Kappa Alpha Pi
ΚΑΠ
FoundedMarch 7, 1904 (1904-03-07)
Englewood High School, Chicago, Illinois, US
TypeHigh School Fraternity
ScopeNational
ColorsBlack and Gold
PublicationKappa Alpha Pi Journal
Chapters50

ΚΑΠ (Kappa Alpha Pi) was a high school fraternity founded in 1904 at Englewood High School in Chicago, Illinois.

History

On June 11, 1902, nine men at Englewood High School in Chicago, Illinois formed a club known as the Harvard Athletic Club. The club was organized for the purpose of fostering sports in the school. They designed a club pin that was a crimson diamond with a white "H" in the middle. Soon after the formation of the Harvard Athletics Club, the men constructed a cinder track near the school where they trained for track events.

In the years prior to the formation of the Harvard Athletics Club, several high school fraternities had been founded in the Chicago area, and their popularity had grown tremendously. Omicron Kappa Pi was founded in 1893, and Beta Zeta Phi and Delta Sigma were founded in 1897. As a result of issues caused by the growing popularity of these organizations, the administration at Englewood gave numerous lectures warning against membership in fraternities, exemplifying the pitfalls and disgrace that came with membership in such organizations. The lectures against fraternity membership piqued the interest of the men of the Harvard Athletics Club, and they decided that they would like to become a fraternity. On December 31, 1903, they changed the name of their group to the Harvards, with the intention of becoming a fraternity.[1]

On March 7, 1904, the Harvards reorganized as Kappa Alpha Pi Fraternity. The men involved at the time of reorganization are credited as being the founders of Kappa Alpha Pi. Those men were Chauncey M. Briggs, Harold R. Cossitt, U. Lloyd Hendrick, Merwin O. Hopkins, Fred G. Lee, William H. McCord, H. Russell Sherwood, R. Clifford Sherwood, and George H. Wright.[2]

With the intention of becoming a national fraternity, Kappa Alpha Pi petitioned the State of Illinois for a charter, and it was granted, in November 1905. By 1930, Kappa Alpha Pi had more than 50 chapters across the United States, with the heaviest concentration in Illinois and California.[3]

As the institution of high school fraternities began to die off, most chapters of Kappa Alpha Pi were inactive by the 1960s.

Chapters

Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status References
Alpha March 7, 1904 Englewood High School Chicago, Illinois Inactive
Epsilon November 7, 1907 Parker High School Chicago, Illinois Inactive
Zeta (First) 1908–1909 Muncie, Indiana Inactive [lower-alpha 1]
Alpha Phi February 12, 1909 Lowell High School San Francisco, California Inactive
Alpha Theta April 1909 Santa Rosa, California Inactive
Phi Gamma July 21, 1909 Muncie, Indiana Inactive
Xi September 9, 1909 Thornton Township High School Harvey, Illinois Inactive
Phi Epsilon May 11, 1910 Oakland, California Inactive
Phi Kappa May 27, 1910 Alameda, California Inactive
Alpha Tau October 30, 1910 South High School Columbus, Ohio Inactive
Sigma Phi 1911 Chico High School Chico, California Inactive
Rho (First) 19xx ?–19xx ? Central High School Kansas City, Missouri Moved [lower-alpha 2]
Alpha Gamma November 6, 1912 Jefferson High School Portland, Oregon Inactive
Gamma Beta March 21, 1914 Yonkers High School Yonkers, New York Inactive
Zeta (Second) October 10, 1915 Central High School St. Joseph, Missouri Inactive
Rho (Second) 194x? Southwest High School Kansas City, Missouri Inactive
Alpha Kappa 1921 Sacramento, California Inactive
Alpha Beta February 22, 1926 Stockton, California Inactive
Alpha Psi May 13, 1926 Los Angeles, California Inactive
Alpha Xi October 3, 1926 Marysville, California Inactive
Delta Phi January 9, 1927 Springfield, Illinois Inactive
Gamma Theta January 23, 1927 Yonkers, New York Inactive
Gamma Tau January 23, 1927 New York, New York Inactive

Notes

  1. ↑ The original Zeta chapter at Muncie, Indiana gave up its charter in 1909, and the Phi Gamma chapter was founded soon after as a replacement.
  2. ↑ Rho chapter moved to Southwest High School after World War I.

References

  1. ↑ A History of Kappa Alpha Pi National Fraternity. 1932. p 9.
  2. ↑ "Grand Master's Founders' Day Proclamation". The Kappa Alpha Pi Quarterly. p 2. 1939.
  3. ↑ Kappa Alpha Pi Journal. 1929. p1
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