Alpha Kappa Phi

Alpha Kappa Phi was established c. 1858 at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky as a social fraternity.^[1][2] In the first edition of American College Fraternities, William Raimond Baird noted the fraternity's exact date of formation was not known because Alpha Kappa Phi's records were lost during the Civil War.^[3] However, a bill to incorporate the fraternity was submitted to the Kentucky General Assembly in December 1859.^[4]

The fraternity quickly added chapters in the Southern United States. Chapters were added at Bacon College and LaGrange College in 1859, followed by the University of Mississippi and the University of Louisville in 1860.^[2] It was incorporated as Alpha Kappa Phi Society in the Commonwealth of Kentucky on February 4, 1860.^[5][6] The fraternity also claimed to have added chapters in the Northern United States.^[3]

Alpha Kappa Psi's operations were disrupted during the Civil War, with chapters and colleges going inactive.^[1][2] After the Civil War, some chapters were reactivated, including Centre College and the University of Mississippi.^[2] At first, the fraternity seemed to rebound, establishing new chapters at Transylvania University in 1867 and Princeton University and Georgetown University in 1869.^[2]

However, only the chapters at Centre College and the University of Mississippi continued to operate past 1875.^[2] In 1878, the Centre College chapter disbanded and its members joined the campus's existing chapter of Beta Theta Pi in 1878.^[2] The University of Mississippi chapter became the Beta Beta chapter of Beta Theta Pi in 1879.^[1][2][3] The chapter at Southern University continued operating as a local fraternity into the 1890s.^[7][8]

Alpha Kappa Phi's badge was a shield with concave-curved sides, bearing the Greek letters "ΑΚΦ" in its center, under a pair of clasped hands.^[3] Below the Greek letters were three links of chain, surrounding the Greek letters "ααπ".^[3]

The exact names and numbers of Alpha Kappa Phi's chapters are unknown due to the loss of records during the Civil War.^[1][2] It was not connected with the literary society by the same name at Hillsdale College. Following are the known chapters of Alpha Kappa Phi, with inactive chapters in institutions indicated in italics.^[2]