OUR HISTORY

About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®,

Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter

In 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® became America’s first Greek-letter organization established by Black college women. Her roots date back to Howard University in Washington, D.C., where the idea for formation was conceived by Ethel Hedgemon Lyle of St. Louis, Missouri. The Nine Founders were: Anna Easter Brown, Beulah Burke, Lillie Burke, Marjorie Hill, Margaret Flagg Holmes, Ethel Hedgemon (Lyle), Lavinia Norman, Lucy Diggs Slowe and Marie Woolfolk (Taylor).

After her incorporation as a perpetual body in 1913, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® gradually branched out and became the channel through which selected college-trained women improved the socioeconomic conditions in their city, state, nation, and the world.

On May 11, 1949, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter was given a charter. The 129th graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® consisted of nine charter members: Pauline Coggs, Rena Curry, Aldon Freeman, Clarice Harris, Norma Humphrey, Cassandra Kelley, Mabel Raimey, Dorothea Carter and Edwina Thomas. 

The following officers were selected for 1949-1950: Pauline Coggs, president; Cassandra Kelley, vice president; Clarice Harris, secretary; Aldon Freeman, correspondence secretary and Ivy Leaf reporter, and Edwina Thomas, treasurer.

The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter resides in the Unapologetically READY Central Region. Under the leadership of our International President, Danette Anthony Reed, we share a mission of reaching deep into our communities and “Soaring to Greater Heights of Service and Sisterhood.”

Since its inception, the chapter has made a significant impact in the Milwaukee community including promoting the arts, reading, math and science, literacy and proficiency through award-winning programs designed for students beginning in pre-school and continuing through high school, conducting workshops for parents and college preparatory testing workshops for high school students, and encouraging economic development among youth.

The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter has nearly 300 accomplished, college-educated women from diverse backgrounds, with exceptional careers, expertise, talents and resources. As a result of this diversity, we benefit from a multi-generational membership and are proud to see our chapter members in action locally, regionally and at the international level of our sisterhood.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter 

Charter Members

CHARTER MEMBERS

PAULINE REDMOND COGGS FOUNDATION, INCORPORATED™

The Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation, Incorporated (PRCF)™ was established in 1999 by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®, Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter, for charitable, educational and community services. It is the philanthropic vehicle that supports on-going educational programs and community agencies that align with our program targets; Education, Black Family, Health, Economic Empowerment, Arts, Environmental Stewardship and Global Impact.

PRCF is a non-profit, 501c3 organization with a rich history rooted in service with a focus on issues impacting women and girls. For over five decades, PRCF has been dedicated to empowering young women across Milwaukee County and surrounding areas. Every year, PRCF creates opportunities for them to participate in leadership development training, civic responsibility, health and wellness, financial literacy, and personal branding through our Debutante Cotillion Leadership and Service Program – all in preparation for an annual PRCF Debutante Ball where they are presented to society. Each year PRCF awards several scholarships to well deserving students, including debutantes, providing them with the opportunity to pursue their education at some of our nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities.