| A Brief History of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. |
Kappa Alpha Psi , a college Fraternity,
now comprised of functioning Undergraduate and Alumni Chapters
on major campuses and in cities throughout the country, is
the crystallization of a dream. It is the beautiful realization
of a vision shared commonly by the late Revered Founders.
It was the vision
of these astute men that enabled them in the school year
1910 - 11, more specifically the night of January 5, 1911,
on the campus of Indiana University at Bloomington, Indiana,
to sow the seed of a fraternal tree whose fruit is available
to, and now enjoyed by, college men everywhere, regardless
of their color, religion or national origin. It is a fact
of which KAPPA ALPHA PSI is justly proud that the Constitution
has never contained any clause which either excluded or suggested
the exclusion of a man from membership merely because of
his color, creed, or national origin. The Constitution of
KAPPA ALPHA PSI is predicated upon, and dedicated to, the
principles of achievement through a truly democratic Fraternity.
Chartered and
incorporated originally under the laws of the State
of Indiana as Kappa Alpha Nu on May 15, 1911, the name
was changed to KAPPA ALPHA PSI on a resolution offered
and adopted at the Grand Chapter in December 1914.
This change became effective April 15, 1915, on a proclamation
by the then Grand Polemarch, Elder Watson Diggs. Thus,
the name acquired a distinctive Greek letter symbol
and KAPPA ALPHA PSI thereby became a Greek letter Fraternity
in every sense of the designation.
From its inception,
and for the next six years, Brother Diggs served as
the Grand Polemarch of KAPPA ALPHA PSI Fraternity.
Through his leadership and indefatigable application,
augmented by the efforts of B.K. Armstrong, and John
M. Lee, who comprised the remainder of the original
Grand Board of Directors, the infant Fraternity was
guided through the most perilous years of its life.
Accordingly, much of the credit for the organization's
survival through this period is shared by these three
men.
From its inception,
every endeavor was directed toward establishing the
Fraternity upon a strong foundation before embarking
on plans of expansion. By the end of the first year,
working together, Diggs and Armstrong had completed
the ritual and had commenced work on the coat of arms.
Work on the latter was completed during the following
summer by Diggs, Armstrong and Lee while they were
pursuing employment at a hotel in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
In selecting
a suitable motto, Diggs, Armstrong and Lee solicited
the aid of a Professor of Greek Art at Indiana Technical
College at Fort Wayne, Indiana. Having adopted a motto
which mutually suited them, they carried a sketch of
the coat of arms to a commercial engraver in Fort Wayne,
from which he made the first metal plate.
More...
Kappa Alpha Psi
For years, in
order to safeguard the ritualistic secrets of the Fraternity,
Diggs laboriously typed and bound the rituals. It was
not until he moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where
he met an old German printer in whom he had confidence,
that he entrusted the esoteric materials of the Fraternity
to a commercial printer.
In the spring
of 1912 Diggs wrote in a little blue examination book
the first Constitution, which was adopted in 1920 with
but a few revisions. This edition remained in use until
1926 when it was supplanted by the codified edition
jointly written by Diggs, J. Ernest Wilkins, and W.
Ellis Stewart. In 1957 the Constitution again underwent
major revision.
Now substantially
established and provided with a Constitution, Ritual,
coat of arms, motto, and guiding hand in a dynamic
Grand Chapter, the Fraternity was ready for expansion.
In the summer of 1912 Diggs visited the University
of Illinois at Urbana, Illinois, where he met Earl
B. Dickerson, President of the Old "Illini Club." This
club constituted the nucleus of the University of Illinois
Chapter, the Beta, which was chartered on February
8, 1913. Gamma Chapter (later changed to Indianapolis
Alumni Chapter) was established on December 29, 1913,
followed by the establishment of Delta Chapter at the
University of Iowa, on March 7, 1914. The latter was
subsequently changed to Gamma Chapter, and the designation
of Delta assigned to the Wilberforce University Chapter
at Wilberforce, Ohio. Epsilon Chapter, Lincoln University,
Pennsylvania, was established December 4, 1915, as
the first chapter in the East. Elder W. Diggs journeyed
from Indiana to give this chapter his personal and
official installation, recognition and blessing.
Thus ended the
infancy of KAPPA ALPHA PSI, whereupon the Fraternity
embarked upon an era of expansion. Except for the years
of World War I and II, when several Grand Chapter meetings
were suspended, KAPPA ALPHA PSI has grown and prevailed
with unabating impetus.
KAPPA ALPHA
PSI Fraternity, relatively early, envisioned the modified
attitudes of college administrators and administrations
regarding certain frivolous activities previously identified
with Greek letter organizations; and it initiated appropriate
changes. Among the early changes brought about was
the banning of paddling and other forms of physical
abuse, and the introduction of constructive endeavors
during pledgeship and probation. To date, KAPPA ALPHA
PSI Fraternity is organizationally and administratively
mature. It moves steadily toward a tomorrow of promise,
productivity and influence.
« back
Taken from:
"A SHORT CHRONICLE OF KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY"
|
|
|
