There is much that can be written and said about the philosophy of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity,Inc., but nothing said or done will be of any meaning unless the practice of that philosophy can be seen in terms of Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service, through its members.

(l to r) Charles I. Brown, Abram L. Taylor, Leonard F. Morse






The Lambda Tau Chapter was established in the Fall of 1979, by two Phi Beta Sigma members: Bro. Ralph Hogges,PhD and Bro. Earl Davis. Bro. Hogges was an adminstrator at Florida International University, and Bro. Davis was an administrator for Miami-Dade County Public Schools. They were members of the Theta Rho Sigma Graduate Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. in Miami. Both brothers felt the need for creating an African-American fraternity presence at the university. These men eventually recruited the first initiates of the chapter, which consisted of Bro. Willie Gibson and Bro. Elton Lee. Bro. Hogges and Bro. Davis filed the paperwork with the Gerald Smith, National Executive Director of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. at the time, and the chapter was given the name LAMBDA TAU. Within a couple of years, more seven brothers were initiated into Sigmadom, and were sponsored by Theta Rho Sigma Graduate Chapter. Lambda Tau Chapter became the first Greek-lettered organization to be chartered at Florida International University .

CHARTER MEMBERS

- Mark Smith
- Watson Dell
- Jerome Lawrence
- Johnny McKnight
- Elvis Hunter
- Nigel Brown
- Darryl Bembry


Unfortunately by 1986, the chapter became inactive due to brothers transferring and graduating. In early 1988, measures were taken to revive the chapter, by Bro. John Worford, who was then an administrator at the university. The result of his work resulted with the initiation of the "Phoenix Project", which consisted of seven brothers in Fall 1988.
As the years went by, Lambda Tau Chapter had the priviledge of being involved in about every facet of academics, community service, fraternal business,and social activities on and off campus, here in Miami as well as throughout the state of Florida(i.e.: student orientations, study sessions, state conferences, Greek leadership conventions, cookouts, back to school parties, stepshows). The chapter was featured in a newspaper article in the Miami Herald back in the Spring of 1991, for our work in helping to fix up and remodel The Camillus House, which is a homeless shelter. The experiences the chapter cherished were grand, but weren't always rosy. The chapter went through some hard times in the later half of 1996. But these hard times only kept the Lambda Chapter down for so long, as Bro. Rudy Rodriguez-Chomat, a transfer brother from Mu Epsilon Chapter at Florida State University, began the recent revival of the Lambda Tau Chapter.
By 1998, there were only two brothers on the campus of FIU, Bro. Shawn Murray and Bro. Rodriguez-Chomat. These brothers spearheaded a heavy recruiting effort throughout the rest of the year 1998. By May 1999, 5 newly initiated brothers stood tall on the campus of Florida International University. Bro. Roody Metellus, Bro. James Alexander, Bro. Charlo Alexandre, Bro. Cyrus Armand and Bro. Wodlaire Clervaud, along with Bros. Murray and Rodriguez-Chomat, took over the Lambda Tau Chapter. Within the next three years, Bro. Andre Harriott, Bro. Yonel Bredy, Bro. Darrell James, and Bro. Keiron Quarrie were brought into Sigmadom.

Two of the recent accomplishments for the Lambda Tau Chapter, came in the year 2001 as the chapter has the two highest ranking collegiate officers in the State of Florida and the Southern Region of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. This all started with Bro. Charlo Alexandre being elected 2nd Vice State Director in February 2001 at the State Conference in Tallahassee, Florida, while Bro. Rodriguez-Chomat was soon after elected 2nd Vice Regional Director in April at the Southern Regional Conference in Birmingham, Alabama.
These brothers exemplify our motto "Culture for Service and Service for Humanity".
Along with the sorors of Pi Pi Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. at Florida International University, the Lambda Tau Chapter has participated in various community service projects with such charitable organizations around the City of Miami and the rest of Dade County. Due to a change in graduate chapter affiliation, Lambda Tau is currently under the supervison of Rho Sigma Graduate Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., in Miami.



"SMALL MINDS DISCUSS PEOPLE, AVERAGE MINDS DISCUSS PLACES, GREAT MINDS DISCUSS IDEAS, IT'S THIS TYPE OF THINKING THAT HAS MADE THE LAMBDA TAU CHAPTER A REALITY".