BETA GAMMA LAMBDA
CAPCITY ALPHAS OF RICHMOND, VA
The CapCity Alphas
Beta Gamma Lambda (ΒΓΛ) was chartered May 4, 1935 in Richmond, Virginia with approximately thirty-two Charter Brothers that include six (6) officers and twenty-six (26) members in that beginning year. Beta Gamma Lambda grew out of Gamma Chapter (the Third, Oldest House of Alpha) at Virginia Union University.
During that period in the early 1930’s, Brother Thomas W. Henderson was Eastern Region Vice-President. Brother Thomas W. Henderson was also a Past President of Virginia Union University and the Henderson Center was named after him in his honor. Then, as is the case now, they were college educated men from a diverse economic status, disciplines, geographical regions, and political persuasions. We are educators, administrators, lawyers, judges, social scientists, scientists, engineers, politicians, clergymen, bankers, etc.
MANLY DEEDS,
SCHOLARSHIP,
AND LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND
SERVING THE GREATER RICHMOND, VA AREA
SINCE 1935
The Legacy Continues
Some of our Past Living ΒΓΛ Presidents are still vibrant and influential within the city of Richmond, Virginia (Brothers William King, Dr. James Price, Carl S. Burrell (twice on two separate occasions), Vernon A. Clement, Sylvester M. Brown, Tony T. Moss, James T. Walton, Jr., David E. Williams, Jeffery D. Jackson, Marquise Rose, Carlos Stewart, Byron Hunter, and Michael Lee). The goal of the chapter is to stay abreast of the progressive programs of the National Body and carry out programs and Motto-Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for All Mankind. The general profile and demography of the Fraternity’s membership has been very diverse for more than 84 years. Since ΒΓΛ was founded, the Fraternity has remained viable and therefore, withstood the tests of time and events including Wars, Civil Unrest, Recessions, Institutional Racism, and much more.
ADVOCATING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
There are many past and present brothers in ΒΓΛ that have distinguished themselves, and hence forged Milestones that laid the groundwork to advance our committees and nation. Over several decades, ΒΓΛ has sponsored the development of many socially conscious endeavors including Annual Student Scholarships, youth educational/leadership programs, A Hopeless People Is A Voteless People/Voter Registration Drives, Project Alpha, Mentoring programs, “Go-to-High School, Go-to-College”, Young Achievers Program, Brothers Keepers Program, Social events, and various community projects.
"The chief significance of Alpha Phi Alpha lies in its purpose to stimulate, develop, and cement an intelligent, trained leadership in the unending fight for freedom, equality and fraternity. Our task is endless."
Jewel Henry Arthur Callis, May 1946
A Track Record of Effective Leadership
ΒΓΛ flourished in the 1950’s, especially with ΒΓΛ having Past Eastern Region Vice-President Brother J. Rupert Picott (1954-1957) in their membership. In the 1960s and 1970s, ΒΓΛ was among the top 10 chapters within Alphadom, especially with the largest number of Life Members within the Fraternity.
In the 1980s, ΒΓΛ was extremely blessed to have various Brothers within VACAPAF (Virginia Association of Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated) to be Presidents and District VII Directors of VACAPAF namely Brothers C.E. Pennington and Dr. George H. Johnson, Jr., respectively. Both had served ΒΓΛ and VACAPAF extremely well and are still watching over us in spirit from Omega Chapter.
As far as the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Metropolitan Richmond (NPHCMR), ΒΓΛ was blessed to have two NPHCMR Presidents in their ranks. Brother James E. Cole was the first Brother from ΒΓΛ to serve as NPHCMR President from 1970-1971, and thirty-eight years later Brother Tony T. Moss served as the second Brother from ΒΓΛ to serve as NPHCMR President from 2007-2009.
CapCity Alphas In the Millennium Era
In the Millennium era (2000’s), ΒΓΛ has held many leadership positions in the Richmond community including the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Metropolitan Richmond (NPHCMR), VACAPAF (Virginia Association of Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated) which include Area Five Directors (Brothers Wayne A. Hill, Sr. (1999-2006), Brother Wendell T. Foster, Jr. (2006-2015), Brother Sylvester M. Brown (2015-2020), and Brother Carlos Stewart (2020-Present)), Director of College Brothers Affairs (Brother Tony T. Moss (2001-2005) and Brother Marquise Rose (2017-2019)), Director of Training (Brother Tony T. Moss (2005-2008)), 1st Vice-President of VACAPAF (Brother Vernon A. Clement (2003-2007) and Jeffery D. Jackson (2019-Present)) and Outstanding Chapter/Alpha Advisors (Brothers Wendell T. Foster, Jr., Carl S. Burrell, Israel Melendez, Sylvester M. Brown, David E. Williams, the late Dr. John A. Watson, Jeffery D. Jackson, Tony T. Moss and Dr. Gerard McShepard). These Brothers have been and currently are Chapter/Alpha Advisors to the following College Chapters within VACAPAF over the years: Gamma Chapter (Virginia Union University), Theta Rho Chapter (Virginia Commonwealth University), Kappa Pi Chapter (College of William and Mary), Xi Zeta Chapter (Longwood University and Hampden-Sydney College), and Upsilon Gamma Chapter (University of Richmond)). In addition, various brothers from ΒΓΛ also held Eastern Region leadership positions and committee members on the National Standing Committees of this great Fraternity today.
A TRADITION OF SUCCESS
In the Fall 2009 academic semester, ΒΓΛ, along with Xi Delta Lambda Chapter located in Henrico, Virginia, co-sponsored and chartered a new College Chapter at the University of Richmond (the Upsilon Gamma (ΥΓ) Chapter) in Richmond, Virginia. Brother Wendell T. Foster, Jr. was very instrumental on establishing ΥΓ Chapter. In fact, Brother Wendell T. Foster, Jr. received the Fraternity’s National Award of Merit at the 2010 General Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2017 and 2018, ΒΓΛ was a major Fundraising contributor to the March of Dimes March for Babies where ΒΓΛ won District, Regional and National Chapter of the Year for March of Dimes and Brother Wendell White won National Alpha Alumni Brother of the Year for March of Dimes. ΒΓΛ is reclaiming its members and starting a growth and development trend at the crossroads of this millennium. We call on our Alpha Phi Alpha brothers to join us in forging an unheralded pathway toward the next 100+ years.