Timeline: Omicron Phi Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated

1926-2026

1926-1936

November 17, 1926: Dr. H.H. Cooper, Dr. D.W. Counts, and Dr. D.K. Jenkins became the charter members of the Omicron Phi Graduate Chapter (#538) of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in Columbia, South Carolina. Along with Dr’s Cooper, Jenkins, and Counts were Dr. J. G. Stuart, Dr. W.S. Rhodes, Dr. O.J. Champion, Dr. L.M. Daniels, Dr. W.H. Dennis, D. H. Sims, D. Martyn Dow, Rev. D.T. Murray, William Murray, J.P. Sarton, and H.W. Baumgardner.

1931: Brother Cornell Alvin Johnson (Former Keeper of Records and Seals for the Omicron Phi Chapter) served his final year as the first Principal of Booker T. Washington High School

1936-1946

Brother Dr. Dewey M. Duckett, along with Brother Jasper Alton Atkins, created the Talent Hunt Program, founded in 1945.

The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Talent Hunt Program was not established by the fraternity's four founders. Instead, it was created decades later as one of the fraternity's national youth programs.

The individuals credited with creating the Talent Hunt Idea are:

Brother J. Alston (J. Austin) Atkins of Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- The 9th Grand Basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
- Principal architect of the Talent Hunt Program.
- Conceived the idea in 1945.
Brother Dewey Duckett of Rock Hill, South Carolina
- Worked alongside Brother Atkins in developing the program.
- Co-founder of the Talent Hunt Idea.

Talent Hunt History

1945: The Talent Hunt Idea was conceived in the Sixth District (North Carolina and South Carolina).
April 19, 1946: The first Sixth District Talent Hunt was held in Charlotte, North Carolina.

1946-1956

1949: C.A. Johnson High School was named in honor of Brother Cornell Alvin Johnson, who served as Keeper of Records and Seals for the Omicron Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated.

1949: Brother Charles Bolden, Sr: Bolden Stadium in Columbia, S.C., bears his namesake; he began his 30-plus-year tenure as Head football Coach at C.A. Johnson High School.

Circa 1950s: Brother Harold Boulware served as an attorney for the historic Briggs vs. Elliot case in Clarendon County.

1953: The Talent Hunt became an international Omega Psi Phi program, with demonstrations held at the Grand Conclave. Today, it is one of the fraternity's internationally mandated programs, with graduate chapters conducting annual competitions to identify and encourage talented high school students in music, dance, drama, speech, and visual arts.

1956-1966

1963: Brother James Felder served as the head of the burial detail for President John F. Kennedy’s funeral in 1963.

1966-1976

1968-1976: Brother Dr. Durham Counts served as a member of the board of trustees for Benedict College.

1969-1975: Brother Dr. Douglas K. Jenkins served on the board of trustees at Benedict College.

1972: Brother James P. Neal was sworn in as the second African American to serve on the Richland County School Board.

1976-1986

1976: Brother Matthew J. Perry Jr. was appointed to the United States Military Court of Appeals by President Gerald Ford.

1983: Brother I. Dequincy Newman served as the first African American elected to the South Carolina State Senate since the era of Reconstruction.

1986-1996

1986: Brother Charles Bolden Jr. piloted the space shuttle “Columbia”

1992: Brother Vince Ford begins his tenure on the Richland County School Board

1994: Brother Leon Babridge and Brother Dr. Clarence Hill were major figures in the relocation of the International Fraternity Headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Atlanta, Georgia.

1996-2006

During the latter part of the 90s, into the 2000s, the Omicron Phi chapter continued to grow in membership and continued to host and participate in many community drives (Thanksgiving Baskets, Christmas Baskets, Back to School Bashes, and Red-Cross Drives to support the families in Columbia and surrounding areas.

1995-96: An interchange at 277 (I-277) was named in honor of Brother Kay Patterson.

2003: The pedestrian overpass spanning across SC Highway Interstate 277 was named after Brother James Clyburn.

2006-2016

2008: Brother Milton Kimpson, Sr. was recognized in the 2008 African American History Calendar

2016-2026

2017: At the intersection of Interstate Highways 126 and 26, an interchange was named in honor of Brother Milton Kimpson, Sr.’s honor.

2023: The City of Columbia renamed a section of Oak Street to honor Brother Vince Ford, longtime community leader.

2024: Brother James E. Clyburn, U.S. Congressman for the SC 6th Congressional District, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

2024: Brother Milton G. Kimpson Jr. was elected to the Circuit Court of the South Carolina Judicial Branch.