We doubled the number of Blacks on campus, bringing it to a total of 300. “There were 15,000 students at that time, and my class had 150 Blacks. A political science major, Crutchfield immediately noticed the lack of Blacks on campus and joined a fiery movement to draw attention to the void. Paul Crutchfield grew up in Decatur and followed a cousin to Illinois State University in 1969. Cornel West, and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Alpha Phi Alpha counts among its most notable members Dr. Today, Eta Tau is one of the best represented in the state and nation, where more than 70,000 men in 706 chapters are committed to developing leaders, promoting brotherhood and academic excellence while providing service and advocacy for the African American community.įounded in 1906 at Cornell University, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men to promote scholarship and service. The same year, Graves was named Brother of the Year for his efforts to establish the chapter, which has since gone on to receive several other awards for excelling in state competitions. The initiation won praise from the fraternity’s district office. ’71 and five others established Eta Tau on October 9, 1971, as the fraternity’s ninth chapter in Illinois. Once the University lifted the ban on all Greek organizations and their formation of campus chapters, Graves graduate student Jethroe Knazze, M.S. “On a campus of 23,000 students, there was only one other Alpha, and he was in graduate school. At Illinois State, Graves was looking for a brotherhood of elegant black and old gold but found a university ban on Greek-letter organizations. There, the Peoria native had been part of the Epsilon Kappa chapter. The success of the chapter is beyond what Graves could have imagined when he arrived on campus as a transfer student in 1970 from Bradley University. It’s something to see, and it’s part of the legacy that I’m proudest of.” Some of our pledges now have sons who crossed at Eta Tau. “I’m elated to witness what Eta Tau has done. Still, he finds a way to connect with brothers at Illinois State when possible. A retired executive for equipment manufacturer Komatsu, Graves is now active with the Kappa Pi Lambda chapter in Peoria. And every October when Graves returns to campus to celebrate the fraternity’s Founders’ Weekend, 49 years and counting, he marvels at how the brotherhood has grown from the seven who began Eta Tau. He points to State Senator Elgie Sims ’93, Alpha Phi Alpha Midwest regional vice president, and Steve Jones ’74, assistant Midwest regional vice president and general chair of a voting initiative. Voted the Illinois Chapter of the Year several times, Eta Tau’s members have distinguished themselves at the local and regional levels for exceptional leadership in the organization. Walter Graves, a founding member of Alpha Phi Alpha Eta Tau
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