A Brief History of Omicron Theta Chapter
The series of events that triggered the arrival of Omicron Theta Chapter at Southern Illinois University - Carbondale are attributed to the initiations through Nu Chi graduate chapter of students at SIU, Nu Chi chapter’s chartering of Tau Gamma undergraduate chapter at the SIU Edwardsville campus, the arrival on campus of Omegas initiated through other chapters and transferring to SIU as students or faculty, and finally the charter transfer to Carbondale of Tau Upsilon graduate chapter from Washington, DC.
Chartered on April 10, 1955, Nu Chi Chapter of E. St. Louis, IL was directly responsible for establishing chapters in the area. The first was Tau Gamma undergraduate chapter in 1965 followed by Tau Upsilon’s graduate charter transfer in 1969. Chapters like Iota in Chicago, Upsilon Omega in St. Louis and Omicron Sigma at Washington University in St. Louis all contributed to initiating the Brothers who would eventually come to SIU and initiate the brothers that would petition the Fraternity for a Carbondale chapter, and create the foundation on which Omicron Theta Chapter was built.
Nu Chi Chapter initially crossed two lines of students on the Carbondale campus: a line of 5 called “Promethians” on April 1, 1963 – that included Alvin M. Pulliam who was SIU-C’s first line Captain and a line of 4 called “Aphrodite” on January 9, 1965 – that included John S. Epps, SIU-C’s second line Captain, who became 1st Vice 10th District Representative, 20th Tenth District Representative and later the National Executive Secretary of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity – and the first to have the title Executive Director. Nu Chi then established Tau Gamma Chapter at SIU’s Edwardsville campus on April 4, 1965. Tau Gamma was the first Black fraternity on the SIU Edwardsville campus.
Between 1965 and 1969 Tau Gamma Chapter initiated 6 lines at SIU Carbondale: “Hermes” in May 1965, “Unknown” in May 1966, “Dynamic Duo” in June 1967, “Intrepid Trio” also in 1967, “Tighten Up” in April 1968, and “Eusi Utani” in January 1969. These initiations produced more than 30 brothers for the Carbondale campus. Bro. Benjamin L. Shepherd was initiated through Eta Chapter at Alcorn State University on April 25, 1959. In terms of years of service to Omega, he is recognized as the most senior Brother – arriving in Carbondale as faculty in 1969, ten years after his initiation.
To add some relative historical perspective, in 1952 the Supreme Council, meeting in Washington, DC, approved moving Tau Upsilon’s graduate charter from northern Virginia to the District of Columbia and despite opposition from Alpha Omega graduate chapter already established in DC. In a brief dated March 9, 1952, opposing the “establishment of a new graduate chapter in the District of Columbia”, Alpha Omega said, "the Supreme Council had overstepped its bounds by approving a second chapter in the city on February 23, 1952". Once the Supreme Council had ruled on the jurisdiction issue — and then stuck to its decision — Alpha Omega and Tau Upsilon began the ritual of learning to co-exist and thrive in Washington and give brothers a choice on a chapter. By mid to late 1959, Alpha Omega and Tau Upsilon had made a de facto merger. The legal merger came at the December 1960 Grand Conclave in San Antonio, TX when Bro. Ed Clement, a Tau Upsilon delegate to the meeting, retired the charter for Tau Upsilon, leaving a single graduate chapter in Washington, DC.
As the Districts evolved, Omega Psi Phi redistricted the Fraternity in 1937. At that time there were six (6) chapters that made up the 3-state Tenth District: Iota – the Fraternity’s first graduate chapter, established in Atlantic City, NJ in August 1920, then re-designated as an undergraduate chapter and reassigned to the University of Chicago in October 1923; Phi – the undergraduate chapter established at University of Michigan in 1922; Nu Omega – the first graduate chapter in the Tenth District, established in Detroit in Jan 1923; Sigma Omega – the first graduate chapter established in Chicago in Oct 1923; Zeta Phi – the graduate chapter established in Indianapolis in 1925 and Pi Psi – the undergraduate chapter established at the University of Illinois in 1929.
Omega first came to the central Illinois region as early as the 1920’s. After that there were multiple initiations and/or chapter chartering in the southern region in the mid to late1960’s and early 1970’s, and attributed to these chapters: Tau Gamma – the undergraduate chapter chartered at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville in 1965; Nu Chi – the graduate chapter chartered in E. St. Louis in 1965: Tau Theta – the undergraduate chapter chartered at Eastern Illinois University in 1969; Pi Beta – the undergraduate chapter chartered at Illinois State University in 1971 and Theta Xi – the graduate chapter chartered in Peoria in 1973.
Until the time of Tau Upsilon's move to Carbondale, SIU students seeking membership in Omega were mainly pledged and initiated, first by Nu Chi graduate chapter in East St. Louis, IL, then by Tau Gamma undergraduate chapter at SIU - Edwardsville. Tau Upsilon then became the conduit for initiations into the Fraternity for both graduates and undergraduates attending SIU Carbondale.
Tau Upsilon initially crossed two lines of students on the Carbondale campus: the 11 member “New Breed” line initiated May 17, 1969 – and recognized at the first line initiated of all SIU Carbondale students, followed by the 18 member “Wild Bunch” line initiated February 21, 1970.
After receiving an application for an undergraduate chapter charter on March 9, 1970, in a letter dated April 17, 1970 the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. approved the application to establish Omicron Theta Chapter at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale effective April 10, 1970.
The first line that crossed the burning sands after Omicron Theta Chapter was chartered was the 12 member, “Dirty Dozen” line initiated February 6, 1971 and composed of William C. Chandler, Gerald Wilson, George N. Harrell, Adrion C. Hendricks, Elton Jackson, Glenn A. Macon, Terry Salter, Dennis (Todd) Muhammad, Arnold White, Glynn A. Williams, Richard E. Williams and Curtis A. Davis.
As mentioned previously, Iota Chapter in Chicago was especially notorious for initiating new members during winter and summer breaks. Those newly minted Brothers returned to their schools across the country, but principally in central and southern Illinois, to carry on the traditions of Omega. These brothers either contributed to chartering new chapters at their schools or increased the number of Omega’s on their campus. Danny Thomas, an SIU Carbondale undergrad was one of those initiated in Iota Chapter during winter break in January 1967. After his return to SIU to complete his studies he was eventually elected as the 15th Tenth District Representative as an undergraduate during the 1970-1971 school term – the first and only undergraduate to accomplish this.
Since the 1971 Dirty Dozen charter line, Omicron Theta Chapter has initiated more than 26 lines that represent more than 150 brothers entering Omega’s fold. Like John S. Epps of the 1965 “Aphrodite” line, who became 10th District Representative and Omega’s National Executive Secretary, a number of these Sons of Omicron Theta have gone on to serve Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in leadership positions on both the District and International levels, including Brothers: Michael Ward (’75) 10th District Standing Committee Chairman; Kenneth Coles (’77) 10th District Standing Committee Chairman, 2nd Vice 10th District Representative, Undergraduate/Intermediate Representative to the Supreme Council and International Standing Committee Chairman; Tim Tyler (’91) 10th District Special Committee Chairman, 10th District Director of Public Relations, 10th District Keeper of Records and Seal, and 1st Vice 10th District Representative; Derrick Ivory (’91) Illinois State Representative, 10th District Keeper of Records and Seal, 1st Vice 10th District Representative and at this writing our current 37th Tenth District Representative; Terrance Patterson (’17) 2nd Vice 10th District Representative; and Clifton Smith (’17) 2nd Vice 10th District Representative. Many more have gone on to become leaders of industry and within the communities they live.
In the 50 years since 1970, Omicron Theta Chapter has experienced the highs of living her mission by consistently providing community support to those needing it most. The chapter has also experienced the lows of inactivity due to a lack of members on campus. In some ways SIU and Carbondale are still the same as Bro. Benjamin Shepard still resides there after his retirement from SIU. But in most ways SIU and Carbondale have drastically changed…but through it all the “Killa OT” Ques have persevered and remained a bright light in Omega’s beacon.
Long live Omicron Theta Chapter and long live the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.! RQQ!