Iota Alpha Kappa

Iota Alpha Kappa (ΙΑΚ) was an American collegiate fraternity. It was established at Union College in 1858 and was dissolved in 1874.

History

Iota Alpha Kappa was founded at Union College in 1858.^[1] Roughly 20 chapters were developed, including at Lafayette College, Washington & Jefferson College, Columbia College and Norwich University.^[1] Membership was not restricted to college students.^[1] In 1874, the fraternity was dissolved at a convention held in Easton, Pennsylvania.^[1]

Following dissolution, the Washington & Jefferson College chapter founded the Phi Delta Kappa fraternity and became its first chapter.^[2] Following the collapse of Phi Delta Kappa, that chapter joined Phi Gamma Delta, restoring that fraternity's Alpha chapter.^[2]^[3]

Known chapters include the following.

Charter date and range	Institution	City	State	Status	References
1858–18xx ?	Union College	Schenectady	New York	Inactive	^[3]
1863–1874	Lafayette College	Easton	Pennsylvania	Withdrew (ΧΦ)	^[3]^[a]
1872–1873	Lehigh University	Bethlehem	Pennsylvania	Inactive (some to ΧΦ)	^[3]^[b]
1873–1874	Washington & Jefferson College	Washington	Pennsylvania	Withdrew (ΦΔΚ)	^[3]^[c]
1873–1874	Columbia University	New York City	New York	Inactive	^[3]^[d]
187x ?–187x ?	Norwich University	Northfield	Vermont	Inactive	^[3]^[e]

^ Withdrew at national dissolution to become Chi Phi's Rho chapter.
^ With national dissolution looming, several members of this new chapter withdrew to join the existing Psi chapter of Chi Phi, which had also formed in 1872, at Lehigh.
^ Withdrew at national dissolution to form its own national, eventually creating five chapters. When these failed, it was affiliated to restore Phi Gamma Delta's Alpha chapter in 1881.
^ The Columbia chapter appears to have dissipated with no successor.
^ The Norwich chapter appears to have dissipated with no successor. All remaining fraternities ceased operation at Norwich in 1959.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Baird, William Raimond (1905). "Iota Alpha Kappa". Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (6th ed.). The Alcolm Company. p. 433.
^ ^a ^b William Raimond Baird (1898). "Phi Delta Kappa". Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (5th ed.). G. Banta Co. pp. 344–345.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive)". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. Retrieved 6 October 2023. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.