Alpha Kappa Mu

American collegiate honor society

Alpha Kappa Mu

ΑΚΜ
Founded| 26 November 1937; 86 years ago (26 November 1937)
Tennessee A&I State College
Type| Honor society
Affiliation| ACHS
Status| Active
Emphasis| General scholarship
Scope| National
Colors|  Royal blue and  White
Symbol| Torch, Quill, Open book
Publication| Alpha Kappa Mu Newsletter
Chapters| 79
Members| 93,000 lifetime
Headquarters| c/o Dr. Mollie B. Brown
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society
324 Enterprise Drive
Albany, Georgia 31705
United States
Website| www.alphakappamu.org

The Alpha Kappa Mu National Honor Society (ΑΚΜ) is an American collegiate honor society recognizing academic excellence in all areas of study.

## History

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Alpha Kappa Mu was founded on November 26, 1937 at Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College in Nashville, Tennessee. [1] Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society grew out of an idea conceived by George W. Gore then dean of Tennessee A&I State College.[2] In November 1937, Gore invited representatives from five colleges that already had local scholastic honor societies on their campuses to meet at the college.[2] The 'Federation of Honor Societies formed as an outgrowth of this meeting on November 26, 1937.[2]

The local organizations that merged to form the Federation of Honor Societies were Alpha Epsilon at Bennett College, Alpha Delta Sigma at West Virginia State College, Beta Tau Upsilon at Tuskegee Institute, Gamma Tau at Negro Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina, and Phi Beta Tau at Tennessee Agricultural & Industrial State College.[3] The first chairman of the Federation was James C. Evans of West Virginia State College and Gore was the executive secretary/treasurer.[2]

The original goal of the Federation of Honor Societies was to promote and reward academic excellence among African-American students. Due to its roots, most added chapters were located at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, though some later additions are at predominantly white colleges.[4]

Its first annual convention was held at Tennessee A&I State College in 1937.[5] At its third annual convention at Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal College in December 1939, its names was changed to Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society and a constitution was approved.[2]

Alpha Kappa Mu was admitted to the Association of College Honor Societies in 1952.[1] Gore retired from being the executive secretary/treasurer in 1974 after 25 years in that office, becoming an emeritus member of the society's executive committee.[2] Alpha Kappa Mu was incorporated in the State of South Carolina on September 7, 1977.[2] Starting in 1999, its convention became biennial.[1][6][5]

The society has admitted approximately 93,000 members[1] at 79 chapters. Most chapters are found in the South and Midwest, and the majority are at public colleges and universities.[7] Its national headquarters is in Albany, Georgia.[2]

## Symbols

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The official colors of Alpha Kappa Mu are Royal Blue and white.[6] The society's symbols are the torch, the quill, and the open book. Its publication is Alpha Kappa Mu Newsletter.[1]

Its stole consists of a white honor cord that wraps behind the neck and down both sides of the front and is joined across the chest with a blue satin v-shaped panel embroidered in gold and black with the society's key.[8]

## Membership

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Potential members are in the top ten percent of their class and are juniors or seniors with a GPA of 3.3 with a minimum of thirty hours.[1] Graduate students with a GPA of 3.7 with a minimum of fifteen hours are also eligible for membership.[1] Although originally linked to historically Black colleges and universities, today acceptance of new members is race-blind.[4]

## Chapters

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Main article: List of Alpha Kappa Mu chapters

Alpha Kappa Mu has chartered 79 chapters in colleges and universities across the United States.[9][3][10]

## See also

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* Honor society
* Honor cords

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f g "Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society". Association of College Honor Societies. Archived from the original on 2006-02-18. Retrieved 2024-05-19 - via web.archive.org.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h "The History of Alpha Kappa Mu". Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society History. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
3. ^ a b Robson, John, ed. (1963). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press, George Banta Company, Inc. pp. 562-563.
4. ^ a b Noted in the Alpha Kappa Mu Constitution, accessed 19 Sept 2021.
5. ^ a b "History - Convention Sites, Themes and Major Officials". Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
6. ^ a b "About AKM - Questions and Answers". Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
7. ^ Buffa, Brendan (2016-11-21). "RSO Spotlight - Alpha Kappa Mu". Western Herald. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
8. ^ "Alpha Kappa Mu". Honorgrads. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
9. ^ "Roster of Chapters and Advisors". Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society. September 24, 2022. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
10. ^ "Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society Chapters". Association of College Honor Societies. February 13, 2006. Archived from the original on February 18, 2006. Retrieved 2024-05-19 - via web.archive.org.

## External links

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* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Association of College Honor Societies

Currently active members|

* Alpha Beta Gamma
* Alpha Chi
* Alpha Epsilon
* Alpha Epsilon Delta
* Alpha Epsilon Rho
* Alpha Eta Mu Beta
* Alpha Iota Delta
* Alpha Kappa Delta
* Alpha Kappa Mu
* Alpha Lambda Delta
* Alpha Phi Sigma
* Alpha Pi Mu
* Alpha Sigma Lambda
* Alpha Sigma Mu
* Alpha Sigma Nu
* Beta Gamma Sigma
* Beta Kappa Chi
* Beta Phi Mu
* Chi Sigma Iota
* Delta Epsilon Sigma
* Delta Mu Delta
* Delta Tau Alpha
* Epsilon Pi Tau
* Epsilon Pi Phi
* Gamma Theta Upsilon
* Kappa Mu Epsilon
* Kappa Omicron Nu
* Kappa Tau Alpha
* Lambda Pi Eta
* Lambda Sigma
* Mortar Board
* Mu Kappa Tau
* National Society of Collegiate Scholars
* National Society of Scabbard and Blade
* Omega Chi Epsilon
* Omega Rho
* Omicron Delta Epsilon
* Phi Alpha
* Phi Beta Delta
* Phi Eta Sigma
* Phi Lambda Sigma
* Phi Sigma
* Phi Sigma Iota
* Phi Sigma Tau
* Phi Upsilon Omicron
* Pi Delta Phi
* Pi Gamma Mu
* Pi Kappa Lambda
* Pi Sigma Alpha
* Pi Tau Sigma
* Pi Theta Epsilon
* Psi Beta
* Psi Chi
* Rho Chi
* Sigma Beta Delta
* Sigma Delta Pi
* Sigma Lambda Alpha
* Sigma Lambda Chi
* Sigma Pi Sigma
* Sigma Tau Delta
* Sigma Theta Tau
* Tau Alpha Pi
* Tau Sigma Delta
* Theta Alpha Kappa
* Upsilon Pi Epsilon
* Xi Sigma Pi

Active former members|

| Honor Society Caucus|

* Omicron Delta Kappa
* Phi Beta Kappa
* Phi Kappa Phi
* Sigma Xi

|

* Alpha Delta Mu
* Alpha Omega Alpha
* Chi Epsilon
* Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha (preceded by Delta Sigma Rho and Tau Kappa Alpha)
* Eta Kappa Nu
* Golden Key
* Iota Sigma Pi
* Kappa Delta Pi
* Order of the Coif
* Pi Alpha Alpha
* Pi Omega Pi
* Sigma Gamma Tau
* Tau Beta Pi

Defunct former members|

* Delta Phi Delta
* Lambda Iota Tau
* Omicron Nu
* Sigma Tau

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