Delta Kappa Alpha Explained

Delta Kappa Alpha
Letters:	Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΔΚΑ
Crest:	Delta Kappa Alpha crest.png
Alt:	The official coat of arms of Delta Kappa Alpha
Birthplace:	University of Southern California
Affiliation:	PFA
Status:	Active
Type:	Professional
Emphasis:	Cinematic arts
Scope:	National
Slogan:	Cinematic Artists of Character
Motto:	Truth in Illusion
Colors:	Deep royal blue Old gold
Flower:	White carnation
Symbol:	Movie camera
Mascot:	Dragon
Publication:	CineJournal
Address:	1179 Union Circle
City:	Denton
State:	Texas
Zip Code:	76201
Nickname:	DeKA
Chapters:	21 (active)
Country:	United States

Delta Kappa Alpha (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΔΚΑ or DKA) is a national, gender-inclusive, professional cinematic society founded in 1936 at the USC School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles, California. The mission of DKA is to foster lifelong character, collaborative and creative storytelling, ethical and productive business practices, philanthropic action, and fraternal bonds by and between students of the cinematic arts.

History

Delta Kappa Alpha was founded in 1935 as a Professional Cinematography Fraternity for men. DKA received its National Charter on March 16, 1936, in Bridge Hall of the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California. Over 85 years later, the organization has evolved into a gender-inclusive society welcoming undergraduate and graduate students of any major who demonstrate a passion for creative collaboration in the cinematic arts.

Ten men are honored as Delta Kappa Alpha's founding members:^[1]

Allen K. Dallas William A. Halpern John W. Findlater

Donald Fischer Jack H. McClelland Terry Bissinger Robert V. Rogers

Louis Tarleton Robert Turner Peter Kinnel

Allen K. Dallas served as the first President of Delta Kappa Alpha.

The Alpha chapter had considerable influence in its first incarnation from 1936 until the mid-1980s. The fraternity had its own office within the School of Cinematic Arts building, equivalent to the current Student Production Office in today's SCA complex.

The fraternity also held annual banquets to honor notable contributors to the cinematic arts. Film legends such as Alfred Hitchcock and Fred Astaire were inducted into the fraternity as honorary members.^[2] Hollywood heavyweights such as Sophia Loren, George Cukor, and Judy Garland were known to attend these events.^[3]

The fraternity was in its heyday in the 1960s and 1970s, when Dirty Dozen members George Lucas and Howard Kazanjian were among its members. There were five national chapters with a membership of 1500 in 1965.^[4] However, by the mid-1980s the Alpha chapter as well as other chapters in the United States and South America had disbanded.^[5] Despite no longer being on campus, USC still held a "DKA film series" of screenings from 1982 until the late 2000s at the Norris Cinema Theater on campus, drawing hour-long lines every Friday.^{[6] [7]}

All of the chapters deactivated because the national fraternity lacked an executive office, keeping it from surviving the anti-establishment period that shut down chapters and Greek organizations across the country. Former National President and National Secretary Herbert E. Farmer protected the fraternity’s history through his well-preserved archive. This made it possible for the fraternity to be resurrected at the University of Southern California in 2009 by Grace Lee and Hillary Levi. With the help of leading fraternity experts and consultants, the society now thrives with its overhauled and significantly improved national structure, growing expansion projects, passionate membership, and close-knit alumni.

Present

In the spring of 2009,^[8] a group of students at USC re-established the Alpha chapter. It has since grown to be the largest undergraduate student group at the School of Cinematic Arts,^[9] again encompassing all divisions of study and bringing guests such as Alan Myerson,^[10] John Landis,^[11] and John C. McGinley (on behalf of Spread the Word to End the Word)^[12] to campus as part of its DKA Speaker Series. In 2012, the national organization was revived. The first revived National Council was composed of Andy Dulman (President), Eric Foss (Vice President), and National Councilors Ryan Bartley, Arielle Zakowski, Shipra Gupta, and Flo Miniscloux. This new leadership worked diligently to create and ratify a national constitution and chapter bylaws, implement a structure for organization and growth, continuity, national identity, expansion to other campuses, and much more.

At the beginning of 2013,^[13] a group of students re-established the Delta chapter at UCLA after disbanding in the 1970s. Initially as a colony in January of 2013, the Delta chapter became a fully fledged chapter in the spring of that year.

Delta Kappa Alpha chapters are organized into Resident Councils, which include the current student members of a chapter, and Graduate Councils, made up of all members who have graduated or left school. Each council of a chapter is entitled to a vote at the National Convention, which meets every two years and is the highest level of authority in the organization. The convention elects National Council members who serve as a board of directors for the society and governs between conventions. In the off-year when National Conventions are not held, a convention called "Conclave" is held. Its purpose is to further create community between the chapters and share ideas.

The national organization is made up of multiple corporations, including the Delta Kappa Alpha Foundation. The Delta Kappa Alpha Foundation was created in 2013 as a separate charitable organization. As a public, charitable, and educational foundation, the mission of the Delta Kappa Alpha Foundation is to ensure the development of philanthropic support necessary to sustain high levels of educational programming by fostering lifelong relationships and commitment to the society's ideals. The key functions of the separate organization are rooted in the idea that the foundation must provide vehicles for members to fulfill their lifelong commitment to Delta Kappa Alpha and to fellow members.

The Chief Executive Officer executes the National Council's plan and serves as a mediator between the Council and Foundation Board. The Executive Offices staff assists with implementing said plan.

Delta Kappa Alpha's national partner is SeriousFun.^[14]

Symbols

Delta Kappa Alpha's letters (DKA) stand for Dramatic, Kinematic, Aesthetic. The society's colors are deep royal blue and old gold. Its symbol is the film camera and its mascot is the dragon. Its flower is the white carnation. Delta Kappa Alpha's public slogan is "Cinematic Artists of Character" and its open motto is "Truth in Illusion". The society nickname is DeKA, meaning "ten" in Greek and representing the 10 founders and the 10 jewels of a Delta Kappa Alpha member.^[15]

Chapters

Following is a list of Delta Kappa Alpha collegiate chapters.^[16] Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are indicated in italic.

Chapter	Chartered date and range	Institution	Location	Status	References
Alpha	– 19xx ?;2007	University of Southern California	Los Angeles, California	Active
Beta	1949	Boston University	Boston, Massachusetts	Active
Gamma	1950	New York University	New York, New York	Active
Delta		University of California, Los Angeles	Los Angeles, California	Active	^[17]
Epsilon	2010	San Francisco State University	San Francisco, California	Active
Zeta	2013	Chapman University	Orange, California	Active
Eta	2013	University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, California	Active
Theta	2013	Loyola Marymount University	Los Angeles, California	Active
Iota	2013	George Mason University	Fairfax, Virginia	Active
Kappa	2013	University of Tampa	Tampa, Florida	Active
Lambda	2013	University of Texas at Austin	Austin, Texas	Active
Mu	2013–20xx ?	Columbia University	New York, New York	Inactive
Nu	2014–20xx ?	American University	Washington, D.C.	Inactive
Xi	2014	University of Miami	Miami, Florida	Active
Omicron	2014	Syracuse University	Syracuse, New York	Active
Pi	2014	Ithaca College	Ithaca, New York	Active
Rho	2016	Emerson College	Boston, Massachusetts	Active
Sigma	2016	University of Arizona	Tucson, Arizona	Active
Tau	2017	Depaul University	Chicago, Illinois	Active
Upsilon	2017	University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara, California	Active
Phi	2017	Cornell University	Ithaca, New York	Active
Chi	2018	University of North Texas	Denton, Texas	Active
Psi	2018	Temple University	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Active
Omega	2021	Pennsylvania State University	State College, Pennsylvania	Active

Notable members

Delta Kappa Alpha held an annual banquets which honored figures in the cinema industry and presented them with honorary membership in the fraternity. Honorees include:

• 1953 Arthur Charles Miller^[18]
• 1957 William A. Seiter^[19]
• 1957 Gene Kelly^[20]
• 1958 Cecil B. Demille
• 1959 George Cukor^[21] and John G. Frayne^[22]
• 1961 Greer Garson and Kirk Douglas^[23]
• 1963 Mary Pickford and Harold Lloyd^[24]
• 1964 Gloria Swanson, Adolph Zukor, Jack Lemmon, Charles Brackett, and Billy Wilder^{[25] [26]}
• 1965 Rosalind Russell, Norman Taurog and Robert Wise^[4]
• 1966 Lucille Ball, Gregory Peck and Hal Wallis^[27]
• 1967 Irene Dunne and Jack Oakie^[28]
• 1968 Mae West, Mervyn LeRoy and James Stewart^[29]
• 1969 Conrad Hall and Kathryn Ross

• 1970 Julie Andrews and Norman Jewison^[30]
• 1972 Edith Head, Alfred Hitchcock, Walter Matthau and Sidney J. Solow (president of Consolidated Film Industries)^{[31] [32]}
• 1973 Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Daniel Taradash and Lester Novros^[33]
• 1974 Barbara Stanwyck, Johnny Green and William Castle^[34]
• 1975 Fred Astaire and Stanley Donen^[35]
• 1976 Glenn Ford^[36]
• 1977 Albert Whitlock^[37]
• 1978 Disney's Nine Old Men^[38] and Neil Simon^[39]
• 1979 Russ Meyer^[40]
• 2014 Herbert E. Farmer

See also

• Professional fraternities and sororities

Notes and References

1. Web site: History . 2014-10-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141029104359/http://www.dka.org/History_2.php . 2014-10-29 . dead .
2. http://www.wix.com/uscdka/delta-kappa-alpha#!history DKA Alpha chapter website
3. http://cinema.usc.edu/about/history/1941-1970.cfm "USC President Rufus von KleinSmid, Sophia Loren, George Cukor, and Judy Garland at a DKA event circa 1959."
4. http://www.e-yearbook.com/yearbooks/University_Southern_California_El_Rodeo_Yearbook/1965/Page_178.html USC's El Rodeo Yearbook 1965 p178
5. Web site: DKA Beta chapter website . 2011-07-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120328011909/http://dkasfsu.org/?page_id=2 . 2012-03-28 . dead .
6. Web site: Daily Trojan article, "DKA movies a Friday tradition" . 2011-07-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121018231612/http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/dt/V132/N06/01-dka.06d.html . 2012-10-18 . dead .
7. Web site: "Oct 2, 2007 ... Friday, DKA Film Series is showing Pirates of the Caribbean." . July 21, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120328011914/http://elections.usc.edu/LinkFiles/minutes_2007_2008/2007_10_02.pdf . March 28, 2012 . dead .
8. "Delta Kappa Alpha (DKA) is the resurrected cinema fraternity..."
9. http://www.dka.org
10. http://cinema.usc.edu/events/event.cfm?id=11553 DKA Presents a Q&A with Alan Myerson
11. http://www.scagraduatecouncil.com/events/qa-with-john-landis/ A Question and Answer Session led by USC’s Cinema Fraternity
12. http://dailytrojan.com/2011/03/01/%E2%80%98spread-the-word-to-end-the-word%E2%80%99-comes-to-usc Daily Trojan article, "Spread the Word to End the Word’ comes to USC"
13. Web site: Film fraternity Delta Kappa Alpha re-established at UCLA . 2022-11-17 . Daily Bruin.
14. https://www.seriousfunnetwork.org/ SeriousFun
15. Not to be confused with the similarly-named DECA, a student organization promoting entrepreneurial training for high school and college students.
16. Web site: Current Chapters . 2020-08-19 . 2020-09-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200920154056/https://dka.org/about-us/current-chapters/ . dead .
17. http://www.dkaarchives.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Delta-Charter-Signed.pdf Delta Kappa Alpha - Delta Charter signed
18. https://archive.today/20130131171040/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/426038341.html?dids=426038341:426038341&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+11,+1953&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Film+Lensman+to+Be+Honored+by+Fraternity&pqatl=google%5CFilm Lensman to Be Honored by Fraternity
19. Web site: Fraternity to Induct . 2017-07-06 . 2012-11-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107124603/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/458363352.html?dids=458363352:458363352&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+17,+1957&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Fraternity+to+Induct&pqatl=google . dead .
20. Web site: Fraternity to Honor Gene Kelly . 2017-07-06 . 2012-11-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107124827/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/438194022.html?dids=438194022:438194022&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Nov+13,+1957&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Fraternity+to+Honor+Dancer+Gene+Kelly&pqatl=google . dead .
21. https://archive.today/20130125054454/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uXBRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OBAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7359,739027&dq=delta-kappa-alpha+cinema&hl=en Tierney Film return set
22. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20686561 Journal of the University Film Producers Vol. 11, No. 4, SUMMER, 1959
23. http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/BE024778/greer-garson-and-kirk-douglas-with-awards Greer Garson and Kirk Douglas with Awards
24. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JOwbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XFEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6912,558368 America's Sweetheart remembered
25. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eW1PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CAUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1515,2369651 Past, Present Merge for Mutual Love of Movies
26. Web site: Realistic Locales Seen Aiding Actors . 2017-07-06 . 2012-11-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107123936/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/465792322.html?dids=465792322:465792322&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+03,+1964&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Realistic+Locales+Seen+Aiding+Actors&pqatl=google . dead .
27. Web site: USC Fraternity Cites 3 Film-TV Personalities . 2017-07-06 . 2012-11-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107124851/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/501655062.html?dids=501655062:501655062&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Feb+01,+1966&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=USC+Fraternity+Cites+3+Film-TV+Personalities&pqatl=google . dead .
28. https://archive.today/20120717165235/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=V5hJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fAwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2462,4816709 Hollywood Celebs Send Second String for Awards
29. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=De5kAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EYINAAAAIBAJ&pg=991,3953947 Nostalgia was the keynote, Mae West stole the show
30. Web site: Bouquets for Notables at Film Banquet . 2017-07-06 . 2012-11-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107124905/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/599104802.html?dids=599104802:599104802&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Mar+10,+1970&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Bouquets+for+Notables+at+Film+Banquet&pqatl=google . dead .
31. Web site: Film Notables Receive Honorary Tribute . 2017-07-06 . 2012-11-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107124937/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/668342972.html?dids=668342972%3A668342972&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS%3AAI&type=historic&date=Feb%2007%2C%201972&author=&pub=Los%20Angeles%20Times&desc=Film%20Notables%20Receive%20Honorary%20Tribute&pqatl=google . dead .
32. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20687162 Journal of the University Film Association Vol. 24, No. 1/2, 1972
33. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TPgeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Lo0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7329,3544143&dq=delta-kappa-alpha+cinema&hl=en Paul Newman joins Ingmar Bergman Cult
34. Web site: Fraternity Fetes Stanwyck, Green, Castle . 2017-07-06 . 2012-11-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107131008/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/643243072.html?dids=643243072:643243072&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Mar+05,+1974&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Film+Fraternity+Fetes+Stanwyck,+Green,+Castle&pqatl=googleFilm . dead .
35. Web site: Tributes to Fred . 2011-07-24 . 2011-09-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928141705/http://www.alsodances.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22&Itemid=20 . dead .
36. http://entertainment.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=696&lotNo=52075&lotIdNo=45017#Photo Glen Ford's Delta Kappa Alpha Certificate
37. http://www.theasc.com/magazine/july00/whitlock/pg3.htm The late Albert Whitlock was one of movie history’s most skilled illusionists.
38. http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/disnehis/disn1978.htm Chronology of the Walt Disney Company
39. News: Neil Simon to Move Back to New York Part‐Time (Published 1978) . The New York Times . 16 November 1978 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221216042436/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/11/16/archives/neil-simon-to-move-back-to-new-yorkparttime-a-twocharacter-play.html . 2022-12-16 . live . Lindsey . Robert .
40. https://books.google.com/books?id=pmZSBqUyslEC&pg=PA46 Russ Meyer--the life and films: a biography and a comprehensive, illustrated