About Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Beta Beta Sigma Chapter

Beta Beta Sigma chapter was chartered on December 4, 1926 during the first plenary session of Conclave Greensboro, North Carolina. The President of the fraternity at that time was Bro. Arthur W. Mitchell of Washington, DC. Bro. Alain Leroy Locke gave the public address. The General Secretary reported that the fraternity had forty-five chapters in twenty-five different cities and for the first time in its history had exceeded 2,000 members.

CHARTERED MEMBERS

•Julius S. Cameron

•Robert Ritter Davenport

•Thomas L. Holley, Jr.

•B. H. Maynard

•Bryant C. Walker

•Vernon J. Walker

•Virgil W. Walker

•Charles A. Whitter, MD

The name of the chapter was granted by the Conclave at the request of Bro. Herbert L. Stevens. Bro. Stevens is best known for his being the first Alumni member of the fraternity, having graduated from Howard University in the class of 1914. He was initiated on March 5, 1915. Upon his graduation, Bro. Stevens became a professor of Biology at Wiley College, in Marshall, TX, were he established Beta chapter, the fraternity’s second chapter.

Bro. Stevens would later become the Dean of Science at Tillotson College in Austin, Texas. At Tillotson, he served as the advisor of Alpha Kappa chapter, which many of its members and members from nearby Pi chapter (Samuel Houston College) hailed from San Antonio, Texas.

Bro. Stevens assisted graduated members of the two collegiate chapters in the establishment of a Graduate chapter in their hometown of San Antonio. It was thought that to honor Professor Stevens and Beta chapter, that the new Graduate chapter would be appropriately named in honor of Beta chapter. The 1926 Conclave agreed, but having already chartered Beta Sigma chapter, the name Beta Beta Sigma was granted instead.

CHAPTER HISTORY