A HISTORICAL M O M E N T : N O T E S ON OUR F O R G O T T E N FOUNDERS Brother Tfjomas D. Pawley,
III
I Tor almost half a century, seven Brothers sometimes m^ referred to as "the original seven" were known as Jewels of JL. Alpha Phi Alpha. • Three others were known as the first initiates.2 These 10 men constituted Alpha Chapter from December 4, 1906 until the time of the second initiation in October of 1907. In 1952, the 38th General Convention in Cleveland voted to replace one of the former with one of the latter. 3 We now refer to these seven Jewels as our founders. It is the position of this writer that all 10 men who remained as members of Alpha Chapter after December 4,1906 were founders of Alpha Phi Alpha. In his biography of Jewel Henry Arthur Callis, Charles H. Wesley writes, "Those men who absented themselves (before and after) when the decision was made for the group to become a fraternity...should not be forgotten whenever Alpha Phi Alpha thinks of its origin and the foundation of its beginnings. The same position may be taken toward the men who came in during and after the first initiation. Among these were Brothers James H. Morton, Gordon Jones and Lemuel Graves (Henry Arthur Callis, 30-31)". It is precisely because these three brothers are seldom mentioned during our celebrations of Founders' Day that this essay is being written. It will discuss their activities in detail during 19061907 and the later years wherever possible. Brother James H. Morton came to Cornell University from West Virginia. He has been called both one of "the original seven" and one of the first initiates. It is clear, however, that he was never subjected to initiation. He was present at the first initiation banquet as attested to by the program which fists him as a speaker. His autograph is followed by that of "C. Henry Chapman". Oddly enough, the Registrar of Cornell University informed the Fraternity Historian that "(he) was not registered at Cornell University in 1905-1906 although he had frequent associations with the Social Study Club (332-333)". Additionally, "According to the records, (although) he was not subjected to the initiation - his name seems to have been added to the fist permanendy on this occasion...he served as headwaiter at the Sage College Dining Room having white students under his supervision. Among other things, he advanced his personal funds at times in order to insure the permanence of the Fraternity (31)". This generosity may be one of the reasons that for nearly 50 years he was called Jewel Morton. The following chronicles James H. Morton's activities in 1906-07 when he was enrolled at Cornell University: At the First Initiatory Banquet he offered a toast on "The Freshmen". He was appointed to the Topic
Committee of the Study Club on November 6, 1906 with Jewel Henry Arthur Callis and George Tompkins. Subsequently, he agreed to participate in a program of the Alpha Phi Alpha Society at the local Zion Church along with Messrs. Charles Chapman Poindexter, George Biddle Kelley, Lemuel E. Graves, Vertner Woodson Tandy and Henry Arthur Callis. On December 4, 1906, he was present and "suggested that a fund be organized and sponsored by the group through which assistance could be given to needy colored students (24) B. In doing so he anticipated an ongoing thrust of the Fraternity. Immediately after the decision was made to become a fraternity, he was appointed to a committee on organization along with Brothers Chapman, Callis, E.K. Jones and Murray (25). At the first meeting of the year on January 8, 1907, he was named to a committee of five "to prepare a constitution and a set of by laws" for the new organization, having made the motion to establish such a committee. (25,38, 508) At the meeting on February 19, 1907, he nominated Robert Ogle to be secretary "for the remainder of the collegiate year (509)". He was present at the final meeting of the 1906-07 academic year, seconding the motion for adjournment (510). Incidentally the minutes of those meetings were still referring to me group as the "society". Morton along with other members of Alpha Chapter in 1906-07 is shown in a photograph on page 26. Schedule B of the first Certificate of Incorporation, "Names and Addresses of Brethren in Alpha Phi Alpha", in 1908fistshim among the 15 members of the Fraternity. His address was Cornell University Medical College, New York City (537). He had apparendy moved there from Ithaca. (Was he a medical student or an employee as he had been in Ithaca or both?) This is the last reference to the vanished ex-Jewel who apparendy lost contact with the Fraternity and subsequendy was removed from the pantheon of Jewels. Of this our history states, "After that (first initiation) date Brother Morton fades entirely out of the Alpha historical picture and was not heard from in the after years (334)". Actually he did continue his association throughout me first year of the Fraternity's existence as this summary has revealed. His name does not appear in the minutes of October and November 1907. Two who did continue their association were Eugene Kinckle Jones' "line brothers", Gordon H. Jones and Lemuel Graves. Both were extremely active during the first and second years of the Fraternity's existence.
THE SPHINXÂŽ
SPRING
2001