Fraternity History

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The Founders, the Honorable A. Langston Taylor, the Honorable Leonard F. Morse, and the Honorable Charles I. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek-letter fraternity that would truly exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service.

The Founders deeply wished to create an organization that viewed itself as “a part of” the general community rather than “apart from” the general community. They believed that each potential member should be judged by his own merits, rather than his family background or affluence…without regard to race, nationality, skin tone or texture of hair. They desired for their fraternity to exist as part of an even greater brotherhood which would be devoted to the “inclusive we” rather than the “exclusive we”.

From its inception, the Founders also conceived Phi Beta Sigma as a mechanism to deliver services to the general community. Rather than gaining skills to be utilized exclusively for themselves and their immediate families, they held a deep conviction that they should return their newly acquired skills to the communities from which they had come. This deep conviction was mirrored in the Fraternity’s motto, “Culture For Service and Service For Humanity”.

Today, Phi Beta Sigma has blossomed into an international organization of leaders. No longer a single entity, members of the Fraternity have been instrumental in the establishment of the Phi Beta Sigma National Foundation, the Phi Beta Sigma Federal Credit Union and The Sigma Beta Club Foundation. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, founded in 1920 with the assistance of Phi Beta Sigma, is the sister organization of the Fraternity.

Fraternity History

The Upsilon Iota Sigma Chapter stands as a beacon of the fraternity’s founding ideals, established by visionaries dedicated to the professional and social advancement of African American alumni. Our heritage is rooted in the pursuit of excellence and the cultivation of an unbreakable bond that transcends time and geography.

The Founding Members

Alpha Phi Beta Sigma fraternity members with banner

Honorable founders

The Honorable A. Langston Taylor

The Honorable Leonard F. Morse
The Honorable Charles I.Brown

Charter Members

Bro. S.P. Massie

Bro. J.A. Franklin

Bro. J.E. Jones

Bro. B.A. Mathews

Bro. W.F. Vincent

Bro. T.L. Austin

Bro. W.E. Tibbs

Bro. J.H. Howard

Bro. I.L. Scruggs