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Alpha Kappa Nu () was one of the first documented
Alpha Kappa Nu () was one of the first documented African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...
collegiate fraternal organizations in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Formed in 1903 at Indiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universi ...
and lasting until around 1905, it had a membership of 10, which included all the colored students at the school. A second chapter was set to be established at Wilberforce University. Wilberforce University
Wilberforce University is a private historically black university in Wilberforce, Ohio. Affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), it was the first college to be owned and operated by African Americans. It participates ...
was where the fraternity Gamma Phi
Gamma Phi () was a primarily African American fraternity founded on March 1, 1905 at Wilberforce University a Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in the state of Ohio by Gus Williams, Dr. Lackley and Edw. Cl ...
was founded in 1905.
History
Social club
In ''The Story of Kappa Alpha Psi: A History of the Beginning and Development of A College Greek Letter Organization 1911-1999'', Historian Ralph J. Bryson recounted that his own fraternity "may have begun in 1903 on the campuses ofIndiana University
Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana.
Campuses
Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI.
*Indiana Universi ...
in Bloomington, IN
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the central region of the U.S. state of Indiana. It is the seventh-largest city in Indiana and the fourth-largest outside the Indianapolis metropolitan area. According to the Monro ...
, but there were too few registrants to assure continuing organization. That year, a club was formed called "Alpha Kappa Nu Greek Society"; though newspaper accounts from 1903 and 1905 identified the organization as a Greek fraternity with elected officers and a constitution with "plans of establishing branches at leading negro institutions," the club was never incorporated, and disappeared after a short time. The group lasted for 14 months. Although the group was also stated to have lasted until 1911. The purpose of the group was to "strengthen the negro voice." The group was listed as the first black college chapter to own its own house.
Kappa Alpha Psi
Bryson states that the original moniker (Kappa Alpha Nu) ofKappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African American fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never restricted membership on the basis of color, creed ...
, which did become an African-American fraternity, may have been chosen in tribute to the short lived club. However, there is no concrete evidence as to why the Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
letters Kappa Alpha Nu were chosen,(Kappa is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet and there were 10 founders, Alpha as being the first Black frat at I.U., Nu unknown) and the name was later changed, due to an incident at an I.U. Track Meet involving Kappa Frank Summers, changing from Nu to Psi, which was also formed by the combined letters of I.U.(ψ)). Kappa Alpha Psi's historian credits the name change in 1915 with allowing their organization to "thereby became a Greek letter Fraternity in every sense of the designation."
See also
*History of North American fraternities and sororities
The North American fraternity and sorority system began with students who wanted to meet secretly, usually for discussions and debates not thought appropriate by the faculty of their schools. Today they are used as social, professional, and honora ...
*List of African-American Greek and fraternal organizations
African American fraternities and sororities are social organizations that predominantly recruit Black college students and provide a network that includes both undergraduate and alumni members. These organizations were typically founded by Blac ...
References
{{reflist, 30em Student organizations established in 1903 Indiana University African-American fraternities and sororities Defunct fraternities and sororities 1903 establishments in Indiana