Xi Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Our Yard

South Carolina State University (SCSU or SC State) is a public historically black land-grant university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, founded in 1896. It is the only public, historically black land-grant institution in South Carolina, is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Our Community

Orangeburg, also known as The Garden City, is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city is located 37 miles southeast of Columbia, on the north fork of the Edisto River.

Our History

The Xi Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated was chartered on the campus of South Carolina State Agricultural and Mechanical College on March 10, 1928.

Click to View Charter Members

William B. Adamson - Keeper of Peace
Carroll V. Bing
Norman L. Bush
Alton E. Bythewood *
Thaddeus K. Bythewood - Vice Basileus *
William L. Davis *
Charles T.H. Dubra *
Paul L.D. Elmore *
Wayman J. Johnson - Chaplin
Benjamin E. Murph - Chapter Editor
Orleanis Reid - Basileus
Virle E. Sheffield - Keeper of Records and Seal
Etnest N. Williams
Furman F. Williams
John C. Williams *
Joshua L. Williams
Wade H. Witherspoon - Keeper of Finance
Lalee Worthy

* - denotes Claflin College students

Our Fraternity

On Friday evening, November 17, 1911, three Howard University undergraduate liberal arts students – twenty-three-year-old Oscar James Cooper (the laboratory assistant in Biology who was the link between Omega’s Founders and Professor Just), twenty-one-year-old Frank Coleman and twenty-year-old Edgar Amos Love - met with their faculty adviser, twenty-eight-year-old Professor Ernest Everett Just, in his office in Science Hall to establish a fraternity.

At this meeting, they decided upon the motto “Friendship is essential to the soul” as symbolized by three Greek letters ΩΨΦ - Omega Psi Phi - which are the initials of the three Greek words - Ophelema Philia Psurkis - that represent the motto: Friendship is Essential to the Soul. They chose Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift as the four Cardinal Principles of the Fraternity and decided upon the design of the Fraternity’s pin and escutcheon.

On Thursday, November 23, 1911, the three undergraduate Founders met and elected Edgar A. Love as Grand Basileus, Oscar J. Cooper as Grand Keeper of Records and Frank Coleman as Grand Keeper of Seals. After carefully studying the student body for prospective candidates, they chose eleven men who not only possessed the principles upon which the fraternity was founded, but also were willing to help Omega on its way. The eleven Charter members were chosen for the first chapter of the fraternity, Alpha, established at Howard University. The three Founders then formed a committee to draw up a constitution to be submitted to the President of the university for faculty approval.