Kappa Upsilon Alumni Foundation - Black and Old Gold | Kappa Upsilon Alumni FDoundation

Welcome to

Kappa Upsilon

Alumni Foundation, Inc.

Established on March 1, 2024, the Kappa Upsilon Alumni Foundation emerges as a distinct, tax-exempt entity, operating independently from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. This charitable and educational organization dedicates itself to procuring and prudently managing financial resources. Our primary mission is to underpin the endeavors of the Kappa Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Inc. by funding educational programs, scholarships, community service initiatives, and leadership development opportunities. We commit to fostering a culture of philanthropy and service, thereby extending the legacy and values of the fraternity through sustained support and engagement with alumni and the broader community.

Our Mission

The History of Kappa Upsilon Chapter

It was during the Administration of Brother Louie Jenkins, President of the Upsilon Lambda Chapter, that the move to establish an undergraduate chapter in the City of Jacksonville was realized. During the Fall Semester of 1974 on the campus of Edward Waters College (EWC), Coach John W. Lee, EWC Athletic Director, began meeting with men interested in becoming Alpha Men. Brother Lee was joined in this venture by Brother Walter Ware, Jr., EWC Student Recruiting Officer and longtime Dean of Pledges of Upsilon Lambda Chapter. Brother Ware brought the interest expressed by Brother Lee and the young men to the attention of the Upsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. President Louie Jenkins appointed Bro. Wendell P. Holmes, Jr., to explore the process required to establish an undergraduate chapter in the City of Jacksonville, Florida. Brother Wendell P. Holmes started researching the steps to take to make an application for chartering a chapter in the City of Jacksonville, Florida. Bro. Holmes proposed at the Florida State Convention that an undergraduate chapter be chartered for the City of Jacksonville, Florida. Brother Holmes’ request was to establish an undergraduate chapter that would be available to all young men attending a four-year institution of higher learning in the City of Jacksonville and be housed at Edward Waters College. This proposal was made due to the accreditation status of Edward Waters College and the insufficient Black male student population at Jacksonville University and the University of North Florida to sustain a viable Fraternity membership on the campuses at that time which could draw from a sustainable body of male students (All male students regardless of race meeting the requirement for membership could apply and be vetted). Bro. Holmes went on to propose that the chapter was to be charted as a Metropolitan Chapter which would enable students from Edward Waters College, Jacksonville University, and the University of North Florida to gain membership into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The proposal was accepted by the Florida State Convention and forwarded to the Southern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The Southern Region approved the request and followed the traditional intake process, Bro. Walter Ware, Jr., was named Dean of Pledges. Bro. Ware solicited several young Alpha Brothers who were recent HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) graduates to assist him in teaching the prospective members' Fraternity steps and songs and to assist with study sessions. Brothers Benny Moore, Sr, Samuel Eaves II, Ralph Jones, David Perry, and George Cooper were engaged to assist in this aspect of the process. The Southern Region approved the proposed Charter and forwarded it to the National Headquarters which also approved the Charter.

Fourteen young men were vetted and approved for membership into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Upon completion of the nine-week pledge process on April 19, 1975, the following Brothers became the Pearls of The Kappa Upsilon Chapter:

James Harper, Roy Baker, Earl Brooks, Clifford Hilliard, Joseph Smith, Benjamin Clark Sr., Henry L. Mitchell, Jerome Perry, Rueben Warren, Nathan Nesbit, Frederick Jones, Larry Griffin, Lester Brown, and Curtis Whitley.

Since April 19, 1975, young men interested in becoming members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. have made an application through Kappa Upsilon Chapter, entering Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at the undergraduate level