Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the world's first historically black greek letter sorority was founded on the campus of Howard University, in Miner Hall by nine women. Those women were Ethel Hedgeman Lyle, Beulah E. Burke, Lillie Burke, Anna Easter Brown, Marjorie Hill, Margaret Flagg Holmes, Lavinia Norman, Lucy Diggs Slowe, and Marie Woolfolk Taylor
The idea for the sorority was conceived by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle in the summer of 1907. She proposed the organization to eight of her friends and Alpha Kappa Alpha became an official greek-letter organization on January 15, 1908. It was one month later when seven sophomores were initiated and were honored as being founders. Those seven sophomores were Alice P. Murray, Harriet Terry, Carrie Snowden, Sarah Meriweather Nutter, Ethel Jones Mowbray, Norma Boyd, and Joanna Berry Shields.
Alpha Kappa Alpha was incorporated as a legal entity on January 29, 1913 to ensure the continuity of the sorority.
The purpose of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women, to maintain a progressive interest in college life and to be of service to all mankind.
