Florida’s Capital City Chapter: The History of Gamma Mu Lambda
The Gamma Mu Lambda (ΓΜΛ) Chapter has a rich and impactful history in Leon County, Tallahassee, and in the State of Florida. The Gamma Mu Lambda Chapter was chartered on Monday, March 4th, 1946. We affectionally refer to our local chapter as the “Capital City” chapter due to its location in Florida’s Capital of Tallahassee, Florida.
Our goal has always been to bring a “brighter light” and hope to this region of our great state. As the 177th House of Alpha, and the fifth alumni chapter charted within the District of Florida within a twenty-year period from 1926 to 1946, Gamma Mu Lambda has had a tremendous impact on the community and the brotherhood. Since that time and until the present, the Gamma Mu Lambda Chapter boasts a long list of great members, many of whom have entered Omega Chapter. Nonetheless, those prominent men of the Gamma Mu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. have mixed the fine ingredients of conservatism, scholarship, and optimism to bring about the finest individuals in the world. Over the years, this great chapter has served as a lighthouse for those who could not see a brighter future and as a footstool for those who needed uplifting.
We are proud to be the Chapter where the final resting place of one of our precious and dearly departed “Founding Jewels,” is buried, “Brother Jewel Charles Henry Chapman”. Jewel Chapman was a professor of agriculture at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical College, and we celebrate is life and legacy every year at Founders’ Day.
We are honored to have celebrated seventy-eight years of service, dedication, brotherhood, and scholarship in this area. We stand today on the strong foundation of our founding members who provided the ingredients for a healthy and viable chapter, coupled with the tools to carry out the grand mandates of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
We are constantly reminded of the words of wisdom and the collective force of societal deeds shown by our charter members to enrich and enhance the lives of young people, ensure healthy marriages and families, and to advance humanity everywhere. We pay tribute to our visionary Charter Members and our Fraternity’s Founders who through their tireless efforts, tenacity, and determination helped to enlighten the world through the establishment of our great chapter.
We owe a gratitude of debt to those leaders and upstanding Alpha Men of that era: Brothers Moses G. Miles, L.H.B. Foote, Robert “Pete” Griffin, T.J. Perry, Sr., E.E. Ware, Sr., Samuel Howell, William H. Gray, Jr., Wilmoth H. Baker, Sr., Clifton Jones, Richard Dunn, William Morris, Jr., and A.W. Wright; and to those who were instrumental in the development of the 177th House in Tallahassee, Florida, such as Brother Dr. C.U. Smith.
The chapter continues to provide a variety of educational, health, and community focused activities to our community. The Gamma Mu Lambda Chapter adopted the vision statement to build a stronger brotherhood and stronger community through leadership, education, community service, technology, community development, and humanitarian empowerment.
We therefore endeavor to fulfill the local mission to stimulate brotherhood, to reach higher heights in all spheres of human endeavor and to foster such brotherly ambition so that each member is able to assist his fellowman, community and brother reach their full potential in an effort to increase intellectual, social, and economic status and to ensure a bright future for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, the City of Tallahassee, the State of Florida, the nation, and the world.
Under the current leadership of our Chapter President, the Honorable Judge, Brother Andrew Dixon, we attempt to accomplish these goals through our educational and leadership programs under our Alpha Educational & Leadership Foundation, Inc which was established over 20 years ago. Our current educational and leadership programs are The Alpha Rise Academy (grades 3-5), The Alpha Leadership Program for Higher Achievement (grades 6-8), the Alpha Millennium Academy (grades 9-12), and our Parenting Institute.
These programs support our National Program, Go-To-High School- Go to College. Additionally, we continue to participate in our National efforts focused on encouraging people to vote via the A Voteless People is a Hopeless campaign and safe-guarding young men and teaching them about sexual responsibility though Project Alpha and our Leadership Development Institutes.
As a Chapter, we regularly participate and raise funds for March of Dimes/March for Babies, Bowl for Kid’s Sake, the American Cancer Society, Project Annie, and contribute to the Florida A&M University Annual President’s Holiday Toy Drive.
Our Chapter’s roster includes many prominent leaders and men of vision, past and current, such as: Dr. Frederick S. Humphries, Sr., Dr. Charles U. Smith, Former Mayor James Ford, Former State Representative for District 8 and current City Commissioner and Mayor Pro Tem for District 2, Curtis Richardson, Dr. Larry E. Rivers, Civil Rights Attorney Daryl Parks, and the current State Representative Gallop Franklin. Our chapter has also produced many of the top leaders within Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Florida Federation of Alpha Chapters, and in the Southern Region. We currently have or have had among our ranks, the 11th Florida District Director, Brother Gary W. Johnson, the 13th Florida District Director and 25th Southern Regional Vice President, Brother James L. Crumel, Sr. and our current Florida District Director, Brother Dr. Gregory J. Harris. The forces of the GML Experience are evident in the expression: “Alpha Phi Alpha is Truly the Pride of Our Hearts…”