Deciding that a submarine would be the best means of delivering his mines in warfare, he built an eight-foot-long wooden submersible that was christened the Turtle for its shape. Large enough to accommodate one operator, the submarine was entirely hand-powered. Lead ballast kept the craft balanced.
Today, the Massive Twelfth District encompasses ten (10) states, four (4) time zones, and one thousand financial members. Geographically, the 12th District covers the largest contiguous landmass of any District under the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. umbrella, occupying approximately 1.6 million square miles. In recent years, the 12th District has enjoyed a rich history. Brother Dr. L. Benjamin Livingston, Pi Rho Chapter (San Bernardino, CA), was elected as Omega Psi Phiâs 1st Vice Grand Basileus in 1979. Subsequently, in 1982, Brother Livingston was elected 32nd Grand Basileus. He is the only Grand Basileus elected from the District.
Brief History of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity was founded on Friday, November 17, 1911 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The founders of the Fraternity were three students: Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper, and Frank Coleman; and their first faculty advisor Ernest Everett Just. Omega Psi Phi was the first Black fraternal organization founded at a Black university or college.