APCAA Collection At AUC Woodruff Library Acquires Rare Original Edition Of May 1944 Sphinx Magazine Covering The Commission Of S.S. John Hope / World's First Peacetime Hospital Ship

APCAA Staff

In October 2025, the Alpha Rho Chapter Alumni Association (APCAA) proudly announced a distinguished addition to its archival holdings at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library in Atlanta: a rare original‑edition of the May 1944 issue of The Sphinx magazine, documenting the commissioning of the S.S. John Hope — reputedly the world’s first peacetime hospital ship. This acquisition enriches the Alpha Rho collection with a primary‑source moment at the intersection of fraternity heritage, Black institutional history, and broader archival preservation.

APCAA’s Deputy Acquisitions Officer Bro. Earl N. Caldwell managed the partnership development.

The magazine’s cover story, marking the ship’s mission, now sits among the APCAA‑curated artifacts that the APCAA archive at the Woodruff Library is building for present and future scholars. The significance of the artifact runs on multiple levels. First, it connects to the legacy of the Dr. John Hope family (including his grandson, the late Richard O. Hope), whose stewardship of scholarship, fraternity leadership, and historical preservation is well‑documented in the archives of the AUC library.

The acquisition thus reinforces the APCAA’s mission to safeguard the fraternity’s connection to educational leadership and archival excellence. Second, the documentary nature of the magazine issue gives insight into wartime and immediate post‑war naval humanitarian initiatives — making the item valuable not just to fraternity historians but also to researchers in African‑American studies, educational history, and maritime and military history. Finally, its placement at the Woodruff Library’s research level collection means it is accessible for teaching, exhibit, and scholarship, aligning with the Library’s stated commitment to rare and out‑of‑print materials.

According to APCAA President Bro. BMaynard Scarborough, “This gift represents more than a magazine cover — it is a bridge between our brotherhood, our institutional legacy, and the broader currents of Black educational and civic service. When students and scholars look at this issue of The Sphinx, they connect not only with the story of the S.S. John Hope but with our commitment to preserving history that might otherwise vanish.”

The APCAA’s archives already house an array of items — from ceremonial paddles to charter documents — and this newest inclusion helps expand the deep‑time narrative of the fraternity’s connections to Morehouse College, the AUC consortium, and African American institutional advancement.

The gift was made possible through continuing estate discharges overseen by the Hope Family estate trustee, Alice Hope, widow of Bro. Richard  O. Hope. Her stewardship of the Hope family’s holdings has permitted a transfer of archival treasures into public‑research contexts such as the APCAA collection. Through this collaboration between the Hope family, the trustee, the fraternity association, and the Woodruff Library, students and scholars alike will have access to a meaningful piece of history for generations to come.

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