From New Jersey’s capital city, we carry a legacy of scholarship, service and uplift into the next generation.
From a turning point in the Revolution to Delta Upsilon’s work today, Trenton’s story gives our chapter a sense of place and purpose.
In late 1949, twelve brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. began meeting in their homes around Trenton under the leadership of J. Minor Sullivan III, M.D. They envisioned a local graduate chapter through which they could advance Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift.
The original brothers came from varied professions, including education, law, medicine and administration. Over several months, they shaped their ideals and planned collective work that would benefit the community. In the spirit of Uplift, they sought to improve conditions and attitudes affecting Black residents. They applied to the fraternity’s national body for a charter.
On January 30, 1950, the Supreme Council established Delta Upsilon Chapter. Its brothers went on to sponsor cultural, civic and social activities, raising funds for youth scholarships, local projects and national causes.
All twelve names follow the chapter’s published historical account. Charter offices are shown where that account identifies them.
| Original brother | Charter office |
|---|---|
| J. Minor Sullivan III, M.D. | Basileus |
| Charles C. Buford, M.D. | 1st Vice Basileus |
| Howard Gibbs | Office not listed |
| Charles Gibson | Office not listed |
| Allen C. Holmes | 2nd Vice Basileus |
| William H. Love | Keeper of Records and Seal |
| John F. Marshall, M.D. | Editor to the Oracle |
| Thomas A. Moore | Office not listed |
| David M. Waters | Chaplain |
| Benjamin Jones | Parliamentarian |
| Leonard J. Williams, Esq. | Keeper of Peace |
| Frank H. Wimberly, Esq. | Keeper of Finance |
Omega Psi Phi names these principles as qualities its members should embody. The descriptions below are paraphrased from the national fraternity’s published guidance.
Character shown through moral excellence, courage and firm resolve.
A continuing commitment to education, learning and staying informed.
Brotherhood, humility and cooperation, with the determination to go further when facing obstacles.
Using one’s gifts to help the community through service, advocacy and leadership.
At the Falls of the Delaware, a place of Indigenous history became a colonial town, a turning point in the Revolution, a capital and a center of industry. Delta Upsilon’s story belongs to a later chapter of that living history.
Trenton Makes bridge image from the chapter’s existing website.
Trenton is more than the address of the Delta Upsilon Chapter. It is New Jersey’s capital, a site of two pivotal Revolutionary War engagements, and a city whose people and work have reached far beyond the Delaware River.
The Lenape and their ancestors lived on and cared for this land long before the town bore a colonial name. The William Trent House stands on ancestral Lenape land, a reminder that Trenton’s story begins before European settlement. William Trent House history ↗
Quaker settlers established a community near the Falls in 1679. By 1719, the settlement was called Trent-towne for William Trent, a major landholder; the name later became Trenton. The 1719 Trent House also preserves a harder part of this era: eleven people of African descent were enslaved in Trent’s household. City history ↗
After crossing the Delaware, Washington’s army defeated the Hessian garrison in Trenton on December 26, 1776. British and American forces fought again at Assunpink Creek in Trenton on January 2, 1777. Washington then moved toward Princeton, where a separate battle followed on January 3. These victories helped revive the American cause at a precarious moment. National Park Service account ↗
The Confederation Congress met in Trenton in November and December 1784, making it a brief national capital under the Articles of Confederation. Trenton became New Jersey’s state capital on November 25, 1790. The civic decisions made here have given the city a role in public life ever since. City history ↗
Pottery and wire rope mills helped shape Trenton’s industrial identity. John A. Roebling bought a site along the Delaware & Raritan Canal in 1848 for his wire rope business. Cables made at the Trenton works reached landmarks including the Brooklyn and Golden Gate bridges. The familiar “Trenton Makes, The World Takes” message expresses that manufacturing legacy. Roebling history ↗
Trenton commissioned the Higbee Street School in 1856 as a school for African American children; it opened in 1861. The city’s schools were not desegregated until 1944, after the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Hedgepeth–Williams decision. This history gives added weight to the work of educational opportunity in the capital city today. City historical sign ↗
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. was founded at Howard University in 1911 around the Cardinal Principles of Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift. In late 1949, twelve Omega brothers in the Trenton area organized the work that led to Delta Upsilon’s charter on January 30, 1950. The chapter’s own history describes a commitment to scholarships, cultural and civic activity, and community uplift. The Revolutionary city and the Omega chapter are separated by generations, yet service to this place connects our work to Trenton’s continuing story.
Explore the record: City of Trenton history · Trenton’s historical signs · National Park Service · Omega Psi Phi history.
Chapter service, scholarship, fellowship and community programs.
The chapter’s NAACP liaison reported plans for fall voter registration and education activities. Dates and locations will be announced when confirmed.
The IT/STEM Committee is developing a November summit. The date, venue and registration details are coming soon.
Planning has begun. The date and venue depend on availability and will be posted once confirmed.
Following the planned November 2026 summit, the committee’s sequence calls for a challenge in March 2027 and a showcase in June 2027. Dates and participation details remain to be announced.
Explore the work of Delta Upsilon and the wider Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Omega Psi Phi’s national programs provide a framework for education, mentoring, health and community uplift. Explore national initiatives, Delta Upsilon programs and new local opportunities as they are announced.
Our IT/STEM Committee is planning a summit, Innovation Challenge and showcase for Trenton area youth.
Learn about the chapter’s educational support and how future application details will be announced.
See chapter calendar items and selected social action stories, including community service and a blood drive.
Select a program to see its purpose, any confirmed Delta Upsilon connection, and the official national resource.
Omega’s national overview includes Achievement Week, health initiatives, STEM, scholarship, Talent Hunt, mentoring, social action and other chapter responsibilities.
Delta Upsilon: Explore confirmed chapter work through the programs and events linked above.
The national initiative encourages support for fathers and mentoring relationships with young people through chapter and community partnerships.
Local status: A Delta Upsilon program schedule has not been confirmed here.
Hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics experiences can open new paths for students.
Delta Upsilon: A November summit, March challenge and June showcase are in development. Public dates and registration details are coming soon.
The fraternity promotes academic excellence; graduate chapters may provide financial assistance to students.
Delta Upsilon: Our scholarships page explains past eligibility, with new application details coming soon.
The international essay contest is connected with Achievement Week and gives high school students an opportunity to address a published topic.
Local status: No Delta Upsilon application window is being advertised here; follow the national page for its current rules.
Omega’s Talent Hunt encourages young performers through exposure, recognition and potential financial assistance.
Delta Upsilon: The chapter roster identifies a Talent Hunt committee chair; no upcoming local audition is confirmed on this site.
This national mental health initiative encourages conversations about mental health among African American men and points to educational resources.
Local status: A chapter event or service under this initiative has not been confirmed here.
Explore the fraternity’s national giving project and its stated community service and educational purposes.
Local status: This is a national resource; no Delta Upsilon collection or chapter payment link is presented here.
The chapter in action, together and in the community.
Manhood · Scholarship
Perseverance · Uplift
Photographs supplied from the chapter’s social posts. Images are cropped to show the scene.
Introducing students to science, technology, engineering and mathematics while creating opportunities for mentorship and discovery.
Omega STEM is an internationally mandated program of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. The fraternity uses science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities to spark students’ interest in technical careers and help them explore what their futures could hold.
Delta Upsilon’s IT/STEM Committee is developing a summit, Innovation Challenge and showcase for Trenton-area youth. Program dates, partners and participation details are coming soon.
Engaging young people with science, technology, engineering and math through educational experiences.
Introducing technical fields including coding, robotics, electronics, technology, energy and engineering.
Connecting students with chapters, educators, volunteers and supporters. Local partnership opportunities are coming soon.
Are you a school, educator, STEM professional or potential partner? Reach out to explore future collaborations with Delta Upsilon.
National program: Omega Psi Phi Omega STEM · Mandated programs.
Educational opportunity and recognition for students in the communities Delta Upsilon serves.
Academic excellence grows when young people have encouragement, resources and a community that believes in their future. Delta Upsilon supports education through scholarships, mentoring and recognition of students working toward their goals.
The next scholarship cycle, eligibility requirements and application dates are coming soon.
The chapter has offered collegiate scholarship opportunities for qualifying students, including students planning to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Requirements may change from one cycle to the next.
Past programs have served college-bound high school seniors in Greater Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, and Lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The next cycle’s eligibility will be confirmed with its announcement.
Previous applications requested a transcript, academic record, community and extracurricular involvement, recommendation letters and a short essay. Follow the requirements published for the next cycle.
Past categories included general collegiate scholarships and scholarships for students enrolling at accredited Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Application dates and deadlines for the next scholarship cycle are coming soon.
Meet the Executive Council and the committee chairs carrying the chapter’s work forward.
Meet the Executive Council members currently guiding Delta Upsilon’s service, fellowship and chapter operations.
Basileus
Vice Basileus
Keeper of Records and Seal
Keeper of Finance
Keeper of Peace
Chaplain
Editor to the Oracle
Assistant Keeper of Records and Seal
Assistant Keeper of Finance
J. Minor Sullivan III, M.D., served as the chapter’s first Basileus. The full charter officer roster and the twelve original brothers appear in Who We Are.
Meet the committee chairs helping move Delta Upsilon’s programs and community work forward.
Amenities
Budget & Finance
Mentoring & Leadership Academy
Fundraising
Health Initiatives
IT / STEM
Membership Selection
Scholarship
Social Programs
Social Action / Justice
Talent Hunt
Undergraduate
Joseph Thomas, Basileus of Dynamic Delta Upsilon Chapter.
Chapter dues information and member resources.
Brothers may submit dues payments using either of the no-fee options below.
Send payment to $DeltaUpsilonChapter.
Send payment to deltaupsilonkf@oppf.org.
Payment memo: Include your name and the dues being paid—for example, Joe Thomas – IHQ / District / Local Chapter.
Reach the Trenton Ques for chapter inquiries, community partnerships and program questions.
Whether you represent a school, community group, business or prospective partner, tell us how you would like to connect.
Online form submission will be activated soon.
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
PO Box 2388
Trenton, New Jersey
