What is Kappa Alpha Theta?

Kappa Alpha Theta is primarily a college organization composed of undergraduate members affiliated with college chapters at accredited colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

Kappa Alpha Theta is also a member of the National Panhellenic Conference.

Fraternity Purpose

The intellectual ambition of the Fraternity shall be the attainment of highest scholarship. The social aim of the Fraternity shall be to exercise the widest influence for good. The moral aim of the Fraternity shall be the standard of love.

History of Kappa Alpha Theta

Founded in 1870 at Asbury University (now Depauw University in Greencastle, Indiana), Kappa Alpha Theta is the first greek letter fraternity for women.

Bettie Locke Hamilton was one of the first women admitted to the newly co-ed Asbury in 1867. She was familiar with the fraternity lifestyle, as her father was a member of Beta Theta Pi and her brother of Phi Gamma Delta. When a Phi Gamma Delta friend asked her to wear his badge, she responded that she could not wear it if she did not know the secrets and purposes the letters represented. Though there was some talk of initiating Bettie into the fraternity, they instead presented her with a silver fruit basket engraved with their letters.

Impressed with the fraternity ideals, Bettie searched for a women's counterpart. Finding none, she followed her father's suggestion to begin her own. And so Kappa Alpha Theta was conceived. Bettie and her friend Alice Allen together wrote a constitution, planned ceremonies, designed a badge, and sought other women on campus worthy of membership. With Bettie Tipton and Hannah Fitch, the four initiated themselves on January 27, 1870, becoming the first greek-letter fraternity known among women.

These four women proudly wore their black and gold badges to Asbury's chapel service on March 14. The Alpha Chapter at Asbury grew to 22 sisters. Soon Theta spread to other colleges with Bettie's establishment of the Beta Chapter at Indiana University in May of the same year.

Fraternity Ideals

Our founders purpose was to create an organization that would provide encouragement and support for women to pursue an education at co-educational colleges and help them in the attainment of a degree.

The word Fraternity is derived from the Latin word "fraternitas," describing a feeling of love between two brothers. The abstract interpretation means deep friendship between two people, male or female. There is no such word as "sororitas." The word Sorority, from the Latin "soror" meaning sisters, was adopted in 1882. This was 12 years after the founding of Kappa Alpha Theta. Theta, therefore, remains a fraternity for women-- the first one.

Theta Today

Theta now boasts 123 college chapters, 252 alumnae groups, and over 150,000 members.

Our headquaters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Visit our web site at international headquarters to learn more!

Theta Facts

The first women admitted to Phi Beta Kappa were Thetas.

The first women's fraternity to establish a chapter in Canada was Kappa Alpha Theta.

The first woman elected to the U.S. Senate in her own right was a Theta.

Famous Alums

Famous Thetas include Amy Grant, Ann Margaret, Julie Moran, and Sheryl Crow.

Notable OU Theta alums include Cathy Keating (the First Lady of Oklahoma) and Amy Duncan (Miss Oklahoma 1996). Mary Fallin (the Lt. Governor of Oklahoma) is a Beta Zeta Theta from Oklahoma State University.