Alpha Pi Boulé Records, 1965-2003 | Special Collections & University Archives: Finding Aid Database

Title: Alpha Pi Boulé Records, 1965-2003

ID: MS-0397

Created by: Sigma Pi Phi. Alpha Pi Boulé (1965-)

Alpha Pi Boulé, the local chapter of the Sigma Pi Phi fraternity, was chartered on May 8,1965, in San Diego, California after Jack Kimbrough, DDS, contacted members of the Sigma Pi Phi fraternity in Los Angeles to investigate establishing a branch of the organization in San Diego. Established in 1904, the Sigma Pi Phi fraternity is the country's oldest fraternity for college-educated and professional African-Americans. Its goal is to pursue intellectual development, citizenship, law, and culture. The fraternity as a whole is referred to as the Grand Boulé. Alpha Pi Boulé's original members and first Charter Officers were Sire Archon (President) J. Kimbrough, Grammateus (Secretary) John Johnson, Thesaristis (Treasurer) George Walker Smith, Leading Archon - Agogos Edward Maddox, and Lecturing Archon – Rhetoricus Harold Howland. Other early members were Edward Singleton, Henry Lennette, Earl Gilliam, and Donald Carey.

Members must have at least a baccalaureate degree, but most have earned advanced degrees. The fraternity emphasizes inviting men of recognized achievement in their fields to be members in order to organize men of common values to improve the quality of life of African-Americans in San Diego. There are approximately 40 active members in Alpha Pi Boulé.

Through direct dialoge, programs and actions, members of the Fraternity utilize their resources to enhance and improve the socio-economic status of the African-American community in San Diego. Alpha Pi Boulé was initially a purely social organization, but later broadened its interests to include a vital social actions component . Numerous committees implement community programs and activities, especially for young people. Each year the organization offers awards and four year college scholarships to local African-American high school students. Other community education programs initiated by the Alpha Pi Boule include The Man of the Village, SAT, Signature Project, Links Achiever Program, and Educating Jalani and Jameli – all aimed at providing better educational opportunities and greater support for African-American students in improving their grades and scores.

Extent: 3.09 Linear Feet

Finding Aid/Inventory
Box 1
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Box 6

Other Note: This collection was processed as part of the San Diego African American Archives Project, made possible by a grant from the President's Leadership Fund.

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Scope and Contents: The Alpha Pi Boulé Records (1965-2003) document the history and activities of Alpha Pi Boulé, chapter 39 of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. Filed alphabetically in a single series, it documents the chapter's foundation, its social action programs, partnerships with community schools, as well as Alpha Pi Boulé's relationships with other community organizations including the San Diego DX International Association / DX San Diego Club and the San Diego Amateur Radio Club. Included are meeting minutes (1985-2001), Executive Committee meeting minutes (1992-2000), bylaws, constitutions, financial records, membership reports, correspondence, and a few artifacts. The collection also contains photos from some of the Alpha Pi Boulé's meetings and events in the 1990s, and photos from the San Diego Metropolitan Radio Club. A video tape from one of the Pacific Coast Regional Conventions (1999) is also included in the collection.