Records in this collection document the structure, finances, history, culture, and charitable contributions of the Alpha Phi Alpha alumni chapter Eta Sigma Lambda, which is based in San José, California.

On December 4, 1906 at the campus of Cornell University, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity earned the distinct honor of being the first Greek letter college fraternity to be founded by African American men. Nearly 60 years later, eight African-American men founded the Eta Sigma Lambda (ESL) chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in Palo Alto, California. The founders of the Eta Sigma Lambda chapter laid the foundation to what would become a socially and charitably vibrant chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. The fraternity's vision statement best summarizes the purpose and spirit of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity:

10.0 boxes (8.34 linear feet)

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The collection is open for research with the exception of box four. Explicit permission is required to view the contents of box four.