Fraternity History

In the Beginning

Sometimes it’s hard to say which is more compelling. Is it our 150 plus years of being a fraternity or the fact that we were ever founded in the first place? Our beginnings in 1870 occurred fifty years before women would receive the right to vote and hold office in the United States.

So when six exceptional women at Monmouth College in Illinois decided to express their belief in women’s potential, they had already begun the first step on their journey to impact the world.

Their Vision

Our Founders had been taught to love learning and literature. They would make academics and leadership central elements of the Fraternity’s founding. They planned our motto and thoughtfully chose our badge and our name.

Whether or not they imagined the ultimate size and scope Kappa would achieve, our Founders clearly believed in a woman’s potential to inspire others and impact the world.

Explore our symbols and the meaning behind them.