Time Kapsule

Dallas Alumni was chartered on March 9, 1935. L. Virgil Williams became its first Polemarch, and the chapter hosted a Province Council meeting on October 17, 1936. The original record introduces the eleven charter members and their vision for bringing the fraternity’s purpose to North Texas.

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Lassiter served as Province Polemarch from 1939 to 1942. Dallas Alumni hosted the Southwestern Province Council in April 1947 and again in April 1960, when Dr. Emmett J. Conrad was chapter Polemarch. These gatherings marked the chapter’s expanding influence.

From the 2017 Time Kapsule archive. Original source PDF (new tab)

Dr. Conrad became the first Black member elected to the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees in 1967 and served as Province Polemarch from 1968 to 1971. His career included medical leadership, advocacy for equal educational opportunity and service on the Texas State Board of Education. The chapter named its college scholarship in his honor in 1980.

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Initiated through Dallas Alumni in 1960, Donald E. Grace led the chapter from 1973 to 1976. His later service included Austin Alumni leadership, the Grand Board of Directors and the C. Rodger Wilson Leadership Conference. He received the Elder Watson Diggs Award in 1993 and urged Dallas Alumni to document its history.

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Under Sylvester Alford’s leadership, Kappa Karnival began in the late 1970s and evolved into Kasino Night, a scholarship fundraiser. Robert Brown helped transform the Spring Formal into the Black and White Ball. Dallas Alumni also hosted the 1978 Province Council and, with Delta Sigma, a leadership conference in 1980.

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James C. Mitchell served as chapter Polemarch from 1981 to 1983, Southwestern Province Polemarch from 1986 to 1990 and Senior Grand Vice-Polemarch from 1991 to 1993. His provincial leadership emphasized unity, undergraduate participation and chapter management. He received the Elder Watson Diggs Award in 2007.

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Dallas Alumni hosted the Grand Chapter Meeting on August 14–19, 1988, at the Loews Anatole. The gathering honored the Black military experience through public programs and recognition of military achievement. Sylvester Alford led the hosting effort during Col. Wendell Parker’s term as chapter Polemarch.

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Established in 1990, the chapter’s educational nonprofit adopted the name Guide Right Foundation of Dallas in 1991 to distinguish itself from the national foundation. The historical account describes scholarship support, sponsorship of Kappa League and recognition through the African American Museum’s A. Maceo Smith Community Service Award in 2005.

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On December 12, 1990, the chapter purchased the property at 2515 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Life membership contributions helped fund the down payment, following planning by Mitchell, Lattimore and Alford. The house provided space for meetings, fellowship, archives and the Guide Right Foundation.

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Emerson A. Lattimore became the 20th Southwestern Province Polemarch in October 1991, after serving as chapter Polemarch from 1983 to 1985. His priorities included mentoring and stronger undergraduate–alumni relationships. He served on the Grand Board of Directors from 1995 to 1999 and received the Elder Watson Diggs Award in 2005.

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During his 1995–1997 term, Dewey J. Minor introduced the chapter’s Mecca nickname. The account also traces the Prairie View/Grambling Tailgate tradition, fundraising and provincial service. In October 2003, Dallas welcomed Grand Polemarch Samuel Hamilton for the first in a series of fraternity town hall meetings.

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Henry Campbell, Irby B. Hunter Jr., Eric L. Walker and Keith Campbell led the chapter into the new century. Their administrations developed strategic planning, renewed signature events, improved communications and expanded community partnerships. The account follows preparations for hosting the 2010 Southwestern Province Council during Dallas Alumni’s 75th anniversary.

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Byron C. Lattimore became Polemarch on June 4, 2009, the first alumnus of Dallas Kappa League to hold the office. His installation by Emerson Lattimore marked the chapter’s first father-and-son Polemarch legacy. The chapter celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2010 and the fraternity’s centennial in 2011, alongside growth in youth programming and service.

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This chapter traces Dallas Alumni’s connections with neighboring alumni chapters and its guidance of undergraduate chapters at Bishop College, North Texas, SMU and Paul Quinn College. Regional collaborations included shared Founders Day observances, health screenings and the Metroplex Alumni Network, with a joint Black and White Ball in 2006.

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The archive recognizes members’ contributions to education, medicine, business, law, government, religion and music. It also credits photojournalist Floyd Ferguson with preserving much of the chapter’s archival material. Read the original chapter for the people and accomplishments highlighted in this historical account.

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The closing chapter connects Dallas Alumni’s history to youth development and community service. It highlights Kappa League, Kappa Kamp, scholarships, senior home improvements, reading programs, health screenings, voter registration and holiday assistance as expressions of the chapter’s commitment to Dallas and North Texas.

From the 2017 Time Kapsule archive. Original source PDF (new tab)