Kappa Alpha Society

Kappa Alpha Society
ΚA
Founded	November 26, 1825 (1825-11-26) (186 years ago) Union College
Type	Literary Society and Social Fraternity
Colors	Scarlet
Symbol	Kappa Alpha Key
Flower	Carnation
Chapters	15 (8 active)
Headquarters	Ithaca, New York, US
Homepage	http://www.ka.org

The Kappa Alpha Society (ΚΑ), founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad. In addition, Baird's Manual states that KA, unlike other fraternities with claims to the contrary, has maintained a continuous existence since its foundation, making it the oldest undergraduate fraternity that exists today.^[1] As of 2011, there are eight active chapters in the United States and Canada.

Contents 1 History 2 Chapters 3 Coeducation 4 Contributing members 5 Notable members 6 References 7 External links 8 See also

History

According to Baird's Manual, nine undergraduates at Union College in Schenectady, New York—John Hart Hunter, John McGeoch, Isaac W. Jackson, Thomas Hun, Orlando Meads, James Proudfit, and Joseph Anthony Constant of the class of 1826, and Arthur Burtis and Joseph Law of the Class of 1827—established the Society on November 26, 1825 from an informal group calling itself The Philosophers, which was established by Hunter, Jackson, and Hun in 1823. The organization represents the middle link between secret societies, literary societies, and Greek-letter organizations like Phi Beta Kappa. In the words of founding member Arthur Burtis:

“

After we were domiciled in our upper chamber, in the fourth story of the south section---South College---northeast corner... we now and then beguiled the long winter evenings and entertained our friends with a few baked potatoes and salt and comforted them with apples. Jackson, Hun, Meads, Constant, and McGeoch were often the genial sharers of our simple meal, which was enlivened with mirth and wit and merry song.... It was determined to raise Hunter to an elevated seat on the woodpile, which stood in the corner of the room. When he was exalted to his high eminence, with his pipe in his mouth, he became the leader of this little band. Whereupon I suggested it would be right for us to get our light from this central luminary and that I would carry it to the others.... This band was now beginning to assume shape and form and comely order.

”

The first expansion of the Society took place in 1833 at Williams College at the request of fourteen students led by Azariah S. Clark of the class of 1834.

The Kappa Alpha Society, emulated by Sigma Phi (est. 1827) and Delta Phi (est. 1827), constitute the Union Triad, the pioneers of the North American system of social fraternities.^[2] This organization is not to be confused with the Kappa Alpha Order, a completely separate national fraternity.

Chapters

Chapters are designated with an abbreviation of the institution's Latin name.

No.	Dates	Chapter	Institution	Location	Status
1.	Nov. 26, 1825–2003, 2011–present	New York Alpha (CC)	Union College	Schenectady, New York	Active
2.	Oct. 29, 1833–1983	Massachusetts Alpha (CG)	Williams College	Williamstown, Massachusetts	Dormant
3.	Nov. 26, 1844–1854, 1879–2003, 2005–present	New York Beta (CH)	Hobart College	Geneva, New York	Active
4.	Oct. 21, 1852–1855, 1983–1998	New Jersey Alpha (CNC)	Princeton University	Princeton, New Jersey	Dormant
5.	Jan. 8, 1857–1861	Virginia Alpha (VV)	University of Virginia	Charlottesville, Virginia	Dormant
6.	Nov. 12, 1868–1990, 2007–present	New York Gamma (VC)	Cornell University	Ithaca, New York	Active
7.	Feb. 19, 1892–present	Ontario Alpha (VT)	University of Toronto	Toronto, Ontario	Active
8.	Jan. 2, 1894–present	Pennsylvania Alpha (VL)	Lehigh University	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	Active
9.	Apr. 21, 1899–1971, 1987–2006	Quebec Alpha (VM)	McGill University	Montreal, Quebec	Dormant
10.	Apr. 26, 1913-present	Pennsylvania Beta (VP)	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Active
11.	Feb. 14, 1948–present	Ontario Beta (VOO)	University of Western Ontario	London, Ontario	Active
12.	Mar. 18, 1967–1993, 1994–1997	Connecticut Alpha (VW)	Wesleyan University	Middletown, Connecticut	Dormant
13.	Nov. 5, 1988–2011	Alberta Alpha (VA)	University of Alberta	Edmonton, Alberta	Dormant
14.	Nov. 23, 1991–1999	Alberta Beta (VAC)	University of Calgary	Calgary, Alberta	Dormant
15.	Nov. 21, 2009–present	Nova Scotia Alpha (VD)	Dalhousie University	Halifax, Nova Scotia	Active

Coeducation

The Union and Wesleyan chapters were co-educational (male and female members) in the recent past. The chapter at Wesleyan University, which existed from 1967 to about 1997, was at various times co-educational both as part of The Society and as a local starting in 1974. The Union Chapter was co-ed from 1991 until 2003. There are currently no co-educational chapters.

Contributing members

• John Hart Hunter, Union College, 1824. Founder.
• Fitz Hugh Ludlow, Union College, 1856. Song writer, author and editor.

Notable members

Over the course of its nearly 200-year history, The Kappa Alpha Society has produced a substantial number of notable members in widely varied fields. See the Kappa Alpha Society Alumni page for a list.

References

• Kappa Alpha Society. (1881). A biographical record of the Kappa Alpha Society in Williams College, Williamstown, Mass.: From its foundation to the present time. 1831-1881. New York, NY: S. W. Green's Son.
• Kappa Alpha Society. (2002). A directory of Kappa Alpha 2002: 175th anniversary edition. Purchase, NY: Bernard C. Harris Publishing Company.
• Tarleton, Robert S. (1993). The Spirit of Kappa Alpha: The oldest Greek-letter social fraternity in prose, poetry and picture. New York, NY: John Hart Hunter Press.
• The Executive Council of The Kappa Alpha Society. (1941). Kappa Alpha Record: 1825-1940. Clinton, MA: The Colonial Press.
• The Executive Council of The Kappa Alpha Society. (1950). Directory of the Kappa Alpha Society 1950. St. Albans, VT: The North Country Press.
• The Executive Council of The Kappa Alpha Society. (1960). Kappa Alpha Record 1825-1960. Utica, NY: Thomas J. Griffiths Sons.
• The Executive Council of The Kappa Alpha Society. (1976). Kappa Alpha Record 1825-1976: Sesquicentennial edition. Ithaca, NY: Art Craft Printers.
• Baird, William ed. Robson, John (1963) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, WI: George Banta Company, Inc.

External links

• The Kappa Alpha Society, The Official Website of the Kappa Alpha Society
• The Political Graveyard, U.S. Political Biographies

See also

• Sigma Chi/Brief History of Fraternities/Phi Beta Kappa

North-American Interfraternity Conference Acacia • Alpha Gamma Rho • Alpha Gamma Sigma • Alpha Delta Gamma • Alpha Delta Phi • Alpha Epsilon Pi • Alpha Kappa Lambda • Alpha Sigma Phi • Alpha Tau Omega • Alpha Phi Alpha • Alpha Phi Delta • Alpha Chi Rho • Beta Sigma Psi • Beta Theta Pi • Beta Chi Theta • Delta Epsilon Psi • Delta Kappa Epsilon • Delta Sigma Phi • Delta Tau Delta • Delta Upsilon • Delta Phi • Delta Chi • Delta Psi • FarmHouse • Zeta Beta Tau • Zeta Psi • Theta Delta Chi • Theta Xi • Theta Chi • Iota Nu Delta • Iota Phi Theta • Kappa Alpha Order • Kappa Alpha Psi • Kappa Alpha Society • Kappa Delta Rho • Kappa Delta Phi • Lambda Theta Phi • Lambda Sigma Upsilon • Lambda Phi Epsilon • Lambda Chi Alpha • Nu Alpha Kappa • Pi Kappa Alpha • Pi Kappa Phi • Pi Lambda Phi • Sigma Alpha Epsilon • Sigma Alpha Mu • Sigma Beta Rho • Sigma Lambda Beta • Sigma Nu • Sigma Pi • Sigma Tau Gamma • Sigma Phi Delta • Sigma Phi Epsilon • Sigma Phi Society • Sigma Chi • Tau Delta Phi • Tau Epsilon Phi • Tau Kappa Epsilon • Tau Phi Sigma • Triangle • Phi Beta Sigma • Phi Gamma Delta • Phi Iota Alpha • Phi Kappa Theta • Phi Kappa Sigma • Phi Kappa Tau • Phi Kappa Psi • Phi Lambda Phi • Phi Lambda Chi • Phi Mu Delta • Phi Sigma Kappa • Phi Sigma Phi • Chi Phi • Chi Psi • Psi Upsilon • Omega Delta Phi