Chapter History

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CHI CHI CHAPTER History

THE HISTORY OF CHI CHI CHAPTER OF OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC

Presenting the Brothers of Chi-Chi; 12 Outstanding Leaders, Brothers, and True Omega men: 8 Educators, 

1 Mortician, 1 Pharmacist, and 2 Dentists.

These 8 brothers in education did so during a time of desegregation persevering through underfunded schools, outdated books, inadequate equipment, and facilities. In Spite of the adversities of segregation, the brothers prevailed with excellence and scholarship.  Brother Harold R. Boulware, Sixth District Representative and Columbia attorney, a lawyer, and civil rights pioneer who played a key role in the Supreme Court’s 1954 landmark decision banning school.  Boulware was the lawyer for the SC branch of the NAACP in the early 1950s.  In that role, he represented a group of black parents in Clarendon County who filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Clarendon County Board of Education.  The suit sought admission of black children to schools previously restricted to whites.  The case reached the Supreme Court, along with several other desegregation cases, and the High Court combined them under Brown v Board of Education, which is how its desegregation ruling became known when it ordered nationwide desegregation “with all deliberate speed.”  “It was kind of slow, but integration came, “ Mr. Boulware said in 1979 when he was honored by the American Bar Association as one who helped bring about the Brown decision. “It’s a good feeling knowing that you were one who participated.”

8-EDUCATORS

  • Brother James M. Frances, principal, St. Matthews Elementary School (First Basileus of Chi Chi)

  • Brother Clarence E. Watkins, principal, Wateree Elementary School, current candidate for Vice-presidency of the Palmetto Education Association ( Chaplin)

  • Brother Coager L. Duren, agriculture instructor, Jackson High School

  • Brother Joseph C. Harrison, chemistry instructor, Jackson High School

  • Brother Walter M. Metze, chemistry instructor, Jackson High School and Civil Defense Coordinator, city of Camden

  • Brother Ernest C. McCollum, instructor of Social Studies, St. Matthew Elementary School

  • Brother Elmer R. Pickett, principal, Kirkland Elementary School

  • Brother Johnny Williams, assistant principal, Jackson High School and chairman, Kershaw County Recreation Committee

1-MORTICIAN

  • Brother Richard H. Haile, Jr., mortician, past president, National Negro Funeral Directors’ Association 

  • Richard Haile’s first funeral home was also Johnny Turner’s barbershop on Broad Street, Camden.

  • Brown’s funeral home learned skills from Haile prior to opening up his business in 1941 on Broad Street.

1-PHARMACIST

Brother Theodore Whitaker (Keeper of Finance)

  • Owner of Whitaker Drug store founded in 1940 at a time when two other pharmacies were already in business.

  • Whitaker thrived because of a soda fountain and a luncheon counter that included a jukebox for black youth with a place to hang out. 

  • Whitaker also provided employment behind the fountain counter for teenagers.

  • Whitaker also made many of his own medicines

2-DENTIST

  • Brother Christopher C. Brevard, D.D.S., treasurer of the Palmetto Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Association of SC for 39 yrs. (Vice Basileus) 

  • Brother James L. Truesdell, D.D.S. (K.R.S.)