History of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity. Inc.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. was founded on the campus of Indiana University on January 5, 1911. Originally charted and incorporated Kappa Alpha Nu on April 15, 1911, the name was officially changed to Kappa Alpha Psi on April 15, 1915.

The Fraternity is predominantly African-American whose fundamental purpose is ACHIEVEMENT. Kappa Alpha Psi seeks to train its membership, particularly undergraduates, for leadership roles in their respective communities and the attainment of a high degree of excellence in their academic pursuits.

Early in this century, African-American students were actively dissuaded from attending college. Formidable obstacles were erected to prevent the few who were enrolled from assimilating into co-curricular campus life. This ostracism characterized Indiana University in 1911, thus causing Elder Watson Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong, and eight other black students John Milton Lee "The Dreamer", Marcus Peter Blakemore, Paul Wayne Caine, Henry T. Asher, Ezra Dee Alexander, George W. Edmonds, Guy Levis Grant, and Eward Giles Irvin to form Kappa Alpha Psi which remains the only Greek letter organization with its Alpha Chapter (first Chapter) on the University's campus. The founders sought a formula that would immediately raise the sights of black collegians stimulating them to reach accomplishments higher than they had imagined. With Achievement as its purpose, Kappa Alpha Psi began uniting college men of culture, patriotism and honor in a bond of fraternity. Subsequently, chapters spread in succession to the University of Illinois, the University of Iowa, and Wilberforce University campuses. By 1919, the Kappa Alpha Psi experience had generated serious interest among black college degree holders to form Alumni Chapters.

As graduate chapters multiplied, the Fraternity began to expand its programming, for example, "Guide Right," its national social out-reach program was started three years after the first Alumni Chapters were formed. Today National Guide Right programs provide programming, role models, and mentors for at risk and other youth in communities throughout the country and internationally.

KNOXVILLE ALUMNI HISTORY