On September 19, 1963, at Morgan State University, 12 students founded what is now the nation's fifth largest, predominately African-American social service fraternity: Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated. This group of men were unique for several reasons, many of these men were what are now referred to as "Non-Traditional Students" and were 3-5 years older than the average college student. Several were service veterans, and others were married with small children. Of this group of 12, several were also working full-time jobs and all were full-time students.
Based upon their ages, heightened responsibilites, and increased level of maturity, this group had a slightly different perspective from which they established the Fraternity's purpose, "The developement and perpetuation of Scholarship, Leadership,Citzenship, Fidelity, and Brotherhood among Men of Color." Additionally, they conceived the Fraternity's motto, "Building a Tradition, Not resting Upon One!"
From the beginning of its existence, Iota Phi Theta has sought to "Make a Difference." One of the very first activities of the newly-formed Iota was participation in the protests at the segregated Northwoods Shopping Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The founders of the Fraternity considered themselves "Militant" at the time when militancy was not an entirely popular stance.
This commitment to service has been a constant thread throughtout the history of Iota Phi Theta. In the late 1960's and early 1970's, Iota was a strong supporter of the "Big Brothers of America" program. In fact, in 1974, then Grand Polaris, Thomas Dean appeared in a local television commercial on behalf og Big Brothers of America.
As Iota has grown, it has endeavored to maintain a standard of excellence and leadership on campus and in the community. In 1992, the Fraternity established the National Iota Foundation, a Tax-Exempt entity whose purpose is to assist the needy through scholarships and other financial assistance. Since its creation the foundation has distributed over $250,000 in programs and services.
The fraternity has also created The IOTA Youth Alliance, a program developed specifically to address the needs of young African-American males in their communities.
The commitment to service has continued and is manifested in the activities of local chapters of the Fraternity. A partial listig of involvements undertaken by Iota Phi Theta Chapters includes:
While this list is by no means exhaustive, it highlights the type of community involvement and spirit that exists within the Iota Phi Theta brotherhood.
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