Brother Caesar D. Williams, Jr., 6-83-A
June 22, 1962 - March 26, 2023
Caesar's Omega Journey
The path to Omega Caesar embarked on did not start when he entered Howard University in the Fall of 1980 but over two decades earlier on the storied campus of what was then Morgan State College. It was on a cloudy, cool Friday evening, December 12, 1958, that eight men “thoroughly immersed” entered the fold of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity through Pi Chapter. One of those men was 20-year-old sophomore Caesar Damone Williams Sr. Hailing from Newport News, VA, Caesar Sr. was a standout athlete on Morgan’s tennis team. During his senior year, not only was he elected captain of the tennis team, but chosen to lead Pi Chapter as Vice Basileus for the 1960-61 school year (see the back inside cover). The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
Twenty-four years after his initiation, Caesar Sr. will witness his firstborn, Caesar Damone Williams Jr., enter the sanctum of Omega through Alpha Chapter on Saturday evening, March 25, 1983, as a member of Mr. T’s Ten Tragic Tricks of Magic. As with his father, Caesar was a standout athlete at Howard University and captain of his respective team.
However, his athletic prowess was not on the hardcourt but in the water. He held five records as a member of the Howard Bison Sharks swim team, earning him co-captain and assistant coach honors. Caesar’s tenacity in the pool was represented by his philosophy that “unless you put out an effort in anything you do, you’ll get absolutely nothing out of it.”i This extended academically as Caesar frequented the Dean’s List, was a recipient of an insurance scholarship, was a national Who’s Who scholar and was selected by the Brothers of Alpha Chapter as its Chapter Scholar. Similar to his father, Caesar was forged in the crucible of leadership. In addition to serving as Social Chair for the 60+ member-Alpha Chapter, he was Finance Director for the student government organization, Undergraduate Student Association, founder and president of the Entrepreneurs of Howard, a representative on the School of Business Student Council, and dorm Resident Assistant. While Caesar earned many accolades during his time at Howard, his best was friend as he forged deep relationships with the Bros, his classmates, and students at Howard that existed for decades.
The bonds of brotherhood extended well beyond Howard to his native Philadelphia and other campuses that he frequented. This included the Philly Greek Picnic, Nu Psi by the Sea, and road trips to Hampton, Virginia State, and Morehouse/Clark. While stepping was not a natural talent, his focus and hard work earned him a spot on the 1983 Greek Show step team and 1984 Block Show team.
Caesar’s embrace of scholarship led him back to Philadelphia in 1990, when he was accepted into the MBA program at the prestigious Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. This led to establishing a successful commercial insurance practice in Philadelphia that was his passion for over twenty years. While his aquatic days were long behind him, his competitive genes turned to golf, where he and many Bros and friends extended and strengthened their relationships. Caesar became a member of Mu Omega Chapter and continued his work for Omega, serving on various committees and projects for the Chapter over the years. Displaying leadership and advancing the range of the Fraternity,
In 2011, Caesar helped charter a new Chapter in the Philadelphia area, Pi Mu Mu Chapter, along with many of Bros Caesar called friends over the years from Philadelphia. But his expansion of Omega did not end there. A decades-long member of the Union League of Philadelphia, Caesar contributed to the diversification of the 161-year-old private club by sponsoring many new African American members, several being Bros. This led to the creation of Omega’s unofficial Chapter, the Center City Ques.
Caesar embraced Omega Dear as thine own. His character throughout the journey epitomized the Cardinal Principles of Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift. But more importantly, Caesar was a friend, a good friend. He was, as Founder Edgar Amos Love states, a friend “who sees through you but will see you through.”
i Richards, D. (1983, November 18). Profile: Caesar Williams. The Hilltop, p. 7.
