Chapter History

During the fall of 1947, Brother Bennie Brown, General Secretary of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., came to Fort Valley, Georgia for the purpose of establishing an Alpha alumni chapter to serve Alpha Phi Alpha brothers residing in Fort Valley, Macon, and surrounding Middle Georgia areas. The chapter was given the name - Gamma Sigma Lambda. The founding brothers were: William Anderson, Harvey Bannister, Waldo Blanchet, Sr., Alonzo M. Boddie, William Duval, Maulvin Engram, Charles H. Hutchings, III, Frank J. Hutchings, Sr., William S. Hutchings, II, Earl Pierro, Raymond Pitts, Willis B. Sheftall, and Robert J. Williams.

Over the next two years, more brothers established residence in each city, and it was felt that each locality could support a chapter. A request was sent to the General Office of the Fraternity asking that a second chapter be commissioned. In 1949 the original chapter remained in Fort Valley and the new chapter in Macon was assigned the name Epsilon Beta Lambda. Nine men became the founding brothers of Epsilon Beta Lambda Chapter. They were: Alonzo Mills Boddie, William Duval, Charles H. Hutchings, III, Frank J. Hutchings, Sr., William S. Hutchings, II, Willie H. Odom, Jr., Cassander Sellers, Willis B. Sheftall, and Robert J. Williams.