
The fraternity was formed as a support system for men of color living during the turbulent social climate of the U.S.

On September 19, 1963, in the height of the Civil Rights' Movement, these twelve founders gathered together on the steps of Hurts Gymnasium on the campus of Morgan State College (now known as Morgan State University) and formed Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. They were older than their peers with many of them having served in the military, working full-time while attending classes, and having families.

The founders of the fraternity were themselves not of the norm as they were all non-traditional students. Iota brothers participated in various protests and sit-ins throughout the city of Baltimore. Influenced by the times and by people and organizations such as the Black Panthers, SNCC, Malcolm X, and Stokely Carmichael. The fraternity was founded by twelve men in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. There are currently around 270 undergraduate and alumni chapters, as well as colonies located in over 40 US states, the District of Columbia, the Bahamas and South Korea. Iota Phi Theta presently consists of 35,000 members. The Iota Phi Theta Fraternity ( ΙΦΘ) is a nationally incorporated, predominantly African-American fraternity was founded on Septemat Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Symbol = |*YIKfCigmkFHKX0/IotaPhiThetaShield.jpgcity = BaltimoreĬhapters = 270 | colors = Charcoal Brown █ Address = Founders Hall1600 North Calvert Street
