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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Regular Session, 2025 HR 1078 3
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By: Representatives J. Richardson, F. Allen, K. Ferguson, Steele, Springer, Ennett, T. Shephard, Barnes, 5
McGruder, Barnett 6
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HOUSE RESOLUTION 9
TO COMMEND ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC., FOR ONE 10
HUNDRED EIGHTEEN (118) YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE 11
AND LEADERSHIP IN ITS COMMUNITIES. 12
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Subtitle 15
TO COMMEND ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, 16
INC., FOR ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN (118) 17
YEARS OF OUTSTANDING SERVICE AND 18
LEADERSHIP IN ITS COMMUNITIES. 19
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WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., is the first and oldest 21
intercollegiate Greek -letter fraternity established for African Americans; 22
and 23
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WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., was founded on December 4, 25
1906, on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, by students 26
who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African 27
descendants in this country; and 28
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WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., was founded by visionaries, 30
known as the "jewels" of the fraternity, including Henry Arthur Callis, 31
Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel 32
Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy; and 33
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WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., initially served as a study 35
and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice both 36 HR1078
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educationally and socially; and 1
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WHEREAS, the Jewel founders and early leaders of Alpha Phi Alpha 3
Fraternity, Inc., succeeded in laying a firm foundation for the fraternity's 4
principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of 5
humanity; and 6
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WHEREAS, chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., have served 8
communities and campuses throughout Arkansas since 1926; and 9
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WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., continues to proliferate, 11
spanning the globe with nearly eight hundred (800) chapters and two hundred 12
thousand (200,000) members located throughout the United States, Canada, 13
various Caribbean islands, Africa, the West Indies, Europe, and Asia; and 14
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WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., continues to stress academic 16
excellence among its members and recognizes the educational, economic, 17
political, and social challenges faced by African Americans nationally and 18
internationally; and 19
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WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., participates in Project 21
Alpha, Go-To-High-School, Go-To-College, Scouting America, and A Voteless 22
People is a Hopeless People programs in response to those challenges; and 23
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WHEREAS, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., motto is "First of All, 25
Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All"; and 26
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WHEREAS, members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., include many 28
legendary civil rights leaders such as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, 29
Jr., National Association for the Advancement of Colored People founder 30
W.E.B. DuBois, civic leader John Mack, Reverend Joseph E. Lowery, and 31
Reverend C.T. Vivian; and 32
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WHEREAS, the national legacy of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., 34
includes musician and actor Paul Robeson, actor and comedian Dick Gregory, 35
Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, United States Congressman Adam 36 HR1078
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Clayton Powell, Jr., political scientist T.E. Patterson, jazz musician Duke 1
Ellington, Olympian Jesse Owens, and National Urban League President Marc 2
Morial; and 3
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WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., was directly responsible for 5
the conception, funding, and construction of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther 6
King, Jr., Memorial next to the National Mall in Washington, D.C.; and 7
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WHEREAS, the legacy of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and its 9
statewide network of Arkansas Alphamen includes among its membership the 10
former President of AT&T Arkansas Ronnie Dedman, Chancellor of the University 11
of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Laurence B. Alexander, Ph.D., former Superintendent 12
of the Fayetteville School District Dr. John Colbert, former Mayor of Forrest 13
City Cedric Williams, Mayor of Little Rock Frank D. Scott, Jr., Senator 14
Reginald Murdock, Representative Jay Richardson, Representative Tracy Steele, 15
former Representative John W. Walker, former Representative Monte Hodges, 16
former Senator Jack Crumbly, former Representative Earnest Brown, former 17
Representative Tommy Baker, former Representative Booker T. Clemmons, former 18
Representative John Lewellen, former Representative William H. Townsend, and 19
former Senator Jerry Jewell; and 20
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WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., under the leadership of its 22
General President Brother Lucien J. Metellus, Jr., is focused on addressing 23
the fraternity's past, current, and future role in shaping policy that 24
impacts its communities, 25
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NOW THEREFORE, 27
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL 28
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 29
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THAT the House of Representatives commend Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, 31
Inc., for one hundred eighteen (118) years of outstanding service and 32
leadership in its communities. 33
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT upon adoption, a copy of this resolution be 35
provided to Jermaine O. Netherly, Southwestern Region Vice President of Alpha 36 HR1078
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Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Terence T. Cox, Arkansas District Director, 1
by the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives. 2
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