Bro. Alain L. Locke | Honorary #5
Alain LeRoy Locke was born on September 13, 1886, in Philadelphia, PA, to educated, middle-class parents. A gifted scholar, he graduated second in his class from Philadelphia’s Central High School and later earned degrees in literature and philosophy from Harvard University in 1907. Selected as the first African American Rhodes Scholar, Locke faced racial barriers at Oxford before gaining admission to Hertford College, where he studied from 1907 to 1910. He also pursued philosophical studies at the University of Berlin.
Returning to the United States in 1912, Locke began a distinguished academic career at Howard University, where he taught philosophy for four decades and served as department chair from 1921 until his retirement in 1953. In 1916, he earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard. Locke was widely admired as an innovative educator whose interdisciplinary scholarship and progressive teaching methods influenced generations of students.
Dr. Locke is regarded as the intellectual father of the New Negro Movement and the Harlem Renaissance. He championed cultural pride, artistic excellence, and racial understanding, encouraging African Americans to embrace their heritage while engaging fully in American society. While aligned with W.E.B. Du Bois’s “Talented Tenth” philosophy, Locke rejected elitism and remained deeply connected to the broader Black community.
In March 1915, Dr. Locke was inducted into Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. as an honorary member in recognition of his leadership, scholarship, and service, alongside Dr. Edward Porter Davis, Dr. Thomas Wyatt Turner, and Thomas Montgomery Gregory. Through his scholarship, mentorship of artists such as Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, and seminal works—including The New Negro (1925)—Locke left an enduring legacy grounded in his philosophy of cultural pluralism, emphasizing respect, diversity, and democratic ideals.
Dr. Locke transitioned to the Omega Chapter on Wednesday, June 9, 1954 in New York City, New York at the age of 68.
Awards:Rhodes Scholar, Bowdoin prize, and regard as one of the 100 Greatest African Americans.
