LOOK BACK KAPPA HISTORY
marked the 80th Grand Chapter Meet- ing, held July 2-10, 2011. Preliminary events were held the first four days. The Indianapolis Convention Center was the host hotel and was supported by numerous nearby downtown hotels. The planning for this historic affair began seven years prior under Past Grand Polemarch Samuel C. Hamilton’s administration. The Centennial Capital Fund Campaign’s goal was to raise $2,000,011 to support the projects in preparation for the Kappa Alpha Psi’s 100th founding anniversary. The mone- tary objective was met and provided the membership with a celebration befitting the significant milestone. The Alpha and the Indianapolis (IN) Alumni Chapters were the hosts. More than 5,000 delegates registered for this GCM, the most in the fraternity’s his- tory to date. The fraternity estimated nearly 20,000 members, Silhouettes, family members, friends, and guests traveled to Indianapolis for this historic event. Indianapolis and the city’s tourism and convention center created custom Kappa street signs and banners that prominently lined down- town streets. These items remained throughout Conclave Week with the Centennial Conclave logo, fraternity themes, names, colors, and Coat of Arms. Each night the downtown hotels and restaurants were overflowing with fraternity members, their families, and friends enjoying fellowship, network- ing, and the Indianapolis nightlife. As with previous Indianapo- lis-hosted GCMs, the fraternity pilgrimaged from Indianapolis to the Indiana University-Blooming- ton campus, 51 miles southwest of
From l to r: Centennial Anniversary commemorative street sign and banners near the Indianapolis Convention Center. Recreation of Ms. Mollie Spaulding’s living room featured at the Centennial Histor- ical Collection Museum.
downtown Indianapolis for the 80th Grand Chapter Meeting. The frater- nity held its Grand Chapter Family Picnic on the IU campus. In addition,
Room.” Another brass plaque was placed at the site where Molly Spauld- ing’s house was once located, and at the fraternity’s first house, at 721
hundreds of fraternity members spent time touring Bloomington and the IU campus during Conclave Week. ‘The Kappa Trail - a historic route of signifi- cant Kappa history sites on the Indiana University
Hunter Ave. Addition- ally, the fraternity was recognized on a brick pave stone highlighting the campus fraternities and sororities - the “Indi- ana University Greek
Walk.” Kappa Alpha Psi remains the only existing Greek-letter organization founded at Indiana University. William H. Fields, Jr. (Gamma Tau 1980) transformed conference center hall into a Kappa Museum, the “Centennial Historical Collection” organized by featured a wide array of fraternity artifacts spanning from its beginning to 100 years later. Brother Fields’ reproduction creation of Ms. Mollie Spaulding’s living room was a highlight of the museum. Join us for Part 4 of the series, which analyzes unique developments of the Grand Chapter Meetings. Part 4 is scheduled for publication in the next issue of The Kappa Alpha Psi Journal . ♦
campus and city of Bloomington high- lighted significant on- and off-campus locations embedded in the fraternity’s roots. The Official Pilgrimage to Indiana University and tour on the Kappa Trail took place on July 7, 2011. The River Jordan and a marker erected at a branch of the waterway traversing through the campus are among the significant landmarks featured on the tour. Additionally, guests visited the former Alpha Chapter residence, the Elder Watson Diggs Memorial House. An Indiana State Marker was placed at this site. Other landmarks were placed within the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, designated as the “Kappa
30 THE JOURNAL ♦ FALL 2024
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