VACAPAF

Virginia Association of Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

VACAPAF is the 7TH District within the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated (“AlphaEast”). VACAPAF represents 35 alumni and college chapters in the State of Virginia. VACAPAF emphasize the aims of the fraternity – Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for all Mankind through the national programs, community programs, academic achievement and recognitions and events. The organization is an outstanding organization within the District in AlphaEast and national organization. The mission of VACAPAF is to provide the brotherhood the best tools, training and support to accomplish the business of the fraternity and service to their communities. The mission of VACAPAF is to provide the brotherhood the best tools, training and support to accomplish the business of the fraternity and service to their communities. Our theme this year is”Leadership Advancing Forward.” Our district has an annual conference and retreat for brothers to learn, grow and advance the knowledge of the organization principles, business functions, national programs, membership and brotherhood.

The first major step toward creating VACAPAF came in 1943, in the middle of World War II, when Luther H. Foster President of Virginia State College (now Virginia State University) invite two college and six alumni chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to meet at the college to discuss Alpha Business. The College Chapters represented at that meeting were Gamma Chapter of Virginia Union University founded in 1908; and Beta Gamma Chapter of Virginia State College founded in 1926.

The six alumni chapters represented at the meeting were as follows: Zeta Lambda of Newport News, Virginia, founded in 1920; Nu Lambda of Virginia State College, Petersburg, Virginia founded in 1923; Alpha Kappa Lambda of Roanoke, Virginia founded in 1928; Alpha Phi Lambda of Norfolk, Virginia founded in 1935; Beta Gamma Lambda of Richmond, Virginia founded in 1935; and Gamma Alpha Lambda of Lexington, Virginia founded in 1941. The meeting at Virginia State College was held in the Matoaca Laboratory School prior to the homecoming football game between the Trojans of Virginia State College and the Panthers of Virginia Union University. Weldon Henderson was elected president of the meeting, and here was born what eventually became VACAPAF. Subsequent meetings were held, and in 1945 Louis H. Schuster, Professor of Business at Virginia State College, was elected Eastern Regional Vice President. He served in that capacity from 1945 to 1948. The Eastern Regional Vice President from 1955 to 1957 was J. Rupert Picott, a Richmond public school educator.

The first state-wide conference of chapters was held in Richmond, Virginia on February 14, 1959. The driving force behind this conference was Alfred C. Fentress. Seventeen (17) chapters were represented, and Walker Quarles, assistant to the president of the conference of chapters, was elected president.

Charles Broaddus, Eastern Regional Vice President, called attention to this conference at the 45th-anniversary convention of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 26-30, 1959. He reported that about seventy- five brothers attended the conference, and it was an annual state-wide meeting. This conference marked the first meeting of the district conference or convention of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in Virginia, and thus the state convention of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was organized. Alfred C. Fentress was elected Eastern Regional Vice President in 1960, and served until 1962.

In the late 1960’s H. Gray Gillem was elected president of the Virginia Conference of Chapters, succeeding Walker Quarles. Later, he was appointed director of district VII by the Eastern Region Vice President. It was during Brother Gillem’s tenure as president that the name of the Virginia Conference of Chapters was changed to the Virginia Association of Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity or is known as VACAPAF.