The Men Who Founded Omega

Brother Edgar A. Love 

(1891 - 1974)

An accomplished man in his own right, Brother Love was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia in 1891. Brother Love received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Howard University in 1913 and his Bachelor of Divinity from Howard in 1916. He earned his Bachelor of Sacred Theology Degree from Boston University in 1918. In 1935 he received an honory Doctor of Divinity Degree from Morgan College. He was a veteran of World War I, where he served as Army Chaplain.

In a letter dated November 7, 1962 to Brother William C. Jason, Jr., Brother Love stated that Omega men should be "sterling in worth with unsullied character". He also stated that "we want men whose intellectual ability is above average". In an interview conducted by brother Joshua Mark Hyman in October of 1973, brother Love stated that he would not change anything about the Fraternity if he had to do it again. He also knew that there was no perfect body, referring to the body of Omega; "I’m sorry to say the master made a mistake, he chose twelve disciples and among them a traitor, you can’t expect Omega to have 30,000 in there without making some mistakes…"

All organizations require a foundation from which to build upon; for it is the foundation which is the strength that must bear the weight of all that enters. Because of his spiritual conviction, it is not difficult to assume that Omega’s spiritual foundation was planted by Bishop Edgar A. Love.

Brother Ernest E. Just 

(1883 - 1941)

Of all the founders, Dr. Ernest E. Just can be considered the true leader of the four. His obsession with science led to him being one of the first African American Scientist to achieve world recognition. Dr. Just received international acclaim for work he completed during the summers from 1909 to 1930 at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. At MBL, he conducted thousands of experiments studying the fertilization of the marine mammal cell. He sought to find the "truth" using scientific methods and inquiry. His confidence allowed him to challenge the theories of leaders in his field. His true obsession was with the science of cytology. Dr. Just's tenacity and motivation led him to add to our understanding of the process of artificial parthenogenesis and the physiology of cell development.

Dr. Just was born August 14, 1883 in Charleston, South Carolina. At an early age, he demonstrated a gift for academic research. In 1907, he was the only person to graduate magna cum laude from Dartmouth College with a degree in zoology. He received special honors in botany and history, and honors in sociology.

Immediately after graduation, Dr. Just taught at Howard University where he was appointed head of the Department of Zoology in 1912. At Howard, he also served as a professor in the medical school and head of the Department of Physiology until his death. The first Spingarn Medal was awarded to the  reluctant and modest Just by the NAACP in 1915 for his accomplishments as a pure scientist. In 1916, Dr. Just graduated magna cum laude from University of Chicago receiving his doctorate in experimental embryology.

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