Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. celebrates its annual Founders Day as one of the oldest and largest African-American fraternities. For 108 years, the men of Phi Beta Sigma have stood by the fraternity's motto, "Culture for service and service for humanity."

Over a century after its founding by three Howard University students —  Leonard Frances Morse, Abram Langston Taylor, and Charles Ignatius Brown — Phi Beta Sigma continues to thrive on its founders' original ideals of Brotherhood, scholarship, and service.

The fraternity has brought together brothers of all backgrounds, during its 109-year existence, dedicated to making the world a better place. Among them are former presidents, athletes, businessmen, and entertainers. Phi Beta Sigma holds more than 200,000 members in over 700 chapters throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Here are some of the most notable members of the fraternity:

U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings

U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings became an honorary member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc in 2015. 

Cummings was an influential Democratic leader during his 12 terms in Congress, becoming a passionate advocate for some of the Democratic Party's most pressing and significant civil rights issues. Cummings joined the Phi Beta Kappa at Howard University and earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 1973.

He graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1976 and passed the Maryland bar the following year. A lawyer for 19 years, Cummings was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Maryland's 7th congressional district in 1996 until he died in 2019. 

Cummings served as Chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland as the first African American in the state's history to be named Speaker Pro Tempore, the second-highest position in the Maryland House of Delegates. 

U.S. Rep. John Lewis

In 1974, the late John Lewis was initiated into Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity in the Lambda Sigma Chapter in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Lewis was a key figure in the civil rights movement and was notably the youngest speaker at the 1963 March on Washington, witnessing Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I have a dream" speech. After his college admission to Troy University, an all-white institution, was denied, Dr. King and Lewis' parents encouraged Lewis to attend Fisk University. He earned a bachelor's degree in religion and philosophy.  

Lewis was first elected into Congress in 1986 and served 17 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. The civil rights activist has received over 50 honorary degrees, and in 2011, Lewis accepted the Medal of Freedom from former President Barack Obama. 

George Washington Carver

One of the most distinguished black scientists of the early 20th century, George Washington Carver, joined the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity in 1920. 

Carver applied to many schools and was denied, due to his race, before being accepted to Highland University in 1885. — In 1891, Carver became the first Black student to attend Iowa State, formerly known as Iowa State Agricultural College, during his study of Botany. He then became the first Black student in history to receive a bachelor's and a master's degree and the first Black faculty member hired by the university.

Carver was appointed to oversee the Agriculture Department at the Tuskegee Institute, now known as the Tuskegee University, by Booker T. Washington in 1896. He taught there for 47 years. He joined the Gamma Sigma chapter of Phi Beta Sigma while teaching at Tuskegee. 

Carver received several honors before his death in 1943, including the Spingarn Medal, an honorary doctorate from Simpson College, and the Roosevelt Medal in 1939. 

As Congress does not know Carver's exact birth date, Jan 5 has been officially recognized as George Washington Carver Day.

Harry Belafonte

As one of Dr. King's closest confidants, Harry Belafonte supported the Civil Rights movement throughout the 1950s and 1960s, funding the Freedom Rides of 1960 and organizing the March on Washington in 1963. He was also a key figure in the movement to end apartheid in South Africa and to free Mandela after nearly 30 years behind bars in the late 1980s.

During the centennial celebration of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity in 2014, Belafonte, well known for his contributions to the civil rights movement, was inducted into the fraternity. 

In his induction speech, Belafonte urged every black man to unite with him in ending violence against women, as he wanted the world to end the oppression of women. 

"Let us use this century to be the century when we said we started the mission to end the violence and oppression of women," Belafonte said. "Let us never, ever let our children become the abusers to our women that we permitted in our lifetime." 

Belafonte also accepted an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music the same year. 

The 94-year-old activist has received many awards, including the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Dr. Huey P. Newton

The famous African American political activist and co-founder of the Black Panther Party, Huey P. Newton, is also a Phi Beta Sigma brother. During his time at Merritt College, Newton organized the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, which he co-founded with Phi Beta Sigma member Bobby Seale in 1966.

Newton studied at the San Francisco Law School and the University of California Santa Cruz, earning a bachelor's degree and joining the Black Greekdom through the Beta Tau Chapter. 

Newton's involvement in the fraternity led to the university's first African-American history course. 

Together Newton and Seale founded over 60 community programs at the Black organization, among them food banks and medical clinics. 

In 1980, Newton returned to the University of California, Santa Cruz, to complete his Ph.D. in social philosophy after being acquitted in two murder cases and living in exile in Cuba for three years. 

Following the dissolution of the Black Panther Party in 1982, Newton died in 1989. 

Happy Founders' Day to the distinguished men of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. Congratulations on 108 years of Brotherhood, scholarship, and service!

Blavity-UBlavity-U-EntertainmentDr Huey P NewtonFraternityGeorge Washington CarverHarry Belafontephi-beta-sigmaRep. John LewisRep.-Elijah-Cummings