Our Dignitaries

Dr. William Henry Greene [Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter], the 15th Grand Polemarch, was the first Grand Polemarch to serve on the Grand Board of Directors, following his tenure. He was a supporter of all Fraternity programs, and conceived the Fraternity life membership program as a way to provide financial support for the several programs of the Fraternity.

Dr. L W. E. Taylor [Baltimore (MD) Alumni Chapter], a 1932 Epsilon initiate, was a college professor. Small in stature, he was a giant of a man devoted to the ideals of Kappa Alpha Psi. While working at Delaware State College, he helped establish the Beta Sigma of Kappa Alpha Psi. When he came to Morgan State College, he became the advisor to the Alpha Iota. He was the epitome of a chapter advisor and a positive influence on the lives of hundreds of brothers throughout the Fraternity. Taylor was one of the first editors of the Scroller of Kappa Alpha Psi, an official Fraternity publication that was the basis for learning about the Fraternity. To many he was a surrogate father and was a brother to all. The first edit on of The Guide to Protocol and Etiquette in Kappa Alpha Psi is dedicated to him.

Dr. William L. Crump [Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter], a 1941 Alpha Mu initiate, was the third editor of the Kappa Alpha Psi Journal. Under his direction, the Journal continued to undergo changes that solidified its position as the premier publication of a college fraternity. In addition, to his responsibilities for editing the Journal, Crump was co-author of the second edition of the Story of Kappa Alpha Psi - published in 1972. The delegates at the 54th Grand Chapter meeting elected him Grand Historian. Known throughout the Fraternity for his penchant for details, Crump was the General Chairman of the Golden Anniversary Celebration Committee.

LaMont H. Lawson [Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter], a 1928 Epsilon initiate, was Keeper of Records of the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter for over 25 years. He was the cornerstone of a chapter that was one of the largest in the Fraternity. His ability to collaborate with young men was one of the reasons the chapter membership swelled during the 1960s . During his tenure, he developed a reporting system that emphasized the check and balance principles of finance.
Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter Polemarch Richard Clark accepted the award for Brother Lawson who died before the Grand Chapter meeting.

William H. Smith, a 1933 Alpha Epsilon initiate, was a charter member of the Princess Ann (MD) Alumni Chapter and among the members when the Grand Board approved a name change to the Cape Charles - Accomac (VA) Alumni Chapter. He served as Province Keeper of Records and Exchequer [1955-1975].

Herman J. "Bud" Tyrance [Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter,] a professor at Howard University, was a native of Attleboro [MA] and was its 1932 football team. Tyrance earned degree a BS degree (1938] from Virginia State College, M.Ed from Boston University [1947], and a Phd degree from Penn State University [1954]. In 1949, he came to Howard University as an instructor in Physical and Education retired as Department chairman. Like many college professionals, Tyrance was involved in other outside activities. He was a visiting professor at Florida A&M University and Jackson State University , and was director of several summer programs sponsored by the DC Departmernt of Recreation. Tyrance, a 1934 Chi initiate , became the Journal Sports editor in 1954. He affiliated with the Washinton (DC) Alumni Chapter in 1949, and was its 17th Polemarch [1961-64]. Tyrance was also an advisor to the Xi for over 30 years.

Woodrow Wilson Walston [Richmond (VA) Alumni Chapter], was a native North Carolinian, who was a trailblazer. After earning a BS degree from North Carolina College, he embarked upon a career in hospital administration when there were limited opportunities in the field. He began his career in Winston Salem [NC] at Kate Biting Hospital, one of the few hospitals in the state available to Negro physicians to complete their residency requirements in their chosen specialties. In 1952, he moved to Martinsville [VA] to become administrator of the Community Hospital. He later accepted senior administrative positions at hospitals located in Baltimore [MD] and Richmond [VA].
Walston, a 1946 Alpha Kappa initiate, was a devoted Kappamen. He was a charter member of the Winston Salem (NC) Alumni Chapter and its first Keeper of Records. When he moved to Martinsville [VA], he was a part of the charter group of the Martinsville (VA) Alumni Chapter. Within the Richmond (VA) Alumni Chapter, he held several key leadership positions. In each chapter, Walston always displayed a love for the Fraternity and its purposes. Walston was a member of the Province Board of Directors from 1976 to 1982 .

Sylvester R. "Sal" Hall [Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter], a native of Detroit [MI], was an outstanding student athlete at Howard University. While matriculating at Howard, Hall won three letters in football, four letters in basketball, and three letters in swimming. When Howard added soccer as a varsity sport, Sal won two letters in that sport. Hall was a successful football coach in Washington [DC] and at Virginia State College. During the 1940s, Virginia State fielded some of the most powerful football teams in the nation. Many of its players were World War II veterans. The architect who blended the maturity of the veterans with the enthusiasm of recent high school graduates was "Sal" Hall. When Virginia State University established a Hall of Fame [1980], the first class of inductees included Hall, and Thomas Verdell, a charter member of the Alpha Phi and Petersburg (VA) Alumni chapters.
Hall pursued a doctoral degree at Catholic University. He wrote several articles for education periodicals, and earned a listing in "Who's Who in American Education." "The Encyclopedia of Educational Research" also listed Hall as an authority on the development of intramural sports in American colleges and universities. Hall, a 1931 Xi initiate, was a member of the 1939 Xi Basketball Team that won the championship at the 29th Grand Chapter meeting. He was among the first group of non students affiliated with the Xi to affiliate with the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter as a condition for the establishment of a chapter at Miner Teachers College.

James Carter Jr [Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter], a native Washingtonian, grew up in a depressed neighborhood in the Anacostia section of the city. Most of the boys in his community failed to complete their high school education but such was not the case for Carter.
Determined to escape the albatross of poverty and failure, Carter enlisted in the Army and spent time in Europe. In the middle of nowhere, he met Charles Holloway, a 1939 Alpha Mu initiate, and a disciple of James Edward Scott, the 10th Grand Polemarch. Holloway encouraged Carter to continue his education. Heeding the advice, Carter enrolled at Howard University and earned a BA degree [1949]. He would add a MA degree from New York University to his resume of academics. Carter was a dedicated public servant whose career included both the DC Public School system and the federal government. As an educator, he was a role model for thousands of boys uncertain about their futures. Several were stellar athletes who chose historically black institutions in the South. Because of the impression he made upon them, many of his high school proteges became members of Kappa Alpha Psi. His most notable protege was Tommy Day, a Phelps Vocational High School graduate, who went on to earn All American honors at North Carolina A & T College and to star in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, and was a 1958 Alpha Nu initiate. Robert E. Muldrow, another Phelps graduate, heeded the warning of Brother Carter: not to attend Howard University because he felt an education experience outside of Washington, DC would be more beneficial. Muldrow, a 1960 Alpha Nu initiate, enjoyed a successful career in the federal government and started his own business in the early 1980s.
Carter was concerned about the plight of the disadvantaged. Following his retirement from the DC Public School System and the federal government, he became active in the political process and was a volunteer assistant to Brother John Conyers, a US Congressman from Detroit, ML His enthusiasm for his work caused several brothers to view Carter as an unofficial Congressman. Carter was National Treasurer of the National Coalition on Black Voter Participation Inc., a nonprofit organization whose principal focus is increasing the registration of blacks and their participation in the political process. Carter was an avid sports fan, particularly football, and was a football official for the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Often, he found himself officiating games between teams that included several of his proteges. Upon his retirement as an active official, the Association inducted him into its Hall of Fame. Carter, a 1948 Xi initiate, was committed to the ideals of the Fraternity. While a student pursuing an advanced degree, he was elected to the Grand Board in 1951. Within the Washington, DC Alumni Chapter, he served as Vice Polemarch and Polemarch. He was a perennial supporter of all the activities sponsored by the Chapter. At the national level, his concern for the undergraduate members caused Grand Polemarch Gumbs to appoint him the National C Rodger Wilson Leadership Conference chairman [1979-82].

Charles Garfield Tildon Jr was born in Baltimore [MD] on September 10, 1926. A product of the segregated city school system, he graduated from Frederick Douglass High School and enrolled at Morehouse College. However, he retuned home and earned a BS degree from Morgan State College. He took graduate courses at Johns Hopkins University and the National Science Foundation Institute, and earned an Advanced Certificate in Health Policy and Management from the Harvard University School of Public Health. Tildon began his professional career in 1955 as a science teacher in the Baltimore City Public School System. Besides his responsibilities as a science teacher, he was a Counselor for the National Institute for High Ability High School Students at the Morgan State College [1959-61]. In 1964, after rising to the level of Science Department Chairman, he moved to the Provident Hospital as Director of Development. Tildon left the Hospital in 1968 to become a consultant for the Office of Economic Opportunity. In 1973, he became Executive Director of the Maryland Service Corps of the Department of Human Resources. Between 1975 and 1982, Tildon was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Community College of Baltimore. In 1980, he accepted an appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Human Resources for the State of Maryland. He left state government in 1982 to become President of the Community College of Baltimore. After his retirement in 1985, Tildon was a consultant to the Board of Trustees of the College until 1986. Rather than simply retire, Tildon formed a management consultant firm - Charles G. Tildon Associates, LLC - in 1986. Throughout his life, Tildon was active in the community. He was a charter member and Chairman of the Board of the Baltimore Community Investment Company; Treasurer of the Baltimore Mutual Investment Company; President of The Club Inc.; member of the Advisory Board of Advance Federal Savings and Loan Association; and member of the Board of Directors of the Council for Equal Business Opportunity. He received numerous awards for his contributions to the community. Tildon published articles on education and health issues, and was listed in the Who's Who in the East and Who's Who in Black America publications. Tildon was a devout Roman Catholic, who served his church in a number of leadership roles - Chairman [1971-72] of the United States Catholic Bishops Advisory Council [the highest lay policy body within the Church]; member of Archdiocese of Baltimore Pastoral Council [highest policy making body within the Archdiocese] and Archdiocese of Baltimore Council of Catholic Men. His outstanding service and commitment to the principles of the Church earned him the Knight of St Gregory Award [the highest award available to a lay person in the Catholic Church. Tildon, a 1948 Pi initiate, was affiliated with the Baltimore (MD) Alumni Chapter for 40 years. Within the chapter, he was the its 18th Polemarch. The Baltimore (MD) Alumni Chapter acknowledged his achievements and contributions with awards on five separate occasions. In 1964, Grand Polemarch Bradley appointed Tildon the 12th Eastern Province Polemarch. The Eastern Province recognized his noteworthy contributions in 1967. At the 55th Grand Chapter meeting, the delegates elected him to the Grand Board of Directors.

James A. Overton [Norfolk (VA) Alumni Chapter], appointed the 13th Eastern Province Polemarch by Grand Polemarch Davenport in 1969, was another Eastern Province stalwart. A native of Portsmouth [VA], known to his close friends as "Slim" his tenure in the Eastern Province dated to his initiation at the Alpha Gamma in 1932. Overton was the first Negro appointed to a court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Because he was in poor health, Charles Brockett, the 17th Eastern Province Polemarch, accepted the award for him. Overton died shortly after the adjournment of the Grand Chapter meeting.

Joseph Bruton [Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter], a native of Orlando [FL], was a successful chemist. A product of the segregated public school system in Orlando, Bruton declined an opportunity to enter the Morehouse College early admittance program following his junior year in high school.
After graduating from high school, Bruton served in the United States Army. Following his discharge he entered Howard University in January 1947. To help finance his education, Bruton was a student assistant to Dr. Madie Taylor, Professor of Chemistry. With the assistance and encouragement of Brother Taylor, Bruton earned a BS degree in 1950, and MS and PhD degrees from Georgetown University.
Bruton worked as a chemist at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center for 35 years. During his career, he held numerous management positions and received commendations from the Department of the Army for his exemplary service. He published over 35 articles and was a visiting lecturer in the biochemistry field. After retiring [1987], he donated his time to help high school students interested in the sciences, and was an Adjunct Professor at the University of the District of Columbia.
Bruton, a 1948 Xi initiate, was one the first residents of the Kappa Castle. Within the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter, he held several key leadership positions, including Polemarch. He was a perennial attendee at Eastern Province Councils and Grand Chapter meetings, and known throughout the Fraternity for his penchant for adherence to the rules at local, Province, and Grand Chapter meetings. For over 20 years, he was a member of the Laurel Wreath Commission and chaired the Commission [1988-1991]. At the 53rd Grand Chapter meeting, the delegates approved amendments, authored by Bruton, which modified the Laurel Wreath nominee selection process.

Oscar Lugree Mims [Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter], a native Washingtonian, grew up in the greater Shaw area and was a product of the DC Public School system. While in high school, Mims was a fairly successful basketball player but his skinny frame prevented him from playing while matriculating at DC Teachers College.
Mims was a true educator with a thirst for knowledge. Although his degree from DC Teachers College qualified him to teach in the DC Public School system, he chose to enter the federal government. Drawing upon a burning desire to achieve coupled with a high level of self-confidence Mims advanced through the ranks to the highest level open to federal employees who were not political appointees. He was a close confidant of several high level political appointees and cabinet secretaries. Unselfish to the bone, Mims was responsible for advancing the careers of several black federal government employees.
Mims, a 1955 Beta Kappa initiate, was a Beta Kappa Polemarch. When the chapter membership began to dwindle, the Beta Kappa alumni elected Mims the unofficial Polemarch, at a time when he was Vice Polemarch of the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter. Mims and Al Burgess, a 1958 Beta Kappa initiate, identified a group of students to reactivate the chapter in 1976. Mims held several positions within the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter, including Polemarch. At the Province level, he was a member of the Province Board of Directors [1977-79]. When Grand Polemarch Gumbs appointed Eastern Province Senior Vice Polemarch Clarence F. Nelson Jr the Province Polemarch, in 1979, the Province Board of Directors elected Mims the Province Senior Vice Polemarch. The delegates at Province Councils held in 19780-84 elected Mims the Province Senior Vice Polemarch. In 1986, Grand Polemarch Bacon selected Mims to become the fourth Executive Secretary of Kappa Alpha Psi. Mims retired from the position in 1988.

K. Bernard Chase [Hyattsville-Landover (MD) Alumni Chapter], a Baltimore [MD] native, earned a BS degree from Delaware State University. Following a short tenure with a pharmaceutical company, he entered the Howard University School of Dentistry and earned a DDS in 1977. He began his career as a staff dentist at a health center and was eventually promoted to Dental Director. However, in 1982, he decided to leave the center to pursue a life-long dream - owning and operating his own business - and established a private dental practice in St Mary's County [MD]. As the first African American dentist in the County, Chase spent much of his time and resources stressing the importance of total health awareness and teaching good health practices to children and adults. He volunteered time to - the Head Start Program, community groups, and individual high school students to advise, teach, and advocate. Chase, a 1976 Theta Tau charter initiate, was a charter member of the Hyattsville-Landover (MD) Alumni Chapter. He served it in a number of leadership capacities, including Polemarch. In 1996, the Theta Tau established the Dr. K. Bernard Chase Community Service Award to recognize brothers whose service to the community is exemplary and noteworthy. The Delaware State University Alumni Association inducted Chase into its Hall of Fame in 1996, and recognized his noteworthy contributions in the field of science and medicine. In 1997, the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education presented him a Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award.

Richard Clark [Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter], a native Washingtonian, was born in 1936, and grew up in the Shaw community. He attended Cardozo High School and was an outstanding baseball player who some thought would pursue a major league baseball career. Clark matriculated at Howard University and earned a BA degree in 1958. He also earned a JD degree from Howard University [1965] and a LLM degree from George Washington University [1971]. Clark enlisted in the US Army Reserves during his senior year of high school. He remained in the Reserves while a student at Howard and rose to the rank of Sergeant. Upon graduating from Howard, Sergeant Clark resigned to accept a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Military Police Branch. Lieutenant Clark was assigned to Fort Gordon [GA] for two years where he served as an executive officer and a company commander. After completing his active duty tour, he moved to the US Army Reserves. During the next nine years [1960-69], Clark served in command positions within the Military Police Branch. In 1970, Captain Clark transferred to the Judge Advocate General Branch. For the next 23 years, he was member of the military judicial system. His final assignment was as a Military Judge in the Criminal Law Division. He retired as a Colonel in 1993 with the 39 years of military service. Clark began his professional career as an attorney for the United States Customs Service [1965]. In 1968, he became a managing attorney for the Neighborhood Legal Service Program. In 1971, he accepted a position as Professor of Business Law at the Federal City College and also became a partner in a local law firm. He remained with the firm until 1981, when he left to establish his own practice. Following the formation of the University of the District of Columbia, Clark was named Professor of Business Law at the University. In 1990, he became Chairman of the Business Law Department, and in 1992, Acting Dean of the College of Business and Public Management. Clark was a member of several professional and civic organizations. In 1990, the District of Columbia City Council passed a resolution acknowledging the achievements and contributions of Clark and his family. In 1993, WHUR/FM, a local minority owned radio station, selected Clark as an African American Men Who Have Succeeded Against All Odds Award recipient. Clark, a 1955 Xi initiate, was a delegate to the 46th Grand Chapter meeting. He affiliated with the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter in 1964. A diligent brother, Clark chaired most of the committees of the chapter, including a committee the raised over $10,000 to support the chapter activities. The members elected Clark Vice Polemarch, and Polemarch on two different occasions. In 1985, he was the editor of a local Conclave Journal publication that some found more interesting than the Conclave edition of the Kappa Journal. His unselfish service to the chapter earned him its highest award. At the Province level, Clark was the Province Historian/Reporter on several occasions, and a member of the committee impaneled by Province Polemarch Overton to develop the Province Bylaws. At the national level, he was a member of several national committees and commissions. Grand Polemarch Holloway appointed him to the Publications and Publicity Commission [1976-78] where he helped refine the policies for the official publications of the Fraternity. In 1979-80, he served as an Associate Editor of the Kappa Alpha Psi Journal. In 1985, Grand Polemarch Bacon appointed him the Laurel Wreath Commission chairman.

Richmond (VA) Alumni

Washington (DC) Alumni

Norfolk (VA) Alumni

Washington (DC) Alumni

Woodbridge (VA) Alumni

Bowie-Mitchelville (MD) Alumni