About Us

 We are a proud and dedicated group of alumni committed to upholding the values and traditions of our fraternity. Our chapter is focused on fostering brotherhood, community service, and professional development among our members. We strive to make a positive impact in Oklahoma City through various initiatives and programs. 

 Kappa Alpha Psi ushered Black Greekdom into Oklahoma during the 1921-22 school year with the establishment of Langston Chapter, now known as Oklahoma City Alumni Chapter. A unique feature of this Chapter is the fact that it is the oldest Black Greek-Letter organization in Oklahoma; the second oldest graduate Chapter west of the Mississippi River; and the 10th oldest Alumni Chapter in all of Kappa. The Chapter was formally chartered on April 25, 1922, on the campus of Langston University with the following Charter Members who represented some of the leading Black professionals in Oklahoma: Dr. Stacy Thompson and Dr. H. W. Conrad, both physicians in Guthrie; Dr. John Miller Marquess, President of Langston University; Attorney Henry C. Hawkins, Oklahoma City lawyer; Professor T. S. E. Brown of Oklahoma City; and Dr. W. L. Haywood, Oklahoma City physician and owner of a hospital in the city.

​The following men were affiliated with the Chapter in the first year of its existence: Dr. W. H. Slaughter; Kappa Founder Dr. Byron K. Armstrong, Dean of Instruction at Langston; W. H. Forte, Superintendent of Okmulgee Separate Schools; John E. Buford, Langston University's first Dean of Agriculture; Ralph Tyler, Dean of Industrial Arts; J. M. Elsberry, Principal of Langston High School; Harry "Little" Long, head football coach; and Dr. I. W. Young, Boley and Oklahoma City physician who was later to become President of Langston University.

​The Chapter functioned for approximately five years (until 1927) as Langston Alumni Chapter and then became inactive and remained inactive for at least ten years. During this period, there was a void in Kappa activity in the state, until a group of men formed Tulsa Alumni on April 23, 1931. Some of Kappa's all-time

greats started Tulsa Alumni, namely, B. C. Franklin, Rufus Sea Stout, C. Felton "Zip" Gayles, John Buford, Founder Byron K. Armstrong, Seymour Williams, Tollie "T. T." Moore, N. Webster Moore, Dr. R. A. Goodwin, and Attorney A. Moffet.

At the 1932 Grand Chapter Meeting in Charleston, West Virginia, Dr. I. W. Young (then Langston University President) persuaded Kappa to establish Alpha Pi Chapter at the Colored Agricultural and Normal University (later named Langston University), which was chartered on October 28, 1933, with Floyd F. Alexander as Polemarch and eleven other Brothers.

In 1937, Brothers Charles W. Morgan, Jr., H. V. Gear, C. Felton Gayles, Bert V. Wadkins, J. Lee Irving, E. U. Byrd, Hillard H. Sharp, and others reactivated Langston Alumni Chapter as Langston-Oklahoma City Alumni Chapter, now based in Oklahoma City. In addition to Chapter formations in the 30's, a highlight of Oklahoma Kappas was the awarding of the coveted Laurel Wreath to Kappa Founder, Dr. Byron K. Armstrong.

Langston-Oklahoma City Alumni Chapter nurtured the formation of Muskogee Alumni (1946) and Wewoka Alumni (1956). The 1940's saw the Langston-Oklahoma City ~Alumni Chapter initiate Wyatt F. Jeltz, Vice Principal of Oklahoma City's Douglass High School, who later became Middle Western Province Polemarch; and Herbert C. King, longtime Lawton coach who later served for many years as Middle Western Province Keeper of Records & Exchequer, and was awarded the Elder Watson Diggs Award, posthumously. Also, in 1946, due to the generosity of Dr. C. W. Morgan, Jr., Kappa was provided with a meeting place in the Morgan Building and soon became popularly known as the Kappa Lounge. The decade of the 60's saw the establishment of Epsilon Gamma Chapter at the Central State College (January 1963) and Lawton-Ft. Sill Alumni Chapter (March 1963).

The Chapter continued to grow in numbers and prestige, and the Chapter's name was formally changed to Oklahoma City Alumni in the early 1970's. As "outgrowths" of Oklahoma City Alumni, the Alumni Chapters in Norman and Langston were chartered, and college Chapters at Oklahoma State, Oklahoma University, Northeastern State, Central Oklahoma, and Cameron were formed.

In 1988, Oklahoma City Alumni Chapter proudly purchased its first permanent home in the acquisition of the Kappa Kastle, 1801 N. E. 10th Street. Brothers made personal loans to the Chapter to purchase the building. The loans were paid in full in 2003. Under the leadership of Brother Richard Thornton, there was a major renovation program in 2004. The value of the Kastle is currently $450,000.00. The following rooms are in the Kastle: Meeting Room, Willard Brooks Gallery and Board Room, Silhouettes Office, Ted Paul Music Listening Room, Recreation Room, Kitchen, Guide Right Lounge, Polemarch Office, and Reception Area where the Past Polemarch’s Comer is highlighted. The Kappa Kastle is among the finest facilities in all of Kappadom.

The Oklahoma City Alumni Chapter is located in the Middle Western Province, Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. The Province consists of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri, and Northwestern Arkansas. Two members of the Oklahoma City Alumni Chapter have served as Province Polemarch. Brother Wyatt F. Jeltz, Vice Principal, Douglass High School, served for more than 10 years during the 1950's and 1960's as Middle Western Province Polemarch. Brother Willie H. Burnett, Sr. became the second Chapter member to serve as Middle Western Province Polemarch (1994 to 1996) and served also as National Chairman of the Fraternity's Guide Right Commission.

​INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The Chapter's individual and group accomplishments are numerous. C. Felton "Zip" Gayles received the Elder Watson Diggs and Laurel Wreath Awards. Brother Gayles retired from Langston University after more than 35 years as Athletic Director, Head Football and Basketball Coach and History Professor. He was a Charter member at Morehouse College and was responsible for the Alpha Pi Chapter being founded at Langston University in 1933. Brother Gayles was successful in winning several championships in the tough SWAC and coached several Ail-Americans in football and basketball while at Langston University. Brother Gayles coached Brother Clarence Harkins who was an All-American end in football and Brother Marques Haynes an All-American basketball player and played for the famed Harlem Globe Trotters.

Brother Bert V. Wadkins was awarded the Elder Watson Diggs Award in 1977 and later feted for 50 years as Chairman of the Chapter's Guide Right Program, the longest ongoing Guide Right Program in the nation. In 1995, Brother James B. Abram was awarded the Elder Watson Diggs Award, after having served as Senior Grand Vice Polemarch.

Brother Charles W. Morgan, III currently serves as Middle Western Province Keeper of Records & Exchequer (since 1992). Life Member Morgan is the Fraternity's first Triple Life Member. Brother Kevin Cox has served for many years as Chairman, National Resolutions Committee and Moderator, Grand Chapter Candidates Forum. Brother Earle Fletcher served as Newsletter Reporter and Editor, and Past Senior Province Polemarch, Middle Western Province. Brother Anthony "Skip" Hill, Past Vice Polemarch, Oklahoma City Alumni, has served as Polemarch, Washington Alumni and Eastern Province.

​CHAPTER ENDOWMENT PROGRAM

​On March 11, 1984, the Oklahoma City Alumni Chapter approved the Life Membership Endowment as an official Chapter endeavor. The Endowment gives the Chapter a perpetual source of income and provides a lifetime benefit for Brothers who choose to purchase individual endowment contracts. The endowment is funded by contributions from participating Brothers which are invested in securities approved by the committee. A sufficient amount of earnings is drawn from the security annually to pay the Local and Province dues for that year for each participating Brother, thereby creating a Local Life Membership.