HomeChapter History

Chapter History

On May 22, 1931, seven men came together to charter the San Antonio (TX) Alumni Chapter (SW) of Kappa Alpha Psi.

The chapter’s charter members are:

Dr. Joseph O. Aycock | Dr. B. DuBois Brown | Scott D. Foley
Clarence B. Friday | John W. Holland | John D. Lowery, Jr.
G.J. Sutton

For close to 90 years, the San Antonio Alumni Chapter has continued to be a great example of achievement. Not only within Kappa, but also for the great state of Texas and the Greater San Antonio area. Desiring to continue to “inspire service in the public interest,” one of the chapter’s shining jewels is The Kappa Kastle.

Settled in one of San Antonio’s most historic African American neighborhoods, Denver Heights, the five bedroom, two bathroom residence at 1145 Virginia Boulevard is home to the Alamo City Nupes. The Kastle was built in 1916 and has been a part of Kappa history since it was purchased in 1980 by the late Brother William C. Gibbs, Jr. and donated to the San Antonio Alumni Chapter.

Chapter meetings were previously held at 328 North Pine Street, home of the San Antonio Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.

CHAPTER FACTS

18th oldest alumni chapter in Kappa

3rd oldest chapter in the Southwestern Province

3rd oldest chapter in Texas

3rd oldest black greek lettered organization in San Antonio

Hosted the 1st Grand Chapter meeting held in the “Deep South”

1st chapter in Texas to host a Grand Chapter meeting

Southwestern Province Officers

J. W. Holland, Polemarch (1931-1933)
Dr. Clarence B. Friday, Senior Vice Polemarch (1937-1938)
M. J. "Andy" Anderson, Senior Vice Polemarch (1948-1949)
Joseph O. Aycock, Strategus (1953-1954), Alumni Board Membe
(1962-1963), Senior Vice Polemarch (1972-1973)
Samuel F. Sampson, Alumni Board Member (1989-1990)
Robert W. Ratcliffe, Alumni Board Member (2014-2016)

NOTABLE CHAPTER ACHIEVEMENTS

Grand Chapter Awards

Samuel F. Sampson, Elder Watson Diggs Award (1999)

Province Awards

Samuel F. Sampson, Lifetime Achievement (1998)
Edward M. V. Ratcliffe, Lifetime Achievement (2012)
Robert W. Ratcliffe, Lifetime Achievement (2012)
Ashby V. Cowart, Jr., Lifetime Achievement (2014)
Southwestern Province Large Chapter of the Year (2016-2017)
Dr. Howard Anderson, Lifetime Achievement (2019)
Dr. Richard E. Williams, Lifetime Achievement (2020)

Grand Chapter Meetings

1939, hosted the 29th Grand Chapter Meeting
Southwestern Province Council Meetings
1937, hosted the 2nd SWP Council
1948, hosted the 12th SWP Council, this was the 3rd post-war PCM
1953, co-hosted the 17th SWP Council with Austin Alumni and the Gamma Lambda Chapter (Huston-Tillotson Univ)
1973, hosted the 37th SWP Council
2006, hosted the 70th SWP Council