| Omicron Kappa Upsilon | |
| Letters: | Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΟΚΥ |
| Crest: | The_key_of_Omicron_Kappa_Upsilon.png |
| Colors: | Navy blue, Gold, and Lilac |
| Birthplace: | Northwestern University Dental School |
| Chapters: | 63 |
| Status: | Active |
| Type: | Honorary |
| Scope: | National |
| Emphasis: | Dentistry |
| Affiliation: | Independent |
| Address: | c/o Kornberg School of Dentistry, Temple University Attn: Dr. J. Suzuki, OKU 3223 N. Broad St. |
| City: | Philadelphia |
| State: | Pennsylvania |
| Zip Code: | 19140 |
| Country: | United States |
Omicron Kappa Upsilon (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΟΚΥ) is a national honorary society serving the field of dentistry.
The Society originated with the 1914 graduating class of the dental school at Northwestern University in Chicago. The idea for the fraternity came from the Dean of the Northwestern University Dental School, Dr. Green Vardiman Black, "G.V. Black", who soon invited the deans of 51 other dental school extant at the time to organize chapters of their own, forming a network of locals. The Society was incorporated on by the State of Illinois. It quickly expanded, with its Alpha through Kappa chapters considered to be "founding chapters."
In 1923, Anita Martin became the first woman inducted into Omicron Kappa Upsilon.[1]
Omicron Kappa Upsilon's first Canadian chapter was Tau Tau, at the University of Toronto, followed by chapters at the University of Manitoba, University of British Columbia, and the University of Western Ontario. Of these, only the Toronto unit remains active.
The Society has expanded to serve most US and Canadian dental schools, with few exceptions. Several dental schools have shuttered over the years, resulting in the cessation of active chapters on those campuses. The Society's Alpha chapter at Northwestern closed in 2001 when that school's dental program ceased. The Society has 63 active chapters as of 2022.
Membership is conferred in a two-step process, first by the student's attainment within the top 20% of a school's graduating class, then by a faculty vote based on qualities including character, service, research, etc. Thus only the top 12% of students are selected. The Society also offers faculty and honorary membership categories.
Lilac is the traditional symbol of dentistry. It features prominently on graduation stoles for students and faculty within the field, and is used as the primary color for Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΟΚΥ materials and publications. The official colors of the society are Navy blue and gold, using Lilac trim.[2]
The official key of the society is a monogram of the letters of the name of the society, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ο, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Κ and Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Υ, superimposed on a larger, stylized Sigma (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Σ) which represents the word Conservation, in Greek.[3]
Chapters of Omicron Kappa Upsilon include the following. Active chapters noted in bold, inactive chapters noted in italics.[4] [5]