Kappa Beta Pi

Kappa Beta Pi
Kappa Beta Pi
ΚΒΠ
Founded	Autumn December 15, 1908; Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois
Type	Professional
Affiliation	PFA (former)
Emphasis	law
Scope	International; United States; Canada; United Kingdom; France; China
Colors	Turquoise blue and; Old gold
Flower	Yellow Tea Rose
Publication	Kappa Beta Pi Quarterly (former)
Headquarters	Silver Spring, MD; United States

Kappa Beta Pi (ΚΒΠ) is a Legal Association which was formerly a professional law sorority in the United States.

History

Kappa Beta Pi was founded at Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois on December 15, 1908.[1] Its Founders were:[2]

Mrs. Alice Craig Edgerton
Mary A. Sellers
Claire L. Gleason

Phyllis M. Kelley
Nettie Rothblum
Charlotte Doolittle White
Mrs. Alice A. Prince

Anna Marie Knabjohann Buck
Sue M. Brown
Mrs. Katharine S. Clark

The sorority was incorporated in Illinois on December 15, 1908.[3] This date is celebrated by chapters as Founders' Day. The organization was the first legal sorority in the U.S., that is, the first such group designed in the support of the legal profession.[4]

Since 1925, admission of new chapters has been limited to American schools that met the requirements for membership in the Association of American Law Schools, or to schools on the approved list of the American Bar Association, along with those foreign law schools meeting equivalent requirements.

In 1927 its first international chapter was formed, Omicron chapter, in Paris, France. This was later followed by chapters in London, England, in West Germany, in Shanghai, China, several in Canada, and one in the US Territory of Puerto Rico.

During the first half of the 20th century, the Sorority published lists of law firms that would hire women, and those which resisted. It also published catalogs of female judges and lawyers serving in the field.

At the 1973 convention, the name was changed to Kappa Beta Pi Legal Association International, and from this juncture is now properly referred to as a legal association, not a sorority.

At the May 1976 convention in Columbus Ohio, all references believed to indicate a restriction of membership to women were removed.

Kappa Beta Pi had been a chartering member of the Professional Panhellenic Association, and thus became a member of the Professional Fraternity Association (PFA) when the PPA merged with the Professional Interfraternity Association. Later, Kappa Beta Pi resigned from the PFA.[2]

Some records of the organization's headquarters were provided to the Denver Public Library, which reports 17 boxes of materials spanning from 1930 to 1979.[5]

The last known address for this Legal Association was either in Silver Spring, MD (per Baird's) or in Omaha, NE (Guidestar). As of November 2021, Guidestar reports "no activity for some time". The organization may be defunct.

Traditions and Insignia

The badge is a monogram with the Κ jeweled and superimposed over the letters Β and Π, which are embellished with scroll work. The pledge pin is an irregularly shaped shield enameled in Turquoise and old gold.[2]

The coat of arms places a field of Turquoise blue in the upper left, while the lower right field is white. Devices, the Open Book, and Scales are rendered in gold. The Knight's Helmet is shown proper, that is, in the natural color, shown full face with the visor open and is of steel with silver ornaments. The helmet symbolizes the protection of the law, and inspires chivalrous conduct.[6]

The flower is the Yellow Tea Rose.

The colors are turquoise blue and old gold.[7]

The official song, To Kappa Beta Pi was written in 1941 by Alice Craig Edgerton.

The organization publishes a quarterly, called The Kappa Beta Pi Quarterly, one edition annually in an esoteric form, called The Secret Bulletin.

A fifty-year history was also written by Ms. Edgerton, who served as its first Grand Dean, or president, and published by the organization.

Chapters

The chapter roll of Kappa Beta Pi Legal Association.[2] Chapters in italics are dormant. Chapters in bold are active. Those unknown are in plain text.

1908 - Alpha - Chicago-Kent Law
1915 - Beta - Northwestern University
1916 - Gamma - DePaul University
1916 - Delta - Chicago
1916 - Epsilon - American University
1916 - Zeta - John Marshall Law, Chicago
1916 - Eta - University of Texas Law
1917 - Theta - Kansas City
1917 - Iota - California (dormant between 1945 and 1946)
1920 - Kappa - Yale University (dormant 1929)
1920 - Lambda - Detroit
1920 - Mu - Detroit Law (dormant between 1939 and 1959)
1920 - Nu - George Washington University
1921 - Xi - Michigan
1921 - Omicron - National Law (school merged with George Washington)
1921 - Pi - Washington (MO)
1921 - Rho - Iowa
1921 - Sigma - Cornell (dormant 1939)
1921 - Tau - Boston
1921 - Upsilon - Syracuse
1921 - Phi - Illinois
1921 - Chi - Oregon
1921 - Psi - Wisconsin, Madison
1923 - Omega - University of Southern California (dormant 1949)
1923 - Alpha Alpha - John Marshall Law, Cleveland
1923 - Alpha Beta - Minnesota (dormant in 1958)
1924 - Alpha Gamma - Southwestern, Los Angeles
1924 - Alpha Delta - Buffalo
1924 - Alpha Epsilon - Chicago-Kent Law (school closed in 1935) [8]
1924 - Alpha Zeta - Marquette University
1924 - Alpha Eta - Hastings Law (dormant in 1957)
1924 - Alpha Theta - Loyola, Chicago
1925 - Alpha Iota - St. Louis
1925 - Alpha Kappa - Creighton
1925 - Alpha Lambda - Nebraska (dormant 1942-1951[9]
1925 - Alpha Mu - Osgoode, Toronto, Canada
1926 - Alpha Nu - Ohio State University
1926 - Alpha Xi- University of Oklahoma
1927 - Alpha Omicron - Paris, France
1930 - Alpha Pi - Tulane
1931 - Alpha Rho - Alabama
1931 - Alpha Sigma - Denver
1931 - Alpha Tau - North Dakota
1932 - Alpha Upsilon - West Virginia University
1932 - Alpha Phi - University of Arizona
1934 - Alpha Chi - Columbia (dormant 1938–57)
1940 - Alpha Psi - Southern Methodist
1940 - Alpha Omega - Drake
1940 - Beta Alpha - London, England
1946 - Beta Beta - Missouri (dormant 1950–51)
1946 - Beta Gamma - Columbus Law (DC)
1946 - Beta Delta - San Francisco
19xx - Beta Epsilon - ? [10]
1947 - Beta Zeta - Shanghai (China)
1948 - Beta Eta - South Dakota
1949 - Beta Theta - Miami (FL)
1949 - Beta Iota - Emory (dormant 1952–53)
1950 - Beta Kappa - Virginia
1952 - Beta Lambda - St. Mary's San Antonio
1953 - Beta Mu - Georgetown
1954 - Beta Nu, West Germany
1955 - Beta Xi - Houston
1956 - Beta Omicron - Toledo
1958 - Beta Pi - Boston Law
1960 - Beta Rho - Kentucky
1962 - Beta Sigma - Seton Hall
1962 - Beta Tau - Rutgers (dormant 1970)
1963 - Beta Upsilon - Howard University (dormant 1974)
1963 - Beta Phi - Fordham (dormant 1970)
1963 - Beta Chi - Kentucky (dormant 1971) [11]
1964 - Beta Psi - Puerto Rico (dormant 1973)
1966 - Beta Omega - Ohio Northern
1966 - Gamma Alpha - Colorado (dormant 1972)
1967 - Gamma Beta - Franklin (OH) (dormant 1973)
1967 - Gamma Gamma - University of Arkansas
1967 - Gamma Delta - Arkansas, Little Rock
1968 - Gamma Epsilon - New Brunswick, Canada (dormant 1973)
1970 - Gamma Zeta - Mississippi
1971 - Gamma Eta - Texas Tech
1972 - Gamma Theta - Pitt (dormant 1973)
1972 - Gamma Iota - Duquesne (dormant 1973)
1973 - Gamma Kappa - Windsor, Ontario, Canada
1974 - Gamma Lambda - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

References

Noted in the Chicago-Kent archives, Item AC005 - Records of the Kappa Beta Pi Legal Sorority, accessed 23 Nov 2021.
Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. Baird's Manual Foundation, Incorporated. 1991. pp. V–79–81.
An image of the handwritten cover letter with which the Articles of Incorporation were given back to the sorority by its founders, many of whom signed the gift, is in the Kent Law archives. Accessed 7 Sept 2020.
According to organizational papers from the Eta chapter at the Texas School of Law, accessed 7 Sept 2020.
See the Denver Public Library Archives, items (C MSS WH1735), at 10 W. 14 Avenue Pkwy., Denver, CO 80204. The Denver library's main archive URL is history.denverlibrary.org.
William Raimond Baird (1968). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. G. Banta Company. pp. 545–546.
William Raimond Baird (1977). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. G. Banta Company. pp. 535–537.
Two Chicago-Kent Law chapters are listed, the Alpha chapter and Alpha Epsilon chapter. The relationship between the two is not noted in Baird's.
Looks like a typo in Baird's, which showed it installed in 1945. Assume this is 1925, to match alphabetical order.
Appears to have been an unassigned chapter name.
Baird's list shows two "Kentucky" chapters, in Beta Rho and Beta Chi.

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[1] Noted in the Chicago-Kent archives, Item AC005 - Records of the Kappa Beta Pi Legal Sorority, accessed 23 Nov 2021.

[Baird1991-2] Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. Baird's Manual Foundation, Incorporated. 1991. pp. V–79–81.

[3] An image of the handwritten cover letter with which the Articles of Incorporation were given back to the sorority by its founders, many of whom signed the gift, is in the Kent Law archives. Accessed 7 Sept 2020.

[4] According to organizational papers from the Eta chapter at the Texas School of Law, accessed 7 Sept 2020.

[5] See the Denver Public Library Archives, items (C MSS WH1735), at 10 W. 14 Avenue Pkwy., Denver, CO 80204. The Denver library's main archive URL is history.denverlibrary.org.

[Baird1968-6] William Raimond Baird (1968). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. G. Banta Company. pp. 545–546.

[Baird1977-7] William Raimond Baird (1977). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. G. Banta Company. pp. 535–537.

[8] Two Chicago-Kent Law chapters are listed, the Alpha chapter and Alpha Epsilon chapter. The relationship between the two is not noted in Baird's.

[9] Looks like a typo in Baird's, which showed it installed in 1945. Assume this is 1925, to match alphabetical order.

[10] Appears to have been an unassigned chapter name.

[11] Baird's list shows two "Kentucky" chapters, in Beta Rho and Beta Chi.

Professional fraternities and sororities organizations and members
Currently active members of the Professional Fraternity Association	Alpha Zeta Alpha Kappa Psi Alpha Rho Chi Alpha Phi Omega Alpha Chi Sigma Alpha Omega Epsilon Delta Chi Xi Delta Epsilon Mu Delta Theta Phi Delta Kappa Alpha Delta Omicron Delta Sigma Pi Delta Sigma Chi Epsilon Nu Tau Theta Tau Kappa Epsilon Kappa Epsilon Psi Kappa Eta Kappa Kappa Kappa Psi Kappa Lambda Chi Kappa Psi Lambda Kappa Sigma Mu Beta Phi Mu Phi Epsilon Pi Sigma Epsilon Rho Pi Phi Sigma Alpha Sigma Alpha Iota Tau Beta Sigma Phi Alpha Delta Phi Beta Phi Gamma Nu Phi Delta Epsilon Phi Delta Chi Phi Sigma Pi Phi Chi Theta
Former and formerly active members of the Professional Fraternity Association or its predecessors: Professional Panhellenic Association or Professional Interfraternity Conference	Alpha Delta Theta Alpha Delta Sigma Alpha Kappa Kappa Alpha Sigma Alpha Alpha Tau Delta Alpha Omega Beta Alpha Psi Gamma Eta Gamma Gamma Iota Sigma Delta Epsilon Iota Delta Sigma Delta Delta Psi Kappa Epsilon Eta Phi Zeta Phi Eta Theta Kappa Psi Theta Sigma Upsilon Theta Sigma Phi Iota Sigma Pi Kappa Alpha Pi Kappa Beta Pi Kappa Delta Epsilon Kappa Phi Kappa Nu Sigma Nu Xi Psi Phi Omicron Delta Kappa Omicron Nu Pi Lambda Theta Sigma Delta Chi Sigma Nu Phi Sigma Sigma Sigma Sigma Phi Delta (now social) Phi Beta Gamma Phi Beta Pi Phi Delta Delta Phi Delta Gamma Phi Delta Kappa Phi Delta Pi Phi Delta Phi (now honor society) Phi Epsilon Kappa Phi Lambda Kappa Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (now social) Phi Rho Sigma Phi Upsilon Omicron Phi Chi Chi Beta Phi Psi Omega Omega Tau Sigma Omega Upsilon Phi Pershing Rifles Scabbard and Blade Scarab
North American Interfraternity Conference	Alpha Gamma Rho Alpha Gamma Sigma
Active independent professional fraternities	Alpha Gamma Kappa Alpha Zeta Omega Alpha Eta Rho Alpha Iota Alpha Psi Gamma Epsilon Tau Delta Sigma Theta Delta Theta Sigma Delta Kappa Gamma Delta Kappa Phi Delta Phi Epsilon Kappa Gamma Psi Kappa Pi Nu Beta Epsilon Phi Sigma Gamma Phi Psi Chi Eta Phi Block and Bridle
Inactive independent professional fraternities	Alpha Epsilon Iota Alpha Tau Sigma Chi Zeta Chi Delta Omicron Alpha Pi Delta Nu

Kappa Beta Pi

History

Traditions and Insignia

Chapters

See also

References