HISTORY
Beta Xi Boulé
Central Florida
Chartered May 16, 1982
Founded in Philadelphia in 1904, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc., is the country’s oldest and first Black Greek-letter fraternity in the U.S., and is the brainchild of Henry M. Minton, Ph.G., MD. It was established to create a forum wherein African-American men could pursue intellectual development, citizenship, democracy, law and culture. This organization consists of more than 5000 archons from 112 member boulés throughout the United States and Nassau Bahamas.
The Boulé’s roster consists of members who have achieved some of the highest corporate, professional, and political positions. Membership in the Boulé is highly selective and by invitation only. The Boulé foundation, a 501(c)3 organization with assets of $10 million generated primarily by the membership, gives scholarships to deserving young men and women who are in pursuit of undergraduate and graduate education.
The first interest in establishing a new member boulé in Central Florida-to include Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, and Orlando-dates back to October 9, 1975, when Archon Oswald Bronson of Kappa Boulé (Atlanta) and Archons James Huger, Richard Moore, and Joseph Taylor of Alpha Zeta Boulé ( Tallahassee) met to discuss the feasibility of such a project. On May 15, 1977, Grammateus Leedell Neyland, also of Alpha Zeta Boulé, informed Grand Grammateus/Executive Secretary George N. Redd that the committee had approved a sufficient number of potential candidates, however no further action was taken until April 12, 1980, when Archon William Phears contacted Archon Joseph Taylor and Grand Grammateus Butler Henderson about a renewed interest in establishing a boulé in Central Florida.
On March 12, 1981, the names of the following Archons were approved for transfer: Archons Oswald Bronson from Kappa Boulé; James Hunger, Joseph Taylor and Richard Moore from Alpha Zeta Boulé; Richard McKinney from Gamma Boulé; Oscar Sistrunk from Mu Boulé; and William Phears from Alpha Ro Boulé. Throughout 1981 and early 1982, business, financial and induction planning to establish Beta Xi Boulé took place.
On May 16, 1982 at the Daytona Hilton, Beta Xi Boulé officially became the sixtieth member Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity. Under the direction of Butler Henderson, the Grand Grammateus/ Executive Secretary, he inducted and appointed the Founding Members Archons Oswald Bronson and Oscar Sistrunk as Acting Archons Agogos, with Richard McKinney and William Phears as Acting Archons Rhetoricos. Inducted as Charter Members were: Lonnie T. Brown, Edwin T. Cowan, Rogers P. Fair, Rabie Gainous, Michael R. Johnson, Theodore R. Nicholson, Philip Stewart, Royce B. Walden and Robert K. Wright. Unfortunately, Archon Joseph Taylor, who had worked so diligently over the years to help establish Beta Xi Boulé, died on April 8th before the official installation.