History of Springfield Alphas

Theta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was officially seated and chartered in Springfield, Massachusetts on April 23, 1963 the 286th House of Alpha.  Theta Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was an outgrowth from Beta Sigma Lambda Chapter (founded in 1940 in Hartford, Connecticut). Several of Theta Iota Lambda Chapter's founding members had been active with the Hartford chapter, but they recognized the need and had the desire to bring Alpha Phi Alpha's programs and services closer to home in the Greater Springfield area. 

Also during that time, Westover Air Force Base, located in Chicopee, Massachusetts, became the crossroad for many service men and Alpha Phi Alpha brothers who were seeking to affiliate with an Alpha chapter in Western Massachusetts. The growing number of brothers in the area and the desire to do the work of Alpha in Springfield led to the movement to create Theta Iota Lambda Chapter.

The charge was led by Frank H. Buntin, who was the executive director of the Mason Square Development Corporation. He found six other Alpha brothers who joined together to establish the chapter in Springfield. The other charter members included Clifford Flint, principal at Putnam Vocational Technical School; William Jones, a gymnastics teacher and coach in West Springfield; Lee B. Revels, an educator in the Springfield public school system; and three Alpha brothers who were stationed at Westover Air Force Base-Major Ernest Davis, Captain Charles Comer, and Captain Robert P. Smith. Two of the chapter's seven charter members, Frank Buntin and Clifford Flint, are still active members of the chapter today. The other five charter members have all transitioned into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity's Omega Chapter for deceased brothers.

Theta Iota Lambda Chapter was chartered at the height of the civil rights movement and during a time when equality and freedom were at the forefront of Alpha Phi Alpha's national agenda. This was characterized as a time for action and the "opportunity to push freedom forward" from every vantage point. Chapters were encouraged to become a life member of the NAACP, support other civil rights organizations, and cooperate with those involved in the legal fight for freedom through the courts. There was also a call for Alpha's massive participation in the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. The year 1963 also marked the 100th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, which received special coverage in The Sphinx magazine, Alpha Phi Alpha's official journal. These events further demonstrate the timeliness of the founding of Theta Iota Lambda Chapter and the Fraternity's critical role in advancing social thinking and social action in Springfield.

For the past 60 years, Theta Iota Lambda Chapter has provided leadership and service in the Greater Springfield area and continues to meet the community's demand for "manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind" through a coordinated national agenda and local programs. The Fraternity's motto, "First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All," reflects Alpha Phi Alpha's undisputable truth, consistent commitment, and relentless service by Theta Iota Lambda Chapter and all other chapters of Alpha.