Originally founded at Indiana University Bloomington as Kappa Alpha Nu, Kappa Alpha Psi was established at Oregon State during the 1977-1978 school year. The effort to establish a charter at OSU was initiated and led by Lonnie B. Harris, first director of OSU's Educational Opportunities Program (EOP).

Kappa Alpha Psi has been an active presence in the organization of campus events honoring Martin Luther King Jr., and step show performances drawing on the chapter’s history as a member of the “Divine Nine.” For the annual MLK Jr. Celebration, Kappa Alpha Psi has been an ongoing sponsor of the Candlelight Vigil and the Round Table Discussion events. One of the early goals of the chapter, stated in a 1979 Barometer article, was to “work closely with the Black Student Union in bringing speakers to OSU” (see "Fraternity needs more members and house" pg. 13). In 1995, Kappa Alpha Psi held a tribute dinner to Lonnie Harris to honor the EOP Director’s legacy as a tireless advocate for getting the chapter established on campus.

Archival Resources: All collections listed below are part of SCARC's archival holdings. If materials from those collections have been digitized, it will be noted near the top of the collection's online guide (linked below). Depending on the amount of material and staffing capacity, archival staff may be able to provide digital access to portions of the collections listed below. Please reach out to us by email at scarc@oregonstate.edu to find out more!

• Greek Life Office Records, 1918-2015 (Box-Folder 4.15)
  The Greek Life Office Records document the administration of this office, which regulates and provides support services to the fraternity and sorority community at Oregon State University. These materials were primarily generated by the Greek Life Office and reflect administrative activities such as the development of training workshops/classes, the compilation of membership statistics, collaboration with law enforcement agencies in educational programming, and the evaluation of annual rush activities. The Greek Life Office was established in 1998.
• Ujima Education Office Records, 1995-2013 (Box-Folder 3.1)
  The Ujima Education Office Records document the office’s administration, event programming, and student outreach efforts at Oregon State University. The collection contains documents collected by Earlean Wilson Huey during her time as coordinator of the Ujima Education Office. Established in 1997 to increase retention and recruitment of African American students at OSU, the office served as a mainstay of African American identity and community for nearly two decades.
• Educational Opportunities Program Records, 1968-2013 (Box-Folder 4.87)
  The Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) Records document the materials and activities of the EOP office in its goal to provide support for students who have traditionally been denied access to higher education. This includes the administrative documents and resources of the program, its committees and workshops, as well as the program’s publications. There is also a significant amount of photographic materials documenting program activities.

Archival Resources Available Online: The digital materials linked to below are hosted online in our digital repository, Oregon Digital, and exist physically in our archives. Canned search results comprised of only those materials relevant to Kappa Alpha Psi's history at OSU are linked to below.

• "Black Greeks at OSU" documentary, 2006
• The Daily Barometer
• Student Handbook, 1978-1979 (pg. 17 & 25)
• Oregon State University Sesquicentennial Oral History Collection, 2013-2017 (Interview with Geoffrey Brooks)
• Voices of Oregon State University Oral History Collection, 1995-2024 (Interview with Wil Gamble)