Brief History of Delta Epsilon

Delta Epsilon was chartered March 26, 1951 on the campus of San Diego State College (now San Diego State University). Brother James O. Whaley, an initiate of the Pi chapter, the 14th Western Province Polemarch and a 1977 Elder Watson Diggs award winner, was instrumental in its chartering.  The original Charter was issued by then Grand Polemarch Frank M. Summers and delivered to the chapter by then Western Province Polemarch and ultimately the 18th Grand Polemarch Brother Thomas Bradley. The Charter line was initiated May 26, 1951.

Charter Members are as Follows:  Brother Connelly Broome, Brother Homer Broome, Brother Julius T. Campbell, Brother William C. William, Brother Honorable Earl B. Gilliam, and Brother Llyod E. Tooks.

Brother Julius T. Campbell served as the First Polemarch of The Delta Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.  The Honorable Earl B. Gilliam was the second Polemarch of the Delta Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. 

 Delta Epsilon was chartered as the first undergraduate chapter of a Historically African American fraternity in the city and county of San Diego. As such there was no National PanHellenic Council Chapter available to join on campus. Instead the charter members sought membership in the Inter-Fraternal Counsel (IFC). Initially, the young men were turned away from the local IFC and they faced resistance from school administrators and the white student leadership of the IFC. However the charter members persisted and fought to be recognized and after over a year of being turned away the chapter was admitted to IFC in September of 1952. This victory marked the first of several as the brothers of Delta Epsilon fought for acceptance and equality on campus.

 Charter member Julius Campbell became the First African American Student to lead a majority white organization on the San Diego State campus when he was elected President of the Associated Male Students.  Early member and eventual State and federal Judge Napoleon Jones was co-founder of the Black Student Council, now the African Student Union.  Charter member Earl B. Gilliam became the first African American State and Federal Judge in San Diego.  Early Member Ernest Hartzog became the first African American Principle in the San Diego Unified School District.   Early Member Harold Brown became the first African American Administrator at San Diego State and he was the catalyst and architect of what would become the Africana Studies Department.

Brother Julius T. Campbell was elected Junior Grand Vice Polemarch at the 49th Grand Chapter Meeting and served under Grand Polemarch C. Rodger Wilson.

Brother Terrence Ellis was elected Grand Lieutenant Strategus at the 80th Grand Chapter Meeting and served under Grand Polemarch Randy Bates.

Beginning in the 1960’s the Delta Epsilon Chapter extended beyond the campus of San Diego State University. The Chapter Extended to California Western University and the University of San Diego and eventually the University of California San Diego.

Brother Michael Eric Scott, a Zeta Pi initiate served as Advisor for close to twenty years and was critical in the continuance of the chapter from the mid 1980’s through the early 2000’s.