Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. was founded on the campus of Indiana
University on January 5, 1911. Originally charted and incorporated Kappa
Alpha Nu on April 15, 1911, the name was officially changed to Kappa Alpha
Psi on April 15, 1915. The Fraternity is predominantly African-American
whose fundamental purpose is achievement. Kappa Alpha Psi seeks to train
its membership, particularly undergraduates, for leadership roles in their
respective communities and the attainment of a high degree of excellence
in their academic pursuits. Early in this century, African-American students
were actively dissuaded from attending college. Formidable obstacles were
erected to prevent the few who were enrolled from assimilating into co-curricular
campus life. This ostracism characterized Indiana University in 1911, thus
causing Elder W. Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong, and eight other black students
to form Kappa Alpha Psi which remains the only Greek letter organization
with its Alpha Chapter (first Chapter) on the University's campus. The
founders sought a formula that would immediately raise the sights of black
collegians stimulating them to reach accomplishments higher than they had
imagined. With achievement as its purpose, Kappa Alpha Psi began uniting
college men of culture, patriotism and honor in a bond of fraternity. Subsequently,
chapters spread in succession to the University of Illinois, the University
of Iowa, and Wilberforce University campuses. By 1919, the Kappa Alpha
Psi experience had generated serious interest among black college degree
holders to form Alumni Chapters. As graduate chapters multiplied, the Fraternity
began to expand its programming, for example, "Guide Right,"
its national social out-reach program was started three years after the
first Alumni Chapters were formed. Today National Guide Right programs
provide programming, role models, and mentors for at risk and other youth
in communities throughout the country and internationally.