Vol. 1. No. 20 - Wednesday, May 12, 1999
"Finding The Good and Praising It"

THE SPHINX CLUB & PLEDGING 1906-1930
By Skip Mason 
 

"The unhappy victims were led trembling into our midst" 
Jewel Robert Harold Ogle, Oct. 30, 1906 
 

It can be accurately said that our  founders were "playful" and mischeivious  with prospective initiates of the fraternity. Relying on traditions used by the white fraternities which they were intimately affiliated with and perhaps some masonic influence from those who were members, the understanding of 
pledging and initiation rites have been cause for discussion for many years. 
In my book, The Talented Tenth,  I  give an account about an incident that  occurred at the boarding house where Jewels Jones and  Tandy lived. Of course  no fraternal secrets or traditions are revealed, but it  gives some insight  to the antics of that time period, but  certainly there was no physical 
brutality used at all. I use the word "playful" because I do not believe that  the intent for becoming a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was to invoke  bodily or physical harm. Most men who were selected already possess the  qualities of  an Alpha. However, over the years, we see the transformation  and degredation of the process (formerly Sphinx Club to Apes) to become a 
member. An article in the April 21, 1905, New York Times entitled "A Remedy  for Hazing" speaks of Hazing by white fraternities at Cornell. It says; "The student in general is perhaps not so mischievous as he used to be and  does not put the college cow in the professor's bedroom so frequently as in  earlier days. But there is a good deal of horseplay and barking unregeneracy 
left in him." 

Well, it is not known if the brothers at Cornell employed such a tactic, but  we know that we have come a long way from "putting a cow in the professor's  bedroom." 
As the process of pledging began to take shape, individual chapters  became "creative" in their attempts to "frighten" some of the perspective  pledges and make them good Alpha men.  Physical contact as most Alpha's know  was to limited. This paddling and  excessive  brutality came to life during  the late teens and 1920s and was primarily promulgated at the schools in the  North, namely Lincoln, Wilberforce and Howard according to oral interviews. 
Was this the plan of the founders? I say not.  Keep in mind that none of our  founders (except Eugene Kinckle Jones were ever initiated into the  fraternity) according to Callis.  They, the founders devised the  ritual and  initiation but was not subjected to it. I guess that is what makes them  "Founders".  Callis always spoke out about the tampering of the constitution  and ritual and Tandy spoke so bluntly against the  physical brutality that he  had witnessed in some chapters in New York. He even once remarked that not 
one of them had ever gone through that brutality  even Eugene Kinckle Jones  whom  he initiated. 

What was the plan of the Sphinx Club? The term is not even mentioned in Wesley's History of Alpha Phi Alpha until 1940, when he makes it reference to  it for the purpose of ordering Sphinx pins. Was it official? Was it  sanctioned? "It appears the use of the term Sphinx Club began in the teens. Unfortunately, documentation for that decade is virtually non existent and  very limited and does not reflect the activities of the Sphinx Club. There are but a few surviving issues of the Sphinx magazine from 1916-1920. In that 
journal, one gains some insight to chapter activities including the 
activities of the  pledges. Common among all Sphinx Clubs of the 1920s is  that they had elected officers and a calendar of activities which included  proms and dances. It was a very well organized and constructive process  usually lasting from six months to a year. Gleaned from these brief accounts  taken from some of the Chapter Reports in the Sphinx Magazine during the  1920s, one is able to gain a sense of the purpose, mission and activities of  the Sphinx Clubs and that was to prepare a man to become an Alpha. 

"A Sphinx Club, composed of a number of these eligible, has been organized.  The club meets once a week and is being carefully schooled in the principlesfraternalism." 
Alpha Kappa Chapter, Springfield College, November 1923 

"The Pledges of Alpha Zeta have been manifesting very good spirit, and seem  to be truly endowed with that excellent manliness and courageous fidelity  which characterizes Alpha men. Several smokers have been held at which they  were given the opportunity to speak "their bosoms" and they certainly did, in  such a manner that the enthusiasm always felt when Alpha takes another  forward step." 
Alpha Zeta Chapter, Bluefield College, 1928 

"Pledges Andrew Robinson and Raymond Forrest returned to school this quarter  and have begun immediately to give an account of themselves. The Sphinx Club  entertained at tea on Sunday, January 13, in the new dining hall. This was  quite a unique affair and to offset the jinx of 13 they had as their guest  thirteen beautiful members of the junior social set of Washington." 

"A January 10 an initial dance between the Sphinx Club of Alpha Rho combined  with the Sphinx Club of Alpha Pi, was given. As expressed by many brothers of  the the chapters, "The occasion looked as if it was given by Alpha Phi Alpha  men." 
Alpha Rho Chapter, Morehouse College,  1924 

"A Sphinx Club has been organized, composed of the best material of the  freshman class of the university. It is hoped that from this field of fertile  minds Alpha Omicron will draw her own. This club has created an incentive  that the chapter desires and the spirit therein is centered on the noble  ideals that Alpha Omicron lives for." 
Alpha Omicron, Johnson C. Smith, 1924 

"We have several pledgees that are striving hard to see the light of Alpha  Phi Alpha. They tell us that they have taken off their shoes to walk on holy  ground, and that the burning sand under their fee serves as an impetus to  them while they are struggling heroically to see the great light whose  altinic rays heateth the sand under every neophyte's feet." 
Alpha Phi, Clark College, 1927 

AN ALPHA  and OMEGA VIEW OF  FRATERNITY PRANKS 
FROM THURGOOD MARSHALL &  LANGSTON HUGHGES 
(Both were students at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania during the 1920's  and included accounts of their fraternal experiences in various books.) 

In the book Thurgood Marshall, American Revolutionary, author Juan Williams 
writes: "Once he became an Alpha, Thurgood delighted in the nasty tricks fraternity  brothers would play on each other and on rival frats. I can throw water around a curve," he later claimed with pride.  Thurgood took to researching the best pranks….Thurgood personally took part  in frat pranks such as shaving the heads of other students-against their  will. And he used paddles to hit other students, often with too much  enthusiasm. The overly aggressive hazing of a younger student got him kicked  out of school….The boys were saved when one clever student decided that the 
administration might have some mercy on the troublemakers if they admitted to  their crimes A confession was drawn up, and the twenty six sophomores,  including Thurgood, signed it and were allowed to return to school  The  student who had come with the bright idea was none other than Langston Hughes…Hughes was quite the star on the Lincoln campus when he showed up in 
1926. He was immediately drawn to the pranks of the all male campus life and  joined the Omegas, the rival fraternity to Thurgood's Alphas. 
 

From Langston Hughes in his autobiography The Big Sea, Hughes writes:
Hazing was terrific. Incoming freshmen were given the paddling of their lives practically every night from the opening of classes until the holidays. They were called dogs, made to roll pencils with their noes, to clean the sophomores rooms, to "assume the angle"  for paddling, and to write insulting letters to their girl friend… 

Fraternity initiations occasionally sent agonized howls into the darkness around the countryside, whole woods and fields being available for the ordeal of brotherhood. The manhood rites of an African tribe could hardly have required more strength of the aspirants. When I was initiated, because I was a poet with my with my first book published and my name in the papers, each of my brothers to be was inclined to think every other brother would let me off easy. The result-each and every brother laid on with such a heavy hand, applying so many licks to be sure the poet would be well initiated, that I could scarcely walk for a week. 
"A New Negro, huh?" Wham! 
"The boy poet, heh?" Wham 

I was well initiated all right!  Water-throwing was in institution, too, at Lincoln. 

TO BE CONTINUED...... 

"There is too much politics in this Fraternity. I have seen men beaten so badly that three days later they could not walk." 
Jewel Vertner Woodson Tandy, 1937 

"Greek letter college fraternities, though of American origin, have copied much from these ancient organizations. Their object has not in all cases been the search for truth, but the humiliation, torture and hardship one must undergo to become a member of some of these groups would warrant the Elixir of Life or the Philosopher's Stone as a reward for his efforts"
General President B. Andrew Rose, 1929 

THIS IS WHAT THE FRATERNAL EXPERIENCE IS ABOUT. READ THIS BROTHERS AND BE INSPIRED: 

Brother Mason, 

Today about 12 Alpha Rho brothers visited Brother Burrel H. Brown. A Morehouse College graduate from 1928 and an Alpha Rho initiate of 1926. As you can imagine the conversation we had was wonderful. It was interesting seeing him remember his good friends like "Sam" Nabrit, R.E. Bland and H.J. Bowden (2 of the distinguished 13 founders of Alpha Rho) and others. My chapter brothers along with Bro. John Noel Brown (Fall 89 Surreptitious 20) and Henry Goodgame (Fall 81 Phenomenal 15) had a wonderful time as we met the oldest living Alpha Rho brother. There were two highlights that really made the visit special: the first was when we walked into the room and we identified ourselves as Morehouse Men - a smile came to Brother Browns face and then we identified ourselves as his Alpha brothers...Brother Brown leaned backward and pushed his plate away and said OOOHHHH Alpha Rho. Laughter filled the room. The second highlight was at the end of our stay when we gathered to the sing the hymn around the bed in his room. Brother Brown stretched out his arms and connected to the circle and to all of our amazement joined us in singing the hymn. Can you imagine the 95 year old, 1926 Alpha Rho initiate singing the fraternity hymn. He let off a few words but we could truly fell the Fraternal spirit in his blood. Of course Brother brown did not let us leave until he gripped all of us (the correct way). I have to say this has been one of my best experiences since I've been in the Fraternity.  '06 and great job on the historical moments. 

Albert Sanders  #25/Alpha Rho - Fall 1998/ Anastasis 25 

THIS IS WHAT THE FRATERNAL EXPERIENCE IS NOT ABOUT: 

Bro. Mason, 
 I received an email from my chapter advisor!! (that contained allegedly fraternity and sorority secrets).  This is very disturbing. Could you please send a note on the next SHM that this type of thing is going on. We must do a better job of protecting our secrets and respecting our organizations. Probably the most disturbing of all is the fact  that my advisor received it from his daughter who is a Delta. This is not the first time that something like this has gone on. Rumor has it that a Delta put these things up last time! I would ask you to please inform the brothers that some of our secrets are out there and to be extremely careful. Thank You. 
Lee Cunningham/President, Eta Phi/UT-Chattanooga 

AND THE DEBATE ON STEPPING CONTINUES... 
Skip, 
In response to the brother from 1973... 
To respectfully retinterate about the parties, as I am sure you know, brothers usually stepped at parties, as an INTERMISSION activity and marched on the streets ... years before I became an Alpha, all of the frats stepped at their parties.  But "walking" marching through the dance during a  record became popular in the time period that I mentioned. The brothers were the first that I ever saw do that.(Which by the way was done just once or twice usually at the end of the party) Unfortunately as years went on some of the brothers marched tooooo long and got carried way....therefore...neglecting the guest. 
LJII /AH 83 

ALPHAS AND CANES? 

Dear Bro. Mason, 
 Recently, some of the Bros. were discussing Kappas and their canes. It was said that Sigmas used canes before Kappas, and we used canes even before them.  We just never used it as symbol for the fraternity.  In addition it was said that some chapters in the northeast use them. We were hoping you could shed a little light on this subject. 

Bros. Roper & Baiyewu 
Alpha Rho Chpt. 
Spr. ' 99 

Skip- Looking for feedback on this one 

DON'T GIVE IT UP YET! 
Dear Brother Mason: 
At first I thought the Internet was going to be the end of the fraternity.  The message board on the home page is just depressing, you never  here any positive news just brothers fighting over one issue or another.  They have application on the net so anyone can get an information packet, ques, sigmas, women, gangbangers, any old body. Someone who was rejected by one Greek organization sent an email that had what is supposed to be the challenges, hailing calls, and everything else for all the Greeks in the panhell.  It is good to see a brother putting this Internet to good use.  Please place my address on your mailing list for the skips history lessons!!!!  Also, if you have any information on Brother Henry Collier please forward it to me.   Bro. Collier was instrumental in founding Delta Eta chapter and Beta Phi Lambda chapter.   I believe he was once the regional vice president for the southeast.  A brother from Savannah 

 By the way, I was looking at the Spring 1999 edition of the Sphinx and saw a  mentioning of the Convention in 1948 in which Jewel Murray was allegedly  turned away from a banquet because he didn't have a ticket.  I don't have a copy of  the magazine (which is another topic in and of itself -- the way Nationals' manages the distribution of publications and presumably publications monies), but the story was in regard to a Brother finding Jewel Murray's burial site.  My heart sank when I read that he had been turned away simply because it sadly caused  me to acknowledge that the Frat's preoccupation with finances has hindered true Brotherhood for a far longer period that I originally anticipated.  Could you please address this situation, for I'm curious to know if a Jewel was indeed treated in such a fashion.  Thanks Brother and 06. 

William Dailey 

Skip- The story is true. I shared it with the Brothers of the Western Region at their 50th Anniversary convention last year.  It is covered in my book.