Chapter History
During the mid 1940's there was a realization of eight KAPPA MEN who felt the need to establish Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. as a presence in the Knoxville community. Through their dedication and perseverance and help from the Louisville (KY) Alumni, the Knoxville Alumni Chapter was chartered November 5, 1946. Below is a little information about the Charter Members of Knoxville Alumni;
CHARTER MEMBERS
Brandon Barton (Alpha Theta 1939)
●Degree from Tennessee State A&I College (Now Tennessee State University)
●1st Chapter Advisor for the Beta Phi Chapter at Knoxville College
James A. Bond
●Taught Psychology and English at Knoxville College
●Got his AB Degree from Knoxville College in 1912
●Got a Ped.D. Degree from Simmons University
●Got a Masters from University of Cincinnati
●Further studies at the University of Chicago
Samuel C. Coleman Jr. (Alpha Theta 1939)
●Cousin to Haynes A. Ford Sr. Sam's mother and Haynes' grandmother were sisters.
●Degree from Tennessee State A&I College (Now Tennessee State University)
Haynes A. Ford (Alpha Theta 1936)
●1st Keeper of Records of Knoxville Alumni
●Avid Tennis Player Won doubles championships with sister-in-law Yolande Cornelia Watson Giovanni well known member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at the Wilberforce Tennis Tournament twice.
●Uncle to Famed Poet Nikki Giovanni also well-known member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
●Degree from Tennessee State A&I College (Now Tennessee State University)
Irving A. McCollum (Pi 1940)
●Degree from Morehouse College
John W. Ruffin (Alpha Phi 1936)
●1st Polemarch of Knoxville Alumni
●Degree from Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA
William Lofton "Loftus" Smith (Alpha Kappa 1931)
●Educator who taught Social Science at Swift Memorial Junior College in Rogersville, TN.
●While at Swift Memorial Junior College coached on the Football team.
●AB Degree from North Carolina School for Negroes (now North Carolina Central University)
●Graduate Studies at Atlanta University
Claude A. Walker "Gabby" (Alpha Epsilon 1936)
●Degree from Johnson C. Smith College Charlotte, NC
Past Chapter Polemarchs
John Ruffin 1946 - 1947
(4)Jack O. Leflore 1947 - 1950
Alton F. Flagg 1950 - 1951
William L. Smith 1951 - 1952
(4)Jack O. Leflore 1952 - 1953
Major Calvin Cosby 1953 - 1955
(1)Reverend Frank Gordon 1955 - 1959
(2)Edward Delifus 1959 - 1959
Major Calvin Cosby 1960 - 1961
(3)Emory L. Carter 1961 - 1961
(4)Jack O. Leflore 1962 - 1966
Robert Leflore 1966 - 1970
Dr. Robert Beale 1970 - 1971
Earl Barnett 1971 - 1973
(8)Douglas Upton 1973 - 1977
Ernest McDuffy 1977 - 1979
Edward McSwine 1979 - 1980
(8)Douglas Upton 1980 - 1981
Thomas Clark 1981 - 1982
(8)Johnny Curry 1982 - 1986
Kenneth Brown 1986 - 1989
(4)John Russell Jr. 1989 - 1991
Ralph Mack 1991 - 1993
(7)Wayne Carlton 1993 - 1995
(8)Douglas Upton 1995 - 1997
John Mayo Jr. 1997 - 1999
(5)Dr. Mark Rigsby 1999 - 2001
(7)Wayne Carlton 2001 - 2002
Major Robert Bright 2002 - 2006
(6)Dr. Terry Esper 2006 - 2010
(7)Wayne Carlton 2010 - 2016
Raeburn Josey, Esq 2016 - 2018
Mack Thomas 2018 - 2022
Tony Anderson 2022 - 2024
Keith Butler 2024 -
(1)Past South Central Province Board Member and Father-in-law to Grand Polemarch Samuel Hamilton
(2)Left the city in the middle of serving his office. Polemarch office vacate till next elections held in 1960.
(3)Did not serve past Dec 1961. Left due to domestic obligations. Also once served as South Central Province Keeper of Records and Exchequer.
(4)Past South Central Province Polemarch.
(5)Guy Levis Grant Awardee.
(6)Past South Central Province Keeper of Exchequer
(7)Knoxville Alumni's longest serving Polemarch
(8)Past South Central Province Board Member
Chapter Lineage
Past Brothers Initiated into Knoxville Alumni Chapter
1946
*Major Calvin D. Cosby, *Jack "The Jeweler" Leflore (Both Served as Chapter Polemarch)
*IHQ shows these Brothers Initiated into the Charter Chapter Beta Phi 1947 at Knoxville College it has been seen that these Brothers names are on the 1st initial Chapter Report for Knoxville Alumni in 1946. With this being a true fact with documentation these Brothers should have been Knoxville Alumni 1946 initiates instead of Beta Phi 1947 initiates. Also these Brothers had already graduated from Knoxville College in 1940. They had to come through the Knoxville Alumni in 1946 since they had already graduated from college. Lastly from the mouth of late Brother Robert Leflore Charter Member of Beta Phi 1947 brother of Jack Leflore he helped initiate him into the Fraternity 1947.
1947
Grady L. Benn
1949
*Alton F. Flagg (Served as Chapter Polemarch)
*IHQ shows this Brother Initiated into the Beta Phi Chapter 1949 at Knoxville College. This Brother had already graduated from college before he became a member of the Fraternity. He taught school at Shaw University in North Carolina before even coming to Knoxville to live. I have also had some conversation with the wife of Emory Louis Carter who was on the Beta Phi 1949 and she does not remember even seeing the Brother Flagg on campus during that time. It is very possible that this Brother should have been Knoxville Alumni 1949 instead of Beta Phi 1949.
1952
Miller Kimbrough (Step-Brother of Charter Member Major Calvin D. Cosby) and James McGinnis
1958
Melford Miller
1962
Hubert J. Flanders
1972
Ernest Fulton, Ronald Upton & Julian Jeffery
1975
William Lusain
1980
William Dirl and John Mayo Jr. (Served As Chapter Polemarch)
1982
Nelson Glover and Lenwood Jackson
1985
John Flemings
1991
Roderick Ott
1996
Jerry Smith Jr.
1998
Kendrick Gibbs
1999
Charles Jackson, Scott Jones, Orlando Mynatt and Carlos Younger
Spring 2001
Eric Lattimore
2004
Victor Atkinson, Martiner Redding and Brinson Silver
2006
Donte Coleman and Quinton Rayford
2008
Brandon Harvey and Fred Watkins
2009
Roger Brown and Marc Curry
Spring 2010
Albert Long-Hill
Fall 2010
Cedric James and Yarrick Kincaid
Spring 2013
Damien Pitts
Spring 2014
Jonathan Radford
Fall 2016
Charris Malone and Clarence Swearengen
Fall 2017
Taylor Bauldwin, Jamarcus Bradford and Derrick Yates
Summer 2018
Jeremiah Chandler, Christopher Cunningham, Christopher Frost, Alexander Green, Todd Kelly Sr. and Richard Young
Fall 2021
Christopher Beatty, Reginald Nichols and Stacy Young
Fall 2022
Michael Howze, Dr. Larry Perry, James Moore, Mark Roberson, Jamiel Rouse
Spring 2024
Robert Ayers