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onorary memberships were designed to honor distinguished persons and to enhance the local chapter's public image. But far from being mere adornments these brothers were actively involved in fraternal affairs on both the local and national level. In 1912, two of them, Dr. W.E.B. DuBois and Assistant District Attorney C. V. McDougall were among those petitioning for an alumni chapter in New York City. Brother Emmett J. Scott, Exalted Honorary Member, was a speaker at the public session of the General Convention at Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago in 1919. Exalted Honorary Member Isaac F. Bradley delivered the welcome address to the Convention in 1920 in Kansas City. In 1922 Exalted Honorary Brother Aaron E. Malone spoke on "Alpha Phi Alpha's Relation to the Public" and Exalted Honorary Brother E. P. Roberts spoke on "The Ideals of Alpha Phi Alpha" at the Convention's public session in St. Louis. (History - 145)
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n 1920 the General Convention made two significant changes in the constitution regarding memberships. One mandated "'No undergraduate member of Alpha Phi Alpha shall be a member of another intercollegiate fraternity.' It was also to be required in the future that 'all candidates for exalted honorary membership, before being initiated by the chapter must meet the approval of the General Organization.'" (History 130). This new policy was apparently enforced. Dr. Wesley cites the following in support of this view: "Years earlier the Sphinx announced, 'The Fraternity is fortunate in unanimously accepting the proposal of chapters to initiate the following Exalted Honorary Members..."" (H.A.C.-120).Atthe General Convention of 1921 in Baltimore, one of the speeches delivered during the closing banquet was entitled "The Relationship of Honorary Members to the Fraternity." (History - 138) Two years later in Columbus, Ohio, the General Convention acted again. "Safeguards concerning the Brother Pawky admission of Exalted Honorary
Honorary membership was also the subject of convention legislation and discussion on several occasions. In 1919, a special procedure for the initiation and reception of honorary members was presented to the General Convention dividing them into two classes, active and exalted. "The active honorary members were to meet the same educational requirements as the undergraduate members but tney were to have the status of alumni members. The exalted honorary members were to include those who had achieved distinction in some particular field of activity." (History - 104) Further action on the subject was taken at the Cleveland General Convention in 1918, providing for the election and initiation of honorary members. "It was provided that active honorary members should be elected and initiated by the chapters and exalted honorary members should be elected and initiated by the chapters subject to the approval of the General Organization" (History- 116).
Members were adopted." (History -150). As late as 1925 they were still being initiated. In that year Alonzo Herndon, a prominent businessman in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dr. A. M. Curtis, a physician and professor of the Harvard University Medical School were inducted. (H.A.C. - 120). By 1930 there were three classes of membership in the Fraternity, viz, undergraduate, active graduate and honorary. The title "Exalted" had been dropped. At some point in the 1930s the Fraternity ceased to admit honorary members. Sporadic efforts to revive the practice have been turned down by the General Organization. 4 One of the most controversial inductions was that of Frederick Douglass as an Exalted Honorary Member of Omega Chapter in 1921. This took place during a pilgrimage to Douglass' home during the General Convention. Afterwards, the Fraternity was accused of "robbing the grave." Brother Charles Wesley respond-
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