This weekend the Iota Zeta chapter of Omega Psi Phi celebrated their 40th anniversary at UTM.
There were 73 Omega members that were able to make their way to Martin for the celebration. There were AKAs, Deltas, Alphas and other Omega chapter members in attendance to help with the celebration.
From 1970-1972, there were several young black men that came to the campus of UTM, and many of them became friends. Some of these young men brought with them an interest in Omega Psi Phi. Eight young undergraduate men and one graduate student sought out to fulfill their dreams of becoming Omega men by beginning a new chapter at UTM.
The fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi along with Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta, all African-American sororities and fraternities, were already established on the campus of UTM. Some of the activities among the already-existing fraternities caused many administrators at the university to be reluctant in approving a new African-American fraternity. Two African-American male staff members at UTM, who were members of Kappa Alpha Psi and Alpha Phi Alpha, often told the young students that were interested in being Omegas to simply join what was already present on the campus rather than trying to tread in unknown waters.
The initial interest in the group dwindled as resistance mounted against the forming of an Omega chapter on campus. The reasons as to why remains unknown, but many men from the football team quietly dropped out of the interest group, which only strengthened the members that remained.
Many men from various backgrounds with a multiplicity of majors formed a bond of friendship through their association in the residence halls. After many meetings, the beginning of the founding members of the Iota Zeta chapter at UTM began to take root in the summer of 1972 when a few prospective members of the fraternity made their way to Washington D.C., spending the summer together. They walked all over the district and through parts of Maryland and Virginia knocking on doors trying to sell books from a yellow case for the Southwestern Publishing Company.
Sonny Phillips decided one day to put away the books and quit selling them. Instead, he decided to get dressed up and march on over to the National Headquarters of Omega Psi Phi and ask for a meeting with the executive director, H. Carl Moultrie. For most of the summer, Moultrie was not available to meet with Sonny, because he was a federal judge. However, the assistant executive director, Harold Cook, was able to meet with Phillips. Cook and his Omega brothers were glad to hear that there were many young men ready to start a new chapter.
From that meeting, Cook got in contact with the late Brother Clifford Miner of the Theta Iota graduate chapter in Jackson, Tenn. In the late fall of 1972, the brothers of Theta Iota contacted the interest group. The pledging process in those days began with the induction in to the “Lampodos” Club. The men of Theta Iota graduate chapter conducted the induction process complete with training on “the position” and “the cut.”
Much assistance was given by both Kappa Sigma and Alpha Beta on step, hop and march techniques. “Tit Tit,” “Boom Boom,” “Switcharoo” and the “Floor Ripple” were staples of the Kappa Sigma step team and became a winning addition to the Lamps’ beginning repertoire of step.
Early in the spring quarter, Theta Iota decided that this group was tested and found worthy. The Lamps were initiated and became members of Omega Psi Phi. The Omega men were Henry Perterson, Sonny Phillips, Carmichael Crutchfield, Alfred Locke, McKesson Haynes Jr., Kenneth Starr, Roger Hopson, James Patterson and Jerry Swift. These young men were known as the Lamps, the “Notorious Nine,” who became known historically as the founders of the newly chartered Iota Zeta chapter of Omega Psi Phi. The International Headquarters granted the Iota Zeta charter on April 23, 1973.
The newly charted Iota Zeta chapter began to organize immediately in 1973 by electing brother Carmichael Crutchfield as Basileus and Brother Sonny Phillips as Vice-Basileus. In the spring of 1974, the first line producer under the auspices of Iota Zeta became Omegas. The new brothers pledged as the “Seven Son of Satan” were Michael Starr, Anthony Crowe, Robert Lovelady, Vincent Hopson, Forrest Jones, Robert Starr and Melvin Ewell.
During the dinner that was held Saturday night to honor the 40th anniversary of the Iota Zeta chapter of Omega Psi Phi, there were many awards given in recognition of the deceased Omega brothers and founders. At the end of the dinner, the Omegas closed with a prayer and the poem “Don’t Quit.”
On Sunday, Oct. 20, the Omegas presented the Oak Grove Church with $200 and canned goods from a food drive that they organized for the event.
The celebration for the “169 brothers, 30 lines, 40 years, 1 love,” Iota Zeta chapter of Omega Psi Phi’s 40th anniversary reminded members of the history of their fraternity.
