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BIPOC Greek Letter Organizations in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center

About Alpha Phi Alpha

Council Membership National Pan-Hellenic Council (Divine Nine)
Chapter Name Rho Beta
Founded December 4, 1906 at (Cornell University)
Chartered at OSU 2013
Colors Gold and black

Nationally, Alpha Phi Alpha holds the distinction as the first Greek letter organization for African American college students; though the Rho Beta chapter was chartered at OSU in 2013, Alpha Phi Alpha members were active on campus in the early 1990s (e.g. as seen in the Rush Handbook for 1994-1995. pg. 7). APA's mission is to "develop leaders, promote brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for [their] communities."

Over the years, Alpha Phi Alpha has been active in sponsoring and helping to organize numerous cultural and social events on the OSU campus that emphasize the Black student experience. These have included co-sponsorship of the Black Heritage Fashion Show throughout the 1990s and 2000s, as well as Martin Luther King Jr. Day presentations, “Back to School Jam” dances the first weekend of every term in academic year 1997-98, and participation on a 2002 panel titled “Unveiling the Black Greek System”.

Resources Documenting Alpha Phi Alpha

Archival Resources: All collections listed below are part of SCARC's archival holdings. If materials from those collections have been digitized, it will be noted near the top of the collection's online guide (linked below). Depending on the amount of material and staffing capacity, archival staff may be able to provide digital access to portions of the collections listed below. Please reach out to us by email at scarc@oregonstate.edu to find out more!

  • Greek Life Office Records (Box-Folder 3.24)
    The Greek Life Office Records document the administration of this office, which regulates and provides support services to the fraternity and sorority community at Oregon State University. These materials were primarily generated by the Greek Life Office and reflect administrative activities such as the development of training workshops/classes, the compilation of membership statistics, collaboration with law enforcement agencies in educational programming, and the evaluation of annual rush activities. The Greek Life Office was established in 1998.
  • Student Club and Organization Records (Box-Folder 1.07)
    The Student Club and Organization Records document the approval and recognition of more than 900 student clubs and organizations at Oregon State University.  The records include annual review forms, constitutions and by-laws, lists of officers and members, and event registration forms.  The Office of Student Involvement provides support services to student organizations and oversees the process for annual recognition of clubs and organizations.
  • Oregon Multicultural Archives Oral History Collection

    The Oregon Multicultural Archives Oral History Collection is a growing repository of interviews that documents the experiences and perspectives of people of color who have spent at least portions of their lives in Oregon. In a 2012 interview with Carl Deiz, Deiz discusses being a part of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, as well as his service with the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. Interviews from this collection are available via the Multicultural Voices of Oregon website and in OSU MediaSpace. Transcripts from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital. Digital audio files are also available for reference use upon patron request.

Archival Resources Available Online: The digital materials linked to below are hosted online in our digital repository, Oregon Digital, and exist physically in our archives. Canned search results comprised of only those materials relevant to Alpha Phi Alpha's history at OSU are linked to below.