COVER STORY
The Story Behind The Story of Kappa Alpha Psi, 6 th Edition
A labor of love, tenacity and pride
K appa Alpha Psi has undergone several changes throughout the eleven decades and two years since its founding. Some of Kappa’s most significant modifications and growth occurred in its first quarter century. The office of Grand Historian was non-existent until 1925. Before the Grand Historian office was established, the Fraternity had no dedicated person or commit- tee responsible for safeguarding and retaining the Fraternity’s archives. The Fraternity did not have a physical structure that would serve as the offi- cial repository for its artifacts and other historical materials until the National Headquarters building was acquired in 1954. During the Fraternity’s forma- tive years, the emphasis on expanding the Fraternity exceeded the attention given to authoring a historical record. Once the significance of this endeavor was assumed, brief Fraternity historical accounts were composed. The earliest formal history composi- tion was The Handbook of Kappa Al- pha Psi (1928). It, and its succeeding editions (1936 and 1952), gave cursory recapitalizations of the Fraternity’s his- tory. Through Founder Guy L. Grant’s preliminary efforts and the selection of 8 th Grand Polemarch J. Jerome Peters as the lead author of our first official history book, we received The Story of Kappa Alpha Psi in 1967. Since that time, four subsequent editions have been published, and the 6 th ed. will soon be in print. This article addresses and highlights the labors endured to create the 6 th ed. and details how this By Kevin P. Scott and Aaron S. Williams
Historian their yearly programs for security purposes. Many chapters lose archives over a period of years and most of this material is lost for- ever. The response in this respect is poor.” Many manuscripts were used as sources to aid in filling the gaps of failing memories. Some of these include, but are not limited to: Kappa Alpha Psi Journals (1914-1954), Confidential Bulletins (1923-1954), The Handbook of Kappa Alpha Psi (1928, 1936 & 1952), and numer- ous unpublished historical narratives by Founders Elder W. Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong, John M. Lee, Past Grand Polemarchs Irven Armstrong and George F. David, II, and Grand Historians. Those written accounts were ac- cented by interviews conducted by Founder Grant of early members, in- cluding Founders Diggs and Ezra D. Alexander and Past Grand Polemarch Irven Armstrong. In the early 1950s, Founder Grant also re-established and led a national Committee on the History of Kappa Alpha Psi. This committee conducted research and gathered the indispensable materials that would be the foundation of the Fraternity’s history record. Accord- ing to Founder Grant, “With the aid of the membership, our committee was able to gather valuable material which seemed almost irretrievable.” The compilation of this informa- tion provided Past Grand Polemarch Peters and his two co-authors, Past Grand Polemarch C. Rodger Wilson
The Story of Kappa Alph Alpha Psi, 6 th edition.
publication will be unique from its predecessors.
Past Accounts of Our History
The composition of the 1 st ed. of The Story of Kappa Alpha Psi (1967) was wrought with numerous difficul- ties. Foremost among the complica- tions was the accumulation of histori- cal material. Founder Grant recalled in 1955, “Over a three-year period I, as your Grand Historian, have traveled to many parts of the country in quest of material . . . The chapters have been advised to send to the Grand
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