Kappa Alpha Society should not be confused with Kappa Alpha Order.
| Kappa Alpha Society | |
| Letters: | Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΚΑ |
| Crest: | Kapkeycolour.png |
| Birthplace: | Union College |
| Affiliation: | NIC |
| Status: | Active |
| Type: | Social |
| Scope: | International |
| Colors: | Scarlet |
| Flower: | Carnation |
| Symbol: | Kappa Alpha Key |
| Address: | PO Box 876 |
| City: | Ithaca |
| State: | New York |
| Country: | United States |
| Chapters: | 15 (5 active) |
The Kappa Alpha Society (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΚΑ), founded in 1825, was the progenitor of the modern fraternity system in North America. It is considered to be the oldest national, secret, Greek-letter social fraternity and was the first of the fraternities which would eventually become known as the Union Triad that pioneered the North American system of social fraternities.[1]
While several fraternities claim to be the oldest, Baird's Manual states that Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΚΑ has maintained a continuous existence since its foundation, making it the oldest undergraduate fraternity that exists today.[2] As of 2022, there are five active chapters in the United States and Canada.
In 1823, John Hart Hunter, Isaac W. Jackson, and Thomas Hun, who were students at Union College in Schenectady, New York, established an informal group called The Philosophers. That group became the Kappa Alpha Society on . Its founders were Joseph Anthony Constant, John Hart Hunter, Isaac W. Jackson, Thomas Hun, John McGeoch, Orlando Meads, and James Proudfit of the class of, and Arthur Burtis and Joseph Law of the class of .
The Kappa Alpha Society represents the middle link between secret societies, literary societies, and Greek-letter organizations like Phi Beta Kappa. In the words of founding member Arthur Burtis:
KA expanded to Williams College in 1833, with fourteen pledges led by Azariah S. Clark of the class of 1834. Other chapters were established in the 19th century at Hobart College, Princeton College, the University of Virginia, Cornell University, the University of Toronto, Lehigh University, and McGill University.[3] Chapters were established at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Western Ontario, Wesleyan University, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, and Dalhousie University in the 20th century. The Union and Wesleyan chapters were co-educational (male and female members) in the recent past. There are currently no co-educational chapters.
Following is a list of the active and inactive chapters of the Kappa Alpha Society.[4] Active groups indicated in bold, inactive groups indicated by italics. Chapters are designated with an abbreviation of the institution's Latin name. This organization is not to be confused with the Kappa Alpha Order, a completely separate national fraternity.
| Chapter | Letter Designation | Chartered/Range | Institution | Location | Status | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Alpha | CC | – ; | Union College | Schenectady, New York | Active | ||
| Massachusetts Alpha | CG | – | Williams College | Williamstown, Massachusetts | Inactive | ||
| New York Beta | CH | – ; –; | Hobart College | Geneva, New York | Active | ||
| New Jersey Alpha | CNC | – ; – | Princeton University | Princeton, New Jersey | Inactive | ||
| Virginia Alpha | VV | – | University of Virginia | Charlottesville, Virginia | Inactive | ||
| New York Gamma | VC | – ; – | Cornell University | Ithaca, New York | Inactive | ||
| Ontario Alpha | VT | University of Toronto | Toronto, Ontario | Active | |||
| Pennsylvania Alpha | VL | – | Lehigh University | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Inactive | ||
| Quebec Alpha | VM | – ; –; – | McGill University | Montreal, Quebec | Inactive | ||
| Pennsylvania Beta | VP | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Active | |||
| Ontario Beta | VOO | University of Western Ontario | London, Ontario | Active | |||
| Connecticut Alpha | VW | – ; – | Wesleyan University | Middletown, Connecticut | Inactive | ||
| Alberta Alpha | VA | – | University of Alberta | Edmonton, Alberta | Inactive | ||
| Alberta Beta | VAC | – | University of Calgary | Calgary, Alberta | Inactive | ||
| Nova Scotia Alpha | VD | – | Dalhousie University | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Inactive |
See main article: List of Kappa Alpha Society members. The Kappa Alpha Society has produced a substantial number of notable members in widely varied fields throughout its nearly 200-year history.