International History
In 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority became America's first Greek-letter organization established by Black College women. Her roots date back to Howard University, Washington, D.C., where the idea for formation was conceived by Ethel Lyle of St. Louis, Missouri. She viewed the Sorority as an instrument for enriching the social and intellectual aspects of college life by providing mental stimulation through interaction with friends and associates.
Through the years, however, Alpha Kappa Alpha's function has become more complex. After her incorporation as a perpetual body in 1913, Alpha Kappa Alpha gradually branched out and grew from one undergraduate chapter to an international organization with a membership of more than 300,000 women in over 1,000 chapters in the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa.
Our sisterhood is composed of women who have consciously chosen this affiliation as a means of self-fulfillment through volunteer service. Alpha Kappa Alpha cultivates and encourages high scholastic and ethical standards; promotes unity and friendship among college women; alleviates problems concerning girls and women; maintains a progressive interest in college life; and serves all mankind. Alpha Kappa Alpha has a legacy of service that deepens, rather than ends, with college graduation.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is the epitome of class, grace, and fine sisterhood. Candidacy for membership into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is open to women of high ethical and scholastic standards who are pursuing or have completed courses leading to a degree in an accredited college or university. Our official headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois.
Our 20 Pearls
The Original Group: Marjorie Hill, Lucy D. Slowe, Lillie Burke, Ethel Hedgeman Lyle, Anna E. Brown, Marie Woolfolk Taylor, Beulah E. Burke, Margaret Flagg Holmes, and Lavinia Norman
The Sophomores: Norma Boyd, Ethel J. Mowbray, Alice P. Murray, Sarah M. Nutter, Joanna B. Shield, Carrie E. Snowden, and Harriet J. Terry
The Incorporators: Norma Boyd, Julia E. Brooks, Ethel J. Mowbray, Nellie M. Quander, Nellie Pratt Russell, and Minnie B. Smith
Through the years, however, Alpha Kappa Alpha's function has become more complex. After her incorporation as a perpetual body in 1913, Alpha Kappa Alpha gradually branched out and grew from one undergraduate chapter to an international organization with a membership of more than 300,000 women in over 1,000 chapters in the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa.
Our sisterhood is composed of women who have consciously chosen this affiliation as a means of self-fulfillment through volunteer service. Alpha Kappa Alpha cultivates and encourages high scholastic and ethical standards; promotes unity and friendship among college women; alleviates problems concerning girls and women; maintains a progressive interest in college life; and serves all mankind. Alpha Kappa Alpha has a legacy of service that deepens, rather than ends, with college graduation.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is the epitome of class, grace, and fine sisterhood. Candidacy for membership into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is open to women of high ethical and scholastic standards who are pursuing or have completed courses leading to a degree in an accredited college or university. Our official headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois.
Our 20 Pearls
The Original Group: Marjorie Hill, Lucy D. Slowe, Lillie Burke, Ethel Hedgeman Lyle, Anna E. Brown, Marie Woolfolk Taylor, Beulah E. Burke, Margaret Flagg Holmes, and Lavinia Norman
The Sophomores: Norma Boyd, Ethel J. Mowbray, Alice P. Murray, Sarah M. Nutter, Joanna B. Shield, Carrie E. Snowden, and Harriet J. Terry
The Incorporators: Norma Boyd, Julia E. Brooks, Ethel J. Mowbray, Nellie M. Quander, Nellie Pratt Russell, and Minnie B. Smith