Over 100 years ago, on November 17, 1911, three ambitious Howard undergraduates met in the office of their faculty advisor Dr. Ernest Everett Just to form a new fraternity. On that rainy Friday night, Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper, and Frank Coleman gave birth to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in Howard University's Science Hall—now named Thirkield Hall. The motto, "Friendship is essential to the soul," and cardinal principles Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift were adopted. Less than a month later December 15, 1911, the students and eleven of their friends of like attainment and similar ideals were brought into the fraternity's first chapter, Alpha Chapter, affectionately known as "The Mother Pearl."

In April of 1973, we were initiated in the Divine 9 organizations. As we celebrate our 50 Year anniversary, we want to continue our support of Alma Mater through this fundraising campaign. We who have become Doctors, Lawyers, Businesspersons, even Presidents of HBCUs owe so much to Howard, and we want to give back. We are raising funds for the Office of the Dean of the Chapel to use for its ministries and programs.