Our National Fraternity

The Story of Omega Psi Phi

Every chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., including Phi Beta Beta, traces its roots back to a single evening on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. What began as an idea among a small group of students grew into one of the largest and most influential Black fraternities in the world, built on a simple but enduring belief: that brotherhood, achievement, and service to others are inseparable.

On November 17, 1911, three Howard University students, joined by a faculty member who believed in their vision, brought that idea to life. They chose the Greek letters Omega Psi Phi and a guiding phrase that still anchors the fraternity today: "Friendship is essential to the soul." From that founding moment, the organization grew from a single campus chapter into a brotherhood spanning continents.

Edgar A. Love

Founder

One of the three Howard University students whose vision for a new kind of brotherhood gave rise to the fraternity.

Oscar J. Cooper

Founder

A fellow Howard student and co-founder who helped shape the organization's earliest structure and purpose.

Frank Coleman

Founder

The third student founder, whose contributions helped carry the fraternity's founding ideals into its first chapters.

Dr. Ernest E. Just

Faculty Advisor

A respected Howard University scientist who mentored the founders and lent his guidance to the fraternity's formation.

What We Stand For

The Cardinal Principles

Manhood

Standing on character, integrity, and courage in every space we occupy.

Scholarship

Pursuing knowledge and academic excellence as a lifelong commitment.

Perseverance

Pushing through adversity with resilience, discipline, and unity.

Uplift

Giving back and lifting others through service and leadership.

A Century and Counting

A Legacy That Grew

1910s–20s
What started as a single chapter at Howard University quickly spread to campuses across the country, with the fraternity becoming a founding member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
1950s–60s
Omega men stood on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement, partnering with organizations like the NAACP and expanding the fraternity's reach internationally.
1970s–90s
The fraternity strengthened its national infrastructure, established scholarship and endowment programs, and built out the mandated programs that chapters carry out today.
2000s–Today
Now over a century strong, Omega Psi Phi spans hundreds of chapters across the United States and abroad, including right here in Inglewood, California.

Phi Beta Beta Chapter carries this legacy forward every day, not as a distant piece of history, but as a living standard we hold ourselves to in everything we do for Inglewood and the brothers who call this chapter home.