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The History of
Kappa Alpha Psi
The story of Kappa Alpha Psi is to a large extent
the story of black
students everywhere, whether organized or not, who attended predominantly
white colleges or universities in America prior to World War II.
The accomplishments of these first Black students is all the more noteworthy
because typically they worked their way through college. Their determination
in the face of seemingly insurmountable social and economic odds is the
source of inspiration to less than full privileged students at white
institutions of higher learning throughout America. To understand this is to
understand the birth of college fraternities among Blacks.
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. was founded January 5, 1911 at the Indiana University in
Bloomington Indiana. Being incorporated by the state of Indiana April 15, 1911, it was first known
as Kappa Alpha Nu. The name was later changed to Kappa Alpha Psi through the efforts of three men.
Founders Elder Watson Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong and John M. Lee. They helped sow the seed of
Fraternity to college men everywhere.
The Objectives of Kappa Alpha Psi
To unite college men of culture, patriotism and honor in a bond of Fraternity.
To encourage honorable achievement in every field of human endeaver.
To promote the spiritual, social, intellectual adn moral welfare of members.
To assist the aims and purposes of colleges and universities.
To inspire service in the public interest.
The Ten Illustrious Founders gave birth to a great concept, the idea that if we are going to
be brothers, let us be brothers on the best terms that we know. If we are
going to bind ourselves together, let it be around something that is strong
enough to hold us; if we are going to sing, let us sing about something that
will have a lasting refrain; if we drink a toast, let it be of something
beyond the trivial and the vulgar; let us exalt the theme of ACHIEVEMENT.
Reliance would be placed upon high Christian ideals and the purpose of
honorable achievement in every field of human endeavor. The Fraternity
would seek to raise the sights of young black youths and stimulate them to
accomplishments higher than might otherwise not be realized or even imagined.
Kappa Alpha Psi's organization consists of Active Chapters, Alumni Chapters,
Alumni Associations, and Provinces.
Active chapters are bound to colleges
and universities and are designated by greek letters; the first, chartered
on the campus of Indiana University on January 5th of 1911 is designated
Alpha. Successive active chapters were designated Beta, Gamma,
Delta ... exhausting the greek alphabet. After Omega Chapter, the sequence
continues by combining letters in the same consecutive order, with no
Alpha Alpha Chapter, but Alpha Beta, Alpha Gamma and so on.
Jordan River
Alumni Chapters are bound to cities and following suit, named after
them; for example London Alumni, Boston Alumni, Washington Alumni.
However there are some exceptions to this rule. St. Thomas Alumni of the United
States Virgin Islands is not named after a city. This most likely
is so because, St. Thomas is so glorious and so profound an island, naming it
only after Charlotte Amalie, the capital city, wouldn't do proper justice
to a land mass so august.
Similar to Alumni Chapters, Alumni Associations are
local to wide geographic areas where there are not enough Brothers
(10) to form an Alumni Chapter. The names of Alumni
Associations are determined by the Grand Board of Directors,
and after a year of successful operation, these
associations may petition for full chapter status.
Alumni Associations can not conduct membership intake.
Alumni Associations are also limited in
regards to voting privilages during meetings of the Grand Chapter.
Unlike Active, Alumni, and Province chapters which have 3 votes,
Alumni Associations
have 1 vote.
Kappa Alpha Psi consists of twelve provinces named
Eastern Province, Northern Province, Western Province,
Southern Province, East Central Province,
Middle Eastern Province,
South Eastern Province, South Central Province,South Western Province,
Middle Western Province, North Eastern Province, and
North Central Province.
These divisions are primarily geographic and administrative as
to make way for ease of management, information dissemination, conference, and
fellowship of the many Chapters.
----Excerpts taken from "The Story of Kappa Alpha Psi" & "The Constitution and Statutes of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc."
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