Early in this century, African-American students were actively dissuaded from attending college. Formidable obstacles were erected to prevent the few who were enrolled from assimilating into co-curricular campus life. This ostracism characterized Indiana University in 1911, thus causing Elder W. Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong, and eight other black students to form Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, which remains the only Greek letter organization with its Alpha Chapter on the University's campus.

The founders sought a formula that would immediately raise the sights of black collegians and stimulate them to accomplishments higher than they might have imagined.