Alpha Kappa Psi () was an American college sorority. It was established in 1900 at Saint Mary's School in Raleigh, North Carolina. The sorority established thirteen chapters before going defunct in 1920. At its dissolution, several chapters joined Delta Delta Delta.
History On March 1, 1900, Alpha Kappa Psi was founded as the first Greek letter sorority on the campus of Saint Mary's School in Raleigh, North Carolina. link:Banta's Greek Exchange Rev. Theodore DuBose Bratton, eventual bishop of Mississippi, assisted his students with the creation of the sorority. Its purpose was to "foster the highest ideals of Christian womanhood". The first initiation was held in 1901.
In 1904, Alpha Kappa Psi was incorporated as a national sorority. Beta chapter was chartered at Virginia Female Institute in Staunton, Virginia, later called Stuart Hall. The next eight years were the heyday of the sorority. In 1907, the sorority had forty active members and seventy total initiates at three chapters. Chapters were chartered at schools in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. The Alpha chapter disbanded in 1911, when rector Dr. George W. Lay abolished all sororities at Saint Mary's. The Beta chapter existed for only five years, from 1904 to 1909.
Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1912) categorized Alpha Kappa Psi with "other women's general fraternities", such as Alpha Chi Omega and Alpha Omicron Pi. Seven active chapters were listed at this stage, with total active sisters at 304.
The 1915 publication of Baird's categorized the sorority in the "second division" of women's fraternities. Within a few years, a distinction would be made between the senior status sororities and junior status sororities that had been emerging, as a way of distinguishing smaller nationals or those that served non-accredited colleges. At the time of publication of this issue, Alpha Kappa Psi had five active chapters and five inactive chapters, with a total membership of 377. Two chapters left to affiliate with Delta Delta Delta.
Alpha Kappa Psi, a junior college sorority as of 1916, granted releases to chapters at four-year colleges that chose to affiliate with a larger national organization."Delta Delta Delta" (1955). The Trident of Delta Delta Delta. G. vol. 64, no. 3. pp. 160–161. via Google Books. These included Wesleyan Female College, Florida State College for Women, and Stetson University. By 1920, the sorority was recategorized as one of the "miscellaneous fraternities" in Baird's Manual. Four remaining active chapters were listed:
Fairmount College (Monteagle, TN) Carnegie Institute of Technology (Pittsburgh, PA) Gunston Hall School (Washington, DC) Synodical College (Fulton, MO)
The sorority had an approximate total of 487 members. Although the date of national dissolution is unknown, Alpha Kappa Psi dispersed sometime after 1920. Out of its legacy, three chapters joined Delta Delta Delta sorority, and one chapter joined Chi Omega.
Symbols and traditions The open motto of Alpha Kappa Psi was "Ever Upward."Flastacowo (yearbook). vol. 6. Tallahassee: Florida State College for Women. 1915. p. 144 – via Google Books. Its official symbol or insignia was the skull and bones. Its colors were blue and gold, specifically Wedgwood blue and gold. The sorority's flower was the forget-me-not.
There are two different descriptions of the Alpha Kappa Psi badge. One describes the badge as an equilateral Wedgwood blue and gold triangle with the sorority's Greek letters in the angles. The other describes it as "a triangle divided into three panels, one displaying a scroll carrying a skull and bones, one a key, and the third a torch". The sorority's flag was a Wedgwood blue pennant bearing the badge in gold.
The sorority's official publication was the Trigonon. It was published from December 1909 through 1911.
Conventions Alpha Kappa Psi held an annual national convention from 1909 through 1914. Conventions were held as follows:
Asheville, North Carolina, 1909 Atlanta, Georgia, 1910 Charleston, South Carolina, 1911 Jacksonville, Florida, 1912 Washington, D.C., 1914
Chapters Following is a list of the chapters of Alpha Kappa Psi, with inactive chapters and institutions are indicated in italics.
ChapterCharter date and rangeInstitutionLocationStatusAlpha – 1911Saint Mary's SchoolRaleigh, North CarolinaInactiveBeta I–1909Stuart Hall SchoolStaunton, VirginiaInactiveTau –191x ?Fairmount CollegeMonteagle, TennesseeInactiveColton, Elizabeth Avery (September 1912). "Standards of Southern Colleges for Women". The School Review. 20 (7): 472. doi:10.1086/435972. hdl:2027/hvd.rslphd. JSTOR 1076707. Retrieved 28 June 2023.Delta –1913Wesleyan Female CollegeMacon, GeorgiaWithdrew ()Eta –1916Florida State College for Women Tallahassee, FloridaWithdrew ()Sigma Nu –1913Stetson UniversityDeland, FloridaWithdrew ()Kappa I –1910Beaver College (Arcadia)Glenside, PennsylvaniaInactiveZeta –1912Gunston Hall SchoolWashington, DCInactiveGamma –1912Shorter CollegeRome, GeorgiaInactiveBeta II –19xx ?Fitzhugh SchoolFort Worth, TexasInactiveKappa II–1928Carnegie Institute of Technology Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaWithdrew (local)Epsilon–1916Synodical CollegeFulton, MissouriInactiveTheta –after 1915Knight's School, The Cathedral School for GirlsHavana, CubaInactiveLambda –after 1915Ward-Belmont CollegeNashville, TennesseeInactive
Alumnae Associations Alpha Kappa Psi had the following alumni chapters:
Tampa Alumnae Atlanta Alumnae Camden Alumnae Savannah Alumnae Portsmouth Alumnae Macon Alumnae
See also
List of social sororities and women's fraternities
References