Home / History / BAC History
The Benchmark
Baltimore (MD) Alumni Chapter — a century of achievement, service, and brotherhood in the city we call home.
1968
Last Conclave in Baltimore
The Beginning
The chartering of the Baltimore (MD) Alumni Chapter is deeply connected to the movement of Kappa Alpha Psi from its Midwest roots to the East Coast with the establishment of the Lincoln University Chapter, the Epsilon of Kappa Alpha Psi. The brainchild of the Baltimore Alumni Chapter was Dr. George Lehman Newman, a native of Baltimore and a 1918 initiate of Epsilon. Supporting the creation was John Henry Alston, a charter member of Epsilon who had lived in Baltimore.
The two Epsilon initiates petitioned the Grand Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi to establish a Chapter in Baltimore, and approval was granted at the 10th Grand Chapter Meeting held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They were joined by John Huffman Lassiter, a 1920 initiate of the Lambda Chapter (Temple University), and Deaver Preston Young, a charter member of the Omicron Chapter (Columbia University). The charter was officially granted on July 15, 1921.
In August 1921, in a fellowship hall on the 1200 block of Myrtle Avenue, the Baltimore (MD) Alumni Chapter initiated its first members. These men were among Baltimore's best and brightest.
The Charter Members
John H. Alston
Educator & Psychologist
Lewis S. Flagg, Jr.
Attorney
William S. Harris
Pharmacist
John Johnson
Entrepreneur & Mortician
John H. Lassiter
Pharmacist
George L. Newman
Pharmacist
John H. Tompkins
Physician
Deaver P. Young
Accountant
Why "The Benchmark"?
The nickname "The Benchmark" was earned, not given. For over a century, the Baltimore Alumni Chapter has set the standard for what a Kappa alumni chapter should be — in leadership, in community impact, in scholarship, and in brotherhood. From youth mentorship programs to philanthropic investment, from civic engagement to cultural stewardship, BAC has been the measuring stick against which other chapters are compared.
Within the Fraternity, BAC has furnished many regional and national officers. A Past International Grand Polemarch, Howard L. Tutman, Jr., hailed from Baltimore. The late Dr. G. James Fleming, former Chairman of the Board of Regents of Morgan State University, received the Fraternity's highest award, the Laurel Wreath. George L. Russell, Jr. Esq. received the Laurel Wreath in 2007.
Dr. G. James Fleming
Laurel Wreath Wearer
Morgan State University
Judge George L. Russell, Jr.
Laurel Wreath 2007
Baltimore (MD) Alumni
Photos: Kappa Alpha Psi 100th Anniversary Book
A Century of Achievement
1920
The Vision
Dr. George Lehman Newman and John Henry Alston petition the Grand Chapter to establish an alumni chapter in Baltimore, connected to the Epsilon Chapter at Lincoln University.
1921
Charter Day — July 15
The Baltimore (MD) Alumni Chapter is officially chartered. The first polemarch is Dr. Robert Lee Jackson, MD.
Dr. Robert Lee Jackson, MD
First Polemarch, 1921
1945
Post-War Leadership
E. Robert Umphery leads the chapter through the post-WWII era as Baltimore's Black community grows and strengthens.
E. Robert Umphery
Polemarch, 1945
1968
55th Grand Chapter Meeting in Baltimore
Against the backdrop of a nation in crisis — the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the fight for voting rights — Kappa Alpha Psi gathers in Baltimore for the 55th Grand Chapter Meeting. It would be the last conclave in the city for nearly 60 years.
John M. Wood
Polemarch, 1967
Ernest Harold Davenport
19th Grand Polemarch
1967–1970
In office during the Baltimore conclave
1976
A Future Grand Polemarch
Howard L. Tutman, Jr. serves as chapter polemarch. He would go on to become a Past International Grand Polemarch of Kappa Alpha Psi — one of BAC's most distinguished accomplishments.
Howard L. Tutman, Jr.
Polemarch, 1976
Future Grand Polemarch
1995
Foundation Established
The Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation of Metropolitan Baltimore (KAΨFMB) is founded to subsidize programs that benefit youth and young adults, promoting academic, cultural, economic, and social well-being in the Baltimore community.
Howard L. Tutman III
Polemarch, 1997
2026
105 Years Strong
BAC celebrates 105 years of continuous service, earning the William Thomas Carter Alumni Chapter of the Year award. The chapter kicks off a year-long countdown to the 88th GCM with Kappa Week at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum.
BAC brothers at the
Reginald F. Lewis Museum,
Kappa Week 2026
2027
The Return — July 6–11
Kappa Alpha Psi returns to Baltimore for the 88th Grand Chapter Meeting — nearly six decades after the 55th GCM in 1968. Hosted by BAC and KAΨFMB, welcoming an estimated 20,000 brothers and guests to Charm City.
Don Ervin
Polemarch, 2023
Preceding the 88th GCM
From the Polemarch
Devron D. Dickens, Sr.
54th Polemarch
Baltimore (MD) Alumni Chapter
"Baltimore has a story to tell. A story of resilience, a story of innovation, a story of culture, and a story of perseverance. Over the next 12 months, we will tell that story to thousands of Kappa men and their families across the nation and around the world."
— Devron D. Dickens, Sr.
54th Polemarch, Baltimore (MD) Alumni Chapter
