Alpha Kappa Lambda

Alpha Kappa Lambda was founded under that name on April 22, 1914, by a group of young men attending the University of California, Berkeley. Its birth, however, dates back to 1906 when a group of friends discussed the "need of Christian men for a place to live and study that was within their (financial) means." These eleven men, celebrated as the Fraternity's founders, were:

After assisting in the cleanup of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, four of the group re-addressed their desire to organize a house club during a YMCA conference in Pacific Grove, California. They decided to form Los Amigos in January 1907, a house club named from the Spanish translation of "The Friends." Shortly after, seven more men joined Los Amigos. Reverend Gail Cleland, one of the original eleven members of Los Amigos, recalled,

"when we organized Los Amigos as a house club...house clubs and fraternities were dime a dozen. They came, they lived for a few months or a few years, then they went out of existence again. But Los Amigos did not go out of existence." 

The Club adopted its Greek letter name of Alpha Kappa Lambda on April 22, 1914, and, contemplating an early expansion program, adjusted its operational model into a more permanent fraternal association model. Immediate growth beyond the University of California was precluded by the nation's entry into WWI, however, upon return, active members and alumni revised their attention to expansion, with establishment of the Beta chapter at Stanford, followed by several Midwestern universities. [2]

The Great Depression and WWII disrupted the geographic progression of the Fraternity until 1949 when it hired its first full time employee. Expansion resumed with an aggressive plan in 1950. [2]

The Fraternity is a member of the NIC, joining in 1930, and becoming a senior member in 1954.

Alpha Kappa Lambda is a nonsecret order, there being no pledges of secrecy in the ritual, nor any grips, passwords, or other secret signs. Reliance upon honor and the "members' finer feelings is depended upon" to safeguard the ritual and meaning of the fraternity.[2]

The Fraternity has been a leader in the elimination of ""Hell Week"", personal duties by pledges, and hazing.[2]

The motto of the fraternity is "Aletheia Kai Logos," which in Classical Greek means "The Truth and the Word".

The official badge of the fraternity is made of ten carat gold. An Α and a Λ rest in the background, covered with the flowers of a dogwood, representing Christian principles, and a Κ that is raised, set with eleven whole pearls. The pearls represent the eleven founders of the Los Amigos Club. The badge is to be worn only on collared shirts, sweaters, or suit vests, and in the traditional position over the heart. It may only be worn by initiated members of the fraternity.

• Bishop James Chamberlain Baker, Gamma chapter, educator, pastor, and the organizer and head of the first Wesley Foundation in the US, at the University of Illinois
• Joe Coulombe, Stanford University, Beta chapter, founder and CEO of Trader Joe's
• Allen Drury, Stanford University, Beta chapter, journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner
• Tim Leavitt, Eta chapter, Mayor of Vancouver, Washington
• Rian Lindell, Washington State University, Eta chapter, NFL player, Buffalo Bills
• Carl Rogers, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Epsilon chapter, psychologist
• John Laurence Seymour, University of California Berkeley, Alpha chapter, composer and playwright
• General Oliver Prince Smith, University of California Berkeley, Alpha chapter, Korean War hero

• List of social fraternities and sororities

• Alpha Kappa Lambda Fraternity