OUR FOUNDERS

Our history begins in the fall of 1902, when four gentlemen began attending evening business classes at New York University, which had only been offering business classes since 1900. These four men occupied the same seats five nights a week. They became acquainted with each other and began walking home from school together across the Brooklyn Bridge. These four men are now known to Alpha Kappa Psi as the "Brooklyn Four".   The spirit of brotherhood grew so strong in their hearts and minds that, early in their second year of school, they suggested to the other members of the class that something be done to perpetuate it. An organizational meeting was held on October 5, 1904 and Alpha Kappa Psi was founded.

 

On March 20, 1905, a formal application was made to the State of New York for a charter of incorporation for Alpha Kappa Psi. It was signed by the Brooklyn Four (George L. Bergen, Howard M. Jefferson, Nathan Lane Jr., and Frederic R. Leach) and six others (Irving L. Camp, Robert S. Douglas, Daniel V. Duff, Morris S. Rachmil, William O. Tremaine, and Herbert M. Wright). These ten people are considered by us as the Ten Founders of Alpha Kappa Psi. On May 20, 1905, the application was approved and the charter of incorporation was officially issued. This officially made Alpha Kappa Psi the first professional business fraternity in the United States.



Today, Alpha Kappa Psi is among the twenty largest national college fraternities in the country. With over 140,000 men and women in over 250 college chapters and 80 alumni chapters, AKPsi is a complete, integrated, and a capably administered national business fraternity standing for the highest levels of conduct and achievement in university and professional life. Of these 140,000 people, 4,500 of them are now successful business executives.



Prominent Alumni include: Malcolm Forbes, Jr., Sam Walton, Lee Iacocca, J.E. Davis (founder of Winn-Dixie), J.C. Penney, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and many other highly successful businesses and community leaders throughout the nation.