Xi Epsilon Lambda History

Of the many chapters in the Missouri District, Xi Epsilon Lambda chapter is one of the youngest. Chartered in 1982, Xi Epsilon Lambda’s membership, over the years, has consisted of graduate students from the University of Missouri-Columbia and local African American professionals.

Before 1982, there was only one alumni chapter in the Mid-Missouri area with which Brothers could affiliate: Beta Zeta Lambda chapter, chartered in Jefferson City, Missouri in 1938. Brothers would drive from towns such as Columbia to attend chapter meetings and to participate in chapter activities.

Beginning in 1977, some of Beta Zeta Lambda’s Columbia brothers began to explore the possibility of establishing an alumni chapter in their place of residence.

There were several reasons for their decision to explore branching off from the prestigious Beta Zeta Lambda chapter.  Chief among these was the desire of Columbia-based brothers to engage in local community service activities.

For the next four years, Columbia alumni members of Alpha Phi Alpha (Mathew Tyler, George Farris, Stanley C. Hughes, Richard Dozier, Harry M Williams, Larry Wooden, Melvin Kennedy, Raymond Prince, the Reverend Donald McNeal, Cliff Hubly, W.L. Moore, Clarence Wine, Elliot Battle, Alvin Plummer, Keener Tippin, and Arvarh Strickland) met informally at each others’ homes to further discuss the possibility of forming a local alumni chapter.

In 1981, these discussions led to the decision to officially charter a chapter in Columbia, Missouri. There were four Brothers who took the lead in this effort, and in 1982, the Fraternity granted them permission to start a chapter in Columbia, Missouri. Xi Epsilon Lambda chapter considers these four to be the chapter’s founders. The first founder is Elliot Battle, who entered the Fraternity through Beta Zeta Lambda chapter. The second founder is Alvin Plummer , who also entered Alpha through Beta Zeta Lambda. An interesting note about founder Plummer is the fact that he originally did not want to charter a chapter in Columbia and believed that alumni brothers in Mid-Missouri should continue to attend Beta Zeta Lambda meetings . He later became convinced that it would, indeed, be beneficial to start an alumni chapter in Columbia. The third founder is Arvarh Strickland who, in 1948, had also been a charter member of the Gamma Upsilon chapter at Tougaloo College in Mississippi. The last founder of Xi Epsilon Lambda chapter is Keener Tippin , who entered the Fraternity through Alpha Psi Chapter of Lincoln University of Jefferson City, Missouri. Founder Tippin, entered into the Fraternity’s Omega Chapter November 12, 2004.

Based upon the motivation of its founders, Xi Epsilon Lambda chapter has sought to be a positive presence in the Columbia, Missouri community. Arguably, its most significant activity in this regard, is Xi Epsilon Lambda’s Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Started in 1996, this community service project has, over the years, provided thousands of less-fortunate Columbians (of all races) enough food to last throughout the Thanksgiving holiday.