This Founder’s Day Marks Our 60th Anniversary!
Celebrating our 60th Anniversary.
“Diamonds in the Rough, Emeralds in the Light”: Phi Eta Psi Prepares to Celebrate 60 Years of Brotherhood and Brilliance
By the Grace of Legacy, We Rise…
On April 5, 1965, in the heart of Flint, Michigan, amid the hum of Mott Community College’s campus, eight visionaries carved something eternal into the stone of time. Willie Buck, Jerome Davis (Jihad Hassan Sharif), Rondy Harris, James Humphrey, Leon Lucas, Lincoln Murphy, Ronald Thompson, and Eugene Tolbert didn’t just create a fraternity they gave life to a movement. A brotherhood rooted in soul, purpose, and unwavering pride. Phi Eta Psi ΦΗΨ was born not just as a social bond, but as a sanctuary for African American excellence, empowerment, and enduring legacy.
From the sidewalks of Flint to the lecture halls of Purdue, Wayne State, and San Jose State, Phi Eta Psi grew from a spark to a wildfire. The Emeralds the proud sons of green and gold stood for more than brotherhood. They marched for justice in the Poor People’s Campaign. They registered voters, mentored the youth, raised funds for causes like sickle cell research, and built bridges for Black scholarship and entrepreneurship long before it was popular to do so.
Though the collegiate chapters may have quieted over time, the soul of the organization only beats louder. With 36 collegiate chapters and 17 thriving alumni chapters, over 7,000 members have carried the torch. From Flint to Atlanta, from Detroit to Houston, the spirit of ΦΗΨ still rises unshaken, unbreakable, and eternally relevant.
Now, we stand on the doorstep of destiny.
April 5th, 2025 Phi Eta Psi turns 60.
Sixty years of grit, grace, and greatness. Sixty years of molding men into leaders. Sixty years of turning pressure into Emeralds.
As we prepare to celebrate this monumental Founders Day, let every brother from Alpha to Omega, from Flint Alumni to Houston, from the first Emerald to the newest initiate, remember that we are not simply members of a fraternity, We are stewards of a legacy, We are the embodiment of “Philosophy of the Soul Psychology.”
So, rise. Shine your green and gold with pride. Tell the stories. Toast the triumphs. Remember the roots. And gather, whether near or far, in spirit or in presence, to honor 60 years of Phi Eta Psi. Let the songs ring louder, the bonds grow tighter, and the mission burn brighter.
This is more than a milestone. This is our moment.
Happy 60th Founders Day, Phi Eta Psi.
Long live the Emeralds. Long live the Legacy.
ΦΗΨ forever.
