THE SPHINX® 90th Anniversary Limited Edition
authorized the establishment of an The Crisis, to consider the publiAlumni Day at the convention. This cation of an article concerning the was to be the first Alumni Reunion, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Brother and as Secretary Fugett stated, "the DuBois had replied that he would first effort made to get our many accept an article of a general charalumni together to hear and see the acter. Brother Joseph R. Fugett, actual work and workings of the General Secretary, wrote to Brother Charles ll Garvin fraternity." These alumni proposals Garvin on September 8, 1912, "Dr. were closely related and influential DuBois' reply seems peculiar to me in the establishment of a journal for Alpha Phi Alpha. The correin that he asks you to write of the Sigma Pi Phi and refers you to Mr. spondence of the officers of this period led directly to the concluDavis—(Carrington Davis, an Alpha man and a member of Sigma Pi sion that a journal was regarded as a major channel for reclaiming Phi Fraternity)—otherwise I have no comments." However, the artiand holding the alumni members. cle specifically on the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was submitted by Brother Garvin and was accepted for publication. In the consideration of these officers was the knowledge which had come to members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity that there had been organized in 1904 a graduate fraternity known as the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity which had initiated several of the Alpha alumni members. Therefore, in order to maintain the alumni connections with Alpha Phi Alpha, special efforts were made to reach the alumni, to interest them, and to hold them in the Fraternity, in association with the undergraduates. This process was the general plan among the older and more traditional American college fraternities. In 1910 an Alumni Club had been organized at Louisville by the Alpha brothers, and its program was discussed in the Third Annual Convention at Philadelphia, December 27, 29, 1910. On April 11, 1911, the First Alumni Chapter, or Graduate Chapter as it was known later, was established as Alpha Lambda Chapter at Louisville, Kentucky. Then, on November 19, 1912, General President Garvin gave official sanction for the establishment of an Alpha Alumni Chapter in New York City, General President Garvin shortly thereafter urged the alumni in several centers to "form alumni chapters wherever there are sufficient members to reach the constitutional requirements." When the Fifth Annual Convention was being planned Brother Charles H. Garvin as the fraternity's fourth General President,
The Convention minutes show succinctly the following: The Committee on Fraternity Journal reported through its Chairman, Bro. J. C. McKelvie, Beta. The report was read by sections and adopted with amendments. (From the Manuscript Copy of the Minutes, Sixth Convention, December 29-31 1913) It was by this direct action at the Sixth Convention that the decisive action to launch the Journal was taken. Later in this Convention, Bro. W. S. Tatum, Alpha Lambda, moved, seconded by C. L. Aikens, Nu Chapter, that "the annual tax be $1.50,fiftycents of which shall be considered a subscription to the The Sphinx" This motion was adopted. Brother Charles H. Garvin, Beta, then moved, seconded by Brother W. M. Clair, Beta, that "the tax become due on April 1,1914" The motion was lost. Brother R. C. Giles, Alpha Alumni Chapter, moved, seconded by Brother N. P. G. Adams, Beta, that "the tax become due on May 1, 1914." The motion was carried. In his first letter to the chapters in January, 1914, General President Garvin stated that "the convention was a success from every point of view," and he then called attention to the payment of "the taxes," directing special attention to the amount of $1.00 together with $0.50 added as a year's subscription to the little Fraternity Journal that we are to publish eight times the academic year, making a total of $ 1.50 per year."