Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Kappa Alpha Celebrates 175 Years

Hobart College is home to one of the oldest remaining branches of the Kappa Alpha (KA) Society, itself the oldest Greek-lettered collegiate fraternity in the U.S. and precursor of the modern Greek system. On Dec. 7, more than 90 current and alum members of KA gathered on campus to celebrate the New York Beta Chapter's 175th anniversary.

KA was founded at Union College in 1825. William Talmage McDonald, Class of 1845, and Lawrence Stern Stevens, Class of 1848, were initiated at Union in 1844; they in turn initiated six other Hobart students into the Hobart chapter (also known as the CH chapter).

Historical documents from the past 175 years were presented during the chapter's reunion weekend and are now being archived. Many will be presented to the Colleges and the Geneva Historical Society.

Edward G. Mooney '77, president of the Hobart College Kappa Alpha Alumni Board of Directors, hosted a gala dinner at the reunion. "I enjoyed spending time with Hobart KA alums spanning the past 45 years, conjuring up all the great memories we spent at college," he says.

More than 1,000 Hobart students have had the privilege of calling themselves KAs. There are 27 active members of KA on campus who are involved in sports, clubs and events, and dedicated to service and community involvement.