<P> At the start of the 20th century, African - American students at American universities were often excluded from fraternal organizations enjoyed by the predominantly white student population at non-black colleges . C.C. Poindexter organized a group of students for literary discussion and social functions at Cornell University . The group initially consisted of 15 students and included women . The initial study group consisted of 14 students . These students included four from Washington, D.C.--Robert Ogle, Fred Morgan Phillip, Fannie Holland, and Flaxie Holcosbe . There were also four men and a woman from New York State: George Kelley, Arthur Callis, James Thomas, Gordon Jones, and Paul Ray . From West Virginia came Eugene Kinckle Jones and Mary Vassar . Vertner Tandy came from Kentucky, and C.H. Chapman was from Florida . </P> <P> The group met every two weeks at 421 North Albany Street, where Poindexter roomed . Poindexter was stated to have a relationship with the other students of the group that was more faculty to student than peer - to - peer, given that he was the secretary of a professor at Cornell . In December 1905, Poindexter organized a meeting of students which included Murray, Ogle, Phillips, Chapman, Kelley, Callis, Tandy, and George Tompkins . </P> <P> Robert Ogle had seen an article in the Chicago Defender magazine about a Negro fraternity at Ohio State University called Pi Gamma Omicron, of which the university had no knowledge . Pi Gamma Omicron inspired Ogle to try to transform the literary society into a fraternity . There was disagreement about the group's purpose: some wanted a social and literary club where everyone could participate; others wanted a traditional fraternal organization . Poindexter felt the group should serve the cultural and social needs of the black community and not be an elite secret society . The society decided to work to provide a literary, study, social, and support group for all minority students who encountered social and academic racial prejudice . On October 23, 1906, George Kelley proposed that the organization be officially known by the Greek letters Alpha Phi Alpha, and Robert Ogle proposed the colors black and old gold . Poindexter became the first President of Alpha Phi Alpha; under his leadership, the first banquet, initiation procedures, and policies were introduced . </P> <P> The divisive issue of whether the terms "club" or "fraternity" should be used was still debated . A vote again confirmed the name Alpha Phi Alpha with the colors of old gold and black . The initiation of new members Eugene Kinckle Jones, Lemuel Graves and Gordon Jones took place on October 30, 1906 at a Masonic Hall including James Morton was considered and selected, but at the time he was not registered at the university . Two founding members learned about fraternity rituals from other fraternal organizations: Henry A. Callis worked in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity House, and Kelly worked at Beta Theta Pi fraternity house . Coincidentally, an article about a Negro fraternity Pi Gamma Omicron had initial desires to become a national fraternity was noted by a Beta Theta Pi correspondent at Ohio State University . Callis stated that these fraternities, SAE and BTP, were the original source of the fraternity rituals . The other members of the group felt that Poindexter, as a graduate student, dominated the meetings of Alpha Phi Alpha . In his absence in the meeting on November 1905, the fraternity idea was pushed for a vote by Murray and was seconded by Robert H Ogle . In December 1905, Thompson's resignation was accepted . Seven of the original 12 men from the initial meeting in December 1905 would continue on as members of the fraternity . </P>

Who came up with the name alpha phi alpha