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At the turn of the 20th century, Kappa Alpha Psi®, a college ​fraternity, was born in an environment saturated with racism. The ​organization is now, more than a century later, made up of active ​undergraduate and alumni chapters on prestigious universities and ​in important cities across the nation and the globe; the realization ​of a dream. It is the exquisite realization of a concept that the late, ​great Founders all shared.

Greek letter organizations sponsored by black students on the ​Indiana University campus may have started as early as 1903, but ​the enrollment was insufficient to ensure the organization's ​survival. Alpha Kappa Nu was established in that year with the aim ​of enhancing Black students' voices on campus. In a short while, ​the club vanished. No similar organization is known to have existed ​in Indiana until ten shrewd African-American college students ​planted the seeds of a fraternal tree on the evening of January 5, ​1911. Today, college men of all races, religions, and nationalities can ​enjoy the fruit of this tree.

The Alpha Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi® in 1913

Elder Watson Diggs, John Milton Lee, Byron K. Armstrong, Guy Levis Grant, Ezra D. Alexander, ​Henry T. Asher, Marcus P. Blakemore, Paul Waymond Caine, Edward G. Irvin, and George W. ​Edmonds were the founding members of the Alpha Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi®. In an ​attempt to break up the dismal seclusion, the Founders sought one other's company during ​courses and stopped by each other's lodgings to talk further about how to structure the ​nascent fraternity.

Because of Jim Crow regulations, there weren't many African-American students attending ​the mostly White university during this time. Black American students faced discrimination ​from the college administration and fellow students, making it rare for them to interact with ​one another on campus and from participating in extracurricular activities. They were not ​allowed to play on any sports teams, other than track and field. The Founders' desire to form a ​social club was stoked by the racial prejudice and discrimination they experienced. The ​Founders' original intention was to establish a fraternity with a core mission of achievement ​and a foundation based on Christian principles.

First annual House Party of Kappa Alpha Nu in May, 1911

The late revered founders of Kappa Alpha Psi® had a vision that has allowed ​them to plant the seed of a fraternal tree whose fruit is now available to and ​enjoyed by college men worldwide, regardless of their race, religion, or country ​of origin. This beautiful realization of that vision is known as Kappa Alpha Psi®. ​Kappa Alpha Psi® takes pride in the fact that its Constitution has never included ​a provision that would have prohibited or suggested excluding a man from ​membership on the basis of his race, creed, or country of origin.

In addition to thirteen international chapters in Nigeria, South Africa, Bermuda, ​Bahamas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Panama, United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, ​Dominican Republic, Abu Dhabi, Canada, and Japan, the fraternity boasts over ​250,000 members with 700 undergraduate and alumni chapters in almost ​every state in the country.

The members of Kappa Alpha Psi® are those who best represent the ideal of ​"Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor," as they say with pride. Ralph ​Abernathy, Wilt Chamberlin, Montell Jordan, Benjamin Jealous, Oscar ​Robertson, Cedric the Entertainer, Arthur Ashe, Mike Tomlin, Gayle Sayers, ​Adrian Fenty, Robert S. Abbott, Bennie Thompson, Donald Byrd, Johnnie ​Cochran, Ed Gardner, Smokie Norful, John Singleton, Tom Bradley, Bob Johnson, ​John Conyers, Alcee Hastings, Lerone Bennett, Jr., Kwame Jackson, Bill Russell, ​Tavis Smiley, Marvin Sapp, and Colin Kaepernick are a few of these members.

Frank Summers at a Track & Field meet.

Originating from the lingering effects of racism, Kappa Alpha ​Nu had another transformation that was partly caused by ​intolerance. "He is a member of Kappa Alpha Nig," a White ​student was overheard by Founder Diggs one day while Frank ​Summers, one of the fraternity's members, was running the ​hurdles. Another misinterpretation was linked to the Greek ​letters of the fraternity's abbreviation, "KAN." Some people ​mistook the letters' abbreviation for the state of Kansas. The ​fraternity's moniker and the impression it gave off were ​crucial. The fraternity's founders changed the organization's ​name as a result of these events. Rather than choosing the ​letter "N," the Greek letter "Ψ" was selected, and as a result, ​Kappa Alpha Psi® gained a unique Greek letter emblem and ​became an indistinguishable Greek letter fraternity. Following ​the adoption of a resolution at the Grand Chapter Meeting in ​December 1914, the name was formally changed to Kappa ​Alpha Psi®. On April 15, 1915, this modification went into effect.

FOUNDER ELDER WATSON DIGGS was a quiet, polished, scholarly, and prolific writer. Initially ​referred to as ‘the Father of Kappa,’ he became affectionately known as ‘the Dreamer’ due to his ​profound vision to create the fraternity. He was born in Christian County, Kentucky, on ​December 23, 1883, and was the eldest son of three children.

He received a one-room school education in Louisville, Kentucky, where he helped teach the ​younger children. Following graduation from Indiana State Normal School in the spring of 1908, ​Diggs enrolled at Howard University in 1909. While a student there, he developed a friendship ​with Byron K. Armstrong.

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FOUNDER BYRON KENNETH ARMSTRONG was a scholar, imaginative and outspoken. He was ​affectionately known as “Boomski,” born in Westfield, Hamilton County, Indiana, on April 8, 1892, ​was one of five children and was the cousin of 2nd Grand Polemarch, Irven Armstrong.

Armstrong enrolled at Howard University in 1909, met Elder W. Diggs, and together, they ​transferred to Indiana University in the fall of 1910, where he studied philosophy, mathematics, and ​sociology. He graduated from Indiana University with an A.B. degree in the fall of 1913. Armstrong ​subsequently earned an M.A. degree from Columbia University in 1914 and was decreed a Doctor of ​Philosophy by the University of Michigan in 1940. He held teaching positions as a professor at ​universities in Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, and Michigan and served as Dean in Maryland ​and Oklahoma.

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FOUNDER HENRY TEE ASHER was an unassuming, dependable supporter of Negro youth, equal ​rights, higher education, and religious affairs and the son of a Baptist Minister. He was born in ​Owensboro, Kentucky, on June 30, 1890, and was the eldest of seven children.

After his family moved to Bloomington, Indiana, he attended and graduated from Bloomington ​High School in 1910. He enrolled at Indiana University in 1910, where he received the degree of ​Bachelor of Arts in 1914. He became an instructor at Lincoln Institute in Jefferson City, Missouri, ​from 1914-1915. In 1915, he enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Wisconsin and ​subsequently at the University of Illinois. However, he transferred to the University of Minnesota, ​where he earned his Master of Arts in 1917. He received the degree of LL.B. at the Detroit College ​of Law in 1928.

FOUNDER BYRON KENNETH ARMSTRONG was a man of deep religious convictions and quiet ​confidence. He contributed significantly to education, his community, church, hospitals, and ​fraternity. Blakemore, affectionately known as “Blakie,” was born in Franklin, Indiana, on January ​3, 1889, and was the eldest of four children.

Blakemore’s family moved to Anderson, Indiana, where he attended public schools and ​graduated high school in 1909. He entered Indiana University the following year. After leaving ​Indiana University in the spring term of 1912, he organized the Electric Engineering Company, ​which he operated until he enlisted with the U.S. Army in World War I. Blakemore served in the ​U.S. Army as the rank of Private with the 30th Company, 154th Depot Brigade. He was honorably ​discharged in August 1918 and married Azalea Hall the following month. They had one daughter, ​Elizabeth.

FOUNDER PAUL WAYMOND CAINE was the consummate entrepreneur and chef before his ​time, always friendly and displaying a pleasant disposition. He was born in Greencastle, ​Indiana on May 17, 1890. He was long thought to be an only child but is now known to have a ​half-brother.

Caine attended Greencastle public schools and enrolled at Indiana University sometime ​between 1909 and 1910 as a business major. He was adept at cooking and honed those skills while ​working at DePauw University, where he worked as a cook in the sorority houses before enrolling ​at Indiana University. He was a fine caterer and was in demand by the White fraternities on ​campus and kept many of the Founding fraternity brothers from hunger.

FOUNDER GEORGE WESLEY EDMONDS was witty and an enigma to most in the fraternity. He was ​born in Knight Township, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, on August 13, 1890, and was the eldest of ​two sons.

He attended Clark High School in nearby Evansville, Indiana, and enrolled at Indiana University in ​the fall of 1910. He joined nine other students in founding Kappa Alpha Nu Fraternity. Edmonds ​was listed as the Corresponding Secretary in the articles of incorporation of the Grand Chapter ​of Kappa Alpha Nu. He was one of the three freshmen, along with Asher and Blakemore, who ​were the first initiates of the Alpha of Kappa Alpha Nu.

FOUNDER GUY LEVIS GRANT was small in stature but was a giant in charitable endeavors and a ​preserver of history. He was born in New Albany, Indiana, on April 9, 1891, and was the third of ​thirteen children, five of whom became members of the fraternity. When his father died, he ​became head of the household and assumed responsibility for educating himself and his ​siblings.

Grant attended public schools in his hometown, graduated from Scribner High School in 1909, ​and entered Indiana University. While there, he majored in chemistry, graduating with an A.B. ​degree in 1915. In 1920, he received a D.D.S. degree from Indiana Dental School, then a part of ​Indiana University. He practiced dentistry in Indianapolis for over 50 years.

FOUNDER EDWARD GILES IRVING was a civic and religious leader, journalist, and entrepreneur. ​He was born August 13, 1893, in Spencer, Indiana, and was the seventh of nine children of an ​African Methodist Episcopal minister.

Following graduation from Kokomo Indiana High School in 1910, he enrolled at Indiana University ​the same year. At only 17 years of age, Irvin was the youngest of ten Black students who founded ​Kappa Alpha Psi®. Irvin served on the fraternity’s Incorporation Committee. Irvin left the school ​following the spring term of 1911.

FOUNDER JOHN MILTON LEE was a scholar, loyal, and tireless worker for the growth of the ​fraternity. Due to his idealist character was commonly referred to as ‘a dreamer’ during the ​fraternity’s early years. He was born in Danville, Indiana, on September 7, 1890, and was the third ​of four children.

He attended Danville public schools and enrolled at Indiana University in 1910. He completed ​three years of pre-medical work before leaving the university. In 1914, he enrolled at the ​University of Pennsylvania but withdrew for health reasons. In 1915, he became a student at ​Temple University but was compelled to leave due to a death in the family.

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KAPPA ALPHA PSI® IS A NON-HAZING FRATERNITY

Membership Information

Becoming a member of Kappa Alpha Psi® is a privilege, not a right. As such, those ​interested in membership into Zeta Omega are expected to be leaders on the ​University of Oklahoma campus, with high morals, and a record of achievement in ​and outside of the classroom.

Zeta Omega does not recruit nor participate in University rush activities.

If you are interested in membership, we advise you support our community service ​programs and attend our social events. This is the best way to demonstrate your ​interest and introduce yourself to the brothers of Zeta Omega.

Consideration for membership into Zeta Omega:

• must be a full-time student at the University of Oklahoma with a minimum 2.5 GPA and 12 credit hours
• must exhibit exceptional moral character;
• must have 5 letters of recommendation, including 3 from active members of Kappa Alpha Psi® Fraternity, Inc; and
• must have a minimum of 10 hours of documented community service.

These are the minimum requirements to seek membership into Kappa Alpha Psi®. Membership fees and details related to ​the intake process can be discussed with active brothers of the Zeta Omega Chapter.

If you meet these requirements, and are interested please fill out this Interest Form.

For more information, or to message the chapter, please visit our Contact page.