On what date did the first initiation take place?

• A. November 15, 1906
• B. September 2, 1906
• C. December 1, 1906
• D. October 30, 1906

Answer: (D)

Initiation is the formal induction of members into a fraternity, beyond just organizing or meeting together. The date in question is remembered as the moment when the first individuals were formally initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha, marking the transition from planning to active membership. October 30, 1906, is the milestone that historians note as the first initiation, underscoring the rapid move from ideas to a growing brotherhood. The fraternity’s founding is credited to the group forming later in the year, with that official naming and chartering often tied to December 4, 1906, but the first initiation happened on October 30, 1906, making it the key date for when actual members besides the founders joined.