Edgar Amos Love facts for kids

Edgar Amos Love (born September 10, 1891 – died May 1, 1974) was an American teacher, minister, and activist. He is best known as one of the four founders of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the first Black fraternity started at a historically Black college. Love dedicated his life to education, faith, and helping his community.

Edgar Love's Early Life

Edgar Amos Love was born on September 10, 1891, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. His father, Reverend Julius C. Love, was a respected minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. His mother, Susie Love, was also a licensed minister. She was the first woman to graduate from Morgan College. Because his father was a minister, Edgar lived in different parts of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia during his childhood. He was one of seven children in his family.

Edgar Love's Education Journey

Love finished high school at the Academy of Morgan College in Baltimore in 1909. He then earned his first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts, from Howard University in 1913. In 1916, he received a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the Howard Divinity School. He continued his studies at the Boston University School of Theology, where he earned another degree, a Bachelor of Sacred Theology, in 1918.

Founding Omega Psi Phi Fraternity

On November 17, 1911, Edgar Love, along with two other Howard University students, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, started the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.. They also had help and guidance from Ernest Everett Just, a well-known scientist. This fraternity was very important because it was the first Black fraternity founded on a Black college campus. The young men chose four main ideas to guide their fraternity: Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift. Edgar Love was a founding member of the first chapter at Howard, called Alpha Chapter, on December 15, 1911. He also served as the Grand Basileus (which means President) of the fraternity two different times.

Edgar Love's Career and Service

During World War I, Love served in the United States Army for fourteen months overseas. He worked as a chaplain, which is a minister who serves in the military. After leaving the army, he became a professor at Morgan College for two years. He also worked as the school's athletic director. In 1923, Love married Virginia L. Ross, and they had one son, Jon E. Love.

Following his time at Morgan, Love followed in his parents' footsteps and became a Methodist minister. He led churches in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. His most well-known church was the John Wesley Church in Baltimore.

In 1933, Love became the District Superintendent of the Washington Conference of the Methodist Church. In 1940, he was chosen to lead the Methodist Department of Negro Work. These roles prepared him for a bigger position. On June 22, 1952, he was elected as a Bishop of the Methodist Church. He was in charge of the segregated Central Conference in the Baltimore area for twelve years. Even after retiring, he came back to serve as Bishop of the Atlantic Coast Area from November 1966 to June 1967. This area included churches in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi.

Community Involvement

While leading the Methodist church, Bishop Love also helped many Black colleges and universities as a trustee. This included his beloved Morgan College. He also served on the Maryland Inter-Racial Commission. Bishop Love was a lifelong member of the NAACP, an important civil rights organization. He also belonged to several other community groups, like the Prince Hall Free Masons and the American Legion.

Later Years and Death

Bishop Love passed away on May 1, 1974, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was 82 years old.