who served as the 15th Third District Representative from 1983-1986.
To know and appreciate the history of the Third District, it is helpful to understand how and why districts in general were originally formed, their evolving impact on the organization of the Fraternity, and their related and evolving function.
From the founding of Omega on November 17, 1911, throughout its first decade, Districts and District Representatives as we know them today did not exist. The Grand Basileus was solely responsible for administering all facets of the Fraternity—a job that became increasingly more difficult as the Fraternity grew.
In response to Omega’s increasingly rapid growth, in 1922, the Eleventh Annual Grand Conclave, which met in Philadelphia, PA, authorized the creation of the Office of Vice Grand Basileus. At the time, the Vice Grand Basileus’ primary role was to assist the Grand Basileus with managing the Fraternity’s expansion. John W. Love was the first to fill the new position. Love immediately focused his efforts on working with existing chapters to increase membership while chartering new chapters that would expand Omega’s impact and reach.
The same Conclave that created the office of the Vice Grand Basileus empowered Grand Basileus J. Alston Atkins to appoint five “District Representatives” whose responsibility it would be to supervise chapters as assigned. The first five District Representatives appointed were Charles White for the New England states; Carter L. Marshall for the Mid-Atlantic states, which included what was to become the Third District; L. R. Hill for the Central states; William J. Faulkner for the Southern states; and George L. Vaughn for the Western states. The District Representatives were to function under the supervision of the Vice Grand Basileus and assist him with growing Omega. To fulfill their charge, District Representatives were assigned to distinct regions of the country, and each was to visit all the chapters in his area at least once during 1923. They were also to scout their areas for locations in which new chapters could be chartered and were to use their influence to establish new chapters where desirable. As the Fraternity grew, so did the number of districts. Between 1923 and 1928 the Fraternity implemented several district reorganizations, at one point establishing as many as seventeen districts. In 1928, Washington, District of Columbia, currently in the Third District, represented the Fifteenth District.
The next important step in the development of organized districts occurred in 1929 when Beta Phi Chapter of Durham, North Carolina obtained approval from its District Representative to convene a conference of representatives from the various chapters in North Carolina to discuss matters of mutual interest. Thus, on March 26, 1929 the first State Conference was held in Greensboro, North Carolina. This first conference was deemed such a success that the second State Conference was held on April 18, 1929 in Durham, North Carolina. At this second conference, the North Carolina State Conference was officially established. The North Carolina State Conference met in 1930 and 1931, but because of the Great Depression, it did not meet again until 1936. In the meantime, the idea of convening a similar conference in the State of Virginia was introduced by Ellis F. Corbett who had recently graduated from North Carolina A&T College where he was a member of Mu Psi Chapter.
After graduating from college, Corbett moved north to Virginia and joined Lambda Omega Chapter, a graduate chapter in Norfolk, Virginia. He carried with him the favorable experience he remembered as a participant in the North Carolina State Conference while in college and accordingly, he tried to persuade chapter members to organize a similar state conference in Virginia. After writing many letters to other chapters in the state, Corbett and others in Lambda Omega succeeded in 1934 to establish the Virginia Omega State Conference, the second such conference in the Fraternity. The first of eight meetings of the Virginia Omega State Conference to occur between 1934 and 1941 was hosted by Lambda Omega Chapter on May 19, 1934, in Norfolk, VA. At this first meeting, the following temporary officers of the Virginia Omega State Conference were appointed:
- Edward R. Archer (Lambda Omega), President
- Arthur P. Davis (Phi Phi), Vice President
- James E. Segear (Phi Phi), Secretary
- W. G. Johnson, Keeper of Peace
J. Arthur Weiseger, Grand Keeper of Records and Seal at the time, represented the Supreme Council at this first conference. Before the end of the conference the following permanent officers were elected for 1935 and were later installed by G. Hamilton Francis, Basileus of Lambda Omega:
- Edward R. Archer (Lambda Omega), President
- Theodore L. Taylor, Vice President
- C. W. Seay (Delta Omega), Secretary and Treasurer
- Ellis F. Corbett (Lambda Omega), Director of Publicity
The Second Virginia Omega State Conference was held May 17-18, 1935 in Lynchburg, Virginia and was hosted by Gamma Omega Chapter. This meeting was called to order by Vice President Taylor in the absence of President E. A. Archer, who was compelled to resign because of a long siege of illness. At this meeting, Conference leadership established an organizational agenda to normalize and focus the efforts of the Virginia chapters. This statewide agenda called for an organized and concerted attack on the economic, civic, and social problems that hindered the progress of the Negro in the South, and especially the progress of the Negro College man. A hallmark of the Conference’s resulting action was the implementation of efforts to register Negro voters. This was the brain child of Luther Porter Jackson of Delta Omega Chapter, who would go on to lead Omega’s voter registration efforts in the State of Virginia for many years. This conference was attended by a number of national officials including: William E. Baugh, Vice Grand Basileus; J. Arthur Weiseger, Grand Keeper of Records and Seal; Frederick S. Weaver, representing Herman Dreer the Editor-in-Chief of the ORACLE. At this second conference, newly elected officers were installed by J. A. Jordan, Basileus of Gamma Omega Chapter. A. B. Green of Lambda Omega Chapter was elected as the second permanent President of the Virginia Omega Conference.
The Third Virginia Omega State Conference was held May 8-19, 1936 in Richmond, Virginia. Led by its Basileus, James E. Segear Phi Phi Chapter was the host chapter. Newly elected officers at this third conference were:
- A. B. Green (Lambda Omega), President
- Oliver W. Hill (Gamma Alpha), Vice President
- C. W. Seay (Delta Omega), Secretary and Treasurer
- A. Washington Owens (Phi Phi), Treasurer and Marshal
The fourth Virginia Omega State Conference was important for its implications in leading to the later establishment of Districts nation-wide. The conference was held May 14-15, 1937 at the Hotel Dumas in Roanoke, Virginia. Oliver W. Hill, then a member of Gamma Alpha Chapter, served as President. In attendance were: Grand Basileus William E. Baugh (who was attending his third Virginia Conference), Vice Grand Basileus Jesse O. Thomas, Editor-in-Chief of the ORACLE R. D. Baskerville, Managing Editor of the ORACLE Frederick S. Weaver, and Fourth District Representative C. W. Seay of Delta Omega Chapter. Ellis F. Corbett, the Conference secretary, reported that while attending the 25th Jubilee Conclave in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania several months earlier in December 1936, he was “literally swamped by requests for information about the Virginia Omega State Conference.” Corbett also reported that “practically all the national officers had paid tribute to our effort here in Virginia.” Grand Basileus Baugh was quoted as saying, “This conference has gone beyond the experimental state and is doing a very constructive and effective piece of work. The program should challenge the admiration of every Omega man in the nation.” Finally, Corbett reported, “It was through the efforts of the Virginia Conference that Virginia was set aside as a separate district” in Omega. Bro C. W. Seay of Delta Omega Chapter was appointed as the first District Representative of this new Fourth District.
The fifth Virginia Omega State Conference was held May 13-14, 1938 in Petersburg, Virginia with A. M. Banks of Delta Omega as president, followed by the Sixth Virginia Omega State Conference on May 12-14, 1939 in Norfolk, Virginia. Lambda Omega Chapter hosted the sixth state conference, which was led by conference president, A.G. Macklin of Gamma Alpha Chapter. In attendance were Grand Basileus Albert W. Dent and H. Carl Moultrie I. The theme of the sixth Virginia Omega State Conference was “Juvenile Delinquency,” a topic with which Moultrie had considerable experience. At the time, Moultrie was the Executive Secretary of the Colored Boys Club and the Colored Probation Officer for the City of Wilmington, North Carolina. Moultrie was then a member of Omicron Omega Chapter in Wilmington, North Carolina and was invited by the Conference to represent the Sixth District and speak on juvenile delinquency.
The Seventh Virginia Omega State Conference was held May 12-13, 1940 in Newport News, Virginia with A. G. Macklin as president and Delta Omega as the host chapter. In attendance were Grand Basileus Z. Alexander Looby, Vice Basileus Mifflin F. Gibbs, and Fredrick S. Weaver, Editor-in-Chief of the ORCALE. Ellis F. Corbett, then serving as the Fourth District Representative, was also in attendance. The following year, the eighth and last Virginia Omega State Conference was held on May 9-10, 1941 in Roanoke, Virginia. This last conference was hosted by Gamma Alpha Chapter and its Basileus, Harry T. Penn.. Penn later became Omega’s 19th Grand Basileus. Grand Officers in attendance included Grand Basileus Z. Alexander Looby, Vice Grand Basileus Gibbs Mifflin F. Gibbs, and Editor-in-Chief of the ORACLE Frederick S. Weaver. Also attending as Fourth District Representative was Ellis F. Corbett who later became the 13th Editor-in-Chief of the ORACLE and the 27th Grand Basileus.
Throughout these formative years, the State Conference proved to be one of the most effective and transformational organizational constructs to date within Omega, largely because of its capacity to nurture and promote inter-chapter and inter-level (chapter, state, and national) programmatic resonance and alignment. Although districts existed concurrently, until 1936 District Representatives did not represent the chapters as they were appointed by the Grand Basileus and represented the national body. District Representatives and the districts to which they were assigned were primarily deployed by the national body to manage fraternity expansion, not program execution, the success of which relied heavily on chapter involvement, communication, and cooperation. This was better accomplished through the State Conference model.
Although the national body stopped appointing District Representatives in 1936, and they were thereafter elected by the chapters, it wasn’t until the period between 1936 and 1947 when the State Conference and district organizational constructs merged into the district model that exists today. The Sixth District, composed of North Carolina and South Carolina, led the way with the initial District Conference in 1936. Virginia, which made up the Fourth District, quickly followed in 1937 with both the Virginia Omega State Conference and the Fourth District Conference coexisting until 1942. The District of Columbia was at the time in the Third District which also included Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. The original five districts had been increased to seventeen by 1928 and reduced to a total of eleven by 1942. In 1943, the Fraternity underwent a reorganization that resulted in chapters being organized into one of twelve districts. At that time, Virginia, the District of Columbia and Maryland were organized into a new Third District. Later modifications in the early 1950’s resulted in the elimination of the Eleventh District, with all of its chapters consolidated into the Eighth District.
A notable organizational shift was the decision by the Fraternity to move all Maryland chapters that were in the Third District at the time to the Second District. In 1955, during the administration of the 22nd Grand Basileus John F. Potts, Sr., an arguably consequential and far-reaching re-organization of the Fraternity occurred. Prior to 1955 there were four chapters located in the State of Maryland – Pi Chapter and Pi Omega Chapter in Baltimore, Pi Epsilon in Princess Anne, and Pi Alpha in Salisbury. Pi Chapter and Pi Omega were organized in the Third District and Pi Epsilon and Pi Alpha were organized in the Second District. On February 5, 1955, Grand Basileus Potts held a Supreme Council meeting at the National Headquarters in Washington, DC. During this meeting, the Supreme Council voted to transfer Pi Chapter and Pi Omega Chapter from the Third District to the Second District. Although Potts and the rest of the Supreme Council could not predict the future, the decision by the Supreme Council to organize all Maryland chapters in the Second District would have a significant impact on the balance of power in the Fraternity. From 1955 to 2018, the number of active chapters in the State of Maryland increased from four to 24. As the Second District grew, so did its voting strength and relative influence in the Fraternity. The Third District would thereafter be comprised of chapters in Virginia and the District of Columbia.
THIRD DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS
The Third District currently has 43 chapters and approximately 2011 members. A member of the Third District has held every Grand Office. We have had several members serve as Grand Basileus dating back to the Founders, men initiated at Alpha Chapter. We are also proud of the eight undergraduates that served as Second Vice Grand Basileus. The District of Columbia has held 10 Grand Conclaves most notably were the 50th Golden Anniversary in 1961, 75th Diamond Anniversary in 1986 and the 100th Centennial Anniversary in 2011. Virginia has held only one Grand Conclave, the 20th, in Richmond in 1932.
Our most recent Grand Officers include Jamin Powell, 40th 2nd Vice Grand Basileus; Curtis Baylor, Grand Keeper of Records and Seal; Kenneth Brown, Grand Marshall for the Centennial Conclave; Daniel B. Jones, Sr., Grand Keeper of Finance; and Mark E. Jackson, Sr., Grand Keeper of Records and Seal.
New chapters chartered since 1995 include Omicron Kappa Kappa “OKK” Chapter in 1996, Sigma Kappa Kappa Chapter in 1997, Pi Lambda Lambda Chapter in 2004, Zeta Mu Mu Chapter in 2008, and Sigma Mu Mu Chapter in 2011. Both Pi Lambda Lambda and Sigma Mu Mu chapters have won International Social Action Chapter of Year and Pi Lambda Lambda Chapter has won International Chapter of the Year in their early years. In 2014, Psi Nu Chapter won International Small Chapter of the Year and Social Action Chapter of the Year. Eta Delta Delta Chapter won Undergraduate Chapter of the Year for several years. Nu Psi, Gamma Epsilon and Pi Gamma Chapters have won International Step Shows. Brother (Major) Conrado B. Morgan established the Colonel Charles Young Award for Delta Omega Chapter and the Third District. He was also successful in getting the Colonel Charles Young Award approved by the Grand Conclave in 2002 as a Fraternity-wide recognition awarded during the Achievement Week mandated program. Several Brothers in the Third District have been recognized internationally by the Fraternity.
Listed in the table below are the names of those individuals who served as the chief elected officials of the mighty Third District as we know it. It should be noted that from approximately 1942 until 1946, the Third District operated with a District Basileus and a Third District Representative. The District Basileus was considered the chief operating official of the District. After 1946, the District Representative became the sole chief official of the Third District.VIRGINIA STATE CONFERENCE ERA
Year(s) | Name, Chapter, Position | Concurrent District Representatives |
|---|---|---|
| 1934 | Edward R. Archer, Lambda Omega, President | |
| 1935 | Theodore L. Taylor, Vice President | |
| 1935-1936 | A.B. Green, Lambda Omega, President | |
| 1936-1937 | Oliver W. Hill, Gamma Alpha, President | C.W. Seay, Delta Omega |
| 1937-1938 | A.M. Banks, Delta Omega, President | |
| 1938-1939 | A.G. Macklin, Gamma Alpha, President | |
| 1939-1940 | A.G. Macklin, Gamma Alpha, President | E.F. Corbett, Lambda Omega |
| 1940-1942 | J.B. Blayton, Alpha, President |
THIRD DISTRICT BASILEUS ERA
VIRGINIA STATE CONFERENCE ERA | Name, Chapter, Position | Concurrent District Representatives |
|---|---|---|
| 1942-1946 | R.J. Kenny, Jr., Phi Phi, Basileus | Harry T. Penn, Gamma Alpha |
| 1946-1947 | Harry T. Penn, Gamma Alpha, Basileus |
THIRD DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE ERA
# | Name | Chapter | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Thomas H. Shields | Lambda Omega | 1947-1949 |
| 2nd | Walter H. Riddick | Lambda Omega | 1949-1950 |
| 3rd | James D. Gill | Lambda Omega | 1950-1954 |
| 4th | James B. Williams | Phi Phi | 1954-1956 |
| 5th | Hilary Jones | Lambda Omega | 1956-1958 |
| 6th | Charles D. Paige | Delta Omega | 1958-1961 |
| 7th | Hiram F. Jones | Alpha Omega | 1961-1965 |
| 8th | Frederick D. Nance | Lambda Omega | 1965-1966 |
| 9th | Sylvester Blue | Delta Omega | 1967-1970 |
| 10th | Melvin J. Washington | Alpha Omega | 1970-1974 |
| 11th | B. Thomas Garnette | Lambda Omega | 1974-1976 |
| 12th | Charles D. Chambliss, Jr. | Delta Omega | 1976-1978 |
| 13th | Kenneth A. Brown | Alpha Omega | 1978-1981 |
| 14th | James R. Clark, Sr. | Delta Omega | 1981-1983 |
| 15th | Vernon E. Johnson | Lambda Omega | 1983-1986 |
| 16th | Robert W. Howard, Sr. | Alpha Omega | 1986-1987 |
| 17th | Robert W. Fairchild | Alpha Omega | 1987-1990 |
| 18th | Marion L. Barnwell | Psi Alpha Alpha | 1990-1993 |
| 19th | Joseph C. Mckinney | Delta Omega | 1993-1995 |
| 20th | Gary C. Clark | Alpha Omega | 1995-1997 |
| 21th | James A. Peterson | Lambda Omega | 1997-1999 |
| 22nd | Rayford L. Harris | Phi Phi | 1999-2002 |
| 23rd | Curtis A. Baylor | Psi Alpha Alpha | 2002-2004 |
| 24th | Robert H. Lewis | Psi Alpha Alpha | 2004-2006 |
| 25th | Mark E. Jackson, Sr. | Alpha Omega | 2006-2009 |
| 26th | Anthony Knight | Lambda Omega | 2009-2012 |
| 27th | Robert C. Warren | Alpha Omega | 2012-2015 |
| 28th | Ezekiel Dennison, Jr. | Delta Omega | 2015-2017 |
| 29th | Kevin Brown | Kappa Iota Iota | 2017-2020 |
| 30th | Conrado B. Morgan | Pi Lambda Lambda | 2020-Present |
THIRD DISTRICT GRAND OFFICERS SINCE 1930
Office of Grand Basileus | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 18th | Campbell C. Johnson | Alpha Omega | 1945-1947 |
| 19th | Harry T. Penn | Gamma Alpha | 1947-1949 |
Office of Second Vice Grand Basileus | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | J. Heyward Harrison | Pi | 1953 |
| 7th | Howard C. Davis | Alpha | 1953-1954 |
| 11th | William T. Johnson | Nu Psi | 1957-1958 |
| 22nd | Christopher R.E.L. Dixon | Alpha | 1973-1974 |
| 24th | K. Earl Ferguson | Alpha | 1976-1977 |
| 30th | Alonzo L. Carter, Jr. | Gamma Epsilon | 1986-1990 |
| 33rd | Mark E. Jackson, Sr. | Delta Theta | 1994-1996 |
| 35th | Aaron E. Price | Omicron Gamma | 1998-2000 |
| 40th | Jamin A. Powell | Zeta | 2008-2010 |
Office of Grand Keeper of Records and Seal | ||
|---|---|---|
| Walter H. Mazyck | Alpha Omega | 1930-1934 |
| J. Arthur Weiseger | Alpha Omega | 1934-1937 |
| J. Arthur Weiseger | Alpha Omega | 1946-1948 |
| Walter C. Riddick | Lambda Omega | 1951-1971 |
| Robert W. Fairchild | Alpha Omega | 1994-1998 |
| Curtis A. Baylor | Psi Alpha Alpha | 2011-2013 |
| Mark E. Jackson, Sr. | Alpha Omega | 2018-Present |
Office of Grand Keeper of Finance | ||
|---|---|---|
| Daniel B. Taylor | Alpha Omega | 1930-1932 |
| Kenneth A. Brown | Alpha Omega | 1988-1992 |
| Alcindor Rosier | Psi Alpha Alpha | 1996-2000 |
| Daniel B. Jones | Pi Lambda Lambda | 2016-2020 |
Office of Grand Counselor | ||
|---|---|---|
| Melvin J. Washington | Alpha Omega | 1975-1977 |
| Charles D. Chambliss, Jr. | Delta Omega | 1978-1980 |
Office of Grand Chaplain | ||
|---|---|---|
| H. Albion Ferrell | Alpha Omega | 1957-1973 |
Office of Grand Marshal | ||
|---|---|---|
| George W. Goodman | Alpha Omega | 1942 |
| Alfred E. Smith | Alpha Omega | 1945 |
| William D. Martin, Sr. | Alpha Omega | 1961 |
| Edward Clement | Alpha Omega | 1986 |
| Kenneth A. Brown | Alpha Omega | 2011 |
Undergraduate/Intermediate Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Larry A. Brown | Kappa Psi | 1980-1981 |
| David A. Brown | Pi Gamma | 1983-1984 |
| Tamer Ahmed Mokhtar | Eta Lambda | 1996-1998 |
| Leonard A. Robinson | Alpha | 1999-2000 |
| Donnel Jones | Omicron Gamma | 2013-2016 |
INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT WEEK AWARDEES
Undergraduate Chapter of the Year |
|
|---|---|
| Eta Delta Delta | 2014-2015 |
| Eta Delta Delta | 2016-2017 |
Graduate Large Chapter of the Year |
|
|---|---|
| Pi Lambda Lambda | 2010-2011 |
| Pi Lambda Lambda | 2011-2012 |
| Pi Lambda Lambda | 2014-2015 |
| Psi Alpha Alpha | 2017-2018 |
Graduate Small Chapter of the Year |
|
|---|---|
Social Action Chapter of the Year |
|
|---|---|
| Pi Lambda Lambda | 2004-2005 |
| Pi Lambda Lambda | 2006-2007 |
| Pi Lambda Lambda | 2010-2011 |
Undergraduate Omega Man of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah West | Eta Delta Delta | 2014-2015 |
Graduate Omega Man of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| John C. Oliver | Alpha Omega | 1955-1956 |
| Oliver W. Hill | Phi Phi | 1956-1957 |
| Charles D. Chambliss, Jr. | Delta Omega | 1976-1977 |
| Rafeeq Akbar | Phi Phi | 2002-2003 |
| Steven G. Johnson | Alpha Omega | 2011-2012 |
| Tony Bullock | Pi Lambda Lambda | 2013-2014 |
| Erik N. Noel | Pi Lambda Lambda | 2014-2015 |
International Founders Award | ||
|---|---|---|
| Gary C. Clark | Alpha Omega | 2011-2012 |
| Amos C. Townsend | Alpha Omega | 2013-2014 |
Founders Lifetime Achievement Award | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kenneth A. Brown | Alpha Omega | 2016-2017 |
| Gary C. Clark | Alpha Omega | 2018-2019 |
Superior Service Award | ||
|---|---|---|
| David R. Doctor | Alpha Omega | 2001-2002 |
| Anthony J. Zanfordino | Psi Alpha Alpha | 2002-2003 |
| Leland E. Edgecombe | Alpha Omega | 2010-2011 |
| Raymond J. Bell | Pi Lambda Lambda | 2014-2015 |
Colonel Charles Young Military Leadership Award | ||
|---|---|---|
| Linton J. Marks | Kappa Iota Iota | 2004-2005 |
| Ahmad Andrews | Pi Lambda Lambda | 2018-2019 |
Citizen of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Herman E. Valentine, Jr. | Lambda Omega | 1982-1983 |
| Kent B. Amos | Alpha Omega | 1986-1987 |
Undergraduate Chapter Advisor of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Richard G. Morris | Psi Alpha Alpha | 2016-2017 |
INTERNATIONAL STEP SHOW CHAMPION
Step Show Champion of the Year |
|
|---|---|
| Nu Psi | 1982 |
| Nu Psi | 1984 |
| Nu Psi | 1986 |
| Gamma Epsilon | 1988 |
| Nu Psi | 1992 |
| Gamma Epsilon | 1994 |
| Nu Psi | 2010 |
| Nu Psi | 2011 |
| Pi Gamma | 2012 |
| Nu Psi | 2016 |
LIST OF THIRD DISTRICT CONFERENCE/MEETINGS
“In May 1942 was held the first meeting of the then newly organized Third District Conference of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity which replaced the old historic conference [that] for nine (9) years was the Third District that performed some of the greatest work in the history of the fraternity.”
– Excerpt from the Report of the Keeper of Records and Seal for the Third District of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in 1946
In 1942, the composition of the Third District changed to include Washington, DC, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. In 1955, Maryland and Delaware became member states of the Second District. The Third District is currently comprised of Washington, DC and Virginia.
Sources provided upon request by email to 3dhistoryandarchives@gmail.com.
