Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (ΙΦΘ)
The Twelve Founders Who Built a Brotherhood During the Civil Rights Movement
Founded: September 19, 1963
Location: Morgan State University (then Morgan State College)
Founders: 12 African American college students
Colors: Charcoal Brown and Gilded Gold
Motto: "Building a Tradition, Not Resting Upon One!"
Symbol: Centaur
Historical distinction: The youngest of the nine historically Black Greek-letter organizations known collectively as the Divine Nine. Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
Born in the Fire of the Civil Rights Movement
The year was 1963. Across America, African Americans were confronting segregation, racial violence, political exclusion, and unequal access to opportunity. In Birmingham, Alabama, peaceful civil rights demonstrators were met with police dogs and powerful fire hoses. On June 12, civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated in Mississippi. On August 28, approximately 250,000 people gathered in Washington, D.C., where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech.
Just three weeks later, on September 19, 1963, twelve Black men at Morgan State College in Baltimore founded Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated. Their purpose was not merely to create another fraternity. They sought an organization grounded in scholarship, leadership, citizenship, fidelity, and brotherhood, capable of serving Black communities during a period of profound social change.
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.+1
The Twelve Honorable Founders
The fraternity was established by twelve men whose shared experiences helped shape its identity:
1. Albert Hicks
2. Lonnie Spruill Jr.
3. Charles Briscoe
4. Frank Coakley
5. John Slade
6. Barron Willis
7. Webster Lewis
8. Charles Brown
9. Louis Hudnell
10. Charles Gregory
11. Elias Dorsey Jr.
12. Michael Williams
Unlike many traditional college fraternity founders, several of these men were older students balancing work, marriage, children, and academic responsibilities. Three founders — Charles Gregory, Barron Willis, and Charles Brown — were military veterans. Their life experiences gave the organization a distinctive perspective on responsibility, education, community service, and leadership. Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
An Organization Built to Challenge Inequality
Iota Phi Theta emerged during one of the most consequential periods in American civil rights history. Its members engaged in community organizing and supported efforts to challenge segregation, including a boycott of a segregated shopping center in Baltimore. The fraternity also collaborated with organizations associated with the broader struggle for equality, including the NAACP and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Its members understood that educational opportunity and economic advancement were inseparable from the fight for civil rights.
Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service
The fraternity's five founding principles remain central to its mission: Scholarship. Promoting education, academic achievement, and intellectual development. Leadership. Preparing men to accept responsibility and positively influence their communities.
Citizenship. Encouraging civic engagement and meaningful participation in society. Fidelity. Upholding loyalty, integrity, and commitment. Brotherhood. Establishing lifelong relationships grounded in mutual respect, unity, and service.
Its distinctive motto reflects the founders' determination to create an institution whose accomplishments would be measured by continuing contributions rather than past achievements alone. Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
Prominent Members and National Influence
Iota Phi Theta has counted among its members men who have distinguished themselves in public service, professional athletics, entertainment, and other fields.
Notable members include Bobby Rush, a civil rights activist and former U.S. congressman; Calvin Murphy, a Basketball Hall of Fame player; Elvin Hayes, an NBA legend; Tommie Frazier, a celebrated college football quarterback; and T. C. Carson, a television and voice actor.
NAACP Connect: Through its chapters and community initiatives, the fraternity continues to promote education, mentorship, charitable service, and civic involvement.
Twelve Men Who Refused to Wait
The founding of Iota Phi Theta marks more than a milestone in Black Greek-letter history. These twelve men lived in an America where African Americans were demanding recognition of rights that should never have been denied. They could have waited for existing institutions to create opportunities for them. Instead, they built their own. They recognized that brotherhood was more than social fellowship. It could become an instrument of education, service, collective advancement, and lasting institutional strength.
Their decision on September 19, 1963, added another enduring organization to the legacy of Black self-determination. They were not merely joining history. They were building an institution that would become part of it.
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Historical sources: Iota Phi Theta — Official Historical Overview and Smithsonian — Historical Legacy of the Divine Nine.
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