The fraternity will award the first scholarship during its 50th anniversary celebration.
James McFadden was very involved with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity while earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He served as Arkansas district director, chapter president of Pi Lambda Chapter, Southwestern Region executive director and National Sergeant-At-Arms.
The Kappa Psi Chapter alumni members of Alpha Phi Alpha are honoring McFadden’s memory by starting an endowed scholarship at UA Little Rock. The group has made a $25,000 donation to create the James Maurice McFadden Scholarship Endowment.
“Brother McFadden was one of my line brothers, and there were 10 of us who crossed the line together in 2002,” said Nicholas Norfolk, an advisor for the Kappa Psi Chapter at UA Little Rock. “James was the heart and soul of our line, someone to cry and cheer with. When James passed away last year, we wanted to create this scholarship to honor him and his legacy.”
McFadden was an ordained minister and served as an elder at the Spirit of God Church in St. Louis. He worked for many causes that focused on youth, civil rights, economic empowerment, education and science and technology, according to a press release.
The scholarship will be used to pay for education-related expenses including tuition, books, fees and room and board. The scholarship is open to part-time and full-time undergraduate students. Preference will be given to active or retired military service members, non-traditional students, first-generation students and active members of Greek Letter organizations within the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
McFadden was “a huge supporter of education.” For years, fraternity members volunteered at Franklin Elementary in Little Rock as part of a national program called Go to High School, Go to College, and Norfolk said he’s realized “having someone there made a difference.”
“A lot of these students did not have male role models,” he said. I ran into one of those students a few years ago, and he thanked me because he didn’t think he would have graduated from high school, let alone go to college, if not for our volunteer work.”
Alpha Phi Alpha announced the scholarship and fundraising campaign on Dec. 4, the fraternity’s Founders’ Day. The Alpha Phi Alpha members plan to fully endow the scholarship and award the first scholarship in 2026 during the Kappa Psi Chapter’s 50th anniversary celebration.
Donations can be made to the scholarship by mailing checks with his name in the memo line or visiting this website. Under fund, select other and type “James Maurice McFadden Scholarship Endowment.”