LUMBERTON —The newly elected 42nd Grand Basileus of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity credits a Lumberton man with his life’s success.

During the 83rd Grand Conclave of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity held recently in Charlotte, Ricky Lewis, of Los Angeles, was named into the fraternity’s highest leadership position after serving as the 35th First Vice Grand Basileus since 2018.

During his inauguration, Lewis noted that he was introduced and mentored in the fraternity by the late Thomas Hayswood McPhatter of San Diego, California, who was a former 12th District representative for the fraternity from 1970-1973, representing the states of California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Alaska, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

During his growth in the fraternity, McPhatter use to call on Lewis to offer advice and told him about his roots in Lumberton.

“I use to talk to him all the time about the fraternity, about life and he grew to be my mentor … I valued his judgment. He was very firm. He was very good about keeping his word, a man of integrity.”

Lewis went on to follow in McPhatter’s footsteps, running for the 12th District office.

“I had the same job as 12th District representative from ‘95 to ‘98,” Lewis said. “He use to give me advice after I took the job.”

Lewis “set at the foot” of McPhatter until his passing in 2009. His time in the military, his religious conviction and his leadership were all attributes Lewis looked up to in McPhatter’s character.

“All of that meant even more to me the importance of listening to him,” Lewis said.”… All of the little nuggets he gave me developed me into becoming the leader of the greatest fraternity in America.”

McPhatter was a native of Lumberton, where he grew up in the 11th Street community known as East Pines. He went on to become one of the first Black chaplains in the United States Navy, an Iowa Jima veteran and also was active with the Montford Point Marines. His efforts played a major role in the congressional recognition of the Montford Point Marine Association.

McPhatter was a graduate of Redstone Academy in Lumberton, and he received his Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Divinity degree from Johnson C. Smith University of Charlotte and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. He was an ordained Presbyterian minister, and a close associate of the late superior court judge Henry Mckinnon of Lumberton. He transitioned in San Diego, California in May 2009 and is buried in the family plot of Bethany Church Cemetery in downtown Lumberton.

More than 25,000 members from all 50 states and numerous foreign countries of the fraternity were in Charlotte for the meeting. Attending from the local chapter was Paul Anderson, II, Bishop McDuffie, and Douglas McMillan Jr., who received his 50-year pin.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity was founded Nov. 17, 1911 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Civil Rights Activist Rev. Jessie Jackson a member of the fraternity was in attendance for the Founders Banquet.

Attorney Ben Crump of Florida and Lumberton who is the former national counselor for the fraternity was also in attendance.