1961The founding
The Mighty Tau Tau Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity was established on February 3, 1961 in Compton, California, the third chapter chartered in the Los Angeles area. Since then the Men of Omega have been beacons throughout Compton and the surrounding areas, living out the cardinal principles of Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift.
Officers were inducted on February 17, 1961 at Rand’s Round Up Restaurant in Los Angeles, at an informal banquet presented by the new chapter. Brothers Jason Cowan and Roland Powell served as masters of ceremonies. Brother Roland Powell, with Brothers Sylvester Ward, Waldo Phillips and Jason Cowan, were the prime movers in launching the chapter.
1961–1969The early years
The early years were busy and eventful. In May 1961 the chapter sponsored “Le Vue in Rhapsody” at the Fort McArthur Officers’ Club. Its first Achievement Week program was held at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Compton, with Brother Jason Cowan as principal speaker, and the formal dance followed in December.
In 1962 the chapter co-sponsored a boat ride to Catalina Island with the Exceptional Children’s Opportunity School, the outstanding social event of that summer in Los Angeles. The first annual family picnic was held in August 1962, and the Los Angeles area chapters together hosted the annual Mardi Gras.
Basileus Sylvester Ward represented Tau Tau at the 1961 Conclave in Washington, and Brother James Evans was elected delegate to the 1962 Conclave. Four brothers were reclaimed, and four were initiated on October 28, 1961: Brothers Willie Alexander, Daniel Davis, Jr., Herbert Robinson and Charles “Charlie” Banks. Meetings rotated monthly between brothers’ homes, always with lively debate followed by real Omega fellowship. By then 22 brothers made up the roster.
The Compton Quettes were established in this era, with Mrs. Eula Ward, wife of Basileus Sylvester Ward, as president. They hosted events across Compton, most notably the annual Christmas party and Christmas basket giveaway for families in need.
1970sHolding the line
Brother Huey Dredd’s administration continued working with the Los Angeles area chapters, hosting the Omega Starlight Formal in 1970. In 1972 the chapter kept up its project of supplying shoes to children in need, helping them stay in school, and began awarding scholarships to local high school graduates.
Brother Charlie Banks, the 5th and 8th Basileus, was the first brother initiated in the chapter to hold the office. Brother Marco Vallery, the 9th Basileus, served the longest, from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. Many brothers moved east for career opportunities in those years, and Brother Vallery single-handedly kept the chapter afloat, sometimes the only member at chapter meetings.
1980s–1990sThe rise
The climb to the chapter’s current standing began in the late 1980s under Brother Mark Iles, later 2nd Vice Grand Basileus, who was recruited by Brother Joe Cole Sr., past Grand Chaplain and Tau Tau Keeper of Records and Seal. Under Brothers Iles and Marcus A. Bedford the chapter returned to regular meetings and was represented at every 12th District Meeting, Leadership Conference and Grand Conclave. In 1988 Brother Dan Kurtz became the chapter’s first initiate since 1961.
Tau Tau was named Chapter of the Year in 1991 and 1992, and again in 1996 and 1998, along with several Reclamation Chapter of the Year awards. At the 1992 Grand Conclave, Brother Marcus A. Bedford, Sr. received the International Superior Service Award.
Brother Ricky L. Lewis became the chapter’s first District officer: First Vice District Representative in 1994 and 12th District Representative in 1996. He served as District Marshal for the first 12th District Meeting hosted by the chapter in 1990, as Deputy Grand Marshal for the 1996 Grand Conclave in Los Angeles, and as director of the new Youth Annual Leadership Conference.
The chapter’s calendar grew to more than 27 events a year, including the LA Watts Summer Games, Meals on Wheels, voter registration drives, walk-a-thons, an Easter carnival, the Martin Luther King Day Parade, blood drives, cultural symposiums, Career Day, the Pan African Film Festival and a mentorship program.
2000s–2010sThe new millennium
Tau Tau won back-to-back International Chapter of the Year in 2004 and 2005 under Brother Todd May, the 18th Basileus. In 2003 Brother Marcus Bedford was elected 12th District First Vice District Representative. The chapter held its first annual Black Tie Scholarship Gala, awarding $10,000 in scholarships to inner-city youth, and the “Roll and Bowl” became “Ques at the Alley”, one of its most successful fundraisers. The 2005 initiates began the tradition of giving turkeys to families in Compton at Thanksgiving, which continues today.
In 2017 the chapter won its third International Social Action Chapter of the Year. Its brothers served at the District and International levels: Brother Ronan Hill as District Keeper of Records and Seal, Brother Raphael Irving as District Keeper of Finance, the first Tau Tau initiate to hold that office, Brother Kwame Dow as First Vice District Representative and later the 34th 12th District Representative, and Brother Ricky L. Lewis, elected and re-elected First Vice Grand Basileus, the first chapter member to serve in that office. In this era the chapter adopted its mission: “Transforming Our Communities Through Service and Mentorship.”
2020sToday
Tau Tau has not forgotten its roots in Compton. Through the chapter’s Compton Initiative it has built partnerships with the city’s community leaders. During the COVID-19 pandemic the chapter hosted the first virtual 12th District Meeting, sponsored a water borehole bringing clean water to the Nsuta Bimma community of Ghana, and handed out more than 3,800 food boxes in Compton through the Uplift LA Institute. Since 2014 its Scholarship Gala has given $137,000 to African American male high school seniors in Los Angeles.
Entering its third decade of the new millennium, the Mighty Tau Tau keeps building bridges with community leaders and benevolent organizations, bringing in new leaders through the Membership Selection Process and serving as a boot camp for leadership in the 12th District and the fraternity.
