Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded on January 15, 1908 by nine young female Howard University students. They were led by the vision of Ethel Hedgeman (Lyle); she had spent several months sharing her idea with her friends. During this time, she was dating her future husband, George Lyle, a charter member of the Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha.
After choosing a name for their sorority, the nine women wrote a constitution and a motto. Additionally, they chose salmon pink and apple green as the sorority’s colors and ivy as its symbol. A group of seven sophomore women were invited to become members. They did not partake in an initiation ceremony and all 16 women are considered founders. The first “Ivy Week” took place in May 1909 and ivy was planted at Howard University’s Miner Hall. On January 29, 1913, Alpha Kappa Alpha was incorporated.
The 2016 film Hidden Figures spotlighted Alpha Kappa Alpha members who were the mathematical brains behind America’s foray into outer space. Another Alpha Kappa Alpha is Gladys Mae Brown West, a “hidden figure” behind the development of Global Positioning Systems. Valedictorian of her high school class, she won a scholarship to Virginia State College, where she was one of the few women enrolled in the mathematics department. She earned a bachelors and masters degree and then taught high school for a brief time. In 1956, she was hired by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division.
West authored the 1986 publication Data Processing System Specifications for the Geosat Satellite Radar Altimeter. She spent 42 years working for the NSWC, retiring in 1998. Last year, she was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame.
