| Marcus Peter Blakemore | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1889 Franklin, Indiana, U.S. |
| Died | October 9, 1959 |
| Occupation | Founder of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated; Dentist |
Marcus Peter Blakemore (1889 - October 9, 1959) was a founder of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.[1] In The Story of Kappa Alpha Psi, the primary book of history for the fraternity, Blakemore is said to have been an active contributor to educational, community, religious institutions, and an inspiration to members of his fraternity.[2]
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Marcus Peter Blakemore was born in Franklin, Indiana in 1889.[1] He attended public schools in Anderson, Indiana, graduating in 1909.[2]
In the fall of 1910, Blakemore enrolled in Indiana University, rooming with Byron Kenneth Armstrong.[2] Blakemore, Armstrong, and other African-American men at Indiana University sought a solution to the problems faced by African-American students on the campus. To this end, they met to organize a fraternity, officially founding Kappa Alpha Psi on January 5, 1911.[2]
The founders of Kappa Alpha Psi filed an application for incorporation as a national fraternity on April 11, 1911.[2] To help pay the twenty-five dollar incorporation fee, Blakemore pawned his watch and donated the money towards the incorporation.[2] The fraternity became incorporated on May 15, 1911.[2]
Blakemore left Indiana University later in 1911. He started the Electric Engineering Company, a company which he operated until enlisting in the military during World War I.[2] Later, Blakemore enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh, receiving his Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree in 1923, and subsequently taking a career as a dentist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[1]
Blakemore died on October 9, 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was buried in Allegheny Cemetery.[2]
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