A Brief History of Kappa Alpha Psi
In 1910 – 11, Elder Watson Diggs and Byron Kenneth Armstrong, both previously students at Howard University, joined forces with eight other men, at Indiana University, to create a fraternity that would provide support, fellowship, and purpose. These ten founders were Elder Watson Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong, John M. Lee, Henry T. Asher, Marcus P. Blakemore, Guy L. Grant, Paul W. Caine, George W. Edmonds, Ezra D. Alexander, and Edward G. Irvin, with Diggs serving as the first president.
During this time there were very few African-American students at the majority-white campus at Bloomington, Indiana, and they were a small minority due to the era of the Jim Crow laws. Many African American students rarely saw each other on campus and were discouraged or prohibited from attending student functions and extracurricular activities by white college administrators and fellow students. African American students were denied membership in athletic teams except track and field. The racial prejudice and discrimination encountered by the founders strengthened their bond of friendship and growing interest in starting a social group.
On January 5, 1911, Kappa Alpha Nu was officially founded. By May 15, 1911, it became the first intercollegiate Black Greek-letter fraternity to be incorporated as a national body. From its inception, Kappa Alpha Nu sought to unite college men of culture, patriotism, and honor in a bond of fraternity.
Fraternity House, Bloomington Indiana
From the Story of Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Nu Becomes Kappa Alpha Psi
To establish a distinctive identity, the members adopted the Greek letter Ψ (Psi) in place of “N,” and Kappa Alpha Psi emerged as a uniquely recognized Greek-letter fraternity. The official name change was ratified at the Grand Chapter Meeting in December 1914 and became effective on April 15, 1915.
What began as a dream has evolved into a global movement. Today, Kappa Alpha Psi boasts undergraduate and alumni chapters on campuses and in cities worldwide.
To learn more about Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., please visit our international website.
