The campus of Indiana University at that time did not encourage the assimilation of Blacks. He also edits and prepares the Manual for the universal use of Undergraduate and Alumni.[15]. Omega Psi Phi. The idea originated with his father who was a Presiding Elder of the A.M.E. Church. Diggs and his brother (William Ellis) and sister (Effie) were reared by their mother, Cornelia. This environment made day-to-day life for Blacks an arduous task and attempts to successfully achieve in school, nearly impossible. January 9th - Phi Beta Sigma. Through its worldwide prominence, Kappa Alpha Psihas had a global impact on events which affect our local communities as well as places around the globe. The Guide Right Commission consists of the Director and twelve Province Guide Right Coordinators, one from each Province, appointed by their respective Province Polemarchs. Membership in Kappa Alpha Psi is a lifelong dedication to the ideas and lofty purposes of Kappa Alpha Psi, which considers for membership only those aspirants whose personal, social and academic qualifications are acceptable to both the College and Fraternity. The Founders sought one anothers company between classes and dropped by one anothers places of lodging to further discuss the means of formulating the fledgling fraternity in an effort to relieve the depressing isolation. [25], To be considered for membership, a candidate must have at least a 2.5 gpa on a 4.0 scale. The percentage of Blacks on campus was less than 1%. 6 The Pride of All Our Hearts The Founders of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Michael E. Jennings Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. was founded on the campus of Indiana Uni- versity on January 5, 1911. . The 20 pearls indicate the nine original founders, seven sophomores who were invited a month later and four women who incorporated the sorority and expanded its influence on college campuses. He enlisted in the 349th Field Artillery in March of 1918 and served overseas as a First Class Sergeant and Gunner. [49], In April 2012, the fraternity at Arkansas Tech University was permanently banned from campus for beating a pledge into a coma. One of the 5 Objectives of the Fraternity is: To promote the, It was clear at the outset that the new fraternity would not warm over principles or practices of other organizations. The Fraternity would seek to raise the sights of Black youths and stimulate them to accomplishments higher than might otherwise be realized or even imagined. He served as a member of the Grand Board of Directors and was the Fraternitys Historian. The fraternitythe second historically Black fraternity to be foundedwas established on the . Since the beginning, every endeavor was directed toward establishing the Fraternity upon a strong foundation before embarking on plans of expansion. The Fraternity has over 125,000 members with 700 undergraduate and alumni chapters in nearly every state of the United States, and international chapters in Nigeria, South Africa, the West Indies, the United Kingdom, Germany, Korea and Japan. Their intolerance toward Blacks fueled the negative mindset of other Whites residing there. GM - LIF - Today's American Champion organization is a historically African American Greek-lettered fraternity. [35] The fraternity backed its stance by releasing Executive Order One in 1988, Executive Order Two in 1993, and Executive Order Three in 1994. Fraternity members contributing to the new foundation could deduct their donations as charitable contributions for income tax purposes. Kappa Alpha Psi proudly boasts of members who epitomize the very essence of Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor. MASONIC AND OTHER FRATERNAL. There was an additional misunderstanding being attributed to the acronym of the Fraternitys Greek letters, KAN. Some confused the abbreviation of the letters to refer to the state of Kansas. His family won a $1.4 million wrongful death lawsuit against the fraternity and several Kappas served time in prison. Some confused the abbreviation of the letters to refer to the state of Kansas. He received the degree of Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University in 1914 and the next year was an instructor at Lincoln Institute at Jefferson City, Missouri. Kappa Alpha Psi, a college Fraternity, was born in an environment saturated in racism. Kappa Alpha Psi, now comprised of functioning Undergraduate and Alumni Chapters on major campuses and in cities throughout the country, is the crystallization of a dream. Kappa Alpha Psi, a college Fraternity, was born in an environment saturated in racism. Silhouettes provide support and assistance for the activities of Kappa Alpha Psi at the Grand chapter, province and local levels. During World War I, he served as an investigator for the Department of Labor. Although KA was founded as a predominantly African-American Greek organization, it has always been an inclusive fraternity that welcomes members of all races and nationalities. The decision upon the name Kappa Alpha Nu may have been to honor the Alpha Kappa Nu club which began in 1903 on the Indiana University campus but had too few registrants to effect continued operation. The fraternity revised its membership development and intake process, instituted policies against hazing and has taken steps to reinforce and strengthen its stance against prohibited conduct. It would be the only Greek-letter organization founded with the concept of achievement. January 16th - Zeta Phi Beta. This change became effective April 15, 1915. The fraternity's first chapter in the South was established in 1921 at Morehouse College Pi chapter. As the Institute's reputation and enrollment increased, however . Officially known as Sigma Pi Phi, the Boul was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1904 by Dr. Henry McKee Minton and five of his colleagues. John Milton Lee fired the first shot. Kappa Alpha Psi, a college Fraternity, was born in an environment saturated in racism. [52], Also in 2013, nine Kappas were charged with felony assault for severely beating pledges from Youngstown State University. Paul Waymond Caine (1891-1931) was born in Charleston, Indiana, in 1891 and attended grade school and high school in Greencastle, Indiana. There was an additional misunderstanding being attributed to the acronym of the Fraternitys Greek letters, KAN. Frank M. Summers was the magazine's first editor and later became the Fourteenth Grand Polemarch. [53], In 2014, 11 Kappas from the University of Georgia were arrested and charged with hazing for severely beating and humiliating pledges. Sign up. Founded in 1911 on the campus of Indiana University at a time when Greek life wasn't an option for Black students, the fraternity now has more than 200,000 member-examples of its creed including . [46], In 2010, a pre-med student at Wayne State University suffered kidney failure and was hospitalized for twelve days after weeks of physical abuse by men of the fraternity. The rest of the organizations were founded on Black College Campuses. Founder Elder Watson Diggs, while observing a young initiate compete in a track meet, overheard fans referring to the member as a "kappa alpha nig", and a campaign to rename the fraternity ensued. Primarily, under the efforts and leadership of the calm, methodical, and philosophical Elder W. Diggs and the critical, and scholarly Byron K. Armstrong, the Kappa Alpha Nu Fraternity was founded. [20], The Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation was conceived by Dr. Oliver S. Gumbs, the 23rd Grand Polemarch. Paul Waymond Caine was born in Charleston, Indiana, in 1891 and attended grade school and high school in Greencastle, Indiana. In the early 1960s, the cane was decorated with the fraternity colors. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. 13th Sovereign Grand Commander, United Supreme Council, Northern Jurisdiction . Guide Right is a program for the educational and occupational guidance of youth, primarily inspirational and informational in character. The Atlanta (GA) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. was chartered on February 22, 1924, making it the second oldest chapter below the Mason Dixon line, second only to the Pi Chapter at Morehouse College. The state of Indiana became a stronghold for the Ku Klux Klan. For eight years, he conducted a successful catering business in Philadelphia; he organized and served as Vice President and Secretary of the Mutual Emergency Union, a mutual aid company in Philadelphia. Notable Prince Hall Scottish Rite Masons United Supreme Council Northern Jurisdiction *Deceased members are identified with asterisk (*) *S.P. They became the parents of one son, Noel. Wood was a member of Moorefield Lodge, Moorefield, West Virginia. [19], The "Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation," established in 1981, is the philanthropic arm of the fraternity and assists both alumni and undergraduate chapters in support of scholarships, after-school programs, and national projects such as Habitat for Humanity. The Greek Letter was chosen in place of N and the Fraternity acquired a distinctive Greek letter symbol and Kappa Alpha Psi thereby became an indistinguishable Greek-letter Fraternity. The League includes a series of workshops to achieve its goals. [60], Also in 2016, the chapter at Florida State University (FSU) was suspended by the university after a concerned mother of a pledge shared with a Tallahassee news station a disturbing video showing pledges being brutally beaten with canes by Kappas. Except for the years of World War I and II, when some Grand Chapter Meetings were suspended, Kappa Alpha Psihas grown and prevailed with unabating impetus. WEBSITE. From left to right: Lee Burton, John Al Amin, George Blue, Rodney Hawkins. This city was largely populated by settlers from below the Mason-Dixon line and therefore found many sympathizers of the Southern cause. One day as one of the Fraternity members, Frank Summers, was running the hurdles, Founder Diggs overheard a White student state, He is a member of Kappa Alpha Nig. On January 5, 1911, the Fraternity then became known asKappa Alpha Nu, possibly as a tribute to the Black students of 1903 (the Alpha Kappa Nu Greek Society) who preceded them at Indiana University. The inaugural edition of the Kappa Alpha Nu Journal debuted April 1914 and has printed uninterrupted since with the exception to 1918 and 1919, due to WWI. His contributions and awards in the field of medicine were many. This environment made day-to-day life for Blacks an arduous task and attempts to successfully achieve in school, nearly impossible. The Historyof the Order. Diggs was instrumental in having the Indiana Constitution amended to permit Negro enlistment in the Indiana National Guard. John Milton Lee. THE FOUNDERS OF THE OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC. _____ Ernest Everett Just Brother (Dr.) Ernest E. Just was a college professor selected by Brothers Coleman, Cooper and Love to assist with the founding and establishment of Omega at Howard University in 1911. . Aside from his success as a Journalist, Brother Irvin was a pioneer in promoting basketball and track athletics in the small town schools of Indiana. Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor. The fraternity is unique among NPHC affiliated organizations in that it has two names: Kappa Alpha Psi () and Phi Nu Pi (). He was awarded the Laurel Wreath in 1935. Consequently, eight other men met with Diggs and Armstrong for the purpose of organizing such a fraternity. For this and other outstanding contributions to the Fraternity, he was awarded . A historical marker outside of the Kappa Alpha Order's Xi chapter fraternity house at Southwestern mentions that the fraternity was "founded in 1865 by former Confederate soldiers at . The number of places where they might assemble was limited. Forever and a Day. Founder Edward Giles Irvin served in the U.S. Army during the WWI as a Combat Medic and was cited for bravery for his actions with the Expeditionary Forces in France. He received the degree of LL.B. January 15th - Alpha Kappa Alpha. He was a graduate student at the University of Minnesota in 1917. Born out of the vestiges of racism, Kappa Alpha Nu encountered another metamorphosis, partially related to action of bigotry. History. The Masonic and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Brothers in 2007. One hundred years ago this year, 10 men matriculating at Indiana University came together to found Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Ezra Dee Alexander (1892-1971) was born in Bloomington, Indiana in 1892, the site of Indiana University. The Chief Founder and others.