Alpha Kappa Lambda (), commonly known as AKL or Alpha Kapp, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1914. Today, it operates 25 active chapters and has approximately 28,000 living-initiated members.
History
Alpha Kappa Lambda was founded 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, the Los Amigos Club, 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 William Barnum, Herman Ritchie Bergh, Charles Junius Booth, Gail Cleland, Leonard Herington Day, Allen Holmes Kimball, Harry Levi Osborne, Charles Oscar Perrine, Ludwig Rehfuess, Harold Alonzo Savage, and Joseph Leon Taylor.
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 formed Los Amigos in , a house club named from the Spanish translation of "The Friends." Shortly after, seven more men joined Los Amigos.
The club adopted its Greek letter name Alpha Kappa Lambda on April 22, 1914. The fraternity contemplated an early expansion program and adjusted its operational model into a more permanent fraternal association model. However, its growth was put on hiatus by World War I. After the war, active members and alumni focused on expansion, establishing Beta chapter at Stanford, followed by chapters at several Midwestern universities.
The fraternity's colors are purple and gold.
Cystic Fibrosis
The fraternity adopted cystic fibrosis as a national philanthropy at the 1990 National Conclave. Chapter fundraisers provide financial support to local organizations, research, and individuals. Chapters also provide manpower to help local organizations' events.
Adopt-A-School
The Adopt-A-School program was endorsed by the National Executive Council during a 1994 Winter meeting. The program provides one-on-one relationships between local college students and local elementary students. It allows college students to give something back to their host communities while being positive role models for children.
Chapters
Notable members
{| class="wikitable sticky-header sortable"
!Name
!Chapter
!Notability
!
|-
|Bill Andring
| Theta
| All century baseball team for U. of Washington. Former professional baseball player.
|
|-
|David L. Bassett
| Beta
| Physician and academic
|
|-
|James Chamberlain Baker
| Gamma (hon)
| Educator, bishop, organizer, and head of the first Wesley Foundation
|
|-
|David Booth
| Delta
| Businessman, and chairman of Dimensional Fund Advisors.
|
|-
| Jack Cakebread
| Alpha
| Winemaker and Founder of Cakebread Cellars
|
|-
| David Cheung
| Delta
| Educator and pastor and the former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong.
|
|-
|Joe Coulombe
| Beta
| Founder and former CEO of Trader Joe's
|
|-
|Ernie Cunliff
| Beta
| Runner in 1960 Olympics. Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame
|
|-
|Irving Dilliard
| Gamma
| Journalist, editor and author.
|
|-
|Allen Drury
| Beta
| Journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner
|
|-
|Alain Entohoven
| Beta
| American Economist, Rhodes Scholar, Asst. Secretary of Defense
|
|-
|John P. Gillin
| Epsilon
| Anthropologist
|
|-
|Algo Henderson
| Delta
| Former President of Antioch College, author.
|
|-
|Bob Herwig
| Alpha
| Former professional football player and College Football Hall of Fame 1964
|
|-
|Arthur Hillman ]
| Theta
| Sociologist, author and educator
|
|-
|Edward Hoebel
| Epsilon
| Author and educator
|
|-
|Hal Holmes Jr.
| Gamma
| 1963 NCAA Tumbling Champion. Member of USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame
|
|-
|John K. Hester
| Gamma
| Major General and Commander of 17th Airforce 1964
|
|-
|Sam S. Kistler
| Beta
| Inventor of aerogels and educator
|
|-
|Tim Leavitt
| Eta
| Mayor of Vancouver, Washington
|
|-
|Robert Leestamper
| Alpha Alpha
| Former President of SE Missouri State and Worcester State Universities
|
|-
|Stanford Lehmberg
| Delta
| Historian, author, and educator
|
|-
|Rian Lindell
| Eta
| Former professional football player
|
|-
|Neal MacDonald
| Alpha Lambda
| NCAA Wrestling Champion 1965
|
|-
|John Henry Manley
| Gamma
| Physicist, group leader, Manhattan Project
|
|-
|George C. Martin
| Theta
| Project engineer on the Boeing B-47 and chief project engineer of the Boeing B-52
|
|-
|Alvin McCoy
| Delta
| Journalist of The Kansas City Star who won the Pulitzer Prize
|
|-
|Lloyd Morey
| Gamma
| Former President of University of Illinois system
|
|-
|Stuart A. Queen
| Delta (H)
| Sociologist and educator
|
|-
|Carl Rogers
| Eta
| Psychologist
|
|-
|Marvin Rosenberry
| Epsilon
| 13th Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
|
|-
|Eric Schmitt
| Xi
| U.S. Senator and former Missouri Attorney General
|
|-
|John Laurence Seymour
| Alpha
| Composer and playwright
|
|-
|Henry Shenk
| Delta
| Former head football coach at University of Kansas and player
|
|-
| Gary Sherrer
| Lambda
| 45th Lieutenant Governor of Kansas
|
|-
|John V. Shields
| Beta
| Businessman and former CEO of Trader Joe's
|