On the campus of New York University, George L. Bergen, Howard M. Jefferson, Nathan Lane Jr., and Frederic R. Leach came together to build an organization based on the principles of fostering individual welfare, promoting research in commerce, educating the public about higher ideals in business, and advancing business education at the collegiate level. It was from these “Brooklyn Four” that the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity was founded on October 5, 1904. While working during the day and attending night classes, the Brooklyn Four, eager to grow their group, extended their brotherhood to Irving L. Camp, Robert S. Douglas, Daniel V. Duff, Morris S. Rachmil, William O. Tremaine, and Hebert M. Wright. Recognizing the need to create a constitution and appoint individuals to key positions, Mr. Douglas was elected president; Mr. Jefferson, secretary; Mr. Lane, treasurer; Mr. Tremaine, vice president; and Mr. Rachmil, financial secretary. On March 20, 1905, Alpha Kappa Psi applied for a charter of incorporation in New York, with early meetings being held outdoors or in makeshift spaces, such as a carpenter’s workroom. The fraternity’s early years were marked by slow, steady growth, with the first official convention held in November 1905.
In 1910, a local fraternity at the University of Denver petitioned for membership and was accepted as the Beta Chapter. The Epsilon Chapter at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign was installed in 1913, making it the longest continuously installed collegiate chapter. In 1931, the Beta Kappa Chapter at the University of Western Ontario became the first non-U.S. chapter. As time progressed, so did this prestigious fraternity, granting women full membership on August 7, 1976. In 2007, Alpha Kappa Psi installed its first woman president. By adopting the tagline “shaping people, shaping business,” members of Alpha Kappa Psi have progressed and grown to 13 regions spread across three countries, making it one of the largest professional fraternities worldwide. Navy blue and gold were chosen as the official fraternity colors, with the yellow rose being the official fraternity flower. This fraternity was the first professional fraternity to have a main headquarters center, known as the Heritage Center, in Indianapolis.
