Found 12 collections related to African American fraternal organizations

The Most Worshipful King Solomon Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of New York is a fraternal organization that was organized in Niagara Falls on July 18, 1906. The organization's first masonic home was purchased at 71-73 West 131st Street under the administration of John H. Smith, who served from 1919-1932. In 1964, the Alhambra Theatre Building at 126th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard was purchased and renovated. Over the years, the Lodge has contributed to the following charities: the Harlem Hospital Auxiliary, the Brooklyn Home for the Aged, NAACP, Queens Children Center, Urban League, and YMCA, among others. This collection consists of printed matter related to the Lodge. less

Henry A. Toppin (1884-1965), born in Barbados, immigrated to the U.S. in 1906. He became a licensed undertaker and established a funeral parlor in Harlem in 1934; his son, Alvin, joined the firm sometime later. Toppin was active in political and civic affairs; he was a member of the N.Y. State Democratic Committee, and a delegate to the National Democratic Convention in 1952. He was a Prince Hall Mason and a Shriner and held various offices in both fraternal organizations. Henry Toppin's other son, Kenneth (1917-1993), was a graduate of the Howard University College of Medicine, 1944, and served as attending physician at Harlem Hospital from 1952-1976. He was also associated with other New York City hospitals. Henry A. Toppin's papers consist of personal letters from relatives and friends, including letters from his wife while he visited Barbados in 1946, and letters from a cousin in Barbados regarding property there; mortgages, leases, receipts, and correspondence for property owned in Barbados and in New York City; letters and other documents concerning his activities with the Democratic Party and his role in the 1952 National Convention; and a few documents related to his membership in the Prince Hall Masonic lodge, M.W. Hiram Grand Lodge. Kenneth L. Toppin's papers consist of personal and professional correspondence (the latter deals primarily with appointments to hospital positions); and material related to his membership in the Guardsmen, a fraternal organization. less

The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority's Delta Mu Zeta Chapter was founded in 1950. It was chartered as the Manhattan graduate chapter. The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority's Delta Mu Zeta Chapter scrapbook consists of historical and biographical information related to the sorority and its sorors including the Grand Basileus (Edith V. Francis, Linda I. Linton, Willa W. Good, Shirley S. Franklin, Ruth Walcott, Deon Davis, Isabelle Fleuranges Brown and others) as well as flyers and clippings about programs undertaken by the Sorority. less

William Calvin Jackson was a leader of local, civic and religious organizations in Springfield, Massachusetts, active primarily in the African-American community. He was a member of a number of organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Council of Churches of Greater Springfield, where he served as president of the Men's Division. He was also the grand master of the District Grand Lodge of the Grand United Order of the Odd Fellows. Jackson was deacon and chairman of fund raising activities at the Alden Street Baptist Church, and served as treasurer and member of the board of directors of the Douglas Realty Company, a black owned and run agency. He worked for the Mutual Life Insurance Company of Springfield for 43 years, from 1906-1949. The William C. Jackson Papers contain very little personal material, and consists primarily of organizational files including the Past Grand Masters Council of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America. These records contain minutes, correspondence, financial statements, printed manuals, published rules and regulations, rituals, instructions for installation ceremonies, lectures, programs, and songs. Also included are advertisements for dress and regalia. The Alden Street Baptist Church material is represented by correspondence, financial information and programs, 1911-1948. There are also a ledger, financial statements, and correspondence for the Douglas Realty and Loan Company of which Jackson was treasurer. Jackson also served as vice president of the New England Tennis Association; a program from a 1931 tournament forms part of the collection. less

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA) is the first African American Greek Sorority. It was founded in 1908, by nine college students on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. AKA currently have members in graduate and undergraduate chapters across the world. Their mission is to encourage high scholastics and ethical standards, promote sisterhood, and help young girls and women to improve their social stature. The Alpha Kappa Alpha scrapbook was compiled by Othella Oglesby Johnson (1910-1988), an Alpha Kappa Alpha soror and string and vocal instructor at Public Schools 119 and 129 in New York City. The scrapbook consists of historical and biographical information related to the sorority, its members and activities, including regional and national conferences, anti-discrimination drives and fund raisers. Included are news clippings, programs, photographs, letters, probation and pledge primers and booklets containing sorority poetry, songs, and yells. Letters to Johnson from the period of her pledge years with the Beta Nu Chapter in St. Pittsburg, Kansas are included. less

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA) is the first African American Greek sorority. It was founded in 1908, by nine college students on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. AKA currently has members in graduate and undergraduate chapters across the world. Their mission is to encourage high scholastics and ethical standards, promote sisterhood, and help young girls and women to improve their social stature. The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Collection consists of historical sketches and other related materials for several New York State chapters, including Delta Mu Omega, Delta Rho Omega, Epsilon Phi Omega, Theta Iota Omega, Xi Chi Omega, and Zeta Nu Omega Chapter. In addition, there are letters, news articles, flyers, and programs. Lastly, there is some information on the AKA Educational Advancement Foundation's scholarship, which is a national program. less

The Montserrat Progressive Society was formed September 25, 1914, with the aim of alleviating the socio-economic challenges faced by Montserratians who immigrated to New York. The Montserrat Progressive Society records, 1916-1999, consist primarily of meeting minutes and financial ledgers. less

The Royal Entertaining Partner's (R.E.P.) Club was a New York City all-male social club formed in 1920, and incorporated in May 1930. The club's first formal social gala, known as the Frolic, was held in 1920, and annually thereafter for the purpose of entertaining club members, their companions, and family members. Walter E. Hughes served as the club's first president. The Royal Entertaining Partner's (R.E.P.) Club records, 1960s- 1992, document the history and social gatherings of the R.E.P. Club. The collection contains correspondence, meeting minutes, membership records, rosters, financial records, guest lists, invitations, programs, pamphlets, an annual gala program booklet, and tickets. less

Luther M. B. Hooey began working as a fire fighter for the New York City Fire Department (NYCFD) in 1942. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1954, and captain in 1962. When the Fire Prevention Unit was established in 1956, Hooey, one of 35 Blacks in the department, was one of the two officers appointed. Working mainly with audio-visual aids, Hooey addressed thousands of New Yorkers yearly in every borough, wrote his own scripts for radio and television appearances, and prepared various Fire Department pamphlets and brochures. In the 1950s, Hooey served as president of the Vulcan Society, a fraternal organization of Black fire fighters employed by the NYCFD. While president of the society, Hooey conceived the idea of forming a study group within the society for the promotion to lieutenant. He received six decorations of valor. The Luther Hooey collection consists primarily of letters of appreciation and commendation written by schools, hotels, and social and other organizations to which Hooey had given presentations concerning fire safety. A 1941 letter from Walter White congratulates Hooey on his high score for appointment to the NYCFD, and letters to and from fire commissioners Robert O. Lowery, Edward F. Cavanagh, Jr., and other officers commend Hooey's professionalism. A letter from Thurgood Marshall presents a monetary gift to the Vulcan Society from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (1956). There are also two certificates presented by Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr., as well as two papers Hooey wrote about chief Wesley Williams of the NYCFD and the dangers involved in using kerosene oil heaters. Several news articles feature stories about Hooey, and two Vulcan Society programs for memorial services list Hooey (1975-1976). less

Dr. Thomas W. Stringer was the founder of the first Black Order of the fraternal organization, Knights of Pythias, known as the "Supreme Lodge Knights of Pythias of North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa" (KPNSAEAA). This collection is primarily comprised of ledgers containing financial records, minutes, and annual reports for the various lodges. less

An African-American educator and writer, James Egert Allen was the first president of the New York chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and an active member of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, and the Johnson C. Smith Alumni Association. He was the author of The Negro in New York (1964), Black History: Past and Present (1971) and The Legend of Arthur A. Schomburg (1975). Allen died in 1980. This collection consists of correspondence and writings ranging from 1938-1975, documenting James Egert Allen's activities as a columnist, Kappa Alpha Psi member, chairman of the Johnson C. Smith University Centennial Committee, and founder of International Associates of Cultural Affairs, a group travel venture. less