A LOOK BACK: KAPPA HISTORY
Several well-respected Black profession- als including physicians, pharmacists an attorney and an educator were initiated into the original Gamma Chapter (of Indianapolis). Additionally, Dr. E.N. Perkins became the fraternity’s first Honorary Member and was a mem- ber of the original Gamma Chapter of Indianapolis. It was not established and defined as an alumni chapter, as we know them today. The original Gamma Chapter of India- napolis remained inactive and never functioned as a chapter. Subsequently, its charter was revoked by the members at the 5th Grand Chapter Session at Iowa, December 1915. The fraternity decided that in the future, only ac- tive undergraduate chapters would be designated after the Greek alphabet; and alumni chapters would be named for the cities in which they are located. That formal practice of chapter nomen- clature to distinguish undergraduate chapters from alumni chapters began with Chicago (IL) Alumni Chapter. The original Delta Chapter at the University of Iowa, chartered March 7, 1914, was renamed Gamma since the original Gamma Chapter was now defunct. The Wilberforce University chapter of Kappa Alpha Nu was named Delta when it was established January 22, 1915. The Indianapolis (IN) Alumni Chapter, was established October 15, 1920. The circumstance involving the origi- nal Gamma Chapter of Indianapolis remained to be a sour note with the fraternity. Because of their failure to seamlessly incorporate alumni mem- bers into the ranks of the fraternity, the creation of alumni chapters remained a point of contention for many, includ- ing Founder Elder W. Diggs. Founder Armstrong defended the alumni chapter concept and made the following points to demonstrate how they would be dif- ferent than the original Gamma Chapter of Indianapolis:
traditionally done with undergraduate chapters. Those brothers were never indoctrinated with the spirit of the fraternity and were left completely to themselves. With nothing to cling to, they reverted to their original status of an unorganized state; 2. In Chicago, the old guard of Kappa men took in esteemed graduates and established professional men who never had any or very little affiliation with col- lege fraternities; but unlike the origi- nal Gamma Chapter of Indianapolis, these new men were joining a chapter composed mostly of men who had been thoroughly indoctrinated with the spirit and activities of the fraternity. By the close affiliation and fellowship with these Kappa men, they became instilled with the virtues of Kappa Alpha Psi. The fraternity learned from its past practices and created a unique terminol- ogy for alumni chapters, as well as the methodology to select and indoctrinate its new members for these chapters. Meticulous care and logical thought
1. The original Gamma Chapter at Indianapolis was formed hastily and with much less formality than what is
156 | 84 TH GRAND CHAPTER MEETING ISSUE THE JOURNAL
Publishing achievement for 105 years
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