History

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On Friday evening, November 17, 1911, three Howard University undergraduate students, with the assistance of their faculty adviser, gave birth to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. This event occurred in the office of biology Professor Ernest E. Just, the faculty adviser, in the Science Hall (now known as Thirkield Hall). The three liberal arts students were Edgar A. Love, Oscar J. Cooper and Frank Coleman. From the initials of the Greek phrase meaning “friendship is essential to the soul,” the name Omega Psi Phi was derived. The phrase was selected as the motto. Manhood, scholarship, perseverance and uplift were adopted as cardinal principles. A decision was made regarding the design for the pin and emblem, and thus ended the first meeting of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity .

Omega continued to flourish, largely because Founders Love, Cooper, Coleman and Just were men of the very highest ideals and intellect. The Founders selected and attractetd men of similar ideals and characteristics. It is not by accident that many of America’s great black men are/were Omega Men. To this date, there are very few Americans whose lives have not been touched by a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

After years of commuting to Mobile to maintain connections with neighboring chapters of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated in the Gulf Coast area, a group of eleven esteemed professionals from or near the  Eastern Shore communities of Baldwin County, Alabama, took the initiative to establish a graduate-level presence for the fraternity in their locality.

Their efforts culminated with the chartering of the Sigma Nu Nu Chapter on Thursday, January 26, 2023. The official Chartering Ceremony occurred on Saturday, June 3, 2023, at the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Daphne, Alabama, where Brother Christopher Brooks, the 7th District Representative, presented the chapter with its charter.

The founding members, affectionately known as the "Honorable Eleven," who played pivotal roles in the establishment of the Sigma Nu Nu Chapter were Michael Cavitt (Rho Alpha 11), Albert Franklin III (Chi Kappa Kappa 03) , Charles Jackson Jr. (Beta Eta 86), Corey Martin (Rho Alpha 11), Willie Martin (Nu Epsilon 73), Walter Moore (Sigma Xi 73), Marvin Parson (Rho Alpha 11), Christopher Perry (Rho Alpha 01), Gary Simpson Sr. (Gamma Sigma 71), Nathaniel Smith (Alpha Omega 71) and Jason Wilson (Pi Nu 17).

Following the chapter's establishment, an executive council committee was elected to lead the Sigma Nu Nu Chapter, comprising Corey Martin as Basileus, Michael Cavitt as Vice Basileus, Jason Wilson as Keeper of Record and Seals, Christopher Perry as Keeper of Finance, Gary Simpson Sr. as Keeper of Peace, and Charles Jackson Jr. as Chaplain.

Sigma Nu Nu Chapter swiftly increased its membership by reclaiming Kevin Ball (Alpha Iota Iota 98), Samuel Jenkins (Rho Alpha 78), Lorenza Thames (Xi Alpha 80) and Alphonso Willis (Rho Epsilon 72). 

Aligned with the fraternity's mandates, the Sigma Nu Nu Chapter actively engaged in various programs during its inaugural year, including participation in the Alabama Adopt A Mile Program, the 4th annual Baldwin County Juneteenth Festival, the MMBC Turkey Giveaway, and the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.

Despite its modest size, the Sigma Nu Nu Chapter distinguished itself through its impactful service to disadvantaged families, mentoring at-risk youth, and promoting health initiatives.

The chapter remains dedicated to upholding the cardinal principles of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated: Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift, while epitomizing its motto, "Friendship Is Essential to The Soul."