It Began with the Mystic Six
In 1985, Denison was in a period of formally reviewing fraternities and sororities on campus, and administrators didn’t plan to expand the Greek Life program. At the same time though, the Alpha Men of Tomorrow (AMOT) sought to establish Alpha Phi Alpha, a historically black fraternity, on campus.
Denison and the AMOT didn’t always see eye to eye. As the AMOT worked to bring Alpha Phi Alpha to Denison, black studies professor John Jackson said the university argued, “There are already fraternities on campus. Why not join those?” For the AMOT, though, it wasn’t about simply joining a fraternity. It was a matter of identifying and connecting to those with similar goals and values.
“I visited existing fraternities, and while I had friends and teammates who were members of many of them,” says William Kent Starks II ‘88, “they just didn’t appeal to me personally.”
Erik Farley ‘03, assistant dean of students and director of multi-cultural student affairs, echoed Starks. “Alpha Phi Alpha gave me an opportunity to get together with men with similar goals for making a difference in the world,” he said. “Through Alpha, I was able to attach to something bigger than myself.”
Throughout the fall of 1985, Mark Dickson ‘88 contacted Alpha Rho Lambda, the graduate chapter in Columbus, and formed AMOT on campus. After formal interviews, information sessions, and informal discussions, Alpha Rho Lambda invited six Denisonians to participate in the pledge process. The founding six members, known as the “Mystic Six,” were David Francis ‘86, Tony Hawes ‘86, Arthur Jackson ‘87, Phillip Nowlin ‘87, Dickson, and Starks.
The “Mystic Six” became members of the fraternity on Dec. 7, 1985, and through the years, Alpha Phi Alpha has worked to remain a strong organization at Denison despite limited numbers. In September, members of Alpha Phi Alpha’s Rho Upsilon chapter, which was formally chartered at Denison in 1990, gathered to celebrate the chapter’s 25th anniversary.
–Emily Hopcian ‘12