By Hon. Bro. Mercer Cook and Hon. Bro. Charles Drew
Omega Dear, we are thy own; Thou Art our Life, our Love, our Home, We'll Sing Thy praises far and nigh; We love Omega Psi Phi. To all thy precepts make us true; Live Nobly as all real men do; Let manhood be our eternal shrine; With faith in God and Heart and Mind. Through days of joy or years of pain; To Serve thee e'er will be our aim; And when we say our last goodbye; We'll love Omega Psi Phi.
October 31, 1973, I was in the room the night the first line started at TZ. Tyrone Laws and I eventaully dropped after a couple months and Brace never let me forget it. However, as crazy as he could be, when I did re-up the following year, Bracey never not once treated me like a Lamp, same with Spell, and even Steve (pretty much). He never posted me up. They always considered me one of "theirs." Wild and crazy guy. Brace almost gave Drac and I a stroke in '77, but he always treated me as one of his line brothers. Shared an apartment with Brace and Spell when the new housing opened at Busch in 1976. Brace started Jaribu Sana, the chapter newsletter. Quick thinker on his feet. Had a nasty side, but who doesn't. Taught "Mean Machine" "Bend Over" and the rest is history.
Surprised this page isn't full. I have to believe that Charlie Dillard and Mike Goins are two of the most traveled members in TZ history. Bu the king of the road has got to be Hollywood Hazelwood. A complete nutcase. And he knew it. And he liked it. He was comfortable in his own skin and really didn't care what others thought about him. Would walk up to a female and tell her just what was on his mind. I saw it for myself, a lot. Only guy I ever saw come close to reigning Steve in was Spell, and after a while, even he gave up. If Tau Zeta is, indeed, as famous as we claim we are (and we are), it has a lot to do with Charlie and Drac, but before them, there was Steve Hazelwood. Truly a special talent, I mean St. Benny's in Newark, Air Force Academy, all that. But I wonder if Steve ever found what he was really happy doing. He is absolutely missed. If we were going to name something for some reason, Steve Hazelwood wouldn't be a bad place to start the debate. Love him. Miss him.
My son was born December 26, 1991. His mother asked me what we should name him. Before I had a chance to answer she decided on "David." Told me she did it because of the reaction she saw from me when Jeter passed. She wanted to remember Jeter by naming our son David. I had the good fortune of being Jeter's Dean. I saw somewhere that that line was Tau Zeta's best ever. I don't know what the criteria is for that but it's a good argument. That was a speacial line. Every one of them, rock solid, and together as one. When you looked at Jeter, he was the best example of that line. If you hit him, he wouldn't move. It was like trying to kill a brick. He wouldn't move. And he'd look at you like, "Is that it?" Never said a word to the contrary. Showed up every day. Never complained. And in a broader sense, that was the entire line of "Hell's 12." Determined, soft-spoken, and strong. I mean strong like, "I don't give a damn what you do right about now, but I'm going over." Didn't have to say it. Jeter just did it. So did his line. If that is the greatest line, then that makes Jeter one of our greatest brothers. I'd say that's about right.
Treacherous T, the Dog Captain was everyones best Friend on the line - he always found a way to bring us back together and is and always shall be missed! The last time I saw him and huged him, he said "Pebbles thank you for hugging me, most people don't want to touch me" I knew his aliment would not transfer to me and I am thankful for my last embrace of My Brother.... Roooo!
From Walter Allen on March 25th, 2014
I was gone by the time Tyree and Ray pledged (though I was around campus at the time), but I know this Brother is an essential part of the soul of this line. His brothers speak of him with a reverance not often heard. I met Tyree, of course, on many occasions, but what lives on is how his line mates continue to speak of him in extreme reverance.
From Ray "Snapper" Callier on September 28th, 2013
Tyree was my #2 sands, known as "Treacherous T". Tyree was born and raised in Newark, NJ., graduated from Livingston College in 1981 with a Psychology degree. Tyree enjoyed every bit of life and was very spriitual, as a matter of fact, he was the Chaplin of the Sneaky 6 line. In the summer of 1996, after a brief illness, he became the second brother to enter into Omega chapter from Tau Zeta. GOD bless his soul. He is missed dearly and will always be remembered. Que Psi Phi 'til the day we die, Roo!
Artie Smith, Number 11, "Saint's 13 Sinners," Fall, 1973, Upsilon Phi. Artie followed Colonel, Paul, Leroy, Merv and Doc Elby into Upsilon Phi while at Livingston. Back then everyone pledged through the Newark City Chapter. Think about that, you're in school in NB, some of your LBs are up north, and you're pledging every night. You had to really want it. The next year, Livingston had it's very own first line. Some people like to throw around the term "old school." These guys pledged OLD SCHOOL. Their big brothers went over in the 50s and 60s. Clarence Boseman, Gordon Dupree, Bill Oliver, Aaron Walker. One night, Artie and some of his line brothers were at Dupree's house to deliver a paddle they made for Dupree's wife. As Derrick Roberts tells the story, Dupree's wife's first name started with the letter "V" so the Lamps put her initials on the paddle as "V.D." Oh, my God, when Dupree saw the paddle for his wife with the letters VD on it, he went bananas. "You calling my wife VD!!!" as is she had some kind of venerial desease. Funniest shnizzle I ever heard, especially knowing Dupree. Artie was on that line. Loved AC. Loved to gamble. "Goldie." It can be said that he taught Steve Hazelwood everything he knew. That about says it. His brother runs a service station on 13th Ave in Newark right behind the courthouse.
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