By Vontavious C. Howell and Tracy R. George
Chapter Presidents, Gamma
Pi Sigma and Epsilon Tau Zeta
In 1956, just days apart, Macon became home to two organizations whose shared values and historic bond would shape generations of service, leadership, and community impact. Seventy years later, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Gamma Pi Sigma Chapter, and the Epsilon Tau Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated stand as enduring pillars of commitment to Middle Georgia.
Gamma Pi Sigma Chapter: Seventy Years of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., founded on the campus of Howard University in 1914 by three (3) illustrious collegiate-educated men. On January 8, 1956, Gamma Pi Sigma Chapter was chartered in Macon, Georgia by eleven determined men who came together with a shared belief that brotherhood carried responsibility and that leadership required service beyond self. Guided by the fraternity’s enduring motto—Culture for Service and Service for Humanity—the Gamma Pi Sigma Chapter was chartered, planting roots that would grow into seventy years of sustained impact within the community.
The chapter consistently lives out the principles of brotherhood, scholarship and service through action rather than acclaim. The chapter’s legacy has been shaped not by visibility but by consistency, showing up where needs exist, remaining committed long after the spotlight fades, and translating brotherhood into purposeful service for humanity.
Over seven decades, Gamma Pi Sigma has demonstrated that brotherhood is more than fellowship; it is accountability, mentorship, and collective effort. The chapter’s strength has always rested in its ability to unite a wondrous band of men around a common purpose. From its charter members to today’s leadership, each generation has carried forward the understanding that service is not a moment, but a lifelong obligation.
The legacy of the eleven charter members remains woven into the chapter’s identity. Their foresight established a standard that continues to guide Gamma Pi Sigma’s approach to community engagement, leadership development, and civic responsibility, allowing the chapter to evolve with the times while remaining firmly anchored in its founding mission. As the chapter marks its 70th anniversary, this milestone serves as both a celebration and a recommitment. Gamma Pi Sigma honors the past by continuing the work, strengthening communities, mentoring future leaders, and advancing a brotherhood built on integrity and purpose. Reflecting on the significance of the moment, Chapter President Vontavious C. Howell shared, “Seventy years represents more than longevity; it represents accountability. Our founders set an expectation that service would be our standard, and our responsibility today is to carry that standard forward with intention and integrity.” Seventy years later, the legacy endures not only in history but also in the ongoing promise to serve with purpose and lead with principle.
A Shared Year, A Shared Commitment
While Gamma Pi Sigma’s legacy reflects seventy years of brotherhood grounded in service and leadership, that same spirit of commitment and community uplift found a parallel expression in Macon just days later. In that same historic year, 1956, the city would witness another enduring beginning.
On January 12, a group of visionary women chartered the Epsilon Tau Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, establishing a legacy rooted in scholarship, service, and sisterhood. Constitutionally and purposefully bound to Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, these two organizations have spent seven decades serving the same community through distinct missions, shared values, and a unified commitment to uplift.
Epsilon Tau Zeta Chapter: Seventy Years of Service, Sisterhood, and Impact Epsilon Tau Zeta’s story is inseparable from the legacy of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, founded in 1920 by five visionary women who believed scholarship and service should never be separated from sisterhood and finer womanhood. That founding vision took root locally on January 12, 1956, when eight college-educated women, led by Gwendolyn Earl Moore, chartered the Epsilon Tau Zeta Graduate Chapter in Macon, Georgia.
For seventy years, the women of Epsilon Tau Zeta (ETZ) have quietly but powerfully shaped lives throughout Macon and the Middle Georgia community through scholarship, service, and an unwavering commitment to sisterhood.
From its earliest days, ETZ has embodied Zeta’s guiding principles. Scholarships have remained a cornerstone, supporting students, encouraging academic achievement, and investing in the promise of future leaders. Service has been the chapter’s heartbeat, expressed through partnerships that address real community needs, from food insecurity to family support and youth empowerment. Sisterhood, woven through every initiative, has sustained generations of women who uplift one another as family. Through it all, finer womanhood has set the standard, calling members to lead with grace, intellect, and compassion in every space they occupy.
That commitment continues to resonate today. ETZ’s recent recognitions at the state, regional, and international levels reflect a chapter that honors tradition while embracing innovation. Yet accolades are not the goal; they are simply the byproduct of consistent, community-centered work. As Chapter President Tracy R. George shared, “Our seventy-year legacy is built on women who showed up, year after year, not for recognition, but because service is who we are. We stand on their shoulders with gratitude, and we move forward with responsibility.”
In celebration of its 70th anniversary, Epsilon Tau Zeta proudly honors its Life Members and Crystal Doves, women whose wisdom, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication laid the foundation for generations of service. Their legacy lives on in every life touched, every student supported, and every act of service rendered in Middle Georgia.
As the chapter looks ahead, its mission remains clear: to deepen community impact, expand educational opportunities, and model a sisterhood that is active, inclusive, and enduring. With confidence and conviction, ETZ moves forward guided by the same principles that started it all: scholarship, service, sisterhood, and finer womanhood.
Seventy Years Together
Together, Gamma Pi Sigma and Epsilon Tau Zeta Chapters continue a shared commitment to serving Middle Georgia and welcome opportunities to partner with individuals and organizations dedicated to positive community impact.
