Res. No.
Resolution declaring September 19 as Iota Phi Theta Day in the City of New York to honor the fraternity’s continuing legacy of community engagement
By Council Member Williams
Whereas, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated (Iota) is a nonprofit Black Greek-Letter Organization (BGLO) of college-educated men dedicated to "the development and perpetuation of Scholarship, Leadership, Citizenship, Fidelity, and Brotherhood among Men”; and
Whereas, Founded on September 19, 1963 at Morgan State College (now Morgan State University) by Albert Hicks, Lonnie Spruill, Jr., Charles Briscow, Frank Coakley, John Slade, Barron Willis, Webster Lewis, Charles Brown, Lewis Hudnell, Charles Gregory, Elias Dorsey, Jr., and Michael Williams, Iota is the youngest member of the Divine Nine historically BGLOs in the United States; and
Whereas, Even though the founders were full-time students, many of them were non-traditional students, as Gregory, Willis, and Brown were veterans and Brown, Hicks, and Briscoe were already parents; and
Whereas, Iota was born in a time of rapid social change, as it was established in the same year as the historic Birmingham confrontation and the March on Washington, featuring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech; and
Whereas, After its inception at Morgan State College (now Morgan State University), Iota established its next chapters at Hampton Institute, Delaware State College, Norfolk State College, and Jersey City State College, with all except the last being historically black institutions; and
Whereas, Iota began its national expansion in 1974, when it created its Upsilon Chapter at Southern Illinois University and continued to establish graduate chapters in Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia; and
Whereas, In line with Iota’s commitment to fostering excellence in scholarship, Iota has made its National Scholarship Program one of its core services, through which it provides three scholarships, open to member and non-members, to soon-to-be high school graduates who demonstrate a desire to learn, are involved in their community, and could greatly benefit from additional financial support; and
Whereas, Iota also provides scholarship assistance through the Iota Phi Theta Foundation, which in February 2026 awarded the first Iota 5-Star Scholarship at Southern Illinois University; and
Whereas, The Iota 5-Star Scholarship was created to mark 50 years of Iota's impact on the community and to “support students facing financial barriers as they pursue their degrees,” and it hopes to raise $50,000 “to support students in their academic journeys”; and
Whereas, Among Iota’s notable members are Spencer Christian, Bobby Rush, T.C. Carson, Elvin Hayes, and Calvin Murphy; and
Whereas, Iota is active in the City of New York through chapters like Pi Omega, Alpha Phi, and Beta Rho Omega; and
Whereas, Today, Iota has over 300 chapters across the globe and over 75,000 lifetime members, through whom its motto, “Building a Tradition, Not Resting Upon One,” lives on; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York declares September 19 as Iota Phi Theta Day in the City of New York to honor the fraternity’s continuing legacy of community engagement.
LS 24607
9/3/2026