In the early spring of 1968, Brothers Clifford Dudley, James Jones, Edgar Mills and Joseph Smith discussed the logical idea of establishing a graduate chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in Pompano to stimulate the community with the spirit of manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and uplift.

A survey was made for other brothers in the city to participate in the framework of establishing a fraternity in the community. The very capable Brothers who were unified and determined in the pleasurable task of assisting in this endeavor to help Omega work: Brothers Robert Bailey, Felix Evans, William Howard, Jimmy Lamar, Kenneth McDonald, Calvin Taylor and Ola Williams. After many conversations and discussions with the community leaders, a favorable reaction was received for the need of a fraternity to improve the cultural aspects of the community.

To obtain the necessary information to get a charter, Brother Clifford Dudley accepted the responsibility to communicate with National Headquarters. On April 5, 1968, Brother Dudley wrote for an application. After receiving the form, all Brothers were contacted to meet at Brother Dudley’s home on June 8, 1968, for the first organized meeting of the brothers to handle information that was of paramount importance to all. The purpose of this meeting was to ascertain from each brother on his status with National Headquarters and to complete the application for a charter.

The application was forwarded to the District Representative, Brother McMillian, June 17, 1968, for approval. It was approved and forwarded to the National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. After the application was re-examined very thoroughly by the National Headquarters, Brother McMillian was asked to investigate the availability of another graduate chapter in the South Florida area.

After many meetings with the State Representative, Brother Bridwell, and the First Vice District Representative, Brother Braynon, the Brothers of Pompano justified why a chapter was needed in the community and it could propagate the principle on which Omega Psi Phi was founded.

On June 11, 1969, the Supreme Council of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity established Eta Nu Chapter to the Brothers of Pompano Beach, Florida. The following officers were elected on June 21, 1969.

• Basileus Brother Clifford Dudley
• Vice Basileus Brother William Howard
• Keeper of Records and Seal Brother James Jones
• Keeper of Finance Brother Joseph Smith
• Dean of Pledgees Brother Jimmy Lamar
• Dean of Pledgees Brother Calvin Taylor
• Parliamentarian Brother Kenneth McDonald
• Chaplain Brother Edgar Mills
• Keeper of Peace Brother Felix Evans

On September 20, 1969, two energetic brothers, Richard Baker and John H. Smith, affiliated with the chapter. The adding of the two brothers to the roster gave Eta Nu membership of thirteen (13) brothers.

The brothers were elated to have set the precedence in being the first Greek Letter organization established in the Pompano Beach community. The Eta Nu Chapter appreciated the kindness and generosity of Brother Bridwell and Brother Braynon in helping to make the Chapter possible. We consider ourselves fortunate to have had outstanding Omega men in the area.

During the seventies, Eta Nu forged ahead to establish itself as an important part of the Pompano Beach community. With hard work and genuine desire to help, Eta Nu soon gained a reputation as an outstanding public servant. In these early years, the Brothers met at each other homes for frat meetings. In 1977, under the leadership of then Basileus Jimmy Jones, Eta Nu established their own Frat House, which soon became a popular meeting place for social gatherings.

In the 1970’s, Eta Nu initiated twenty-three (23) new members on three different lines (see line history below). Probably the biggest highlight of this period was a visit from Grand Basileus Brother Garnett. He congratulated Eta Nu on the fine work they were doing for the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

The Eighties brought about growth, change and even grater community appreciation for the Eta Nu Chapter. We continued to build on our reputation by greater emphasis on Social Action and the promotion of local talent through our Talent Hunt Program. At one point, Eta Nu won or placed in the top three in the state Talent Hunt competition for five (5) consecutive years. Also, with Brother Melvin Davis as Social Action Chairman and the support of the brotherhood, Eta Nu established itself as the premier social servant for the state of Florida. Through over thirty (30) different social action programs a year, Eta Nu was now an important asset to the Pompano Beach and Broward County community.

During the 1980’s, Eta Nu initiated thirty-nine (39) new members on five (5) different lines (see line history below) and in 1989 reached a membership high of 54 financial brothers. The highlight of the Eighties came in 1989 under the leadership of then Basileus Harry Harrell when Eta Nu hosted the Florida State Meeting. At the Meeting, Eta Nu was awarded the Talent Hunt winner, Social Action Chapter of the Year, Reclamation Chapter of the Year, and our biggest honor of the Eighties, Chapter of the Year! It was a fitting honor in Eta Nu’s twentieth year of existence.

During the 1990’s, Eta Nu continued to flourish through operating under the same principles on which our great fraternity was founded: Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift. Under the leadership of Social Action Chairman, Brother Melvin Davis who has been the chairperson since 1986, the Eta Nu chapter continues to strive towards uplifting those less fortunate than themselves. Listed below are some of the programs that Brother Davis and his committee have implemented:

• Adoption Party – managed to place over 40 foster children with parents
• AIDS Awareness
• Annual March in the Pompano Beach Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade
• Black History Exhibit -displayed every February in over 15 sites, including churches, schools, and the Department of Juvenile Justice
• Black History Library
• Blood Drive
• Clothing Drive
• Easter Egg Hunt
• Feeding the Homeless – six (6) times a year
• Food Drive
• Juneteenth Celebration
• Kwanzaa Celebration
• Local Softball Team
• Raising Funds for Diabetes
• Senior Citizen Project
• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Thanksgiving Baskets
• Toys for Tots

In 1990, Eta Nu chapter was awarded the Urban League’s “Thurgood Marshall Award” for outstanding community service. In 1991 and 1994, we received the Graduate Chapter of the Year Award for the state. In 1998 and 1999, we received District Social Action Chapter of the Year. Under the leadership on Brother Samuel G. Clear, III, we also received the State Scholarship Award in 1998. Thanks to loyal hard-working brothers, the Eta Nu chapter has been at the forefront of the community at-large and has impacted the fraternity on a national, district, state and local level.

During the 1990’s, Eta Nu initiated twenty-one (21) new members on four different lines (see line history below). Our chapter founder, Brother Joseph A. Smith received his 50-year pin at the 70th Grand Conclave in New Orleans, Louisiana in July of 1998. Additionally, chapter founder Brother James Jones currently has over 45 years of service to Omega. Brother James Jones receive a 40-year award for his service to Omega at the 68th Grand Conclave in Cleveland, Ohio in July of 1994. Furthermore, there were several chapter brothers who had received awards for 35, 30 and 25 years of service to Omega.

On June 11, 1999, Eta Nu celebrated thirty (30) years of existence under the leadership of then Basileus Phil Patton. As we prepare for the 21st century, Eta Nu has some great things in store for the new millennium. At the Seventh District Meeting held in Mobile, Alabama in April 1999, it was officially announced that Eta Nu would be the host chapter for the District Conference in 2001 and Brother Harry Harrell was selected as the District Marshall for the District Conference in 2001. This announcement confirmed Eta Nu’s continued operation of excellence under the same principles of which our beloved fraternity was founded – Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift.

In October of 1999, the Eta Nu Chapter established the “Eta Nu Education Foundation”. The foundation was instituted by Brother Harry Harrell. It is a 501(c)3 organization which allows individuals and corporations to make tax-deductible donations. The Eta Nu Education Foundation has the responsibility as the scholarship administrator of the chapter, and facilitates the promotion of higher education through scholarship awards. The “ENEF” opened the door for increased fundraising and sponsorship opportunities. The foundation’s creation was a major catalyst of a highly effective branding platform for our emergent chapter.

The 2000’s saw the lineage of Eta Nu grow with the addition of four new lines and 38 new brothers.

As we continued to conquer the new millennium, Eta Nu had garnered a solid national reputation as a perennial powerhouse large chapter in Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated. We collectively flourished as our founder’s passionate foresight proved integral in developing our future prosperity. The demands on our service delivery had increased exponentially in short order, and it was clear that we needed a new expanded facility to conduct fraternity affairs. To initiate our quest for the new structure, Brother Samuel Clear Jr. was selected as our first official Housing Committee Chairman serving productively from 1995-1999, Brother John Wimberly was assigned as his co-chair. Brother Clear established the initial housing fund by passionately soliciting donations from our chapter brothers. Brother Clear was unwavering in his zeal to meet our goals for a new building. He served under Basileus Phil Patton. Brother Wayne Cross served as the next housing chair from 2000-2002 under Basileus Melvin Davis Sr. His co-chair was Brother Harry Harrell Sr. while Brother Cross continued the fund raising and pursued potential construction sites that would meet our space needs and satisfy the brotherhood. In 2003-2004, Brother Bruce Brown assumed the housing chair duty under Basileus Sylvester Robinson’s administration.

In the critical next phase of our process, Brother Harry Harrell Sr. was adroitly tapped as housing chair in 2004, his lauded appointment was a pivotal game changer. Brother Harrell’s savvy business acumen moved our housing project to explosive new levels. Brother Harrell’s co-chairs included Brothers Wayne Cross, Lawrence Harris, Willie Jones, and Wayne Comer, the longest tenured co-chair with eight years of service. Under Brother Harrell’s leadership fundraising increased dramatically. More importantly a solid partnership was forged with Pompano city leadership. Successively we were able to advance our strategy and acquire our land and building with no financial institution involvement. This was all due largely to the focused effort, dedication, and zealous commitment of the brothers of Eta Nu chapter. Our current housing committee functions under the leadership of Chairman Brother Harry B. Harrell Sr. The housing committee team members included the following Eta Nu brothers: James L. Jones (Founder), Wayne Comer, Clifford Wimberly Sr., Antonio Brihm, Moses Barnes, Lawrence Harris, Daryl Johnson, Samuel Clear Jr., Robert Bailey, Malcolm Roberts, James St. Louis, and Sylvester Robinson. Under the housing committee’s guidance, we effectively honored the legacy of our founders and moved aggressively forward in the realization of their futuristic vision and our destiny.

During the 2001 7th District Conference, Eta Nu chapter introduced an innovation that would definitively impact Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s operating procedures for years to come. Plastic Identification badges were issued as conference credentials to all attending brothers for the first time during that 2001 conference. The new plastic badges displayed each brother’s picture and information. The advent of this new equipment made it easier for event staff to identify legitimate participants and maintain a more secure event environment. The new cards allowed brothers to enter any event with their credential displayed, which led to enhanced operations and a better overall experience for brothers, and their guests. During prior conferences, paper tickets were issued for all events. The new improved plastic cards became the standard prototype of the fraternity. Grand KRS George Grace took the new card concept back to national, and established the plastic fraternity card with each brother’s picture replacing the paper cards that had been used traditionally. Eta Nu was solely responsible for that international change.

In the 2010’s and the dawn of a new decade, Eta Nu initiated three additional lines and added another thirty-four (34) new members.

On Thursday August 27, 2015, Eta Nu Chapter hosted the long anticipated ground-breaking ceremony for the new Eta Nu Foundation Education Center Building project. The awe-inspiring historical event took place at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and N.W. 10th avenue in Pompano Beach Florida, the chosen construction location of the superb new structure. The occasion was exquisitely gratifying to witness, all the way down to the golden ceremonial shovels, and our large assemblage of joyful brothers beaming with the gaze of pride and achievement. The Pompano Beach Mayor and several other dignitaries were on hand for the occasion. The event was an authentic manifestation our Founder’s dreams come true.

On June 29, 2016, the Eta Nu Chapter’s Housing Board hosted the inaugural meeting at the site of the new Eta Nu Education Center in Pompano Beach, Florida. The Board Members present included the following brothers: Eta Nu Founder James L. Jones, Charter Member Robert Bailey, Samuel Clear, Wayne Comer, Clifford Wimberly Sr., Malcolm Roberts, Daryl Johnson, Sylvester Robinson, and Lawrence Harris. This historic meeting focused on clarifying insurance issues and other priority essentials for the completion of the project. Also discussed were the details of the building’s grand opening ceremony.

The actual construction process was an eye-opening, learning experience for many of the brothers. The housing committee’s leadership team did an outstanding job of navigating the brothers through the complex process of funding and managing a large modern construction project. The arduous construction and permitting process was challenging, however we persevered and the hard work paid off. On July 25, 2016, the Eta Nu Education Center building was officially approved for public occupancy by the City of Pompano Beach’s building department.

The time had finally come to harvest the fruit of our labor. On December 8, 2016, Eta Nu presented our formal grand opening ceremony. In attendance were family, friends, various community leaders and several City of Pompano Beach Commissioners. It was truly a historical and blessed event that fostered a sense of pride in each of us. Eta Nu Founder Brother James L. Jones performed the ceremonial ribbon cutting, along with Mayor Lamar Fisher of Pompano Beach. This gala affair heralded in the latest phase of Eta Nu’s service to the Pompano Beach community. The grand opening observance was the fulfillment of a 40-plus year labor of love and the event was featured in several local news outlets.

On September 23, 2018, Eta Nu brothers captivated the 44th Annual Florida Statewide Organization Workshop in Stuart, Florida. Consistent with our acclaimed tradition of excellence, Eta Nu Chapter was the recipient of several prominent honors that included: Large Chapter of the Year Award 2018, Social Action Large Chapter of the Year, State History and Archives Award Chapter of the Year, Scholarship Award Large Chapter, the Founders Award (Brother Tommy Robinson), and the Superior Service Award (Brother Steve Rozier).

On June 11, 2019, Eta Nu marked 50 years of service to Pompano Beach and the greater Broward County and South Florida community. The celebration was commemorated with a week of festivities from June 9-15, themed “It Happened in 1969.” The same year, accolades were bestowed upon Eta Nu for the Large Chapter of the Year Award 2019 and Social Action Large Chapter of the Year 2019.

The 2020’s roared in with the addition of thirty-one (31) new brothers on three lines being welcomed into the fold of Omega.

Eta Nu has continued its legacy of Uplift and garnered awards at the State, District, and International level.