Our Founders
by Merit and Culture
The Original Group
Led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle, the nine Howard University students who came together to form Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority were the scholastic leaders of their classes. Each also had a special talent or gift that further enhanced the potential of this dynamic group.
| Anna Easter Brown | Beulah Burke | Lillie Burke |
| Marjorie Hill | Margaret Flagg Holmes | Ethel Hedgeman Lyle |
| Lavinia Norman | Lucy Slowe | Marie Woolfolk Taylor |
The Sophomores
With the exception of Ethel, the original group of women was comprised of college seniors. To ensure the continuity of the organization, seven Class of 1910 honor students who had expressed interest were invited to join without initiation.
| Norma Boyd | Ethel Jones Mowbray | Alice Murray |
| Sarah Meriweather Nutter | Joanna Berry Shields | Carrie Snowden |
| Harriett Terry |
The Incorporators
Nellie Quander was elected president in 1911. Under her visionary leadership, Alpha Kappa Alpha initiated a dynamic plan of expansion. The first step of establishing a national body in perpetuity was taken in 1913 when Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority was legally incorporated.
| Norma Boyd | Ethel Jones Mowbray | Julia Brooks |
| Nellie Quander | Nellie Pratt Russell | Minnie Smith |