NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Standing before cheering students, alumni, and supporters at the Tennessee State University 2026 Homecoming Pep Rally, members of the Rho Psi Chapter of the TSU National Alumni Association presented university officials with a check for $1,048,000.
The ceremonial presentation marked a historic milestone, with the Rho Psi Alumni Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity officially becoming the first Greek-letter organization to surpass $1 million in lifetime giving to the TSU Foundation.
The achievement reflects more than a quarter-century of collective philanthropy dedicated to opening doors for future generations of TSU Tigers.
“When we first started, it was really about getting everyone to buy into the idea – the brothers of Rho Psi, the university administration, and eventually the alumni association,” said Martez Moore, a 2001 TSU graduate and president of the chapter. “We raised our first $100,000 to get the scholarship effort going, and that was made possible by people who believed in the process and had confidence that we could make it happen.”
The giving journey began during the 1999–2000 fiscal year with Project Rho Psi 2000. Over the past 26 years, the chapter established three distinct accounts within the TSU Foundation. The Project Rho Psi Reload Fund was created to build a monument on the university’s Greek Row. The Endowed Scholarship was established to ensure permanent, need- and merit-based financial support for TSU students in perpetuity. Additionally, the Alumni Scholarship Fund was created to provide annual, immediate-use scholarships that complement the endowment and monument funds by closing urgent financial gaps for students.
University leadership called the milestone a transformational investment in student success.
“This historic milestone achieved by the Rho Psi Chapter illustrates the profound impact our alumni have when they unite behind a vision for our students,” said TSU President Dwayne Tucker. “Surpassing $1 million in lifetime giving demonstrates incredible generosity, deep loyalty, and a relentless commitment to elevating TSU. Their support ensures our students have the financial assistance needed to persist and graduate.”
The Chair of the Tennessee State University Foundation Board, Dr. Laveil Allen, commended the chapter for setting a powerful benchmark for university support.
“I am incredibly impressed by Rho Psi’s unwavering commitment to Tennessee State University, turning a 20-year vision into a remarkable $1 million investment in the future of our students,” Allen said. “Even more inspiring is their determination not to rest on this milestone, but to use it as a launching point for an even greater legacy of philanthropy and impact. Bravo and well done.”
Eloise Abernathy Alexis, TSU’s vice president of Institutional Advancement, stressed that the total is a testament to grass-roots dedication across multiple decades.
“This milestone is more than a number,” Alexis said. “It represents generations of donors, more than 25 years of making gifts ranging from $1 to over $15,000, and hundreds of student recipients whose futures were realized because alumni, their families, and friends chose to give back.”
For many chapter members, giving back is rooted in their own student experiences at TSU, where they relied on academic work-study, band scholarships, and financial aid.
“Somebody helped all of us get through our four years at Tennessee State,” Moore said. “My personal goal was to pay back everything I received… Giving feels so good, and I know the need is greater than simply giving back what I received.”
Rather than resting on their laurels, the chapter is launching Project Rho Psi 2030 and a broader campaign called Two and Beyond, aiming for $2 million in lifetime giving. Project Rho Psi 2030 targets growing the endowed scholarship fund alone to $1 million by April 11, 2030, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Mighty Rho Psi Chapter.
By doing so, the chapter hopes to challenge other Greek-letter organizations to step up and invest in TSU’s future.“We’re going to make sure we continue this legacy as long as we can,” Moore said. “It’s going to outlive all of us. This is for the generations that come after us.”
Featured Photo: Members of the Rho Psi Chapter of the TSU National Alumni Association celebrate a groundbreaking achievement as the first Greek-letter organization to surpass $1 million in lifetime contributions to the university. (Photo by A’Kevian Anderson)
About Tennessee State University
Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public land-grant university offering 41 bachelor’s degrees, 15 graduate certificates, 27 master’s degrees, and nine doctoral degrees. TSU’s campus spans 500 acres. The university is committed to academic excellence, providing students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders. Visit tnstate.edu for more details.
