• Serving Greensboro & the Triad since 1923

Tau Omega Chapter

Chapter History

Charter and Early Legacy

Chartered by the fraternity’s Supreme Council on June 15, 1923, Tau Omega stands as the third chapter in the Sixth District and the first graduate chapter in North Carolina.

The chapter initially represented Greensboro and Winston‑Salem, later extending into High Point, Burlington, Reidsville, Siler City, and the broader Triad region.

Charter and Early Legacy

Foundation & Leadership

Charter Officers & National Leadership

  • Tau Omega’s first officers included Bro. Frank Atkins as Basileus and Bro. Waddy Lee Jones as the 1st Keeper of Records and Seal.
  • Notably, Jasper Alston Atkins (August 8, 1898 – June 28, 1982) is a foundational figure for both Tau Omega and Omega Psi Phi nationally. Born in Winston‑Salem, he graduated magna cum laude from Fisk University in 1919 and then cum laude from Yale Law School in 1922—making him the first Black editor of the Yale Law Journal and first Black elected to the Order of the Coif honor society.
  • Atkins was instrumental in Omega Psi Phi’s early structure. As Grand Basileus from December 1921 to 1924, he:
  • Reorganized the fraternity into five geographic districts
  • Created the positions of Vice Grand Basileus and Grand Keeper of Finance
  • Along with Bro. Dewey Duckett, he created the enduring Omega Talent Hunt Contest—the Sixth District held its first Talent Hunt in Charlotte on April 19, 1946.

These reforms directly shaped Tau Omega’s chapter-level identity—underlining local leadership with national vision.

District Milestone Events

On March 26, 1929, Tau Omega hosted the very first District Meeting in Greensboro—the first of any District across the fraternity at the time

Expansion of Local Influence and New Chapters

Tau Omega served as the parent of several active chapters in the region:

  • Mu Psi (North Carolina A&T State University, 1927)
  • Psi Phi (Winston‑Salem, 1932)
  • Sigma Chi (Reidsville)
  • Beta Kappa Kappa (High Point, 1994)
  • Delta Lambda Lambda (Burlington, 2000)
  • Alpha Delta Zeta (UNC Greensboro)

Community Engagement

Community Engagement & Ongoing Legacy

  • As of June 2023, Tau Omega had celebrated 100 years of service to Greensboro, actively involved in community uplift through mentoring youth, feeding the homeless, scholarship programs, and civic engagement.
  • The chapter continues participation in nationally mandated programs, including Achievement Week, Social Action, and Scholarship.
  • Today, Tau Omega Chapter remains active in mentorship, civic engagement, and youth development across the Greensboro area
  • They regularly host events like The Dr. Drewey Vincent Golf Tournament supporting academic scholars and the Medical Lotto Day spreading basic health awareness in the community
  • Their foundation arm, The Philia Foundation 501(c)3 focuses on mentoring African American youth preparing for post‑secondary education

Members of 1923

Charter Members of Tau Omega Chapter

Name

Notable Affiliations / Achievements

Frank Atkins

President of Winston-Salem State University; Omega visionary; son of Simon Green Atkins

John Barrett

Shaw University graduate

W.A. Bisson

Charter member, limited data

H.C. Brewer

Possibly Henry Clay Brower

Rev. Gilbert Haven Caldwell

Minister and educator, social justice advocate

T.J. Henry

Charter member, active 1923–1926

Dr. Walter Hughes

Lincoln University alumnus, Beta Chapter member

Waddy L. Jones

Early educator, principal in Greensboro

H.L. Kennedy

Chapter Basileus (1925–1926)

F.M. Kennedy

Charter member, limited data

Dr. George E. Loder

Educator at Bennett College; later professor at Johnson C. Smith

J.A. McCray / J.A. McRae

Principal of Washington High School in Reidsville, NC

Walter McNair

Educator; taught at Johnson C. Smith

Thomas Miles

Lincoln University alumnus, Beta Chapter member

Gurney E. Nelson

Musician, educator, Civil War band veteran

Dr. G.C. Simkins, Sr.

Prominent dentist and civil rights leader; father of Dr. George Simkins, Jr.

Dr. C.C. Stewart

Physician; later involved in a legal controversy (1934)

Dr. J.C. Waddy

Early 20th-century physician and educator

W.B. Windsor

Principal of Warnersville Graded School; civil rights activist; led Greensboro’s Negro schools

Tau Omega Chapter Basileus Lineage (1923–1979)

Year(s)

Basileus

1923–1924

Frank Atkins

1925–1926

H. L. Kennedy

1927–1928

Wm. Kennedy

1929–1930

W. B. Windsor

1931–1933

W. T. Gibbs

1934, 1937

W. J. Gibbs

1941

—

1944

Carl M. Hill

1945

A. A. Morrissey

1946

C. W. McCormick

1947

Dr. W. L. T. Miller

1948

Charles E. King

1949

G. D. Tillman

1950

Arthur S. Totten

1951

Major T. A. Wright

1952

C. E. Yokely

1953–1955

Samuel C. Smith

1957

J. M. Gill

1959

Dr. George Royal

1960

B. A. Hall

1967

Alphonso E. Gore

1968–1969

M. F. Shute

1976

W. E. Stauton

Our Foundation

Additional Information

  • The Omega Talent Hunt, originally conceived by J. Alston Atkins and Bro. Duckett, evolved into a nationally mandated program, exemplifying Tau Omega’s early influence in shaping fraternity-wide programming.
  • Miss Fredericka Robinson won that contest, receiving a $600 scholarship to Fisk University, as documented in the Oracle on her graduation in 1947.
  • This program was pivotal, later becoming a nationally mandated Omega initiative.
  • A vintage photograph of 18 graduate members of Tau Omega exists in the National Museum of African American History & Culture, capturing the chapter's historic character.