Kappa Psi

Kappa Psi
Kappa Psi
ΚΨ
Founded	May 30, 1879; 146 years ago; Russell Military Academy
Type	Professional
Affiliation	PFA
Former affiliation	PIC
Status	Active
Emphasis	Pharmacy
Scope	North America
Member badge
Colors	Scarlet and Cadet gray
Flower	Red carnation
Publication	The Mask
Chapters	100 collegiate, 72 graduate
Headquarters	8100 Penn Ave S, Suite 189; Bloomington, MN 55431; United States
Website	kappapsi.org

Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Incorporated (ΚΨ) is the largest professional pharmaceutical fraternity in the world with more than 6,000 student members and more than 87,000 alumni members.^[1] It was founded in 1879 at Russell Military Academy in New Haven, Connecticut as the Society of Kappa Psi.

History

The Society of Kappa Psi was founded on May 30, 1879, at the Russell Military Academy in New Haven, Connecticut as an academic society for college preparatory schools. The society's founder was Franklin Harvey Smith. An additional chapter was formed at the Cheshire Military Academy in Cheshire, Connecticut in 1879. While these two early units failed, another chapter formed at Hillhouse Academy of New Haven, Connecticut in 1894.^[2] Hillhouse too, died as a chapter on 30 June 1895.^[3]

However, the founders of these chapters, many having graduated and entered college, sought a collegiate level re-establishment of the order. Representatives, now alumni without an active chapter from these three early prep school chapters formed a grand chapter called Alpha chapter on December 10, 1895, deeming it an essential step for rebuilding the fraternity and for expansion nationally. These men, reforming the organization as Kappa Psi Fraternity chartered its first collegiate chapter, Delta, at the University of Maryland in the fall of 1898 when former members of the Hillhouse chapter entered that school in the study of medicine. Others, who had opted for the study of pharmacy, formed a Gamma chapter at the College of Pharmacy at Columbia University in that same year. A third group of advancing students formed the Beta chapter at the University College of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia, in 1900.^[2] Its first national convention was held in New York City in 1900.

By 1902 the young organization had formed six chapters and already held four conventions. In 1903 the Society incorporated as a national fraternity, operating jointly as both a medical and pharmaceutical fraternity.^[2] On November 17, 1917, the fraternity merged with Delta Omicron Alpha fraternity.^[4] It merged with Phi Delta on January 26, 1918.^[4]

By mutual agreement, in 1924, the fraternity split into Kappa Psi, which retained its pharmacy component, and Theta Kappa Psi, which became strictly a medical fraternity.^[5] Theta Kappa Psi later struggled; it would go on to merge with Phi Beta Pi in 1961, but this union was again dissolved in 1992. A single chapter carries on the Theta Kappa Psi name today.

Kappa Psi Fraternity would later be incorporated under the name of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity.^[2] In 1977, Kappa Psi first welcomed women into the fraternity.^[3]

Today there are 100 active collegiate chapters and 72 graduate chapters across the United States, Canada, and the Bahamas, and over 80,000 people have been initiated into the fraternity since its inception.^[2] The Central Office of Kappa Psi is located in Richardson, Texas.^[3]

Symbols

Kappa Psi's colors are scarlet and cadet gray.^[2] Its flower is the red carnation.^[2] Its publication is The Mask.^[2]

Activities

Kappa Psi holds its international convention biennially.

Provinces updated as of August 1, 2012

. Atlantic Province: Northern Georgia, North Carolina, Northeast South Carolina, Eastern Tennessee, and Southern Virginia
. Great Lakes Province: Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and the Toronto peninsula of Ontario, Canada
. Gulf Coast Province: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Middle/Western Tennessee
. Mid-America Province: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Missouri
. Mountain East Province: Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Western New York, Western Pennsylvania, Northern Virginia, and West Virginia
. Northeast Province: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Eastern New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont
. Northern Plains Province: Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
. Northwest Province: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and the Province of British Columbia, Canada
. Pacific West Province: Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Nevada
. Southeast Province: Florida, Southern Georgia, Southeast South Carolina, and the commonwealths of the Bahamas and Puerto Rico
. Southwest Province: Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas

Chapters

As of April 2025, Kappa Psi consists of 103 collegiate and 72 graduate chapters organized into eleven regional provinces.^[6]

Notable members

Leasure K. Darbaker, bacteriologist and professor of pharmacognosy and bacteriology at the Pittsburgh College of Pharmacy
John Shostak, Connecticut House of Representatives and Mayor of Norwalk, Connecticut
R. C. Williams, assistant surgeon general with the U.S. Public Health Service, with rank of rear admiral

References

^ "High honors for two Drake pharmacy fraternities". Drake University. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. V-24–25. ISBN 978-0-9637159-0-6.
^ ^a ^b ^c According to the history of Kappa Psi Society, from its website, accessed 27 Aug 2020.
^ ^a ^b Baird, William Raimond; Taylor, James Taylor, eds. (1923). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities; a Descriptive Analysis of the Fraternity System in the Colleges of the United States, with a Detailed Account of Each Fraternity (10th ed.). New York: James T. Brown, editor and publisher. pp. 515 – via Hathi Trust.
^ Garner, Dewey (1993). The History of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity.
^ "Kappa Psi". Kappa Psi. Retrieved 2025-05-02.

[1] "High honors for two Drake pharmacy fraternities". Drake University. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

[Baird's-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. V-24–25. ISBN 978-0-9637159-0-6.

[History-3] According to the history of Kappa Psi Society, from its website, accessed 27 Aug 2020.

[:0-4] Baird, William Raimond; Taylor, James Taylor, eds. (1923). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities; a Descriptive Analysis of the Fraternity System in the Colleges of the United States, with a Detailed Account of Each Fraternity (10th ed.). New York: James T. Brown, editor and publisher. pp. 515 – via Hathi Trust.

[5] Garner, Dewey (1993). The History of Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity.

[6] "Kappa Psi". Kappa Psi. Retrieved 2025-05-02.

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v t e Professional fraternities and sororities organizations and members
Currently active members of the Professional Fraternity Association	Alpha Zeta Alpha Kappa Psi Alpha Rho Chi Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Chi Sigma Alpha Omega Epsilon Delta Chi Xi Delta Epsilon Mu Delta Theta Phi Delta Kappa Alpha Delta Omicron Delta Sigma Pi Delta Sigma Chi Epsilon Nu Tau Theta Tau Kappa Epsilon Kappa Epsilon Psi Kappa Eta Kappa Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Lambda Chi Kappa Psi Lambda Kappa Sigma Mu Beta Phi Mu Phi Epsilon Pi Sigma Epsilon Rho Pi Phi Sigma Alpha Sigma Alpha Iota Tau Beta Sigma Phi Alpha Delta Phi Beta Phi Gamma Nu Phi Delta Epsilon Phi Delta Chi Phi Sigma Pi Phi Chi Theta
Former and formerly active members of the Professional Fraternity Association or its predecessors: Professional Panhellenic Association or Professional Interfraternity Conference	Alpha Delta Theta Alpha Delta Sigma Alpha Kappa Kappa Alpha Sigma Alpha Alpha Tau Delta Alpha Omega Beta Alpha Psi Gamma Eta Gamma Gamma Iota Sigma Delta Epsilon Iota Delta Sigma Delta Delta Psi Kappa Epsilon Eta Phi Zeta Phi Eta Theta Kappa Psi Theta Sigma Upsilon Theta Sigma Phi Iota Sigma Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Beta Pi Kappa Delta Epsilon Kappa Phi Kappa Nu Sigma Nu Xi Psi Phi Omicron Delta Kappa Omicron Nu Pi Lambda Theta Sigma Delta Chi Sigma Nu Phi Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Phi Delta (now social) Phi Beta Gamma Phi Beta Pi Phi Delta Delta Phi Delta Gamma Phi Delta Kappa Phi Delta Pi Phi Delta Phi (now honor society) Phi Epsilon Kappa Phi Lambda Kappa Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (now social) Phi Rho Sigma Phi Upsilon Omicron Phi Chi Chi Beta Phi Psi Omega Omega Tau Sigma Omega Upsilon Phi Pershing Rifles Scabbard and Blade Scarab
North American Interfraternity Conference	Alpha Gamma Rho Alpha Gamma Sigma
Active independent professional fraternities	Alpha Gamma Kappa Alpha Zeta Omega Alpha Eta Rho Alpha Iota Alpha Psi Gamma Epsilon Tau Delta Theta Sigma Delta Kappa Gamma Delta Kappa Phi Delta Phi Epsilon Kappa Gamma Psi Kappa Pi Nu Beta Epsilon Phi Delta Kappa (sorority) Phi Sigma Gamma Phi Psi Chi Delta Mu Chi Eta Phi Block and Bridle Queens' Guard
Inactive independent professional fraternities	Aleph Yodh He Alpha Epsilon Iota Alpha Tau Sigma Chi Zeta Chi Delta Omicron Alpha Delta Sigma Theta Pi Delta Nu