About Our Founders
HON. A. LANGSTON TAYLOR
(January 29, 1890 – August 8, 1953)
A. Langston Taylor, the founder of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He graduated from the Howe Institute in 1909 which is now Lemoyne-Owen College in Memphis. He received his college and professional training at Howard and Frelinghuysen University in Washington, D.C.
Founder Taylor coined “Culture for Service, Service for Humanity”. He began serving humanity by founding Sigma, to which he gave twelve consecutive years of service as a National Officer, serving as National President, National Treasurer, National Secretary and Field Secretary. He also served as President of the Distinguished Service Chapter.
Brothers have described our Founder as distinguished, poised and truly a hard worker. The members of the Alpha Sigma chapter called Founder Taylor “Prof”, short for professor, because he was always carrying a book, files or reading. He held offices and was instrumental in the following organizations: The Washington Art Society, The Derby Club, The Banneker Research Society, The Mu-So-Lit Club and the Tennessee State Club.
A tireless worker, he worked hard to see that Sigma maintained its illustrious history, by serving on the history committee and providing numerous forms of notes, minutes and oral history to those who served with him. Founder Taylor retired from federal service from the Smithsonian Institute.
HON. LEONARD F. MORSE
(January 12, 1891 – May 22, 1961)
The Reverend Leonard F. Morse was the son of a distinguished New England family, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Morse of Boston, Massachusetts. Trained in the elementary and secondary schools of New Bedford, Massachusetts, he became the valedictorian of his integrated high school and entered Howard University. In 1915, he graduated from Howard University and was the first person to graduate in 3 years with two degrees, an AB and a B.Ed. degree.
An outstanding educator, minister and a prophetic voice of his time, Founder Morse served at several academic and religious institutions. He was Dean of Theology and President of Edward Waters College and a Mason. He founded and chartered numerous Sigma chapters, especially in Florida.
Founder Morse was student of the Greek language; he is responsible for naming our Fraternity. In addition, he wrote Sigma’s first constitution and was the first president of the Alpha Chapter. In the 1915 Howard University yearbook entitled “The Mirror”, Founder Morse had listed by his name the following: Director of Social Service, YMCA, 1913-1914; Organizer and President of Phi Beta Sigma, 1914-15; President, Young Men’s Progressive Club 1914-15, tutor of languages and history.
HON. CHARLES I. BROWN
(August 27, 1885 – December 21, 1981)
Founder Brown is believed to have been born in Washington, DC in 1890. Census records show that his father was the Reverend John M. Brown and that his mother was Maggie M. Brown. However, records at Howard University from 1910 have Brown living at 1813 Titan Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He was very cordial and very popular with the student body and Howard University administration. Founder Brown is credited with choosing the nine charter members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. In addition, he founded the Delta Chapter at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas on April 9, 1917 and was a teacher at the Kansas Industrial School for Negroes in Topeka, Kansas.
For more than 80 years, Sigma men pondered what may have happened with Founder Brown. It was hoped that he went on to live a productive and fruitful life – but the story of his disappearance, and speculation about what may have happened became folklore within the Brotherhood. In 2015, a breakthrough occurred. A group of Sigma men who were determined to find our what happened with Founder Brown, enlisted the help of professional researchers and with the full support of the Fraternity, were able to track Founder Brown to his final resting place. Indeed, he had kept his commitment to the cause of Sigma, living and serving his last years in a Catholic parish in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founder Charles Ignatius Brown kept his promise to his brothers in Sigma!
