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In the 2008-09 school year, initial efforts were made to start an African-American Greek-Letter Fraternity on the campus of the University of Richmond. While those efforts did not culminate in the establishment of a chapter, the following year, Brother Wendell T. Foster, Brother James Wright, and Brother Kenneth E. Graves paved the way for what would become the Upsilon Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
Starting the 2008-09 school year, Brother James Wright, an instructor at the University, in unofficial settings, shared with some of his students the joy and the benefit he received from being a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated. The precursor to the Upsilon Gamma chapter was Brother Kenneth E. Graves. Kenny was the original driving force behind getting the chapter established. He began his recruitment journey his freshman year and continued it all the way until he graduated. Brother Wendell T. Foster represented the Fraternity in dialogue with the university's office of greek life. He was the voice representing the interests of the perspective charter members, to the Membership Standards and Extension Committee at the district regional and national level. He also negotiated the memorandum of understanding between the University and the Fraternity. On July 18th, 2009, he informed the perspective charter members that the national organization, in session, had approved the establishment of the chapter at the University of Richmond. Before the establishment of Upsilon Gamma came to be, the University lacked a great amount of driven African American men interested in fraternity life. From 2005 to 2008 Kenny began his recruitment process, laying the foundation for YΓ's Charter Line. Up until his last day as a undergrad, Kenny and Brother foster worked to get the chapter chartered. Although he was not able to be a charter member, he became an Alpha in Fall 2009. At the deadline for letters of intent, nine young men stated their desire to become members. On Saturday October 3, 2009, with the initiation of YΓ Genisis AKA Big Bang, consisting of Wilshire Cecil Zaccheus Bethel, Raymond Charlie Fraser, Reginald Orville Gooden, Jeremiah Alexzander Morse, Rashad Ernest Lowery, Michael Stewart Coleman, Dwight Erving Foster Jr., Ra-Twoine Shameel Fields, and Charles E. Mike III., the Upsilon Gamma Chapter was charted and the light of Alpha was brought to the University of Richmond in Virginia. |