Rho Psi Chapter Dedicates New Monument

AND BEGINS ONE MILLION DOLLAR ENDOWMENT CAMPAIGN FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

By Brothers Alvino Douglass, Trey Hayes, Jerry McCord, and Martez Moore

Thanks to Project Rho Psi Reloaded, the Mighty Rho Psi Chapter of Tennessee State University (TSU) dedicated its new monument during the University’s Homecoming weekend on Saturday October 30, 2021. The Rho Psi Chapter was the first chapter of a Greek-letter organization established on the campus, and later, it became the first Black Greek-letter organization at TSU to establish an alumni affinity chapter. It also became the first chapter to receive a charter as an alumni association at TSU or any other Historically Black College or University (HBCU). The alumni chapter funded the design and construction of the monument. With their financing, they created the first and only perpetual giving model to support scholarships on any HBCU campus. The original monument, built in 2000, was known as Project Rho Psi 2000. It was designed by Brother Walter Vincent. The new monument was designed by Brother Joshua Butler, and he stated, “this monument was designed to create inspirational giving: Giving to TSU students and the future.” The dedication ceremony was attended by more than 400 Brothers and guests, highlighted by the attendance of the 41st Grand Basileus, Dr. David Marion; 1st Vice Grand Basileus, Ricky Lewis; International Director of Photography, James Witherspoon; Chief of Staff, Will Jemison; and Special Assistant to the Grand Basileus Terrance Course. Other distinguished guests included 5th District Representative Sam McKenzie, State Senator Brenda Gilmore, and Tennessee House of Representative Member and Brother Rev. Dr. Harold Love, Jr. The ceremony culminated in a $10,000 donation from the Fraternity to the Rho Psi Chapter and TSU, which was presented to the University’s President Dr. Glenda B. Glover.

The dedication was given by Dr. Harrison Foy, Chairman of Project Rho Psi Reloaded, and in his dedication, he explained after missing a year of school due to a lack of financial resources, “I didn’t want any other student to feel the way I did when I had no money for registration.” The President of the alumni chapter, Brother Alvino Douglass, tasked Brothers Foy and Butler with rebuilding a new monument that would inspire Brothers to give with the result being a monument that

can track giving from an initial brick and moving up to the 4 Cardinal Principles on the monument wall. If Brothers would like to invest in the Scholarship Fund, please contact Brother Martez D. Moore, Fundraiser/Endowment Chair, at rhopsialumni@gmail.com. The goal is to raise an endowment of $1,000,000 for student scholarships. Rho Psi Chapter was the 39th chapter of Omega Psi Phi, Inc., and the only chapter chartered in 1930. It has initiated over 900 members. In 1962 when Grand Basileus Cary D. Jacobs and National Executive Secretary H. Carl Moultrie I visited the Rho Psi Chapter they reported back to the Supreme Council what they witnessed on the campus and stated, “this is a Mighty Chapter,” and this is how the chapter became known as Mighty Rho Psi. After thanking everyone the Basileus of the chapter, Trey Hayes, summed it up by saying “We are the model chapter and long live the Mighty Rho Psi.”