Ninety-nine years on the South Side.
Nine brothers chartered Upsilon Sigma on September 11, 1927. The chapter immediately flourished and became a driving force in the African American community in Chicago.
Three young men at Howard, 1914.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1914, by three young African American students. The Honorable A. Langston Taylor, the Honorable Leonard F. Morse, and the Honorable Charles I. Brown wanted a Greek-letter fraternity that would truly exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service.
Their motto still leads every chapter meeting: “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity.”
A. Langston Taylor
Founder
Leonard F. Morse
Founder
Charles I. Brown
Founder
How Upsilon Sigma was built.
Chartered in Chicago
On September 11, 1927, Upsilon Sigma was chartered by Summer Colum, MD; Austin Gray, MD; Milton Johnson, MD; William M. Jones; George W. Lawrence, JD; Hugh Fisher Lewis; U.C. McClerkins; George W. Prince; and John E. Smith. The chapter first convened at a funeral establishment on South Indiana.
The Drikel Ball
The chapter's annual Drikel Ball, held the Thursday immediately after Thanksgiving, opened Chicago's formal social calendar each year. Today's Carnation Ball carries the tradition forward.
The Sigma House
Through a dedicated chapter fundraising effort, the brothers purchased the Sigma House at 4941 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. It remains the chapter's home.
Mother chapter of the Great Lakes Region
During the tenures of Chester Riley and Clarence Johnson as Regional Directors, more than 61 chapters of Phi Beta Sigma were chartered or reclaimed through the region.
Chicago's premier alumni chapter
Upsilon Sigma runs Sigma Beta Club mentoring, scholarships, business programming, and social action from the Sigma House, and publishes an annual report and newsletter for the brotherhood and the city.
The nine who signed.
Physicians, a lawyer, and civic leaders who saw what a chapter could mean for Black Chicago.
The brothers today.
