Thousands of delegates of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., convening for its national convention in Indianapolis next July, will make a "historic pilgrimage" to Indiana University Bloomington, where the organization was founded nearly 100 years ago. Our historically black fraternity also is planning a National Founders Day event in Bloomington in January to mark the centennial of the milestone, which took place on Jan. 5, 1911. Kappa Alpha Psi was the second African American fraternity incorporated as a national organization. Elder Watson Diggs and nine other African American students at IU embraced a mutual vision to form a fraternity that today has 730 chapters and 120,000 members worldwide. Officials of the national fraternity announced their plans at a news conference in Indianapolis on Monday (July 5). The 80th Grand Chapter Meeting and Centennial Celebration will take place July 5-10, 2011.
"We are preparing for the most significant event in the annals of the fraternity," said Dwayne M. Murray, the 31st grand polemarch (president and chief executive officer) of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. "We are convening with a record number of brothers at the places where our fraternal journey began.
"We are honoring Indiana University for its contributions in training our founding brothers, as well as brothers who have been members of the Alpha Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity on the campus of IU at Bloomington," Murray added.
Diggs joined nine other IU students from Indiana and Kentucky to develop the fraternity's constitution and bylaws, which have never contained any clause that either excluded or suggested the exclusion of a man from membership because of color, creed or national origin. Originally chartered and incorporated with the state of Indiana as Kappa Alpha Nu on May 15, 1911, the name was changed to Kappa Alpha Psi in 1914 and became effective in April of the following year. Alumni of the IU Kappa Alpha Psi chapter include Tavis Smiley, the prominent television and radio commentator; Dennis Hayes, former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; William Mays, founder and president of Mays Chemical Co. and owner of the Indianapolis Recorder; George Taliaferro, IU football All-American and College Football Hall of Fame inductee; and acclaimed musician Booker T. Jones.
Two years ago, a historical marker, the Elder Watson Diggs Memorial, was placed at the intersection of 17th Street and Jordan Avenue, at the site of the first house built for the fraternity. IU's Alpha chapter remains very active on campus, but does not have a house.bylaws, which have never contained any clause that either excluded or suggested the exclusion of a man from membership because of color, creed or national origin. Originally chartered and incorporated with the state of Indiana as Kappa Alpha Nu on May 15, 1911, the name was changed to Kappa Alpha Psi in 1914 and became effective in April of the following year.
Alumni of the IU Kappa Alpha Psi chapter include Tavis Smiley, the prominent television and radio commentator; Dennis Hayes, former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; William Mays, founder and president of Mays Chemical Co. and owner of the Indianapolis Recorder; George Taliaferro, IU football All-American and College Football Hall of Fame inductee; and acclaimed musician Booker T. Jones.
I officially became a member of The North Central Province of Kappa Alpha PSI, Milwaukee Alumni Chapter in the spring of 2008 it was a personal goal for me that I wanted to accomplish, and I'm proud to be able to share this moment with the other members. YO SWEET NUPES!!!!!!!!!!!!
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