About the Eastern Province

It is generally accepted that the Provinces of Kappa Alpha Psi were instituted at the 15th Grand Chapter Meeting in New York, held in December of 1925. The mechanics of its formalization and implementation have been lost to posterity.

What we can be sure of is that seven Provinces were established, and John Miller Marquess was named the first Polemarch of the Eastern Province. The Eastern Province of 1925 extended to New York in the north and North Carolina to the south. While its borders have changed, the states of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia have been constant.

John Miller Marquess

The Emergence of the East

The story of the Eastern Province as we know it today begins with Jacob Wycliff Keller and Dr. Dudley Weldon Woodward. Keller, a former student of Founder Armstrong, was influenced to establish Kappa on the campus of Howard University. His efforts were met with intense opposition. It was the advocacy of Dr. Dudley Woodard, who notably has the honor of being the second African-American to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematics, that made Xi a reality.

On December 27, 1920, the Xi of Kappa Alpha Psi was chartered, and with that, the first undergraduate chapter in the Eastern Province was born.

The First Alumni Chapter…Baltimore (MD) Alumni

The Tenth Grand Conclave was hosted in Philadelphia (PA). The goal of establishing an Alumni Chapter in Baltimore was led by Epsilon initiates John H. Alston and George W. Newman. Their efforts were successful, and the first Alumni Chapter in what is now the Eastern Province was chartered on July 15, 1921.

The First Chapter in the Commonwealth of Virginia

The second decade of the 20th century would see the establishment of the first chapter in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alpha Gamma was the product of the efforts of two Epsilon men, Brothers Jesse M. Tinsley, D.D.S. (Epsilon 1919) and Owen Alphonso Wilson (Epsilon 1918), and Beta initiate Brother Booker T. Bradshaw, Sr. (Beta 1922).

Kappa in the Nation’s Capital

The catalyst for the formation of the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter was Dr. Dudley Woodard and James E. Scott. Their efforts were grounded on the enormous success of the Xi. Their efforts were successful, and on October 15, 1924, the Washington (DC) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi was chartered. Among its members were James E. Moore, Xi Charter Member, and William Henry “Stud” Greene. Notably, this group included 2 future Grand Polemarchs.

A Time for Growth

During the War years, the expansion of chapters within the Eastern Province progressed slowly, a pace that would extend through the 1960s. However, the 1970s would see growth beyond the region’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Kappa would emerge on the campuses of majority colleges across Virginia and Maryland. The following chapters chartered in the 1970s are celebrating their golden anniversaries in 2025:

The Old Dominion University Chapter, the Eta Omega of Kappa Alpha Psi
Charlottesville (VA) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi
The University of Maryland, College Park, the Theta Theta of Kappa Alpha Psi
Lynchburg (VA) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi

The Eastern Province is now home to 60 chapters spread across Maryland, the District of Columbia, Bermuda, and Virginia.

Dynamic Impactful Leaders

The Past Polemarchs support the growth and development of the presiding Polemarch by sharing their wisdom, experience and lending their leadership when called upon.

MEET OUR PAST PROVINCE POLEMARCHS

EASTERN PROVINCE
OF KAPPA ALPHA PSI^® FRATERNITY, INC.

The Eastern Province of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. was established in 1925 during the 15th Grand Chapter Meeting. Earl B. Dickerson, the fifth Grand Polemarch, appointed John Miller Marquess as the first Eastern Province Polemarch. Initially, the province's boundaries extended from Boston, MA, to Washington, DC, but over time, they evolved to primarily include Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Bermuda

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