The Founding of Nu Tau
During the time leading to the chartering of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, Inc. Nu Tau chapter, campus of the University of Montevallo,
Montevallo, Alabama was not unlike the circumstances surrounding the Jewels of
the fraternity.
In the fall of 1973 on the campus of the University of Montevallo, social life was not very conductive for black students. The social life for the black students consisted of basketball, a party in Fuller Hall’s (at that time Fuller Hall was a men’s residence hall; now Fuller Hall is no longer active on campus) basement which was sponsored by the basketball team, and college night. The main event of the day was to gather around “The Tree” outside of the cafeteria which adorned a bench around it in the shape of a delta. This was the Delta Chi tree. However, due to the spirit of Montevallo, the brothers of Delta Chi fraternity were willing to share their “hang out spot.” The purpose was to discuss classes and social events that were solely for the white students. It should be noted that structured activities were limited for black students, but the bond they possessed helped to fill the void. The Tree, as it was referred to by the students, was used as a connecting point and also was used as a mean to communicate.
During the fall semester of 1973, talk began surface regarding establishing predominately black fraternities and sororities on campus. Meetings were held to discuss the pros and cons of this concept. One meeting in particular was held in the room of Oliver Moten and Walter Turner. Present at this meeting was Samuel Finch and Roger Smitherman. It was decided at that meeting to contact Miles College to gain information of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. It was the duty of Samuel Finch to make the first contact with the Gamma Kappa chapter with regard to establishing a chapter at the University of Montevallo. The Brothers at Miles College decided to accept this project and to assist Montevallo in organizing a Men Interested in Alpha group (M.I.A. group).
Throughout the 1973 fall semester, the men continued to meet in Ramsay Hall which at that time was a men’s residency hall (now Ramsay Hall serves as the campus hotel), but only Samuel Finch, Oliver Moten, and Walter Turner attended. (Rodger Smitherman who had family issues to tend to would later become a member of the fraternity as a graduate Brother.) At this time, Delta Chi Fraternity was housed in Ramsay Hall, and with the Delta Chi’s social interaction on the hall, Samuel, Oliver, and Walter became inspired to work harder to establish a chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha on campus.
In the spring of 1974, the Gamma Kappa chapter at Miles College contacted Finch, Moten, and Turner to inform them that they were accepted to be inducted into the Sphinx Club. After three weeks of pledging and traveling from Montevallo to Miles College, they were informed by Gamma Kappa with regret that they could no longer pledge at Miles. At the same time, however, they were informed that it was rumored that the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) was in the process of organizing a M.I.A. group. Dr. Aaron Lamar, Jr. was the contact.
Dr. Lamar recognized the desire of Finch, Moten, and Turner to become brothers of Alpha and accepted them into the UAB M.I.A. group. They joined a group of about twenty young men at UAB. Of that group, only thirteen remained steadfast to become charter members of the Iota Nu chapter in October 1974. The ten brothers of Iota Nu, in addition to Finch, Moten, and Turner, were H. Bronco Henderson, Eric Ellington, James Mann, C. Terry Wiggins, Leroy Simmons, Ronnie Brown, Louis Shackelford, Wilbert Johnson, William Agee, and Reddith Lewis. Those brothers along with Bro. Dr. Lamar worked with Montevallo in hope that a chapter could be formed at the University of Montevallo.
On the second line at UAB in 1975, two additional brothers at Montevallo pledged at Iota Nu. They were Al Mahone and Marvin Alexander, making a total of five Alphas on the campus of Montevallo. Although Samuel Finch, Oliver Moten, Walter Turner, Al Mahone, and Marvin Alexander were members of the Iota Nu chapter, they still felt the need to organize a chapter at the University of Montevallo.
After the graduation of all the Montevallo brothers with exception of Mahone, in 1977, Bro. Turner and Bro. Mahone organized another M.I.A. group on campus. This group consisted of about ten young men, and under the leadership of Walter Turner, this group organized community projects. All that was needed was for application to be filed to become a charter group. It should be noted that much of the ground work to organize on campus was laid by the five preceding brothers. Of the M.I.A. group, seven remained steadfast. On Saturday, April 29, 1978, the Nu Tau Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was chartered with the following charter members: “The Everlasting Seven” Brothers Robert Ware, Clarence Fairer III, Rickey Turner, Sonny Brown Akir, Raymond Glover, James Salter, and Willie Pollard.
With the formation of the Nu Tau Chapter, the University of Montevallo would have it's first organization for black men!
~ Written by Bro. Walter Turner & Edited by Bro. Cameron Hall
In the fall of 1973 on the campus of the University of Montevallo, social life was not very conductive for black students. The social life for the black students consisted of basketball, a party in Fuller Hall’s (at that time Fuller Hall was a men’s residence hall; now Fuller Hall is no longer active on campus) basement which was sponsored by the basketball team, and college night. The main event of the day was to gather around “The Tree” outside of the cafeteria which adorned a bench around it in the shape of a delta. This was the Delta Chi tree. However, due to the spirit of Montevallo, the brothers of Delta Chi fraternity were willing to share their “hang out spot.” The purpose was to discuss classes and social events that were solely for the white students. It should be noted that structured activities were limited for black students, but the bond they possessed helped to fill the void. The Tree, as it was referred to by the students, was used as a connecting point and also was used as a mean to communicate.
During the fall semester of 1973, talk began surface regarding establishing predominately black fraternities and sororities on campus. Meetings were held to discuss the pros and cons of this concept. One meeting in particular was held in the room of Oliver Moten and Walter Turner. Present at this meeting was Samuel Finch and Roger Smitherman. It was decided at that meeting to contact Miles College to gain information of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. It was the duty of Samuel Finch to make the first contact with the Gamma Kappa chapter with regard to establishing a chapter at the University of Montevallo. The Brothers at Miles College decided to accept this project and to assist Montevallo in organizing a Men Interested in Alpha group (M.I.A. group).
Throughout the 1973 fall semester, the men continued to meet in Ramsay Hall which at that time was a men’s residency hall (now Ramsay Hall serves as the campus hotel), but only Samuel Finch, Oliver Moten, and Walter Turner attended. (Rodger Smitherman who had family issues to tend to would later become a member of the fraternity as a graduate Brother.) At this time, Delta Chi Fraternity was housed in Ramsay Hall, and with the Delta Chi’s social interaction on the hall, Samuel, Oliver, and Walter became inspired to work harder to establish a chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha on campus.
In the spring of 1974, the Gamma Kappa chapter at Miles College contacted Finch, Moten, and Turner to inform them that they were accepted to be inducted into the Sphinx Club. After three weeks of pledging and traveling from Montevallo to Miles College, they were informed by Gamma Kappa with regret that they could no longer pledge at Miles. At the same time, however, they were informed that it was rumored that the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) was in the process of organizing a M.I.A. group. Dr. Aaron Lamar, Jr. was the contact.
Dr. Lamar recognized the desire of Finch, Moten, and Turner to become brothers of Alpha and accepted them into the UAB M.I.A. group. They joined a group of about twenty young men at UAB. Of that group, only thirteen remained steadfast to become charter members of the Iota Nu chapter in October 1974. The ten brothers of Iota Nu, in addition to Finch, Moten, and Turner, were H. Bronco Henderson, Eric Ellington, James Mann, C. Terry Wiggins, Leroy Simmons, Ronnie Brown, Louis Shackelford, Wilbert Johnson, William Agee, and Reddith Lewis. Those brothers along with Bro. Dr. Lamar worked with Montevallo in hope that a chapter could be formed at the University of Montevallo.
On the second line at UAB in 1975, two additional brothers at Montevallo pledged at Iota Nu. They were Al Mahone and Marvin Alexander, making a total of five Alphas on the campus of Montevallo. Although Samuel Finch, Oliver Moten, Walter Turner, Al Mahone, and Marvin Alexander were members of the Iota Nu chapter, they still felt the need to organize a chapter at the University of Montevallo.
After the graduation of all the Montevallo brothers with exception of Mahone, in 1977, Bro. Turner and Bro. Mahone organized another M.I.A. group on campus. This group consisted of about ten young men, and under the leadership of Walter Turner, this group organized community projects. All that was needed was for application to be filed to become a charter group. It should be noted that much of the ground work to organize on campus was laid by the five preceding brothers. Of the M.I.A. group, seven remained steadfast. On Saturday, April 29, 1978, the Nu Tau Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was chartered with the following charter members: “The Everlasting Seven” Brothers Robert Ware, Clarence Fairer III, Rickey Turner, Sonny Brown Akir, Raymond Glover, James Salter, and Willie Pollard.
With the formation of the Nu Tau Chapter, the University of Montevallo would have it's first organization for black men!
~ Written by Bro. Walter Turner & Edited by Bro. Cameron Hall