The Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter has earned the respect and admiration of the community, the nation, and Kappamen throughout the world for 100 years of Achieving in the name of Kappa Alpha Psi.
Founding Date
Undergrad Chapters
Province
The origin
The Origins of Washington Alumni is a True Reflection of That Time Period
The Washington, DC of the 1920s reflected the attitude of the nation about Negroes. Although the black population of the city had increased significantly since the Civil War, the city was not a panacea for blacks. Restrictive covenants in deeds prohibited blacks from purchasing real property. The DC Code, revised in 1901, eliminated equal services to residents of the city regardless of race. A federal law signed by President Wilson in 1913 institutionalized segregation in the federal workplace. The passage of the1913 Act did not lead to any overt signs of discrimination. Rather, blacks and whites simply rode in different parts of the bus, rooted for different baseball teams, relaxed at separate public parks, and watched movies in separate theaters.
To introduce an organization committed to Achievement into Washington, DC was a monumental accomplishment, particularly for an organization that was less than 10 years old. Kappa Alpha Psi would become a symbol for thousands of blacks who felt there were meaningful alternatives to the menial careers of their ancestors.
The WAC Goal
Building the best for the future of Kappa in the Washington, DC area.
Like most chapters of the 1920s, the Xi was home to both undergraduate and alumni members.Its membership included James E. Scott, a Howard University Law School student, and Dudley Woodard, a member of the Howard University faculty and administration. The Xi sought to expand by selecting the best of the best in Washington, DC. Its 1922 line included P.Y. Hamilton, a 1918 Howard University Law School graduate, and Louis Mehlinger, a 1921 Howard University Law School graduate. The 1923 line included William Henry Greene, a Howard University Medical School student. Despite the comradeship between undergraduate and alumni brothers, it soon became obvious that an alumni chapter in Washington, DC would be healthy. The success of the Chicago [IL] and Philadelphia [PA] Alumni Chapters proved alumni chapters could co-exist with undergraduate chapters in the same cities.
The Fourth Alumni Chapter
The core group pushing for an alumni chapter in Washington, DC included Dudley Woodard and James E. Scott. They were well respected throughout the Fraternity and involved in the formation of the Xi.
Early in 1924, the Fraternity approved a request from alumni of the Morehouse College Chapter, the Pi of Kappa Alpha Psi to establish an alumni chapter in Atlanta. It would become the third chapter and the second alumni chapter in the old Confederacy. If chapters could prosper in the South, there was certainly no reason why an alumni chapter would not prosper in the capital of the free world. The core group pushing for an alumni chapter in Washington, DC included Dudley Woodard and James E. Scott. They were well respected throughout the Fraternity and involved in the formation of the Xi. The success of the Xi together with the involvement of Woodard and Scott was a factor in the decision of the Grand Chapter to establish a second chapter in Washington, DC. On October 15, 1924, it became the fourth city to have both an undergraduate and alumni chapter. The charter members were:
- Robert Thompson – Polemarch
- James E. Scott – Vice Polemarch
- Maurice Clifford – Keeper of Records
- Percival Y. Hamilton – Keeper of Exchequer
- Forrest D. Speaks – Strategus
- David Carter – Lieutenant Strategus
- Joseph Moore – Reporter
- Theodore H. Burns
- Simon Cunningham
- William Henry Greene
- William Morris
- Anderson Scott
- William West
- Frederick Wilkinson
- Dudley Woodard
The Road To Centennial
100 Years of Achievement
The culmination of 100 years of Achieving in Kappa Alpha Psi will be October 15, 2025. Coincidentally, the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter has won the Large Chapter of the Year Award for the Eastern Province while hosting the Council April 4-7th, 2024
Under the direction of Brandon Craddock, the 48th chapter Polemarch, the chapter is moving forward into the new millennium and setting the course for its next milestone – the centennial celebration. It looks forward to “training for leadership,” elevating the next generation of brothers who will continue the traditions of excellence established during these past 100 years. These brothers will bring fresh ideas that will enable the chapter to remain among the vanguard of chapters established by Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Individually, chapter members will continue to use the Achievements of fellow chapter members recognized at the several levels of the Fraternity as standards to meet and exceed. They will continue to answer the call to serve in leadership positions within the Fraternity and to assist the elected leadership of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity pursue an agenda that will solidify its position as the premiere Greek letter organization in the world.
The Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter has earned the respect and admiration of the community, the nation, and Kappamen throughout the world for 100 years of Achieving in the name of Kappa Alpha Psi. Please see below our calendar of upcoming events as we prepare for our celebration October 12, 2024.
The Flagship of the fleet. The Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter.
The Flagship of the fleet. The Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter.
