The History of Kappa Alpha Psi Youngstown Alumni Chapter
Founded November 2, 1934
The Youngstown Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity has a rich and proud tradition. With achievement as our fundamental purpose the brothers have fulfilled this purpose both as individuals, and as fraternity. Kappa men have exerted positive leadership in various areas throughout the Youngstown community, and this leadership has often manifested itself on a national level. On November 2, 1934, the following men founded the Youngstown Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi: Horace G. Emerson, Polemarch; James P. Tate, Vice Polemarch; Fred R. Hill, Keeper of Records & Exchequer; Charles E. Hopkins, Strategus, William T. Houston, Historian. Members of the Board of Directors were J. Maynard Dickerson, Clyde Hall, and Fred Hill.
The organization developed a stellar reputation of hosting the once annual New Year's Eve parties, raffles, Christmas parties for children and supporting the NAACP. However, the project of which we were most proud is our Kappa League. The Kappa League is a manifestation of our concern and commitment to young men from Youngstown area schools. We assisted them in the areas of study skill, career opportunities, social awareness, and areas of their concerns. Kappa League is a program for the educational, occupational and social guidance of male students in grades 6th-12th
The Chapter hosts many signature initiatives and events which enhance the quality of life for residents of the Mahoning Valley. Among those projects is the Guide Right Program for the educational and occupational guidance of youth, primarily inspirational and informational in character. Its reach extends to high schools and colleges alike. The Kappa Instructional Leadership League, which is designed to help young men grow and develop their leadership talents in every phase of human endeavor. It program provides challenging yet rewarding experiences.
Health & Wellness Initiatives promote a healthy community by educating citizens on ways to monitor their personal health status as well as to keep personal health as a priority, providing venues for health care information and screening, and forums for discussion on current health-related issues.
Safe Sleep Kappa Fatherhood Initiative promotes efforts of the organization to build alliances within communities to assist in education and awareness activities around Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and other sleep-related causes of infant death. Using a culturally relevant model, the men conveys the important role men have in being able to teach other men such as fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, and other community stakeholders about the ways to reduce SIDS and other sleep-related causes of infant death. Significant financial support is also directed towards St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to sustain the research, treatment and ultimately a cure for various childhood cancers and other life-threatening diseases.
The mantra of the organization is “achievement in every human endeavor and is reflected in the accomplishments of its members from the Mahoning Valley which includes most notably: Herbert L. Armstrong, Ph.D., First Black Principal in the Youngstown City School District; Isadore Blakeny, Ohio State Auditor; Vernon Brown, Deputy Warden of Special Services of the Ohio State Penitentiary; Lawrence Brownlee, Internationally renowned operatic tenor; Robert L. Collins, M.D., Obstetrician-Gynecologist – Reproductive Endocrinologist, Infertility specialist; Otis Coney, Past President of the Republican Council, Salvation Army Board, service on the Youngstown Civil Service Commission; James W. Dabney, D.O., Osteopathic Physician; Ronald Daniels, Ph.D., First Black to instruct History at Youngstown State University, founder of Freedom Inc. and President of Institute for Black World Century 21; Maynard J. Dickerson, J.D., First Owner/Publisher of The Buckeye Review, First Black Prosecutor for the City of Youngstown, Ohio, served as President of the Statewide Ohio Branch of the NAACP;
The Honorable Robert A. Douglas (Ret.), J.D., City of Youngstown Ohio Municipal Court Judge; Horace G. Emerson, First Black Funeral Director and Owner of Mount Hope Cemetery; Lewis Exum, DDS, First Black Dentist in the City of Youngstown, Ohio; Homer L. Green, MPT, First Black Physical Therapist in the City of Youngstown, Ohio; William Green, Jr., J.D., First Black Chief Prosecutor for the city of Youngstown, Member of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, Assistant Law Director for the City of Youngstown; Floyd Haynes, J.D., Attorney, Haynes, Breckenridge & McCroom law firm, First President of the NAACP Youth Council (Youngstown Branch), President of The Buckeye review Publishing Corporation; The Honorable Lloyd R. Haynes, J.D., First Black Municipal Court Judge for the City of Youngstown, Ohio; Williams Higgins, J.D., First Black Law Director for the City of Youngstown, Ohio; Alvin Hopkins, CPA, Black Accountant in the City of Youngstown, Ohio; Eddie Howard Jr, Vice President for Student Services, Youngstown State University; Clifford O. Johnson, First Black Principal in the Warren City School District, Educator Mentor, Public Servant;
The Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones, Judge, (Ret.), LL.B., United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, General Counsel for the NAACP, Internationally Renowned Civil Rights activist, Consultant in the writing of South Africa’s new Constitution, Nathaniel R. Jones Federal Courthouse in Youngstown, Ohio is named in his honor and is the recipient of the NAACP’s prestigious Spingarn Award; Clifton Knox, First Black Head Football Coach at Youngstown City School District’s North High School; Julius G. Livas, First Black Undergraduate Admissions Officer at Youngstown State University; David Mack, PharmD, first Black Pharmacist in the City of Youngstown, Ohio; Rev. Dr. Lewis W. Macklin II, founding coordinator of the Youngstown-Warren African American Male Wellness Walk Initiative and community faith leader; B. Ramsey McDuffey, O.D., first Black Optometrist in the City of Youngstown, Ohio; Benjamin McGee, Ph.D., Black Superintendent Youngstown City School District, assisted in the establishment of the Youngstown Early College Program on the Campus of Youngstown State University, Member Youngstown city School District Academic Distress Commission;
Robert L. Pegues,Jr., Ph.D., first Black Superintendent Youngstown City School District and first Black Superintendent Warren City School District, Trustee for the Medical Education Foundation Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine; Clarence Robinson, J.D., first Black Trustee, Youngstown College Board of Trustees, grandson of famous local architect P. Ross Berry; Carl A. Rouse, Ph.D., Black Physicist, a solar physicist at heart, he developed an alternative model of the sun that has led many astrophysicists to question the standard model and James Tate, DDS, Prominent Dentist in the City of Youngstown, OhioNew Paragraph